Cleaning-sweeper Or Mechanical Agitator Patents (Class 119/232)
  • Patent number: 11805763
    Abstract: Efficient fish farming techniques are described, including a land-based saltwater flow-through pool fed by seawater intakes, and efficient water flow and waste removal techniques that promote good fish growing conditions. Features include devices for encouraging laminar flow in the flow-through pool, and efficient waste removal, and multiple seawater intakes from different ocean depths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Andfjord Salmon AS
    Inventors: Roy Bernt Pettersen, Ben Tommy Eriksen
  • Patent number: 11785921
    Abstract: Bottom grading apparatuses for aquaculture systems are disclosed herein. An example system includes a vessel filled with water that receives fish, the vessel having a bottom surface with drain; a plenum in fluid communication with the vessel; a multiway valve in fluid communication with the plenum, a mortality pipe, and a grading pipe; and a mortality container in fluid communication with the mortality pipe and the vessel, wherein the fish can re-enter the vessel through the mortality container and deceased fish remain in the mortality container, wherein when the multiway valve is closed to the mortality pipe, the fish will divert through the grading pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE IP, LLC
    Inventor: Thue Holm
  • Patent number: 10292373
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a waste-movement system having a bed-support assembly configured to receive, contain and support an aquarium bed of an aquarium. A vibration-source assembly is configured to be positioned relative to the bed-support assembly. The vibration-source assembly is also configured to selectively generate and transmit vibrational energy to the aquarium bed while the aquarium water is made to flow. This is done in such a way that the gravel of the aquarium bed becomes, at least in part, spaced apart (at least in part) from one another; and the aquarium water, at least in part, moves (at least in part) the liquefied waste and the solid waste through the aquarium bed from a first interior section to a second interior section of the aquarium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Inventor: Anthony Bugeja
  • Patent number: 8919744
    Abstract: The aquaculture pond aeration system is essentially comprised of a ā€œuā€ shaped conduit that extends below the pond bottom. A sparger assembly is positioned below the pond bottom in the outlet side of the conduit. The sparger emits air into the outlet side of the conduit thereby aerating the water and causing a hydrostatic pressure imbalance between the inlet side and the outlet side of the conduit. The pressure imbalance causes the pond water to circulate through the conduit and thereby aerate the aquaculture pond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Travis W. Brown, Eugene L. Torrans
  • Patent number: 8881682
    Abstract: A submersible rotatable cage for fish farming comprises a central axle, a buoyant structure positioned about the central axle, and a netting attached to the buoyant structure. An actuator can be placed in operable communication with at least part of the buoyant structure to facilitate rotation of the buoyant structure about the central axle while the cage is in a submerged position. The cage can form part of a system, which includes a net cleaning apparatus, a tethering mechanism and sweep net, that forms the basis for underwater fish farming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Open Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Thorvardarson, Luke Aymar, Prasad Bodhani, Edwin Elrick, Rick Grant, Thomas Mathieson, Christopher Saulnier, Andrew Storey
  • Patent number: 8881683
    Abstract: The device includes a screen cleaning brush with multiple fibers or cleaning fingers made from a flexible material with a hook and barb shape. The hook is designed to trap the screen strand as it passes and rotates on a flexible arm to clean the adjacent and opposite side of the strand and then flexes to release the strand. The instant invention has a unique propulsion system and navigation system that enables automatic navigation of the cleaning apparatus on the screen of the aquaculture cage. Alternative the screen cleaning can be performed with a frame having fins to assist in the directional placement of the cleaning fingers against a submersed screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Inventor: Peter B. Lindgren
  • Patent number: 8733385
    Abstract: A cleaner for the inside of a water tank utilizing a siphoning action is provided, in which the interior of a water passage (24) between an upstream-side one-way valve (Vu) and a downstream-side one-way valve (Vd) is pressurized or depressurized by a pressing operation of a suction operation tool (A) provided in a bent connecting part between a main body portion (1) and a grip portion (2) of a suction pipe (P), and water-tank water of the main body portion (1) is sucked into the suction pipe (P). This enables waste material such as leftover food within water-tank water to be sucked up together with dirty water by a very simple operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventors: Soichi Ogawa, Yutaka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20120260861
