Portable shellfish basket washer

Abstract

A shellfish basket washing apparatus configured to hang over the side rail of an oyster harvester or other boat having a support assembly arranged to straddle and be supported on said side rail, a basket holder and a high pressure nozzle assembly connected to a water side of said support assembly, and a working platform, including a pressure washer pump and a water tank, connected to an onboard side of said support assembly.

Claims

1. A shellfish basket washing apparatus comprising: a support assembly; a shellfish basket holder configured to rotatably hold a shellfish basket therein; said shellfish basket holder pivotally attached to and configured to hang from a first side of said support assembly; a nozzle support assembly also attached to said first side of said support assembly, said nozzle support assembly comprising a plurality of high pressure nozzles oriented to direct high pressure water into open sides of said shellfish basket holder; a working platform attached to a second side of said support assembly; a pressure washer pump supported on said working platform; a water tank supported on said working platform and connected to said pressure washer pump by a water supply line; a first high pressure water supply line connecting said pressure washer pump to said plurality of high pressure nozzles for supplying water under pressure to said high pressure nozzles; wherein the apparatus is configured so that the support assembly may be supported on a side rail of a boat, with said shellfish basket holder hanging from said first side of said support assembly over a body of water in which the boat rests, and said working platform is hanging from a second side of said support assembly on an onboard side of said boat side rail or resting on a deck of said boat adjacent said boat side rail.

2. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a handheld wand and nozzle assembly attached to said pressure washer pump by a second high pressure water line.

3. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water wheel attached to a bottom spindle of said shellfish basket holder.

4. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a high pressure drive nozzle connected to said pressure washer pump and configured to direct water under pressure at said water wheel to drive rotation of a shellfish basket in said shellfish basket holder.

5. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said bottom spindle extends a length away from a bottom of said shellfish basket holder sufficient to be submerged or partially submerged in said body of water during a shellfish basket washing procedure.

6. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said high pressure nozzles are oriented to direct a water spray against a shellfish basket contained within said shellfish basket holder at an angle sufficient to cause said shellfish basket to rotate inside said shellfish basket holder.

7. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising top and bottom high pressure nozzles arranged to direct high pressure water spray to top and bottom sides of a shellfish basket contained in said shellfish basket holder and connected to said pressure wash pump by a third set of high pressure water supply lines.

8. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shellfish basket holder lid pivotally attached to said shellfish basket holder, said lid configured to reversibly contact an actuator.

9. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said actuator may be configured to accomplish at least one of the following: a. automatically turn the apparatus on; b. automatically start a spraying operation; c. activate an indicator reflecting that the apparatus is ready for operation.

10. A shellfish basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water pump supported by said working platform configured to supply water to said water tank from said body of water.

11. A shellfish basket washing apparatus comprising: a support frame having a first side portion, a second side portion, and a center portion interposed between said first side portion and said second side portion, said center portion configured to rest on and be supported by a side rail of a boat; a shellfish basket holder pivotally attached to and suspended from said first side portion of said support frame; a nozzle support assembly attached to said first side portion of said support frame, said nozzle support assembly comprising a plurality of high pressure nozzles oriented to direct high pressure water into open sides of said shellfish basket holder; a working platform attached to and suspended from said second side portion of said support assembly; a pressure washer pump supported on said working platform; a water tank supported on said working platform and connected to said pressure washer pump by a water supply line; a first high pressure water supply line connecting said pressure washer pump to said plurality of high pressure nozzles for supplying water under pressure to said high pressure nozzles; wherein the apparatus is configured so that the support assembly may be supported on a side rail of a boat, with said shellfish basket holder hanging from said first side portion of said support frame over a body of water in which the boat rests, and said working platform is hanging from a second side portion of said support frame on an onboard side of said boat side rail or resting on a deck of said boat adjacent said boat side rail.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a photograph showing three different types of known shellfish baskets.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view schematic according to a first embodiment of the invention

(3) FIG. 3 is a top view of a schematic of the water wheel feature according to an embodiment of the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a side view schematic according to a second embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a top view schematic according to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, shown mounted on the side of a boat.

(6) FIG. 6 is a side view schematic according to the embodiment of FIG. 3, shown mounted on the side of a boat.

