NZ581049A - Improvements in and relating to braided ropes - Google Patents

Abstract

A cultivation rope 1 comprises a braided rope portion and at least one separate woven strip 4 having projecting weft portions 6, where the woven strip or strips 4 are integrated with the braided rope portion such that the weft portions 6 project outward from the braided rope portion. The rope has the advantages of avoiding twisting and having an even distribution of tufts.

Description

PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Appln Fee: $250.00 CreatelP ref: DON105PNZ PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Complete after Provisional Number: 581049 Dated: 10 November 2009 IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BRAIDED ROPES We, Donaghys Industries Limited, a New Zealand company of Unit D, 14-16 Sheffield Crescent, Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand, do hereby declare this invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in the following statement 1 IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BRAIDED ROPES TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to braided ropes. In particular, the 5 present invention relates to braided ropes used in the cultivation of marine organisms.

BACKGROUND ART In the field of aquaculture, it is well known to use suspended rope-like structures to deposit, cultivate and grow various marine organisms.

For example, in the field of mussel aquaculture, it is known to deposit the mussel larvae or "spat", by various means, onto elongate rope-like structures (cultivation ropes). The spat adhere to the structure prior to immersion, the ropes are then placed in a volume of water, usually by suspending a sequence of ropes, or similar, in an array in the water. The spat attached to the cultivation ropes are thus immersed in an environment which is suited to their development and 15 growth.

Such cultivation techniques are used commonly in open water or natural environments. A typical structure built according to techniques known in the art consists of a "backbone" rope which is secured either end (via moorings or the like) and is supported over its length by a number of buoys floating on the surface of the water. Such a construction provides a linear 20 array of suspension points from which culture ropes can be suspended. The culture ropes are attached along the length of the backbone rope and may be weighted at their lower ends to preserve a substantially vertical orientation.

Depending on the particular species of mollusc to be cultivated, as well as the environmental conditions in which the aquaculture installation is to be located, various types of culture rope 25 may be suitable.

To the present time, it is known to manufacture culture ropes using what is essentially a polypropylene hawser-laid rope. This hawser-laid rope construction is then processed to tease, out of the rope surface, lengths of fibre (or strands).

Techniques for manufacturing hawser-laid rope will not be discussed in detail as these are well 30 known in the art.

A problem with known culture rope manufacturing methods is that the culture rope may have a large number of fibres protruding substantially laterally (i.e. roughly perpendicular from the lengthwise axis of the hawser-laid rope). Further, the fibres may have a large variety of lengths. Accordingly, the spatial density of the fibres in any given volume per unit length of the culture 35 rope, and hence the available spat adhesion surface, can vary significantly. Such variations in the attachment conditions can affect the characteristics of the mollusc grown using such a 2 culture rope.

Further, a generally large range of lateral fibre length means that over some portions of the culture rope there may be relatively little in the way of "cultivation volume" or available adhesion surface. Also, when such installations are used in aquatic environments where significant 5 currents may be present, the water flow around, or at least close to, the culture rope can be relatively high in less dense portions leading to mollusc displacement and uneven growth along the length of the culture rope.

A further problem with known culture rope constructed as three braids or hawser-laid rope is that the rope structure relies upon equalised forces between twisted together fibre bundles. If these 10 equalised forces become imbalanced due to damage through handling, the rope can bunch or twist, resulting in crop loss.

A yet further problem is that teasing out of lengths of fibre from the main rope in effect destroys the native structure of the rope and therefore lowers the rope strength and can potentially after the equalised forces noted above.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to produce a culture rope having a highly consistent availability of attachment points along its length which is relatively inexpensive and simple to manufacture, or at least provides the public with a useful choice.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or to at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference 25 does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.

It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an inclusive meaning - i.e. that it will be taken to 30 mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised' or 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description that is given by way of example only. 3 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention broadly relates to a braided rope construction used to form a cultivation rope where the projecting fibres are formed from a separate section to the braided structure. Marine organisms such as shellfish spat and shellfish may be collected and grown on the rope.

Example advantages of using braided construction as opposed to Hawser-laid type construction in the art are that twisting is avoided and an even distribution of tufts may be produced.

In a first embodiment, there is provided a cultivation rope including: (a) a braided rope portion; and (b) at least one separate woven section having projecting weft portions; wherein the woven section or sections are integrated with the braided rope portion such that the weft portions project from the braided rope portion.

In a second embodiment there is provided a method of manufacturing a cultivation rope including braiding or otherwise entwining a plurality of longitudinal fibres to form braided rope portion, whereby, at the braiding stage, at least one separate woven section with projecting weft portions is integrated into the braided rope portion such that the projecting weft portions project out from the braided rope portion.

