US3588051A - Towing cable control apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

AN APPARATUS HAVING CABLE GUIDING MEMBERS WHICH CAN BE RETRACTED TO AN INOPERATIVE POSITION OR EXTENDED TO AN OPERATIVE POSITION WITH BOTH MOVEMENTS BEING ACTUATED BY AN OPERATOR STATIONED A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE GUIDED PORTION OF THE CABLE.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Howard M. Leerning 5075 C1if1 Drive, RR. #2. Ladner. British Columbia, Canada [21] Appl. No. 825,791 [22} Filed May 19,1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [54] TOWING CABLE CONTROL APPARATUS 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] [1.8. CI 254/190, 254/150 [51] Int. Cl 866d 1/36 [50] Field 0[Search..... 254/190, 150, 190(0); 114/235 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,598,802 9/1926 Brown 254/190 1 I l I 1 1 n n 1 u I 1 Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby Assistant Examiner-Merle F. Maffei Attorney-Fetherstonhaugh and Co.

ABSTRACT: An apparatus having cable guiding members which can be retracted to an inoperative position or extended to an operative position with both movements being actuated by an operator stationed a safe distance from the guided portion of the cable.

PAIENTEU Juuzs I97! SHEEI 1 OF 3 mvem'on HOWARD M. LEEMING A T TORNEYS TOWING CABLE CONTROL APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to apparatus for controlling a cable under tension and more particularly for controlling a towline securing a load to a towing vessel.

Deep sea towing vessels and even harbor tugs often encounter unexpected rough weather when they have a heavy load under tow. In conditions of high winds and heavy seas, the towline attached to the tow will slash back and fourth across the stern of the tug and, in some instances, will even snap up and down to hammer against the stern bulwark. This can cause excessive wear to both cable and tug parts and also increases the risk of the towline breaking. In addition, the uncontrolled movements of the cable make it difficult to keep both the towing and towed vessels under proper control.

One well-known attempt to solve this long standing problem has been to equip the tug with the devices commonly called towing pins which are installed on the stern of the tug to restrict lateral movement of the towing cable. However, such pins have to be installed, adjusted, and later removed by hand and this will often place one or more members of the crew in a position of considerable danger where they can be injured by the whipping cable or even swept overboard by waves which break over the stern of the tug.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have overcome the above as well as other disadvantages of conventional towing pins by providing apparatus which forms part of the stern bulwark of a tug for example, to provide a path of travel for a tow linebeing paid out or hauled in by a winch on the tug while secured to a tow. Cable guiding members mounted within the apparatus can be projected upwardly to halt any tendency for the towline to whip back and forth across the stern as it is likely to do in rough weather. Another cable guiding member can be projected upwardly to hold the cable and to prevent it from moving upwardly out of engagement with the first mentioned members. The various members can be operated quickly, easily, and individually from a remote station so as to retain the cable without the necessity of any of the crew of the towing vessel approaching the stem or appearing on an exposed portion of the deck. By bringing the members into operation in proper sequence, a wildly threshing cable can be captured and held without interfering in any way with the subsequent paying out and hauling in of the cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a towing vessel fitted with the towing cable control apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, 7

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the stern of the vessel showing a pair of the vertical guide members raised and a third vertical guide member and a horizontal guide member both retracted,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the operating means and the control means therefore.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, the towing cable control apparatus is indicated generally to by the numeral 10 and is shown in a typical installation mounted on the stern of a tug 12. The towing vessel or tug 12 is equipped with the usual towing winch l4 and a long length of cable 15 is carried by this winch. Cable -15 extends over the stern bulwark 16 when the vessel has a barge or other load (not shown) under tow.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the apparatus 10 will be seen to comprise a frame 20 which is set disposed roller 33, the roller projecting a short distance out of recess 21 to slightly overhang the stern of the tug. As the towing cable 15 is paid out or wound in by the winch 14, it slides over the top plate 26 but mainly is supported by the roller 33 so that friction and wear are both reduced to a minimum.

