Patent Publication Number: US-2023135857-A1

Title: Mechanism For Baiting Bags On A Trotline

Description:
FIELD 
     The field of my invention (which I shall refer to as the present subject matter hereafter), in general, relates to trotline crabbing. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to a particular trotline crabbing mechanism that I developed to greatly reduce the amount of time that trotline crabbers normally require to bait the bags on their trotlines. The present subject matter also includes my bag design. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A trotline is a simple system consisting of a line of heavier cord that can be made of woven fibers which, in the past, were typically cotton fibers but at the present time are frequently synthetic or polymeric fibers. There are many, like myself, who use trotlines to catch crabs. “Trotline crabbers,” as we are called, will attach 400-700 bags, each containing 3-6 clams at spaced intervals along a trotline. 
     To illustrate the basic principle of trotline crabbing, I shall now briefly refer to FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,858 (to Lockner et al.), which, of course, is prior art. 
     A crab line roller mechanism  10 , attached to and outwardly extending from an upper surface  16  of a boat  12 , is used to raise and guide a trotline  18  out of the water  14 . The trotline  18  of  FIG.  1   , illustrating trotline crabbing as practiced by trotline crabbers of at least a generation ago, shows bait  20  directly attached to the trotline  18 . At that time, the bait  20  was usually decaying chicken or eel. (Currently, trotline crabbers use clams, inserted into bags secured to the trotline, as bait.) The bait  20  lures a crab  15 , which begins feeding. The trot line  18  is then raised to the surface of the water  14 , enabling the crabber  17  to catch the crab  15  with a net  19 . 
     While current trotline crabbers work from a larger boat and use equipment more sophisticated than what is shown in  FIG.  1   , their efficiency is restricted by time needed to bait their trotlines, a “problem” that the present subject matter solves. 
     For the present subject matter, my reference to the term “bag” shall mean a container having a “special” opening that can be closed to secure the bait within, and often made of a synthetic or a polymeric material. Also, the sides of such bags include many, much smaller, openings to attract crabs to the bait contained within. 
     SUMMARY 
     Current trotline crabbers generally use a trotline of about 3,000-4,000 feet in length (with 3,600-foot lengths being common), and having about 400-700 bags (or about 500-600 bags) attached to the trotline, at approximately equally-spaced intervals. These trotline crabbers also generally use mesh bags open at one end and made of synthetic materials, with mesh bags made from polymeric materials being preferred. While illustrative synthetic materials include basalt fiber and glass fiber, preferred polymeric materials include aramid, cellulose, nylon, and rayon material. 
     Currently, trotlines are baited manually. An entire length of trotline, with all bags attached thereto containing “spent” bait, requires removal of each bag from the line to discard the spent bait contained therein, next substituting “fresh” bait for the discarded bait, and finally re-attaching each “fresh” bait-filled bag manually along the entire length of the trotline. As a result, it will take a professional crabber about 3-5 hours or more to manually re-bait a single trotline, which greatly reduces the amount of time a trotline crabber is able to use a trotline to catch crabs, to sell. 
     The term “spent” bait shall refer to bait which has been drawn through the water on a trotline, and which is no longer able to serve as an attractant to a crab. 
     Another “problem” the present subject matter solves is a problem inherent in the design of plastic mesh bags presently favored by trotline crabbers. Briefly, each mesh bag is an elongated sleeve of polymeric mesh material, which is closed at one end and open at the opposite end. Current conventional bag design requires a trotline crabber to first “load” a mesh bag with “fresh” bait, and thereafter discard “spent” bait from each mesh bag on a trotline. Because each “spent” bait-filled bag is manually removed from the trotline, and thereafter manually re-attached to the trotline, after fresh bait is substituted for spent bait, a significant amount of time is spent by trotline crabbers re-loading all the bags on the trotline with “fresh” bait. 
     To solve the current trotline crabbing problem associated with the removal and re-attachment of a bag of above-described design, the present subject matter includes my bag of novel design. Briefly, the bag of the present subject matter comprises a continuous side wall defining an interior region; a “special” opening dimensioned for inserting bait into the interior region; and a slide fastener fixed to the side wall and surrounding the “special” opening, to enable the slide fastener to be used to open and close the “special” opening when a bag is secured to a trotline. 
     Refilling a bag of my present design doesn&#39;t require removal from a trotline. 
     While a zipper is well known and preferred, the present subject matter extends to the broader term “slide fastener,” a mechanism comprising two parallel tracks of teeth or coils, interlockable or separable by pulling a slide between them. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1   , dated prior art, is used an illustrative example of trotline crabbing. 
         FIG.  2    is a recent snapshot of a conventional trotline crabber netting a crab. 
         FIG.  2 A  and  FIG.  2 B , also recent snapshots, depict the conventional trotline crabber re-loading a conventional bait bag according to conventional process steps. 
