US2693161A - Buoyant seaweed collecting fence - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 2, 1954 s, c, STUBBS 2,693,161

BUOYANT SEAWEED COLLECTING FENCE Filed June 18, 1952 INVESTOR sa /1W4 c. a 7053s ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice BUOYANT SEAWEED COLLECTING FENCE sherman C. Stubbs, Danville, Ill.

Application June 18, 1952, Serial No. 294,283

1 Claim. (Cl. 114--0.5)

This invention relates to a novel collecting device for seaweed in ocean areas and more particularly to a fence adapted to be disposed in substantially an upright position in the water having a submerged lower portion and an upper portion extending substantially above the water level to prevent seaweed from washing over the top of the fence.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a novel construction of fence of woven wire construction having rigid upright metal posts to which the fence wire is secured together with buoyant means extending longitudinally of the fence substantially intermediate of its upper and lower edges, for maintaining the fence partially in a submerged position and with an upper portion of the fence extending upwardly from the level of the body of water in which the collecting device is disposed.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for flexibly connecting sections of the fence disposed between upright fence posts thereof to allow the fence sections to flex relatively to one another.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the seaweed collecting fence;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of afportion of the fence looking toward the rear side therei f Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the ence;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, on an enlarged scale relatively to Figure 4, showing the flexibility of the adjacent fence sections;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 2, and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the seaweed collecting fence in its entirety is designated generally 8, and includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced upright fence posts 9, each of which is of triangular shape in cross section, as best seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Each post 9 has a plurality of longitudinally spaced aligned openings 10 formed in the front side 11 and the rear edge 12 thereof. A bolt shank 13 extends loosely through each pair of aligned openings 10. Each bolt shank 13 has a turned back hook shaped head 14, the bill portion of which extends into the hollow interior of the post 9 through an opening disposed adjacent the opening 10 of the front wall 11 through which the bolt shank 13 extends, so that the bight portion of each hook 14 is spaced outwardly from the front side 11 of the post 9. An opening 15 is disposed adjacent each opening 10 of the front wall 11 of each post 9. The posts 9 are connected adjacent their upper and lower ends by longitudinally extending cables 16 which extend through the hooks 14 of the uppermost and lowermost bolts 13 of the posts 9. The cables 16 are clamped against the front sides 11 of the posts 9 by the hooks 14 being drawn inwardly for clamping the cables between the front sides 11 of the posts and the bight portions of the books 14. The threaded shanks of the bolts 13 which project from the rear edges 12 of the posts 9 each extend through a 2,693,161 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 relatively thick washer 17 and through a nut 18 which is threaded thereon and which bears against the outer or rear end of the washer 17. Each washer 17 has a notched forward end 17a to receive the rear edge of the post 9 with which it is associated. It will be readily apparent that the nuts 18 may be tightened for drawing the bolt shanks rearwardly through the posts 9 to clamp the cables 16 against the front sides 11 of said posts.

Each of the bolts 13 disposed between the upper and lower bolts of each post 9 is likewise provided with a Washer 17 and a nut 18. One of said bolts 13 of each post 9, which is disposed substantially intermediate of the upper and lower ends of the post, extends through a plate 19, through which plate the turned back bill portion of the hook 14 likewise extends. The plates 19 are thus clamped against the front sides 11 of the posts 9 substantially intermediate of their upper and lower ends.

An elongated hollow container 20 which is sealed to form a float, extends between the adjacent ends of adjacent plates 19, one of said floats 20 being disposed between each two adjacently disposed posts 9. The floats 20 are disposed behind the fence 8 and are provided with hinged barrel portions extending from the forward sides thereof and forming integral extensions of the ends of said floats, said hinged barrel portions 21 inter-fit with corresponding hinged barrel portions 22 formed at each end of each plate 19 through which interfitting barrel portions 21 and 22 hinge pins 23 extend, for swingably mounting the ends of the floats 20 relatively to the plates 19 and the fence posts 9. It will thus be seen that the ferfice posts and floats are flexibly connected to one anot er.

The ends of the top and bottom cables 16 are preferably joined by upright end cable portions 16a which extend lengthwise along the front sides 11 of the two end posts 9a, as illustrated in Figure 3. The end posts 9a are only provided with the bolts 13 and associated parts at the upper and lower ends thereof and one intermediate bolt, not shown, for mounting a plate 19 to each end post.

A strip of mesh Wire, designated generally 24, extends from end-to-end of the fence 8 and is attached thereto by longitudinal edge portions of the mesh wire fencing 24 being looped around the longitudinal top and bottom cables 16, as indicated at 25 in Figure 2. The end portions of the fencing 24 have loops 25a engaging around the end cable portions 16a. The individual strands of the mesh wire fencing 24 are intertwined in a conventional manner as indicated at 26 in Figure 2. Certain of the intertwined points of the fencing 24 are disposed adjacent each of the hooks 14 of the fence posts 9 with the exception of the topmost and bottommost hook of each fence post, and said intertwined portions 26 are engaged in the hooks 14 and are clamped thereby against the front sides 11 of the fence posts 9 by tightening of the nuts 18, for effectively securing the mesh wire 24 against the front sides of the fence posts 9.

The fence 8 may be made of any desired length and when disposed in the water, as indicated in Figure 3, will be maintained in substantially an upright position with the floats 20 partially submerged so that the portion of the fence 8 disposed below the floats 20 will be disposed below the water level, as indicated at 27 in Figure 3, and will extend downwardly to a sufficient depth to prevent floating seaweed from passing therebeneath. The remaining upper portion of the fence 8, which is disposed above the floats 20 will extend to substantially above the water level 27 to prevent seaweed from being washed thereover. If desired, the floats 20 may be disposed nearer to the upper edge of the fence 8, than as illustrated in the drawing, by securing the plates 19 nearer to the upper ends of the posts 9 and 9a to insure that the fence 8 will be maintained in an upright position, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, or the lower end of the fence 8 may be weighted by means of suitable weights suspended from the fence posts 9 to accomplish this result. The ends of the fence 8 may be suitably anchored where sufficient current or tide exists to cause sufiicient seaweed to be washed against the fence, or the ends of the fence may be connected by suitable cables 28 to suitable towing vessels 29 by means of which the fence may be slowly towed in an extended position, as illustrated in Figure 1,. for collecting the seaweed more rapidly where adequate collection thereof may not be accomplished by the seaweed being washed against the fence. It will be readily obvious that the portions of the fence disposed between the fence posts may flex relatively to one another due to the flexibility of the cables 16 and the mesh wire fencing 24 and since the floats 20 may swing relatively to the fence posts by their pivotal connection to the attaching plates 19.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated 10 and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A seaweed collecting fence comprising a plurality of 15 longitudinally spaced upright fence posts including intermediate and end fence posts, cables extending from endto-end of the fence and connecting said fence posts adjacent the upper and lower ends of the fence-posts, plates secured to the fence posts, elongated rigid floats pivotally 20 connected at their ends to adjacent ends of adjacent plates 4 and flexibly supported thereby between and relatively to the fence posts, and a strip of flexible mesh material extending from end-to-end of the fence and connected to each of the fence posts and to said cables.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 445,107 Willey Jan. 20, 1891 844,925 Elenterius Feb. 19, 1907 873,195 Willets Dec. 10, 1907 1,028,671 Brooks June 4, 1912 1,139,239 Trammell May 11, 1915 1,202,810 Daniels Oct. 31, 1916 1,274,299 McGowan July 30, 1918 2,369,464 Kalnitz Feb. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 407,508 Italy -2 Oct. 23, 1944

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