provements in the Method of and Means for Expanding the Mouths of Trawl Nets or the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct. 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Expanding the
Mouths of Trawl Nets or the like.
.
We, LEWIS LEVI, of 50, Flinton Street, Hessle Road, Brass Finisher, and
GEORGE CARTWRIGHT, Star and Garter Hotel, Hessle Road, Hotel Keeper, both in
Hull, in the County of Yorkshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to dispense with the beams, or with otter
boards or trawl boards of any description, used for expanding the mouths of trawl
nets.
For the purpose of our invention we adopt a means of employing hydraulic
pressure, air pressure or the like, for expanding the mouths of such nets instead
of the boards or beams hitherto used.
Tubes or the like are employed for containing the liquid or air used for expanding
such nets, such tubes running around or partly around the mouth of the net, tho
said tubes are filled with air or liquid and forces the mouth of the net open by
being blown out.
If desired water or air may be ejected from such tube or tubes to force the
mouth of the net open.
Dated 1 1
1005
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Expanding the
Mouths of Trawl Nets or the like.
We, LEWIS LEVI, of 50, Flinton Street, Hessle Road, Brass Finisher, and
GEORGE CARTWRIGHT, Star and Garter Hotel, Hessle Road, Hotel Keeper, both in
Hull, in the County of Yorkshire, 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 dispense with the beams or with otter boards or
trawl boards of any description used for expanding the mouths of trawl nets.

page_text: Fig. 2 shows a side view of Fig. 1.
For the purpose of our invention we adopt a means of employing hydraulic
pressure air pressure or the like for expanding the mouths of such uets instead of
the boards or beams hitherto used.
Tubes or the like A B running around the mouth of the net C are employed for
containing the air or liquid used for expanding the mouth of such net Û one tubo
being preferably an indiarubber or other flexible one A which takes the place of
the ordinary head line which generally runs around the top of the mouth of an
ordinary trawl net; and a metal one B which takes the place of the foot rope
usually attached to the bottom of the mouth of such trawl net.
The flexible tube A may be strengthened with wire or the like D wound around
inside spirally and on the outside in the same manner if desired and such tubo is
also provided with a valve E for inflating purposes.
The metal tube B is preferably straight for a distance equal to or nearly equal to
the width of the mouth of the net and has upturned ends to which the ends of the
flexible tube A are connected by means of union or other suitable joints F F, a
valve G for inflating purposes and a relief valve H for letting out the air may be
fitted to it for injecting air or liquid and drawing off or ejecting such air or liquid
respectively as required, also the said tube may be provided with antifriction
runners J which revolve on it and run on the sea bottom to allow of the whole being
more easily towed and for preventing wear and tear on the parts which would
otherwise come in contact with the sea bottom.
The antifriction runners are preferably barrel shaped, but may be of any other
suitable shape.
The chains ropes or the like K to which the towing warps L are attached are
connected to the top tube A and bottom tube B and there may be one two or more
of such chains or the like as required to keep the flexible tube A from sagging or
dropping and more evenly dividing the pull, and they may be passed over
ferrules A placed on the tube A for the same purpose if desired.
In place of the tube B a solid bar or piece of the same shape may be used.
The net is attached to the tubes A and B by lacings or the like M.
Our invention is used as follows:-Air is injected into the tubes A and B through
the valve E and G or through one valve only, the air inflates the flexible tube A
and causes it to float so raising and spreading the top part of the mouth of the net
the metal and heavier tube besinking and keeping the bottom of the mouth of the
net down, by this means the mouth of the net is spread to its fullest extent.
Liquid may be injected into the tubes if desired this would settle in the tube B
and compress the air into the tube A, so that the tube B would be additionally
weighted and so would more readily sink, as would also be the case if a solid bar or
the like was employed instead of a tube.
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 for fishing purposes the employment of a tube
or tubes such as A and B running around or partly around the mouth of the net,
such tube or tubes being provided with a valve or valves for inflating purposes and
being connected to each other by means of union or other joints F, F, the
tube A taking the place of the ordinary headline of the net and by being
inflated floats and raises the mouth of the net, and the tube or bar B taking the
place of the ordinary foot rope and sinking the bottom part of the mouth of the net,
the whole keeping the net mouth open to its fullest extent in the manner and for
the purposes substantially as shown and described.
2. The employment of antifriction runners on the tube or bar B in the manner
and for the purposes substantially as shown and described.
3. Attaching the chains or the like K which take the towing warps L, to the

page_text: tube A and the tube or bar B in the manner and for the purposes substantially as
shown and described.
4. The general arrangement and combination of parts (constituting) the improved
method of and means for expanding the mouths of trawl nets in the manner and for
the purposes substantially as shown and described.
Dated this Ninotsouth
1000
JOHN E. WALSH,
Savile Street, Hull, and Crossley Street, Halifax,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Savile Street, Hull, and Crossley Street, Halifax,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.