Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
  • A01K61/60—Floating cultivation devices, e.g. rafts or floating fish-farms
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A40/00—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production
  • Y02A40/80—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production in fisheries management
  • Y02A40/81—Aquaculture, e.g. of fish

Definitions

• the present invention is related to a device for use in fish farming industry, said device being arranged to be attached to a hand rail on a net cage, in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
• a traditional net cage for fish farming comprises a floating collar with hand rail and seine.
• the hand rail is formed of a number of vertical struts, rail supports, attached to clamps which constitute a part of the floating collar, and a horizontal pipe, rail pipe, extending between the upper part of the vertical struts, and which constitute the rail part on the hand rail.
• the rail pipe is connected to the rail supports by providing the supports with a ring in the upper end, whereby the rail pipe is extending through the ring.
• the rail pipe extends freely through the ring of the rail support, and is movable in relation to the same. This is necessary to enable the net cage to move with waves and other influences, such as wind and current. Accordingly, situations may arise where a hand, clothes, rope or other things being squeezed between the ring on the rail support and the rail pipe, which may be hazardous to people and equipment.
• the net cage is usually provided with cage hooks on the rail supports directed inwards to the net cage, and which is being used during deployment and/or elevation of the net cage, for example in connection with fish delivery, delousing, sorting and/or moving fish etc.
• the rail supports are usually also provided with hooks turned outwards to the pavement. These hooks are being utilized during elevation/deployment of the bottom collar where the chain will become suspended on these hooks during work.
• net cage hooks is in this patent application meant to include both cage hooks and hooks which are turned outwards to the pavement.
• the seine is transported to the net cage by boat, and the boat is located adjacent to the floating collar whereas the seine is hoisted into the net cage by a crane or similar. It is common to let the seine slide over the hand rail at the transition between boat and net cage and usually the net cage slides over a narrow area of the hand rail, for example over two rail supports. Accordingly, during deployment there is a large risk that the seine is being fastened to one or more of the net cage hooks, and may result in holes and/or rifts in the seine. Holes/rifts of this type will not be discovered until the seine is being inspected by a diver or by ROV after deployment into a net cage.
• the seine weighs several tons and situations may arise where the seine gets stuck on one or more of the net cage hooks. Rifts and/or holes which arise in this way are not being discovered until the seine again is in place in a net cage, optionally after rinsing and/or another treatment.
• Empty net cage hooks can also be a bar to other equipment and/or persons walking on the pavement around the net cage. The net cage hooks may for example get stuck to clothes of a person walking nearby and create potentially dangerous situations.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a device for protecting net cage hooks without preventing common use of the net cage. Another object is to make sure that the device will cover the transition between rail supports and rail pipes to prevent pinch danger. Moreover, it is advantageous that the protection don't have to be removed prior to common use of the net cage hooks. Finally, an object is that the protection will be cost effective, require little maintenance and be attached to existing net cages.
• the device in accordance with the present invention is provided with means for attachment to a hand rail of a net cage, said net cage comprising rail supports and one or more rail pipes attached to the supports.
• the device comprises an attachment means having means for attachment to the rail pipe, and a cover to cover net cage hooks which are attached to the rail supports.
• the attachment means and the cover are attached to each other.
• the attachment means is formed reciprocal to the rail pipe, so that it encloses it at least in part.
• the attachment means can be formed in one part or in one or more parts which are attached to each other, e.g. attached pivotal to each other.
• the arrangement of the attachment means can constitute means for attachment to the rail pipe.
• the attachment means can be provided with other means for attachment to the rail pipe, for example means to be spanned around at least a part of the periphery of the rail pipe, such as clamps and/or other screw attachment.
• the cover is attached to the attachment means and extends downwards from the attachment means.
• the attachment between cover and attachment means can be both direct and via an intermediate part, and fixed or pivotal in relation what is most appropriate for the use of the device.
• the cover and/or attachment between attachment means and cover is arranged in such a manner that at least a part of the cover is at a distance from the rail support, to create space for the net cage hooks at the same time as they are being shielded in a manner that prevents them from unintentionally being hooked into something. This may for example be achieved by attaching the cover to the attachment means in a manner that creates a distance, and/or that the cover is formed to create the distance.
• the free end of the cover i.e. the end of the cover that is not attached to the attachment means, preferably is formed to be located adjacent to the rail support and more preferred completely or partially enclosing the rail support where the net cage hooks are attached. In this way, it is avoided that the end protrudes and may be hooked and/or disengaged, and preventing the device from sliding along the rail pipe when the end encloses the rail support completely or partly.
• the device in accordance with the invention is arranged to be attached at the hand rail in the transition between rail support and rail pipe, so that the attachment means is being centred above the rail support.
