US1792592A - Oyster dredge - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, H LEW|S 7 1,792,592

OYSTER DREDGE Filed June 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY H. LEWIS Feb. 17, 1931,

OYSTER DREDGE Filed June 1,

1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [llilllllll Patented Feb.17, 1931 r r 1,792,592

UNITED STATES PATENTLOFFICE HENRY nLEwIs, or STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR To THE n; JQ nnwrs OYSTER QOMPANY, or BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT OYSTER DREDGE,

Application filed June 1 1929. Serial No. 367,663."

This invention relates, to oyster dre'dges, lower side rails2 and braces 3, 4:, 5, and 6. and particularly to improved means for sup These rails and the center bar 7,V Figure 1, porting the oyster holding receptacle orbag terminate in a head formed by the neck porand discharging its contents. consists of tion 8 of the dredge. The oyster rake con 5 a bag holding attachment and its operating sists of the bar Sand teeth 10, and is secured 55 mechanismponnectedto the dredge and-in to the inner ends of the lower side rails 2 working relationwith the rake, whereby the by means of the bolts 10. oysters are received and discharged at differ 11 is a drum supporting shaft journaled in ent points of the bag, and under the control the inner ends 1 of the upper side rails 1,

10 of asingle operator. There bags have but and also in the inner end of the center bar 7 60 I a single mouth both for receiving and dis-fQThis shaft is rotated by means of the drum charging their contentsfthe dredge must be 12 about which is wound and to which is manually tilted to discharge, thus requiring. anchored the inner end of the main wire the service of several hands, .51 V I H cable 13. The outer end of this cable passes 7 15 In describing the invention in detail, reffreely through the upturned end 8 6f the 65 erence will be had to the accompanying draw- N neck of the dredge and is connected with any ings wherein like characters ,of reference deoutside conventional major winding drum. note corresponding parts in thesevera'l views The stop 14 is so located on the cable that it i hi h i d will be brought against the upturned end 8 Y Figure 1 represents'an upper plan View of t of the neck in closing the flexible bag A. The 70 the dredge and broken view of a part of; the V ofiice of this stop is to take the pulling strain bottom portion of the bag. y 1 y in hauling the dredge. The spring 14 is in- Figure 2 is a broken view of thebottom of terposed in the cable so that only enough the dredge looking in the direction of arrow strain is applied to the cable to close the bag a of Figure 4:. o v and prevent undue strain on-the bag operat- 7 Figure 3 is asideview of the dredge reping mechanism. r I resented inoperative position With the bag The auxiliary side drums 1515, on shaft closed. V a 11, carry the wirecables 16, 17, anchored Figure his a view of the dredge Vertically thereto and which extend therefrom over the suspendedwith thebag opened to discharge pulleys 18,19; rotatably mounted on the rod 80 its contents; y I p 20. The outer .ends of these cables are finally Figure 5' is a reduced diagrammatic view, anchored to the fixed collars 2'1, 22, on the rod looking in, the, direction} of arrow 6 of Fig-. 2-3. 24;. 25, are end supporting bars whose inure lfof the oyster rake; and sectional view ner ends are freely mounted on the shaft 11 a of the lower rail of the frame on line w+w and whose outer ends carry the oulley rod '85 of Figure 1, and also a view of the drum 20. The lateral arms 26, 27, form a part of shaft. 7 a f 1 V the skeleton frame of the dredge and take the Figure 6 is a broken plan view of the skeleplace of the conventional bow shaped ends of ton frame ofthe dredge and itsrake, also a the ordinary dredge. The inner ends of these 40 modified construction of means for control: arms are anchored to the rake bythe bolts 10*, 90 ling the bag operating mechanism. J and their outer ends are freely mounted on Figure 7 represents outside windingdrums the shaft 11, and serveitosupport said shaft, and broken cables, and a as seen more clearly in Figure 5.

v Figure 8 is a broken viewof the skeleton 28, 29, are bag control levers whose outer frameof the dredge and the connecting means ends carry. the rod 23,= and whoseinner slot- 9: between the neck of the dredge and thewindted ends have a sliding contac trwith the shaft 5 d y p p k 11. 30, 31', are'links journaled on the rod 20 Y The principal parts ofthe skeleton 'frame an'd the studs: 32, 33, offlthe levers whereby work of 'the'dredge areof the conventional said levers are maintained in workable rela- 59 typ comprising the uppenside'rails 1, the ftionwith respect to the shaft H and the rods 10o 20 and 28. 34, Figure 1, are simply interposed washers adapted to bring the inner faces of the links 30, 31, in aligni'ncnt with the levers 28 and 29. 35, Figures 2, 3, 4, and 6, are brackets suspended from and near the ends of the rake bar as supports for the rod 36. Both brackets and rod form a part of the conventional dredge frame. i

The oyster receptacle or ba A, seen more clearly in Figures 2, 3, and 4, is composed of the conventional chain links 37 forming the ends and bottom of the bag behind the rake. These bag links are conveniently attachedto rods 23, 36, and arms 26, 27, and also to rods. one of which, 38 is mounted in the bracket 39, liignre :2, secured to the inner face of each of the levers 29, but to avoid confusion it is only shown on the lever 29. seen more clearly in Figure 2. -iny other suitable means for connecting the bag to said levers could readily be devised.

