JP2023157865A - Control system and bait capsule for long line fishing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a control system and a bait capsule for a long line fishing apparatus.SOLUTION: A bait capsule used in a long line fishing apparatus, includes: a substantially cylindrical body having a bait cavity extending from a baiting opening and a bottom opening, where a slot in a side wall connects the openings; a plunger having a plunger stem retained within an axial bore located in the cylindrical body and a plunger head, the plunger being movable in the body such that in an open position, the plunger provides a bait egress through the bottom opening and provides a substantially streamlined nose for the capsule in a closed position; and a plunger locking mechanism disposed in an upper end portion of the cylindrical body, the mechanism being communicatively coupled to a limit line connected to a limit line retrieval mechanism on a fishing vessel, the mechanism being configured to prevent the plunger from opening until the limit line is fed in by the retrieval mechanism for retrieval of the bait capsule.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4a

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to control systems and bait capsules for longline fishing equipment. This invention has particular application to longline fishing equipment for stern baiting of longlines to prevent seabirds from attacking the bait, and for illustrative purposes, the invention will be described with reference to this application. Ru. However, the inventors anticipate that this invention may also find use in other applications, such as deploying bait below the water surface in fishing gear generally.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reference to any prior art in this specification is not an agreement or any suggestion that the cited prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the relevant technical field; should not be accepted.

Longline fishing requires the deployment of longlines with a number of individual hooks connected to the line by branch lines or droppers. One end of the branch line is snapped into the main line, the other carrying the hook or group of hooks, as the line passes over the stern of the vessel, moving at a speed selected relative to the payout speed of the main line. Bait is attached to the end and thrown overboard. Disadvantages include that the bait remains at or near the water surface for a significant distance behind the boat. Seabirds, including albatross, see prey as a food source and attempt to forage, resulting in injury and drowning if the bird gets caught. Statutory bycatch limits are enforced by observers and record books, increasing compliance costs for fisheries.

Techniques to scare birds are known, such as the use of streamers ('bird lines'). However, birds eventually learn to ignore the streamers. Even if windsocks deter aggressive species such as albatross, this often merely opens the way for less aggressive species, such as smaller storm petrels. Bycatch continues. Bird lines and night rigging are the most common mitigation methods, but weighting swivels, dripping fish oil films onto the surface, water spray, keeping deck lighting to a minimum, or strong narrow beams Other methods are also used, such as using lights. On smaller boats, bird lines tend to get tangled in the main line.

Another mitigation method is to add weight to the swivel that attaches the branch line to the main line, allowing the line to sink more quickly. However, placing a weight on the hook end of a branch line is a potential danger to anyone in its path, as if the line breaks with a fish of any size, the weight can be thrown back at extremely high speeds. This is not desirable.

It has been suggested to wrap the bait for deployment. The bait is wrapped in a cover to prevent seabirds from accessing the bait and hook when the bait is deployed from the boat. The cover is selected to expose the bait if it is not accessible to the bird. One embodiment includes the use of a disposable tin bi-fold housing with a fusible pin closure. Control of the time of bait deployment is variable and requires chemical action. Disposable parts are dispersed into the environment.

It has been proposed to allow the bait to be pulled hydrodynamically below the surface, either by a mainline configured to pull down the dropper rapidly or by a dropper so configured. However, this limits the payout speed to less than boat speed and makes it impossible to pull the line up in a conventional manner.

It has been proposed to launch baits to selected depths to reduce or prevent birds from attacking the bait. A published example includes a 10 m long lasso chute with an upper bait channel communicating with a perforated tube that curves downward from the transom towards the stern. The upper end is hinged to the transom, and the lower end is dynamically maintained at deployment depth by paravanes. The hooked bait is fed into the upper bait groove, and the other end of the branch line is snapped into the main line. The trunk line then pulls the branch line and baited hook down the chute, and the branch line advances along the slot. These examples rely on the bait being pulled in order to deploy. This causes mechanical action on the hook and tends to entangle it in devices such as paravanes and cables, lasso chutes, and the like. Other embodiments use water to flush bait down the chute either from a deck hose source or by venturi effect.

Such underwater lasing devices have been the subject of many experiments with devices that allow the mainline to be released far below the water surface, but none have been perfected.

The most promising embodiment of an underwater roping device is a "capsule" that deploys bait. A weighted transport capsule on the retrieval line secures the baited branch line until the capsule reaches its deployment depth determined by the length of the retrieval line. At this point, the carryover behavior of the capsule and the retrieval behavior release the bait. Bait placed by the capsule can be delivered to a preselected depth that can vary, with cycle time depending on the selected depth and capsule mechanics.

A recent development of capsule deployment and retrieval methods is a truck that transports the capsule to some or all of the required depth. In this embodiment, a track is assembled across the stern of the ship. A car is assembled for free sliding movement along the track, the car being trappable between the top and bottom ends of the track. Launching and retrieval of the selected length of rope occurs through a free take-up winch through the center of the vehicle, terminating in the capsule assembly. The action of the winch retrieves the capsule before docking with the car and then retrieves the car and capsule in assembly from deck level to the top of the truck where the capsule can be baited. The capsule assembly includes a capsule body of heavy metal casting construction. The capsule has a bait-receiving cavity that is open at the top and bottom, and the top and bottom openings are connected by a slot that allows the passage of branch lines. The bottom opening has a flap closure. The capsule has hydrodynamic fins to control its "flight".

