May 16, 1961 T. T. UNDE 2,984,202 LASHING ARRANGEMENT FOR PUSHER TOWBOAT AND BARGE Filed Jan. 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. 77/CAMAS 7 AUWDA " (acAW ai O, 1 May 16, 1961 T. T. LUNDE 2,984,202 LASHING ARRANGEMENT FOR PUSHER TOWBOAT AND BARGE Filed Jan. 6, 1958 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 AF/G6 INVENTOR. 77/OMAS 7 A. WDA A77ORway 2,984,202 United States Patent Office Patented May 16, 1961 2 Fig. 3 is a schematic top elevational view of the barge and towboat; Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the towboat pusher 2,984,202 plpe; LASHING ARRANGEMENT FOR PUSHER 5 Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the towboat TOWBOAT AND BARGE pusher-pipe; Thomas T. Lunde, 233 Cervantes Blvd., Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the barge San Francisco, Calif. pusher-block; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the barge pusher-block Filed Jan. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 707,425 O engaged with the towboat pusher-pipe; and 10 Claims. (C. 114-235) Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a special towline fitting. Referring now specifically to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a pusher towboat , of conventional design, is shown in pushing contact with a load-carrying barge 2, in its un This invention relates to a method and apparatus for 15 laden condition in Fig. 1 and in its laden condition in lashing a pusher vessel or towboat to a load-carrying Fig. 2 as illustrated by the relative freeboard indicated in pushed vessel or barge. The invention more particularly Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. The waterline is represented relates to a towboat-barge lashing arrangement which by line 3. self-compensates for variations in barge freeboard and The lashing arrangement comprises, in general, a relative motion between the barge and towboat caused 20 pusher-pipe 4 affixed to the bow of the towboat 1 which by wave action or loading and unloading the barge. engages in sliding contact a pusher-block 5 mounted One object of this invention is to provide a lashing on the barge headlog, providing the pushing force neces arrangement that facilitates practical push-towing opera sary to propel the barge; and a pretensioned towline 6 tions on rough bodies of water by self-compensating for which flexibly maintains the contact between the towboat relative motion between the towboat and barge imposed 25 1 and barge 2. by wave action. The towline 6 is a single length of stranded steel wire Another object of this invention is to provide a lash rope with hemp center. It is connected at each end to ing arrangement which self-compensates for variations a bitt 7 mounted on the starboard and port side, respec in barge freeboard as the barge is loaded or unloaded tively, of the barge stern, and at the center to a power while pushing contact between the barge and the tow 30 winch 8 located on the stern of the towboat 1. The boat is maintained. connection to each barge bitt 7 is composed of a wire An additional object of this invention is to provide rope sling 9 looped over said bitt 7 and pinned to an a lashing arrangement which self-compensates for unbal axially loaded coil spring 10 to which the end of the anced barge drag from bow to stern as the barge is towline is attached. The towline 6 passes through a pair pushed alongside a loading dock and is being loaded 35 of single-pulley, quick-opening snatch blocks 11 mounted from bow to stern. on each side of the towboat stern on a common trans Still another object of this invention is to provide verse line, which impart changes of direction in the tow a lashing arrangement which permits a sudden and ir line so as to position the middle thereof adjacent to the regular unloading of barges with a rapid increase in steam boat ratchets or winch 8. By means of wire rope freeboard but without requiring casting off and relash 40 clips 12, the middle of the towline 6 is looped around a ing and still maintaining control of the barge by the specially designed fitting 13, a perspective view of which towboat. is shown in Fig. 8. A steel centered wire rope 14 wound Other objects of this invention will become apparent on the drum of the winch 8 also is fastened to fitting 13 upon an understanding of the following description of by means of a pinned wire rope thimble 15. an illustrative embodiment of the invention when con 45 By means of the winch 8, the towline 6 may be tight sidered in the light of the appended claims. ened to any desired tension to effect and maintain push Heretofore, most push-tow operations have utilized ing contact between the towboat and