It has been found that the cultivation rope described and related method has a highly consistent linear density which produces consistent growing conditions throughout a particular marine aquaculture installation. In trials where mussels have been farmed, the growth characteristics of the mussels have been found to be highly desirable with even growth exhibited.

The manufacturing methods described above may be performed using either unmodified or only slightly modified rope making equipment and therefore a significantly improved culture rope may be manufactured at a similar cost to known culture ropes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description that is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fiqure 1 shows a section of braided rope having laterally projecting tufts; and Fiqure 2 shows a trimmed section of the rope shown in Figure 1; and Fiaure 3 shows a section of woven strip having projecting weft fibres; and Fiaure 4 shows one preferred manner of constructing a braided rope; and Fiqure 5 shows a further preferred manner of construction; and Fiqure 6 shows a prior art braided rope having projecting loops of material; and Fiqure 7 shows a more detailed view of the prior art braided rope shown in Figure 6 DETAILED DESCRIPTION As noted above, the invention broadly relates to a braided rope construction used to form a cultivation rope where the projecting fibres are formed from a separate section to the braided structure. Example advantages of using braided construction as opposed to Hawser-laid type construction in the art are that twisting is avoided and an even distribution of tufts may be produced.

For the purposes of this specification, the term 'cultivation rope' refers to a rope used to collect and/or cultivate marine organisms, particularly molluscs, in the aquatic environment where the molluscs may be spat and/or the molluscs themselves.

To avoid reptition, the term 'fibre' refers to a single strand of material or may also refer to a 'bundle of fibres' being two or more fibres intwined together so as to form one composite fibre. As should be appreciated, ropes may be manufactured from single strands or bundles of fibres and reference to one or the other should not be seen as limiting.

In a first embodiment, there is provided a cultivation rope including: (a) a braided rope portion; and (b) at least one separate woven section having projecting weft portions; wherein the woven section or sections are integrated with the braided rope portion such that the weft portions project from the braided rope portion.

In one embodiment, the braided rope portion may be hollow. The woven section or sections apart from the projecting weft portions may be retained within the hollow of the braided rope.

The braided rope portion may be fabricated from a plurality of fibres braided or otherwise entwined together. In one embodiment, the braided rope portion may be manufactured from three or more intertwined fibres. Alternatively, the braided rope portion may be manufactured from nine or more intertwined fibres. In a further alternative, the braided rope portion may be manufactured from sixteen or more intertwined fibres.

In one embodiment, one woven section may be used.

In one embodiment, the woven section or sections may be a strip with central warp fibres and weft fibres wherein the warp fibres run along the length of the strip substantially parallel to the lengthwise axis of the rope, and the weft fibres are series of substantially parallel fibres that are orientated substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the rope.

Optionally, warp and weft portions of the woven fibre section(s) may be manufactured from a plurality of intertwined fibres. As noted above, reference to the term 'fibre' is equivalent to either a single strand or a plurality of strands and, in the case of the woven fibre, there may be advantages such as strength in using bundles of fibres.

In the above embodiment, the weft portions may project out through the wall of the braided rope structure such as between the intersticial gaps between the braided rope portion fibres. The weft portions may project out radially and in a substantially lateral direction relative to the braided rope portion.

In one embodiment, the cultivation rope weft portions extend out beyond the braided rope portion by a distance of approximately 15mm to 120mm. As noted above, the woven section or sections include warp fibres and the weft fibres may extend past the outermost line of the warp fibres by a distance of approximately 15mm to 120mm. As may be appreciated, the diameter (tuft length) chosen is dependent on the desired end application. By way of example, mussel spat collection rope may be better having a small diameter / tuft length while the growing shellfish may advantageous on a wider diameter / longer tuft length rope.

Optionally, the weft fibres may be manufactured from soft and/or fibrillated fibres. This may be useful to encourage or allow greater adhesion by marine life while the rope is in use.

In one embodiment, the woven section or sections may be manufactured prior to being integrated into the braided rope. As may be appreciated this may be useful for production flexibility as it allows manufacturing to be completed in two steps optionally, on two different appratus. Alternatively, a single piece of appratus may be used to do both pre-production of the woven section or sections and then subsequent production of the braided rope.

Integrating the woven section or sections and the braided rope portion may in one embodiment be the process of plaiting the woven section into the braided rope portion during manufacture of the braided rope portion. Alternatively, the woven section or sections may be stitched or otherwise attached to the braided rope portion during or after the braided rope portion has been manufactured.

The weft portion may be formed from a single continuous length of fibre. In this embodiment, the continuous length of weft fibre results in a plurality of fibre loops being formed on each side of the warp fibres.