In use, the baited branch line falls into the cavity through the top opening and the other end of the branch line snaps into the main line as it is paid out. The bait and hook are protected from seabirds in the cavity. Once the bait is loaded, the winch is released and the capsule and car assembly drop to the bottom of the rail. When the car hits that stop, the capsule continues downward through the water. The winch retrieves the capsule when it is at the end of the rope. The reverse water flow sweeps the bait over the flap and the branch line clears the slot. The capsule is retrieved to the vehicle and the vehicle and capsule assembly are retrieved to the top of the truck for reloading. The hydrodynamic and weight balance in the capsule (provided by the cast fins) influences the alignment of the capsule and the vehicle during retrieval.

Development testing identified design flaws. However, the capsule reduces bird activity in the area immediately behind the ship when compared to manually routed hooks. In some cases, entanglements occurred. Further development was required to resolve the problems associated with entanglement. The cast form of the capsule is based on experimentation, with the result that it cannot be made in consistent proportions without undue experimentation. Casting is complex.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, in one aspect, is a dynamic control system for a longline fishing device that can be assembled to the transom of a fishing boat, the fishing device being attached to a restriction line and adjacent to a baiting position and the waterline. a bait capsule mountable to a capsule carriage movable on a track to or from a capsule launch location below the waterline, the control system dynamically controlling the speed at which the capsule carriage is driven between the ends of the track; a first drive means for controlling, a second drive means for dynamically controlling the speed at which the capsule is delivered when it reaches a capsule launch position, and a data input module for receiving a set of operating parameters. a data input module, wherein the set of operating parameters includes drive means output data representative of at least one of a current speed of the fishing vessel, a desired bait depth, and a position and speed of the output of the respective drive means; A controller communicable with a data input module for performing a capsule deployment and retrieval process in response to receiving a signal, the controller being capable of: a) determining a current status of a fishing vessel; evaluating the data received via the data input module to determine both the speed and the desired bait depth; b) such that the capsule truck is initially accelerated and then decelerated as it approaches the lower end; controlling the first drive means to drive the capsule truck to the lower end of the truck for capsule launch; c) determining the amount of restriction line that needs to be delivered to achieve the desired bait depth; and d) a control device configured to determine the delivery speed for the capsule to ensure that a predetermined amount of rope tension is achieved over the delivery process when the capsule truck reaches the launch position; It is widely used in dynamic control systems including

In another aspect, a method of longline fishing, the step of providing a vessel with a longline fishing device attachable to the transom thereof, the fishing device being attached to the restriction line and adjacent the baiting position and the waterline. or a bait capsule mountable to a capsule carriage movable on a track to and from a capsule launch location below the waterline; a second drive means for controlling the speed at which the capsule is delivered when the capsule reaches the capsule launch position; and a data input for receiving a set of operating parameters, the set of operating parameters comprising: data comprising a current speed of the fishing vessel, a desired bait depth, position data for the first drive means and the second drive means, the position data representing at least one of the position and speed of the output of the respective drive means; and performing a capsule deployment and retrieval process in response to receiving an initiation signal, the computer-implemented steps of: evaluating the data received via the data input means to determine both the current velocity and the desired bait depth of the capsule carriage, the capsule carriage being caused to initially accelerate and then decelerate as it approaches the lower end; controlling the first drive means to drive the capsule carriage to the lower end of the truck for capsule launch, determining the amount of noose needed to be delivered to achieve a desired bait depth; dynamically controlling the operation of the second drive means to achieve a capsule delivery speed that results in a predetermined amount of tension in the noose over the delivery process when the carriage reaches the firing position; A method is provided.

In yet another aspect, a bait capsule for use in a longline fishing device comprising: a) a substantially cylindrical body having a bait cavity extending from a baiting opening and a bottom opening, the slot in the side wall comprising: a) a bait cavity extending from a baiting opening; a plunger having a body connecting said opening; and b) a plunger shank and a plunger head retained in an axial bore located in the cylindrical body, wherein the plunger in an open position is configured to allow the plunger to pass through said bottom opening. c) a plunger movable in the body to provide a bait outlet and a substantially streamlined nose for the capsule in the closed position; c) a plunger engagement disposed in the upper end portion of the cylindrical body; a locking mechanism, the mechanism being communicatively coupled to a restriction line connected to a restriction line retrieval mechanism of a fishing vessel, the plunger locking mechanism being configured to operate until the restriction line is fed by the retrieval mechanism for retrieval of bait capsules; and a plunger locking mechanism configured to prevent the plunger from opening.

The device according to one or more embodiments of the invention is advantageously controlled by periodic control means. The control means may be electrical, electronic, hydraulic or pneumatic. For example, in situations where electrical or electronic controls are environmentally unnecessary, the control means may include hydraulic or pneumatic controls. In either case, the control means can be selected for periodic operation with one button. For example, a deckhand can load bait into a capsule, snap a branch line to the main line, and press a cycle button. The control means can then release the restraining rope, allowing the truck to be driven to the lower end of the track to release the capsule. The control means may then automatically cycle the retrieval means for retrieval of the capsules to the trolley and the trolley and capsule assembly to the feeding position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described with reference to the following non-limiting embodiments of the invention as shown in the drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a fishing device installed at the stern of a ship according to the invention; FIG. 2 is an overall assembly perspective view of the device of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the capsule of FIG. 1 in a closed state; FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the capsule of FIG. 1 in an open state; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 1 in a closed state; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 1 in an open state; FIG. 4b is a close-up view of section C shown in FIG. 4b; FIG. Figure 4a is an additional cross-sectional view of the capsule in the closed state (capsule rotated 90 degrees with respect to Figure 4a); Figure 4b is an additional cross-sectional view of the capsule in the open state (capsule rotated 90 degrees with respect to Figure 4b); 4d is a close-up view of section B shown in FIG. 4d; FIG. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a locking pin according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a plunger retention mechanism (without pawls), according to an embodiment. 6a is an isometric view of the plunger retention mechanism of FIG. 6a shown with the pawl retracted; FIG. 6a is an isometric view of the plunger retention mechanism of FIG. 6a shown with the pawl extended; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the capsule truck of FIG. 1 illustrating the capsule collection process; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a line feed assembly operable to control the fishing equipment of FIG. 1; FIG. 9 is a process flow performed by the control device of FIG. 8;

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Embodiments described herein relate to a dynamic control system and bait capsule for a longline fishing device mounted on the stern of a fishing vessel. Embodiments advantageously ensure that bait capsules of longline fishing devices are safely, accurately, and quickly deployed to the required depth to avoid unnecessary seabird bycatch.

