New or Improved Tow Head, Tension Buffer, or Attachment Device for Use on Steamers, Barges, Steam Ploughs, and other Structures Towed, Drawn, or Used for Towing or Drawing.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Tow Head, Tension Buffer, or Attachment
Device for Use on Steamers, Barges, Steam Ploughs, and
other Structures Towed, Drawn, or Used for Towing or
Drawing.
I, DREW STRETCH of 10, Guion Road, Litherland, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Mariner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as.
follows:-
This invention has for its object a tow head tension buffer or attachment device,
the tension or compression of the springs of which can be varied to suit the strains
likely to be brought upon it.
The invention consists essentially in the use of two or more springs acting
independently, so that one two or any number of the springs in the buffer can be
used as required. The apparatus consists of a draw link having a solid abutment
preferably cylindrical at one end and an eye or other attachment for the rope at
the other end. Through the abutment are arranged one two or more sliding.
cotters or their equivalent as points of abutment for the exterior springs as here-
after mentioned. This draw bar and its abutment slides in an outer cylinder, and.
between this outer cylinder and the draw link, I place a stout coiled spring.
pressing against the cylinder head & the abutment. The outer cylinder is slotted
on the side for the cotters to pass through. This cylinder has a projecting,
abutment at its front end, that is the end through which the eye of the draw link:
projects. A second coiled spring is placed over this cylinder and abuts against
its abutment at the one end and against a washer at the other end, said washer
again abutting against the shortest and nearest of the cotters aforesaid. Outside.
this cylinder can be a similar cylinder with a similar spring and washer abutting
against the next cotter and in this way several cylinders can be superimposed if
desirable, an ordinary sheet iron casing covering the outer cylinder. It is obvious.
that if desirable there could be four or more slots in the inner cylinder instead of.
two. By this means the two cotters could be placed at right angles or at an angle.
of sixty with each other. There is however no particular advantage in this..
In place of cotters it is also obvious that any other means could be used by which
the ordinary draw link shall be able to form an abutment when required for the
outer springs, also that the various springs could be arranged one behind the
other on the inner draw bar each abutting against a separate abutment, or they
could be arranged in tension or some in tension and some in compression. These:
plans however would all be very clumsy as they would require a great increase of.
length in the apparatus, whereas by having the springs concentric and in com-
pression the whole arrangement is exceedingly compact and if the springs break;
it does not prevent the continued use of the apparatus.
Dated the 12th day of August 1895.
1
דין.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant..

page_text: New or Improved Tow Head, Tension Buffer, or Attachment
Device for Use on Steamers, Barges, Steam Ploughs, and
other Structures Towed, Drawn, or Used for Towing or
.Drawing.
I, DREW STRETCH of 10, Guion Road, Litherland, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object a tow head, tension buffer or attachment device,
the tension or compression of the springs of which can be varied to suit the strains
likely to be brought upon it.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved device;
Figure 2 a cross section ;
Figure 3 a plan of the device with springs compressed; and
Figure 4 the device for removing the cotters.
The invention consists essentially in the use of two or more springs acting
independently, so that one, two or any number of the springs in the buffer can be
used as required. The apparatus consists of a draw bolt B having a solid
abutment C preferably cylindrical at one end and an eye b or other attachment
for the rope A at the other end. Through the abutment are arranged one, two
or more sliding cotters D or their equivalent as points of abutment for the
exterior springs as hereafter mentioned. This draw bar and its abutment slides
in an outer cylinder E and between this outer cylinder and the draw link I place
a stout coiled spring F pressing against the cylinder head and the abutment C.
The outer cylinder E is slotted at e for the cotters D to pass through. This
cylinder has a projecting abutment E' at its front end, that is the end through
which the eye of the draw link B projects. A second coiled spring G is placed
over this cylinder E and abuts against its abutment E' at the one end, and against
a washer e at the other end, said washer again abutting against the shortest and
nearest of the cotters D aforesaid. Outside this cylinder can be a similar
cylinder H with a similar spring I and washer abutting against the next cotter D
and in this way several cylinders can be superimposed if desirable, an ordinary
sheet iron casing J covering the outer cylinder. It is obvious that if desirable
there could be four or more slots e in the cylinders instead of two. By this means
the two cotters could be placed at right angles or at an angle of sixty with each
other. There is however no particular advantage in this. In place of cotters it
is also obvious that any other means could be used by which the ordinary draw
link shall be able to form an abutment when required for the outer springs, also
that the various springs could be arranged one behind the other on the inner
draw bar, each abutting against a separate abutment, or they could be arranged
in tension or some in tension and some in compression. These plans however
would all be very clumsy as they would require a great increase of length in the
apparatus, whereas by having the springs concentric and in compression the whole
arrangement is exceedingly compact and if the springs break it does not prevent
the continued use of the apparatus.
K is a pressure plate arranged at the point where the draw bolt emerges from
the cylinder. This is designed to give additional strength at the point of
resistance to the springs when in action. L is a sliding cover in the casing J
which can be moved longitudinally when it is desired to get at the cotters D.
.

page_text: Ma wire handle which can be screwed into the holes in the cotters when required
to lift them out of engagement with the springs. In the position depicted in the.
drawings, the three springs are brought into play when tension is brought to bear
on the rope A. If however it is not required to use the exterior springs I or G,
all that is necessary is to remove one or both of the cotters D. The points of
abutment of the said exterior springs being thus removed they remain idle and are
not compressed when tension is brought to bear on the rope A, by this means the
tension of the springs can be varied to suit the strains likely to be brought upon
the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in tow heads, tension buffers, or attachment devices for
use on steamers, barges, steam ploughs, and other structures, towed, drawn or used
for towing or drawing namely forming them of a sliding draw bolt having springs
arranged concentrically one round the other or one behind the other on the draw
bar, and each abutting against a separate or removable abutment, whereby each
spring will act independently so that one, two, or any number of springs can be‍
used as required, substantially as described.
2. A towing head, tension buffer, or attachment device for use on steamers,.
barges, steam ploughs, and other structures towed, drawn, or used for towing or
drawing, consisting of a sliding draw bolt having a solid head or abutment at one.
end and an eye-bolt or other attachment at the other for the rope and a coiled.
spring pressing against the sliding head aforesaid at one end, and against a solid.
abutment at the other, in combination with an outer cylinder having a coiled.
spring, one end of which presses against a cotter or other abutment on the draw
link head, and the other against a projecting abutment on the cylinder, and one
or more similar cylinders and springs each arranged concentrically and super-
imposed one around the other in succession, whereby each spring will act
independently so that one, two or any number of the springs can be used as
required substantially as described.
3. In a towing head, tension buffer, or attachment device for use on steamers,.
barges, steam ploughs, and other structures in which two, three, or more springs
are arranged concentrically, or one behind the other on a draw bar and each
abutting against a separate abutment, the arrangement for varying the tension or
compression of the springs to suit the strains likely to be brought upon them,.
namely providing the draw bar with cotters D or other suitable devices forming
when in position points of abutment for the springs to hear against, the said
cotters or other devices being capable of being placed in position or removed
from the draw bar as required, whereby one, two or any number of the springs.
can be brought into play or thrown out of connection.
4. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming my
new or improved tow-head, tension buffer, or attachment device for use on steamers,.
barges, steam ploughs and other structures towed, drawn, or used for towing or
drawing.
D
حيمد
M1906
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents..