FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] THIS INVENTION relates to a marine harvest system. The invention is primarily directed to a marine harvest system comprising inter alia housings for marine animals mounted to one or more support posts and/or support posts for supporting accommodation apparatus for marine organisms.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Support posts are normally used in the construction of support structures for aquaculture suitable for such applications as oyster farms, crab farms and such like, especially in the case where such farms are sited in a natural marine environment. Generally, housings or receptacles are provided for marine animals such as marine molluscs and/or marine arthropods, the receptacles having some means or preventing escape of the animals into the natural marine environment. The receptacles are normally supported by one or more support posts embedded in the submarine floor. Installation of support posts can be expensive and time consuming. For convenience, such housings or receptacles will be referred to herein as aquaculture baskets.

[0003] Ocean and river beds may be formed from what would be termed "ground" in locations not so submerged. In this specification, unless the context indicates otherwise, the term "ground" is to be taken to include what could be termed "ocean bed" and "river bed" as well as non- submerged ground.

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a support post which alleviates one or more of the problems of the prior art. Other aims and advantages of the invention may become apparent from the following description.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0005] With the foregoing in view, the present invention in one aspect resides broadly in a marine harvest system including:

[0006] a support post for a marine harvest system, having a hollow section pole portion having one or more passages extending the length of the pole portion, an end portion fixed or formed onto one end of the pole portion, the end portion having one or more voids within and in communication with the one or more passages of the pole portion and one or more orifices in communication with the one or more voids to provide corresponding openings in the end portion remote from the pole portion; and

[0007] an aquaculture basket for a marine harvest system having a tray having one or more compartments adapted for housing a marine animal, the tray further including a base wall and one or more upright walls extending from said base wall to an upper edge substantially parallel to the base wall, one or more of upright walls constituting an outer perimeter wall and one or more connecting brackets for connecting said tray to another of said trays,

[0008] the aquaculture basket having mounting means for mounting to the support post intermediate its ends.

[0009] Preferably, the mounting means is formed by providing a penetration through the basket, the penetration having dimensions commensurate with the dimensions of the cross section of the support post.

[0010] In another aspect, the present invention resides broadly in a support post for a marine harvest system, including:

[0011] a hollow section pole portion having one or more passages extending the length of the pole portion;

[0012] an end portion fixed or formed onto one end of the pole portion, the end portion including:

[0013] one or more voids within and in communication with the one or more passages of the pole portion, and

\ [0014] one or more orifices in communication with the one or more voids to provide corresponding openings in the end portion remote from the pole portion.

[0015] The pole portion may be hollow such as a pipe having a single passage therethrough. The pole portion may include one or more webs spanning across the passage thereby dividing the passage into a plurality of passages. The webs may be provided, for example, to strengthen the pole portion. In a preferred form, the pole portion is of square section having diagonal webs extending across from corner to corner. [0016] The end portion is preferably formed to ease penetration of the post into the ground. For example, the end portion may be tapered to a point. In such form, it is preferred that the point is penetrated by the orifice or orifices. Such an arrangement may truncate the point. For example, if the end portion is formed as a cone, one orifice may be provided at the apex of the cone, the orifice opening a void extending through the cone. The end portion may be fastened to the end of the pole portion with the void in communication with the passages through the pole portion by being formed to be open to the base of the cone.

[0017] It will be appreciated that the cone would normally be inverted whereby the apex would be lower than the base. Preferably, the base of the cone has a diameter slightly greater than the diagonal measurement across the pole portion. In a preferred form, the base of the cone is attached to the end of the pole portion by a collar in the form of a plate having an external periphery commensurate with the base of the cone and an internal periphery commensurate with the external dimensions of the pole portion. In such form, the internal periphery is further provided with flange portions arranged angularly to the plate of the collar, the angle being such that the flange portions may lie substantially flat against the four sides of the pole portion when the collar is in its operative disposition. When so placed, the collar may be fastened by a fastener or such like penetrating the flange and the pole portion.

[0018] The collar may form the base of the cone of the end portion of the post. In one form, the end portion may be formed from two hollow truncated cones of the same length and same diameter for the truncated apex end, but different pitch angle and therefore different diameter at the base. In such form, the truncated apex forms the orifice to the void, and the collar forms the base of the cone, the base also having the flanges for fastening the cone to the pole portion. The inner cavity of the smaller hollow cone forms the void, open to the passage through the pole portion when the cone is attached thereto by virtue of the inner periphery of the collar. The cavity between the inner and outer truncated cones may be closed.

