IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND FINISH OF COTTON BAND, TWINE, ROPE, CORDAGE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hanson, of Stockport, in the County of
Chester, Rope, Twine, Cotton Band, &c. Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND FINISH OF COTTON BAND,
TWINE, ROPE, CORDAGE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 29th June 1858, and dated the 31st December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hanson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1857.
I, HENRY HANSON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Rope, Twine,
Cotton Band, &c. Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND FINISH OF COTTON BAND,
TWINE, ROPE, CORDAGE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to the manufacture and finish of cotton band,
twines, cords, and ropes made of hemp or other fibrous substances, and consist
in the application of machinery for the purposes of sizing and finishing, instead
of by hand or manual labour as heretofore adopted.
Instead of the ordinary, walk I employ a rail or tramway, of any desired
form and length, and place upon it a travelling frame or carriage supported by
any suitable number of wheels, and capable of being drawn from one end to

page_text: the other, either way, by hand or power. The top of the frame or carriage
forms the table for supporting the material to be sized and finished, and also
holds the size or material employed for the purpose.
The cotton band, twines, cords, or ropes are guided by combs on and off a
frame or box having a to-and-fro motion similar to that given by the hand
finish, the "said box containing rubbers of horsehair or other suitable
material; the backward and forward motion of the box and rubbers being
given by a crank on one of the shafts of the carriage or other convenient
contrivance.
This arrangement of machinery supersedes the tedious and fatiguing process
of finishing by hand, performing the same kind of work by power in a more
efficient and economical manner.
The travelling frame may be drawn to and from either end of the railway
by means of ropes and drums, or racks may be placed on the rails in order to
prevent the weight. of the machinery; or the power of propelling may be placed
in the frame itself by making it a locomotive of any kind having suitable
power.
It is evident that these arrangements may be adapted to any kind and size
of material to be sized and finished by making the machinery or apparatus of
any required dimensions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Hanson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HANSON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Rope, Twine, Cotton Band,
&c. Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Hanson, Her special licence, that I, the said Henry
Hanson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Henry Hanson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter. during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND FINISH OF COTTON BAND, TWINE, ROPE, CORDAGE,
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I; the said Henry Hanson,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Hanson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture and finish
of cotton bands, twines, cords, and ropes made of hemp or other fibrous sub-
stances, which improvements consist in the application of machinery for the
purposes of sizing and finishing, instead of by hand or manual labour as here-
tofore adopted.
:
Instead of the ordinary walk I employ a rail or tramway, of any desired form
or length, and place upon it a travelling frame or carriage supported by any suit-
'able number of wheels, and capable of being drawn from one end to the other
both ways, either by hand or by drums and ropes driven by power. The top
of the frame or carriage forms the table for supporting the material to be sized
'and finished, and also holds the size or other substance employed for the
purpose.
The cotton bands, twines, cords, or ropes are guided by reeds or combs on
and off a frame or box having a to-and-fro motion, similar to that given by the
hand finish, the said box containing rubbers of horsehair or other suitable
material. The backward and forward motions of the box and rubbers are given
by a crank on one of the shafts of the carriage, or by any other suitable
contrivance.
'
These arrangements of machinery supersede the tedious and fatiguing
process of finishing by hand, as well as performing the same kind of work in
a more efficient and economical manner.
The manner in which my said Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with the
figures and letters of reference thereon, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal.
elevation of part of a railway supporting a travelling carriage having rubbers.
for sizing and finishing cotton bands, twines, cords, and ropes; Fig. 2 is a

page_text: transverse elevation of the same; and Figs. 3 and 4; an arrangement of
drums and ropes driven by power, giving alternate motion to the travelling
carriage.
In Figs. 1 and 2 a represents the side frames of the travelling carriage
furnished with the shafts 6 and wheels c, the rims of the latter being placed
on the metal bars or plates d of the rail or tramway e. On the shafts 6 are
the toothed wheels f geared into each other, one of them being also geared
into the toothed wheel g on the shaft h, having another large toothed wheel i
fixed upon it, which wheel i gears into the pinion k fixed upon the crank
shaft l, working in bearings in the side frames a; thus when motion is given
.to the carriage and wheels c, the toothed wheels move at the same time, and
give an increased speed to the crank shaft, the cranks of which gives motion
by means of the connecting rod m to the box n, having at each side blocks or
bosses o which fit and slide upon the rods p, held firmly in the supports q,
which are fixed to the side frames. The box has a partition or slab on which
is placed one of the horsehair or other rubbers r, its upper surface being in
contact with the materials to be sized and finished, the said material.being
guided by the reeds or combs t, and extending longitudinally across the
table u in contact with size and held 'firmly at both ends: The other rubber
is then placed above the first, and covered with a plate or cover v, which is
pressed as required by the screw w in the nut x in the cross bar y, the latter
,turning on one of the pins z, so as to be out of the way when the rubber and
material require to be removed.
In Figs. 3 and 4, representing one of the arrangements for giving motion
to the travelling carriage, a¹ are drums, having attached to them the ropes
band c', the other ends of which are attached to the travelling carriage, one of
the ropes passing over the pulley d' at the other end of the railway. The
ropes are placed one under and the other over the drums, so that as the latter
turn in one direction, one rope b¹ is given off and the other rope c¹ wound on,
,but when the motions of the drums are reversed the rope 6¹ is wound on and
the rope c¹ given off. Both drums move together by means of the toothed
wheels e¹ and pinion f¹, and the motions are reversed by changing the course
of the belt g³, or by employing carrier wheels and shifting the gearing. At h
is a drum furnished with gearing ratchet and click for the purpose of
maintaining the material to be sized and finished at its proper tension.
It will thus be evident that when cotton bands, twine, cords, or ropes are
placed between the rubbers in contact with size, and the machinery put in
motion, that a large quantity of material can be sized and finished by power in
an efficient and economical manner.

page_text: The travelling frame may be moved to and fro by drums and ropes.arranged
in any suitable manner, and racks may be placed on the rails in order to
lessen the weight of the travelling carriage; or the power of propelling may
be placed in the frame itself by making it a locomotive of any kind having
suitable power; and also various modifications may be made in the arrange-
ment of the parts of the carriage. Instead of sliding on rods the rubber box
may extend so as to slide on bars or plates attached to the framing; and also
instead of three pairs of supporting wheels two or more pairs may be
employed, the framing and parts being arranged in their form, dimensions,
and strength so as to be adapted to the material to be sized and finished. I
may also employ circular rubbers having a circular motion imparted to them
by means of a belt, chain, or gearing from any of the moving shafts of the
travelling carriage. I also dry the cotton band, twine, rope, cordage, &c.,
by steam when desired, instead of the usual method of drying by the
atmosphere.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge
and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the application and
employment of machinery actuated by hand or power for the purposes of
sizing and finishing cotton bands, twines, cords, and ropes, as such machinery
or apparatus is herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hanson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
HENRY HANSON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Henry Hanson, in the presence of
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
123, Chancery Lane, London.