GB2073568A - Gathering seaweed - Google Patents

Gathering seaweed Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2073568A
GB2073568A GB8110086A GB8110086A GB2073568A GB 2073568 A GB2073568 A GB 2073568A GB 8110086 A GB8110086 A GB 8110086A GB 8110086 A GB8110086 A GB 8110086A GB 2073568 A GB2073568 A GB 2073568A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
vessel
net
water
cage
tunnel
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Granted
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GB8110086A
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GB2073568B (en
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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01DHARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D44/00Harvesting of underwater plants, e.g. harvesting of seaweed

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Farming Of Fish And Shellfish (AREA)
  • Harvesting Machines For Specific Crops (AREA)

Abstract

A vessel for gathering seaweed or other aquatic vegetation, comprises a floating assembly driven by an engine or power plant 5. The assembly comprises two floats 1, 2 which carry a platform on which a control booth and the power plant are provided. A water tunnel is defined beneath the platform and between the floats 1, 2. Means, such as propellers 8, are provided for driving water rearwardly through the tunnel. Paddle wheels 6 propel and steer the vessel. Submerged cutting means 14 cut the vegetation which is collected by net 21 which communicates with a cage (23 or 24) for receiving the cut vegetation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vessel for gathering seawood or other aquatic vege tation Several types of vessels for gathering seaweed or other aquatic vegetation are known, particularly those used for collecting "macrocystis" and other types which can be subjected to mechanical cutting, due to several uses for different ends which are present are very much increased. Such vessels, com prise of conventional floating and motor driven units which may be driven by means of helixes (propel lers), paddle wheels or helix-turbines, and include at their front means for cutting seaweed comprising toothed knives similar two those used in grass cutting machines, which are generally selectively located on different immersion levels, but to limited depths.Fol lowing such cutting element, such assemblies have means for rearwardly displacing and lifting the cut vegetation in order to deposit it on deck wherein they are exposed to weather conditions, employing forthis end different receiving means which vary according to the different embodiments available, but which have always the same operative characteristics, which require further handling to withdraw the cut vegetation from the deck in order to transfer itto special containers orto other vessels.
The known floating tendency of the plants thus cut, makes it possible that they vertically ascent to be received by a transport-lifting unit which moves them to the deck, said displacement means being essential for transferring the cut seaweed from the water level to the level of the deck or the cut seaweed from the water level to the level of the deck or the hoid. Of course, the incorporation of mechanisims for the functioning of said transportlifting means involves a plurality of maintenance requirements and a high power consumption, with a corresponding yield limitation.
The invention provides a vessel for gathering seaweed and the like, which is characterized by its high effectiveness and by a higher yield of the power needed for its operation, in what concerns to the gathering meansperse, as well as to the means used in the conditioning of the crop material, as well as to the operation of the driving means.
More precisely, the invention provides a vessel of the above-mentioned type which, apart from the above-mentioned advantages, gives basic improvements in regard to maintenance, repair and replacement requirements, since it includes, as compared with the known vessels for gathering seaweed and the like, a substantial reduction of functional elements in order to carry out cutting, lifting, inner transport operations and conditioning of considerable volumes of product for furthertransport in containers to processing plants. Besides, the vessel needs less labour four its operation.
The vessel of the instant invention takes advantage of an arrangement of its driving and floating means different to that of the prior art, providing a driven water tunnel, the steam of which is added to the stream from the advance of the vessel in order to rearwardly displace the cut branches, before they reach the water level, that is, while they are immersed, for transferring them without any transport unit, to special receiving cages removably located behind the vessel, said cages being semisubmerged so that the branches remain under said water level, and therefore, under better preserving conditions.
For such end, the vessel of this invention comprises two parallel, or substantially parallel shells, one by the other, having the particularity that, on said shells or elongate floats, there is a platform, thus a tunnel being constituted limited at the sides by said floats and limited in its upper part by said platform. On the platform a power plant and a command booth are located, and under said platform and in the front part of the tunnel, there are one or more helixes, or the like, capable of driving the vessel from the front part; while, from the rear part of the tunnel, means retaining the cutting element descend in a regular form, along with the eventual driving motor, which will be preferably a hydraulic motor since it will have to operate submerged.
The means retaining the cutting element include swivelling side bars which, simultaneously, hold a net which direct the cut branches rearwardly and upwardly, and which does not reach in its rear end to the floating level on to the level of the outer water. At its rear end, the net defines an ample rear opening through which the branches may pass without any inconvenience to said semi-immersed receiving cages which are located in tandem behind the vessel.
The passage of the branches towards the cages is improved by the tunnel stream formed by the sum of the advance displacement of the vessel and the flow produced by the helix or helices.
The sum of streams makes the branches naturally ascend to the collecting net following the cutting element. That is to say, the special front disposition of the helices and the tunnel, contributes to a displacement without power consumption of the branches towards the receiving cages after passing through the net.
Besides, in correspondence with the rear end of the net, there is a removable gate, for example a wire net, capable of closing the opening defined on said end, before entering the cages. Said gate is provided for storing branches even without the addition of cages, or when said cages have been withdrawn by any reason. The storage will be carried out into the net and, when a cage is located behind the vessel, the branches retained therein will pass by means of the stream flow to the rear bottom of the cage merely by opening the gate.
