AN IMPROVED WIRE CABLE TOWING STEAMER FOR TOWING VESSELS AND BARGES ON RIVERS AND CANALS AND MACHINERY THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank John Meyer and William Wernigh, of 9, Hedemann
Strasse, Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Engineers, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED WIRE CABLE TOWING STEAMER FOR TOWING VESSELS AND
BARGES ON RIVERS AND CANALS AND MACHINERY THEREFOR."
Sealed the 15th August 1876, and dated the 26th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank John Meyer and
William Wernigh at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th
February 1876.
FRANK JOHN MEYER and WILLIAM WERNIGH, of 9, Hedemann Strasse, Berlin, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, Engineers. "AN IMPROVED WIRE CABLE TOWING
STEAMER FOR TOWING VESSELS AND BARGES ON RIVERS AND CANALS AND
MACHINERY THEREFOR."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the general design, con-
struction, and arrangements of the hull engines, boilers, drums, guiding pulleys, and
wheels, and other parts of wire cable steamers. In this steamer we bring the wire
cable on to her along her centre line, and hence we obtain greater steering power
than by any other existing arrangement, embracing the use of a clip, drum, or of
any other similar apparatus, requiring to be placed in any position along the side or
jutting out beyond the side of the steamers. This arrangement permits of our
placing the engines and boilers in such a manner as to obviate the necessity hitherto
recognised of employing a certain amount of dead weight in other parts of the
towing steamer, as a counterbalance to the irregular position of the boilers and
engines. By bringing the wire cable along the steamer's centre line, forward and
backward motion is rendered more easy and regular, and obviates the necessity of
turning the vessel round in changing the direction of her movement.
We give a conical form to the drums sectionally, and thereby effect an equal
distribution of strains over the whole of the cable wound on the drums, preventing
slip of the cable, wear and tear of drums, and rupture of the cable. The strains
being moreover under control a cable of smaller dimensions can be safely employed
ensuring less loss of power in raising and using it.
We furthermore protect the periphery of the drums from being worn away and
rendered useless by means of a suitable section of hoop iron bolted in each of the
grooves composing the periphery.

page_text: The hoop iron only of the, drums. being exposed to wear and tear after continual
uso can be easily and quickly replaced.
To ensure both drums revolving at an equal speed they are coupled together by
means of frictional gearing.
The cable is fed on to and taken off from the drums and paid out of the steamer
again by an arrangement of vertical guide pulleys and horizontal wheels, fixed on
inovable trucks running on rails or guides of suitable sections at both ends of the
steamer. These trucks are moved and driven by wire gearing from drums specially
contained in the machinery of the vessel.
The upper and lower horizontal wheels on both trucks are furnished at their
periphery with movable teeth, backed with india-rubber and held in position by
metallic rings. These teeth grip the cable, passing between them to the extent
necessary for the work to be done, and thus procure perfect adhesion without slip.
The cable can be paid on to the drums and taken off from them and paid out of
the steamer at a speed regulated exactly in accordance with the desired speed of
the steamer and the load to be towed.
As the movable trucks above referred to are worked directly from the engines
the direction of the steamer's movement can be changed at any moment without
necessitating any assistance from the crew beyond the engineers reversing the
engines.
The improved and simple construction of the steamer in general and the absence
of all unnecessary weights combined with her great power of traction, enables her
to be worked on rivers and canals with a very small depth of water, and, to tow
larger numbers of barges in one train than heretofore.
Being under control of her helms she can be driven round sharp curves easily and
quickly. The engines are by preference completely isolated from the sides and deck
of the steamer, and are fastened directly by strong framing on to the floor beams
and keelsons.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank John Meyer and William Wernigh in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th August 1876.
"
FRANK JOHN MEYER and WILLIAM WERNIGH, of 9, Hedemann Strasse, Berlin, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, Engineers. 'AN IMPROVED WIRE CABLE TOWING
STEAMER FOR TOWING VESSELS AND BARGES ON RIVERS AND CANALS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the general design, con-
struction, and arrangement of the hull, engines, boilers, drums, guiding pullies, and
wheels; and other parts of wire cable steamers. In this steamer we bring the wire
cable on to her along her centre line, and hence we obtain greater steering power
than by any other existing arrangement embracing the use of a clip, drum, or of
any other similar apparatus requiring to be placed in any position along the side or
jutting out beyond the side of the steamers. This arrangement permits of our
placing the engines and boilers in such a manner as to obviate the necessity hitherto
recognized of employing a certain amount of dead weight in other parts of the
towing steamer, as a counterbalance to the irregular position of the boilers and
engines. By bringing the wire cable along the steamer's centre line, forward and
backward motion is rendered more easy and regular, and obviates the necessity of
turning the vessel round in changing the direction of her movement.
