Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Floats or Bladders for Supporting Fishing Nets and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Dec., 1891-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Floats or
Bladders for Supporting Fishing Nets and the like.
I, ALEXANDER BLACK, of James Street, Cellardyke, Fifeshire, Net and
Oilskin Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new mode and means of manu
facturing or forming the hollow air floats, buoys, or bladders used for floating and
supporting fishing nets, fishing lines, or ropes and the like, from canvas, strong
cotton, linen, or other woven cloth or fabric, in a more simple and efficient manner
than heretofore.
The improvements consist essentially in cutting the canvas or cloth so as to have
none of the seams and joints of the elliptical sections intersecting each other as
heretofore, or require round patches sewn on to cover these intersecting seams.
For this purpose the bladder or bag float is formed of three sections, two of the
elliptical parts being formed out of one piece of cloth in the longitudinal direction
with a broad strap part joining them at their narrowest part and widening out
elliptically on both sides from this strap part towards the middle or large circum-
ferential part of the bag, narrowing again towards the opposite ends, which would
go to form the mouth of the bag, this double elliptical part forming one section of
the bag. Then to form the other two sections of the bag float each would be cut
out of the cloth in the longitudinal direction and made the same with an elliptical
end sewn all round to make a seam with the edges of the first double elliptical
section, leaving the other narrow end of these elliptical sections straight to form the
open end of the bag together with the ends of the other uni-double sectional piece.
The four ends of the seams towards this open part are cut so as to give a slightly
parallel shape where they are to be secured to the wood, cork, or other ends of the
bag float by which it has to be attached to the net, line, or other article to be
floated and supported by it, the attachment being made by cords round the neck of
the bag into the circumferential groove of the stopper either by hand or by a
machine. The two continuous seams of these improved bag floats are sewn first as
usual by stitching the two edges together each with a considerable depth of turned
over margin or hem the one preferably wider than the other, the outer edge of the
wide hem being folded in, and then laid down and stitched to one side or other of
the original stitched scam, and then making a third row of stitching down the centre
which would secure the inner and outer hems, all these overlaps and seams being
made on the inner surface of the fabric and bag thus making a very strong scam,
which when saturated with the mixture hereinafter described would also be perfectly
fluid-tight. These bag floats after being sewn and before being secured to their
ends, are saturated by these improvements with a mixture prepared as follows:-
There are boiled together 6 ounces of hard yellow soap, and 14 pints of water, and
while these are hot, there are added 5 pounds of spruce ochre ground in oil, pound
of ordinary drier, termed "patent drier," and 5 pints of boiled linseed oil. These
are all thoroughly stirred together, and when cold the mixture is applied by a brush
in coats to the surface of the bag float until it is thoroughly saturated to make it
fluid-tight and then dried. And after the head boards or stoppers are put on to
the bag floats a little Archangel tar is inserted into the bag through an air plug hole
in the wooden head board.
D
1. 1001
:-
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Floats or
Bladders for Supporting Fishing Nets and the like.
I, ALEXANDER BLACK, of James Strect, Cellardyke, Fifeshire, Net and
Oilskin Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new mode and means of manu
facturing or forming the hollow air floats, buoys, or bladders used for floating and
supporting fishing nets, fishing lines, or ropes and the like, from canvas, strong
cotton, linen, or other woven cloth or fabric, or it may be leather, in a more simple
and efficient manner than heretofore.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a float or bladder as formed or con-
structed in a finished inflated state in accordance with my improvements.
Figure 2 is an inverted plan view looking on the bottom or under surface of
the bladder shown in Figure 1, or what will become the upper surface when
floating.
Figure 3 is a view to the same scale of one of the cloth or canvas "liths" or
improved sectional double elliptical parts A, A', of which the float or bladder is
formed.
Figure 4 is a similar view of one of the other two single elliptical sectional
parts B, which go to form the improved bladder, while
Figures 5 to 7 show enlarged detail views of the sewing and jointing seam
parts of these sections Figures 3 and 4 of the floats hereinafter referred to.
Referring to these drawings.-The improvements consist. essentially in cutting
the canvas or cloth so as to have none of the scams and joints of the elliptical
sections intersecting each other at the centre A" as heretofore, or require round
patches sewn on to cover these intersecting seams. For this purpose the bladder or
bag float Figures 1 and 2 is formed of three sections A A, B, B, two of the
elliptical parts being formed or cut out of one piece of cloth A. A¹, as shown in
Figure 3 in the longitudinal direction, that is formed with a broad strap part A"
in the centre joining them at their narrowest part a and widening out elliptically on
both sides from this strap part A towards the middle or large circumferential
part a' of the bag, narrowing again towards the opposite ends a², which would go
to form the neck or mouth of the bag, this double elliptical part A A' forming one
section of the bag. Then to form the other two sections of the bag float B, B, each
would be cut out of the cloth in the longitudinal direction and made the same but
with elliptical ends & extending outwards to the wide part b'' corresponding to a' a¹
sewn all round to make a seam with the edges a a' of the first double elliptic
section A A', leaving the other narrow end of these elliptical sections 2 straight to
form the open end of the bag together with the ends of the other uni-double
sectional piece a². The four ends of the seams towards this open part 'are cut so as
to give a nearly parallel shape where they are to be secured to the wood, cork, or
other ends C of the bag float by which it has to be attached to the net, line, or
other article to be floated and supported by it, the attachment being made by
cords Cround the neck of the bag into the circumferential groove of the end C either
by hand or a machine, a bar C2 with a loop cord C" being secured to the close end C
of the float, and formed as usual with a stopper C³ for inflating the bag. The two
continuous seams of the edges of the different sections a a¹ a and b of these
improved bag floats are sewn 'first as usual by stitching the two edges together, as
shown at e each with a considerable depth of turned over margin or hem as at a³ ³

page_text: in Figure 5, the one preferably wider than the other, as shown at 63, the outer edge
of the wide hem being folded in over the hem a³, and then both laid down and
stitched to one side or other of the original stitched seam as shown at c¹ in
Figure 6, and then making a third row of stitching down the centre as shown at c²
in Figure 7, which would secure the inner and outer hems, all these overlaps and
seams being made on the inner surface of the fabric and bag thus making a very
strong scam, which when saturated with the mixture hereinafter described, would
also be perfectly fluid-tight.
These bag floats after being thus sewn and before being secured to their ends C,
are saturated, according to these improvements, with a mixture prepared as
follows. There are boiled together 6 ounces of hard yellow soap, and 14 pints of
water, and while these are hot, there are added 5 pounds of spruce ochre ground in
oil, pound of ordinary drier, termed "patent drier," and 5 pints of boiled linseed
oil. These are all thoroughly stirred together, and when cold, the mixture is
applied by a brush in coats to the surface of the bag float, preferably on both sides
until it is thoroughly saturated to make it fluid-tight, and then dried. And after
the head boards or stoppers are put on to the bag floats, a little Archangel tar with
preferably linseed oil, is inserted into the bag through the air inflating plug hole C³
in the wooden head board, and which preserves the canvas or woven fabric from
rotting by the action of the atmosphere. The bladders or floats so finished may be
painted on the outer surface with any desired colours.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,-
First. Floats or bladders constructed or formed with double and single elliptical
liths or sectional parts, and hemmed and stitched together, and saturated with
waterproof coating, substantially as and for the purposes herein described, with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Second. The constructing or forming of floats or bladders in sections made up of
double elliptical parts and of single elliptical parts, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Third. The saturating of floats or bladders with one or more coatings of the
compound liquid mixture prepared as herein described, and for the purposes set
forth.
Dated the 30th November 1891.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.