The dynamic control system is specifically configured to control longline fishing equipment having bait capsules attached to a restriction line. The bait capsules can be mounted on a capsule truck that is movable on a track between a baiting location and a capsule launch location adjacent to or below the waterline.

Particular non-limiting examples of such fishing equipment are described with reference to the figures.

According to the illustrated example, the fishing equipment includes a head pulley assembly 16 assembled to the top of the track 11. The capsule truck 17 is moorably assembled for sliding movement on the truck 11. The weighted bait capsule 20 is docked to a pivoting docking receiver 21 of the capsule truck 17. According to the illustrated embodiment, the weight of the capsule 20 is approximately 12 kg, facilitating the downward movement of the capsule to the required depth after it has been launched from the truck 11.

A restriction line 22 is fixed to the bait capsule 20 and passes through the cableway 23 of the pivoting docking receiver 21 about a pulley 24 coaxial with the docking receiver pivot 25 . The restriction rope 22 then passes over the large pulley 26 and small pulley 27 of the head pulley assembly 16 and then through the guide pulley 30 to the rope feed assembly 13 configured to dynamically control the feeding of the restriction rope. Head to. More specifically, the restriction line 22 is picked up and terminated by a winch drum 31 which is controlled (rotated) by a hydraulically operated drive means of the line feed assembly 13.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, capsule carriage 17 includes a pair of spaced side plates 32 having assembly rollers 33 located substantially within and engaging tracks 11. As shown in FIG. Extending from the slot 34 of the track 11 is an assembly portion 35 spaced apart by the aforementioned pulley 24 coaxial with the docking receiver pivot 25. The pivoting docking receiver 21 has an oval and tapered recess 36 . The lower ends of the side plates 32 are interconnected and separated by a lower end portion 37 where the firing line 40 terminates. The firing line 40 passes down through the slot 34 about a pulley assembly 41 assembled to the bottom of the track 11. The firing line 40 then passes through the track 11 past the assembly station 12 back to the rotary pulley 42 and terminates in the line feed assembly 13 where it is wound onto the winch drum 43 via the driven pulley 44. The winch drum 43 is in turn controlled (rotated) by the hydraulically operated drive means of the line feed assembly 13.

Bait capsule 20 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 3-6. As shown, bait capsule 20 includes a substantially cylindrical body 45 having a rear or upper oval tapered end portion 46 and an open lower end 47 . The body 45 is formed of a combination of materials assembled with respect to the necessary compilation to obtain the required strength and stable platform. For example, body 45 may be formed of high grade aluminum and tapered end portion 46 is made of high grade and/or corrosion resistant steel. The interior of the bait capsule 20 forms a bait cavity 50 , the inner surface of which is partially constituted by a substantially axial wall portion 51 . The weight of the capsule body 45 is biased toward the side 52 in the longitudinal direction. According to the illustrated embodiment, weight bias is achieved in part by a titanium slug 88 inserted into a machined passageway (extending parallel to the longitudinal axis) in the bait cavity 50. Additionally, one or more cavities may be provided on the opposite side of the cylindrical body 45 and on the tapered end portion 46 to further increase weight bias. The bias operates to prevent the capsule from rotating when it is retrieved to the bottom of the track 11, thus avoiding a "twist knot" in the restriction rope 22.

A pair of inwardly opening hinged entry flaps 72a, 72b are provided on opposite side walls of the substantially cylindrical body 45, with the hinge for each flap 72a, 72b located adjacent the tapered end portion 46. . The entry flaps 72a, 72b are configured to always remain in the locked position unless released by a release mechanism located in the tapered end portion 46, as described in more detail in a subsequent paragraph. Unless unlocked, the flaps 72a, 72b open inwardly to expose the baiting opening 53 for receiving a baited hook (i.e. from an operator standing on either side of the fishing device). configured. This is best shown in Figure 3b. Each of the openings transitions via a curved edge 54 into a respective slot 55a, 55b which connects the corresponding feeding opening 53 with the open lower end 47. It is understood that depending on the required implementation, only a single flap may be provided.

An axial hole 56 opens toward the bottom of the capsule body 45 and is configured to slidably retain a plunger 60. Plunger 60 includes a plunger post 57 and a plunger head 58. Plunger post 57 is configured to move within hole 56, thereby allowing plunger head 58 to open and close open lower end 47 of cylindrical body 45. The axial hole 56 is integrally formed with the axial wall portion 51 . Post 57 is spring biased by tension spring 73 in bore 56 to bias plunger 60 to the closed position.

Plunger head 58 has a double conical shape such that outer or lower conical surface 61 forms a streamlined nose cone for capsule assembly 20 . An inner conical surface 62 is formed and the inner periphery of the open lower end 47 defines a generally radially divergent exit opening for bait passing outwardly from the bait cavity 50.

