AN IMPROVE- MENT IN SUBMARINE BAKES FOR GATHERING OYSTERS OR OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Job Johnson, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Job Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd August
1866.
I, JOB JOHNSON, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN SUBMARINE BAKES FOR GATHERING OYSTERS OR OTHER ARTICLES," to be
as follows:-
each rake has
I use two rakes, the teeth coming towards each other, and
a handle, and the two handles are united by a rivet or hinge. The rakes are
swung apart and held open by a lever having its fulcrum on the projecting
end of one of the handles, and one end of the said lever taking a catch upon
the other handle or rake, and the lowering rope or chain is attached to the
opposite end of the said lever, so that the weight of the apparatus will cause
the catch to hold as the said apparatus is lowered while open, and when it rests
upon the bottom the weight being relieved the lever unlatches and allows the
rakes to draw together by the action of a spring or by drawing on the rope,
and the said rakes enclose the oysters or other articles that may be between.
them

page_text: The rakes themselves are to be made of metal with removable teeth
so that they can be repaired if necessary, and guards are provided at the ends
and backs of the rakes to prevent anything that has been taken between them
falling out. A second rope or line passed through a pulley may be used to draw
one rake up to the projecting handle of the other rake to open them in case of
their becoming entangled in any substance that cannot be raised with safety
to the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Job Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOB
JOHNSON, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, A.D. One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Job Johnson, Her
special license that I, the said Job Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Job Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SUBMARINE RAKES FOR GATHERING OYSTERS OR
OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Job
Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Job Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereuuto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 represents the rake in position for lowering to the bottom of the

page_text: water; Fig. 2 represents the rake as closed ready for being drawn up; Fig. 3
is a section showing the mode of securing the rake teeth; and Fig. 4 represents
the braces and clips uniting the handle and head carrying the rake teeth.
Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.
My Invention consists in a pair of metal rakes united by bars or handles
and fitted with a lever catch to which the rope or chain is affixed for lowering
and raising the rake, said catch disconnects by its own weight when the
apparatus touches the bottom, and the rakes are drawn gradually together;
enclosing the oysters, clams, or other things that may be between said rakes,
and the hoisting rope draws the apparatus to the surface. By this device
oysters can be gathered in waters that are too deep to employ the ordinary
oyster rakes, and the apparatus may be employed in the pearl fisheries,
in gathering sponge, collecting sea coal, empty sunken vessels and scows,'
digging earth, mud, or sand at the bottom of the water; or said apparatus
may be used wherever available.
In the Drawing a and b are bars united at c by a bolt or rivet, and forming
the handle of the rakes d, d, that are affixed to the ends of these handles,
said rakes-being composed of any desired number of teeth set in a head e,
which heads are at right angles to said handles, and of suitable length for
the intended purpose. The handle a is extended beyond the hinge c, and
receives the bent lever f on a fulcrum 1, to the long end of which lever f the
actuating rope or chain 9 is attached; the short end of said lever f has a
recess or notch taking the catch h; i is a spring around a, with one end
attached at k to the end of the handle b, so that the spring tends to draw the
rakes together; a spring of any other character, however, may be employed,
and in some cases the spring i may be dispensed with. The apparatus hangs
nearly evenly balanced from the rope g, and the weight of the rakes causes.
the catch h and notch in f to remain in contact and hold the rakes apart, as
seen in Fig. 1, but when the apparatus rests at the bottom of the water the
long end of the lever f descending, as seen by dotted lines, unlatches the.
catch h, and the rake teeth penetrate the sand or mud, raking together.
the oysters or gathering anything that may be between the rakes as they
gradually close together by the action of the spring i or by the pulling up of
the cord, rope, or chain g; the position of the parts when closed is shown in.
Fig. 2. Should the apparatus be employed where it may become entangled-
in or grasp a rock, log, stone, or other article that could not safely be raised
by it a second line is to be passed. through eyes at the side of the first line,
and go through single or double pulleys or eyes at 2 and 3, so that by pulling
on this line the rake can be opened to disconnect it from an obstruction. The

page_text: direction of this line for opening the rake is indicated by the dotted lines in
Fig. 2. The rake teeth may be made separately and secured in the head e by
suitable means. I sometimes use the clamping segments I, I, that are notched
on the under side to set over the teeth, and also over a head that is forged at
the end of each tooth, as seen in Fig. 3, and the head being filed away or
removed on one side, as seen in the detached view, Fig. 5, there is one flat
side that sets against the inside of the rake head and prevents the tooth
turning. The sections 1, 1, for clamping the teeth may include two or more
teeth and be secured by a bolt and nut at 4, so that one or more teeth can be
taken out with facility for straightening or for replacing a broken tooth. The
rake teeth may be made of cast metal solid with the head or forged up to
shape in wrought iron; Fig. 6 illustrates this mode of construction. The
ends of the handles a and b may be twisted so as to set flat against the insides
of the angular bar forming the rake head e, and to which they are rivetted.
I also provide diagonal braces m, m, extending from the sides of the said
clamping segments where they are bolted or riveted to. place. I provide
enclosing fenders n, n, extending up from the head of the rake, the bars of
which set into notches in the inner edges of the segment 1, and the upper ends
of said bars are riveted into the bar o. These bars are connected to the
handles a and b respectively by the clip p and by the clip portion of the
catch h. The ends of these bars o are bent down and attached to the end
teeth of the rakes in any convenient manner, either by a clip or by a hole
through which the tooth passes. I prefer that the end teeth be bent with the
rear end extending up to the bar o, where they are attached by nuts or
rivetting.
I have described the mode of constructing the parts somewhat in detail, so
as to show the simplest and strongest mode of forming the rakes entirely of
metal for ensuring great strength and lightness, and giving facility for repairs.
The ends of the rakes may be additionally protected by teeth or fingers
standing inwards, so as more securely to retain whatever may be gathered by.
the rakes; or the fenders may be made of metal plates instead of open bars.
This apparatus will be strongest when made entirely of metal, but I do not
limit myself in this particular, and rings or holes may be substituted for
pulleys at the parts 2 and 3. The bar a may be bent at the joint c in the
form shown in Fig. 7, so that the end of the bar 6 may be forked to come on
both sides of the bar a at the joint.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First, the lever f in combination with a pair of rakes hinged together, sub-
stantially as specified, for keeping the rakes apart as they are lowered, and

page_text: allowing the rakes to close after they touch at the bottom of the water, as
set forth.
Second, I claim a line or cord passing from the end of one handle to the
rake on the other handle for opening the rake when it becomes necessary to
disconnect the same from any article in the water, as specified.
Third, I claim the mode of constructing the metallic rake head with the
teeth, substantially as set forth.
Fourth, I claim the metallic fenders formed of the bars o and rod n, the
parts being united to the rake head e in the manner specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Job Johnson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, A.D. One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
Witnesses,
GEO. D. WALKER,
119, Nassau St., New York,
CHAS. H. SMITH,
119, Nassau St., N.Y.
JOB JOHNSON. (L.B.)