Improvements in or connected with Otter or Trawl Boards for Steam Trawlers or the like Fishing Vessels,
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Otter or Trawl Boards for
Steam Trawlers or the like Fishing Vessels,
We, WILLIAM LENGFIELD and CHARLES EDWIN WARD, of the Firm of Lengfield
& Ward, Neptune Street, Shipwrights, and GEORGE HENRY WISE, 100, Rosamond
Street, Blacksmith, 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 construct otter boards used for trawling
purposes so that they will easily surmount obstacles on the sea bottom, thus
allowing them to be drawn through the water with less power than that required
for drawing the ordinary construction of otter board, by this means effecting a
great saving in fuel when worked by steam fishing vessels, thereby considerably
reducing the cost of working such vessels and allowing of their remaining much
longer on the fishing ground than heretofore, at the same time our improvements
greatly reduce the amount of wear and tear on the trawl gear which is at present
subjected to great strains by the catching and sticking of the present construction
of board.
For the purpose of our invention, we place a roller or rollers, balls or any
other suitable runner or runners at the bottom of the boards, such runners or
the like may be mounted in brackets, or if balls, in cups or the like, such brackets,
cups or other mountings may be arranged to allow of the runners being adjustable,
so that they can be set at any angle to suit the direction in which the boards are
being drawn, so that such boards instead of being pulled with a flat bottom against
any obstacle, they come against it with a rounded revolving part which prevents
the said boards from catching, and allows of them riding or rolling over it.
If rollers are employed, the ends may be bevelled so that there are no sharp
edges to catch boulders or the like, the rollers or other antifriction runners are
below the bottom of the board, so that if such boards are pulled along the sea
bottom the rollers take the weight of the said boards and run on the ground,
thereby preventing friction and wear and tear on the bottom of the board.
By making the bearings, brackets or the like adjustable, the rollers or the
like may be set to run in any suitable direction, either parallel to the bottom of
the board or at any required angle, thereby allowing of them meeting obstacles
broadside on, or in any other position to more effectually roll over or surmount
them.
The slings to which the towing warps are connected consist of a link articulated
to the board, and one, two or more chains are connected to it by one end, the
other ends of the chains being attached to the board; if desired, in place of the
chains being connected to such articulated link an intermediate link may be

page_text: cmployed, such int. mediate link being articulated to the aforesaid link, each
chain having one of its ends connected to the said intermediate link and the other
to the board, an eyebolt or the like may be formed on any part of the sling to
take the towing warp or the like.
141 101.
1007
JOHN E. WALSH,
Savile Street, Hull and Crossley Street, Halifax,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.
Im rovements in or connected with Otter or Trawl Boards for
Steam Trawlers or the like Fishing Vessels.
We, WILLIAM LENGFIELD and CHARLES EDWIN WARD, of the Firm of Lengfield
& Ward, Neptune Street, Shipwrights, and GEORGE HENRY WISE, 100, Rosamond
Street, Blacksmith, 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 construct otter boards" used for trawling
purposes so that they will easily surmount obstacles on the sea bottom, thus
allowing them to be drawn through the water with less power than that required
for drawing the ordinary construction of otter board, by this means effecting a
great saving in fuel when worked by steam fishing vessels, thereby considerably
reducing the cost of working such vessels, and allowing of them remaining much
longer on the fishing ground than heretofore, at the same time our improvements
greatly reduce the amount of wear and tear on the trawl gear which at present is
subjected to great strains by the catching and sticking of the present construction
of board.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. Is a front view of an "otter trawl" board with our improvements
applied.
Fig. 2. Is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. Is an end view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4. Is a plan view of a board with the rollers or runners set at an angle at
the bottom of the board.
Fig. 5. Shows part of a board provided with taper runners.
Fig. 6. Is a front view of a board with the runners mounted in adjustable
brackets or carriages.
Fig. 7. Is a plan view of Fig. 6.
For the purpose of our invention, we place a roller or rollers, balls or any other
suitable runner or runners A A at the bottom of the board B, such runners or the
like may be mounted in brackets C, or if balls, in cups or the like, such brackets
cups or other mountings may be arranged to allow of the runners being adjustable
so that they can be set at any angle to suit the direction in which the boards
are being drawn, or the runner or runners A A may be fitted at an angle by
having the brackets C which take them fixed (for instance) one at either side of
the board C, and projecting from either side of such board as shown at Fig. 4,
this causes the boards to have a tendency to run in an outward direction when
they bear on the sea bottom, thereby assisting in keeping the mouth of the net
open to its fullest extent, or if desired the roller or rollers A A may be taper,
for the same purpose, as shown at Fig. 5, the tapered end being to the forward
part of the board, the roller being increased in size towards the after part, by this
means the forward part of the board does not move over the ground so quickly

