AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HAULING OR WORKING THE NETS OF FISHING BOATS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morrison and James Boag Morrison, of Edinburgh,
in the County of Midlothian, North Britain, Engineers, for the Invention of
"
AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HAULING OR WORKING THE NETS OF FISHING
BOATS."
Scaled the 21st October 1876, and dated the 2nd June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morrison and James
Boag Morrison at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd June
1876.
WILLIAM MORRISON and JAMES BOAG MORRISON, of Edinburgh, in the County
of Midlothian, North Britain, Engineers. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HAULING
OR WORKING THE NETS OF FISHING BOATS."
This Invention, which consists of an improved apparatus for hauling or working
the nets of fishing boats, has for its object to effect the same with rapidity and ease
under all ordinary circumstances, but it is especially designed to be of service in
tempestuous weather when from the heavy seas the operation is rendered difficult
and arduous with the means at present employed.
The apparatus consists substantially of two horizontal cheeks or plates held by
stays or bolts at a convenient distance apart so as to enclose three or more toothed
wheels gearing with one another horizontally and keyed on spindles or shafts which
have their ends supported in the cheeks or plates aforesaid. The said spindles or
shafts are extended at their lower ends through the lower check or plate to such
a length as permits the keying or otherwise fastening a grooved hauling wheel on
cach, and around the said grooved wheels the rope of the net to be hauled or
worked is passed, and as the centre, of the wheels are preferably arranged triangularly
the rope is made to pass over the inner side of the two outside wheels and over
the outer side of the wheel whose centre forms the apex of the triangle. To the
top of the shaft or spindle of the latter wheel is fixed a bevilled toothed wheel
gearing with a pinion fixed on a shaft carried transversely in bearings across a
part of the upper cheek or plate, and formed at its outer end square or diamond
shaped for the purpose of receiving the end of a correspondingly shaped key or
handle by which the hauling or working is effected, the motion being communi-
cated to the hauling wheels through the inedia of the bevil gearing and hori-
zontal gearing before described. A pawl or similar contrivance is employed for
[Price 6d.]

page_text: checking the reverse motion of the gearing. The apparatus is preferably secured
to the boat at or near the stern by passing a bolt or pin through the lower
cheek or plate, and thence through a transverse seat or cross piece of wood
in the boat, and securing it underneath by a nut and washer. By the horizontal
arrangement of the hauling wheels no rolling or pitching of the boat can
dislodge the hauling rope from the grooves, and while considerable power is avail-
able, less injury is done to the net or to the corks and floats attached to the net
ropes. The independent hauling rope presently used with the windlass is dispensed
with, and the gearing of the apparatus does not interfere with the ready working
of the net, being compactly arranged as aforesaid between the horizontal cheeks or
plates. It will be obvious that where steam power is available it may be applied
to this Invention, or a fan or windmill may be made equally applicable. For the
sake of greater security, the apparatus may be attached to the boat by means of
stays, ropes, or chains from any convenient point.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Morrison and James Boag Morrison in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th November 1876.
WILLIAM MORRISON and JAMES BOAG MORRISON, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, Engineers. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HAULING
OR WORKING THE NETS OF FISHING BOATS."
Our said Invention, which consists of an improved apparatus for hauling or work-
ing the nets of fishing boats, has for it objects to effect the same with rapidity and
case under all ordinary circumstances, but it is especially designed to be of service
in tempestuous weather, when from heavy seas the operation is rendered difficult
and arduous with the means at present employed.
The apparatus substantially consists of two horizontal checks or plates held by
stays or bolts at a convenient distance apart, so as to enclose three or more toothed
wheels gearing with one another horizontally and keyed on spindles or shafts which
have their ends supported in the cheeks or plates aforesaid. The said spindles or
shafts are extended at their lower ends through the lower cheek or plate to such a
length as permits the keying or otherwise fastening a grooved hauling wheel_on
cach, and around the said grooved wheels the rope of the net to be hauled or worked
is passed, and as the centres of the wheels are preferably arranged triangularly, the
rope is made to pass over the inner side of the two outside wheels, and over the
To the top of
outer side of the wheel whose centre forms the apex of the triangle.
the shaft or spindle of the latter wheel is fixed a bevilled toothed wheel gearing,
with a pinion fixed on a shaft carried transversely in bearings across a part of the
upper cheek or plate, and formed at its outer end square or diamond shaped for the
purpose of receiving the end of a correspondingly shaped key or handle by which
the hauling or working is effected, the motion being communicated to the hauling
wheels through the media of the bevil gearing and horizontal gearing herein-before
described.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which
the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to
the annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, tha
is to say, at Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet. of Drawings is represented a sid
view of our improved machine; Figure 2 being a plan of the same.
In the arrangement or modification of our Invention there illustrated the cheek
or plates A, A, are held apart, and secured to each other by the bolts a, and als
secured above and belov
by the column B, through which is passed the bolt
by nuts, and passing through the longitudinal shaft or beams c of the boat a
shown.