[0019] The post of the present invention may inserted in to the ground forming the floor or bed of a body of water by forcing fluid through the passage or passages to exit the orifice of the end portion, thereby providing a fluid drilling action whilst simultaneously applying a ramming force to urge the post into the ground. The pole portion may include formations for attachment of aquaculture elements, such as oyster and/or scallop baskets. -A-

[0020] In another aspect, the present invention resides broadly in an aquaculture basket for a marine harvest system including:

[0021] a tray having one or more compartments adapted for housing a marine animal, the tray further including a base wall and one or more upright walls extending from said base wall to an upper edge substantially parallel to the base wall, one or more of upright walls constituting an outer perimeter wall;

[0022] one or more connecting brackets for connecting said tray to another of said trays.

[0023] Preferably, the tray includes an aperture for receiving a support post substantially as hereinbefore defined for supporting said tray in an operative disposition in a marine environment for aquaculture of the marine animal. Preferably, the connecting brackets are arranged to permit two or more trays to be connected together in a side-by-side disposition and in substantially planar alignment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, a preferred and/or other embodiments of the present invention will now described with reference to the following drawings, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, partly exploded pictorial view of a marine harvest system according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic bisecting sectional side elevation of a mounting bracket according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mounting bracket of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a pictorial view of the mounting bracket of Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a basket body for the harvest system of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a basket lid for the basket body of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a pictorial view of a basket assembly for the harvest system of Fig. 1 incorporating the basket body of Fig 5 and the basket lid of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic pictorial exploded view of a support post for the marine harvest system of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a collar for the support post of Fig. 8

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the collar of Fig 9 atop an end portion of the support post of Fig. 8

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic pictorial view of an alternative pole portion for the support post of Fig. 8

Fig. 12 shows a typical installation for the marine harvest system of Fig. 1;

Fig. 13 is a sketched plan view of the marine harvest system of Fig. 1;

Figs. 14 to 18 are each collective drawings illustrating use of the preferred and/or other embodiments of marine harvest system according to the invention;

Figs. 19 to 21 are diagrammatic drawings illustrating the connection of basket assemblies to one another;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a post clip for the marine harvest system according to the invention; and

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the post clip of Fig. 22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The marine harvest system 10 shown in Fig. 1 includes a support post 11 upon which three substantially square basket assemblies shown typically at 12 are supported. Each basket assembly has a basket body 13 covered by a basket lid 14. The support post is substantially square cross-section, the basket assemblies being supported on the support post by penetrating through a central penetration shown typically at 15, the central penetration being substantially square. Four mounting brackets, two being shown typically at 16, are mounted to one side the basket assembly, although it can be seen in Fig 5 that there are also two mounting brackets mounted to the opposite side as well.

[0026] The support post includes a pole portion 17 extending through the central penetrations of the basket assemblies to terminate at its lower end with an end portion 18 mounted thereto. The end portion has a void 20 which exits the lower end of the end portion through an orifice 19 as can be seen in more detail in Fig 8. The mounting bracket 16 shown in more detail in Figs 2 to 4 includes an upper arm 47 extending laterally when the mounting bracket is arranged in its normal orientation. The upper arm extends substantially at right angles to a linking arm 48 which links to a wedge 49. The cross section of the wedge form a right triangle, such that the wedge includes an abutment 50 substantially at right angles to the linking arm. The wedge is incorporated into a backing plate 51.

[0027] The basket assembly, as shown in more detail in Figs 5 to 7, includes a basket body 13 and a basket lid 14 which may be mounted to the basket body. Each basket body is arranged with four basket side walls 44 arranged at right angles to one another to form a square. Twelve dividing walls shown typically at 45 are arranged within the side walls, six dividing walls extending between one opposed pair of side walls in one direction, substantially evenly spaced from and parallel to one another and substantially at right angles to the side walls between which they run. The remaining six dividing walls are at right angles to the other six dividing walls, and in similar fashion, are substantially evenly spaced from and parallel to one another. The arrangement of side walls and dividing walls provides 48 compartments shown typically at 46.

[0028] Each compartment is substantially square in plan view. The height of the basket side walls and dividing walls is such that the compartments are about the same height as their lateral dimensions to provide compartments each conforming substantially to a cube configuration. The 48 compartments are arranged in a seven-by-seven square matrix, the centre square of which constitutes the central penetration described herein and which would have substantially the same dimensions as the side wall dimensions of each compartment.

