Improvements in Trawl Fishing Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
For Improvements in Trawl Fishing Apparatus.
CORNELIUS WILLSON 452 Victoria Street Grimsby Chemist and Dentist and
THOMAS CHARLES ROBINSON 34 Victor Street Grimsby Fishing Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An alteration in the shape of the trawling boards that are in common use now in
place of the trawl beams by steam fishing vessels. We make to each of these
boards a floor projecting from the side or sides of them to steady them on the sea
bottom and by weighting the floor on the outside or not and letting it project or
not on the inside that is on the side of the board next the mouth of the net so by
either or both schemes to prevent the board or boards falling over inwards
whenever the speed of the vessel sailing or propelled by steam wind or other power
shall slacken or stop.
We may make the floor of the board or boards somewhat pointed if we like and
raised or not a little in front and or with a waved or saddle like bottom to assist
in clearing or mounting over boulders or other obstacles on the sea bottom or may
make the outside projection for weighting more skeleton with a heavy skate iron or
sledge sort of runner that shall pass along on sea bottom attached to and parallel
or nearly parallel with the board & shall by its weight & length of arm steady
the board from falling over much as our more solid floor would do and we may
strengthen our floor on either or both sides by arms or projections or knees from
the upright board or boards at suitable angles to avoid obstruction by catching
upon objects on the sea bottom. Our floor may be either flat or rounded or oval
pointed cylinders or shoes with the boards grooved grooved into or built into them
or inserted into groves in floors or attached by any other means be such floors such
as hitherto described or cylinders flattened or extended at sides equally or
unequally & pointed raised in front or not or both or we may form our Hoors by
one or more arms from either side or both sides with irons or projections sliding
upon the sea bottom to prevent the board or boards from falling over as before
named.
The boards shall may be trawled by ring bolts and chains of suitable length or
by cable or rope or other attachment that shall trawl them through the water at a
cant or angle or tangent and so keep the mouth of the net open.
The board shall or may be attached to its floor firmly or by a hinge or hinges
that shall enable it to be folded together and if necessary bolted together for coming
on board and convenience of stowage and may have a hinged plate or plates
attached to back of board and opening with pressure of water in trawling that
the bottom of hinged plate in opening shall press down floor & keep it
flat open upon bottom or any other scheme may be used for this purpose or a
flange for the pressure of the water alone to press it down. & allow it to slide
over an obstacle & refall flat or the floor and the folding boards may be bolted
or fastened in position before lowering them overboard. It would be better not to
let the inside part of the floor project more than a very little otherwise should ever
the board fall over inward the projection would be likely to direct the upper part
of the board into the sea bottom but for the chains or might retard the re-raising
of the board by sea pressure upon the other side of the projection which should if
7

page_text: the solid or part solid floor were raised at right angle or nearly so to the fallen
board offer a point of pressure to the sea in trawling that should soon restore the
board to its original position. This remark does not apply to the skeleton floor or
floors excepting if the fect or slides or skate-iron or sledge runners were large
enough for the sea pressure to influence in setting the boards upright again. And
for the purpose of opening the mouth of the net higher in the water away from
the bottom we fix by lashings or and seizings through holes or slits studs notches
or and any of them or by enclosing in netting and attaching to net or by any other
means a board or boards not now in use at or near the top or mouth of the net or
nets in the middle or at any part of it or them such board or boards being of wood
or metal or both or of any stiff material or materials groved or plain arched across
solid or hollow or part solid and part hollow having as part of itself in itself or
attached by any means a raised front rounded arched groved oval oblong or square
or of any shape or form whatsoever at an angle upward facing the sea whilst
trawling and the un-raised part going backward away from the mouth of the net so
that the pressure of the water through which they are trawled upon this or these
boards shall force the net open at the upper part.
These boards may be made in one two or more pieces and of any suitable shape
so that the upward angle is preserved or they may be made kite shape or any
shape so that they are more buoyant at the forward end and may even be flat or
curved and attached in the same or similar way. They may be made in one two
or more pieces and may be strengthened by plate or plates or any other means in any
part of them or and by knee or knees behind the angle or raised part. They may
be made with the angle or raised part hollow to aid them by flotation in their first
start upward to face the water pressure.
They may be used with single double divided sectional or other trawling nets of
any kind and with ordinary trawl boards our floor trawl boards or with trawl
beams but if for the latter it will be well to let go the top lashings by which the
net or nets are now attached to the beam and to make the net longer or looser in
front that it may be lifted higher in the water by the boards.
The boards may be pierced or notched for lashings or provided for attachment
by any convenient means and may have attached at any part of them cork or corks
of any shape or other floats of any kind to aid them in their first start upward to
receive force of water in trawling. We intend these appliances for the use of
vessels propelled by wind steam or any other force or combination of forces.
Dated this Thirteenth day of March 1896.
CORNELIUS WILLSON.
THOMAS CHAS. ROBINSON.
We CORNELIUS WILLSON 452 Victoria Street Grimsby, Chemist and Dentist,
and THOMAS CHARLES ROBINSON, 34 Victor Street Grimsby, Fishing Engineer,
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 :-
An alteration in the shape of the trawling boards, that are in common use, now in
place of the trawl, beams by steam fishing vessels.

