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The Fishing Reel Patent Archive

The mechanical heart of American angling

Brake mechanism

Patent drawing of a fisherman's reel showing an exploded mechanical view with a spooled reel attached to a wooden rod, gears, a coiled spring case, and detailed cross-sections labeled with reference letters like S, C, A, and G.

FISHERMAN'S REEL.Franklin R. Smith · June 20, 1882

Patent drawing of a circular fishing reel showing internal planetary gears, a brake ring, a click mechanism, and a crank handle mounted on a rod-plate with rings for attachment to a fishing rod.

FISHING-REEL.Elbert B. Porter · February 17, 1891

Patent drawing sheets showing a fishing reel's internal gear mechanism including a circular gear-and-disk assembly, a longitudinal cross-section of the spool and crank-shaft, and a side elevation with visible cross-bars, click-wheel, and brake linkage.

FISHING-REEL.William H. Atkinson · November 17, 1891

Patent drawing of a cylindrical fishing reel mounted on a rod, showing an external winding wheel with radiating spokes and teeth on one end, internal gear train and coiled spring barrel visible in cutaway views, and a separate brake pin mechanism, with a modified deep-water version featuring a line guide and cam assembly.

FISHING-REEL.Herman W. Martin · July 26, 1892

Patent drawing of a phonograph mechanism showing a vertical governor shaft with weighted bell-crank arms, an adjustable cone brake, belt-and-pulley speed transmission, and a spring-driven going-barrel with gear train, mounted on a rectangular base plate.

PHONOGRAPH.Joseph Broich · January 15, 1895

Patent drawing showing a cylindrical fishing reel with two side plates connected by pillars, a crank handle, and an internal spider-shaped brake mechanism with toothed jaws visible in cutaway face views.

FISHING-REELEdward Charles Vom Hofe · July 14, 1896

Patent drawing sheet showing seven figures of a mechanical fishing reel with a crank handle, spool, drum, ratchet wheel, pawls, and internal spring mechanisms, labeled with numbered reference parts.

FISHING-REEL.Herbert McNulta · October 26, 1897