The net is preferably held by two swivelleing arms pivoting about respective pivot pins located in the inner faces of the two floats and on the rear part of the floats, said pins being below the water line of the vessel.
The above-described arrangement, particularly The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.
due to the front location ofthe helices orthe like, permits greater cut depths, being the cutting depths offourtimesthe depth attained with the vessels known upto now, thus increasing the collecting yield all these advantages being also attained with a reduction n the power consumption, since the lifting and innertransport means are eliminated.
Among the complementary elements of this vessel there are resources for locating the driving helix or helices to selected levels, as well as those permitting the location ofthe cutting elements in depths, and all means needed to direct the vessel which will be preferably paddle wheel driven by reverse motors located outside the elongate floats and on the rear portion. With such paddle wheels, and besides the driving effect, the facilities of braking and steering the vessel are provided.
The vessel may be further provided with other functional apparatus or accessories.
A vessel embodying the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure lisa perspectiveview of the vessel; Figure 2 is a side view ofthe vessel; Figure 3 is a two blade toothed knife used as cutting means and located at a selected level under the vessel; Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the vessel; Figure 5 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view of the vessel; and Figure 6 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view of one of the cages towed by the vessel.
In the drawings, like reference numerals denote like parts.
Referring to the drawings, the vessel shown therein comprises two elongate floats 1 and 2 which carry a substantially horizontal platform 3, on which a control or command booth 4 and a power plant 5 are located. The power plant 5 may be provided with an internal combustion engine coupled to a hydraulic pump capable of providing liquid under pressure in order to drive engine or motor means referred to herein. On both sides of the float there are paddle wheels 6 selectively usable as braking means, direction-controlling (steering) means and driving means. In orderto attain this, each of the paddle wheels 6 is coupled to a respective engine, preferably a hydraulic motor7, as shown in Figure 4.
Awatertunnel is defined between the floats 1 and 2 and beneath the platform 3. Propellers (helices) 8 are provided in a front portion ofthetunnel. The propellers 8 serve to drive water rearwardly through the tunnel and also assist in propelling the vessel through the water.
Underthe platform 3 and atthefrontofthevessel, between the floats 1 and 2, there are a plurality of vertical and parallel plates 11, the height of which is equal to that of the floats 1 and 2. The plates constitute means for rectifying water streams during advance, and also constitute a means for protecting helices (propellers) 8 against sand bars, stones, logs, and other obstructions since said helices 8 are located at a depth preferably less than that ofthe draft of the floats 1 and 2. The helices 8, which are replaceable by paddle wheels or other similar means, as turbine helices, are fixable at selected depthsby means of hoisting engines or blocks, specially for raising them when the vessel is towed to be located on a shore.The raising of the helices (propellers) 8 can be ca rned out by side winches 9 coupled to corresponding engine means 10.
Aswivelling frame pivoting in the rearpart 13 of the tunnel formed between the two floats and the horizontal platform, holds a cutting device 14 formed by two toothed knives 15 and 16 as shown in Figure 3. One ofthe knives is fixedin the frame 12,whilethe other is reciprocably displaceable by means of a connecting rod-crank system 17 driven by a motor 18, which is preferably hydraulic. The frame 12 and the cutting device 14 constitute an assembly, which hangs from cables 19 extending on the platform 3 from a block 20. By means of the block 20 and the cables 19, the frame can be held at a desired depth (and at a deserved slope).The frame 12 holds a net 21 of appropriate metallic mesh, which is open at its front 22 and at its rear. The rear of the net 21 is of less height than the front of the net and defines an opening 23.
Seaweed strands or branches which arse cut by the knives 15 and 16 are pushed by the stream of water produced by the advance of the vessel and by the propellers 8 to the rear part of the net 21 and then pass through the opening 23 and enter cages 24 and 25 towed by the vessel. The opening 23 is wide enough to allow the cut seaweed to pass easily or freely therethrough.
The cages 24 and 25 are separated by a mesh gate 26 which closes when the rear cage 25 is completely full, in order that further entering branches are deposited in the leading cage 24. Another gate 27 pivoting on a shaft 28 and fixable by means of pins 29, is located mating with the rear opening 23 of the net 21, behind the floats 1 and 2. The gate 27 prevents the seaweed branches from coming out of the net 21 when the cages are withdrawn.
The shaft 28, on which the gate 27 pivots, is above the water level and extends along the upper edge of the gate. When the gate 27 closes the rear opening of the net 21, the lower edge of the gate coincides with the lower horizontal edge of the opening.
Each ofthe cages 24 and 25 has walls and floor of a mesh size sufficient for retaining the cut seaweed, a according to the species being gathered. Each cage 24 or25 comprises rigid frames connected to side floats 30 and an intermediate lower and central float 32, as shown in Figure 6.
Atelescopic (periscopic) sight 33 is located between the floats 1 and 2 adjacent the front of the vessel, in order to provide observation ofthe movement of the cut branches or other immersed elements. This is an optional accessory.
On the platform 3 openings may be provided for maintenance and otherpurposes in connection with the submerged elements. Some of the openings, such as those indicated by reference numeral 34, may be provided with removable covers.
This construction of the vessel of the invention, when same is used for gathering seaweeds or the like, the composition of the movements resulting from the advance, and the helixes driving force and the tendency to float of the branches, makes it possible that the branches direct immediately towards the collecting net 21, as may be seen in Figure 2, and from the net continue their way to the tandem coupled trailing cages 23 and 24 without the need of transport means.