In this particular embodiment of the invention, the apparatus 10 is provided with a vertical guide member which is generally indicated at 36 and is shown in detail in FIG. 5. Referring now to FIG. 5, the member 36 is shown as comprising a vertically disposed cylinder 38 which extends between the plates 24 and 26 of the frame 10, the cylinder being suitably secured to these plates. Top plate 26 has an opening 39 which registers with the bore 40 of the cylinder 38. Slidably mounted in the bore of the cylinder 38, is a cylindrical ram 42 which is fitted at the upper end thereof with a cap 43. When the ram 42 is fully retracted, the cap 43 is received in the opening 39 and is flush with the top surface of the plate'26. Cylinder 38 has a longitudinal keyway 45 and a key 46 is secured to the lower end of the ram 42 for sliding movement in this keyway. Thus, the ram 42 can be extended and retracted a distance determined by the length of the keyway 45 and, at the same time, the ram is nonrotatably mounted within the cylinder. Intermediate the length of the ram 42, there is a shoulder 48 and mounted between this shoulder and the cap 43 is a sleeve 49. Needle bearings 50 are fitted between the sleeve 49 and the adjacent surface of the ram 42 so that said sleeve is free to rotate about the common axes of the ram and the cylinder 38.

Alongside the extensible guide member 36, there is another extensible guide member which is generally indicated at 52. Member 52 is of the same construction as member 36 and has a ram 53 which is adapted to move up and down through an opening 54 (FIG. 2) formed in the top plate 26. The vertically disposed members 36 and 52 are intended to serve as guides for the cable 15 and for that reason they are transversely spaced apart to define a gap 56 only slightly wider than the diameter of the towing cable, see FIGS. 2 and 4. Preferably, the location of the gap 56 is such that an extension of the vertical axis of the gap would intersect the longitudinal axis of the tug l2 and therefore the pair of extensible guide members 36 and 52 are disposed nearer to the end 29 than to the end 28 of the frame 20.

Still another extensive guide member 60 is mounted in the frame 20 near the end 28, this member being of the same construction as the other two members and having a ram 61 which moves through an opening 62 (FIG. 2) in the top plate 26. Member 60 is spaced a much greater distance from the members 36 than is the member 52. This provides a large gap 64, see particularly FIG. 4, across which the cable 15 is free to slide back and forth with the member 60 serving as a stop to prevent the towing cable from swinging beyond the end 28 of the frame.

The apparatus 10 also includes a horizontal guide member generally indicated at 70 and shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame 20 will be seen to have a part 20A which carries one end of a forwardly projecting extension 26A to the top plate 26. Extension 26A has a rectangular opening 72, the major axis of this opening being aligned with the center of the gap 56. In FIGS. 3 and 4, member 70 is shown to comprise a block 74 which is hingedly mounted to swing vertically through the rectangular opening 72. To mount the block 74 for this particular swinging movement, a pair of transversely spaced tubular bosses 75 and 76 are provided on the underside of said block. A horizontal and transversely extending shaft 77 is mounted in the bosses 75 and 76. The extension 26A is provided with depending trunnion sleeves 78 and 79 and the opposite ends of the shaft 77 which project laterally beyond the bosses 75 and 76, are journaled in these sleeves. Thus, the hinged block 74 is mounted to swing about the horizontal and transverse axis of the shaft 77 during which time it moves vertically through the rectangular opening 72.

The block 74 of the horizontal guide member 70 has a side face 82 which is on the left as viewed in FIG. 4. Formed in this face 82 is a channel 83 which extends longitudinally of the block 74. The inner portion 83A of the channel is enlarged and is substantially semicircular in cross section while the outer portion 838 of said channel is suitably flared near the face 82 to ensure ease of entry into the channel. The axis of the channel portion 83A is disposed in the same vertical plane as the axis of the gap 56-between the pair of vertical guide members 36 and 52. In FIG. 3, it will be seen that the upper part of the channel portion 83A is rounded as at 85 and 86 near the two ends of the block 74. Thus, when the towing cable 15 is lodged in the channel 83, it can bend around the block 74 in a vertical plane without being kinked or otherwise damaged.

Preferably, the frame 20 is fitted with a housing generally indicated at 87. This housing is formed by a suitable number of sloping side plates 88 which extend between the deck 25 and the top plate 26 to form a closure for some of the operating parts of the apparatus.

