NZ196491A - Fishing vessel:fish diverted into bow-to-stern passageway and thence by conveyor to deck - Google Patents

Description

Priority Daf®{s): t,,.

Comptets Specification Filed: Class: loo ; Publication Oats: P.O. Journal SNSo: ....... —-—-——,— r No.: Date: NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 *<>. "> ".-V ? ^ '• ' ' '■ 'A- , " V ■ ■ 1: COMPLETE SPECJFICATION "IMPROVEMENTS IN FISHING VESSELS" IGRAHAM RICHARD DeCLIFFORD, an Australian citizen, of 28 Conn Street, Ferntree Gully, Victoria, 3156, Australia hereby declare the invention for which I / Pray that a patent may be granted to me/R&, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- (Followed by page la) 1 /? 1 - TITLE: IMPROVEMENTS IN FISHING VESSELS.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for harvesting animal life from a body of water, and relates particularly to improvements in fishing vessels.

Large scale net fishing is practised today in 5 much the same way as it has been for years, with the only technological improvements being in some of the equipment used. It is still a generally ineffective way in which to 'harvest' fish, as many fish escape from nets during the fishing operation, many fish are crushed, and many 10 unwanted species of marine life are killed.

It is an object of this invention to provide improvements in fishing vessels, apparatus and methods which will assist fishing to become more efficient and cost effective.

Accordingly, the invention provides a method of harvesting material from a body of water, characterized in that said material is diverted from said body of water by capturing means (12) associated with a vessel (10), as said vessel travels relative to said body of 20 water, said diverted material being subsequently processed.

The invention also provides apparatus for harvesting material from a body of water, characterized in that capturing means (12) are associated with a vessel 25 (10), said capturing means (12) including a portion (74) allowing the material to enter the capturing X i"\ ^ ' - ;L: means (12) when said vessel (10) is travelling relative to said body of water, said capturing means (12) being adapted to divert said material to a processing station.

Embodiments of the invention will be described 5 in detail hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a vessel embodying one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the vessel 10 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of portion of a second embodiment; Fig. 4 is a schematic side elevation on a third embodiment; and Fig. 5 is a schematic side elevation of a fourth embodiment; Dealing firstly with Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a vessel 10 having capturing means 12 secured thereto. The capturing means 12 consists of four 20 telescopic booms, only three of which, 14, 16 and 18 are shown. The booms are pivotally connected to the hull 40 of the vessel, preferably to an area near the bows which has been strengthened with additional plating. The telescopic booms are arranged as shown in Fig. 1, with 25 telescopic portions 26, 28 and 30.

The booms 14, 16, 18 are in this embodiment arranged in a truncated right pyramid orientation, and apart from being telescopic, are capable of being raised from, and lowered into a body of water by means such as 30 the hydraulic means 32, 34. The top booms 14, 16 may be provided with floats 22 which enable them to be retained on or near the surface of the body of water. The booms are covered with a net mesh 20 to complete the capturing means. Open-weave interlaced wire material (known in 35 Australia as cyclone wire) has been used in a prototype 1 ex 4 I V_y - o arrangement.

The capture structure 12 has a large open end 74 and a smaller open end 76 the uses of which will be described hereinafter. In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 5 2, the hull 40 of the vessel 10 has a pass 42 extending therethrough, from stem to stern. Two grilles 44, 46 may be provided such that they may be moved from a position where they are located across the passage (as in the case of 44) to a position where they are not 10 obstructing the passage.

The vessel is also provided with a marine life conveyor means 48, which includes an endless conveyor 50 provided with marine life engaging portions of a flexible nature. The upper end of conveyor means 48 is located 15 near a processing station 52 which may be in the form of a sorting area. Marine life sorted at the station 52 may be packaged at a packaging station 54 which may take any suitable form. A second conveyor means 56 operates to return unwanted material to the body of water, 20 laterally with regard to the directions of travel of the vessel.

To balance the vessel when the capturing means 12 is in the water, a weight cage 3 8 may be provided, movable between an extended position, when the means is 25 in the body of water, and a retracted position within the hull 40, when the means is raised from the body of water. In addition, a retractable keel 36 may be used to balance the vessel when the means 12 is in a raised position. Finally, sensing means 24 may be associated with the 30 lower booms of the capturing means 12 so that obstructions ahead of the means may be located, and the booms raised to clear the obstructions.

In use, the capturing means is positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the keel 36 is 35 retracted. The vessel is caused to move forward, and as ^ /? /> a result, water will flow through passage 42 from bow to stern. Water will pass through the net or mesh 20, but any marine life larger than the mesh size will be diverted into passage 42. Marine life, if allowed to 5 flow past grilles 44, 46, will impinge on conveyor belt 50, which is preferably formed of an open weave material to allow the passage of water therethrough. The marine life will be transported by conveyor means 48 to the processing station 52, where it may be sorted, manually 10 or automatically. Selected marine life would be packaged at packaging station 54, and most probably would be frozen » forthwith. Unwanted and/or undersized samples would be placed on second conveyor means 56 and ejected laterally back into the body of water.

Other forms of harvesting may be used. A mesh cage may be dropped into passage 42, allowed to fill with marine life, and then be removed to a sorting area, to a freezing area, or may be jettisoned, with floats, back into the body of water, or are attached to marker buoys, 20 to be picked up by another ship.

