Floating Fish Trap.
Year: 1897

page_text: Floating Fish Trap.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM NELSON, Gentleman, of Fiveforks, in the County of Franklin,
and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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:-
My invention has relation to improvements in floating fish traps or weirs, and
the object is to provide a simple and effective device of this class. To this end
the novelty consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several
parts of the same as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing the same reference numerals indicate the same
parts of the invention.
The figure of the drawing is a perspective view of a floating fish trap embodying
iny invention.
1 represents a suitable scow or pontoon, preferably rectangular in shape and pro-
vided with a central rectangular well hole 2, protected by a vertical gunwale
extending around its four sides.
3-3 represent the right-angular guide standards provided at their upper ends
with the cross and side braces. 4-4 and 5-5 are uprights secured on the inner
sides of the opposite side braces, and their upper ends are provided with
bearings 6-6, in which is journaled the transverse shaft 7, having a sprocket
wheel 8 fixed on one end, from which an endless sprocket chain 9 runs to a similar
sprocket wheel 10 secured to one end of a transverse shaft 11 journaled in
bearings 12--12 secured to the standards, and this shaft is provided with the usual
ratchet wheel and crank handles for operating the same.
A pawl 13 is pivoted to one of the standards in the path of the ratchet wheel
on the shaft 11.
14 represents a vertical oblong cage, rectangular in cross section, and its upper
end or top is provided with a fixed cross brace 15, having eye bolts 16-16, from
which flexible wire ropes or chains 17 extend to similar eye bolts 18, radially
arranged on the shaft 7, and when said shaft is rotated, the said cage may be raised
or lowered at will.
19 represents a pawl pivoted on one of the standards, and 20 represents a similar
pawl pivoted on the same side of the opposite standard. The pawl 19 is connected
by a rod 21 to an arm 22 on the pawl 20, so that when its handle 23 is raised or
lowered, both pawls will be simultaneously thrown in or out to engage or release
the detents 24 24 on the cage 14 to support it in an elevated position, or allow it
to descend and submerge below the level of the water.
25 represents a vertically sliding door arranged in one end of the case, and 26
represents a car travelling on inclined rails 27-27, which may be pushed up the
incline to partly extend under the bottom of the edge of the cage containing the
sliding door, so that when the cage is elevated and the car is placed as described,

page_text: the sliding door may be raised and the contents of the cage discharged into said car,
which is then allowed to descend by gravity to the bottom of the vessel.
The slides of the cage are formed of the usual wire netting or other suitable
reticulated material, and they have the usual funnel shaped openings 28-28 for
the easy access of the fish.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:.
1. A floating fish trap or weir, comprising the vessel 1, provided with the
rectangular well hole 2, the right-angular guide standards 3-3, connected by the
braces 4-4, the uprights 5-5 secured to said braces, the shaft 7 journaled in said
uprights and provided with the flexible cords 17 and sprocket wheel 8, the sprocket
chain 9, the shaft 11, its sprocket and ratchet wheels, pawl and operating handles,
in combination with the rectangular cage 14, the detents 24-24 secured to said
cage, and the pawls 19 and 20 pivoted to said standards and connected by the
rod 21, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A floating fish trap, comprising the vessel 1, provided with the inclined
rails 27 and rectangular well hole 2, the right-angular guide standards 3-3 con-
nected by the braces 4-4, the uprights 5-5 secured to the said braces, the shaft 7
journaled in said uprights and provided with the screw eyes and flexible cord, the
sprocket wheel 8, the sprocket chain 9, the shaft 11, its sprocket wheel 10, and
means for operating the same, in combination with the rectangular cage, the
detents 24 secured thereto, the pawls 19 and 20 pivoted to the standards in the path
of said detents and connected by the rod 21 and the travelling car 26, substantially
as shown and described.
Dated this 20th dow of Tale 1007
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.