The tapered end portion 46 controls a plunger locking mechanism 76 (i.e., which prevents the plunger from opening until the capsule 20 is retrieved when the end of the rope is reached) and during retrieval and in the docked position. It includes an internal mechanism that operates to release the closing tension on the entry flaps 72a, 72b during the period.

More particularly, and with particular reference to FIGS. 4a-4f, the restriction rope 22 passes through the center of the oval tapered end portion 46 and is coupled to the interior of the spigot 100, which in turn has multiple circumferential directions. It is held free within a pressure plate assembly consisting of two joined discs 102, 104 biased in a rearward position (ie towards open lower end 47) by a disposed spring 106. This energized configuration is shown in Figures 4a, 4d and 4f. When the capsule 20 is in the docked position in the docking receiver 21, the tension in the restraint rope 22 caused by the continued force exerted by the hydraulically operated drive causes the pressure plate assembly to compress the small spring 106. be made to do. In doing so, the cam block 108 cooperating with the hinges of the entry flaps 72a, 72b is released so that the entry flaps 72a, 72b are free for bait loading when the capsule 20 is docked to the docking receiver 21. It becomes possible to swing freely. This is best shown in Figure 4e.

Through extensive testing, we have found that regardless of the applied spring tension, the tension spring 73 is not the only fully effective mechanism for controlling plunger release, and premature opening can occur in certain situations. (i.e., allowing the bait to be released before reaching the required depth). Accordingly, to avoid such premature opening, a plunger retention mechanism 76 is provided that ensures that the plunger assembly is not actuated until a predetermined axial force is applied to the plunger head 58.

Plunger retention mechanism 76 includes a locking pin 112 having a conical end (see FIG. 5). Locking pin 112 is configured to couple to the rear surface of pressure plate 104 . When the pressure plate assembly is in its rearwardly biased position (see FIGS. 4a, 4d, 4f), the conical end of the locking pin 112 engages the multi-jaw retaining housing 114 (which in turn plunger post 57). into a correspondingly shaped cavity 113 located at the end of the (joined to the forward end of) A close-up view (without claws) of the retaining housing 114 is shown in Figure 6a. As shown, the housing 114 includes a plurality of longitudinally extending channels 116 disposed circumferentially around the housing 114. Channel 116 extends into a conical cavity 113 within housing 114 . 6b and 6c show a retaining housing 114 with a nose pawl 120 retained in each channel by a circular retaining clip 123. FIG. When inserted into the cavity 113, the conical end of the locking pin 112 abuts a cam located at the forward end of each nose pawl 120, thus forcing the rounded outer end of each nose pawl 120 into its corresponding channel. 116. This is best shown in Figure 6c. In use, the pawl 120 extends into a correspondingly shaped groove in the inner wall of the fitting 117 located within the bore 56 and attached to the forward end of the plunger 60. The outward flare of nose pawl 120 into the corresponding groove prevents lateral movement of plunger retention mechanism 76 and thus prevents plunger 60 from being released.

A compressive force is created during recovery of the capsule 20 to the ship, and the weight and resistance of the capsule 20 causes the pressure plate assembly to compress the plurality of springs 106. As discussed above, this compressive force causes entry flaps 72a, 72b to open, allowing water to flow into bait cavity 50 and exert pressure on inner conical surface 62 of plunger head 58 during retrieval of capsule 20. Additionally, forward movement of the pressure plate assemblies 102, 104 causes the locking pins 112 of the plunger retention mechanism 76 to be retracted from the cavities 113, thus fully retracting the nose pawls 120 within their respective channels 116. (see Figure 6b). This in turn allows plunger retention mechanism 76 to move laterally within hole 56, thus unlocking the plunger. When unlocked, the force of the water flowing into the bait cavity 50 exceeds the tension of the tension spring 73 on the strut 57. When these two things occur together, the water flowing into and out of the bait cavity 50 serves to flush the baited hook out of the capsule 20 at the required depth. This "open" retrieval condition is best shown in FIG.

The rope delivery control assembly 13 is shown schematically in FIG. Line delivery control assembly 13 is advantageously configured to deploy and retrieve bait capsules 20 as quickly as possible to enable efficient baiting to be performed. As previously mentioned, the line feeding assembly 12 includes a pair of drive means 105, 106 for controlling the winding of the firing line 40 and the restriction line 22, respectively. More specifically, the drive means 105 is configured to control the rotation of the winch drum 43, while the drive means 106 is configured to control the rotation of the winch drum 31. According to the illustrated embodiment, each drive means 105 , 106 takes the form of a hydraulic motor hydraulically coupled to a hydraulic drive pack 108 . For reasons that will become clear in subsequent paragraphs, the hydraulic drive pack 108 includes a proportional valve, a brake control and a freewheel valve for each motor 105, 106.

The rope feed assembly 13 includes a controller 103, which is a processing hub responsible for dynamic control of the motors 105, 106 for all modes of operation. According to the illustrated embodiment, the controller 103 takes the form of a programmable logic controller (PLC). More specifically, the controller 103 is configured to receive operational data from various inputs and apply the data to dynamically control the speed settings of the motors 105, 106 for bait capsule deployment and retrieval. configured. The controller 103 also accumulates run data on error codes, tracking, hook counts on the current run, hook delivery locations (determined based on GPS coordinates), and cumulative hook counts from all runs.

More specifically, the control device 103 is capable of communicating with a digital display control device 110 installed in the wheelhouse of the ship. Various operational control parameters, such as boat speed and desired bait depth, are set using the digital display controller 110 (hereinafter "wheelhouse DDC"). This data is communicated to controller 103 for dynamic motor control.

