Improvements in or appertaining to Cable Traction for Towing upon Canals or other like Waterways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Cable Traction for Towing upon
Canals or other like Waterways.
I, JOSEPH DUFF of 12 Galloway Street, Maxwelltown, in the County of Kirkcud-
bright, Grain Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention relates to the towage or haulage of boats, barges or like vessels upon
canals, rivers or other like water ways.
The system which has been in use in some foreign countries of submerging a wire
cable in the water way, which is picked up by a steam boat by being coiled over a
rotating drum on board, thus giving the power of traction to the steam boat, has not
been found very suitable for English canals, as the cable when strained is apt to draw
the boat into the bank, and there is the further difficulty of passing the cable through
the locks which are invariably found in English canals, and many navigable.
rivers.
By my invention, the submerged cable is entirely dispensed with, and the disadvan-
tages of the old system already alluded to, overcome. Several boats travelling in one
direction at the same time can be attached to each other, and drawn by one towing
line connected with the foremost boat, one person only being necessarily employed in
the duty of attending to the towage.
In carrying out the invention, I provide a rope or cable along or above the water
way and supported in a suitable manner. If arranged above the water way it is
preferably supported by arms suspended from cross beams, or where the canal passes
through a tunnel or under a bridge, the arms are suspended from said tunnel or
bridge.
The said cross beams, which are placed at a sufficient height above the water way to
enable a vessel or barge to pass underneath, are supported by upright standards on
each side of the canal. In the case of very sharp curves, it may be found desirable to
substitute a solid iron bar or other rigid material in place of the rope or cable
aforesaid.
The apparatus in the barge or vessel for giving motion comprises two vertical
rollers or drums, (or if the cable is placed along the banks of the water way, the
drums may be advantageously horizontal) between which the said stationary cable is
gripped. They are preferably covered with rubber or other yielding material to allow
the wire rope to become partly embelded so as to give greater adhesion than if the
drums were smooth. The rubber may be covered with wire or metal netting or a
flexible metallic covering to prevent undue wear. The said drums, which are preferably
in the fore part of the vessel, are caused to approach or recede from one another by
means of a lever and screw, so as to tighten or loosen the grip on the cable, and they
are cushioned with springs to prevent any shock or jar, when the drums pass the
hanging arms aforesaid. Surmounting the drums are guide plates, adapted to so
guide or direct the vessel as it approaches each arm as to keep the vessel in its proper
line of travel.
The gripping drums are operated by a suitable motor in the boat. In my model
apparatus, a bevel wheel on the horizontal main shaft engages the teeth of a bevel
wheel on the vertical spindle of one of the drums, and a spur wheel on the said vertical
spindle engages the teeth of a wheel on the vertical spindle of the other drum, and so
causes the drums to revolve at equal speeds, but in contrary directions; or, if
preferred, one drum only may be operated by the motor, the other one being simply
rotated by virtue of the grip or bite.
As boats or barges may not always be loaded to the same extent, and consequently

page_text: draw more or less water, which would make a very considerable difference in the
position of the drum in relation to the cable, I propose to overcome the difficulty as
follows:-
The drums are set in a frame or casing and are raised or lowered to the desired
height by a suitable device. The horizontal driving shaft with bevel wheel, and
vertical shafts of suitable length with the gearing wheels thereon are mounted
in the bottom of the boat. The drums and vertical shafts are coupled by means of
shafts or connecting rods, each of which comprises a hollow one and a solid one; the
latter is adapted to slide up and down the former thereby adjusting the drums to the
required height. They are caused to revolve simultaneously, while permitting vertical
movement by means of a feather and groove or the like. The said adjustable shafts
are coupled to the shafts in the bottom of the boat and to drums by universal joints.
On the stern of the boats that are being towed, is arranged a guide adjustable in
height and having a spring cushion which relieves the guide from extreme pressure.
The said guide is adapted to keep the boats in the proper position in relation to the
cable and prevent them running into the bank.
Dated this 29th day of November 1889
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Cable Traction for Towing upon
Canals or other like Waterways.
.
I, JOSEPH DUFF, of 12, Galloway Street, Maxwelltown, in the County of Kirkcud-
bright, Grain Merchant, 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 :-
The invention relates to the towage or haulage of boats, barges or like vessels upon
canals, rivers or other like water ways.
'
The system which has been in use in some foreign countries of submerging a wire
cable in the water way-the said cable being picked up by a steam boat by being coiled
over a rotating drum on board, thus giving the tractive power to the steam boat,
has not been found very suitable for English canals, as the cable when strained is apt
to draw the boat into the bank, and there is the further difficulty of passing the cable
through the locks which are invariably found in English canals, and many navigable
rivers.
By my invention, the submerged cable is entirely dispensed with, and the disadvan-
tages of the old system already alluded to, overcome. Several boats travelling in one
direction at the same time can be attached to each other, and drawn by one towing
line connected with the foremost boat, one person only being necessarily employed in
the duty of attending to the towage.
The manner in which I carry my invention into effect is as follows, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus taken on a plane parallel to the cable
and boat keel.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on line xx, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of a portion of the apparatus, and
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the stern guiding device hereinafter described.
A is a rope or cable which is supported in any suitable manner alongside of or above
the water way.
If arranged above the water way, as shown on the drawing, it is
preferably supported by arins or hangers B which are suspended from cross beams (
carried by standards C. The latter are arranged at suitable intervals, along both
sides of the water way (if it is comparatively narrow as in the case of a canal), or
along one side only, if it is of considerable width. It is preferable to hinge the hangers
to their cross beams as at 6 in order that they may be capable of a limited amount of

