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US 4,095,092 AGranted
Aquatic animal counting
OwnerGregor N. Neffinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerGregor N. Neffinventor
Estimating the term…
Aquatic animals (e.g., fish) are counted in the same operation in which the fish are sorted as to size. This minimizes the labor required for counting because it is the same labor as that used for sorting the animals. A grading or sorting barrier is provided with a plurality of parallel holes or passageways, and the fish are urged towards the barrier. Mounted so as to extend across each of the holes is a flexible electrode which normally forms a closed electrical switch. When the animal passes through the hole, it hits the electrode and thus opens the switch. This creates a signal which is stored in an electrical memory. The information stored in the memory is read out sequentially and counted by an electronic counter. The size of the holes in the grading barrier is such that only animals smaller than a pre-determined size will pass through. This serves two functions; it sorts the larger fish from the smaller ones, and allows the operator to set the size openings at a level such that the smallest fish will be counted as they pass through the openings. Then, if desired, the openings can be enlarged, either by substituting a grading barrier with larger holes, or by means of a device which enlarges the holes mechanically, and the remainder of the fish can be counted. The grading barrier can be used when it is horizontal, either in the water or out of the water, so that gravity assists the fish in moving downwardly towards the barrier and through it. The barrier also can be vertical and placed so as to form a wall between two compartments for the fish.
A device for aquatic animal measurement, said device comprising, in combination, sorting means for sorting said animals as to size, said sorting means including barrier means for restraining the movement of said animals, said barrier means having a plurality of openings of a size predetermined to pass animals smaller than a selected size and restrain other of said animals, detecting means adjacent each of said openings to detect the passage of one of said animals through it, said detecting means including signaling means for each opening for developing an electrical signal upon the passage of an animal through said opening, storage means for storing each such signal, sampling means for sequentially sampling the signals stored in said storage means, and counting means for counting the number of animals detected by said detecting means, said counting means being adapted to count the signals taken from the storage means by said sampling means.
A fish counting device comprising, in combination, a barrier member with a plurality of openings of a pre-determined size, a plurality of electrical switches each having a contact member bridging one of said openings, a conductive contact element positioned to be contacted by said contact member, said contact member being movable with respect to said contact element by the passage of a fish therethrough to operate said switch, means for detecting the difference in impedance, with said contact element and contact member immersed in water or air, between the open and closed condition of the switch, counting means for recording the change of impedance as a count of one fish, and storage means for storing signals representing the condition of each switch, and sampling means for sequentially sampling said signals and driving said counting means to count the fish passing through said device.
A method of counting aquatic animals, said method comprising the steps of urging said animals towards a grading barrier having a plurality of openings of a size pre-selected to pass a first group of animals smaller than a pre-determined size, detecting the passage of each animal through one of said openings, and counting each of the animals so detected, whereby said animals in said first group are both sorted and counted in a single operation, said detecting step including developing electrical signals responsive to the passage of animals through said openings, storing the signals, sequentially sampling said signals, said counting step comprising counting the signals so sampled.
A device for aquatic animal measurement, said device comprising, in combination, sorting means for sorting said animals as to size, said sorting means including barrier means for restraining the movement of said animals, said barrier means having a plurality of openings of a size predetermined to pass animals smaller than a selected size and restrain other of said animals, detecting means adjacent each of said openings to detect the passage of one of said animals through it, and counting means for counting the number of animals detected by said detecting means, said detecting means including a switch at each opening for actuation by an animal passing therethrough said switch having a pair of terminals, said openings being arranged in rows and columns, a common row line connected to a first terminal of each of said switches in each row, and a common column line connected to the second terminal of each of said switches in each column, means for rapidly sequentially sampling each of said column lines and said row lines to detect sequentially the conditions of said switches, said counting means being adapted to count the number of switches which are in a pre-determined condition in a given time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.