The bag has the conventional and always open mouth adjacent the rake to receive the oysters gathered by the rake. In Figure this open mouth is represented by B, hounded by the arms 26, 27, shaft 11, and the rake. ()pposite this open mouth, I have provided a mouth through which the contents of the bag is discharged, a detail description of which will later appear. The wire net work 40, Figure 1, serves as a cover to prevent an untimely discharge of the bag when closed. 41

are bars located between the drum shaft 11.

and the pulley rod and to which this net work is attached well as to the end supporting bars 24, 25. V

42 is a bracket adjustably connected to the neck of the dredge carrying the trailing roller 43 by means of which the neck of the dredge can be raised or lowered from the ground to change the cant or angle of the rake.

44 are braces secured to the supporting bars 24, 25, Figure 1, and also to the pulley rod20 to give additional rigidity to said bars.

45, Figure 7, is a major winding drum rotatably mounted on the rod 46 and about which is wound the bag o )erating and dredge hauling cable 13. The drum 47 is also mounted on said rod to receive the cable 48 whose outer end is attached to the hook ,49 and the latter to the link 50 swiveled to the neck of the dredge. Each of these drums has an independent rotation on the rod 4.6 and may each be provided with tripping mechanism, not shown, to temporarily hold them against reverse rotation. These drums, and the means for rotating them to wind the cables. as well as other mechanismlfor operating them, are old and well known and form no essential part of the present invention, are simply shown asj one of, h einany" i d that could be. employed fore-the. abov 01e,,

scribed purposerf I The modified construction Figure 6, f o r controll shown a the ts.

comprising a frame,

ment thereon, 4P

mechanism, consists of the two cables 51, 52, whose inner ends are attached to the lower end of the spring 14. These cables are then conducted through the guide links 53, 54, pivotally supported in the upper rails 1 of the dredge, and from thence are anchored to the rod 23, in the same manner as the independent cables 16, 17, shown in Figure 1.

This arrangement dispenses entirely with the drums 12, 15, and 15 and converts the shaft 11. into simply therod 11, Figure 6. The principal purpose of either shaft or rod is to provide means for supporting the several ha operating elements connected therewith.

The bag is closed and the dredge dragged along the bottom and hoisted aboard. and suspended. by means of the main cable \Vhen inthis suspended position, the weight of the dredge is shifted from the cable 13 to the cable 48, Figures 7 and 8. This shift- 111g of the weight will permit the cable 13 to be slackcned so that the accummulated,

- weight of the bags contents will force down-v ward the slotted levers 28, 29, while/the links 1 30, 31, will assist, .in conjunction with pivotally supporting bars 24, 25 in forcing said levers back far enouglrto practically straighten the underside or bottom of the bag, Figure 4, and'thereby automatically efl'ect a free deliveryof its contents through the open discharge mouth C.

This lengthwise and swingingmovement of the levers 28, 29, is an essential feature both in hauling and discharging, for when the bag is closed in hauling, it must necessarily assume a cup-like shape, Figure 3, to retain the oysters, and when released, is properly shapedto effect a free discharge.

Were the levers simply swung from a pivot and without lengthwise movement, the bag:

would practically retain its cup-likeshape and more or less of the oysters wouldrc-.

main in the bag.

Several minor changes respecting the construction and arrangement of the operative elements of the dredge could be made without departing from the essential object and purpose, of the invention, which relates principallytothe bag construction whereby the oystersare received at one end of the bag, and automaticallydischarged by gravity at the other end.

Having thus described; ,my, invention. what- I claimis 1. A dredgeof the character desc1'ibed,

, a rake carried by: the frame,

e ds-stills! tenderer.

Bataan] no a fie ziblebag havingan open receiving end supported on the frame adjacent the frake, shaft ,journaled in;- the, framdia ldredge ha uling; cable ,associated, .witl1" the;

neunted:.;o the .fshaft I for the bag, and auxiliary cables connecting the shaft and rod. to close the bag through the medium of the dredge hauling cable.

2. A dredge according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a stop is carried by hauling cable to engage a part of the frame to take the pulling strain in hauling the dredge, and a spring associated with saidcable to prevent undue strain on the bag operating mechanism in closing the discharge opening of the bag. V

8. In combination with a dredge frame and rake, a shaft journaled in the frame, a dredge hauling cable connected with the shaft, opposed levers mounted on the shaft and having a lengthwise and swinging movement thereon, a rod connecting the outer ends ofthe levers, a flexiblebag having a normal open receiving end supported on the frame, and a discharge end engaging the levers and their connecting'rod a. A dredge according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that bars are pivotally supported on the shaft and pivotally' connected to the levers, a rod connecting the bars, auxiliary cables connecting the shaft with the lever mechanism, and pulleys on' the rod for said cables.

5. In combination with a dredge frame, rake, and a dredge hauling cable, pivotally supported levers having a lengthwise swinging movement, cables for effecting said movement through the medium of the dredge haulingcable, a flexible bag having a normally open receiving end connected to the frame and adjacent to the rake, and a discharging end connected tosaid movable levers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY L. LEWIS.

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