Marine aquaculture apparatus

• US 5,970,917 A
• Filed: 02/27/1998
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard W. Keith Jr
• Original Assignee: Richard W. Keith Jr
• Inventors: Keith, Richard W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US09/030,623
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 119/200, 119/223, 119/204, 119/205, 119/207, 119/208, 119/215, 119/217, 119/238, 119/234, 119/239
• US Class Current: 119/223
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/60 Floating cultivation devices, e.g. rafts or floating fish-farms
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/70 Artificial fishing banks or reefs
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/80 Feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/81 Aquaculture, e.g. of fish

Abstract

Marine aquaculture apparatus comprises a submersible torus-shaped enclosure having perforations therein. Structure is provided for raising the torus-shaped enclosure to the surface of a body of water and lowering the enclosure into the body of water. An access door on the torus-shaped enclosure provides entry into interior portions thereof. These interior portions of the enclosure function as a habitat for growing marine life such as fish. Preferably the torus-shaped enclosure comprises a perforated surface generated by the revolution of a circle about a vertical axis.

Claims

1. Marine aquaculture apparatus comprising a submersible torus-shaped rigid enclosure having perforations therein, means for raising and lowering the torus-shaped enclosure in a body of water, an access door on the torus-shaped enclosure for providing entry into interior portions thereof, and the torus-shaped rigid enclosure having an uninterrupted interior defining a continuous torus-shaped path for marine life within the enclosure.

2. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the torus-shaped enclosure is a perforated surface generated by the revolution of a circle about a vertical axis.

3. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 1 including a plurality of spaced apart cables fixedly secured at one end thereof to the torus-shaped enclosure, a centrally positioned carrier inside and above the torus-shaped enclosure, and wherein each cable is fixedly secured to the carrier at an end thereof opposite the end connected to the torus-shaped enclosure.

4. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 1 including a feed delivery tube connected between the submersible torus-shaped enclosure and the surface of the body of water in which the enclosure is submerged.

5. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 4 including a float connected to an upper end of the feed delivery tube for maintaining that upper end at the surface of the body of water in which the enclosure is submerged.

6. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 1 in combination with an automatic food feeder for supplying the enclosure with food.

7. Marine aquaculture apparatus comprising a submergible torus-shaped enclosure having perforations therein, means for raising and lowering the torus-shaped enclosure in a body of water, an access door on the torus-shaped enclosure for providing entry into the interior thereof, a plurality of spaced apart cables fixedly secured at one end thereof to the torus-shaped enclosure, a centrally positioned carrier inside and above the torus-shaped enclosure, and wherein each cable is fixedly secured to the carrier at an end thereof opposite the end connected to the torus-shaped enclosure, and wherein the means for raising and lowering the torus-shaped enclosure in a body of water includes a vertically oriented cable, operator means connected to raise and lower the vertically oriented cable, and wherein the carrier is connected to the vertically oriented cable for movement therewith whereby the torus-shaped enclosure is raised or lowered with the raising and lowering of the carrier with the vertically oriented cable.

8. Marine aquaculture apparatus comprising a submergible torus-shaped enclosure having perforations therein, means for raising and lowering the torus-shaped enclosure in a body of water, an access door on the torus-shaped enclosure for providing entry into the interior thereof, and wherein the means for raising and lowering the torus-shaped enclosure in a body of water includes a vertically oriented continuous cable having upper and lower end portions, a weight connected to the lower end portion of the cable to thereby anchor the cable in place, and a float connected to the upper end portion of the cable.

9. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 8 including a lower U-shaped hollow tube through which the cable extends.

10. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 9 including a centrally positioned carrier inside and above the torus-shaped enclosure, cable means connecting the enclosure to the carrier, and means connecting the carrier to the vertically oriented continuous cable for movement therewith.

11. Marine aquaculture apparatus as in claim 10 wherein the cable means comprises a plurality of spaced apart cables fixedly secured at one end thereof to the torus-shaped enclosure and fixedly secured to the carrier at the other end of each cable opposite to the end connected to the torus-shaped enclosure.