AU2009202579A1

AU2009202579A1 - An end cap for an aquaculture basket

Info

Publication number: AU2009202579A1
Application number: AU2009202579A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Garry Thompson
Original assignee: Seapa Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Seapa Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2008-06-26
Filing date: 2009-06-26
Publication date: 2010-01-14

Description

Editorial Note for 2009202579 The description commences with page number two.

4 An end cap for an aquaculture basket The present invention relates to an aquaculture basket having an end cap that enables the basket used for the cultivation of various molluscs such as oysters and abalone 5 to be supported in various configurations. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is common for molluscs such as oysters to be grown on a commercial scale in artificial environments. Typically, the oysters are grown inside baskets that are suspended 10 in the ocean and have perforated walls. The perforations enable water to flow through the baskets where the oysters use the water flow to obtain nutrients from the water as well as flushing impurities away. The oyster baskets themselves are largely tubular mesh baskets that are fastened at least at either end and suspended above the ocean floor. In intertidal environments a 15 single basket is typically hung in the water whilst in sub tidal environments it is known to hang a number of baskets vertically one above the other in a ladder arrangement, each ladder suspended in the ocean from a rope or a cable. Not only are there difficulties with handling these types of mesh baskets when trying to open and/or stack them, a further problem is that different baskets need to be 20 used depending on the growth environment, that is, whether the baskets are suspended in the water, hung in a vertical arrangement or even supported on solid rods extending through the baskets. The typical basket that is in use is an elongate and flattened tubular cross-section and is made of mesh material such as metal or plastic having ends caps fitted at either end 25 of the basket. Sea water flows not only through the perforations in the basket wall but also the end caps. The contents of the basket are accessed by removing one or both of the end caps. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide an end cap for an aquaculture basket as 30 well as an aquaculture basket having an end cap that obviates or alleviates any one of the above problems, or at least provides the public with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a broad aspect the invention could be said to reside in an end cap for an aquaculture basket, the end cap including a rigid frame including a means of engaging an external supporting means outside of said basket to thereby keep the basket elevated above 5 a surface. Preferably said end cap rigid frame assists in maintaining the structure of the basket. In preference said end cap is adapted to hold a mesh in between said rigid frame. Preferably said end cap-includesra connectioinmeansffor onucning the nud up 10 to an end of the basket. In preference said connection means is a pivotal connection allowing said end cap to be rotated between open and closed positions. Preferably said external supporting means is a pole, and said means of engaging the external supporting means is one or more apertures extending through said frame and 15 being correspondingly shaped to receive said pole. In preference said basket includes a longitudinal axis, and said apertures extend along an axis parallel to said longitudinal axis so that said basket extends parallel to the direction of said pole. Preferably said basket includes a substantially oval shaped cross section, and said 20 frame is shaped to cap the end of the basket as well as to accommodate apertures at four comers thereof outside of said basket. Preferably two poles are used to support one basket having end caps at opposed ends of said basket, whereby each pole is adapted to extend through horizontally aligned corner apertures of the two end caps. 25 In preference when said basket is adapted to be suspended from said poles, the poles are adapted to extend through aligned upper apertures of each end cap, and when the basket is adapted to be supported above said poles, the poles are adapted to extend through aligned lower apertures of each end cap. Preferably said apertures are square shaped and adapted to receive square cross 30 sectional poles.

