Improvements in 'Otter' Boards for Trawling Nets."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left 19th Nov. 1897 Accepted 24th Dec. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"Improvements in 'Otter' Boards for Trawling Nets."
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM FISHER, of The Citadel, Hull, in the County of York,
Accountant, and EDWARD REILLY, of 108, Newmarket Street, Great Grimsby, in
the County of Lincoln, Marine Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention comprises improvements in certain details of construction relating
to the otter" boards for trawling nets.
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It has been found in practice that with the existing ordinary arrangement of
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otter boards and ropes, the boards often turn over or spin round especially when
they are being hauled up, which causes the ground rope and head line to get
twisted or turned, and a great expenditure of time and trouble is involved in
getting the said ropes clear again of each other. A further defect in connection with
otter" boards of trawling nets is that when the trawl warp is slackened when the
vessel plunges or is otherwise checked in its forward movement, the broadside
resistance to the water which is necessary to keep the boards erect and spread out,
is withdrawn and the boards fall inwards flat upon their faces, and sometimes
great difficulty is experienced in getting the boards up again to their proper
position during which time the mouth of the net is closed and consequently no fish
caught.
One object and result of our invention is to provide a simple and effective means
whereby the said twist or turns in the ropes may be easily taken out. A further
object of our invention is to provide a means by which when the boards fall flat
as before mentioned they are automatically raised to their erect or normal positions
as the trawl warp is tightened.
In carrying out our invention we provide a swivel bar of suitable construction
and strength which is free to revolve or swivel on a centre pivot furnished at the
after end of the "otter" board. The ground rope and head line are attached to
this swivel bar at equidistant points from the centre pivot, and in order to keep the
swivel bar in position when towing, the ends are locked to the "otter" board and
s prevent it from being revolved or swivelled on the pivot. Any suitable means
or device may be used for this purpose which can be instantly or easily disconnected
and the bar swivelled or revolved upon its centre pivot. When the ropes get
twisted or mixed as before mentioned the catches are released, and the swivel bar
revolved on its centre pivot so that the twists in the ropes are unravelled or taken
out.
The swivel bar then being in its normal position the catches are again
locked and the bar secured as before.
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In order to keep the boards erect, one or more brackets are provided on the
front or advance side of the "otter" board above the tow chains, and are hinged
to the otter board, the said bracket or brackets being furnished with suitable
stops to prevent them rising above a certain position, but so arranged that they
may fall flat to the board if required in a downward direction. The bracket or
brackets are fixed in such a position that as the warp is made taut the upper chains.

page_text: are drawn tight against them and the board is thereby lifted to the erect or proper
position. The advantage of this arrangement is that whenever the warp is tight
the board is erect. If the warp slackens and the board falls over it again assumes
a vertical position as soon as the trawl warp is tightened. A piece of piping may
be fixed on the bracket or on each bracket to act as an anti-friction roller and
prevent jamming in between the links of the tow chains. The brackets can lay
nearly flat to the otter board when being hauled up on to the deck of the vessel.
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An alternate arrangement for keeping the boards erect consists as follows:-
A hinged flap is provided on the upper part of the back or outer face of the "otter
board which is free to work in slotted links of suitable construction pivotally con-
nected to opposite edges of the board so as to allow the flap to work through a
suitable angle. When the warp is slackened the otter board falls upon its
inner face, but as soon as the warp is again taut and the board is dragged through
the water the resistance of the water opens the flap (which slightly overhangs the
top of the board) and the board is caused to rise to such a position that the broad-
side resistance of the water now acts upon the inner face thereof and brings it up
again to its normal or erect position.
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G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent, Stockton-on-Tees,
Agent for the Applicants.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM FISHER, of the Citadel,' Hull in the County of York,
Accountant, and EDWARD REILLY of 108, Newmarket Street, Great Grimsby, in the
County of Lincoln, Marine 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:-
Our Invention comprises improvements in certain details of construction relating
to the "otter" boards for trawling nets.
with
It has been found in practice that with the existing ordinary arrangement of
"otter" boards and ropes, the boards often turn over or spin round especially
when they are being hauled up, which causes the ground rope and head line to get
twisted or turned, and a great expenditure of time and trouble is involved in
getting the said ropes clear again of each other. A further defect in connection
otter" boards of trawling nets is that when the trawl warp is slackened
when the vessel plunges or is otherwise checked in its forward movement the
broadside resistance to the water, which is necessary to keep the boards erect and
spread out, is withdrawn and the boards fall inwards flat upon their faces, and
sometimes great difficulty is experienced in getting the boards up again to their
proper position during which time the mouth of the net is closed and consequently
no fish caught.
One object and result of our invention is to provide a simple and effective means
whereby the said twist or turns in the ropes may be easily taken out..
A further object of our invention is to provide a means by which when the
boards fall flat as before mentioned they are automatically raised to their erect or
normal positions as the trawl warp is tightened.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawing in which:
:-
Fig. 1 is an inside view of an otter" board furnished with means by which

