Improvements in Trawls.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr.. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trawls.
I WILLIAM PAITFIELD ENGLISH of 180 High Street in the Town and County
of the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull Merchant do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Trawls at present are towed from the vessel directly by a warp whereto is
connected a bridle the ends of which are attached to trawl heads on the extremities
of a long beam and this beam is so long that it is practically useless to tow more
than one trawl at a time for the beam is in all cases far greater than the breadth of
the vessel and therefore even if two trawls are towed from opposite sides of the
vessel or from each quarter they will and must so far overlap each other as
practically to go over the same ground when the one trawl is towed before the
other.
Now the object of my invention is so to fit trawls and with such an appliance or
appliances that it will be possible and also practically useful to tow two or more
trawls from the same vessel for they will not as aforesaid go over the same ground
but each will take and keep a line of its own.
The trawl head aforesaid that is on each extremity of the beam is a large metal
frame which has a broad base whercon it travels along the ground and whereto the
bottom of the net is connected and which supports the trawl beam at the desired
elevation above the ground whereto the top of the net is connected and to carry
out my aforesaid object I fit to this trawl head the following appliance.
Inside the frame that constitutes the trawl head I fit a plate of wood or metal or
other suitable material which may be of any size but which preferably nearly fills
up the frame when in the same plane therewith though it may be convenient to.
raise it a little from the base of the frame so that this plate will not come in
contact with the bottom or ground as the trawl is being towed along and this plate
is attached or connected or hinged by its leading edge to the front bar or web or
side of the frame or that is to say to that part of the trawl head that is in front as
the trawl is being towed along and this plate can be so fitted if desired in both of
the trawl heads. Then when this plate is set and retained at the desired and
necessary angle with the plane of the frame and the trawl is being towed along it is
obvious that this plate will act as does a rudder under the same conditions and will
cause the trawl to move out of the direct wake of the vessel and will retain the
trawl travelling in a line parallel with such wake but so far therefrom as has been
arranged for by the particular position of the plate and thus and in this manner
it is possible and also practically useful to tow two or more trawls from the same
vessel.
The plate can be secured and fixed at the desired and necessary angle with the
plane of the frame or when it is hinged to the frame this angle can be altered even
while the trawl is being towed along by any usual and convenient means such for
example as a yoke with lines like a rudder.
Although I preferably fit this plate inside the frame that constitutes the trawl
head as is aforesaid in which case it is evident that the plate must be smaller than
the area of the frame yet when I may deem it expedient so to do I can enlarge
this plate either horizontally at its following edge or vertically at its upper edge or
at both these edges which enlarged plate would be fitted and would act in the same
manner.
Dated his 2-1 1 CL1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trawls.
I WILLIAM PAITFIELD ENGLISH of 180 High Street in the Town and County
of the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull Merchant 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 :—
Trawls at the present time are generally and especially at sea towed from and by
the vessel directly by and through a warp whereto is connected a bridle the ends
of which are attached to trawl-heads secured to and on the extremities of a long
beam and this beam for the necessary purpose of properly extending and spreading
out the trawl net ordinarily is so long that it is practically useless to tow more than
one trawl at a time for in all these cases the length of the beam is far greater than
the breadth of the vessel and therefore even if and when two trawls are towed from
opposite sides of the vessel or from each quarter they will so far and to such au
extent overlap each other as practically to go over the same ground when as must
evidently be the case the one trawl is towed before the other trawl.
Now the object of this my invention is so to fit trawls and with such an appliance
or appliances that it will be possible and also practically useful to tow in manner
as hereinbefore described or otherwise two or more trawls at one and the same time
from and by the same vessel for the effect and consequence of the proper use of my
invention will be that these trawls will not and cannot go over the same ground but
'that each trawl will take and keep a line of its own.
In order the more clearly to explain this my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is
a side elevation of an ordinary trawl head as fitted with and according to one con-
venient form and style of construction of my invention and Figure 2 is a plan ou a
smaller scale of a trawl without its net also as fitted with and according to the same
form and style of construction of my invention.
The trawl head that is secured to and on each of the extremities of a long beam
consists of and is a large metallic or other frame A generally constructed and made
of such shape as is shewn in Figure 1 and this frame A commonly has a broad
base B whereon it travels along the ground and to the rear part whereof the
bottom of the trawl net is connected and this frame A supports the trawl beam D
at the desired. elevation above the ground to which beam D the top of the trawl
net is connected. Now to carry out my aforesaid object I fit to this the ordinary
trawl head the appliance which will now be described.
