AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OYSTER DREDGER
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ennis, of Jersey, Brassfounder, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OYSTER DREDGER."
Sealed the 3rd May 1861, and dated the 26th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ennis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
November 1860.
I, GEORGE ENNIS, of Jersey, Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OYSTER DREDGER," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of apparatus applicable
chiefly to oyster dredging, and intended to facilitate that operation.
The apparatus consists of a kind of cage with flat sides and ends, formed of
parallel bars set sufficiently close together to retain the oysters as they are
collected therein. Fitted to the open month of the cage are two blades or
scrapers set parallel to each other and on opposite sides of the cage. In front
of the open mouth is a rake with teeth pointing in opposite directions. This
rake is jointed to the cage so that when the cage is lying upon unlevel ground
it will be free to adapt itself to any inequalities and act efficiently thereon, its
object being when working over hard ground to disturb the coral or obstruc-
tions, and thus to protect the dredge from injury. In easy and soft ground

page_text: the rake may be dispensed with. Affixed to the rake is a drag iron, by means
of which the dredge is drawn over the ground. Handles are provided for
lifting the dredge over the bulwarks of the dredging smack, and by duplicating
the blades or scrapers and also the rake teeth, the dredge, when lowered, will
fall into the proper position for action, whichever side comes uppermost.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Ennis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ENNIS, of Jersey, Brassfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Ennis, Her special license that I, the said George
Ennis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Ennis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OYSTER DREDGER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Ennis, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Ennis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of apparatus applicable chiefly
to oyster dredging, and intended to facilitate that operation.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews the oyster dredger in plan view;.
Fig. 2. is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 8. is a front elevation,. with the
drag iron: in section..
"
.
The dredger it will be seen consists of.a kind of open-mouthed wrought-iron
cage so formed and fitted that when lowered into the water and drawn over
the bed of. the sea it will first. disturb the coral and hard inequalities of the
ground into.contact with which it is brought, and then gather up and secure
the oysters and other marine produce which may come within its reach.. The
cage is made with flat sides and ends, the ends being formed of parallel bars a, a,
and the sides. and bottom. by strips of.. bent.hoop iron b,.b, rivetted to..cross.
plates or bars, and set sufficiently close together to form a grid, which will.
retain. the oysters or other. marine productions as they are collected therein.
Instead of using strips of hoop iron the frame of the cage may be covered by
coarse woven wire. Fitted to the
open mouth of the cage and extending
across it are two straight blades or scrapers c, c, which are set parallel to each
other and on opposite sides of the cage. These blades serve to couple the ends
of the cage together, and to them the ends of the hoop iron strips are. rivetted:-
To increase the stiffness of the structure a cross bar d is introduced at the
bottom of the cage, and to it both the end frames and strips are secured by
rivets. In front of the open mouth a rake is fitted, composed of 'a cross bar 6,
formed with sockets for receiving double-pointed tines or teeth f, which are
held in position by binding screws or their equivalent; the tine bar thus fitted
forms a double rake, which is capable of being used either side uppermost.
From the bare and in rear thereof project two arms which are jointed loosely
to bracket pieces 9, 9, projecting forward from the sides of the cage, when
therefore the cage is lying upon unlevel ground the rake will be free to adjust
itself to any inequalities and act efficiently thereon, its object being when the
dredger is working over hard ground to disturb the coral or other obstructions,
and thus protect the dredger from injury. Affixed to the rake and projecting
in front of it is a drag iron h carrying an eye, to which a rope or chain is to be
attached for lowering the dredger into the water and drawing it over the
ground. Handles may be provided, if required, for lifting the dredger over the
bulwarks of the dredging smack, and if intended to be used only on soft ground
the rake may be dispensed with. By duplicating the blades or scrapers and
also the rake teeth as above described, the dredger when lowered will fall into
the proper position for action, whichever side comes uppermost.
As the rake by preceding the cage removes any obstruction that may be
presented to its progress, the lowermost blade will scrape up the oysters or

page_text: other marine produce, which as the dredger moves forward will, by reason of
the accumulated gathering in the rear, be thrust into the cage. In case the
cage should be arrested by an obstacle beyond the power of the rake to remove,
the dredger will be free to turn over on to its opposite side, thereby disengaging
itself from that obstruction.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Oyster Dredger," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim the arrangement of parts above described, or any mere
modification thereof, whereby I am enabled to facilitate the operation of oyster
dredging.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Ennis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.