Optionally, the projecting loop portions may be cut or trimmed to form tuft like structures rather than loops.

In an alternative embodiment, the weft fibres may be various discrete length fibres and when integrated into the woven section, the weft fibres may project out as purely tuft like structures or a mix of tufts and loops rather than only loops.

In the above embodiment and variations, the cultivation rope may be manufactured using synthetic fibre materials. Examples of fibre materials that may be used include polypropylene, nylon, polyesters (e.g. PET), polyethylene, aramids (e.g. Kevlar™) and polyaramids (e.g. Dralon™, Tiptolon™). Mixtures of these materials may also be used as well as co-polymers of these materials.

In one embodiment, the cultivation rope may be weighted so as to keep the rope submerged underwater. In one embodiment the weight may be a strand of plastic coated heavy metal or polymer. The metal may optionally be either lead or copper. In one embodiment, this weighted strand may be integrated into the braided rope or alternatively integrated in to the woven section or sections or even integrated into both the rope section and woven section.

In a second embodiment there is provided a method of manufacturing a cultivation rope including braiding or otherwise entwining a plurality of longitudinal fibres to form a braided rope portion, whereby, at the braiding stage, at least one separate woven section with projecting weft portions is integrated into the braided rope portion such that the projecting weft portions project out from the braided rope portion.

In the above method, the step of integrating the woven section or sections may be completed by the process of plaiting in the woven section or sections during manufacture of the braided rope portion. Alternatively, the woven section or sections may be stitched or otherwise attached to the braided rope during or after the braided rope has been fabricated.

In one embodiment of the method, weft fibres of the woven section or sections may be one continuous fibre and the projecting portions may be a plurality of laterally projecting loops.

Optionally, the method may include an additonal step of trimming the weft fibres so as to form a plurality of projecting weft fibre tufts.

Other aspects of the first embodiment described above also relate to the method of the second embodiment and may be used interchangeably.

It has been found that the cultivation rope described and related method has a highly consistent linear density which produces consistent collection and/or growing conditions throughout a particular marine aquaculture installation. In trials where mussels have been collected as spat and subsequently farmed, the growth characteristics of the mussels have been found to be highly desirable with even growth exhibited.

The manufacturing methods described above may be performed using either unmodified or only slightly modified rope making equipment and therefore a significantly improved culture rope can be manufactured at a similar cost to known culture ropes.

WORKING EXAMPLES The invention is now described with reference to examples illustrating an embodiment of the apparatus and methods of using the apparatus.

In the Figures, particularly Figures 4 and 5, the fibres and/or fibre bundles are illustrated using a single line. This is for clarity only and it is to be understood that these indicia may correspond to single fibres or, in fact, fibre bundles.

Further, both the lateral and lengthwise dimensions of the fibres have been exaggerated in order to illustrate the construction of the improved cultivation rope. This is particularly the case 7 with Figures 4 and 5 whereby the woven section has been shown with the warp and weft fibres significantly separated so as to show the details of the construction.

In a practical embodiment, the warp and weft would be packed very much closer than shown and the secondary attachment means and subsequently formed lateral fibres would project in 3-dimensions outwards from the rope, not merely in the plane of the page.

EXAMPLE 1 With respect to Figure 1 there is shown a section of braided rope in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; as generally indicated by arrow 1. The section of braided rope comprises a braided rope portion (3, shown in Figure 2,) a woven strip (4, shown in Figure 3) having projecting weft portions (7, shown in Figure 3). The braided portion (3) of woven rope (1) partially encloses the woven strip (4), with the projecting weft portions (7) thereof projecting laterally from between the braided portion (3) so as to form substantially laterally projecting tufts (2) of fibre or fibres.

With respect to Figure 2 there is shown the braided core rope of Figure 1, having had the projecting tufts (2) trimmed (for clarity) so as to expose and illustrate the braided portion (3) of the braided rope (1).

With respect to Figure 3 there is shown a section of woven strip (4), the woven strip having a plurality of warp fibres (5) interwoven with a number of weft fibres (6). The weft fibres (6) projecting substantially past the outermost warp fibres (8) forming a plurality of laterally and outwardly projecting weft fibres (7).

EXAMPLE 2 With respect to Figure 4 there is illustrated the manner of construction of the braided rope (1) shown in Figure 1. The rope section (1) comprises a braided rope portion having sixteen longitudinal fibre bundles (9) partially enclosing a woven strip (as generally indicated by arrow 4, shown exploded for illustrative purposes) having warp fibres or fibre bundles (5) and individual weft fibres or fibre bundles (6), which project (7) substantially past the outermost warp fibres or fibre bundles (8). Upon braiding, the longitudinally displaced fibres or fibre bundles (9) partially enclose the woven strip (4), the projecting weft portions (7) projecting laterally from between the braided fibres or fibre bundles (9) so as to form substantially laterally projecting tufts (2) of fibre or fibres. The tufts (2) may be formed by cutting or trimming looped weft portions (7) or alternatively, the weft portions (7) may be formed from individual fibres.

