Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Dec., 1888
We, GEORGE BROWN CHARLTON of 65 Orwell Street, Great Grimsby, Consulting
Engineer, and JAMES ALWARD of Fish Dock Great Grimsby, Fish Merchant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in wells or tanks in fishing vessels
employed for the purpose of containing live fish and conveying the same alive from
the place where captured to the desired port, whether the voyage be of short or long
duration.
With the vessels at present employed for the said purpose it is found necessary to,
perforate the bottom and sides of the part of such vessels where the fish wells are
situated in order that by the motion of the vessel a current may be set up causing the
water to circulate in and through the said fish-wells, and thus prevent the water from
becoming stagnant.
.
.
But inasmuch as the perforations in the ship's bottom and sides cause the, fish-well
to be always filled with water, and the said displacement being found to be a serious
inconvenience on the outward voyage, before the fish are captured, this our invention
has for its object the providing of fish-wells in both sailing and steam vessels, which
wells shall be water-tight and thus not detract from the buoyancy of the vessels when
it is not required to carry live fish.
Moreover, in the case of steam vessels on their outward passage in search of fish,
our fish well may be utilised as a receptacle for coal, and when it is required to
utilise the well as a fish carrier, it may be washed out and made to serve such purpose
on the homeward journey.
We are aware that it is necessary to provide for a constant change of water in the
fish wells in order to sustain fish life for any length of time; and to effect this change
or circulation of the fish well water, we cause the water supply for the main engines
of steamers to be drawn from the fish wells by the action of the usual pumps
employed for the purpose; a suitable inlet or valve being arranged in the bottom
of the fish well to allow of continuous replenishment from the sea as the suction
of the pumps draws the water from the fish well to supply the condensers and
engines.

page_text: In the case of sailing ships a pump worked by a small engine may be used
to draw off the water from the fish-well and thus set up the desired circulation
and with this addition our fish well may be applied to all sailing vessels used for
fishing.
Fresh air may be pumped into the fish-well and distributed through the water
contained therein by means of an ordinary air-pump suitably attached.
As it is now frequently necessary to steam a long distance to fishing grounds-in
some cases as far as 800 miles-it is very desirable that the small steamers used in
the trade should have accommodation for sufficient coal, and by turning the fish-wells
(having a capacity of about 40 tons) into coal bunkers for the outward voyage, it
will be seen that a great advantage is thus obtained over the ordinary fishing steamers,
in which the space occupied by the fish-well is always filled with water.
Dated this Sixth day of September 1888.

page_text: We, GEORGE BROWN CHARLTON, of 65 Orwell Street, Great Grimsby, Consulting
Engineer, and JAMES ALWARD of Fish Dock, Great Grimsby, Fish 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:
This our invention relates particularly to certain new and useful improvements in
wells or tanks in fishing vessels employed for the purpose of containing live fish and
conveying the same alive from the place where captured to the desired port, whether
the voyage be of long or short duration.
With the vessels at present employed for the said purpose it is found necessary to
perforate the bottom and the sides of the part of such vessels where the fish wells are
situated, in order that by the motion of the vessel a current may be set up causing the
water to circulate in and through the said fish wells, and thus prevent the water from
becoming stagnant.
But inasmuch as the perforation in the ships bottom and sides cause the fish well
to be always filled with water, and the displacement being found of serious incon-
venience on the outward voyage, before the fish are captured, this our invention has
for its object to provide fish wells in both sailing and steam vessels, and which wells
shall be watertight and thus not detract from the buoyancy of the vessels when it is
not required to carry live fish.
Moreover in the case of steam vessels on their outward passage in search of fish,
our fish well may be utilised as a receptacle for coal, and when it is required to
utilise the well as a fish carrier, it may be washed out and made to serve such purpose
on the homeward journey.
We are aware that it is necessary to provide for a constant change of water in the
fish wells in order to sustain fish life for any length of time, and to effect this change
or circulation of the water in the fish well, we cause the water supply for the main
engines of steamers to be drawn from the fish wells by the action of the usual pumps
employed for the purpose; a suitable inlet or valve being arranged near the bottom
of the fish well to allow of continuous replenishment from the sea as the suction
of the pumps draws the water from the fish well to supply the condensers and
engines.
In the case of sailing ships a pump worked by a small engine may be used
to draw the water from the fish well, and thus set up the desired circulation,
and with this addition our fish well may be applied to all sailing vessels used for
fishing.
Fresh air may be pumped into the fish-well and distributed through the water
contained therein by means of an ordinary air pump suitably combined therewith.
It now being necessary to steam a long distance to fishing grounds, in some cases
as far as 800 miles, it is very desirable that the small steamers used in the trade

page_text: should have accommodation for sufficient coal, and by turning the fish wells (having
a capacity of about 40 tons) into coal bunkers for the outward voyage, it will be seen
that a great advantage is thus obtained over the ordinary fishing steamers, in which
the space occupied by the fish well is always filled with water.
This our said invention may be more particularly described by reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed, and the figures and letters of reference, marked thereon
similar letters indicating like parts throughout.
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of so much of a vessel as will enable our invention
to be seen and understood. Fig. 2 is a plan of the view shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is
a section taken on the line a a. Fig. 4'is a section taken on the line y-y. and Fig. 5
is a section taken on the line z. z.
A represents the well, which may be of any desired capacity or shape such as that
shown. Said well A has a division B provided with perforations C which permit the
water to flow freely from one side of the division to the other when the pumps are
working.
The fore well head D is provided with any approved valve inlet E which is con-
structed in such a manner as to permit the ingress but to prevent the egress of the
water.
The suction pipe F from the pumps or other exhauster G enters the after well
head H suitable guards J consisting of perforated pieces of metal being provided
over the inwardly projecting 'suction pipe, F, and the valve inlet K to strain the water
in its passage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In well fishing vessels, the wells of said vessels made water tight, and provided
with an intake valve and a suction pipe communicating with any suitable pump or
exhauster whereby the water may be drawn through the well, or exhausted from the
well during an outward passage, and the combination with the well of means whereby
air may be pumped into and caused to circulate through the water, all substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
unnexed.
Dated this 10th day of Novemba, 1200