Nets, such as fish nets, have from time inmemorial been made from natural fibers and have been treated with tar or tar-like materials to protect and enhance the properties thereof. Synthetic materials, such as nylon, polyesters, polypropylene, polyethylene and the like are replacing such natural fibers with nylon presently being in greater demand as a result of the many excellent properties as well as cost considerations.
Nylon, i.e., the monofilament fiber thereof, is woven to form a twine which is subsequently further woven to form the desired mesh size of the net. To protect the thus formed nylon net or the like, such a net has been treated with tar and variations of such natural like materials, much as the natural fiber nets have been treated over the centuries, as well as being treated with various synthetic materials. Such treatments have been found to be relatively ineffective with the resulting coatings or films readily washing off or wearing off the manufactured net. With such washing out or wearing out, exposure of the synthetic material to the elements has caused early breakdown of the net resulting in the surveying thereof or at best retreatment thereof.
As hereinbefore mentioned, nylon has found the greatest use in the fish net industry as compared with other synthetics due to its many excellent properties as well as present cost factors, however, nylon has been found to absorb as much as 20% by weight of its weight in water with concomitant loss in fiber strength.
In the manufacture of nets, whether the nets are to be used in sporting events, such as tennis, ping-pong or the like, or as fishing nets, the mesh sizes thereof are set by usage or by governmental regulations. In particularly, the fishing industry, the net mesh size is carefully regulated by the Federal Government, i.e., mesh size is dictated by the type of fish being subjected to trawling. While use of nylon nets have increased the lifetime of net usage as distinguished from natural fiber nets coated with tar or tar like substances, the usage lifetime is still relatively short.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds