Detachable swivel for coupling gangions to longlines and apparatus for

Abstract

A swivel device for coupling gangions to longlines and an apparatus for automatically attaching the same. The device includes a cylindrical stop sleeve fixedly attached to the longline, and a detachable swivel body with an aperture therethrough sized for rotatably receiving the sleeve therein. The body has a sidewall opening communicating with the body aperture and sized to allow lateral passage of the longline, but not the sleeve, therethrough. The body has an ear for attachment of the gangion and has depressable stops spaced apart for receiving the sleeve therebetween and restraining axial movement of the body relative to the sleeve while permitting rotational movement thereabout. The stops have axially outward facing cams which depress the stops when engaged by a tool or by a sleeve entering the body aperture. The apparatus has a gravity-feed track for loading a plurality of swivel bodies, and a swing arm having a carrier positioned to receive the bodies from the track and releasably hold the bodies in position, with the longline extending through the body aperture in preparation for receipt of a sleeve therein. The swing arm is movable to a release point in response to the travel of the sleeve with the longline. A retainer allows escapement of individual swivel bodies from the feed track while retaining the remainder of the bodies on the track until the swing arm is in position to receive another body. A stop guide is positioned to limit travel of the bodies fed from the track to the swing arm.