US1869018A - Trawling gear - Google Patents

Description

July 26, 1932. v J, c. MALCOLM 1,869,018

TRAWLING GEAR Filed May 3, 1950 [n l/anion John 6 Malcolm.

Atty.

Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN C. MALCOLM, O15 WOLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO BAY STATE FISH- ING- COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS TRAWLING GEAR Application filed n a,

This invention relates to an improved form of net trawling gear, more particularly of the type which is provided with panels or doors to assist in holding the net open, and widening the area from which fish may-be induced to pass into the mouth of the net.

The present invention affords an improved means of conveniently connecting the panels and net to the boat and to each other so that the gear may conveniently be drawn in to permit the emptying of the net without undue interference by the panels. To these ends, a tow hawser may be provided which is connected to each panel and to a tow cable having its intermediate part connected to the net, while having one end connected to'the tow haw'ser and the other end connected'to theback of the panel. Preferably the panel is detachably connected to the tow hawser; accordingly the hawser may be drawn in and the panel disconnected therefrom, whereupon continued movement of the tow cable results in drawing the net to the boat so that the contents of the net may be discharged without necessitating the disconnection of the'tow cable-from the back of the panel, while there may be a permanent connection between the hawser and the tow cable. This arrangement permits the net towing strains to be divided between two sections of the tow cable, one of which is connected to the panel and the-other of which is connected to the hawser and permits a part of the towing strains to be imposed upon the panel and its connections while the re mainder of the same are received by the section of the towing cable that is directly connected to the hawser.

Preferably a short connection may be pro vided between the innerface of the panel and I the two cable which may include a short chain having a C-shaped element or hook at its end'which is engagea-blewith a ring at the end of the hawser, this ring also perma nently engaging a link of a chain which forms 19 0, Serial mfg-1 ,410.

a continuation of the tow cable. Preferably a bridle or substantially triangular able pulley block having a'grooved pulley receiving the cable so that the cable may readily move over the pulley as the net is beingdrawn to the boa 1 In'the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of my improved trawlinggear, certain parts such as the panels and 'theirconnections'be ing exaggerated in sizefofr clarity of illustration; I

Fig; 2 is an enlarged top view'of the panel and the connections between the same "and between thehawser and the tow rope,

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the same; and V v nection betwen the cable and, net which readily permits relativemovement therebetween.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and first more particularly toFigurel, the

numeral 1 designates a boat to which my trawling gearmay be connected; this gear include's'a pair of tow hawsers 2 which have rings 3 at their outer ends for connection to the panels and thetow rope. Each panel i 5 and has the inner face of the end portion which is remote from the net provided with means for connection to the tow hawser. Preferably for this purpose apair of bridles or triangular metal elements 7 may have'pivf Fig. 4 is an elevational detail of the conmay be'provlded with a metal shoe or weight opposite end of chain 10 is secured to a C- shaped elementor hook 12 which is detachably engaged with the ring 3 at the end of the tow hawser.

The tow cable 16 is provided with a continuation in the form of a short chain 18 which is permanently connected to the ring 3. The intermediate part of each tow cable 16 is received in a grooved pulley 19, Fig. 4, which is included in a pulley block 20 connected to the wing of the net 21. This net may be of any suitable form, and as shown has an upper portion provided with floats 22 toaid in holding the mouth of the net open.

Each tow cable also has a looped end portion 23 which may be permanently engaged with a triangular bridle 24: which is pivotally connected to the outer face of the panel 4 by means of metal elements25 which are disposed near the end of the panel that is closer to the net. It-is evident that during the normal use of this trawling gear the boat 1 is moving in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1, and that the towing hawsers 2 are efiective in drawing both the panels 4 and the net 22, the bridles 7 and 24 being so disposed in relation to the hawser and cable that the panels tincline forwardly and outwardly in relation to the direction of boat movement and therefore are effective in holding the mouth of the net open. A portion of the net towing strain is transmitted from each line 2 directly through its connection to the towing cable 16, while the. remainder ofthis strain is transmitted through the corresponding panel 4E by means of its connections 7, 10 and 24 being received by the portion of the towing cable that is connected to the panel, thus, the towing cable has two portions which receive the net towing strains.

When it is desired to draw the net inwardly to the boat, the hawsers 2 are first drawn inwardly by any suitable means such as winches until the ends of the hawsers are positioned so that the panels 4 may be supported by suitable hoisting tackle or gallows, and the connections 12 then disengaged from the rings 3. Each towing cable then substantially forms a continuation ofthe corresponding hawser and is drawn inwardly, each pulley 19 permitting relative movement of thecable and net so that the net is drawn inwardly until each pulley block is substantially in the region of the end loop 23 of the cable whereu on the contents of the net may be discharged.

When the net is again to be let out to resume its normalposition, the cables 16 are first unwound from the. winches until the rings3 are brought into a position wherein they may again engage the connections 12.

to be spaced from the boat and to resume their normal positions.

From the foregoing it is evident that I have provided a trawling gear arrangement which permits the convenient discharge of the contents of the net without interference by the panels or doors 4: and that it is only necessary to provide one detachable c0nnection for each towing hawser in order to permit the convenient operation of the device in the manner described above. Furthermore it is evident that this arrangement permits the convenient manipulation of each hawser and the corresponding towing cable as a single substantially continuous unit so that a single winch may be employed for drawing both of these elements onto the boat. Furthermore this arrangement permits the net towing strains to which each hawser is subjected to be divided between the two end portions of the towing cable, a part of this strain being transmitted directly from the hawser to the towing cable and the remainder thereof being transmitted through the panel and its connections.

I claim:

1. Trawling gear comprising a net, a pair of hawsers, a tow line connected to each hawser and having its intermediate part connected to a side of the net, a panel associated with each hawser, each tow line having one end connected to the end of a panel nearer the net, and having an end connected to the hawser, and a connection between the inner face of each panel and a hawser.

2. Trawling gear comprising a net, a pair of hawsers, a pair of tow lines, each tow line having an end connected to the corresponding hawser, a panel associated with each hawser, a short connection extending from the inner face of the panel to the hawser, a connection between the hawser and one end of the tow line, and a connection between the outer face of the panel and the other end of the tow line, the intermediate part of the tow line having a freely movable connection with the side of the net. r

3. Trawling gear comprising a net, a hawser for connection to a boat, a panel adjoining the end of the hawser, a detachable connection extending from the inner face of the panelto the hawser end, a tow cable having one end connected to the hawser and the other end joined to a connection extending from the outer face of the panel, the intermediate part of the tow cable having a relatively movable connection with the net.

4. Trawling gear comprising a net, a tow hawser, a ring at the end of the hawser, a panel, a tow line having an end connected to the ring, a detachable connection between said ring and the inner face of the panel, the intermediate part of the tow line being mov-v ably connected to the net, and the other end of the tow line having a permanent connection with the outer face of the portion of the panel which is nearer the net.

5. Trawling gear comprising a net, a tow hawser, a rin at the end of the hawser, a panel, a tow hne having one end connected to the ring and the other end connected to the panel, a net, a pulley secured to the net and receiving the intermediate part of the tow line, and a line joined to the inner face of the panel and detachably connected to the mug.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts,.this' first day of May, 1930.

JOHN C. MALCOLM.

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