page_text: the twist or turns in the ropes may be easily taken out in accordance with our
invention. Fig. 2 is a corresponding end view of same. Fig. 3 and 4 are similar
views to Figs 1 and 2 but showing a modification in the locking arrangement of
the swivel bar. Fig. 5 is an inside view of a long "otter" board furnished with
a bracket for keeping it in the erect position in accordance with our invention.
Figs. 6 and 7 are corresponding end and plan views respectively of Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is an inside view of a short "otter" board furnished with two brackets
for keeping the board in the erect position.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, a is a swivel bar of suitable construction and
strength which is free to revolve or swivel on a centre pivot b furnished at the after
end of the "otter" board c. The ground rope d and head line e are attached to
this swivel bar at equidistant points from the centre pivot and in order to keep
the swivel bar in position when towing, the ends are locked to the "otter" board
and so prevent it from being revolved or swivelled on the pivot. Any suitable
means or device may be used for this purpose such as the catches 'f and y, and stop
piece to prevent the catchy lifting as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; or the catches f
and may be secured by the locking bar has shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which can
be instantly or easily disconnected and the bar a swivelled or revolved upon its
centre pivot. When the ropes & and e get twisted or mixed as before mentioned
the catches and are released and the swivel bar a revolved on its centre pivot
so that the twists in the ropes are unravelled or taken out. The swivel bar then
being in its normal position the catches are again locked and the bar secured as
'before.
or
Referring to Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, in order to keep the boards erect, one or
more brackets are provided on the front or advance side of the "otter" board c,
above the tow chains and are hinged at j¹ to the "otter" board, the said bracket
or brackets being furnished with suitable stops to prevent them rising above a
certain position, but so arranged that they may fall flat to the board if required
in a downward direction as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The bracket or
brackets which may be rectangular, triangular, or other equivalent shape are fixed in
such a position that as the warp/is made taut the upper chains are drawn tight
against them and the board is thereby lifted to the erect or proper position
where short tow chains are used the shackle of such chains or even the end of the
warp is the part drawn tight against the bracket. The advantage of this arrange-
ment is that whenever the warp is tight the board is erect. If the warp slackens
and the board falls over it again assumes a vertical position as soon as the trawl
warp is tightened. When the shape of the bracket admits of it a piece of piping m
may be fixed on the bracket or on each bracket to act as an antifriction roller and
prevent jamming in between the links of the tow chains. The brackets can lay
nearly flat to the "otter" board when being hauled up on to the deck of the vessel.
So far as the invention described in our Provisional Specification relates to the
use of a hinged flap working in slotted links pivotally connected to opposite edges
of the board with a view of the said flaps being opened out by the resistance of the
water, we have since come to the conclusion that this arrangement would not act
in the manner required for the purpose of our invention. We therefore confine
our invention to the use of brackets only as a means of enabling the otter
boards to regain the vertical or erect position.
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Although we have shown our improvements for enabling the lines to be untwisted
with facility in Figs. 1 to 4, and have used other figures, viz:-5 to 8 to illustrate
in what manner we apply the brackets to " otter boards, yet it will be readily
understood that these several features can be all embodied in one and the same
board.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1
Totton" boards for trawling note the use of a swivel har to attach the

page_text: ground and head line thereto so that the twist or turns in these ropes may be easily
taken out, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompany-
ing drawing.
2. In "otter" boards for trawling nets, the use in combination with the upper
chains k of a lifting bracket or brackets j by which when the boards fall flat they.
are automatically raised to their erect or normal positions as the travel warp is
tightened, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
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3. In otter" boards the general arrangement and combination of parts in
which the ground and head lines are attached to a swivel bar such as a and the
upper chains are connected with one or more brackets such as j, all arranged and
operating together substantially as and for the purpose herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 18th Day of November 1897.
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent, Stockton-on-Tees and Hull,
Agent for the Applicants.