Means generally indicated at 90 is provided for raising and lowering the vertical guide members 36, 52 and 60 as well as the horizontal guide member 70. Referring again to FIG. 5, one of the units making up the operating means 90 is shown to comprise a double acting hydraulic cylinder 92 having a piston rod 93. The lower end of the cylinder 92 is secured to a horizontal shaft 95 and the opposite ends of this shaft project through and are suitably secured to the cylinder 38. A suitably shaped opening 96 is formed in the lower end of the ram 42 to allow the opposite ends of the shaft 95 to engage the cylinder 38. Piston rod 93 is threaded into a nut 98 welded to the underside of the cap 43 and a cotter pin 99 extends through the nut and rod to prevent separation of these two parts. Thus, the lower end of the cylinder 92 can be pressurized to extend the ram 42 and place a major part of the sleeve 49 above the top plate 26, as shown in FIG. 5. When the upper end of the cylinder 92 is pressurized, the ram 42 is retracted. The vertical guide members 52 and 61) are each fitted with the same cylinder and piston rod arrangement as the member 36. The corresponding arrangement of parts for the members 52 and 60 are shown by dotted lines in FIGS. 4 and 6 only where they are designated generally by the numerals 101 and 102.

The operating means 90 also includes a hydraulic cylinder 105 which has a piston rod 1.06, see FIG. 3. A bearing block 108 is welded or bolted to the deck 25 and a pivot pin 109 secures the forward end of the inclined double acting cylinder 105 to this bearing block. The piston rod 106 is secured to a toggle arm 110 by a pivot pin 111. Arm 110 is made up of two parts 110A and 1108, these parts being connected together by a pivot pin 112. A bearing block 114 is suitably secured to the baseplate 24 of the frame and a pivot pin 115 secures the part 110A to this bearing block. Another pivot pin 116 secures the part 110B to an end ofa boss 117 which is formed on the underside of the block 74 to project laterally therefrom as shown best in FIG. 4. Part 110A of the toggle arm is fitted with a stop bar 120 and this stop bar is adapted to engage the part 1108 to prevent the toggle arm from folding forwardly of the solid line position shown in FIG. 3. When the lower end of the double acting hydraulic cylinder 105 is pressurized, the toggle arm 110 is swung to the dotted line position of FIG. 3 whereupon the block 74 is retracted through the opening 72 and below the extension 26A. Fluid pressure can be fed to the upper end of the cylinder 105 to straighten the toggle arm 119 and swing the block 74 upwardly through the opening 72 to the fully extended position position shown in solid line in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 6, a hydraulic circuit for the operating means is indicated generally at 121. Circuit 121 includes hose lines 122, 123, 124 and 125 which connect the cylinders 92, 101, 102 and respectively to a junction box 127 mounted on the baseplate 24. The cylinder 38 and ram 42 of the member 36 is provided with openings 129 and 130, see FIG. 5, which allow the lines to pass through these telescoping parts of said vertical guide member. The members 52 and 60 have similar openings (not shown) to admit their corresponding lines 123 and 124 to junction box 127. Preferably the other lines which extend away from the box 127 to other parts of the circuit are for the most part, strung below the deck 25 of the tug so as not to provide an obstruction and so that they are not exposed to damage. Circuit 121 connects the cylinders 92, 101, 102 and 105 of the several guide members to a source of fluid pressure which may be a pump 131 driven by a motor 132. A reservoir tank 133 is suitably connected to the pump 131 to provide a supply of fluid for the circuit.

Included in the circuit 121, is a means generally indicated at 134 for actuating the operating means 90 selectively to raise the vertical guide members 36, 52 and 60, and also the horizontal guide member 70. Control means 134 is shown in FIG. 6 to comprise manually operable valves 136, 137, 138 and 139. These four valves are mounted on a console 140, see FIG. 1, which stands on or near the bridge of the vessel 12 in a location which provides a clear unobstructed view of the stern of the tug.

In order to explain the operation of the towing cable control apparatus 10, it will be assumed the tug 12 is proceeding in calm weather with a barge or the like under tow. At this time, the various cable guiding members will be in retracted position and the towing cable 15 will be stretched across the stern so as to run freely over the stern roller 33. Assuming now that the weather turns storm, the cable 15 probably will start to saw back and forth across the bulwark 16 as the tug repeatedly is swung off course to some extent by wind and wave action. A member of the crew will man the console 140 and, by operation of valve 137, will raise the ram 53 of the vertical guide member 52. The helmsman will then swing the bow to port whereupon the cable 15 will move into contact with the raised ram 53. As this occurs, the operator will move valve 136 to raise the ram 42 so as to trap the cable between the two raised rams. The pair of vertical guide members 36 and 52 now contain the cable so that it can no longer move laterally across the stern. If the towing cable is paid out or wound in at this time, it runs freely over the stern roller 33 and between the extended rams, 42 and 53. The coaxial sleeve 49 of ram 42 and the counterpart of this sleeve on ram 53 will be engaged alternately by the cable so to journal the tow line as it passes through the gap 56.