The control device 103 is additionally able to communicate with a digital display control device 112 (correspondingly referred to below as "deck DDC") installed on the deck. Deck DDC 112 provides operator level control from the deck level for all operating modes, repair management modes, and retrieval operations. There are no dynamic parameters set via deck DDC 112.

Controller 103 is also in communication with an encoder processing unit 117 that receives output data from encoders 114 and 116. Encoders 114 and 116 are attached to drive motors 105 and 106, respectively. Encoder processing unit 117 provides position and velocity data (ie, based on encoder output) for processing by controller 103.

According to the illustrated embodiment, velocity and positioning data are constantly updated on each cycle of the controller 103 at a rate of greater than 1K (less than 1 millisecond every cycle). The encoder resolution is 1024 parts per revolution, which when decoded by encoder processing unit 117 provides counts in both the positive and negative directions.

Accordingly, the controller 103 receives dynamic motion from the wheelhouse DDC 110 and the encoder processing unit 117 including current ship speed, desired bait depth, position data for each motor 105, 106 and speed data for each motor 105, 106. configured to receive parameter data.

The various valves and controls in the hydraulic drive pack 108 include a control 103 for controlling hydraulic flow to the motors 105, 106 (i.e. to set the motor speed) and brakes 109, 111 (which is limited to (can be selectively activated to stop the motors 105, 106 to stop the noose delivery upon arrival or upon determination of anomalies in the position data for the respective drive means during the capsule deployment and retrieval process). is activated. A closed control loop is formed by the direct connection of encoders 114, 116 to drive motors 105 and 106. According to the illustrated embodiment, a quartic equation is invoked to convert the output of the controller 103 to form a PWM signal to send to the proportional valve to match the desired motor speed setting (in RPM). .

Control device 103 may be assembled inside control box 63 (see FIG. 2). A remote control cycle activation button 49 is located on the operator facing side of the winch housing and is connected to a control in control box 63. A start signal is received by controller 103 by pressing cycle activation button 49 . An emergency power on/off button 66 is located on the control box front panel. This allows power to be supplied to the control device and, when activated, causes the firing device to cease operation. Display panel 64 indicates faults and/or cycle position and operating data, such as cycle counts, depth settings, etc. If the sequence cannot be carried out, a six-position operation/repair management switch 65 allows the operating mode to be repair managed, including controlling brakes 109, 111, wrapping cables, operating individual drives, and emergency recovery operations. Isolated from operation.

To operate, the operation/repair management switch 65 is set to the "run" mode, the emergency power on/off button 66 is released, and electricity is applied. Display panel 64 shows operational status after initial power-up.

If the capsule/cart is not correctly placed in the "home position" (ie, the capsule truck is not located at the top of the truck 11), the controller 103 will correct this before the drive cycle begins. The cycle will not begin until the capsule and trolley are properly positioned. The run button 49 starts the cycle and is locked by the control means and cannot be started again until the cycle is complete. This is an important part of the operation because at this point the position of the trolley is monitored before deployment. Run button 49 is also used during repair management and emergency recovery for direct control over all repair management operations.

A control cable 67 connects controller 103 to winch assembly 13 . The winches 31, 43 are coordinated in their operation as follows.

In use, the restraint noose 22 causes the oval-shaped rear or lower portion 46 of the capsule assembly 20 to remain within the corresponding oval-shaped recess 36 of the pivoting docking receiver 21, and also causes the capsule carriage 17 to rest on top of the truck 11. It is completely housed on its winch drum 31 which serves to hold it. The firing line 40 is fully extended and is being rewound by the opposite movement of the restriction line 22, which is wound around the winch drum 31.

The operator activates the unit by setting the operation/repair management switch 65 to the "run" mode and releasing the emergency power on/off button 66, as described above. A mainline (not shown) is deployed from the stern of the vessel in a conventional manner. The operator has access to a plurality of baited hooks, each on a branch line having a snap-fit connection that can be made on the main line. Bait is placed in bait cavity 50 through bait opening 53 (ie, accessed through either flap 72a or 72b) and the free end of the branch line is snapped onto the main line. The operator then presses the run button 49 and the control means activates the capsule deployment and retrieval process as shown in FIG.

In step S1, in response to the run button 49 being pressed, the controller 103 evaluates all operating parameters that affect depth and delivery rate. This data is received via the data input of the controller 103 and includes the current speed of the fishing vessel, the required depth setting and the current motor position and speed.

In step S2, the control device 103 selects suitable motors for controlling the motors 105 and 106 in order to simultaneously perform winding into the launch winch 43 and unwinding from the winch drum 31 in order to drive the capsule truck 17 on the track 11. Output a signal. More specifically, the motor is controlled to accelerate the capsule truck 17 on the track 11 and then decelerate it to the end of its downward travel, at which point the bait capsules 20 are launched by their own momentum and the eggs are ejected. The tapered portion 46 is disengaged from the oval recess 36. Extensive testing has shown that accelerating the capsule carriage 17 along the track 11 during launch reduces gravity while delaying the mechanism as the capsule carriage 17 approaches the end of the track minimizes undesirable impact forces. It turned out to be an advantage in overcoming it.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the capsule carriage 17 is accelerated on the track 11 at approximately 6 m/s ² . Additionally, due to the weight bias, within approximately 50 milliseconds of capsule 20 leaving track 11, it was configured to rotate 180 degrees and thus exhibit a more forceful accelerated descent, thus making it more likely that the programmed Reduce the time to reach the limit of descent.

More particularly, determining the appropriate output signal for capsule launch involves evaluating feedback provided to controller 103 by encoder processor 117, in particular ramp rate and position data derived from the output of encoder 114. For example.