page_text: as the after part owing to the reduced size of the roller, therefore owing to the
board being attached to the net and the towing warp the forward part is caused
to always assume an outward direction so helping to spread the mouth of the net,
such boards instead of being pulled with a flat bottom against any obstacle come
against it with a rounded revolving part which prevents the said boards from
catching, and allows of them riding or rolling over it.
If rollers are employed, the ends may be bevelled so that there are no sharp
edges to catch boulders or the like, the rollers or other antifriction runners are
below the bottom of the board, so that if such boards are pulled along the sea
bottom the rollers take the weight of the said boards and run on the ground,
thereby preventing friction and wear and tear on the bottom of the board.
The rollers or runners A A may be mounted in carriages C, such carriages
working loosely on a pivot or bolt 1 which passes through them up into the
board B and is provided at its top end with a nut E which is screwed down tight
to hold the carriage in position and to keep the bolt from dropping out, and also
to allow of the fixing or removal of the carriage as desired; holes E may be made
in the board to allow of these nuts being placed in position.
These carriages C are preferably mounted out of centre, that is the pivot D is
nearer one end than the other, and the bottom part of the board may have arc
shaped recesses B' in it so that as the carriage swings one way or the other the
runners do not catch the board but have a free movement for a certain distance;
at the same time they prevent the carriage from turning around and making a
complete circle; as owing to it being mounted eccentrically if it got too far,
the runners would bear against the side of the board and could not pass under
as they would not be directly under the arc shaped recesses before mentioned but
if desired the carriage may be such a distance below the board to allow of it
turning without the runners touching the board, in this case the arc shaped
recesses B could be dispensed with.
For giving greater security to the carriage when mounted, a part of the bottom
of the board may be cut away at the part where the pivot passes through, and
in the recess thus formed we may place a steel or other filling plate F, this plate
may have projections G either threaded or to form revit heads, and we may place
longitudinal metal strips H on the sides of the board at or near the bottom, the
projections G on the plate F pass through holes in such strips H and if threaded
take nuts, which can be screwed on tight and so bind the whole more securely
together, the bolt or pivot D passes up through the plate, by this means the
carriage is more firmly held than would be the case if the pivot passed through
the wood of the board only. A chain or chains may be attached to the board,
and connected to the carriage when it is set, to keep such carriage in the position
in which it is set.
The slings to which the towing warps are connected consist of a swinging link K
articulated as at K¹ to the board B and one, two or more chains or ropes L are
connected to it by one end, the other ends of the chains being attached
to the board B: if desired in place of the chains being connected to such
articulated link, an intermediate link M may be employed, such intermediate link
being articulated to the aforesaid link K, each chain having one of its ends con-
nected to the said intermediate link M and the other to the board, an eyebolt or
the like may be formed on any part of the sling to take the towing warp or the
like or instead of a separate eyebolt, the intermediate link may have an extra
eye M¹ formed on it to which the towing warp is attached.
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. Providing otter trawl" boards B with rollers, runners or other antifriction
bowls such as A A, mounted in brackets such as C in the manner and for the
purposes substantially as shown and described.
2. In connection with otter trawl boards, the employment of a carriage or

page_text: carriages C, provided with runners A A such carriage working on a pivot or
the like D let into the board B with or without filling plate and are shaped
recesses B and strips H in the manner and for the purposes substantially as shown
and described.
3. In connection with otter trawl boards, the employment of a sling consisting
of a swinging link K articulated to the board 13 as at K₁ such swinging link being
provided with a chain or chains, rope or ropes L, which are connected to it by an
intermediate link M having an eyelet M¹ to take the towing warp in the manner
and for the purposes substantially as shown and described.
1909
JOHN E. WALSH,
Savile Street, Hull and Crossley Street, Halifax,
Patent Agent for the Applicants.