Assuming now that the weather worsens and the seas become very rough, the cable 15 may tend to jump out of the gap 56 and pound up and down on the bulwark 16 as the stern is raised and lowered by wave action. To prevent this cable pounding, the man at the controls raises the ram 61 of the guide member 60 and lowers the ram 42 of the guide member 36. He then signals for a small turn to starboard and this maneuver places the cable hard against the raised ram 61. Valve'139 is then operated to swing the block 74 upwardly to the horizontal position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the tug and the bow is turned slightly to port to cause the cable to move across the top plate 26 and enter the channel 83. Ram 42 is again raised so that the towing cable is held against lateral movement out of the channel 83. The cable 15 is now held so that it cannot move upwardly or transversely while at the same time it is free to run out or be hauled in.

Assuming now that the tug is proceeding up a narrow shipping channel where the traffic may be heavy and the weather calm, the tug probably will be required to keep the barge being towed under close haul to ensure a safe passage. Control over both the tug and the barge can be improved by raising, say, the guide members 52 and 60 while the members 36 and 70 are kept in their retracted positions. The towing ble to dispense with the vertical guide members 52 and 60..lf 5

such a simplified apparatus was considered desirable, the horizontal guide member 70 and the vertical guide member 36 could be used to hold the towing cable against both vertical and transverse movements.

Some tugs, particularly those engaged in deep sea towing, use two towlines to secure the load being hauled. The present apparatus is readily modified to handle two towing cables, in which case, a twin extensible guide member is provided for the member 60. Also, another horizontal guide member is provided so that both cables can be controlled against transverse and vertical movements as before.

FRom the foregoing, it will be apparent l have provided an extremely effective apparatus for controlling the movements of a towing cable. A cable can readily be captured and contained by the apparatus without the need for anyone approaching the stern of the vessel and the cable is properly guided by the cable engaging members at all times. The same cable guiding members are useful in good weather as well as bad to provide better control over the towed and towing vessels in confined or traffic congested waters. When the towing cable is closely confined on'the stern of the tug there is less tendency for the two vessels to wanderoff course and the helmsman is able to concentrate on the maneuvers necessary to keep both vessels under proper control.

1 claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling a towing cable comprising a frame having a top plate over which said towing cable is adapted to move longitudinally, a pair of vertical guide members mounted in the frame for reciprocating movement above and below the top plate, said pair of vertical guide members when disposed above the top plate defining a gap through which the towing cable slidably extends, a horizontal guide member spaced from said vertical guide members and mounted in the frame for swinging movement above and below the top plate. said horizontal guide member having a longitudinal channel extending into a side thereof, said towing cable slidably extending through the longitudinal channel when the horizontal guide member is disposed above the top plate, operating means for separately raising each of the pair of vertical guide members and the horizontal guide member above the top plate to contain the towing cable, and manually operable remote control means for selectively actuating the operating means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and including a horizontal roller mounted to guide the towing cable as said cable moves longitudinally across the top plate.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said pair of vertical guide members each includes an extensible ram adapted to be projected above the top plate, said extensible rims each having a coaxial sleeve rotatably mounted thereon for engagement by the towing cable, and said horizontal guide member being mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis to an extended position above the top plate and a retracted position therebelow.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said operating means includes a fluid cylinder and piston rod therefor for each of the pair of vertical guide members and the horizontal guide member.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and including a third vertical guide member mounted in the frame for movement above and below the top plate, said third vertical guide member being transversely spaced from the pair of vertical guide members opposite the longitudinal channel of the horizontal guide member, said operating means being operable to raise the third vertical guide member, and said control means being selectively operable to cause the operating means to raise the third vertical guide member independently of the pair of vertical guide members and the horizontal guide member.

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