Claims (15)

1. A vessel for gathering seaweed or other aquatic vegetation, comprising a floating engine-driven assembly, said assembly having two side floats, a platform held bythefloats and provided with control means and power means, a water tunnel being defined beneath the platform and between the floats, means in the front portion of the tunnel for driving water rearwardly through the tunnel, means for propelling and steering the vessel, submerged vegetation cutting means disposed behind the water-driving means and at a lower level than the water-driving means, a net behind the cutting means, a lower portion of the net sloping upwardly and rearwardly, the net being for gathering vegetation cut by the cutting means, the net being open rearwardly and communicating with a cage for receiving the cut vegetation.
2. A vessel as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said net is held by two arms pivotal about an axis below the water line of the vessel.
3. A vessel as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the two arms also carry the means for cutting vegetation.
4. A vessel as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the cutting means comprises two relatively reciprocable knives having forwardly-directed teeth.
5. A vessel as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the lower ends of the arms which hold the net and the cutting element hang from a hoisting mechanism capable of holding said arms fixed at a selected depth and with the lower portion of the net at a selected slope.
6. A vessel as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the water-driving means in the water tunnel are coupled to respective driving engines fixable in selective levels, preferably comprised between the water level and the bottom of the floats.
7. A vessel as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the engines to which the water-driving means are coupled are hung from respective cables extending on the platform up to corresponsing manual blocks.
8. A vessel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a mesh gate is pivotal about an axis above the water level selectively to open and to clos.e the rear of the net.
9. A vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the cage is held semi-submerged and communicates below the water level with the net.
10. A vessel as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the cage comprises a structure in which side and bottom meshes are joined; said structure being engaged to said floats which maintain said mesh semiimmersed, with said bottom mesh substantially cop lanarwiththe lower edge of the rear opening of the net.
11. A vessel as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the cage has at its front and rear gates for selectively opening and closing the cage at its front and rear.
12. A vessel according to Claim 11, wherein the gates are of metallic mesh.
13. A vessel according to any of Claims 9 to 12, comprising a further cage, for communicating with the net, each cage has at its front end means for releasable engaging the cage with said floating assembly, the cages being capable of tandem coupl ing.
14. Avessel according to Claim 1, substantially as described herein with reference to the accom panying drawings.
15. A vessel for gathering seaweed and the like, of the type constituted by a floating and engine driven assembly, including immersed means for cutting branches of said vegetables and means for gathering, raising and transferring rearwardly said branches, characterized in that said floating assembly is constituted by two side and elongated floaters which hold an upper platform containing the command booth and a power plant, under said platform there being defined a water tunnel, the water of which is driven backwards by helixes located in said tunnel in its front part; said helixes, in combination with blade wheels at the sides of the floaters, or the like, with driving forces independent and in selective directions, being the driving means of the assembly; the cutting element being located behind said first helixes and at a lower level, there being behind said cutting element a branch gathering net having its bottom formed by an inclined plane ascendent rearwardly, in which said net is open and communicating with a cage receiving said branches; said net and the tunnel forming the cited means for gathering, raising and transferring the branches backwards.
GB8110086A 1980-04-01 1981-03-31 Gathering seaweed Expired GB2073568B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AR28053280A AR219028A1 (en) 1980-04-01 1980-04-01 BOAT FOR HARVESTING SEAWEED AND SIMILAR