page_text: movement in a direction parallel to the cable, whereby the strain of traction ⚫ is
distributed more equally along the cable. The clips for securing the cable to the
hangers are of as small an outside diameter as possible and are tapered off towards
their ends, in order to facilitate their passage between the haulage drums hereinafter
described. In cases where the canal or river passes through a tunnel or under a
bridge, the hangers are suspended from said tunnel or bridge.
In any case the
hangers B are placed at a sufficient height above the water way to permit a vessel or
barge, when unloaded, to pass freely underneath them. Where very sharp curves
occur, it may be found des rable to substitute a solid iron bar or other rigid device in
place of the rope or cable aforesaid.
The hauling machinery is placed in the vessel or barge, preferably as near as
practicable to the bow thereof, and is as follows:-
DD are two vertical rollers or drums (or if the cable be placed along the banks of
the water way, the drums may be advantageously arranged horizontally) between
which the stationary cable or roi A is gripped. They are preferably covered with
rubber or other yielding material which allows the cable to become partly embedded
in them and thus greater adhesion is obtained than if the drums were smooth. The
rubber may be covered with wire or metal netting or a flexible metallic covering to
prevent undue wear. The drums D D' are mounted upon frames E which are pivoted
as at e, or are otherwise so mounted that the drums may be caused to approach or
recede from one another by means of a lever and screw arrangement, such as a wheel F
and right and, left hand screw F'. In this way the grip of the drums on the cable
may be tightened or loosened. The drums may be cushioned with springs to prevent
any shock or jar when they pass the hangers aforesaid.
The hauling drums are operated by a suitable motor which is placed in the boat at
some convenient point and is connected with the drums by any suitable arrangement
of gearing. In the drawings G represents the driving shaft of the motor or some
shaft connected therewith. On this shaft there is fixed a bevel wheel G' which engages
the teeth of a bevel wheel H2 on the vertical spindle H H' of one of the drums (D),
whilst a spur wheel H³ on the said vertical spindle engages the teeth of a similar
wheel on the vertical spindle J J' of the other drum D' so that the two drums
revolve at equal speeds, but in contrary directions. Or, if preferred, one drum only
may be operated by the notor, the other one being simply rotated by virtue of its grip
or bite on the cable.
As the boats or barges may not always be loaded to the same extent, and conse-
quently may draw more or less water, there will, at different times, be a very
considerable difference in the vertical position of the drum in relation to the cable. I
propose to overcome the difficulty as follows:-
-
The drums D D' and drum frames E are mounted upon a bed or frame K and are
raised or lowered to the desired height by a suitable device, such for example as that
shown. This consists of a screw shaft L which depends from the underside of the
bed K and engages the screwed eye of a bevel wheel L'. The latter is rotated 'as
desired by means of a bevel wheel I through the medium of a horizontal shaft L³ and
a handwheel L'.
In order to permit of the vertical movement of the drums as above described the
vertical shafts H H and J J' which connect the drums D D' with the gearing in the
bottom of the boat, are formed extensible. To this end one part H, J, of the shaft is
formed hollow and fits over and slides upon the other part H, J. To connect the
two parts so that they may revolve simultaneously, one of them is provided with a pin
or feather h, j, which is adapted to engage a slot or groove h¹³ in the other. It is
also desirable to couple the shafts with the drums and gearing aforesaid by means of
universal joints M..
Guide plates may be placed above or in front of the drums to assist in guiding the
vessel as it approaches the hangers, so that the latter may enter fairly between the
drums. A cable guide N is also placed in the stern of the boat and serves to keep it
in the proper position in relation to the cable. The said guide is made adjustable in
height. To this end the post N¹ of the guide is mounted in brackets N' within which

page_text: it
may be adjusted by means of a pin n in the top bracket and a series of holes n¹ in
the post. The guide is also provided with a cushioning spring as at n².
It will be obvious that instead of a pair of drums and a cable, other arrangements,
their mechanical equivalent, could be employed, as for instance a rigid bar, having a
series of holes or teeth, and placed above or at the side of the waterway, could be
engaged by a skeleton drum or by a toothed wheel or spider.
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 1
claim is:
1. The hauling or towing of a boat, barge or the like by means of a fixed cable or rod
supported above or alongside of the waterway, and a pair of drums, or their mechanical
equivalent as described, on the boat gripping the cable or rod between them and
rotated in opposite directions by means of a suitable motor within the boat, substan-
tially as described.
2. The improved hauling or towing apparatus constructed and arranged as a whole,
substantially as described.
this 29th day or August 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.