In step S3, the control device 103 starts the dispensing process and the drive means 106 are controlled to allow the limit rope 22 to be dispensed (i.e. away from the track 11), so that the capsule 20 allows continued advancement through the water column up to the limit imposed by the length of the water column.

During delivery, the speed of the drive means 106 is dependent on a pre-programmed lowering algorithm (discussed below) executed by the controller 103 to compensate for the decreasing diameter of the winch drum 31 as the restriction line 22 is delivered. can be changed dynamically based on Also, importantly, the speed is controlled to ensure that a suitable amount of rope tension is maintained. This ensures that the capsule 20 is not subjected to unnecessary forces that may affect its integrity.

Through extensive testing, including evaluating various capsule mechanics during delivery for a range of speeds and depths, look-up tables are fed into the process to compensate for any ship speed and set depth. was derived. The controller 103 controls the drive means 106 (i.e. , and thus the payout of the restraint noose 22), is programmed to execute a descent algorithm that references look-up tables and encoder counts to dynamically control the payout of the restraint noose 22. During the delivery process, the controller 103 monitors the position of the capsule carriage 17 and controls braking and repositioning functions if limits are exceeded.

At the end of its downward movement (ie, once the determined length of the restriction rope has been fully extended), the control device 103 immediately starts the capsule retrieval process (step S4).

This involves actuating the winch drum 31 in the opposite direction and thus retrieving the restraining line onto the winch drum 31. Since the delivery process (as discussed above) ensures that there is minimal or no play in the restraining line, by actuating the winch drum 31 in the opposite direction, the capsule is quickly retracted (i.e. , relative to the ship's direction of movement). The combined forward movement of the capsule 20 through the water increases the water pressure within the bait cavity 50 until the plunger 60 is opened (as described above), forcing the bait out through the radially divergent outlet opening 48. The branch line is guided by the curved edge 54 and passes through the corresponding slot 55a, 55b, clearing the bait capsule 20 and influencing the deployment of the bait at the selected depth.

Again, extensive testing has shown that capsule retrieval operation is also critical to system performance. In particular, it has been found that excessive loading on the capsule (due to forward ship speed) during recovery can cause unnecessary capsule damage. Furthermore, inaccurate docking speed can also result in damage to the track. Correspondingly, a series of retrieval operations are carried out to prevent such damage. First, the controller 103 is programmed to control the winch drum 31 to reel in the restraining line 22 at high speed (taking into account the speed of the ship) until the capsule 20 is within a short distance from the end of the track. Execute the retrieved algorithm. At this point, the speed is reduced to docking speed and the capsule is slowly docked approximately 500mm from the end of the track.

It is understood that the retrieval algorithm takes into account position data from encoder 116 as well as ship speed.

As mentioned above, the towed capsule 20 is stabilized in its orientation by its ballast. Once the restriction noose is retrieved, the general orientation of the capsule assembly 20 allows the oval-shaped tapered portion 46 to be generally aligned with the oval-shaped recess 36. When the capsule assembly 20 is docked with the pivoting docking receiver 21, the mating oval shape affects the radial orientation of the distal end of the capsule assembly 20 with the pivoting docking receiver 21. Capsule assembly 20 follows behind the truck during the retrieval cycle. Restriction line 22 acts on cableway 23 and about pulley 24 to pivot pivoting docking receiver 21 until it is aligned for docking of capsule assembly 20.

After a controlled delay, with the capsule 20 fixedly docked to the capsule carriage 117 at the track end, the controller 103 begins the uptrack process (step S5).

In step S5, all uptrack parameters are dynamically controlled within controlled limits from the wheelhouse DDC 110. More specifically, the controller 103 causes the trolley 117 and the docked capsule 120 to perform a ramp down function on the track 11 to a preset position approximately 100 mm from the upper limit of the track (referred to as the "home position"). The motor 106 is controlled to accelerate to the position. In this preset position, the control device 103 starts idle operation (step S6), controlled by the final docking and pressure control device necessary to actuate the flaps 72a, 72b of the capsule 20. In embodiments, during periods of idle operation, the controller 103 performs a control process that applies a small driving force to free the capsule flaps 72a, 72b as described above. At this point, the deployment and retrieval process is complete and the controller 103 leaves the device ready for the next operator-initiated cycle initiated by actuation of the run button 49. The baiting opening 53 is presented to the operator for placement of the next baited hook.

Any dynamic parameter changes made by the wheelhouse DDC 102 are evaluated by the controller 103 (eg, changes in desired bait depth, changes in vehicle speed). Changes will be reflected in the next cycle.

It is understood that the speed (measured in RPM) of the hydraulic motors 105, 106 is very important throughout each of the above processes to provide good results. The drive is controlled with a standalone PID that compares the derived RPM from the encoder to preset operating requirements.

After initial startup of the DDC 110, the wheelhouse controller has built-in control parameters that set and define performance during periodic operation. Changes made are retained until further changes are made. The PLC retains these settings made in the DDC 110 and further applies them after the next idle cycle.

It is understood that the bait cavity in the capsule may be of any suitable shape. For example, the bait capsule may be substantially tubular and the bait cavity may include a hollow interior in a tubular shape. Alternatively, the bait cavity may be optimized to a typical bait shape. For example, if the capsule is substantially cylindrical, the bait cavity may be defined by a surface that divides the cylinder longitudinally, for example along a generally axial plane.

