Improvements in or connected with Trawl Nets.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left 11th Nov. 1208 Lccented 23rd Dec.
1808
Improvements in or connected with Trawl Nets.
We, GEORGE HENRY WISE, of 100, Rosamond Street, Blacksmith, and CHARLES
EDWIN WARD, of 296, The Boulevarde, Shipwright, both in Hull, in the County
of Yorks, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide an improved method of and means
for preventing the foot rope and bottom part of trawl nets from sagging, by
drawing it through the water along with the sides of the net in such a
manner that there is an even pull on the bottom and sides of the net at the same
time thereby preventing the drag on the bottom parts of such net common to
existing trawl nets, such drag causing the foot rope and bottom to act as a dead
weight which requires the engines of steam fishing vessels to be run at a great
speed to obtain a very moderate speed of the vessel, this necessitates a consider-
able consumption of fuel to obtain a speed of say three or four knots an hour,
and there is also great wear and tear of the machinery.
With our invention, the net is drawn more easily through the water owing to
the more even pull on all resisting parts, and a much greater speed of the vessel
can be obtained with less speed of the engines, and therefore with a considerably
less consumption of fuel and less wear and tear of the working parts of the
engines.
"
Hitherto "otter trawl nets have been drawn by two warps generally provided
with two bridles, the warps being connected to the "otter or trawl boards to
which the two sides of the mouth of the net were connected, there has been no
provision for drawing the foot rope and bottom of the net beyond that of the
trawl boards and such foot rope and bottom part being in one piece with the rest
of the net, the whole net came along at the same time, but such foot rope and
bottom sagged or dropped behind, causing the dead weight before mentioned,
and if anything, had a tendency to reduce the size of the mouth of the net.
For the purpose of our invention, we employ a warp, rope, or the like to form
a pulling band, which is attached preferably to the middle of the foot rope of
the net, and may run in a longitudinal or backward direction towards the back
or cod end of the net.
This warp or the like is attached by lacing or other suitable means to the
said foot rope, and if desired to the net itself, for any suitable distance towards
the cod end.
Such warp runs from the foot rope and bottom of the net to the winch or other
suitable winding or hauling machine in the same manner as do the towing
warps connected to the trawl boards.
If necessary, a bridle may be employed in connection with this warp for use
in the same way as the bridles used in connection with the warps attached to the
trawl boards. If desired we may employ a sledge or runner connected to the warp
or pulling band and to the foot rope or bottom of the net, for the double pur-

page_text: pose of acting as a weight for preventing such foot rope and bottom part of the
net from rising and for reducing the wear and tear on those parts.
The headline and top part of net may be provided with a warp or pulling band
in like manner if desired.
When our improvements are in use, the additional warp or pulling band is
run out at the same time as the other warps connected to the trawl boards, this
lets the net run out evenly keeping the foot rope and bottom part of the net for-
ward, and with the same pull on it as the sides connected to the trawl boards
have, so that there is no sagging of such foot rope and bottom part, thereby
allowing of the whole net being more easily drawn through the water and allow-
ing of the vessel going much faster with less speed of the engines and therefore
a less consumption of fuel, and in addition reducing the wear and tear to engines
which they have hitherto been subjected to.
Nets having our improvements are also applicable to fishing vessels other than
those driven by steam, as they can be more easily drawn through the water by
those vessels.
1
711
13 1
2000
Improvements in or connected with Trawl Nets.
We, GEORGE HENRY WISE, of 100, Rosamond Street, Blacksmith, and CHARLES
EDWIN WARD, of 296, The Boulevarde, Shipwright, both in Hull, in the County
of Yorks, 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 object of our invention is to provide an improved method of and means
for preventing the foot ropes and the bottom part of trawl nets from sagging, by
drawing them through the water along with the sides of the net, in such a
manner that there is an even pull on the bottom and sides of the net at the same
time, thereby preventing the drag on the bottom part of such nets common to
existing trawl nets, such drag causing the foot rope and bottom to act as a dead
weight which requires the engines of steam fishing vessels to be run at a great
speed to obtain a very moderate speed of the vessel; this necessitates a consider-
able consumption of fuel to obtain a speed of say three or four knots an hour,
there being also great wear and tear of the machinery.
With our invention the net is drawn more easily through the water, owing to
the more even pull on all resisting parts, and a much greater speed of the vessel
can be obtained with less speed of the engines, and therefore with a considerably
less consumption of fuel and less wear and tear of the working parts of the
engines.
