IL33197A - Tow gear for trawlers or tug boats - Google Patents

Description

IMPROVEMENT IN TOW GEAR^FOR TRAWLERS OR TUG BOATS The present Invention concerns tow gear for trawlers or tug. boats and particularly relates to the hook arm of such gear* The tow gear on trawlers or tug boats, hereinafter collectively called trawlers, generally comprises a arm to which the tow hook is attached ant which is pivotally connected to the trawler middle of the stern. A carriage supporting a pair of wheels is dependent from said arm, the wheels running on the lower webs of an I-profiled rail bent into a substantially semi-circular arch and fixed at both sides of the stern to the trawler* Thus, the hook moves freely through a semi-circular path and adjusts its position automatically to the position of the load it is towing* The freely moving hook presents a great danger, for example during storms when it is tossed back and forth and causes damage to property and human lives. Furthermore, when the hook is to be attached to a load even in calm seas, the natural tides will till the trawler which makes the hook arm swing in its erch and makes connection difficult and even dangerous* It is the object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for the tow gear so that the hook can be made immobile when desired* • The invention consists in tow gear for trawlers comprising a carriage dependent from the hook arm and an arched rail on which the carriage is adapted to move by means of its wheels, characterized by at least two brake means each mounted on one side of the wheel 'mounting, the Li the trawler and if so operated, arrest the movement of the carriage.- ■ ·· · '· · The invention is illustrated,, b way of example only* in the accompanying drawings in whichs,-r ...·'. . the · Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of Aow gear _■'·'' mechanism according to the invention; Pig. 2 is an end vie of the carriage with the locking device , the rail being shown in cross-section; Fig. 3 is an end view of the braking mechanism according to the invention.

The tow gear comprises the wheels , indicated at 1 running on the lower webs of the I-shaped arfihed rail 2 and being keyed to shafts 3 mounted to the yoke-sha ed carriage 4 dependent by means of a bolt 5 from the hook arm 6, pivotally mounted to the center of the stern of the trawler (not shown), all as luiown pe se.

According to the invention two parallel plates 7,8 are fixed at their centers by welding or in like manner to the outer and inner side edges, respectively, of carriage 4, the free ends of the plates being slightly bent so as to conform to the curvature of the rail 2. The centers of plates^e at 8, are cut out/to allow for the shafts 3 of wheels 1. At the inner faces of each free end of plates 7,8 a brake disk 9 lined with a brake liner 10 is mounted on piston rod 11, the rods 11 of the oppositely lying brake disks extending along the same radial line and being movable by means of pneumatic cylinders 12 mounted in aligned positions on the outer faces of the free ends of plates 7,8. The; pneumatic leads (not shown) connect the cylinders 12 through inlets 13 and are controlled ' ' ' Thus, in any angular position of carriage 4 the cylinders 12 can be operated from the trawler whenever desired, whereby the brake disks 9 will be applied to the rail so that the carriage and together with it the hook arm 6 are made immobile* Instead Q pneumatic means for operating the brake disks, hydraulic, or eiectrotoetfhanical means may be employed. The brake disks may be replaced by braking means of any other suitable shape.

^ The particular construction of the support of the brake disks 9 hereinabove described may be changed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Thus the bolt 5 may be extended on either side of carriage 4 to carry fixedly a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder to which brake disks are connected which are adapted to engage the to web of rail 2 at either side of the carriage. Or, alternatively, a bridge member may be fixed to the bottom of the carriage in such a manner that it straddles the arched xfail, and two cylinders, each operating a brake disk, may be mounted in said bridge member on either side of wheels 1 in such ia manner that the brake disks are adapted to be applied against the outside of the bottom web of the arched rail.

Claims (1)

3 - - C L A I M S I

1. Tow gear for trawlers comprising a carriage dependent from the hook arm and an arched rail on which or electromechanical means* AGENT FOR APPLICANTS Tel-Aviv, this 14th day of October, 1969