In preference said frame further includes a stacking means that enables the end caps to engage with adjacent vertical end caps to thereby assist in forming a vertical ladder of baskets. Preferably said stacking means is in the form of tabs associated with said rigid 5 frame, said tabs of a first end cap adapted to abut with the tabs of an adjacent vertical end cap to thereby maintain uniform separation between said two vertically disposed end caps. In preference said stacking means includes at least one aperture associated with said frame such that said aperture is disposed adjacent an aperture of an adjacent vertical end cap, enabling for insertion of a two-pronged locking member through said adjacent 10 apertures. Preferably said aquaculture basket is an oyster basket. In a further form of the invention there is proposed an aquaculture basket including an end cap according to the above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 15 The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a known basket; .0 Figure 2 is an isometric view of an outward facing side of an end cap of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating supporting oyster baskets using bottom supports on each end cap of Figure 3; Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating supporting oyster baskets using top 25 supports on each end cap of Figure 3; Figure 5 illustrates the support of multiple oyster baskets; Figure 6 illustrates the use of the embodiment of the present invention when supporting a ladder of baskets; and Figure 7 illustrates a feature of the preset invention being able to lock a ladder of baskets to each other. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 5 The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the 10 same and like parts. Dimensions of certain of the parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration. The Figures illustrate an end cap (10) for an oyster basket (12). Whilst an oyster basket is exemplified, it will be appreciated that the end cap may take other configurations and therefore may be used with other types of aquaculture baskets. The oyster basket has 15 two end caps (10) and a wall (14) extending between the end cap where one of the caps may be configured to enable access to the basket, and the other end may be fixed. For a better understanding of end caps and oyster baskets the reader is referred to Australian patent 783544 that relates to an end cap that includes an aperture and a flap that allows access to the inside of the oyster basket. Accordingly the present description shall Z0 focus more on the preset invention and for a general description of end caps the reader is referred to the above mentioned Australian Patent, Whilst the present invention may equally well be applied to such an end cap having a flap it is not intended to limit it to a cap having a flap and it could also be used on end caps that include a fixed mesh to allow for the flow of sea water therethrough. 25 The basket illustrated in Figure 1 has a relatively rigid rim (16) at either end that assist in maintaining the shape of the basket. The end cap of the present invention does not require the wall to have a rigid rim as the end cap itself is capable of maintaining the shape of the wall. Retaining loops (18) are positioned at the top at each end of the basket. Hooks (not shown) are fitted underneath the loops and the hooks are used to either hang 30 the basket from a supporting line of from an upper basket to form a ladder of baskets. The basket of Figure 1 is therefore limited to being hung by hooks or configured in a ladder 6 arrangement. The latter has further problems in the hooks can break under certain conditions. An end cap according to a first embodiment of the preset invention is illustrated in Figure 2 to 7. The end cap is suitable for fitting to a wall of a basket similar in shape to 5 that in Figure 1, but where the wall does not have to have a relatively rigid rim when the end cap of the present invention is used. In the first embodiment the cap has a flap, whilst it is to be understood that in other embodiments such a flap may not be necessary. The end cap has a rigid frame (20), an aperture (22) and a flap (24) for closing the aperture. The frame includes connection means (26) for connecting it to an end of a 10 basket. The wall of the basket may be relatively flexible and the connection means holds the wall in the desired shape. The flap includes arms (28) thatjournal around pins (30) to enable the flap to be hingedly moved between and open and a closed position. It can be locked in the closed position with locking means (32). The end cap has a plurality of apertures (34) that enable the end caps to be 15 supported by the use of external poles, to be discussed later. In practice the end cap is formed separately form the basket and fitted thereto. This enables the end cap to be fitted to existing oyster baskets. Whilst the end cap could be integrally formed with the body of the basket manufacture in that form is less convenient. ?0 The flap (24) includes an outer sub-frame (36) supporting a mesh material (38), with ribs (40) strengthening the flap as required. As discussed above, the end cap includes apertures (34). Four such apertures are located generally adjacent each of the corners of the end cap. However, in some instances there may only be two such apertures generally parallel in the horizontal plane. The use of 25 these apertures (34) is better illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The apertures (34) are used to support poles (42) that extend and engage apertures on both end caps of an oyster basket (44). The poles are long enough to straddle across joists (46) that are supported by posts (48) that can be floating posts or embedded into the sea floor. Thus in Figure 3 one can see an embodiment where the lower apertures are used to support the oyster baskets above 30 the level of the joists, whereas in Figure 4 the poles engage the higher apertures resulting in the baskets being suspended between the joists. One can readily appreciate that this has relevance to the growth of oysters since their relative height to the sea floor determines the amount of time spent in the water and this in turn affects growth rates and the quality of the oyster meat. The end caps can also be used to support a matrix of oyster baskets as illustrated in 5 Figure 5. There the poles 42 are long enough to support two oyster baskets in their longitudinal direction, Of course, this depends on the material from which the poles are made and their relative size. Whilst the apertures and thus the poles in this embodiment have been of a square configuration it is not intended to limit it to that shape and other shapes may equally well be used be they circular, triangular or other shapes. 10 Illustrated in Figure 6 is the present end cap when used to support oyster baskets in a ladder configuration. The oyster baskets are suspended by using a rope (50) supported by a tether line (52) that engages clips (not shown) along the sides of the frame. The clips extend generally upwardly from the frame so that the rope or cable (50) can be sandwiched between the frame and the clip. The rope can then be passed either down one 15 side across the bottom and up the other side, or alternatively the rope may be passed down one side of a ladder of baskets, across the bottom side of the lower most basket and then back up the other side of the ladder. Although this form of holding the baskets together may be more reliable then using clips, over time the ropes may fray and under severe jolting may indeed break. !0 Accordingly another feature of the present invention is that that end caps include tabs (54) that abut each other when the baskets are on top of each other. In addition to the tabs the end caps include holes (56), the bottom hole of an oyster basket abutting the top hole of the basket underneath. This then enables a twin pronged clip (58) to lock adjoining baskets together. The rope then provides the carrying capacity for the oyster 25 baskets in a ladder arrangement whilst the clips ensure that the rope does not stretch and thus fray over time. It is to be understood that the end caps according to the present invention may thus be made having a flap or having a fixed mesh and also having pole supporting apertures and/or locking means to lock adjoining baskets together when in a ladder arrangement. 30 Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. In the summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due 5 to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. An end cap for an aquaculture basket, the end cap including a rigid frame including a means of engaging an external supporting means outside of said basket to thereby keep the basket elevated above a surface. 5