Inside the frame A according to this form and style of construction I fit a
plate E of wood or metal or other suitable material which may be of any size and
shape but which preferably nearly fills up the frame A as is shewn in Figure 1
when in the same plane therewith although it may be and generally is convenient
to raise its lower edge a little from and above the base B of the frame so that this
plate E will not come in contact with the bottom or ground as the trawl is being
towed along. The plate E is attached or connected or hinged by its leading edge
to the front bar or web or side F of the frame A or that is to say to that part of
the trawl head that is leading or in front as the trawl is being towed along in such
wise that this plate E is fixed in or can be placed in or can be moved into a
position at an angle with the plane of the frame A when desired and this attach-
ment or connection or this hingeing can be effected in any convenient and usual or
other manner whether rigidly by straps or other ordinary means and devices or
moveably by any ordinary joints and I may state that I consider the common
pintles and gudgeons H shewn in Figure 1 to be very suitable for use in and for
this purpose.
The plate can be so rigidly attached or connected to the frame that it would be
retained at the desired angle with the plane of the frame without any further

page_text: support or any usual and suitable struts or other means and devices may be used to
assist in maintaining and retaining the plate in this position or when the plate is
hinged to the frame the angle of the plate with the plane of the frame can be
altered even while the trawl is being towed along by any usual and convenient
means and appliances such for example as a yoke with lines like a rudder but I may
state that I consider the arrangement shewn in the drawing to be very convenient.
for use in and for this purpose.
According to this arrangement a stay K is fitted across the frame A just above
the upper edge of the plate E and one or two or more bars or rods L can be
attached or connected by bolts or otherwise both to the stay K and to the plate E
to maintain and retain this plate E at the desired angle with the plane of the
frame A and to allow of this angle being altered when necessary or expedient it is
preferable to make a series of holes M in the plate E and also a series of holes N
in the stay K and also a series of holes P in each bar or rod L by which arrange-
ment and fitment it is obvious that the angle of the plate with the plane of the
frame can easily be altered and adjusted by passing the bolts or other appliances
by which the bars or rods are attached or connected both to the stay and to the
plate through the proper corresponding and complementary holes.
The plate so formed and arranged and fitted as hereinbefore described can if
and when it may be desired so to do which will generally be the case be applied
in a similar manner to both the trawl heads as is shown in Figure 2 and when
it may be necessary or expedient so to do it is obvious that I can secure to and
on the trawl beam another trawl head or other trawl heads each being fitted in
the same manner with one of these plates to and for one and the same trawl
and when there are two or more of these plates in one and the same trawl they
may if desired be connected together by rods or otherwise to ensure that they
are all at the same angle with the planes of the frames.
The usual or other convenient means and apparatus are provided by which this
trawl so fitted as hereinbefore described can in the ordinary manner be towed along
from and by the vessel.
When therefore the plate is set and retained in manner as hereinbefore described
in the required position and at the desired and necessary angle with the plane of
the frame and the trawl is being towed along from and by the vessel it is obvious
that this plate will and must act as does a rudder under the same conditions and
will and must have a similar effect and therefore will cause the trawl to move out
of the direct wake of the vessel and will retain the trawl travelling in and along a
line parallel with such wake but so far removed therefrom either to the right of to
the left as has been arranged for by the particular position of the plate and by the
particular angle with the plane of the frame at which it has been set and retained
and thus and in this manner it is possible and also practically useful to tow two or
more trawls at one and the same time from and by the same vessel as is desired.
Although as is herein before stated I preferably fit the plate inside the frame in
which case it is evident that the plate must be smaller than the area of the frame
yet when from any cause I may deem it expedient or desirable so to do I can
enlarge or prolong this plate either horizontally at its following edge or vertically
at its upper edge or at both of these edges at the same time so far and to such an
extent as may be needed or as may be convenient these enlargements or pro-
longations being formed of such shapes as may be desired and this plate so
enlarged or prolonged would be fitted and would act in manner as hereinbefore
described.
Furthermore although in perhaps the majority of cases I preferably attach or
connect or hinge the leading edge of the plate to the front bar or web or side of
the frame as is hereinbefore described yet when from any cause
may deem it
expedient or desirable so to do I can similarly attach or connect or hinge the
leading edge of the plate to a post erected and secured in the frame it may be
about the middle of the same and this post can obviously if and when desired form
part of or be constructed with the plate and could be mounted in or on the frame

page_text: in any convenient and usual or other manner and in this case I can extend the
plate before the post or similarly attach or connect or hinge another plate thereto
on the front side thereof which extended or combined plate would be similar to
what is called a "balance rudder" and this plate so formed and arranged and fitted
can also be enlarged or prolonged in manner as herein before described as also it
may be horizontally at its leading edge if and when I may deem it expedient or
desirable so to do.
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
1. The combination with the frame A which constitutes the trawl head of the
plate E which is capable of being set and retained at an angle with the plane of
the said frame A substantially as and for the purpose hereiubefore described and
declared.
2. The improvements in trawls substantially as herein before described and shewn
in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 2nd dox of Monah 1900
HART & Co.,
186, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agents.