• the attachment means is preferably arranged in a manner that it covers the transition between rail support and rail pipe on both sides, thereby decreasing the pinch danger between the ring on the rail support and the rail pipe.
• the cover will be attached substantially perpendicular to the attachment means and extend vertically downwards.
• the means for attachment should be formed in a manner that they can be detached from the rail pipe and optionally rail support in a simple manner. This can for example be obtained by providing the attachment means and optionally the free end of the cover with a form or a recess complementary to the form of the rail support and rail pipe, respectively, so that a snap fit is obtained between the attachment means and rail pipe, optionally free end of cover and rail support.
• the fastening between attachment means and cover is provided so that the cover can be pivoted in relation to attachment means and/or disengaged if only the cover has to be displaced/removed when the net cage hooks are being used.
• the cover of the device is arranged to cover or shield the net cage hooks from the outside, i.e., from the pavement, or from the inside. In embodiments like this it may be desirable to turn the device. Mounting the device is with the cover outwards to the pavement will prevent something being at, or moving along, the pavement from being hooked into the hooks.
• the device may comprise one or more covers attached to a common attachment device, to protect the net cage hooks from the inside and from the outside, for example during deployment of seines.
• the attachment means of the device should be sufficiently wide to cover/shield the transition between rail support and rail pipe, and at the same time prevent the device from being twisted in relation to the rail pipe.
• the cover should be sufficiently wide to protect the net cage hooks from both sides of the rail support, and hold the device in a fixed manner in relation to the rail support and prevent it from sliding along the rail pipe.
• the device is constructed of a material which is sufficiently strong to prevent twisting, but sufficiently flexible to be snapped in place over the rail support and the rail pipe.
• the device may advantageously be produced in one form-cast part. Alternatively, the parts can be produced separately and mounted/welded to each other at later point in time.
• a preferred material for production of the device is PVC.
• PVC polyvinyl styrene
• the mixture and the thickness of the attachment means and the cover must be adapted to each other so that a sufficient strength and flexibility is obtained. This is within range of a person skilled in the art.
• the device in accordance with the present invention is described with reference to an example. The example is solely meant to illustrate and shall not be interpreted to limit the invention as defined in the claims.
• Figure 1 illustrates the device in perspective from one side
• Figure 2 shows the device mounted to a rail support on a clamp on a net cage, seen in perspective from one side.
• Figure 1 shows a device in accordance with the present invention, comprising an attachment means 1 and a cover 2 to shield/cover net cage hooks 9 which are attached to a rail support 5, either from outside or from inside the net cage.
• the attachment means is formed complementary to a rail pie 3 on the hand rail of a net cage, having an inner diameter larger than outer diameter of the rail pipe.
• the rail pipe 3 exhibits a circular cross section and the attachment means 1 is for that reason formed as a sleeve.
• the attachment means is provided with an axial slit 4 which can be pressed upon and over the rail pipe 3 to partially enclose it.
• the attachment means is formed of a material and with a thickness which allows the slit 4 to be widened to accommodate the rail pipe 3 and thereupon return to its original size. In this way a snap fit connection is formed between attachment means 1 and rail pipe 3, and the device is held in place over the rail pipe 3.
• the device in accordance with the present invention is in the illustrated embodiment arranged to be placed over the rail pipe 3 at the transition between rail pipe 3 and a rail support 5, as shown in Fig. 2.
• the rail support is in its upper end formed with a ring 8, whereby the rail pipe 3 is extending through the ring.
• the rail pipe 3 is illustrated in an exploded form.
• the attachment means 1 is formed so that it extend beyond the rail pipe 3 and cover the ring 8 on the rail support 5, thus avoiding risk of pinching between ring 8 and rail support 3.
• the attachment means exhibits an inner diameter larger than the ring 8 of the rail support 5.
• the slit 4 in the attachment means 1 is preferably formed in a way that the slit 4 is directed downwards when the device is mounted, and in the illustrated embodiment the slit 4 has two recesses 6, one on each side, for accommodation of the rail support 5.
• the recess 6 can be located on one side of the slit 4, or the slit 4 can be sufficiently wide to avoid the need for providing space for the rail support.
• the cover 2 of the device is attached to the attachment means 1 on the side of the attachment means, so that upper part of the cover 2 is at a distance from the rail support 5 and net cage hooks 9 which are connected to upper part of the rail support.
• the end of the cover is curved into the rail support and is formed with a recess 7 corresponding to the cross section of the rail support.
• the recess 7 is narrower than the cross section at the outlet, so that the end is snap fit over the rail support and held in place.
• the cover 2 of the device will protect the net cage hooks 9 without preventing their access, and at the same time preventing the device from moving along the rail pipe.
• the attachment means 2 will cover the ring 8 on the rail support 5, and in this way prevent something from being pinched between the ring on the rail support and the rail pipe, when the support and pipe is being moved in relation to each other.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
• Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
• Farming Of Fish And Shellfish (AREA)
• Feed For Specific Animals (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=48672914

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

• 2012
  • 2012-06-25 NO NO20120731A patent/NO20120731A1/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2013
  • 2013-06-07 WO PCT/NO2013/050103 patent/WO2014011058A1/fr not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (3)

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