AN APPARATUS FOR STORING AND KEEPING ALIVE FATTENNING, AND PROTECTING FROM THE FORCE OF THE SEA EDIBLE MOLLUSCS
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES WILLIAM HARDING, Civil Engineer of Kings Lynn in the County
of Norfolk, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN APPARATUS FOR
STORING AND KEEPING ALIVE FATTENNING, AND PROTECTING FROM THE FORCE OF
THE SEA EDIBLE MOLLUSCS to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a method for preserving alive, Edible Molluscs such as
Oysters, and Mussels in their natural element, and to guard them against gales of
wind, heavy seas, sand storms or the removal of large bodies of sand and mud by
gales of wind, which would otherwise choke them.
I propose to erect on the shore of the sea, Estuary, Firth, Loch or other suitable
place adjacent or not to a mussel bed, a box or trunk, standing on legs, stakes or
piles let into the ground each leg being fastened down by means of shoes, or driven
into the ground or where necessary iron bolts.
I propose to make the apparatus box or trunk for holding the Molluscs in the
following way; the sides, ends, and top, to be made of either Galvanized iron or
wood splines about one inch square for wood, and one inch wide by 1/8th of an inch
thick for Iron or any other Metal.
Each spline of Wood, or lath of Iron or other Metal to be fixed about 3/4" of an
inch from the adjacent one, and so on, for every side of the box or trunk.
The top of the box or trunk to consist of sliding lids throughout made in the
same way, each lid to be secured by sliding in a groove and fastened by means of a
staple and Hook or other suitable means.
The bottom of box or trunk to be fixed at such distance from the ground as may
be deemed desirable to clear sand, storms, and shifting mud.
The bottom of each box to consist of 1" boarding perforated with */"
diameter holes 3" apart in all directions.
The box being oblong to be fixed end on to the point of the compass from which
comes the heaviest gales, according to the locality.
In some sheltered places the box to be made square and not oblong to economise
the ground upon which it stands.
If the Molluscs placed in the box or trunk are placed there for fattening
purposes it will be necessary to erect it (if in an Estuary or an arm of the sea
Poning fid

page_text: where fresh water coming from a River or Rivers, where the specific gravity or
saltness of the water is suitable for this purpose.
Firstly. The advantages derived from this Invention are first the prevention of
Molluscs being washed away.
2nd The preservation of the Molluscs from sand, storms, and drifting mud.
3rd To be used as a store for supplying Molluscs during the neap tides which
could not otherwise be obtained without the expense of Dredging, which process
would loosen far more than were picked up, and tend to break up the beds.
4th By placing the Molluscs in a position where the water is favorable for
fattening.
5th The cleansing and keeping free from mud and other impurities of the
Molluscs.
6 The word Mollusc to include the oyster (ostrea edulis) The Mussel (mytilus
edulis) The Periwinkle (litorina littorea) The Clam (mya arenaria) and the
(mya truncata) The Cockle (cardium edule) The Limpet (patella vulgata).
I propose to attach to the outside of the box or trunk, a light pole with small
buckets fixed at every lineal foot, commencing at the ground, and terminating at
the maximum flow of the highest spring tides, so that as the tide recedes each
bucket contains a different sample of the water then existing in the Sea, Estuary
River &c.
This is to enable the man in charge to ascertain the specific gravity of the water
at each foot From the specific gravity can be a-certained the amount of saltness
in the water, and the box or trunk can be lowered or placed higher, so that the
Molluscs are in the portion of the ebb tide in which they will fatten the most
rapidly.
In an Estuary the high water will be as salt as the water in the Sea or Ocean
outside, and as the water falls, the water in the Estuary will become less salt, from
the River water entering the Estuary.
This method is capable of fattening and growing and storing Molluscs on shores
otherwise sterile, as regards their natural growth on the Shores.
I reserve the right of making this box or trunk in basket or wicker-work
either woven or plainly stretched with perforated wood or splines, with perforated
Iron or any other metal or substance.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I CHARLES WILLIAM HARDING of Kings Lynn in the County of Norfolk Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN APPARATUS for
STORING, KEEPING ALIVE, FATTENING AND PROTECTING FROM THE FORCE OF THE
SEA EDIBLE MOLLUSCS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to a method for preserving, alive, edible Molluscs such as
Oysters or Mussels & maintaining them in their natural element, and to guard them,
against galos of wind, heavy seas, the scouring of sand, the removal of large bodies
of sand or mud by gales of wind, which would otherwise kill, choke, or in some way
injure them.
propose to erect on the shore of the Sea, Estuary, Firth, Loch, or other suitable
place adjacent or otherwise to an oyster or mussel bed, an apparatus, box, or trunk,
such as that shown on Drawing.