The bait opening is preferably optimized to be present for the crew to insert bait, such as a school of fish hooked to a branch line, when the capsule returns to the baiting position. For this purpose, bait openings can be consistently presented on one side of the track. This means the crew can be close to the stern rail and the truck can be bolted to the transom in its most vertical position. The capsule may be configured to be docked to the trolley in a selected orientation such that the bait aperture is consistently present in the selected orientation. In these embodiments, the feeding aperture may pass through the side wall of the capsule. Alternatively, the bait opening may be at the top or at the rear tubular end of the bait capsule, making the orientation of rotation about the axis unimportant.

The slot is to allow the baited line or branch line to pass from the baiting opening to the bottom opening as the bait exits the bottom opening. The slots may be configured to reduce the likelihood of the branch line or main line becoming snagged. For example, the transition between the bait opening and the slot may include a recessed portion that includes smooth curved edges. The transition from the slot to the bottom opening may be configured such that there are no configurations that could potentially snag on branch lines or main lines.

The capsule carriage may be assembled for movement between feeding and capsule launch locations by any suitable means. For example, the truck may be assembled to the track by pick-up rollers, PTFE or other polymer slides, endless chains, and the like.

The truck may extend from the feeding position at the deck level of the ship and may be adapted to deploy across the stern of the ship. Alternatively, the track may be deployed to one side, for example from the stern side, or into a midship opening, between the hulls or through the stern sector.

The restrictive line retriever may include a winch drum or a linear drive. The retriever may include control means for operating a device such as, for example, a rope clutch.

The capsule carriage may be specifically adapted to cooperate with the capsule to ensure consistent orientation of docking. For example, the trolley may include a molded docking portion adapted to cooperate with a complementary molded upper portion of the capsule to present the feeding aperture in a consistent orientation at the feeding location. The capsule may be latched onto a trolley during retrieval and removed during deployment. Alternatively, the capsule may be passively docked to be kept upcycled by the retrieval means.

It will be appreciated that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto are also contemplated in the appended claims as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is acknowledged that the invention is found to fall within the broad scope set forth and the scope of this invention.

11 Track 12 Assembling part 13 Rope feeding assembly 16 Head pulley assembly 17 Capsule truck 20 Bait capsule 21 Pivoting docking receiver 22 Restriction rope 23 Cableway 24 Pulley 25 Docking receiver pivot 26 Large pulley 27 Small pulley 30 Guide pulley 31 Winch drum 32 side plate 33 assembly roller 34 slot 35 assembly section 36 recess 37 lower end section 40 launch line 41 pulley assembly 42 rotary pulley 43 winch drum 44 driven pulley 45 capsule body 46 rear or upper oval tapered end section 47 open lower end 48 Outlet opening 49 Remote control cycle activation button 50 Bait cavity 51 Wall section 52 Side 53 Bait opening 54 Curved edges 55a, 55b Slot 56 Axial hole 57 Plunger post 58 Plunger head 60 Plunger 61 Outer or lower conical surface 62 Inside Conical surface 63 Control box 64 Display panel 65 Operation/repair management switch 66 Emergency power on/stop button 67 Control cable 72a, 72b Entry flap 73 Tension spring 76 Plunger locking mechanism 88 Titanium slug 100 Spigot 102 Disc 103 Control device 104 Disc 105 Drive means 106 Drive means 108 Cam block, hydraulic drive pack 109 Brake 110 Digital display control device 111 Brake 112 Locking pin, digital display control device 113 Vacant space 114 Multi-jaw holding housing, encoder 116 Channel, encoder 117 Joint, encoder Processing unit 120 Nose claw 123 Holding clip

Claims (24)

