Year: 1897

page_text: I, HENRY RAMSDEN MORTELL, of 31, Wellington Street, Gravesend, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to an apparatus for use with trawl nets as a substitute for
"Otter" boards, the object being to increase the spread of the net, to decrease the
resistance and therefore economise the power employed for towing, to minimise
the wear and tear of the gear, and generally to increase this method of controlling
trawl nets.
According to my invention I substitute for the "Otter" boards two pairs of wheels
carried by axles to which the head and ground ropes, the wing line and the towing
bridle are attached.
Each pair of wheels is constructed and arranged alike so that I will describe one
pair only. The wheels which are of uneven size are mounted to rotate freely on an
axle, the larger wheel being at the inner end and the smaller one at the outer end
thereof. At or near the inner end of the axle-and preferably outside the larger
wheel is fixed in any convenient manner a horizontally arranged bar having eyes
or their equivalents at each end. To the eye at the rear end of this bar is attached,
one end of the head rope, one end of the ground rope and one end of the wing line.
To the eye at the forward end of the bar is attached one end of the towing
bridle.
It will be seen that owing to the sizes of the wheels the two parts of the apparatus
have a tendency to travel in diverging lines which tends to keep the mouth of the
net well spread and open.
As a modification I also mount a bar at or near the outer end of the axle and connect
it with the towing bridle by an auxiliary bridle which is connected to the main bridle
at a convenient distance from the axle and is preferably made adjustable in length.
In order to clear the outer wheel this bar is made of such a length that its end projects
beyond the periphery of the said wheel and to give it rigidity it is stayed to the axle
by a suitably arranged compression bar. In this construction the head and ground
ropes and the wing line may alternatively be attached to the axle at or near its outer
end.
As a further inodification the bars to which the head and ground ropes and the wing
line are attached may be arranged vertically to increase the area of the mouth of
the net.

page_text: 1, HENRY RAMSDEN MORTELL, of 31; Wellington Street, Gravesend, in the County of
Kent, 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 :-
This invention relates to an apparatus for use with trawl nets as a substitute for
"Otter" boards, the object being to increase the spread of the net, to decrease the
resistance and therefore economise the power employed for towing, to minimise the.
wear and tear of the gear, and generally to increase the efficiency of this method of
controlling trawl nets.
According to my invention I substitute for, the "Otter" boards two. pairs of wheels
of unequal size, each pair, mounted on an, axle to which the head and ground ropes,.
the wing lines and the towing bridles are attached.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates this invention:-
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views showing the general arrangement of the,
apparatus.
Figure 4 is a view in plan-partly in section-of one half of the apparatus.
Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of Figure 4, and
Figure 6,is a view showing a modification.
I
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with.like letters of reference.
The wheels A and A¹ which are of uneven size are mounted to rotate freely on.
an axle: B, the larger wheel A being at the inner end of the axle and, the smaller
one A¹ at the outer end thereof.
t
On the inner end of each axle B and preferably outside the larger wheel A is
fixed a horizontally arranged bar C having eyes c and c¹ or their equivalents at its
ends. To the eye c at the rear end of the bar C is attached either directly or
indirectly one end of the head rope X, and one end of one of the wing lines Z. To the
eyes c¹ at the forward end of the bar C is attached one end of the towing bridle V.
On the outer end of the axle B inside the wheel A¹ is mounted a horizontally arranged
bar D having eyes d and d¹ at its ends. To the eye d is attached one end of the
ground rope Y and one end of one of the wing lines Z. To the eye d¹ at the forward
end of the bar is attached the other end of the towing bridle V.
Although I prefer to connect the towing line W to the axles B, B, by means
of bridles V, V, its ends may be connected direct to the axles if desired.
It will be seen that owing to the relative sizes of the two wheels A and. A¹ the
two parts of the apparatus have a tendency to travel in diverging lines which tends
to keep the mouth of the net well spread and open. To increase the spread of the net
at its inouth the bars C may be arranged vertically and made of such a length that
the eyes, or their equivalent c and c approximate to the peripheries of the
wheels A, A, as shown by Figure. 3.....
As a modification the ends of the head rope X of the ground rope Y and of the
wing line Z may be attached to the eye c of the bar C in which case I prefer to mount
the bar D to which is attached one end of the bridle V outside the wheel A¹ as shown
by Figure 6, and in order to give the bar D. the,necessary rigidity it may be braced
to the axle B by means of a.stay such as E.
One, or other of the two parts of the bridle V is preferably made adjustable in
length so that the pull can be equalised, according to the length of the towing
line.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) An improved trawling gear consisting of two pairs of wheels of unequal size,
each pair being mounted on an axle to which are attached one end of the head rope,
one end of the ground rope, and the ends of the wing lines and towing bridles
respectively, as and for the purpose set forth.
(2) An improved trawling gear consisting of two pairs of wheels of unequal size,
the outer one A' of each pair being of a smaller diameter than the inner one A,
and of bars C and D mounted on or carried by each axle B to receive the ends of the
head rope X, the ground rope Y, the wing lines Z, and the towing bridles V, as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 24th day of June 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS,
Assoc.M.Inst.C.E.,M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.