EXAMPLE 3 With respect to Figure 5 there is illustrated a manner of construction substantially interchangeable with the manner of Figure 4, wherein the individual weft fibres or fibre bundles (6) are substituted with a continuous fibre or fibre bundle (10). The continuous fibre or fibre bundle (10) being interwoven with the warp fibres (5) to form a series laterally projecting loops 5 (11) rather than the tufts of Figure 4, EXAMPLE 4 With respect to Figure 6 there is shown a prior art braided rope, as generally indicated by arrow 12, showing a series of loops (13) projecting substantially laterally from a braided portion (14). 10 The loops (13) of the prior art rope (12) are formed from a continuous fibre bundle (15, shown in Figure 7) are retained only by the braided portion of the rope (14).

With respect to Figure 7, there is shown the prior art rope of Figure 6, showing the continuous fibre bundle (15) which forms the loops (13) of the prior art braided rope (12) is only retained by the braided portion of the rope (14).

As will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, retention of the transverse fibres within the braided rope portion (12) is limited to the frictional engagement of the transverse fibres (13) with the fibres of the braided rope (12). It will therefore be apparent that the warp fibres (5) of the improved braided rope (1) are more effectively retained due to engagement with the warp fibres (8) of the woven strip (4). It will also be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the braided 20 rope portion (1) of the present invention does not require equalised tension between the fibre bundles (9), the fibre bundles of the present invention not requiring tension to remain entwined.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the claims herein. 9

Claims (20)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A cultivation rope including: (a) a braided rope portion; and (b) at least one separate woven section having projecting weft portions; wherein the woven section or sections are integrated with the braided rope portion such that the weft portions project outward from the braided rope portion.

2. The cultivation rope as claimed in claim 1 wherein the woven section or sections, apart from the outward projecting weft portions, are retained within a hollow within the braided rope,

3. The cultivation rope as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the braided rope portion is fabricated from a plurality of fibres braided or otherwise entwined together.

4. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the woven section or sections are a strip with central warp fibres and weft fibres wherein the warp fibres run along the length of the strip substantially parallel to the lengthwise axis of the rope, and the weft fibres are series of substantially parallel fibres that are orientated substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the rope.

5. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the weft portions project out radially and in a substantially lateral direction relative to the braided rope portion.

6. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the weft portions extend out beyond the braided rope by a distance of 15mm to 120mm.

7. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the woven section or sections are manufactured prior to being integrated into the braided rope.

8. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the woven section or sections and the braided rope portion are integrated together by the process of plaiting the woven section or sections into the braided rope portion during manufacture of the braided rope portion.

9. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the weft portion is formed from a single continuous length of fibre thereby forming projecting loop portions projecting from the braided rope.

10. The cultivation rope as claimed in claim 9 wherein the projecting loop portions are cut or trimmed to form tuft like structures.

11. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the fibre or fibres used in manufacture of the rope are selected from the group consisting of: polypropylene, nylon, polyesters, polyethylene, aramids, polyaramids and combinations and co-polymers thereof.

12. The cultivation rope as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the rope includes a weighted strand integrated along the length of the rope.

13. A method of manufacturing a cultivation rope including braiding or otherwise entwining a plurality of longitudinal fibres to form a braided rope portion, whereby, at the braiding stage, 10 a separate woven section or sections with projecting weft portions are integrated into the braided rope portion such that the projecting weft portions project out from the braided rope portion.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of integrating the woven section or sections is completed by the process of plaiting in the woven section during manufacture of the braided rope portion.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the weft fibres of the woven section or sections are manufactured from one continuous fibre and the projecting weft portions are a plurality of laterally projecting loops.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the method includes an additonal step of trimming the weft fibres so as to form a plurality of projecting weft fibre tufts.

17. A cultivation rope substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Examples 1 and 2 and Figures 1 to 4.

18. A cultivation rope substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Example 3 and Figure 5.

19. A method of manufacturing a cultivation rope substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Examples 1 and 2 and Figures 1 to 4.

20. A method of manufacturing a cultivation rope substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Example 3 and Figure 5. Donaghys Industries Limited By their Attorneys CreatelP Per: 11 ABSTRACT A cultivation rope and method of manufacture are described. The rope includes a braided rope portion integrated with a woven section or sections including warp and weft fibres wherein the weft fibres project outwards through the braided rope forming tufts or loops onto which aquatic life may grow. 12