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2073568A true GB2073568A (en) 1981-10-21
GB2073568B GB2073568B (en) 1983-07-27

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8110086A Expired GB2073568B (en) 1980-04-01 1981-03-31 Gathering seaweed

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AR (1) AR219028A1 (en)
CA (1) CA1147149A (en)
GB (1) GB2073568B (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4696149A (en) * 1985-09-27 1987-09-29 Hawk James L Aquatic weed control method and apparatus
US6920744B2 (en) * 2002-09-16 2005-07-26 Clarence W. Shonnard Apparatus and method for cutting and harvesting infestations of aquatic vegetation and/or skimming algae/floating vegetation
FR2957750A1 (en) * 2010-03-26 2011-09-30 Pierre Rene Gabriel Foulon Algae e.g. green algae, removing component for use on rail motor car, has transversal conveyor belt transmitting algae in direction perpendicular to advancement direction so as to regroup algae collected on working-width of component
FR3022269A1 (en) * 2014-06-11 2015-12-18 Geco Ingenierie DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CURING A COURSE OF WATER OR A PLANT OF WATER
WO2016012529A1 (en) * 2014-07-23 2016-01-28 Géco Ingénierie Device and method for dredging a watercourse or body of water, bag for plant matter, and method for storing plant matter
CN107409611A (en) * 2017-05-12 2017-12-01 上海勘测设计研究院有限公司 Ship borne type aquatic plant harvesting apparatus
GB2619554A (en) * 2022-06-10 2023-12-13 Seaweed Generation Ltd A method and vessel for carbon sequestration

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN109089537B (en) * 2018-07-18 2021-05-11 郭毅 Agricultural aquatic plant reaping apparatus
CN114182708A (en) * 2021-12-17 2022-03-15 施庆岗 Algae removing machine
CN116918563B (en) * 2023-09-14 2023-11-24 福建亿达食品有限公司 Kelp mechanized automatic harvesting device and harvesting method thereof

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4696149A (en) * 1985-09-27 1987-09-29 Hawk James L Aquatic weed control method and apparatus
US6920744B2 (en) * 2002-09-16 2005-07-26 Clarence W. Shonnard Apparatus and method for cutting and harvesting infestations of aquatic vegetation and/or skimming algae/floating vegetation
FR2957750A1 (en) * 2010-03-26 2011-09-30 Pierre Rene Gabriel Foulon Algae e.g. green algae, removing component for use on rail motor car, has transversal conveyor belt transmitting algae in direction perpendicular to advancement direction so as to regroup algae collected on working-width of component
FR3022269A1 (en) * 2014-06-11 2015-12-18 Geco Ingenierie DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CURING A COURSE OF WATER OR A PLANT OF WATER
WO2016012529A1 (en) * 2014-07-23 2016-01-28 Géco Ingénierie Device and method for dredging a watercourse or body of water, bag for plant matter, and method for storing plant matter
US10219434B2 (en) 2014-07-23 2019-03-05 Géco Ingénierie Device and method for dredging a watercourse or body of water, bag for plant matter, and method for storing plant matter
CN107409611A (en) * 2017-05-12 2017-12-01 上海勘测设计研究院有限公司 Ship borne type aquatic plant harvesting apparatus
GB2619554A (en) * 2022-06-10 2023-12-13 Seaweed Generation Ltd A method and vessel for carbon sequestration
GB2619554B (en) * 2022-06-10 2024-10-02 Seaweed Generation Ltd A method and vessel for carbon sequestration

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1147149A (en) 1983-05-31
GB2073568B (en) 1983-07-27
AR219028A1 (en) 1980-07-15

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee