Improvements in Trawling Nets.
Year: 1894

page_text: Uate of Application, 9th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1395-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trawling Nets.
We, ANDREW JOHNSON, of St. Andrew's Dock, Hull, in the County of York,
Fish Salesman, and CARL AUGUST NIELSEN, of 133, Somerset Street, Hull,
aforesaid, Master of a Steam Trawler, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of trawling nets in which
the mouth of the net is kept open or spread out by what are known as boards or
"shovels."
Hitherto this class of net has required to be drawn at a relatively high speed in
consequence of the power required to keep the headline taut and consequently can
only be successfully worked by steam ships of comparatively great power.
Now the object of our invention is to so construct the net that the mouth will
be kept open without a headline at all and no matter at what speed the net is
drawn and with a relatively small expenditure of power, thereby rendering it
applicable for use with steamships of inferior power and with sailing ships of all
sizes.
In carrying out our invention instead of making the top of the mouth of the
net to extend straight from board to board as hitherto, we dispense with the
usual headline altogether and make the top of the net substantially of a shape
which corresponds with the bottom of the mouth of the net thereby forming what
we call double wings the ends of the wings being connected to the upper and lower
rear edges respectively of the boards. At the same time our invention provides
for the top of the mouth of the net to be squared and filled up with net when
fishing for certain kinds of fish. The mouth of the net is retained open by means
of corks or other suitable floats which avoids the necessity of drawing the headline
taut. Our boards are much smaller than those usually employed and in practice
we find it advantageous to employ longer bridles than hitherto in order to allow
of a larger spread.
The attachments of our net are different and the spread of fish-catching space
of net is larger than hitherto usual and the whole can be produced at far less
expense than hitherto.
T
1004
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Trawling Nets.
We, ANDREW JOHNSON, of St. Andrew's Dock, Hull, in the County of York,
Fish Salesman, and CARL AUGUST NIELSEN, of 133. Somerset Street, Hull
aforesaid, Master of a Steam Trawler, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in that class of trawling nets in which
the mouth of the net is kept open or spread out by sheer boards.
Hitherto in this class of net the edge of the netting at the top side of the mouth

page_text: has been connected to a headline stretched between the sheer boards and which,
when the net is in use, requires to be kept taut in order to keep the mouth of the
net open.
This requirement renders it necessary that the net should be drawn
through the water at a relatively high speed by reason of the power required to
keep the headline taut, and consequently the net can only be successfully worked
by steam trawlers of comparatively great power.
Now the object of our invention is to so construct the net that the mouth will
be kept open no matter at what speed the net is drawn and with a relatively small
expenditure of power, thereby rendering it applicable for use with steam-ships of
inferior power and with sailing ships of all sizes.
In carrying out our invention we dispense with the usual headline altogether
and make the front edge of the top of the net of a curvature approximately
corresponding with the curvature which the usual headline would tend to assume as
it is dragged through the water, that is to say, of a curvature which approxi-
mately corresponds with the bottom of the mouth of the net, thereby forming, what we
call, double wings, the ends of the wings being connected to the upper and lower rear
edges respectively of the boards. The mouth of the net is retained open by means
of cork or other suitable floats attached to the curved front edge of the mouth of
Our sheer boards are much smaller than those usually employed, and in
practice we find it advantageous to employ longer bridles than hitherto, in order
to allow of a larger spread.
the net.
The attachment of our sheer boards to the towing bridles or warp is by means
of chain or wire warp strops or slings fixed diagonally and which can be adjusted
to throw the boards at any particular angle either for horizontal spread of net, or
for securing downward pressure on the boards to keep the net down on the ground
by the reaction of the water on the boards. Or we can adjust the strops or slings
to set the boards so as to spread the net at or near to the surface of the water,
and maintain it in that position by the reaction of the water on the sheer boards,
whilst towing the gear, whereby, by using net of suitable mesh, we are enabled
to fish for herring or mackerel without having to employ the great quantity of
expensive net heretofore considered necessary for this particular kind of fishing.
When using our arrangement of strops or slings we do not require the wrought
iron brackets sometimes used and so are enabled to bring our boards flat up
alongside the bulwarks when heaving up the net which is impossible where
wrought iron brackets are used.
Our improved net can be worked by means of bridles as usually fitted to trawl
nets, or by two separate warps.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan of our improved net with attachments:
Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a side elevation of one of the boards drawn to a larger scale than
Figure 1 shewing the net attached thereto :
Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 3:
Figures 5 and 6 are an elevation and plan respectively shewing our arrangement
for carrying the net when not in use.
a is a trawling net, 6 the top, the edge of which is curved as hereinbefore
described and corresponds approximately in form with the bottom c; d, e the
double wings, and f, the sheer boards, to the rear edges of which the double
wings are attached by means of the shackles g, g. Each of these boards f, f is
preferably constructed of wood and is provided at the bottom with an iron shoe /
to protect it against contact with the ground. i, i are the bridles attached to the
shackles j, j, these shackles being connected to the boards by means of chains or
wire warp k, k, k, k and the eye bolts 1, 1, 1, 1.
m, m are cork or other floats attached to the upper edge of the mouth of the net
to keep it open, and n, n are weights attached to the bottom edge of the mouth.
By the use of our invention we avoid the necessity for using the heavy overhead

page_text: timber frames and rollers such as are at present fitted to the vessel's bulwarks and
are enabled to work with the ordinary small dandy score or other system of rollers
on the vessel's rail, thereby obviating the necessity for incurring expense for extra
fittings about the vessel's decks or bulwarks, whereby considerable economy
ensues. The sheer boards, when the net is hauled up, lie flat against the bulwarks
as shewn in Figures 5 and 6.
When fishing for some kinds of fish it may be found advisable to fill up the top
of the net so that the mouth of the net extends up to or almost up to a straight
line between the sheer boards, and to permit of this we may provide the net with
a filling piece which may be fixed in position when desired.
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 :-
1. In a trawling net in which the mouth is distended by sheer boards, curving
the front edge of the mouth of the net substantially as, and for the purposes,
described.
2. A trawling net the mouth of which is kept open without a headline, substan-
tially as described.
3. In a trawling net the attachment of the sheer boards to the bridles or warp
by means of chain or wire warp fixed diagonally on the boards and which is
adjustable for throwing the boards to any desired angle, substantially as described
for the purposes specified.
4. The combination of parts constituting the improved trawling net and gear
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 14th day of May 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.