    Abstract: The device includes a screen cleaning brush with multiple fibers or cleaning fingers made from a flexible material with a hook and barb shape. The hook is designed to trap the screen strand as it passes and rotates on a flexible arm to clean the adjacent and opposite side of the strand and then flexes to release the strand. The instant invention has a unique propulsion system and navigation system that enables automatic navigation of the cleaning apparatus on the screen of the aquaculture cage. Alternative the screen cleaning can be performed with a frame having fins to assist in the directional placement of the cleaning fingers against a submersed screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventor: Peter B. Lindgren
  • Publication number: 20100224136
    Abstract: A floating fish production system for placement within a body of water and being structured and disposed for containing fish and other aquatic animal, plant and algal species, the system including at least one primary containment tank having an arrangement of individual solid wall sections and an arrangement of individual solid floor sections. Flexible membranes span between and connect to adjacently positioned solid wall and floor sections to define flexible connecting joints that allow the individual solid wall and floor sections to move relative to one another in an articulating action. The flexible membranes allow the tank configuration to temporarily deform from a relaxed state in response to externally applied forces exerted on the tank (e.g., waves, wind, current) to thereby absorb the externally applied forces and reduce stress on the structural integrity on the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Inventors: Ernest D. Papadoyianis, Xavier T. Cherch
  • Patent number: 7748349
    Abstract: A submersible rotatable cage for fish farming comprises a central axle, a buoyant structure positioned about the central, a netting attached to the buoyant structure and an actuator in operable communication with at least part of the buoyant structure and adapted to facilitate rotation of the buoyant structure about the central axle while the cage is in a submerged position. The cage can form part of a system, which includes a net cleaning apparatus, a tethering mechanism and sweep net, that can be used for nearly complete underwater fish farming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Open Ocean Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Thorvardarson, Luke Aymar, Prasad Bodhani, Edwin Elrick, Rick Grant, Thomas Mathieson, Christopher Saulnier, Andrew Storey
  • Patent number: 7624703
    Abstract: A method for reducing ammonia concentration in an aqueous medium caused by the presence of fish gill/urine discharge, fish faeces and uneaten organic fish-feed particulate matter in recirculating aquaculture tanks. Fish in fish tank water are remotely located or partially isolated from the fish tank water utilized by the sono-molecular-conversion apparatus. Transient cavitation-created, collapsing microsized bubbles generated in the fishless portion of the fish tank water completes ammonia nitrification, mineralization and denitrification therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Inventor: Robert Edward Vago
  • Patent number: 6659044
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for conditioning water in open fish breeding cages, which can solve the problems of “bloom of harmful seaweed” and the “lack of dissolved oxygen concentration in the water”. The apparatus includes a tube having adjustable open upper and lower ends and an impeller for drawing a major water flow in either direction through the tube. To solve the “bloom of harmful seaweed” the apparatus draws water upward from deeper water with low algae concentration to the bloom zone, dissolving and moving the harmful seaweed far away from the cages. To solve the “lack of dissolved oxygen concentration” the apparatus draws water downward from the surface water having high concentrations of dissolved oxygen to deeper water with low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, increasing the dissolved oxygen concentration in the middle and the bottom of the cages, where the biggest oxygen consuming fish concentration are located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Tech Master S.A.
    Inventor: Daniel Eduardo Vega Salinas
  • Patent number: 6443100
    Abstract: A debris separating system for separating debris in a fish tank is formed by a standpipe extending up through the bottom of tank at the center of tank and terminating in an open end. A cover covers the opening and is spaced therefrom to provide an inlet opening positioned above the bottom of the tank. A transition zone is formed at the bottom of the tank surrounding the standpipe and a debris outlet is provided from this zone through the bottom of the tank for removal of debris separated in the transition zone. Cleaned water from the transition zone flows up around the standpipe, through the inlet opening and into the standpipe for removal from the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Future Sea Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Clayton Mearle Brenton
  • Publication number: 20020069833
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus that extracts the cooler deeper water with the warmer water near the surface in order to reduce the temperature of the upper layers of water within the cage. At the same time, the apparatus produces a water current at the surface that carries the harmful algae away from the set of cages. In addition, the apparatus extracts the oxygen-rich water from the surface and injects it into the deeper water that lacks sufficient oxygen content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Applicant: Tech Master S.A.
