AU641350B2

AU641350B2 - Crayfish snare device

Info

Publication number: AU641350B2
Application number: AU3180993A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Grant Taylor
Original assignee: KINGSTHORPE Pty Ltd
Current assignee: KINGSTHORPE Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1993-01-15
Filing date: 1993-01-15
Publication date: 1993-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1999-01-15

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NUMBER:

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION LODGED:

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C CC NAME OF APPLICANT: ADDRESS OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR(S): ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: KINGSTHORPE PTY LTD 009 440 733) 15 Altona Street, West Perth Western Australia, 6005, Australia GRANT TAYLOR KELVIN LORD AND COMPANY 4 Douro Place West Perth Western Australia 6005

AUSTRALIA

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: "SNARE DEVICE" The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 'I i 1 2 2 The present invention relates to a snare device.

3 More particularly, the snare device of the present 4 invention is intended for use in catching decapod crustaceans such as crayfish and lobsters.

6 Presently, it is common for those wishing without the aid 7 of cray pots and the like to trap and capture crayfish for 8 example, to use what is termed a "noose snare". The noose 9 of the noose snare is manoeuvred around the tail of the crayfish and pulled tight by the user to grip the 11 crayfish. This requires the user to 'have one hand on the 12 shaft of the noose snare and the other hand on the handle 13 to pull the noose tight. As such, a second person may be 14 required to release the crayfish and to place it in a ooeeo 15 holding bag.

16 The noose snare requires that the tail of the crayfish is 17 visible and so located as to allow a user to position the 18 noose as required. This is often difficult as crayfish 19 tend to back-into crevices and small caves in reefs so that oeooI their tail is not visible.

21 Further, if the noose is drawn too tight about the shell of 22 the crayfish, the shell may be damaged. Piercing or 23 otherwise damaging the shell of a crayfish is prohibited by 24 law in some areas. In these areas, for example Western Australia, it is required that when a crayfish is caught it 26 is checked to determine whether it is female and carry-ing 27 eggs and also to check if it is of the correct size. If 28 the crayfish is unsuitable it must be released without 29 damage.

The present invention provides a snare device that r ,.ilrlUu r zIllu Y I 1 3- 2 3 substantially overcomes the problems associated with the 4 prior art recited hereinabove.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention 6 there is provided a snare device comprising an elongate 7 handle member having a first end adapted to be held by a 8 user and a second end bifurcating to form two arms, 9 wherein the two arms have attached thereto and extending therebetween a gripping member to engage a subject to be 11 snared, the two arms having provided thereon terminal 12 depending portions, the gripping member extending between 13 the depending portions and having at least part thereof 14 shaped in an arched manner, or being able to conform to an arched shape within which the subject to be snared may be 16 located and through which pressure may be applied to the 17 subject by the user.

18 The present invention will now be described by way of 19 example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, 20 in which:- 21 Figure 1 is an upper perspective view of a snare device in 22 accordance with the present invention; 23 Figure 2 is a lower perspective view of the snare device 24 of Figure 1; 00e 25 Figure 3 is an upper perspective view of the snare device 26 of Figure 1 in use to snare a crayfish.

27 In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a snare device 28 comprising an elongate handle member 12 having a first end 29 14 and a second end 16. The first end 14 has a grip lo 30 provided thereon.

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1 4- 2 The second end 16 bifurcates to form a pair of arms 3 Each arm 20 has a terminal depending portion 22 each of 4 which in turn has a terminal end 24.

A gripping member 26 is provided between and attached to 6 the terminal ends 24. The gripping member 26 comprises a 7 pair of wire strands 28.

8 The-terminal ends 24 of the portions 22 are hollow and 9 receive therein the wire strands 28, as can best be seen in Figure 2. Attachment is achieved by crimping of the 11 terminal ends 24 to grip the wire strands 28 therein.

12 The elongate handle member 12 and the pair of arms .13 define generally a single plane. The terminal depending 14 portion 22 of each arm 20 depends from that plane 15 substantially perpendicularly.

16 The wire strands 28 form an arch 30 between the terminal 17 depending portions 22. As such the wire strands 28 are in 18 part set back from the terminal ends 24 from which they 19 extend, as can be seen in Figure 1.

20 In Figure 3 there is shown a user 32 employing the snare 21 device 10 to snare a crayfish 34 against a reef surface 22 36. The crayfish 34 typically has a forward carapace 38 23 and a tail portion 24 In use, the user 32 locates a crayfish 34 and places the snare device 20 such that the gripping member 26 applies 26 some pressure to the crayfish 34 at the junction of the 27 carapace 38 and the tail portion 40. The crayfish 34 is 28 pushed against the reef surface 36 and if of a suitable 29 size cannot escape from the pressure applied through the gripping member 26.

r clrw:*n~-~.i 1 5 2 However, if the crayfish 34 is too small, the terminal end 3 24 of the portions 22 may contact the reef surface 36 and 4 the gripping member 26 be unable to exert sufficient pressure on the crayfish 34 to hold it. In this manner the 6 size of the arch 30 in the gripping member 26 may be used 7 to gauge the size of prospective crayfish 34 to be caught.

8 For example, the size of the arch 30 may be set or adjusted 9 such that undersize crayfish are able to escape from the snare device 11 The user 32 may then grip the crayfish 34 with their free 12 hand that is not holding the grip 18 and release the 0 13 pressure applied through the snare device 10. The crayfish 14 34 may then either be bagged or released without damage to 15 the carapace 38 or tail 16 The elongate handle member 12 and arms 20 may be formed of 17 tubular material. The gripping member 26 may be formed 18 also of a single wire strand or similar such as rubber or 19 plastic bands or strips. However, stainless steel wire is o oo preferable for the gripping member 26 as this resists 0000 21 corrosion.

S 22 It is envisaged that the bifurcation of the elongate handle 23 member 12 to form the arms 20 encompasses the provision of 24 a transverse member at the second end 16 from which arms extend or depend.

26 Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to a 27 skilled addressee are deemed within the scope of the 28 present invention.

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