barge; but, at the towboats equipped with pusher knees located on the same time, the towline will retain an amount of flexibil towboat bow as far off the centerline as possible. These ity that is a function of the resilience of the springs 10. pusher knees are usually vertical and bear on the stern 50 In practicing a selected embodiment of this invention headlog of the barge providing the pushing contact neces push-towing a single 5000 ton bottom dump barge, a sary to propel the barge. The towboat-barge lashing towline tension of 14,000 pounds was found to be satis connections, consisting of chain or wire rope, are set factory, at which tension the springs, 10 were extended up tight by means of turn-buckles or steamboat ratchets. approximately half their allowable deflection. Such a rigid lashing arrangement has functioned well 55 The pusher-pipe 4 to which reference has been made on smooth water or in pushing barges of relatively fixed is mounted on the towboat centerline by any suitable draft. However, this arrangement is not practically means, and is fabricated of rigid material, such as extra adaptable to push-tow operations on rough water or heavy seamless steel pipe. The particular support means where the barge freeboard varies any appreciable amount illustrated in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 consists of support strut while towing, since the rigid towboat-barge lashing con 60 16 and a structural steel frame 17 supported from con nections must continuously be adjusted. ventional push-tow pusher knees 18 mounted on the tow On the other hand, in practicing the present invention boat bow. This pusher-pipe 4 engages a pusher-block it is possible to push-tow in four to five foot waves and 5 mounted on the headlog of the barge and makes sliding to maintain pushing contact with the barge as the barge contact therewith as the barge freeboard varies or as is loaded and unloaded without adjusting the towboat 65 the barge and towboat pitch and roll. barge lashing connections. The distinctive advantage of this lashing arrangement In the drawings: in self-compensating for relative motion between the tow Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a se boat and barge as well as variations in barge freeboard lected embodiment of this invention showing an unloaded is achieved mainly by locating the pusher-pipe 4 and, barge; 70 hence, the points of barge-towboat contact, so that the Fig. 2 is a schematic side elevational view indicating length of the lashing connections remains essentially con the same barge in its loaded condition; stant; that is, the distance between the barge bitts 7 and 2,984,202 3 4. the pad eyes 19 mounted on a common transverse line ond towline under tension and extending from said tow on the towboat stern, to which the towline snatch blocks boat to the other of said bitts; said towlines extending 11 are anchored, remains essentially the same for varia forwardly on said towboat from a common transverse tions in barge freeboard. This is done in the illustrated line and said pusher having its points of contact with said embodiment by raking the pusher-pipe 4 aft slightly so pusher block for maximum and minimum barge free that the points of contact between said pusher-pipe and board each substantially equidistant from said transverse the pusher-block 6 for maximum and minimum barge line. freeboard are each equidistant from the center of the 2. Apparatus for lashing a pusher towboat to a barge pad eyes 19. The pusher-pipe must be mounted so that including a pusher towboat; an aftwardly raked pusher the points of contact between it and the pusher-block 10 pipe affixed to the bow of said towboat; a barge; a for maximum and minimum barge freeboard, respec pusher-block affixed to the headlog of said barge to slid tively, are each equidistant from the common transverse ably receive said pusher-pipe; two bitts mounted near the line on which pad eyes 19 are mounted, stern of said barge, one of said bitts being to port and If a straight pusher-pipe is used, it is apparent that for the other being to starboard; a first towline under tension intermediate amounts of barge freeboard the distance be s and extending from said towboat to one of said bitts; a tween the barge bitt 7 and the snatch block pad eyes 19 second towline under tension and extending from said will be somewhat less than for the minimum or maximum towboat to the other of said bitts; and resilent means in freeboard. Slack in the towline 6 which would other. each of said towlines; said towlines extending forwardly wise result is absorbed by the preloaded springs 10 in on said towboat from a common transverse line and said serted therein.