US2870734A

US2870734A - Coupling and steering apparatus for a single screw tug

Info

Publication number: US2870734A
Application number: US548651A
Authority: US
Inventors: Armstrong John Percy; Hoffpauir John Donald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-11-23
Filing date: 1955-11-23
Publication date: 1959-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 1976-01-27

Description

COUPLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR A SINGLE SCREW TUG 7 Filed Nov. 23, 1955 Jam 27, 1959 J. P. ARMSTRONG EI'AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

J. P. ARMSTRONG ET AL 2,870,734

Jan. 27, 1959 COUPLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR A SINGLE SCREW TUG Filed Nov. 23, 1955 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 Mv QE A TTORNEYS.

COUPLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR A SINGLE SCREW TUG John Percy Armstrong and John Donald Hoffpauir, Orange, Tex.

This invention relates to a device for permitting the backing or stopping of a single screw tug. The invention further concerns a coupling and steering apparatus for bringing a single screw tug to a controlled position with respect to a lighter or barge which is being pushed by the tug.

It is an object of this invention to provide a relatively simple and easily operated device for accomplishing the results set forth above. provide an apparatus of this type having means for counteracting the sidewise thrust of a single screw tug while backing. Still another object is to provide a novel means for steering a single screw tug with respect to the tow during backing and stopping operations.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will further become apparent hereinafter, and in the drawings, whereof:

Fig. 1 represents a plan view of a single screw tug, showing how it is connected to the tow in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 represents a sectional view looking outboard, as indicated by the lines and arrows IIII which appear in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged view in side elevation of a sheave block shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 represents a sectional view taken as indicated by the lines and arrows lV-IV which appear in Fig. 3.

Turning to the drawings, a tug 5 has a single screw 6. Its bow is connected pivotally at 7 to a barge 8.

Located on the stern deck of tug 5 is a power winch 11 accommodating two cables 9, 9' which are Wound in opposite directions on each end of the cable drum of the winch 11. Cables 9, 9' are heavy cables, preferably about 1% inches in diameter. Winch 11 is powered by a hydraulic pump 30, a hydraulic motor 31, and a fourway valve 32. The valve 32 may be located on the stern deck near the motor 31, or elsewhere. The valve 32 may be operated pneumatically by means of an air cylinder 33 attached to the valve 32 which in turn is connected to and controlled by an air valve 34 located in the pilot house. Other conventional control means may, of

course, be substituted.

Each cable 9, 9' passes around a pulley 17, through a sheave 25 on a traveling sheave'block 10, and the bitter end of each cable 9, 9' is attached to a small hand winch 14 located at the stern of the tug. Two cables 16, 16' are attached to the sheave blocks N9, extend around roller chocks 18, and are secured to the bitts 20 of the barge 8.

As appears in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, each sheave block 10 is located between the deck 21 and the rail 22 and has capacity for reciprocating movement fore and aft.

In operation, the small hand winches 14 are used to tighten the cables 9, 9' and 16, 16' when the tug is attached to the barge, and to slacken the cable when the tub is released. As either cable 9, 9 is tightened or loosened, the corresponding sheave block it} moves aft A more specific object is to States Patent or forward, respectively. When the cable 9 is drawn taut by the power winch 11, the cable 9' is let out and the tub assumes an angular position relative to the barge as shown by the dash lines B in Fig. 1. Conversely, when the cable 9' is tightened by the winch 11, the cable 9 is slackened and the tug assumes an angular position as illustrated by the dash lines C, for example. In any event, the relative angular position of the tug is controllable from the pilot house.

This invention enables the tug to be steered in such manner that the tug and barges are steered as a unit. In backing or stopping, the position of the tug and barges can be controlled to port or starboard as conditions require by simply operating the winch 11 in the desired direction. This is an advantageous feature, since steering while backing or stopping has heretofore been very difiicult when using a single screw tug. The arrangement of this invention is further advantageous in that it counteracts the sidewise thrust of a single screw tug while backing.

Although this invention has been described with reference to a specific form thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made in the form of the control means and in the manner of actuation of the power winch, and that various equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically shown and described. Moreover, parts may be reversed and certain features may be used independently of others, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. I

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

1. In combination, a single screw tug and a barge, means pivotally connecting the forward end of said tug to an end of said barge, a pair of sheave carriers slidably connected to said tug, one at each side thereof, with capacity for sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly.

of said tug, a pair of sheaves, one carried by each of said sheave carriers, a pair of lines, one trained around each of said sheaves, means maintaining an end of each of said lines in adjusted and fixed position relative to said tug, a pair of winch means on said tug connected to the other ends of said lines, each winch means being connected to a respective end, for paying out and winding in said lines, and a pair of sheave carrier positioning lines, each fixed respectively to one of said sheave carriers and each of said positioning lines extending forwardly of said tug to a corresponding side of said barge and secured thereto.

2. In combination, a single-screw tug and a barge, means connecting said tug to said barge, a pair of sheave means slidably connected to said tug one at each side thereof, each said sheave means including a sheave and a slidable carrier therefor, means supporting each said sheave carrier means for reciprocating sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly along said side of said tug toward and away from said barge, a power winch mounted on said tug at a location remote from said barge, a pair of lines each connected to said power winch, for letting out and winding in said lines, one of said lines being let out whenever the other is wound in, said lines extending from said power winch each to an opposite side of said tug at a location more distant from said tow than said sheave means, and each said line then Patented Jan. 27, 1959' means pivotally connecting'theforward end of said tug centrally toan endofi said barge a pair of sheavewcarriers wardly ofvsaidusheave carriers, a PQWerWinch also, fixed to said tug-qrearwardlyvof said, sheave carriers, said power v winchhaving acable windingdrum rotatable about ,an axis whichextends,substantially in'the direction of the longitudinal axis'of saidt :alpair of cable pulleysfixed to said tug adjacent .thesides thereof and rearwardly of saidsheave carriers, cables extending from .each hand winch aroundthe correspondingsheave around said cable 15 ,7 ,9

pulley and on said drum, said cables being wound'in opposite directions onsaid drum so that either cable is let out when the other is Wound up, roller chocks carried by the tug forwardly of said slidable sheave carriers, and cables fixed to said sheave carriers independently of said sheaves, said cables extending against said roller checks and fixed to corners of the end of the barge.

References Cited in the file of this patent 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS 129,844 McCreary July 23, 1872 323,639 Cowden Aug. 4, 1885 344,612 Balletto June 29, 1886 627,585 Manton June 27, 1889 Dyer Nov. 8, 1955