Ships – Towing or pushing – Towing by means of cable
Patent
1998-03-24
1999-12-21
Swinehart, Ed
Ships
Towing or pushing
Towing by means of cable
B63B 2104
Patent
active
060034629
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device involving locking members, so-called "flaps," for tow pins on a vessel, e.g., a tugboat, particularly for use with tow lines, towing wire, chains, or the like, where the tow pins are positioned in pairs at the stern of the vessel, capable of being raised and lowered, for guiding the tow line or similar means therebetween, where each tow pin in a pair is provided at the top thereof with a respective projecting locking member, and where each tow pin during at least part of its vertical movement is pivotable to permit the locking members to be brought by rotation into locking position by covering the opening between the upper ends of the pins, thereby limiting the vertical movement of the tow line or similar means positioned between the tow pins.
To elucidate the prior art, reference is made to the invention described in Norwegian Patent No. 153527.
The known locking members or "flaps" in accordance with said Norwegian patent are primarily intended to serve as vertical stoppers and may under certain conditions prove less suitable in connection with towing, where the length of tow line, towing wire, chain or the like is to be adjusted, or where such towline or the like is oriented upwards.
The present invention thus aims to provide a solution for this in a simple but effective manner, and the device introduced above is thus characterized in that each locking member in vertical section and in a transverse direction outward from its respective tow pin has approximately a U-shape, that the locking member as seen in horizontal plane simultaneously describes a curve, and that the locking members at their respective exterior, free ends terminate in a straight wall part, these straight parts engaging with one another by means of respective male and female means thereon when the locking members together cover said opening between the tow pins.
In accordance with further embodiments of the device, it is considered advantageous that the locking member be cup-shaped, having said U cross section along their curved length, the deepest part of the cup being provided with mounting holes for the placement of fixing bolts for attachment to the tow pin.
Further, it is advantageous that the part of the locking members that faces downward toward the opening between the adjacent tow pins, when the members are brought together, should have in cross section, at least midway along said end wall part, the form of a shallow, inverted U, where the bottom of said U is approximately flat.
In still another embodiment of the device, said locking members when covering the opening between the tow pins will together describe a curve extending in the direction of the vessel stern, wherein the U-shaped cross section of the locking member where it faces toward the vessel stern has a gently curved form, while the part facing away from the vessel stern has a more upwardly oriented and less pronounced curved form.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the device according to the invention seen in cross section along the line I--I of FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 shows a simplified plan drawing of the device according to the invention, where the locking members as drawn with solid lines are shown when turned toward one another, and with broken lines are shown when rotated apart.
FIG. 3 shows the section along line III--III of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the locking members according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As indicated by FIG. 1, a pair of tow pins 1, 2 is positioned preferably near the stern of a vessel (not shown on the drawings). As is apparent from the section along line III--III, depicted in more detail in FIG. 3, each locking member in vertical section and in a transverse direction outward from its respective tow pin has approximately a U-shape, indicated by reference numeral 3 on FIG. 3. As is also apparent from FIG. 2, the
REFERENCES:
patent: 4603649 (1986-08-01), Hystad
Karmoy Winch A/S
Swinehart Ed
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