Method and device for operation of a trawl

• US 6,138,397 A
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Scantrol As
• Original Assignee: Scantrol As
• Inventors: Hammersland, Helge, Tvedt, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beitey, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/194,837
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 43/9.1, 43/9.6, 43/9.7, 114/255, 114/253
• US Class Current: 43/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 73/04 Devices for spreading or positioning, e.g. control thereof

Abstract

There is referred to a process and an arrangement for control of one or more trawls (12, 40, 42) which are towed after a vessel (10), where the trawl(s) (12, 40, 42) are connected to the vessel by means of a number of cables (16, 14; 44, 45, 46), and where one or more devices (22, 24) contribute to maintaining the trawl(s) opening(s) outstretched during the movement through the sea and the invention is characterized in that the individual traction (FW1, FW2, FW3) in the cables (44, 45, 46) is regulated on the basis of measurements of the direction of flow (P3) of water adjacent to the trawl or the trawls.

Claims

1. Process for control of one or ore trawls, each comprising a trawl bag, and which are towed after a vessel, where the one or more trawls via a number of cables are connected to cable tension regulating means on the vessel, and where means contribute to maintaining the opening of the trawl outstretched during the movement through the sea, wherein the individual tension in one or more of the cables is regulated on the basis of measurements of the direction of the resulting water flow adjacent to the trawl, so that the resulting water flow has direction directly towards the opening of the trawls.

2. Process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measurement of the direction of the resulting flow of water is conducted with a sensor which is placed adjacent to the trawl.

3. Process in accordance with claim 2, wherein the sensor is arranged in the upper side of the trawl.

4. Process in accordance with claim 1 for control of two trawls which are towed mutually in parallel after a vessel where the outer sides of the trawls are connected via cables to respective cable tension-regulating means in the vessel, while the mutually adjacent trawl sides are bound together with wires at a point from which a third cable leads forward to the vessel, wherein the tractions in the three cables are mutually regulated on the basis of data from one or more sensors such that the two trawls are adjusted in optimum adjustment such that the flow of water has a direction directly towards the opening of the trawls.

5. Arrangement for control of one or more trawls having a trawl bag and which are towed after a vessel where the at least one trawl via a number of cables are connected to cable tension regulating means on the vessel and comprising trawl outstretching means for maintaining the one or more trawl openings stretched out during the movement through the sea, characterized in that a number of sensors is arranged adjacent to the trawl for measuring the direction of resulting flow of the water adjacent to the trawl, which one or more sensors is/are signal-connected to the cable tension regulating means and tension on the basis of said flow measurements so that the resulting flow of water has a direction directly towards the opening of the trawls.

6. Arrangement in accordance with claim 5, wherein in that the sensor is arranged adjacent to the trawl and is preferably arranged in the upper side of the trawl.

7. Arrangement in accordance with claim 5, wherein the sensor is adapted to transmit data as sound wave signals to a hydrophone positioned in the vessel.

8. Arrangement in accordance with one of the claim 5, wherein the sensor is adapted to transmit data through a cable.

9. Arrangement in accordance with one of the claim 5, wherein in that each of the cable-tension regulating means comprises a winch.