    Inventor: Daniel Eduardo Vega Salinas
  • Patent number: 6371052
    Abstract: The invention has the purpose of improving and maintaining the water quality inside bays where fish are cultivated, and achieving a habitat that is amenable for fish and other marine life. The supply of seawater from the open ocean into bays is controlled more by the tides than by the currents, and while oxygen-deficient marine areas occur near the ocean floor, the oxygen content in the seawater near the surface is held comparatively high by the photosynthesis of phytoplankton and dissolution from the atmosphere. Therefore, oxygen-deficient and oxygen-less areas can be easily dissipated and eliminated by stirring the sea floor, especially the water of the bottom layer, by means of a seawater pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Takamura Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoji Imanishi, Hiroyoshi Hata
  • Patent number: 6269773
    Abstract: A device for cleaning gravel in an aquarium includes a pump connected to a gravel casing such that the pump forms the top of the structure and the gravel casing the remaining body below the pump. The gravel casing houses the pump intake section and filtering material and when its base is placed over an area of gravel during cleaning will draw a debris and impurities water mixture from the gravel, and into the filtering material where the debris is trapped, thus filtering the water mixture which is returned to the tank via the pump's discharge section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Inventor: Anthony Lee Rawls
  • Patent number: 6202677
    Abstract: A cleaning and filtering apparatus and method for a tank such as an aquarium. The major components are an inlet water controller, a suction unit, and a filter container unit. The filter container is selectively connected to the suction unit and a waste outlet to clean the tank and discharge waste water from the tank. The inlet water controller comprises a float connected to a valve to automatically replace the discharged water when the water level in the tank drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Inventors: Chi Chung Chen, Yang Ning Di
  • Patent number: 6187208
    Abstract: Tank cleaning system is formed by an upper deck having a spout potion and a deck portion, injectors and a separation chamber having a conical bottom wall and a top formed by a waste baffle. The injectors connect the deck portion with the separation chamber so that the waste baffle and upper deck are axially separated to provide an outlet passage therebetween. The injector passages direct water through the upper deck and waste baffle into the lower chamber and impart a significant velocity component tangential to the chamber to the water flowing therethrough to impart a helical flow to the water in the chamber. A debris outlet passage is provided adjacent to the bottom of the lower portion of the chamber. The dirt laden stream enters the chamber through the injectors and dirt is separated by centrifugal action in the chamber and rejected through the debris outlet while the cleaned water passes through the outlet passage and is returned to the surrounding water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Future Sea Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Theodore Baxter White
  • Patent number: 6093320
    Abstract: Tank cleaning system is formed by an upper deck having a spout potion and a deck portion, injectors and a separation chamber having a conical bottom wall and a top formed by a waste baffle. The injectors connect the deck portion with the separation chamber so that the waste baffle and upper deck are axially separated to provide an outlet passage therebetween. The injector passages direct water through the upper deck and waste baffle into the lower chamber and impart a significant velocity component tangential to the chamber to the water flowing therethrough to impart a helical flow to the water in the chamber. A debris outlet passage is provided adjacent to the bottom of the lower portion of the chamber. The dirt laden stream enters the chamber through the injectors and dirt is separated by centrifugal action in the chamber and rejected through the debris outlet while the cleaned water passes through the outlet passage and is returned to the surrounding water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Future Sea Technologies Inc
    Inventor: Theodore Baxter White
  • Patent number: 6058884
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward removing debris and impurities from the surface of aquarium gravel. The method comprises the utilization of a gravel casing, a pump and a filter, all interconnected. When the casing is held firmly against the floor the aquarium during operation, water enters into the casing by way of one or more apertures on the casing's wall. Gravel within the casing is thus churned with such velocity as to promote distinct patterns of water and gravel rotational motion which when sustained act upon the surface of the gravel particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Inventor: Anthony L. Rawls
  • Patent number: 5894936
    Abstract: A drum separator for separating brine shrimp eggs from a slurry containing an agglomeration of adult brine shrimp, brine shrimp eggs and debris includes a fluid source to maintain a slurry. The fluid source may be an internal spray jet disposed to spray against the slurry inside the drum for breaking up the agglomeration of adult brine shrimp, brine shrimp eggs and debris so that the brine shrimp eggs may pass through openings formed in the drum. An external spray jet is disposed to spray against the exterior surface of the drum for cleaning the adult brine shrimp and debris out of the openings in the drum. The internal spray jet is preferably an elongated pipe having a plurality of openings and is disposed inside the rotating drum. The external spray jet is preferably an elongated pipe with a plurality of openings and is disposed along the exterior of the rotating drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Sanders Brine Shrimp Company, Inc,
    Inventors: Larry Sanders, David Kuehn
  • Patent number: 5791290
    Abstract: An incubator (10) comprising a cylindrical tank (11) with a bottom wall (12) and a side wall (13). The tank is provided with a clean or regenerated water supply system (17), a waste water discharge system (18), a device (19) for altering the gas level to avoid supersaturation of gas in the water, a larva feed dispenser (20) and a device (21) for skimming the water surface. The tank further includes a member (22) arranged at the bottom of the tank for generating water currents therein, and a strainer (23) for preventing the larvae from entering the discharge system (18). The current generating member (22) comprises blades located beneath the supply system (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Percitech S.A.
