Improved Arrangement for use in connection with Tow-ropes to Prevent Excessive Strains thereon.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Arrangement for use in connection with Tow-ropes to
Prevent Excessive Strains thereon.
I, ALFRED MICHAELIS of Sonneborn near Gotha, Thuringia, Germany,
Retired Lieutenant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an elastic or yielding arrangement for use in connection
with the ropes employed for towing vessels, such arrangement being particularly
applicable for use in cases where paddle steamers are employed as tugs and steel
wire ropes are used as ropes. It is well known that paddle steamers are better
adapted, more powerful, and in shallow waters more efficient than screw steamers
for towing purposes. Hitherto however steel wire ropes have not been success-
fully used when towing by means of paddle steamers, as has sometimes been the
case when towing with screw steamers, because the momentum of the paddle steamer
when starting the vessel to be towed, is so great that such ropes are liable to break,
unless they are made of much larger dimensions and weight than are necessary for
the towing operation proper. On the other hand there is a considerable advantage
in employing steel wire ropes instead of hempen ropes on account of their cheapness,
durability and safety in working.
It is therefore necessary in order that a wire rope may be employed when towing
by means of a paddle steamer to provide an elastic or yielding device or arrange-
ment, which, on the starting of the tug and in the case of sudden stoppages in the
movement of the vessel being towed due to any causes as for example an obstacle
coming temporarily in the vessel's path, allows of elongation of the connection
or increase of distance between the tug and the vessel being towed. This elonga-
tion is permitted in the case of a hempen rope, by the elasticity of the material
of which the rope
made, and, when a screw steamer and wire rope are employed,
by the slip of the screw which enables a steamer to take up sudden strain thrown
on the tow-rope.
The elastic or yielding arrangement cannot, for practical reasons that will be
readily understood, be located at the end of the rope which is attached to
the vessel to be towed; nor between the tug and the vessel to be towed; nor near
where the rope
leaves the bollard of the tug because the length of the rope
frequently. varies.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a paddle steamer provided with elastic or
yielding arrangements according to this invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of one such arrangement which consists of
two similar parts arranged facing each other;
Fig. 4 is a plan, and
Fig. 5 a frout elevation of a part thereof.
In the example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the tug is shewn as provided
with ten elastic or yielding arrangements arranged side by side on the tug
and serving for towing ten barges or other vessels. It is however to be under-
stood that the number of such, arrangements provided can be varied to suit
requirement.
Each of the steel wire tow. ropes a is led over supporting and guide pulleys/
carried by three trestles b c d, each rope being attached to one of ten bollards e.
Between the last or end trestle b, and the second trestle c are arranged the

page_text: The
elastic or yielding arrangements by means of which each of the steel ropes a is
elastically retained in such a manner that it can yield to a pulling force in propor-
tion to the amount of such force. For this purpose each rope a instead of being
led directly from the trestle 6 to the trestle c, is led around two elastically mounted
guide pulleys. In the arrangement shewn each rope a is led from a pulley fon
the trestle b to a pulley g situated near the base of the trestle c; it is then led
back parallel to the deck of the steamer to a pulley y situated near the base of
the trestle b, and then passes from the latter to a pulley on the trestle c.
pulleys g and glare elastically connected to separate frames i fixed to the deck of
the tug. For this purpose the pulleys g, g' are each hooked on to a rod i which
passes through a hole in a bar l'forming part of the corresponding frame and is
provided at the rear with a spring k of suitable strength and which may be
retained in place by means of nuts on the free end of the rod. The spring is so
constructed that it has a tendency to resist a pull in the direction of the arrow I,
Fig. 3, caused by the pull of the rope u. but will yield to relieve sudden and
excessive strains on such rope. When a vessel to be towed is connected to the
rope a, and the tug is set in motion, the springs k corresponding to the pulleys g
and g around which the rope passes will be more or less compressed according to
the resistance of the vessel to movement, which resistance will be exerted through
the rope which by reason of the construction described is capable of yielding to a
greater or less extent in the direction of its length thus obviating all liability of
its being fractured by sudden strains.
Furthermore should the resistance of the vessel whilst being towed, be
suddenly increased from any cause, the springs will yield, and thus prevent sudden
strain being thrown on the tow rope and consequent fracture thereof. Thus it will
be seen that the mode of supporting and guiding the tow-rope meets all practical
requirements.
The bars of the frames h to which the pulleys 9 and gl are connected,
are each made of curved form as shewn, so that the angle formed between the
horizontal and upwardly inclined portions of each rope, shall be the same for all
the ropes.
The shell or frame of each pulley g, and g¹, is preferably made with a removable
or pivoted side to admit of the corresponding steel rope being readily inserted in
place. In the example illustrated one side m of the shell or frame in which the
pulley works, is capable of rotation about the bearing pin of the pulley. This
side m which is formed with slots through which the pins 1 of the frame pass
when the side is partly rotated, is normally kept in the closed position by means of
a bolt o arranged to act against one of the pins n¹.
Dated this 12th day of February 1892.
A. MICHAELIS,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Arrangement for use in connection with Tow-ropes to
Prevent Excessive Strains thereon.
I, ALFRED MICHAELIS of Sonneborn near Gotha, Thuringia, Germany, Retired
Lieutenant, 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 relates to an elastic or yielding arrangement for use in connection
with the ropes employed for towing vessels, such arrangement being particularly
applicable for use in cases where paddle steamers are employed as tugs and steel
wire ropes are used as tow ropes. It is well known that paddle steamers are
better adapted, more powerful, and in shallow waters, more efficient than screw
steainers for towing purposes. Hitherto however steel wire ropes have not been