(7) FIG. 7 is a side view schematic according to the embodiment of FIG. 4, shown mounted on the side of a boat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Referring to the figures, portable basket washer includes an open basket holder 2 configured to rotatably support a shellfish basket 4 therein, an adjustable support assembly 5 for hanging the basket holder 2 over the side of a boat, or off the railing of a dock or other support structure, an assembly/array 6 of pressure washer nozzles 8 aimed at the shellfish basket 4 through the open sides, top, and bottom of the basket holder 2, and a pressure washer pump 10 for providing high pressure water to the pressure washer nozzles 8. High pressure water supply lines 12 connect the pressure water pump 10 to the pressure washer nozzles 8. The bottom of the basket holder 2 is preferably open to allow the washing water to drain directly from basket 4/basket holder 2. The pressure washer nozzles 8 may be fixed in position, or the angle at which they are aimed at the basket may be manually or automatically adjustable, individually or separately. According to one embodiment, a small basket holder drive motor 40 causes the basket 4 to rotate in the basket holder 2 as the high pressure spray is directed at the basket 4. According to another embodiment, a water wheel 14 is rotatably fixed in the basket holder 2, but fixedly attached to a rotatable support spindle 16, and a high pressure spray nozzle 18 is directed at the water wheel 14 to cause the wheel 14 and spindle 16 to turn, in turn causing the basket 4 to rotate within the basket holder 2 as other spray nozzles 8 are focused on the basket for cleaning. According to a preferred embodiment the high pressure spray nozzles 8 are focused at an angle to the basket in which the high pressure spray itself will cause the basket 4 to rotate in the basket holder 2 as it is being sprayed. According to an optional feature of this embodiment, the bottom support spindle 16 may extend down a distance from the bottom of the basket holder 2 sufficient to reach the body of water below, the spindle 16 having a water wheel 14 fixed at its distal end. In this fashion, while the high pressure spray nozzles 8 are causing the basket 4 to spin as it is being cleaned, the water wheel 14, submerged just below the surface of the body of water, acts as a brake to prevent the basket 4 from spinning too quickly. The speed/pressure of the high pressure spray applied to the basket may be controlled via electronically controlled valves 44 in the high pressure supply lines.

(9) The water pressure in the high pressure supply lines 12 may be used to drive the nozzles 8 or nozzle assembly 6 up and down relative to the basket holder 2 to cover more area as the basket spins using one or more electronically controlled valves 44 in the high pressure supply lines 12 under control of the control panel 38. According to an alternative embodiment, the movement of the nozzle array may be driven by a nozzle assembly drive motor 42 or other power means.

(10) The basket holder 2 is provided with lid 19, pivotally attached to the body of the basket holder 2, and a portion of the lid 19 is configured to interact with a button or sensor 20 in the closed position that will allow the system to operate and/or automatically cause the system to begin spraying depending on settings of control panel 38.

(11) The basket holder 2 is pivotally attached to support assembly 5 allowing the bottom of the basket holder to be rotated away from the side of the boat/dock/other support. Support assembly 5 is fitted with one or more position plates 22 having a series of holes arranged along one edge to receive a bolt or other rod-type element (not shown) for fixing the basket holder 2 at one of several angles relative to the side of the boat/dock/other support. On-board water tank 24 supplies water to the pressure washer pump 10. Separate water pump 26 draws water from the body of water in which the boat sits, or adjacent to the dock on which the system is mounted via water intake tube 28 and water filter 30 to fill water tank 24. Working platform 32 is attached to support assembly 5 on an opposite side from said basket holder 2. Working platform 32 supports water tank 24, water pump 26 and pressure washer pump 10, leaving enough room free for an operator to also stand on the platform to operate the system of the invention. Castors 34 or other wheeled arrangement is attached to the bottom of the working platform 32 to facilitate transport.

(12) Hand-held pressure washer wand 34 and nozzle 36 are attached to the high pressure water supply lines 12 for optional manual high pressure treatment of the baskets 4.

(13) Control panel 38 is conveniently located on or adjacent the working platform and is hardwired or wirelessly connected to one or more of the pressure washer pump 10, the sensor 20, the water pump 26, basket holder drive motor 40, nozzle assembly drive motor 42, and one or more electronically controlled valves 44 in the high pressure water supply lines.