Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sifting – Special applications
Reexamination Certificate
1995-09-07
2001-12-11
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sifting
Special applications
C209S272000, C043S006500, C043S004000, C043S004500, C056S009000, C056S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328165
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the harvesting of aquaculture from bodies of water, but more specifically to methods and apparatus for the harvesting of the types of aquaculture available near the surface of the water, for example brine shrimp and brine shrimp roe, jelly fish, kelp, algae, and other creatures that live within the upper ten feet below the surface of the body of water. Although some preferred embodiments presented herein are directed to the harvesting of roe and small invertebrates, it will be appreciated that this technique can also be used for harvesting other types of plants and animals.
2. Background Art
Harvesting aquaculture from bodies of water has been a significant source of nutrition for mankind throughout history. Although advancements in watercraft have allowed vessels to become faster and larger, increases in the amount of fauna harvested generally focus on enlarging age-old methods. For example, although fishing line and nets have been used for centuries, it has been only recently that technology has allowed the use of miles-long drift nets pulled behind huge ships. Although these changes in the scope of harvesting techniques have resulted in larger yields, they have not significantly advanced the sophistication of the technology used in harvesting aquaculture.
Although larger nets can be utilized for harvesting of fish, the harvesting of smaller species which tend to live near the surface is usually accomplished through the use of small hand nets having small openings. The small size of the openings prevents escape of the aquaculture but also prevents the rapid removal of water. These harvesting techniques therefore often require the use of cranes or other machinery to enable lifting of the fine meshed nets or bags out of the water and to handle the bags once they are aboard the ship.
After the bags of the aquaculture are loaded on the ship, the ship is typically taken to shore where the aquaculture is processed and stored for land transport. The disadvantage to this method is that, in addition to the harvested aquaculture, an abundance of water, unwanted species, and detritus is also collected and hauled to shore. Large and expensive facilities must then be constructed to hold the collected materials and to separate the selected species from the unwanted materials. Due to the large amount of unwanted material collected, the separation process can be both slow and costly.
In an attempt to limit the costly land processing, attempts have been made to at least partially separate out the selected species of aquaculture on the ship. In the case of brine ship roe, this has typically been accomplished by placing the captured water and aquaculture in a settling tank. Since the roe typically has the highest buoyancy, the roe will float to the surface of the tank where it is separated from the rest of the material.
The above process, however, has several shortcomings. For example, the separation of the shrimp roe from the rest of the aquaculture is often not absolute. This is especially true where there is a large concentration of other types of aquaculture in the water or when the harvesting is being performed under rough water conditions. As a result, significant land processing is still required.
Furthermore, the process does not work where the selected species to be harvested are not the species that float on the top surface or where it is desired to collect a plurality of different species.
In addition, collection of the selected species still requires the processing of a large amount of water. This processing requires extra time and energy.
OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for harvesting aquaculture from a body of water.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for harvesting a selected species of aquaculture from among several species initially acquired during the harvesting operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide methods and apparatus for harvesting aquaculture which do not require the lifting of heavy containers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for harvesting aquaculture in which the water is substantially separated from the aquaculture during the initial harvesting process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide methods and apparatus for substantially separating a plurality of different selected species from the aquaculture during the initial harvesting of the aquaculture.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide methods and apparatus for separating a selected species from the aquaculture wherein the methods and apparatus can be used during the harvesting or during dry land processing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide method and apparatus for separating the selected species from the remaining aquaculture wherein the separating process is continuous to limit time and cost.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for harvesting aquaculture which can be rapidly deployed to the site for harvesting.
Finally, it is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for harvesting aquaculture which allow for a more rapid harvesting to occur.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part may be derived from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, methods and apparatus are provided for harvesting aquaculture utilizing a moving belt-type skimmer which is placed in the water from a ship. The belt is constructed of a material having a pore size and other characteristics which allow the selected species to be lifted from the water and carried up the belt and deposited in the ship. A boom is placed on the surface of the water and extends to a depth there below to initially accumulate the harvest and direct the harvest onto the moving belt. The harvest may be adhered to the belt either by the motion of the ship through the water, or by the use of propulsion induced flow such as that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,292, which is hereby incorporated by reference. By using the belt, the aquaculture is substantially separated from the water.
After the aquaculture has been moved up the belt and the belt has revolved around its highest elevation and has started to return to the lower elevation, a spray bar placed between the ascending portion of the belt and the descending portion sprays in a downward direction through the descending portion of the belt thereby removing the harvest from the outer surface of the belt and depositing the harvest in a holding tank located below the spray bar. The holding tank has an independent supply of water that allows the aquaculture to begin to settle and separate within the holding tank.
In one embodiment, a second conveyor belt is positioned to receive the aquaculture from the loading belt. The second belt has a plurality of pores extending therethrough. The pores have a diameter slightly larger than the selected species so that the selected species fall through the pores and into the holding tank. The remaining portion of the aquaculture stays on the second belt and is eventually removed as waste or processed for additional species.
In an alternative embodiment, it is envisioned that a table having comparably sized pores could replace the second conveyor belt. The table could selectively vibrate to help filter the selected species through the pores. By using a combination of tables or conveyor belts having a plurality of different sized pores, it is envisioned that a variety of
Baker Gary Lynn
Baker Garyn Philip
Bollinger David H.
International Aquaculture Technologies
Madson & Metcalf
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