page_text: Between the cheeks or plates A, A¹, are arranged on spindles & the 'spur wheels D
gearing with each other in a triangular manner, as seen more particularly at
Figure 2, and on the lower ends of the spindles are similarly arranged the
hauling wheels E below the lower check or plate A'. To the upper ends of the
spindles d of the two outside wheels are keyed bevilled tooth wheels e gearing with
similarly bevilled pinions and g carried on the 'transverse shafts F, supported in
bearings on the check or plate A as shown and actuated from the handles G. The
shaft or beam C being laid fore and aft in the boat the net is shown as being
hauled in on the right side of the boat when looking astern, and the hauling rope c
being arranged around the wheels E, the handles G are worked in the direction
indicated by the arrows, the operators looking fore and aft respectively, that is to
say, facing each other, while the bottom cord of the net is hauled in the usual
inanner. The pawl m acting on the ratchet wheel n prevents the gearing from
running back," and the pinion f is kept in gear with the wheel e by incans of the
catch p partly embracing the shaft F and impinged upon by the collar o formed
thereon, while the pinion is maintained in gear with its wheel e by the impinge-
ment of the pawl m against the side of the ratchet n', as shown. The rope c
passes round the grooves of the hauling pulleys E in the manner shown, and no
injury is done to the corks, floats, or nets.
"
At Figure 2 the corks are assumed to have been thrown over from the outside of
the net for the purpose of clearer illustration. When on account of the quarter
from which the wind blows or from other cause it is desired to haul the nets from
the left side of the boat, the apparatus is swung round on the pivot b and the
pinions f, g, are made to gear with the wheels e by reversing the position of the
catch to behind the collar o', and causing the pawl m to occupy the same position
relatively to the ratchet wheel n as the pawl m³ occupies in respect to the ratchet
wheel as arranged in the Drawing.
The hauling rope having been then arranged around the pulleys the operation of
hauling is commenced. An attendant stationed at or near X receives the rope cas
it passes from the hauling pulleys E, and places the net in a folded form at a con-
venient place at his side, and in the event of a heavy sea striking the boat the
attendant at X by letting the rope c fall from his hands eases the boat, and
allows the net to run freely over the boat's side, it becoming disengaged from the
hauling wheels E. Danger from swamping is thus obviated and breaking the net
prevented. By the triangular arrangement of the hauling pulleys E great power
is available, and from their being arranged to act horizontally the hauling rope c
cannot be dislodged from the grooves by the pitching of the boat so long as the
attendant at X maintains his bold.
The body of the machine is enclosed by a sheet iron covering 8 shutting in the
spur gearing D, and shown broken across at Figure 1. By this means the ready
working of the net is not liable to be interfered with. It will be seen that the
net passes round the path of the hauling pulleys E carrying the corks attached
thereto without liability to injury, and whether the corks depend from the rope as
shown in the Drawing, or whether they are attached to the loops of the net and
are free or not to slide thereon, their passage round the hauling wheels E is effected
without injury to them.
The apparatus inay in addition to being secured by the bolt b be also attached to
the boat by ropes, chains, or stays as may be necessary. Its height above the
longitudinal shaft or bean c is regulated by the depth of the pillar N, which is
governed by the height of the gunwale of the boat, with which latter the bottoms
of the hauling pulleys E are level, and through which the bolt b passes as seen at
Figure 1.
As described in our Provisional Specification the apparatus may be so constructed
as to be operated by one handle, and it is obvious that the apparatus may be readily
adapted for being operated by steam or other power.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be

page_text: used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and
construction of the apparatus for horizontal hauling, substantially as herein-before
escribed and shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Morrison and James Boag Morrison,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-seventh day of November,
One thousand eight, hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM MORRISON.
(L.S.)
JAMES BOAG MORRISON. (L.S.)