CA3032621A1 - Continuous entwined mussel aquaculture rope - Google Patents

Description

Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope This invention provides an improved system for the growing and cultivation of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis); also known as the common mussel, which is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family of Mytilus edulis.
Background of the Invention For thousands of years mussels have been gathered for food consumption by both humans and animals. From a simple hunter gather system, humans have developed a new aquaculture industry, which has commercialized the farming and distribution of mussels throughout the planet.
This invention represents an improvement on the methods presently used within this industry.
Summary of the Invention It is the object of this invention to provide an improved commercial and recreational mussel aquaculture cultivation rope. As the industry has evolved, many different methods of growing and harvesting mussels have been tried and always improving.
Accordingly, the aspect of the present invention provides an improvement on one of these methods ¨
Long Line Mussel Aquaculture: Juvenile mussels (spat) are placed on ropes that remain suspended in the water. Mussels grow on these ropes until harvested.
For a very long time mussel farmers relied upon ropes that were worn down by other fishermen; such as lobster or crab fishermen. These worn ropes would have a fuzzy surface resulting from the abrasion created in haulers that would bring the traps up to the surface. The mussel farmer would search high and low for a supply of these ropes to grow their mussels on. But this was a difficult process.
Lobstermen do not like to abandon ropes, especially if they thought they could obtain "one more season" from them.
Mussel growers would actually have to purchase new ropes and beat them on rocks just to duplicate that fuzzy surface. This was not only time consuming, but expensive.
Mussel culture begins by collecting mussel larvae or "spat" from local waters when wild mussels are spawning, usually in late spring. Spat are either naturally or mechanically set on the ropes until they grow to half-to-one-inch long, at which time they are transferred by a step called "socking." Long tubes of cotton are pulled over the length of rope, and filled with juvenile mussels; Mussels attach to the ropes with their Bissel threads. Once mussels grow to a pre-determined size, they are harvested.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention feature ropes with a looped surface to provide an environment for the mussels to attach to with their Bissel filaments and provide an environment to see them through to maturity and ultimately harvesting by the mussel farmer. The longer loops of these ropes provide much more surface area for the mussels to attach to and grow.
Far more surface area than the old style fuzzy worn out lobster rope. These old ropes may only have elements that protrude from the surface no more than 1/4 inch. The loops in the invention can be varied from 1/2 inch to 1-1/2 inch long, depending upon the mussel farmer's environment and methods. More surface area means a higher density of mussels grown per meter.
In a preferred embodiment, the exterior layer of the Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope is constructed around an inner core of high strength elements, such as polymer fibres.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the braided jacket is formed from 8-32 braided elements, preferably 32 braided elements.
In another embodiment, the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope has a breaking strength of at least 500 kg and an elongation at break of 15-20%.
In a further embodiment, the braiding of the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope is formed with a tightness of 4-32 pics/inch in a braided construction.
In yet another embodiment, the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope is capable of being twisted, knotted, tied or bent.
In further preferred embodiments, the elements are formed from synthetic yarns of polypropylene, polyamide or polyester.
In another embodiment, the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope does not undergo a change in length with changes in ambient temperature.
The present invention is illustrated as follows:
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2 . , .13 -'1'!'k=-=1 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is illustrated by the embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a longitudinal, twisted (laid) Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope;
1. Continuous Looped Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope Loops 2. Braided Jacket