    Inventor: Olivier Mueller
  • Patent number: 5655245
    Abstract: A device for cleaning gravel and breaking up clusters of gravel in a fish pond comprises an integral body having a lower housing into which gravel is received and an upper housing which has an outlet for connection to a pump for drawing water and gravel into the integral body. The upper housing has a greater cross-sectional area than the lower housing so that the lower housing limits the size of gravel clusters entering the integral body from the pond bottom. A manifold encircles the lower housing of the integral body and has aligned perforations therein with the lower housing so that water introduced into the manifold radially and inwardly projects into the lower housing for breaking up the gravel clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Clearwater Fish & Pond Supply, Inc.
    Inventor: G. W. Bunch
  • Patent number: 5636595
    Abstract: A device for removal of sediment particles from the water in a cultivating tank for aquatic organisms. The cultivating tank has a cylindrical outlet connected to an outlet tube located on the vertical axis of symmetry of the cultivating tank. A plate is spacedly positioned above the upper edge of an annular chamber formed at the bottom of the tank around the outlet to form a slotted opening into the annular chamber. The annular chamber has a separate outlet formed in or near the bottom for carrying away particles accumulated within the chamber. The portion of the cylindrical outlet near the upper area of the chamber includes a plurality of orifices arranged to collect and withdraw relatively clear water. In an other embodiment, the cultivating tank having a flat bottom can have a cone shaped inwardly tapering section surrounding the cylindrical outlet which forms the annular chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Inventors: Trygve Lunde, Steinar Skybakmoen, Idar Schei
  • Patent number: 5293839
    Abstract: A fish cultivation tank including a suction unit rotatable about the bottom of the tank in response to a falling of the water level within the tank. A combined weight and float assembly moves in response to movement of the water level and is operationally joined to the suction unit to rotatably drive the suction unit in response to a lowering of the water level. The lowering of the water level is effected by a siphoning of water and debris from the tank whereby the siphoning of the debris occurs simultaneously with rotation of the suction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Inventor: Leif Jorgensen
  • Patent number: 5240596
    Abstract: An aquarium cleaning apparatus is described that preferably incorporates a number of features including: (1) a swivel head connected to the siphon hose which rotates as the apparatus is maneuvered around an aquarium; (2) extension tubes to lengthen the cleaning tube assembly so that the apparatus can be used, for example, in aquariums having a greater height; (3) a self-starting feature that has a novel two-piece check ball assembly which permits "self-starting" of the siphon action; (4) an angled spout on the swivel head which connects to the siphon hose to facilitate self-starting; (5) an angled corner on the cleaning tube assembly which permits the apparatus to access and effectively clean the gravel adjacent to the walls and corners of the aquarium; (6) an aesthetically attractive contoured gripping tube; (7) a screen which prevents aquarium gravel from jamming the check valve assembly; and (8) a scraper assembly and scrubber assembly which may be attached to the apparatus for removing deposits to accumul
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Chesco, Inc.
    Inventor: M. Gaines Chesnut