"
Hitherto otter trawl" nets have been drawn by two warps generally provided
with two bridles, the warps being connected to the "
otter"
or trawl boards to
which the two sides of the mouth of the net were connected, there has been no
provision for drawing the foot rope and bottom of the net along and keeping them
forward beyond that of such foot rope and bottom part being in one piece with
the rest of the net, and being attached to the otter or trawl boards the whole
net came along at the same time, but such foot rope and bottom sagged or
dropped behind causing the dead weight beforementioned, and if anything had a
tendency to reduce the size of the mouth of the net.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. Is a plan view of a trawl net with our improvements applied.
Fig. 2. Is a side view of Fig. 1 with otter boards and part of netting removed.
Fig. 3. Shows a plan view of one construction of sledge or runner for attach-
ment to the pulling band or bands and to the footrope and bottom part of the
net if desired.
For the purpose of our invention, we employ a warp, rope or the like A to
form a pulling band which is attached preferably to the middle of the foot rope
or ground rope B of the net C and runs in a longitudinal or backward direction
towards the back or cod end C of the net C.
This warp or pulling band A, is attached by lacing D or other suitable means
to the said foot rope or ground rope B, and if desired to the net C itself, for any
suitable distance towards the cod end C and it may have branches which can be
laced to the bottom of the net so that the pull is distributed over a wider area,
and any suitable number of pulling bands may be used.
Such warp A runs from the footrope B and bottom of the net C to the winch
or other suitable winding or hauling machine in the same manner as do the
towing warps EE connected to the trawl boards FF. If necessary a bridle G
shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1 may be employed in connection with this warp
for use in the same way as the bridles commonly used in connection with the
warps attached to the trawl boards, the construction and uses of which are well
known in the fishing industry.
If desired we may employ a sledge or runner H connected to the warp or pull-
ing band A, and to the foot rope B and bottom of the net C, for the double pur-
pose of acting as a weight for preventing such foot rope and bottom part of the
net from rising, and for reducing the wear and tear on those parts.
The sledge or runner may be simply a metal weight or it may consist of a
roller or rollers I mounted in a frame H and attached to the pulling band A by
means of eyes or the like J, and to the foot rope B and the net C if necessary,
see Fig. 3.
The headline and top part of the net may be provided with a warp or pulling
band in like manner if desired.
When our improvements are in use, the additional warp or pulling band A is
run out at the same time as the other warps ID connected to the trawl
boards EE, this lets the net C run out evenly keeping the foot rope B and
bottom part of the net forward and with the same pull on it as the sides con-
nected to the trawl boards EE have, so that there is no sagging of such foot
rope B and bottom part, thereby allowing of the whole net being more easily
drawn through the water and allowing of the vessel going much faster with less
speed of the engines, and therefore a less consumption of fuel, and in addition
reducing the wear and tear which the engines have hitherto been subjected to.
Under ordinary circumstances when the net is being drawn along and is catch-
ing fish, the weight of the fish. has a tendency to bring the "otter" boards
together and close the mouth of the net, it is thus necessary to increase the
speed of the engines to get the same spread of the net which there was before it
began to fill, with our invention this is entirely obviated, as the continual puil
of the supplementary warp or warps A on the footrope and bottom part of the
net eases the pull, and keeps such footrope forward, thereby allowing of the
mouth of the net being spread to its widest extent.
Nets having our improvements are also applicable to fishing vessels other than
those driven by steam, as they can be more easily drawn through the water by
those vessels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1 D
uncl
nota for fishine
with one
01 more suunlementary

page_text: warp or warps such as A, and attaching it to the footrope or groundrope B of
the net C, and if desired to the bottom of the net proper by lacing or other suit-
able means, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as shown and
described.
2. In connection with trawl nets for fishing purposes the employment of a
supplementary warp or warps such as A attached to the foot rope or ground
rope B of the net C, and running any suitable distance towards the back or cod
end of the net, such warp or warps being provided with branches or not, as
desired, and with or without a sledge, runner or weight G in the manner and for
the purposes substantially as shown and described.
3. An improved sledge or runner for use in connection with our supplementary
warp or warps for trawl fishing nets, consisting of a frame in which is mounted
one or more antifriction runner or runners, such sledge or runner being attached
to the supplementary warp and to the foot or ground rope of the net and also to
the net if desired, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as shown and
described.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Savile Street, Hull, and Crossley Street, Halifax,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.