Fig 1 is a
:
levation of the apparatus, box, or trunk.
Fig: 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig 3 is an elevation at A, the bars or splines being broken by reason of their
length.
Fig: 4 is a plan of same. A. A. shewing part of the bottom of the box or
trunk with perforations, C, C, C, showing a few of the bars or splines forming
one of the lids on the top of the box.
Fig: 5 is a view at D shewing end of box or trunk.
Fig: 6 is a plan of same.
Figs: 3, 4, 5 & 6 are drawn on a larger scale than Figs: 1 and 2, and the same
letters of reference indicate identical parts in all the figures.
The legs, stakes, or piles, shown at a, a, a, a, Fig: 1 are let into the ground;
each leg being fastened down by means of shoes.of wood or Iron shown at b, b, b, b,
Fig 1 or driven into the ground at a sufficient depth to secure steadiness, or
where necessary by iron fastenings.
I propose to make the apparatus, box, or trunk for holding the molluscs in the
following way:-The sides, ends, top, to be made either of galvanized iron or
wood splines as shewn at c, c, c, on Figs: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, about one inch square
for wood and 1 inch wide by 1/8" inch thick for iron, or any other sufficiently
strong metal, each bar or spline of wood or lath of iron or other sufficiently strong
metal, to be fixed about 3/4 of an inch from the adjacent one, and so on for every
side of the apparatus, box, or trunk.
The top of the apparatus, box, or trunk to consist of sliding lids throughout as
shown on Fig: 2. B. B. B. and made of wooden splines or laths of galvanized iron
or other metal in the same way as the sides; each lid to be secured by sliding in a
groove formed in the planks d. d. d. d. on Figs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and fastened
by means of staples and hanks or other suitable means.
The bottom of the apparatus, box, or trunk to to be fixed at such distance from
the ground as may be deemed desirable to clear sand storms, and shifting mud,

page_text: The bottom of each apparatus, box, or trunk to consist of 1½ inch or other suit-
able size boarding with '/, of an inch diameter holes 3 inches apart in all directions
as shewn on Figs 4 & 6 A. A.
The box or trunk being oblong has to be fixed end on to the point of the com-
pass from which come the heaviest gales according to the locality.
In some sheltered places the box may be made square or other suitable shape to
economize the ground upon which it stands. If the molluscs in the box or trunk
are placed there for fattening purposes, it will be necessary to erect it, (if in an
estuary or arm of the sea), where fresh water is coming from a river or rivers or
where the specific gravity or saltness of the water is suitable for this purpose.
I propose to attach to the outside of the apparatus, box, or trunk a light pole
with small buckets fixed at every lineal foot commencing at the ground & termi-
nating at the maximum flow of the highest spring tides, so that as the tide recedes,
each bucket contains a different sample of the water then existing in the Estuary,
River, etc.
This is to enable the man in charge to ascertain the specific gravity of the water
at each foot. From the specific gravity can be ascertained the amount of saltness
in the water, and the apparatus, box, or trunk, can be lowered or placed higher,
so that the molluscs, (Oysters, or Mussels, etc.) are in the portion of the ebb tide in
which they will fatten the most rapidly.
This method is capable of fattening, growing, protecting and storing molluscs, on
shores otherwise sterile, as regards their natural growth. The word Mollusc to
include the oyster, (ostrea edulis), the mussel (mytilus edulis) the periwinkle,
(littorina littorea), the clam, (mya arenaria), and the (mya Truncata,). The cockle
(cardium edulè) The limpet, (patella vulgata) Hard shelled clam, (Venus Mer-
cenaria,) and Edible Whelk, (Buccinum undatum).
I reserve the right of making this apparatus, box, or trunk, in basket or wicker-
work either woven or plainly stretched with perforated wood or splines Also
keeping the apparatus box or trunk shown on Fig. 1. Sheet 2 (c c indicating the
splines of which the box is formed) floating on the surface of the water, anchored
at a a or kept in its required position by chains attached to suitable fastenings and
poised by means of floats either running completely round the apparatus box or
trunk as at E. E. Fig 1 sheet 2 or separate, and at convenient distances from each
other, as shown dotted at e e e-regulated by the weight of the apparatus box or
trunk, to maintain it at any required level in high or low water on a Sea Shore,
Estuary, Firth, Loch, or other suitable place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1) The apparatus as shewn on Drawings for the fattening of molluscs, oysters,
mussels, and all other shell-fish above mentioned.
(2) The apparatus as before set forth for the prevention of the molluscs being
washed away.
(3) The apparatus as before described for the preservation and safe keeping of
the molluscs from drifting sand, storms, and mud.
(4) The apparatus or any mere inodification of the same as herein described and
shewn on the accompanying drawings.