       In  FIG.  2 C , yet another recent snapshot, a knot formed in trotline is shown. 
       In  FIG.  2 D , another recent snapshot, a conventional bait bag is presented. 
         FIG.  3   , a recent snapshot, depicts a bait bag of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  4 A  and  FIG.  4 B , also recent snapshots, show a person using a mechanism of the present subject matter to re-load the bait bags of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  5 A  is a frontal view of the mechanism of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  5 B  and  FIG.  5 C  are front and back views, respectively, of the mechanism. 
         FIG.  5 D  presents a side of the mechanism shown in  FIG.  5 A , from the right. 
         FIG.  5 E  presents a side of the mechanism shown in  FIG.  5 A , from the left. 
         FIG.  5 F  depicts a feature of the mechanism of the present subject matter. 
     
    
    
     While the present subject matter shall now be described in connection with various illustrated embodiments, which include the present drawing figures, it is to be understood that the present subject matter is not to be limited to the illustrated embodiments. On the contrary, the present subject matter shall be understood to include all modifications as are deemed to be within the scope of appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before describing the present subject matter, I would like to provide a few visual images and details of current trotline crabbing practice, to help in understanding why the present subject matter—including my novel bag design, and my novel mechanism for re-baiting trotlines used by crabbers—will likely be viewed by most commercial trotline crabbers as much-needed, time-saving articles of manufacture as soon as they are able to become widely commercially available. 
     In  FIG.  2   , is shown a current trotline crabber  200  using a conventional trotline  210  and crab-catching net (not visible, since it is submerged in the water) to “catch” a crab  215  which had been attached to a conventional bag  220  prior to the trotline crabber  200  extending the net (not visible) attached to the handle  212 . 
     In  FIG.  2 A , while seated on a modern boat, a current trotline crabber  200  is shown reaching into a bucket  230  to grasp with a left arm a handful of clams  240  that the trotline crabber  200  will insert into a conventional bag  220  held by his right hand. In  FIG.  2 B , the trotline crabber  200  is shown, after having inserted the handful of clams (no longer visible) into the conventional bag  220  in his right hand. 
     In  FIG.  2 C , the trotline crabber  200  displays knot  250  in the trotline  210 . The knot  250  is used to secure conventional bag  220  along a length of trotline  210 . 
     In  FIG.  2 D , a conventional bag  220  is shown as having an elongated shape, with a primary opening  260  at one end portion, a closed opposite end portion  270 , and a plurality of openings  280  (a number of which are shown as being encircled in  FIG.  2 D ) essentially along the entire side wall  290  of the conventional bag  220 . In other words, the conventional bag shown is a custom-made sleeve of plastic mesh. 
     The present subject matter thus includes my novel “improvement” upon the conventional bag design. The usefulness of my improvement will become clear upon reading my description of how my novel improvement greatly reduces the significant amount of time a trotline crabber must devote to re-baiting a trotline. 
     Briefly referring to  FIG.  3   , showing my novel bag  300 , please note that my novel design comprises a zipper  310  (which I have encircled) along an entire length of bag  300  which, at this time, includes the structural components associated with a conventional bag discussed above in connection with  FIG.  2 D . Hidden by zipper  310  is an opening, which I call a tertiary opening, along a length of a conventional bag, for “loading” my novel bag  300  with “fresh” bait. Presently, the zipper  310  is stitched to the tertiary opening, to enable a person to close the tertiary opening of my novel bag  300  after “loading” a bag  300  with “fresh” bait. Later, when the bait becomes “spent,” meaning that the bait is no longer able to attract a crab to the trotline, the zipper  310  enables a person to open my bag  300  for discarding the “spent” bait, and thereafter “re-loading” my bag  300  with “fresh” bait. Also please note that my novel bag design contemplates “closing” the primary opening, as was described in relation to the “opposite end” portion  270  (shown above in  FIG.  2 D ). 
     Attention is next directed to  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B , which illustrate not only a time-saving advantage of the present subject matter but also certain other features of the present subject matter. For instance, instead of interrupting a trotline crabber (who ordinarily would be harvesting crabs), to “re-load” bags containing “spent” bait—with “fresh” bait—a trotline crabber  200  or another person can very easily use my trotline baiting mechanism  500  to re-load bags containing spent bait. 
     In particular, my mechanism  500  is portable and, as a result, can be located anywhere. In my “preferred” location, shown in  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B , there is a chair  410  on which a person can sit, and a bucket  420  containing bags  300  on a trotline. While seated, a person can easily reach into bucket  420  with one hand (as illustrated by  FIG.  4 B ) to fetch a bag  300  still on the trotline, next zip-open the fetched bag  300 , discarding “spent” bait in container  430 , next fetching from a surface  440  “fresh” bait and then inserting “fresh” bait into the zipped-open bag  300 , next zipping the “fresh” bait-containing bag  300  closed, and then using a foot-pedal component of my mechanism  500  to advance “fresh” bait-containing bags  300  to receptacle  450 . 