In this embodiment, grille 44 is formed from a 'fine' mesh of a size comparable with the mesh 20 of capturing means 12. Grille 46 is provided with a much coarser mesh. In the event that a large squid, shark, 25 dolphin or the like is captured, grille 46 would be lowered, and conveyor means 48 would be raised so that it no longer obstructed passage 42. Once the particular marine life sample was retained behind grille 46, grille 44 would be lowered, preventing ingress of further marine 30 life into the area between grilles 44 and 46. Such marine life in the area prior to the lowering of grille 44 are able to exit through grille 46. Grille 46 is then raised, and the particular marine life sample is allowed to pass through the remainder of passage 42 to return to 35 the body of water. 4 i A water speed of 9 knots is considered most efficient for the marine life harvesting operation. The open construction of the mesh 20 provides for minimum drag when travelling at such a speed. Aircraft or other 5 fish locating means may be used to spot schools of fish, and the vessel could steam back and forth through the school, harvesting the fish most efficiently.

In Fig. 3, the passage 42 is omitted or not used, and orifices 60 are provided in mesh 20 on either side of 10 the bow, near the bow. Nets 58, possibly of a conventional material, are located to catch marine life diverted by capturing means 12, and the nets may be hauled up when full, to remove the marine life in a conventional manner, or by using some of the processing equipment 15 described in relation to Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 4, where for convenience the capturing means 12 is not shown, a hollow compartment 66 in the bows region of the vessel is provided. The compartment has an orifice 62 communicating with opening 76 in means 20 12, and a door 64 adapted to close the compartment. In use, door 64 would be opened, to allow water and captured marine life into the compartment. At a predetermined time, door 64 is closed, and at least some of the water pumped out, facilitating the harvesting of marine life, 25 possibly using the equipment described in relation to Figs. 1 and 2.

Finally, Fig. 5 shows an embodiment where passage 42 is an external frame 68, attached by an intermediate member 70 to hull 40. Again, the capturing 30 means 12 is not shown. The passage may be provided with all the equipment described in relation to passage 42 of Figs. 1 and 2, or it may lead to a net 72, which could be removed and replaced, the contents being removed in a conventional manner. The passage 42.could be located in 35 one of two or more hulls, or located between hulls, of a vessel.

It should be noted that features of the vessel, the capturing means and the harvesting means, are largely well known, and require no further explanation. It is 5 envisaged that hydraulics will be used to operate such features as the telescoping booms, the raising and lowering of the booms, and the grilles, but other forms of motive power may be used. The booms, for example may be positioned using a crane, and there may be cross-1Q members between adjacent booms.

It will be appreciated that the method and apparatus described herein provide an efficient and rapid means of harvesting marine life, with a minimum of wastage and a maximum of conservation.

Claims (12)

claim iS; 1 96491

1. A fishing vessel comprising capturing means (12) asso-c^tea thereto and conveyor means (48) for the fish captured with said capturing means (12) , characterized in that a continuous enclosed underwater passage (42) extends through the vessel from its bow to its stern and has an entrance arranged so that the water flows through said passage when the vessel is under way, that the capturing means (12) is arranged to direct fish into said entrance of said passage (42) and that said conveyor means (48) is located across substantially the entire width and height of said passage (42) allowing water to pass through said conveyor means (48) while conveying fish in said passage up said conveyor means (48) to a processing station (52).

2. The fishing vessel as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said passage (42) is a substantially straight passage from the bow to the stern of the vessel.

3. The fishing vessel as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said conveyor means (4 8) comprises a mechanical conveyor belt or the like arranged so that the upwardly moving portion of the belt is located on the upstream side of the conveyor in the passage and is directly impinged upon by fish moving through said passage.

A*\aa OlAf;4. The fishing vessel as claimed in anyone of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said conveyor means (48) is retractable from said passage.;out;

5. The fishing vessel as claimed in anyone of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one retractable grille (44,46) is provided in said passage (42) upstream of said conveyor means (4 8) and is arranged to be advanced or retracted so as to cover or uncover respectively the cross-section of the passage.;

6. The fishing vessel as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that two said retractable grilles are provided, there * being a fine mesh retractable grille (44) adapted to inhibit or prevent the movement of catch size fish through the grille, and a second said grille (46) located downstream of the first said grille between the first said grille and the conveyor means (48) and being a larger mesh grille adapted 196491 - s - to permit the passage of catch size fish therethrough but to inhibit or prevent the passage of larger marine creatures.

7. The fishing vessel as claimed in anyone of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said capturing means (12) comprise a funnel shaped net radiating outwardly and forwardly from the entrance to said passage (42).

8. The fishing vessel as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said net (12) is approximately rectangular in cross-section and is supported by four telescopic booms (14,16/18) extending forwardly from the hull or superstructure of the fishing vessel.

9. The fishing vessel as claimed in anyono of the claims 1 to 8, characterized by movable ballast (38) arranged to compensate for the weight or drag of said capturing means (12) Atvu

10. The fishing vessel as claimed in -anyone of the claims 1 to 8, characterized by a movable or retractable keel (36) arranged to balance the vessel against the drag or weight of the capturing means. I

11. The fishing vessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims substantially as hereinbefore described with or without reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of harvesting material from a body of water when performed substantially as hereinbefore described using a fishing vessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims. dat:d t::is 3o day A. J. PARK & SON agents fob the applicants'