3. Inner Core FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a cross-section, Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope;
1. Continuous Looped Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope Loops 2. Braided Jacket 3. Inner Core DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This invention is directed to a braided or knitted rope for a Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, which comprises in combination an outer layer of strands of synthetic fiber yarns, combined in a braided or twisted fashion with strands of filaments and other synthetic fibers and an inner rope core of high tenacity filaments.
The strands of the elements would be in separated elements forming loops which protrude from the inner core of the rope. It is understood that the loops are the major part of the rope.
The present invention provides a Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, which combines the high strength and flexibility with the advantage of being able to provide superior surface adhesion for mussels to grow on. The Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, thus combines strength, flexibility in a braided rope that is also easy to handle.
The rope will have a core enveloped by the braided or twisted exterior layer, or it may have the braided or twisted exterior layer without the core, but the invention will be particularly described with reference to a rope with a core.
Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, comprises an inner core 3, an inner jacket 2, and an outer looped jacket 1.
Inner jacket 2 encases inner core 2.
Inner core 2 is preferably constructed from multiple strands of high tenacity fibres using conventional rope making techniques. The strands may comprise extruded filaments in flattened, square, oval, round or other shapes, or yarns of twisted fibres, including fibres formed from synthetic polymers such as polypropylene, nylon (polyamide) and polyester. The inner core can be straight, or twisted or of braided or twisted construction.
It will be appreciated that a variety of materials may be used and that the construction of the rope of this invention can vary. There are many materials which are suited to be either the core or looped materials. Such materials will be understood by persons skilled in the art of rope making.
Preferred materials are polypropylene, polyamides and polyesters, as either monofilaments or spun yarns or co-extruded high strength polypropylene and polyethylene as a monofilament e.g. Guelph Twines Ltd. polypropylene monofilament. A preferred Nylon fibre is INVISTA
(ADN) nylon 6 high tenacity yarn. High Tenacity polyester yarn is also a preferred material. Low stretch, high strength, minimal water absorption and negative buoyancy (it will sink in water) make these an ideal material.
Other synthetic fibres may be used, including DYNEEMATm fibres of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, aramid fibres e.g KEVLARTM, and other fibres not noted herein.
It will also be appreciated that other synthetic fibres may be used, depending on the proposed end-use.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the braided or twisted elements are formed on equipment used to braid or twist ropes for the marine industry, e.g. for sail halyards and spinnaker sheets.
The core, if present, may be fabricated by conventional rope making techniques e.g. from any high tenacity filaments, and can be either straight, twisted or braided. The fibres of the core may be the same or different from the fibres of the exterior layer.
The high tenacity filaments can also be chosen to provide adequate flexibility in sub-zero temperature environments.
Due to the braided or twisted (laid) construction and the availability of high strength synthetic fibres, such as polyester, the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, of this invention can maintain its dimensional stability, in particular, its length and strength, notwithstanding temperature changes, wind, snow, and ice, and the typical forces imposed in normal commercial aquaculture operations.
In one aspect of the invention, the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, is designed for minimum stretch. In another aspect, the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope is designed for significant elasticity. In the first aspect, the elements of the inner core are selected for their dimensional stability and relative in-elasticity. In the second aspect, the non-reflective elements in the inner core are selected for their elasticity, and the braided or twisted construction design selected for the outer jacket will be a tightly coiled helix in the outer coil that will simply expand by uncoiling, allowing the braided or twisted jacket to stretch without imposing excessive tensional strain on the core elements in the braided or twisted jacket.
In a preferred embodiment, the elements in the outer layer are fibres selected for their resistance to abrasion, to ultraviolet light, and to chemical attack.
The Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, of this invention may be connected by knotting or crimping or fastening lengths with wire clamps or fasteners, to form loosely or spliced end to end.
The materials and the design used for Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, of this invention may be selected from a number of alternatives for each of many, varied aquaculture requirements, including varying the shape, size and construction (braided or twisted) of each of the elements and the overall diameter and weight of the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope. The rope configuration can be a tightly coiled helix, like a coiled spring, or a long, open helix, like an open spring.
The inner core can be braided or twisted fibres, straight fibres or twisted fibres, or the inner core may be omitted. The materials selected for the inner core may be dimensionally very stable or elastic. One or more braided or twisted jackets may be used, and these may be braided or twisted integrally together for increased strength.
The Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope, is relatively soft, flexible, and light weight; it resists rot, mildew, UV, or chemical breakdown, and can be coloured to make it highly visible. It is of very high strength.
A 3 inch diameter (Fig. 1) braided Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope was produced on a 32 carrier braiding machine at 5 pics per inch. The elements were comprised of twisted multifilament of High Tenacity Polyester and mono-filament Polypropylene, gathered into 32 elements. The inner core was formed in a straight (kernmantle) configuration in an amount sufficient to fill the hollow core in the braided jacket. The breaking strength of rope of this construction was in the range of 1,000 to 1,500 kilograms.

4 Embodiments of the Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope of this invention have many added advantages: Primarily to be used as a better; more efficient, Continuous Entwined Mussel Aquaculture Rope.
Claims (20) What is claimed is:
1. A rope for commercial mussel aquaculture farming comprising a cylindrical tightly woven braided exterior layer, said braided exterior layer being formed from a plurality of elements, braided or twisted to form said cylindrical tightly woven braided exterior layer such that the elements are helically wound with opposed orientations, said elements being on the surface of the exterior along the exterior layer.
2. The rope of claim 1 in which the rope has an inner core of high strength synthetic yarns.
3. The rope of claim 1 in which the braided layer is formed from 8-32 braided elements with a tightness of 4-32 picks/inch.
4. The rope of claim 1 in which the rope is substantially non-extendible under tension.

5. The rope of claim 1 in which the rope has a breaking strength of at least 400 kg.

6. The rope of claim 1 in which the elongation at break is 15-20%.

7. The rope of claim 1 in which the elements are formed from fibers selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene and/or aramid.

8. The rope of claim 1 in which the exterior layer comprises a single outer layer of braided elements including high strength elements.

9. The rope of claim 1 in which there are multiple layers of braided elements, the exterior layer having looped elements.

10. The rope of claim 1 in which the elements are extruded monofilaments, extruded multi-filaments or spun yarn.

11. The rope of claim 1 in which, under tension, the helical elements uncoil in the manner of a coiled spring.

12. The rope of claim 1 in which the outer braided layer comprises high tenacity filaments with high visibility colors.

13. The rope of claim 1 in which the rope does not undergo a change in length with changes in ambient temperature.

14. The rope of claim 1 in which the braided construction is such that the inner core is comprised of elastic or non-elastic elements.

15. The rope of claim 1 in which the inner core is comprised of elements of straight, twisted or braided configuration.

16. The rope of claim 1 in which the inner core is comprised of elements combined in a braided or twisted configuration.

17. The rope of claim 1 in which the braided exterior layer is formed from 8-32 braided elements formed with a tightness of 4-32 pick/inch.

18. The rope of claim 1 in which the braided fibers in the outer layer are high-tenacity synthetic fibers.

19. The rope of claim 1 in which the inner core is formed from high tenacity fibers.

20. The rope of claim 1 in which the rope has a thickness (Diameter) of 1/2 inches ¨3 inches.