US1016881A - Gill-net. - Google Patents

Description

s. J. Fox'.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 17, 191'1 *gmwnwf GILL NET.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

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on oo ,u ,nogefooowgow Simon J. Fox

Inventor ByHz's dqttorney @afl/id @(0510 SIMON J. FOX, or BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON, AssIGNon or ONE-HALF To DAVID E. LAIN, or BNLLINGHAM, WASHINGTON.

GILL-NET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 17, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Serial No. 638,904.

To all wiz-0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SIMON J. FOX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bellingham, in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gill-Nets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in gill nets in which, as ordinarily made, one edge of a long narrow strip of web is secured to a float line and the other edge is secured to a. lead line and, when in operative position, said net is stretched across the current with the float line above and the lead line beneath the same. Vhen the net is properly stretched and retained the current acts to hold it in a long sweeping curve with the web stretched tautin a slight curve between the float line and the lead line.

The objects of my invention are: to cause the web, when in operative position, to lie in a series of pockets; to accomplish this result in a way which will permit the use of a plain web with meshes of uniform size, and to use Such a construction that the localization of strains on the web is unlikely. I attain these objects by the use of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a section of my improved gill net when in operative position; Fig. 2 is a portion of a cross section of the same on the line A B, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross section of Fig. 1 on th'e line C D.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

More particularly: 1 is' the ioat line, sometimes called the cork line, on which the float-s l are strung at regular intervals.

2 is the lead line on which are strung the leads, or sinkers 5. For my purpose I prefer to use the sinlrers in pairs, one pair being located opposite each float on the float line. These lines are sometimes called strengthening lines especially when not equipped with floats or sinlrers.

3 is the web, one edge of which is attached to iioat line 1 and the other edge of which is attached to lead line 2 in the usual manner. Although diiiicult to clearly show in the drawing it is customaryto attach the web to the float and lead lines with a fullness in the web.

6 and 7 are pairs of cross lines connecting the float line 1 to the lead line 2. Said pairs of cross lines are so attached that the web 3 lies between the lines of each pair, that is, between cross lines 6 and 7. These pairs of cross lines are shorter than the width of the web 3, which causes a fullness in the web. Now because the twine forming the web 3 is carried in a diagonal direction between the lioat line and the lead line and between the pairs of cross lines 6 and 7, the fullness in the web caused by the nearness of the float and lead lines, referred to, will cause the web to lie in a series of pockets 8, Fig. 2, between the float and lead lines and between the several pairs of cross lines when the net is in operative position in a current of water. The intersections of said pockets with each other will be on those cross lines which are on the down stream side of the net and the bottom of said pockets will protrude down current.

In Fig. 3, which is a vertical cross section of one of the pockets 48, the full lines indicate the position of the pocket when the cross line 7 is on the down stream side and is supporting the web 3. But when the cross line 6 is on the down stream side of t-he web 8 the pocket occupies the position indicated in dotted Outline at 8', cross line 6 is then carried to its dotted position 6 and cross line 7 substantially to dotted position 7.

With the described construction it is evident that, in case more pressure is exerted in one pocket than another-as for instance by a struggling lsh enmeshed therein-this pressure will draw over some of the web from the neighboring pockets and permit this pocket to be enlarged. The opportunity for local expansion thus afforded is' sufficient to make it impossible for the struggling fish to throw a great strain on any particular part of the web. This method of causing the web to lie in pockets -is especially applicable to gill nets; since a plain web is entirely suited for the purpose; therefore the meshes are of uniform size, which is essential for this type of net.

In gill nets of the usual width the cross lines referred to are sufficient to fully accomplish the objects of my invention. But when the gill net is very narrow I use spreaders of inflexible material, one of which is shown at 9, to retain the fioat and lead lines at a fixed distance apart where attached. Fewer of these spreaders are however required than of the cross lines. I have found'one spreader sufficient for about fifty linear feet of net, while I prefer a suflicient number of pairs of cross lines so that their distance apart is substantially the same as their length.

In using the ordinary gill net it is found that many fish will, on reaching the web, turn to one side and swim along the net until one end is reached where they will escape. But, my improvement, when applied to the ordinary gill net, instead of presenting a practically plain front to the iish, as is done by the ordinary gill net alone, presents a series of pockets as described, any one of which on being entered by a fish will require him to either back out or turn quite squarely aroimd in order to escape. These movements are however contrary to the habits of the fish, which in such a case is more likely to attempt to force a way through a mesh and be gilled therein.

I am aware that it is old to make a gill net by attaching a float line to one edge of a narrow strip of web and a lead line to the other edge of the same. I am also aware that it is old to construct the web of a net of meshes of varying size so that intersecting strands or meshes at regularly spaced distances are sufliciently shorter and smaller to cause a fullness between these places and thus the web will lie in pockets between y these shorter strands. But I believe myself to be the first to connect the float line and lead line of a plain web with pairs of cross lines so short that the web will lie in pockets between said cross lines.

Therefore, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a gill net the combination of a float line; a lead line; a strip of plain web having meshes of practically uniform size, said float line being connected to one edge of said strip of web and said lead line being connected to the other edge of said web; and means connecting said float line with said lead line at spaced distances, being adapted to retain said float line nearer said lead line than the width of said strip of web, and being further adapted to support said web and permit the same to freely pass over said means.

2. In a gill net comprising a strip of web with a ioat line attached along one edge of said web and a lead line attached along the other edge of said web, the combination of said gill net and cross lines connecting said float line with said lead line at spaced distances, said cross lines being adapted to maintain said float line nearer said lead line than the width of said web, to support said web, and to permit said web to freely move over the same.

3. In a gill net comprising a strip of web with a oat line attached along one edge of said web and a lead line attached along the other edge of said web, the combination of said gill net and pairs of cross lines connecting said float line with said lead line at spaced distances, said web lying between the lines of each of said pairs and being adapted to move over the same, and said pairs of lines being shorter than the width of said web.

4. In a gill net comprising a strip of web with a float line attached along one edge of said web and a lead line attached along the other edge of tion of said gill net; pairs of cross lines connecting said float line with said lead line at spaced distances, said web lying between the lines of each of said pairs and being adapted to move over the same, and said pairs of lines being shorter than the width of said web; and a plurality of iniiexible spreaders, of practically the same length as said cross lines, attached to said float and lead lines and being adapted to retain portions of said lead line at a fixed distance from portions of said float line.

5. In a gill net comprising a strip of web having a strengthening line attached along each edge of the same, the combination of said net and a plurality of pairs of cross lines, said pairs of cross lines being adapted to connect said strengthening lines at spaced intervals and retain the same in nearer proximity than the width of said web and being further adapted to retain said web between the individual members of each of said pairs of cross lines and permit said web to freely move over said cross lines.

6. In a gill net comprising a strip of web having a strengthening line attached along each edge of the same, the Vcombination of said net; a plurality of pairs of cross lines, said pairs of cross lines being adapted to connect said strengthening lines at spaced intervals and retain the same in nearer proximity than the width of said web and being further adapted to retain said web between the individual members of each of said pairs of cross lines and permit said web to freely move over said cross lines; and a said web, the combinaplurality of inflexible spreaders connected to said strengthening lines being of substantially the same length as said cross lines and being adapted to prevent the nearer approach of said strengthening lines at the points of attachment.

Signed at Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

Bellingham in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington this seventh day of July A. D. 1911.

SIMON J. FCX.

Witnesses:

R. S. SIMPSON, SADIE E. HAGLER.

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