page_text: successfully used when towing by means of paddle steamers, as has sometimes been
the case when towing with screw steamers because the momentum of the paddle
steamer when starting the vessel to be towed, is so great that such ropes are liable
to break, unless they are made of much larger dimensions and weight than are
necessary for the towing operation proper. On the other hand there is a con-
siderable advantage in employing steel wire ropes instead of hempen ropes on
account of their cheapness, durability and safety in working.
It is therefore necessary in order that a steel wire rope may be employed when
towing by means of a paddle steamer to provide an elastic or yielding device or
arrangement which, on the starting of the tug and in the case of sudden stoppages
in the movement of the vessel being towed due to any causes as for example an
obstacle coming temporarily in the vessel's path, allows of elongation of the con-
nection or increase of distance between the tug and the vessel being towed. This
elongation is permitted in the case of a hempen rope by the elasticity of the
material of which the rope is made, and when a screw steamer and wire rope are
employed, by the slip of the screw in the water, which slip enables the screw
steamer to take up sudden strains thrown on the tow rope.
The elastic or yielding arrangement cannot, for practical reasons that will be
readily understood, be located at the end of the rope which is attached to the
vessel to be towed, nor between the tug and the vessel to be towed; nor near
where the rope leaves the bollard of the tug, because the length of the rope
frequently varies.
In the drawings left with my Provisional Specification,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a paddle steamer provided with elastic or
yielding arrangements according to this invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of one such arrangement which consists of
two similar parts arranged facing each other.
Fig. 4 is a plan, and
Fig. 5 a front elevation of a part thereof.
In the example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the tug is shewn as provided with
ten elastic or yielding arrangements arranged side by side on the tug and serving
for towing ten barges or other vessels. It is however to be understood that the
number of such arrangements provided can be varied to suit requirement.
Each of the steel wire tow ropes a is led over supporting and guide pulleys f
carried by three trestles b cd, each rope being attached to one of ten bollards e.
Between the last or end trestle 6 and the second trestle c are arranged the
elastic or yielding arrangements by means of which each of the steel ropes a is
elastically retained in such a manner that it can yield to a pulling force in propor-
tion to the amount of such force. For this purpose each rope a instead of being
led directly from the trestle 6 to the trestle c, is led around two elastically mounted
guide pulleys. In the arrangement shewn each rope a is led from a pulley ƒ on the
trestle to a pulley g situated near the base of the trestle c; it is then led back parallel
to the deck of the steamer to a pulley g¹ situated near the base of the trestle b,
and then passes from the latter to a pulley f on the trestle c. The pulleys g and g¹
are elastically connected to separate frames fixed to the deck of the tug. For
this purpose the pulleys g, g', are each hooked on to a rod i which is passed through
a hole in a bar forming part of the corresponding frame h and is provided at the
rear with a spring k of suitable strength and which may be retained in place by
means of nuts on the free end of the rod. The spring is so constructed that it
has a tendency to resist a pull in the direction of the arrow I, Fig. 3, caused by
the pull of the rope a, but will yield to relieve sudden and excessive strains on
such rope. When a vessel to be towed is connected to the rope a, and the tug is
set in motion the springs k corresponding to the pulleys g and g¹ around which the
rope passes will be more or less compressed according to the resistance of the
vessel to movement, which resistance will be exerted through the rope which by
reason of the construction described is capable of yielding to a greater or less

page_text: extent in the direction of its length thus obviating all liability of its being
fractured by sudden strains.
Furthermore should the resistance of the vessel whilst being towed be suddenly
increased from any cause, the springs will yield and thus prevent sudden strain
being thrown on the tow rope and consequent fracture thereof. Thus it will be
seen that the mode of supporting and guiding the tow rope meets all practical
requirements.
The shell or frame of each pulley 9 and g¹ is preferably made with a removable
or pivotted side to admit of the corresponding steel rope being readily inserted in
place. In the example illustrated one side m of the shell or frame in which the
pulley works, is capable of rotation about the bearing pin n of the pulley. This
side m, which is formed with slots through which the pins π of the frame pass
when the side is partly rotated, is normally kept in the closed position by means
of a bolt o arranged to act against one of the pins n².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. For enabling a vessel to be towed by means of a paddle steamer and a steel
wire tow rope, an elastic or yielding arrangement comprising pulleys 9 and g'
elastically mounted between two trestles carrying the tow rope a and around which
pulleys the said rope is led in the form of a loop, the arrangement being such that
the pulleys can yield or move in a direction to relieve sudden strain on the tow
rope as for instance when commencing to set the vessel to be towed in motion, or
when the resistance to motion of the vessel being towed is from any cause increased
substantially as herein described for the purpose specified.
2. In elastic or yielding arrangements of the kind specified in the preceding
claim, mounting several pairs of pulley 9 g¹ in an elastic or yielding manner by
means of springs k, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1892.
A. MICHAELIS,
By L. W., per F. B.