We give a conical form to the drums sectionally, and thereby effect an equal
distribution of strains over the whole of the cable wound on the drums, preventing
slip of the cable, wear and tear of drums, and rupture of the cable. The strains
being moreover under control, cable of smaller dimensions can be safely employed
ensuring less loss of power in raising and using it.

page_text: We furthermore protect the periphery of the drums from being worn away and
rendered useless, by means of a proper section of hoop iron bolted in each of the
five rills composing their periphery.
The hoop iron only of the drums being exposed to wear and tear after continual
use, can be easily and quickly replaced.
To ensure both drums revolving at an equal speed, they are coupled together by
means of frictional gearing.
The cable is fed on to and taken off from the drums and paid out of the steamer
again by an arrangement of vertical guide pullies and horizontal wheels fixed on
moveable trucks, running on rails or irons of proper sections at both ends of the
steamer. These trucks are moved and driven by wire gearing from drums specially
contained in the machinery of the vessel.
The upper and lower horizontal wheels on both trucks are furnished at their
periphery with movable teeth backed with india-rubber, and held in position by
metallic rings. These teeth grip the cable passing between them to the extent
necessary for the work to be done, and thus procure perfect adhesion without slip.
The cable can be paid on to the druins and taken off from them and paid out of
the steamer at a speed regulated exactly in accordance with the desired speed of the
steamer and the load to be towed.
As the moveable trucks above referred to are worked directly from the engines,
the direction of the steamer's movement can be changed at any moment, without
necessitating any assistance from the crew beyond the engineers reversing the
engines.
The improved and simple construction of the steamer in general, and the absence
of all unnecessary weights combined with the great power of traction, enables her
to be worked on rivers and canals with a very small depth of water, and to tow a
larger number of barges in one train than heretofore."
Being under control of her helms she can be driven round sharp curves easily
and quickly. The engines are completely isolated from the sides and deck of
the steamer, and are fastened directly by strong framing on to the floor beams and
Sheet No. I., contains five views of our improved wire cable towing steamer,
and Sheet No. II., detail Drawings illustrative of various portions thereof.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, (Sheet I.), are a general view, longitudinal section, and
horizontal sections, and cross sections at A, B, and C, D, respectively of the towing
steamer; A, B, being section shown on Figure 1 (Sheet I.), and C, D, being a
section shown on Figure 3 (Sheet I.).
In the centre or mid line of the towing steamer and raised to a sufficient height
we employ two metal drums a, a, shown in detail in Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet II.),
the periphery or outer circumference of which is divided into five (or more or
less) grooves, as shown in Figure 3 (Sheet II.). These drums are made conical,
that is to say, that the length of each groove measured round the circumference
of the drum is different greater or less than the rest, to correspond with the
difference of the strains developed by the tension of the cable, or by the power
transmitted from the engines to the drums and from the drums to the wire cable.
The grooves are lined with hoop iron a, Figure 3 (Sheet II.), of superior quality
bolted down to the metal composing the drums, in order that any wear and tear
consequent upon the continual passage of the wire cable may not wear away the
surface of the grooves, and hence alter their relative lengths. This arrangement
allows of the hoop iron being speedily changed, and these relative lengths exactly
maintained with little loss of time.
These drums revolving upon strong shafts (a.) are worked by double sets of
gearing from the engines for fast and slow motion, but that their speeds which vary
under different strains may correspond and be regulated exactly they are coupled

page_text: together by means or the three toothed wheels J, 1, 2, one or
wheel.
WHICH IS IIICTION
This form and arrangement of drums insures the perfect adhesion of the cable
without any friction due to its slipping on them, it obviates any gripping of the
cable to obtain such adhesion, and at the same time it allows of the cable being
brought along the mid line of the steamer or above the keel line, so that full
steering power can be exercised without having first to overcome any tendency
sideways as heretofore, owing to the line of effort not being one with the line of
resistance. Furthermore, the steamers can be worked forwards and backwards
equally well in consequence of this arrangement. a is a loose pulley placed between
the drums a, a, below the lower line of their circumferences, and is for the purpose
of insuring the adhesion of the cable to the drums when necessary.