A dynamic control system for a longline fishing device mountable to the transom of a fishing vessel, the fishing device being attached to a restriction line and having a baiting position and a capsule launching position adjacent to or below the waterline. a bait capsule mountable on a capsule truck movable on a track between
first drive means for dynamically controlling the speed at which the capsule truck is driven between the ends of the track;
a second drive means for dynamically controlling the speed at which the capsule is delivered when it reaches the capsule launch position;
a data input module for receiving a set of operating parameters, the set of operating parameters comprising:
the current speed of the fishing boat;
Desired bait depth and
and drive means output data representing at least one of the position and velocity of the output of each of the drive means;
A controller communicable with the data input module for implementing a capsule deployment and retrieval process in response to receiving an initiation signal, the controller comprising:
a) evaluating data received via the data input module to determine both the current speed of the fishing vessel and the desired bait depth;
b) said first drive means for driving said capsule truck to said lower end of said track for capsule launch, such that said capsule truck is caused to initially accelerate and then decelerate as it approaches the lower end; Control,
c) determining the amount of said restriction line that needs to be delivered to achieve said desired bait depth; and d) determining a predetermined amount of line tension when said capsule truck reaches said firing position. a controller configured to determine a delivery rate for the capsule to ensure that the delivery rate is achieved throughout the delivery process. 2. The dynamic control system of claim 1, wherein the delivery rate is determined using an algorithm that takes into account the current boat speed and a set bait depth. 2. The control system continuously evaluates the drive means output data for the second drive means to selectively adjust the drive speed to achieve the determined delivery speed. Or the dynamic control system according to 2. Dynamic control according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second drive means is a rotary motor, and the drive means output data is determined from the output of a rotary encoder coupled to the rotary motor. system. 5. The dynamic control system of claim 4, wherein the drive means output data is used by the controller to determine both a current speed of payout of the capsule and a current depth of the capsule. The capsule carriage is connected to a launch line wrapped around a rotatable main winch drum by the first drive means, the drive means compensating for reduced drum diameter as the launch line is fed out of the drum. The dynamic control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the dynamic control system is controlled as follows. said drive means output data for said first drive means is evaluated to determine a current position and ramp rate, information that is dynamically evaluated to achieve a predetermined acceleration/deceleration profile; 7. The dynamic control system according to claim 6. When the capsule reaches the desired depth, the control device controls the second drive means to reel in the restriction rope to dock the capsule with the capsule truck, and then controls the control capsule retrieval and retrieval. 8. A dynamic control system according to any preceding claim, further configured to control the first drive means to drive the capsule truck to the top of the track for feeding. 9. A dynamic control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second drive means is configured to reduce the rate at which the restriction line is wound up as it approaches the truck. The first drive means is configured to drive the capsule carriage upwardly such that the capsule carriage is caused to initially accelerate and then decelerate as it approaches the upper end based on a predetermined acceleration/deceleration profile. The dynamic control system according to claim 8 or 9. The dynamic control system further includes a brake coupled to at least one of the drive means, the controller being adapted to determine anomalies in the position data for the respective drive means during the capsule deployment and retrieval process. Dynamic control system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, configured to actuate the brake accordingly. A method of longline fishing,
providing a vessel with a longline fishing device attachable to its transom, the fishing device being attached to a restriction line and located between a baiting location and a capsule launching location adjacent to or below the waterline; a bait capsule mountable on a capsule carriage movable on a track, the apparatus comprising a first drive means for controlling the speed at which the capsule carriage is driven between ends of the track; a second drive means for controlling the speed at which the capsule is delivered upon reaching the launch position; and a data input for receiving a set of operating parameters, the set of operating parameters being indicative of the current speed of the fishing vessel. , a desired bait depth, a data input comprising position data for said first drive means and said second drive means, said position data representing at least one of the position and velocity of the output of said respective drive means; further comprising;
performing a capsule deployment and retrieval process in response to receiving an initiation signal, the computer-implemented steps of:
a) evaluating the data received via the data input means to determine both the current speed of the fishing vessel and the desired bait depth;
b) said first drive means for driving said capsule truck to the lower end of said track for capsule launch, such that said capsule truck is initially accelerated and then decelerated as it approaches said lower end; controlling step,
c) determining the amount of line that needs to be delivered to achieve the desired bait depth;
d) dynamically operating the second drive means to achieve a delivery speed of the capsule that results in a predetermined amount of tension in the rope throughout the delivery process when the capsule carriage reaches the launch position; and the controlling step is performed. A bait capsule for use in longline fishing equipment, the bait capsule comprising:
a) a substantially cylindrical body having a bait cavity extending from a bait opening and a bottom opening, with a slot in the side wall connecting said opening;
b) a plunger having a plunger shank and a plunger head retained in an axial bore located in the cylindrical body, wherein in the open position the plunger provides a bait outlet through the bottom opening; a plunger movable in the body to provide a substantially streamlined nose for the capsule in the closed position;
c) a plunger locking mechanism disposed in the upper end portion of the cylindrical body, the mechanism being communicatively coupled to a restriction line connected to a restriction line retrieval mechanism of a fishing vessel, the plunger locking mechanism comprising: a plunger locking mechanism configured to prevent the plunger from opening until the restriction noose is fed by the retrieval mechanism for retrieval of the bait capsule. 14. The bait capsule of claim 13, further comprising a flap configured to cover the bait opening and open inwardly to expose the bait opening. 15. The bait capsule of claim 14, wherein the plunger locking mechanism is additionally configured to control the opening of the flap as the flap. 16. The bait capsule of claim 15, wherein the plunger locking mechanism is configured to release closing tension on the flap during retrieval and while in the docked position. two joints in which said restriction rope passes through the center of said upper end portion and is connected within a spigot, said spigot being in turn biased in a rearward position towards said open lower end by a plurality of circumferentially disposed springs; Bait capsule according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the bait capsule is held within a pressure plate assembly consisting of a disc with a cylindrical surface. 10. When the tension in the restriction rope caused by the continued force applied by the retrieval mechanism causes the pressure plate assembly to compress the spring, it thereby moves the pressure plate assembly to a forward position. 17. The bait capsule according to item 17. When the pressure plate assembly is in the rearward position, it prevents movement of the entry flap, and movement of the pressure plate assembly to the forward position allows the entry flap to swing inwardly. Bait capsule according to claim 18, which seems to be capable of. The plunger retention mechanism includes a locking pin coupled to a rearward surface of the pressure plate assembly such that when the pressure plate assembly is in its rearwardly biased position, an end of the locking pin extending into a correspondingly shaped cavity disposed in a multi-jaw retaining housing, said multi-jaw retaining housing being in turn coupled to said plunger handle, and into said multi-jaw retaining housing of said locking pin; 20. The plunger of claim 19, wherein insertion of the plunger causes one or more internally housed pawls to extend outwardly into notches in opposing walls of the axial bore, thus preventing axial movement of the plunger. bait capsule. Movement of the pressure plate assembly to the forward position retracts the locking pin from the multi-jaw retaining housing, thereby permitting axial movement of the plunger to remove the bait during retrieval of the capsule. 21. A bait capsule as claimed in claim 20, wherein water passing within the cavity exerts pressure on the plunger head, thereby allowing the plunger to open to release the bait. 22. The bait capsule of claim 21, wherein the plunger post is spring biased by a tension spring in the axial bore that biases the plunger to the closed position. The capsule is configured for assembly in a capsule truck, which in turn is assembled for movement on a track extending between a feeding location and a capsule launch location adjacent to or below the waterline. Bait capsule according to any one of claims 13 to 22, comprising complementary docking means adapted to dock the capsule with the bait aperture being presented at a selected position. 23. The restriction line passes through a cableway on the trolley to the capsule, and the restriction line retrieval mechanism is operable to dock the capsule with the trolley for retrieval to the baiting location. Bait capsules as described in.

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