     Each one of the plurality of bags  300  ( FIGS.  4 A and  4 B ) is removably secured to the trotline  210  at an interval that is spaced (preferably equally spaced) from the two nearest ones of the plurality of bags  300  on the trotline  210 . Presently, for my prototype design of the present subject matter, each bag  300  is removably secured to the trotline via a knot  250 , as illustrated in  FIG.  2 C . Yet, it is clear that the scope on my subject matter contemplates other mechanisms for removably securing bags  300  to a trotline  210 , including mechanisms to simply “fix” bags  300  to a trotline  210 , if the removal of bags  300  from trotline  210  is found to be totally unnecessary. 
     Finally, attention is directed  FIGS.  5 A,  5 B,  5 C,  5 D,  5 E, and  5 F , which I shall now use to provide details of a current prototype of my trotline baiting mechanism  500  which I designed to be used with a predetermined length of trotline  210  having a plurality of bags  300  secured thereto at spaced-apart intervals (see  FIGS.  4 A,  4 B ). Mechanism  500  comprises a reel  510  rotatable about an axis “X-X” (see  FIG.  5 B ) for transferring from a first location, such as person on chair  410  (see  FIGS.  4 A,  4 B ), to a second location, such as the receptacle  450  (see  FIGS.  4 A,  4 B,  5 B, and  5 D ). 
     Mechanism  500  further includes a motor for powering rotation of reel  510  about the axis “X-X” with a preferred motor for my prototype, being provided by a conventional hand-held drill  520  (see, e.g.,  FIG.  5 E ) secured to a surface of a support structure  525  by brackets  527  and  529  (see  FIG.  5 E ) secured to the support structure  525  by appropriately-dimensioned threaded-fastener components  526 A and  526 B ( FIG.  5 A ), wherein the brackets  527  and  529  themselves are dimensioned and arranged to securely maintain rotation of reel  510  about axis “X-X” ( FIG.  5 B ). 
     Mechanism  500  additionally includes an on/off mechanism illustrated by conventional foot-pedal mechanism  530  ( FIG.  5 A ) operatively connected to drill  520  (see, e.g.,  FIG.  5 E ) as well as to a conventional power source (not shown), which provides electricity to power drill  520 . In addition, the conventional hand-held drill  520 , a component of my mechanism  500 , includes a trigger  540  (see, e.g.,  FIG.  5 F ) to adjust, then “set” the rotational speed of the reel  510  about axis “X-X” ( FIG.  5 B ). 
     Mechanism  500  further includes a stand  550  (see, e.g.,  FIG.  5 A ) to which the support structure  525  is secured by threaded-fastener components  560 A and  560 B. The stand  550 , in turn, is securely held in place by a mount  570 . Mount  570 , in turn, is securely clamped to a work table  580  by a mechanism (unitary with mount  570  but not visible in the figures, since the mechanism is on the underside of table  580 ). 
     Thus, a person sitting in chair  410  ( FIGS.  4 A,  4 B ), is able to reach into bucket  420  to fetch a bag  300  on trotline  210 , use zipper  310  ( FIG.  3   ) to open the bag  300  to discard “spent” bait, re-load the bag  300  with “fresh” bait, and then use the zipper  310  to close the “fresh” bait-loaded bag  300 , and then use the foot-pedal mechanism  530  ( FIG.  5 A ) until the next adjacent bag  300  on trotline  210  is close enough to the person sitting in chair  410  to repeat the process steps just described. 
     Summarizing the above, when the mechanism  500  is operated by a person in a manner to achieve the process steps described above, the mechanism  500  can very easily be used by an average person to substitute “fresh” bait for “spent” bait for a plurality of bags  300 , located at spaced-apart intervals along the length of a trotline  210 , much faster than is conventionally done at the present time. Moreover, since my mechanism  500  is not required to be on a trotline crabbing vessel, a trotline crabber (on the vessel) is freed-up to engage in trotline crabbing. 
     Alternatives, Changes and Modifications 
     What has been illustrated and described is a novel mechanism to be used with a novel bag that enables quickly substituting “fresh” bait for “spent” bait in the bag, with a plurality of the novel bags being secured along a length of trotline. Yet, while the present subject matter has been described with reference to various exemplary embodiments, the present subject matter is not to be limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, many alternatives and modifications shall become apparent to one of ordinary skill in this particular field after reading the foregoing description. It has therefore occurred to me to now state unequivocally that such alternatives and modifications are to be considered as forming a part of the present subject matter insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of appended claims.