Improvements in and connected with Otter-boards used in Trawling, • and for other similar purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Otter-boards used in Trawling,
• and for other similar purposes.
We, JAMES HALLIWELL, of 54 Welholme Road, Grimsby, in the County of
Lincoln, Engineer, and THE GREAT GRIMSBY COAL, SALT, AND TANNING
COMPANY, LIMITED, of Fish Dock. Grimsby as aforesaid, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
The first part of our invention relates to improvements in the shoes or bottom
parts of what are known as otter-boards, that is to say, the boards which are
employed in trawling for the purpose of leading the trawl-net, and keeping its
mouth open, and for maintaining the net more or less in the desired shape. The
lower parts of these otter-boards are subject to friction and rough usage on the
sea-bottom, and are therefore frequently shod with metal to resist such wear and
tear. The shoes also serve as weights to keep the otter-boards in the desired
position.
According to this part of our invention we make the shoe in two parts, of angle
or other suitable section, the lower, or horizontal portion of each angle-shaped
picce being of such thickness and weight as to resist wear and tear and preserve
the proper position of the board as hereinbefore described. The vertical member
of each angle-shaped piece is of thinner section, and provided with suitable holes
to receive screws, or bolts and nuts. These angle-shaped pieces are placed one on
each side of the otter-board, the vertical portions extending up the sides of the
board, and the horizontal portions along the bottom thereof. The two portions of
the shoe are held in place by bolts and nuts or screws passing through the otter-
board and the two vertical portions of the shoe. The adjacent surfaces of the
horizontal portions of the angle shaped pieces. may be more or less close to one
another when in place, and as a modification we sometimes make the horizontal
and two vertical portions of the shoe in one piece.
j
The shoes may be of iron, steel, or other suitable metal, and may be made in any
convenient number of sections or parts according to the length of the otter-board,
and the front section may be curved or otherwise suitably shaped, and the corners
may be rounded or sharp as desired.
The second part of our invention relates to an improved means of connection
between the trawl-warp and the otter-board. Heretofore the chains which connect
the trawl-warp with the otter-board have been provided with a number of long
links, so that one or other of such links can be passed over the eye or other
connection on the otter-board. This is a more or less unsatisfactory and cumber-
some form of connection, partly by reason of the heavy spare links of the chain
hanging loose when not required. According to our invention we provide for each
connection of the trawl-warp with the otter-board a fixing on such board consisting
of a T-plate, bracket, or lug, provided with two, three, or other required number
of holes or eyes. The end of each connecting chain is furnished with a shackle

page_text: which can readily be connected to the T-plate, bracket, or lug, at either of the
beforementioned holes or eyes.
Dated this 17th day of Angust 1895'
J. HALLIWELL,
THE GREAT GRIMSBY COAL, SALT, &
TANNING CO., LD.,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent..
!
:
COLOURS and connected with Otter-boards used in raw,
and for other similar purposes.
We, JAMES HALLIWELL, of 54 Welholme Road, Grimsby, in the County of
Lincoln, Engineer, and THE GREAT GRIMSBY COAL, SALT, AND TANNING
COMPANY, LIMITED, of Fish Dock, Grimsby as aforesaid, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
The first part of our invention relates to improvements in the shoes or bottom
parts of what are known as otter-boards, that is to say, the boards which are
employed in trawling for the purpose of leading the trawl-net and keeping its
mouth open, and for maintaining the net more or less in the desired shape. The
lower parts of these otter-boards are subject to friction and rough usage on the
sea-bottom, and are therefore frequently shod with metal to resist such wear and
tear. The shoes also serve as weights to keep the otter-boards in the desired
position.
According to this part of our invention we make the shoe in two parts, of angle
or other suitable section the lower or horizontal portion of each angle-shaped
piece being of such thickness and weight as to resist wear and tear and preserve
the proper position of the board, as herein before explained. The vertical member
of each angle-shaped piece is of thinner section, and provided with suitable holes to
receive screws, or bolts and nuts. These angle-shaped pieces are placed one on
each side of the otter-board, the vertical portions extending up the sides of the
board, and the horizontal portions along the bottom thereof. The two portions of
the shoe are held in place by bolts and nuts, or screws, passing through the otter-
board and the two vertical portions of the shoe. The adjacent surfaces of the
horizontal portions of the angle-shaped pieces may be more or less close to one
another when in place, and as a modification we sometimes make the horizontal and
two vertical portions of the shoe in one piece.
:
In the accompanying drawings Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are respectively transverse
sections of otter-board shoes made and applied in accordance with our invention. ▸
In Figure 1, A is the lower portion of the otter-board with the shoe in two
pieces in place thereon, B being the horizontal and thicker portions of the shoe,
and B1 being the vertical and thinner portions thereof through which the screws
or bolts and nuts are passed for securing the shoe to the otter-board.
Figure 2 is a similar shoe but having its two lower corners rounded instead of
one only as in Figure 1.
In Figure 3 both of the said lower corners are square, neither of them being
Frounded as in Figures 1 and 2, and the adjacent edges of the horizontal portions of
the shoe are shewn close together instead of with a space between them as in
Figures 1 and 2.
In Figure 4 the horizontal and two vertical portions of the shoe are shewn in
Cone-piece.
12

page_text: The shoes may be of iron, steel, or other suitable metal, and may be made in any
convenient number of sections or parts, according to the length of the otter-board,
and the front section may be curved or otherwise suitably shaped as desired.
The second part of our invention relates to an improved means of connection
between the trawl-warp leading from the steamer or other vessel and the otter-
board. Heretofore the bridle chains which connect the trawl-warp with the otter-
board have been provided with a number of long links, so that one or other of such
links can be passed over each of the eyes or other connections on the otter-board.
This is a more or less unsatisfactory and cumbersome form of connection, partly
by reason of the heavy spare links of the bridle chains hanging loose when not
required.
According to our invention we provide for the connection of each of the ends of
the four bridle chains at the end of the trawl-warp with the otter-board a fixing on
such board consisting of a T-plate, bracket, or lug, provided with two, three, or
other required number of holes or eyes. Each of the four ends of the bridle is
furnished with a shackle which can readily be connected to the T-plate, bracket,
or lug, at either of the beforementioned holes or eyes.
This part of our invention is illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, of the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of an otter-board fitted with our improvements;
Figure 6 is a plan view of the beforementioned T-plate, bracket, or lug;
Figure 7 a longitudinal sectional elevation on line - of Figure 6; and
Figure 8 is a transverse section on line z-z of the same figure.
A is the otter-board provided with shoes B, end protecting plates C, and
diagonal plates D on which latter are mounted the T-plates, brackets, or lugs E,
by screws or bolts passing through the holes E 1. E 2 are the holes to receive the
shackle with which each of the bridle chains is furnished. These shackles can be
coupled to the four T-plates, brackets, or lugs E at either of the holes E 2
according to the length desired for each of the four bridle chains, or according to
the required direction of draught of the trawl-warp on the otter-board.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The improvement in shoes for otter-boards which consists in making them
of two angle-shaped pieces_combined and applied substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Second. In shoes for otter-boards the combination of a heavy and thick
horizontal member with one or two vertical members of lighter section substan-
tially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
drawings.
Third. In otter-boards the employment of the improved T-plate, bracket or
lug provided with holes for adjusting the connection therewith of the bridle chains
to which the trawl-warp is attached substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of November 1895.