2. An end cap according to claim 1 wherein said end cap rigid frame assists in maintaining the structure of the basket.

3. An end cap according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said end cap is adapted to hold a mesh in between said rigid frame.

4. An end cap according to any one of claims 1-3 wherein said end cap includes a 10 connection means for connecting the end cap to an end of the basket.

5. An end cap according to claim 4 wherein said connection means is a pivotal connection allowing said end cap to be rotated between open and closed positions.

6. An end cap according to any one of the above claims wherein said external supporting means is a pole, and said means of engaging the external supporting 15 means is one or more apertures extending through said frame and being correspondingly shaped to receive said pole.

7. An end cap according to claim 6 wherein said basket includes a longitudinal axis, and said apertures extend along an axis parallel to said longitudinal axis so that said basket extends parallel to the direction of said pole. 20

8. An end cap according to claim 7 wherein said basket includes a substantially oval shaped cross section, and said frame is shaped to cap the end of the basket as well as to accommodate apertures at four corners thereof outside of said basket.

9. An end cap according to claim 8 wherein two poles are used to support one basket having end caps at opposed ends of said basket, whereby each pole is 25 adapted to extend through horizontally aligned corner apertures of the two end caps.

10. An end cap according to claim 9 wherein when said basket is adapted to be suspended from said poles, the poles are adapted to extend through aligned upper apertures of each end cap, and when the basket is adapted to be supported above 10 said poles, the poles are adapted to extend through aligned lower apertures of each end cap.

11. An end cap according to any one of claims 6-10 wherein said apertures are square shaped and adapted to receive square cross-sectional poles. 5

12. An end cap according to any one of the above claims wherein said frame further includes a stacking means that enables the end caps to engage with adjacent vertical end caps to thereby assist in forming a vertical ladder of baskets.

13. An end cap according to claim 12 wherein said stacking means is in the form of tabs associated with said rigid frame, said tabs of a first end cap adapted to abut 10 with the tabs of an adjacent vertical end cap to thereby maintain uniform separation between said two vertically disposed end caps.

14. An end cap according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein said stacking means includes at least one aperture associated with said frame such that said aperture is disposed adjacent an aperture of an adjacent vertical end cap, enabling for insertion 15 of a two-pronged locking member through said adjacent apertures.

15. An end cap according to any one of the above claims wherein said aquaculture basket is an oyster basket.

16. An aquaculture basket including an end cap according to any one of the above claims. 20

17. An end cap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

18. An aquaculture basket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.