METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GROWING ALGAE SHOOTS Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: mariculture. SUBSTANCE: method involves making a bundle of shoots with their roots all together at one end. The bundle is attached to a carrier by way of multiple application of a flexible thread using a needle. Stitches are applied on the peduncles both sides of the bundle in the same points. Prior to the process of attachment, the bundle is placed in a former at right angle about the needle movement plane. The bundle is squeezed to become narrower than the needle pitch by a value not more than thickness of one peduncle. The device has a drum for the carrier, shoots advancement gear with devices which carry the bundles, carrier pull gear, drive, and a stitching mechanism. The latter has a needle mounted for reciprocal motion in the vertical and horizontal planes, loop-former, spring-loaded claw, bundle width former, on/off device, and an arrester. The latter is sequentially engaged with each carrying device and it is in kinematic linkage with the claw and former. It is expedient that the latter has two jaws mounted on spring-loaded bell-cranks and has adjustable rests to set the jaws for permissible bundle width. The arrester may be a spring-loaded pin in mesh with a hole in a plane attached to a tray of the carrying device. The carrier pull gear is a wheel with flanges. One flange has cutouts arranged circumferentially at regular intervals. It is expedient that every cutout has a spring-loaded clip mounted on the wheel for slewing and engagement with a fixed cam. EFFECT: reliable attachment of bundle to carrier. 8 cl, 8 dwg