Marine Construction & Design Co.

Marco Seattle, Inc.

Robert A Svendsen

Harold T Cook, Jr

Donn B Furlong

Allan P Rustad

A hauling block 20 having a sheave 30 comprising two identical halves 32 and 34. The hauling surfaces 40 and 42 of the sheave 30 carry outwardly extending, cleat receiving pockets 54. Reinforced cleats 50 are seated in the pockets 54 and releasably fastened to the sheave 30.

Hauling sheave with cleats

A hydraulic swivel 40 transfers pressurized hydraulic fluid from a stationary spool 50 to a housing 42 mounted for rotation relative to the spool 50. The swivel 40 also carries a drain line 64 placed in fluid communication with the spool/housing interface above and below the pressurized fluid passages so that any fluid leaking from the pressurized fluid passages will find its way to the drain and thus not to the outside of the swivel.

Hydraulic swivel

A crab pot line hauler in which an upright sheave support plate in the hauler head assembly is configured to serve as a continuing part of an outboard-extending cantilever swiveling support extending laterally from an upright post, and also to serve as a combined water splash guard and line loop whip guard for the hauler sheave, the multifunction support plate leaves the sheave open around its periphery for viewing of the line and ready accessibility to the line in order to clear it of incoming line knots and debris.

Deepwater king crab pot line hauler

A net-hauling, power-driven block, the frame of which is suspended from a trolley movable along a track extending between upward extensions of the frame sides. A hydraulic motor on the trolley drives a pinion which engages a sector gear parallel to the trolley track so as to vary the tilt of the block sheave as required to restore seating of the moving net in the sheave groove.

Powered net hauling block with tilt mechanism for net balancing

The improved crab pot line hauler's drive motor, sheave and associated line guide means having a common support are mounted as a composite unit on pivotal support bearings that permit the unit to revolve freely about a fixed bearing axis in addressing itself to the incoming line being hauled and that restrain the unit against other bodily motion. Placement of the center of mass of the hauler unit at or closely adjacent to such pivot bearing axis assures its relatively steady orientation in operative relation to the incoming line with minimal line deflection force acting on it to do this. Polar moment of inertia about such bearing axis being also made relatively small by such mounting system, quickness of response of the unit to changing line approach direction is also achieved, a major advantage in stormy weather.

Crab pot line hauler

A crab pot warp line coiler is disclosed utilizing the unique properties of 'Crab Lay' type synthetic line. Drawn by the coiler from a pot hauler, the line passes initially around an input guide sheave and thereupon downwardly across a vertical span into the nip between opposing guide rollers underlying the guide sheave. These feed the line directly down into the central part of a receiving enclosure serving to confine the coils which inherently form in a sufficiently orderly manner in the process without other guide means being required. The feed rollers, one comprising a pneumatic tire that runs in a peripheral groove about the other, are yieldably spring actuated toward each other so as to grip the line for feed purposes with a pressure that, by reason of the overlying location of the input sheave assuming horizontally directed incoming line tension load, is kept substantially independent of line load tension. Furthermore, the heavy and bulky knots securing together the successive shots of the dense Crab Lay line are enabled to pass through the feed rolls readily at the high hauling speeds employed without disrupting the continuous coiler action, nor causing excessive mechanical shock in the apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Robert A Svendsen