[0029] The basket shown in more detail in Fig. 6 has a similar configuration, the central penetration also penetrating through the basket lid as shown. The basket lid has four peripheral edges arranged in a square and having twelve ribs equally spaced spanning across between respective pairs of peripheral edges, six spanning from apposed edges in one direction and the remaining six being at right angles thereto between the remaining opposed pairs of peripheral edges to provide a square grid pattern. The square grid pattern of the ribs and edges of the basket lid confirm substantially to the square grid pattern of the side walls and dividing walls of the basket base. Spanning each square in the gird formed by the ribs and peripheral edges of the basket lid there is provided a mesh 26 so that when the basked lid installed on the basket body, the ribs overlie the dividing walls, the peripheral edges overlie the basket sidewalls and the mesh closes the otherwise open top of each compartment. The part of the central penetration which penetrates the basket lid further includes a lip 27 extending a small distance upward from the main plain of the basket lid.

[0030] Referring to Fig. 8 in particular, the pole portion is provided with four sidewalls 23 arranged at right angles to one another and equally spaced to provide a substantially square cross section of the pole portion. Two webs 24 extend across the space formed within the sidewalls, each one extending diagonally corner to corner, the webs being arranged also substantially at right angles to one another. This arrangement divides the passage 22 extending through the pole portion in four parts.

[0031] The end portion of the support post includes an outer cone formed from a sheet formed into an inverted truncated right cone and another sheet formed into an internal wall 35. Inside the internal wall is a cavity forming a void 20. The internal wall of the end portion is supported within the outer cone by thirteen radial webs shown typically at 34 in Fig 10.

[0032] A cone base plate 37 is provided, but the pole portion is attached to the end portion by way of a collar 28 having a peripheral lip 31 extending about the external edges which are arranged in a square. A square annulus plate 32 extends inward from the peripheral lip to an inner periphery 33 also arranged in a square but of smaller dimensions to that of the peripheral lip.

[0033] In the case of the alternative pole portion 38 shown in Fig 11, the diagonal webs are replaced by eight radial flange walls shown typically at 40 which extend inward from the outer walls of the pole portion to an inner circular wall 39 to provide nine portions of the passage, four being roughly trapezoidal in cross section, four being roughly pentagonal in section and the remaining one being the circular internal passage through the inner circular wall. In the installed version shown in Fig 12, the end portion and part of the pole portion may be embedded into the ground 42 below the water 41 with basket assemblies stacked on top of one another, the lower most resting on the ground. For example, the basket assemblies may be arranged to house scallops or the like and the scallops are kept separate from one another in the separate compartments.

[0034] The connection of the basket assemblies shown in Figs. 19 to 21 may be by way of a rod extending through all of the connecting lugs as shown in Fig. 20. In such form, the rod is prevented from sliding out from the apertures in the connecting lugs by a split pin 53 or the like. A self fastening rivet 54 or the like as shown in Fig. 21 may be used instead of the rod shown in Fig. 20. The rivet includes a flanged head 55 and a self-locking tail 56. The rivet may be of sufficient length to penetrate all of the penetrations through the connecting lugs, but in the form shown in Fig. 21, the rivet is merely of a length sufficient to penetrate the lugs or lug pairs of basket assemblies being joined to one another.

[0035] The post clamp 60 shown in Figs. 22 and 23 is formed in two parts, one being a cleat supporting part 61 and the other being a clamping part 62. The cleat supporting part supports to cleat members 63, each having a slot 64 opening in opposite directions to one another and having a rounded base 65 and radiused openings shown typically at 66. The cleat members are formed from substantially parallel plates extending axially along and outward from the remainder of the cleat supporting part intermediate its ends and substantially evenly about the central bisecting plane of the cleat supporting part. The sides of the slots are also rounded to prevent excessive wear on ropes used to tie the baskets to the post by way of the post clamp.

[0036] The cleat supporting and clamping parts when assembled form a rounded square in cross section, the join between substantially bisecting the square. Two wedged lips 67 protrude outward from the edges of the cleat supporting part and are of complementary form to two corresponding clamping channels 69 formed into clamping flanges 68 protruding outward from the edges of the clamping part.

[0037] Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth and provisionally defined by the following claims.