US978872A - Device for driving fishes. - Google Patents

Description

DEVICE vFOR DRIVING FISHBS, APPLIOATION FILED JULY 20, 1909.

Patented Dec.20, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' c. K.' FREER. DEVICE FOB. DRIVING IISHBS. APTLIOATION FILED JULY 20, 1909. 978,872. Patented Dec. 2o, 1910.

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6m rgb 7 v I l \7 WTNESSES INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS THE Nmmls PETER: co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

CHARLES K. FREER,

TES

or SANDUSKY, oHIo.

DEVICE FOR DRIVING FISHES.

To all whom it may concern:

13e it known that I, CHARLES K. FREER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sandusky, in the county of Erie and ,l

State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Device for Driving Fishes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to devices for driving fishes and is to some extent in the nature of a subaqueous alarm.

More particularly stated, my invention comprehends a number of buoys to be connected with a seine or the like, and containing alarms which are controllable electrically from a predetermined point, in order to frighten the fishes and drive them into a preldetermined position or along a definite pat i.

While my invention may be made and used in various Ways, I show for convenienee only my preferred form of the mechanism, it being understood that reasonable variations may be made from this form without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective showing a seine equipped with my device, the latter being controllable electrically from the boat appearing in the figure; Fig. 2 is a diagram of the wiring from the battery to the various buoys carried by the seine; Fig. 3 is a detail showing in vertical section one ofthe buoys; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig'. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow and showing how the electric bell is mounted within the buoy.

A number of buoys 5, each having substantially an oar shape, are connected by ancillary cables 6 with a main cable 7, this main cable being movable relatively to a net 8 and controllable from a boat 9. Each buoy 5 is thicker through its middle than through its top or bottom, as indicated in Fig. 4. Extending erosswise through the middle of each buoy 5 are two supporting rods 10, and disposed intermediate the latter and sustained by the same is an electric bell 11, provided with a. gong 12 and clapper 13.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 20,

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

1909. Serial No. 508,606.

Thebuoys are so shaped and ballasted as to retain their respective vertical positions, as indicated in Fig. 4. x A battery 14 is carried upon the boat 9 `:and extending from this battery are wires @7a which are incorporated in the main lcable 7. Each ancillary cable 6 contains a pair `of wires 6, 6b leading to the particular Iielectric bell 11 associated with the particug lar buoy. At 15 is a switch whereby the circuit is completed in multiple through all of lthe bells. The floats 9a support the main lcable 7 by aid of lanyards 9b. Weights 10 depend from the main cable by aid of lanyards 10a. The ancillary cables 6 serve the double purpose of dragging the buoys 5 through the water and of enabling the bells contained in the buoys to be energized.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being assembled and connected up as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the operator moves the boat 9 around at will so as to drag the various buoys 5 in a predetermined direction. This maybe done, for instance, by moving the boat in a circle so that the various buoys sweep over a given area, all in the general direction of the net 8 into which the fishes are to be driven. Whenever the operator wishes to sound the alarm for the purpose of frightening the fishes, he closes the switch 15 over for a moment, or for any longer time desired. Moreover, he does this either intermittently or continuously, according to the immediate purpose he has in view. Each time the switch 15 is closed the following circuit is completed: battery 14, wire 7a, the various wires 6a in multiple, the various electric bells 11, the various wires 6b in multiple to the wire 7b, thence back to battery 14. This energizes all of the bells which, being of the so-called continuous ring type, each sounds a continuous alarm sov lonO as the circuit is completed. rlhe fishes being thus frightened are driven into the net or wherever desired in the water.

lVhile for convenience I show the buoys 5 as of a general oar-like form, I do not limit myself thereby, as obviously they may be of any other form desired. Neither do I limit myself to the particular construction otherwise, as variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention; neither do I limit myself to the employment of bells, because obviously other forms of alarm may be substituted for the latter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combina-tion of a buoy made liollow and having substantially an oar shape, supporting bars mounted within said buoy and extending crosswise thereof, said supporting bars being below the center of grav-` ity of' said buoy, an electric bell mounted upon said supporting bars, and means for energizing said electric bell while said buoy is afloat. y y

`2. The combination of a longitudinal fleXible member, a plurality' of floating bodies connected therewith for supporting said flexible member'in a substantially horizontal position at a predetermined level below the surface of the water, a plurality of buoys connected with said member and adapted to be dragged through the water, and a plurality of Weights connected with said member for'preventing the same from rising to the surface of the water.

3. A device of the character' described, comprising a plurality of floats for resting upon the surface of the water, a line located below said floats and supported by aid of the buoyancy thereof, a plurality of substantially oar-shaped buoys connected with said line and disposed below the level of said floats, weights for preventing said buoys from rising to the surface of' the water, a plurality of alarms carried by said buoys, and means controllable at will for energizing said alarms simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES K. FREER.

Titnesses W. B. STARBIRD, ROLAND WAGNER.

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