The shafts carrying the drums a, a, also support the pullies o, o, shown in detail
Figure 1 (Sheet II.), which by means of an endless wire cable held at the lower end
by the pulley r, transmit the necessary movement from the engines to the apparatus S,
which we term a truck to be described hereafter.
In order to regulate the speed of the pullies o, o, they are constructed with a
special arrangement of frictional gearing, shown in Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet II.),
which can be regulated to support any desired working strains.
The truck S one of which is placed at each end of the towing steamer is employed
for the purpose of guiding the wire cable with a certain tension on to the drums,
and of relaying it from the steamer as it leaves the drums. This apparatus com-
prises a strong framing of angle iron, and is furnished below with 8 small wheels
by means of which it runs on rails t, t, of proper form bolted down to the deck
beams. At either end of the rails a small buffer is placed to break the shock of any
sudden motion of the truck up or down. The truck is furnished with four
horizontal press rolls u, u, v, v, two above and two below, working in pairs on two
upright shafts. These press rolls shown in Figures 8 and 9 (Sheet II.), are cast-iron
wheels carrying at their periphery sixty (or more or less) teeth working on india-
rubber rings. These teeth are cast in metal and their outer faces bear the impress of
the strands of the wire cable, so that the latter as shown in Figure 9 (Sheet II.), in
passing between them may receive or transmit power without friction or injury to
the cable. The truck carries in front two large hollow vertical drums a, a, for
guiding the cable during the passage of curves between the press rolls, and is
furnished above and below with several small horizontal pullies w, w, for supporting
the wire cable horizontally; y, y, y, y, Figures 1 and 4 (Sheet I.), each comprise
one vertical and one horizontal loose pulley, cast hollow, and are intended to limit
the movement of the wire cable sideways in the passage of sharp curves; P, P, and
q, q, are various pullies and guide wheels which serve to guide the cable and the
cable transmission, but we do not confine ourselves to this or any arrangement of
pullies.
The mode of working is as follows:-The engines being started the drums a, a,
and the pullies o, o, commence to revolve, and the transmission cables on 0, 0,
driving the lower press rolls v, v, of the forward and after truck, the cable is
paid on to and drawn off from the drums at the requisite tension by the revolution
of the upper press rolls u, u. The accelerated speed of these press rolls, which is
necessary to obtain a tension of the cable fore and aft of the drums, is regulated
by the frictional gearing of the pullies o, o, which can be arranged to work at any
tension by tightening or loosening the friction rings. As the cable passes from
between the upper press rolls of the fore truck it runs straight on to the first
groove of the forward drum, and to assure its running steadily on to it when the
vessel is going at quick speed, a small riding wheel 3 is employed. The cable
revolves round the drums as shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, (Sheet 11.), and then runs
over the loose pulley 2, Figure 2 (Sheet I.) to the after truck, where it passes
between the upper press rolls u, u, and is paid out over the stern of the steamer.
When following a straight line both trucks stand as nearly as convenient to the
extremities of the steamer, and the cable rises from and is paid out into the water

page_text: without touching any portion of the vessel's sides or ends. When the steamer
rounds a curve the forward truck by the sideward pressure of the rising cable runs
nearer to the drums, and takes the cable over at an angle equal to that found by
the radius of the curve with the centre line of the drums; and in very sharp
curves the after trucks also run nearer to the drums, and pay the cable out equally
over the side without the cable touching the steamer's side, until in passing a curve
of sixty degrees the cable comes in contact with the guide drums y, y, y, y, Figures
1 and 4 (Sheet I.). This arrangement of making the trucks self-acting has further
the advantage of decreasing the rigid length of the cable, and hence increases the
steamer's steering power. The steamers work in both directions with equal
facility.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, we would have it understood that we do not limit ourselves
to the details represented on the Drawings, as these may be varied to suit different
cases and circumstances without departing from the principles embodied in our
Invention.
In witness whereof, we, the said Frank John Meyer and William Wernigh,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness
ALBERT MÜLLER.
FRANK JOHN MEYER. (L.S.)
WILLIAM WERNIGH.
(L.S.)