page_text: Fig. 2 shows front view of part of trawl net, provided with our improved trawl
boards and top or float boards.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of our improved trawl board, showing plain floor.
Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3 and showing strengthening piece and weight.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of our improved trawl board, having saddle back
on curved bottom.
Fig. 6. is a view of our improved trawl board, provided with hinges, to allow it
to automatically rise, and fall, and so surmount obstacles, and having raised
inclined projections, to allow of the water pressure, opening it, and keeping it
down when open.
:
Fig. 7. shows side view of our improved trawl board, with skeleton bottom.
Fig. 8. shows view of our improved trawl board having hinges, and hinged plate
to automatically open, and be kept open by the pressure of the water, and thus
keep the floor down.
Fig. 9. shows side view of board with skate iron, or sledge runner.
Fig. 10. shows side view of our improved top board with raised front, and with
oblique slots or tubes through body.
Fig. 11. shows plan view of top board having enlarged front and recesses &
wings at the side.
We make to each of the boards A a floor B projecting from the side, or sides of
such boards to steady them on the sea bottom and by preferably weighting the
floor on the outside, by a weight or weights a and letting it project on the inside,
or other suitable position, that is on the side of the board, next the mouth of the
net C, so by either or both means to prevent the board, or boards falling over
inwards, whenever the speed of the vessel sailing or propelled by steam, wind or
other power, shall slacken or stop.
We may make the floor B of the boards A somewhat pointed if desired, and
raised more or less in front, also rounded off at the bottom and with or without a
waved, or saddle shaped, bottom D (see Fig. 5) to assist such board in clearing or
mounting over boulders, or obstacles on the sea bottom, the waved or saddle shaped
part, or corrugations may be in any direction, to allow of haulage, with but little
obstruction, or if desired we may make the outside projection more skeleton, with
a heavy skate iron or broad sledge sort of runner E that shall pass along on the sea
bottom attached to and preferably not quite parallel to the board, and shall by
its weight and length of arm steady the board A and so prevent it falling over, in
the same way as our more solid floor would do (see Fig. 9).
We may strengthen the aforesaid floor B on either or both sides and at the
ends if desired, by means of stays or the like F (see Fig. 4) from the upright
boards A at suitable angles to avoid obstruction by catching upon objects on the
sea bottom.
For the purpose of ease in getting the said boards on board and for economizing
space when stowed away, the said floors may be made to fold by means of hinges or
the like G by this means the floors B can be folded up to fit flat against the board A,
and the said floors can be made to open or drop automatically, by means of one, or
more raised inclined projections, H (see Fig. 6) having their inclines towards the
stern of the vessel, so that the pressure of the water, on these inclined projections,
forces the floor open, and keeps it down, or a hinged plate J. attached to and
fitting against the board A may be employed, this plate folds up to the side of the
aforesaid board, and the pressure of the water on it, keeps it open, the floor B bears
against the bottom of such plate, and is therefore prevented from lifting, there are
many other simple methods, of keeping the floor open and flat. Supports may be fixed
on the back of the board, running down underneath the floor, to prevent such floor
falling too far (see Fig. 6).
For the purpose of raising or lifting the mouth of the net C, higher in the
water away from the bottom, we may fix by lashings or seizings or any suitable
means, a board or boards or the like K, at or near the top of the mouth of the net,
such boards or the like K may be of wood, metal, or other suitable material

page_text: or combinations, such as stiffened skins, cloth, plain rubber, or the like, with or
without fringe extensions in any direction, and may be tubular, grooved, or plain,
arched, solid or hollow, or constructed in any suitable manner.
The fronts L, of such boards K, are preferably raised, and if desired enlarged,
and rounded, or arched, grooved, or of any desired shape (see Figs. 10 and 11).
The said boards or the like are attached to the top of the mouth of the net C,
either inside or outside, with the raised front K, forming an angle upward, facing
the sea, and the unraised part going backward, away from the mouth of the net,
by this means acting as kites, so that the pressure of the water upon them, causes
them to lift at an angle, so raising the top part of the mouth of the net, and
keeping it wide open.
These boards may be made in one, two or more pieces, and of any suitable
shape, so that the upward angle is preserved, or they may be made kite shaped if
desired, so that they are more buoyant, at the forward end, and may be flat or
curved, the front part being enlarged, and hollow if desired, to aid them by
floatation in their first start upward to face the water pressure, also the end may be
weighted if necessary, and the body of the board may be provided with oblique
holes or tubes M. through it, or in place of the holes or tubes with recesses or
wings N at the side (see Fig. 11) strengthening pieces O either on the top, bottom,
or sides to hold the upturned part to the body, being employed if necessary.
Our improved top boards or floats may be used with single, double, divided,
sectional or other trawling nets of any kind, and with or improved trawl boards
with floors or the like, or with ordinary trawl boards, Deans or the like, if used
with the beams it will be advantageous to let go the top lashings, by which the
nets are now attached to the beam and to make such nets longer, or looser in front
so that it may be lifted higher in the water by the boar
The said top boards may be pierced or notched for lashings or provided for
attachments by any convenient means, and may have attached at any part of them,
cork or corks, of any shape, or any suitable kind of fleat to aid them in their first
start upward to receive the force of water in trawling.
.
Our improved appliances are intended for use by vessels propelled by wind,
steam, or other force, or power.
The improved trawl boards may be used with or without the top boards or the
like, and such top boards may be used in connection with trawl boards, or not as
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In connection with trawl nets the employment of otter or trawl boards A
having bottoms or floors B projecting from one or both sides, such floors being
weighted, or unweighted, with or without inclined steps G, and hinged plate H,
saddle back or corrugations, or in place of the floors, skeleton frames or sledge
runners for the purpose of keeping such trawl boards from falling over when the
speed of the vessel is slackened or stopped in the manner, and for the purposes
substantialy as described.
2. In connection with trawl nets the employment of top boards or the like, made
of any suitable metal, or material, for raising or lifting the mouth of the net, and
solid, hollow, or partly solid, and partly hollow, with or without oblique slots, or tubes,
and recesses, wings and strengthening pieces, with or without floats and weights in
the manner, and for the purposes substantially as described.
Dated this Seventh day of October 1896.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Savile Street, Hull, and Crossley Street, Halifax,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.