IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF WIRE AND OTHER ROPES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Dixon, of Team's Rope Works, Gateshead-on-
Tyne, in the County of Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF WIRE AND OTHER ROPES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Dixon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1878.
GEORGE DIXON, of Team's Rope Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of
Durham.
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE ENDS or WIRE AND OTHER
ROPES."
This Invention relates to a novel construction of apparatus for holding the ends
of wire or other ropes while being tested, or for the purpose of attaching a load
thereto.
'
The apparatus for round rope consists of a shackle through which a central
cylindrical hole is bored to receive the end of the rope that is required to he
secured. This central hole is grooved longitudinally to receive two, three, or more
keys for gripping the end of the rope.
The apparatus for flat ropes consists of a shackle made in two pieces and bolted
together, with their inside faces grooved longitudinally to receive two or more key's
for gripping the end of the rope. These keys are notched transversely to enable
them to take a firm hoki of the rope, and they are formed with an incline at their
back to correspond with an incline in the bottom of the grooves.
When the rope is inserted in the shackle and the keys are driven in to bite the

page_text: rope, the strain put on the rope will tend to draw down the keys and cause them
to secure the rope the more firmly in the shackle.
By thus inserting the keys in guides, all tendency to lateral motion in the keys,
caused by the torsion of the rope, will be avoided, and thus the liability of the rope
to slip out of the shackle will be removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Dixon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th December
1878.
GEORGE DIXON, of Team's Rope Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of
Durham. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF WIRE AND OTHER
Ropes."
This Invention relates to a novel construction of apparatus for holding the ends
of wire or other ropes while being tested, or for the purpose of attaching a load
thereto.
The apparatus for round rope consists of a shackle through which a central
cylindrical hole is bored to receive the end of the rope that is required to be
secured. This central hole is grooved longitudinally to receive two, three, or more
keys for gripping the end of the rope. These keyes are notched transversely to
enable them to take a firm hold of the rope, and they are formed with an incline at
their back to correspond with an incline in the bottom of the grooves.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in side view a shackle constructed
according to this Invention for receiving and retaining the end of a round rope;
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the shackle taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 2, one
only of the keys being in place.
In these Figures, A is the shackle, which is bored through longitudinally with a
cylindrical hole B to receive the end of the rope which is to be connected there-
with; C, C, are radial grooves gradually increasing in depth from the extremity of
the shackle towards the forked ends thereof. These grooves are intended to receive
the wedges D, D, D, the inclines of which correspond with the inclines at the
bottom of the grooves.
These wedges constitute gripping pieces, and their faces
are concentric with the longitudinal hole in the shackle. To provide for the
obtaining a firm grip of the rope, these keys are grooved transverssly, as shewn at
Fig. 3.
When the rope is inserted in the shackle and the keys are driven in to bite the
rope, the strain put on the rope will tend to draw down the keys and cause them to
secure the rope the more firmly in the shackle.
By inserting the keys in guides all tendency to lateral motion in the keys,
caused by the torsion of the rope, will be avoided, and thus the liability hitherto so
frequently experienced, of the rope to slip out of the shackle, will be removed.

page_text: When applying the Invention to secure the ends of flat ropes, I construct the
shackle in two parts, of a suitable section to receive between them a flat rope. The
inner face of these parts I groove longitudinally to receive each one or two flat
wedge-shaped keys for gripping the end of the rope. The grooved parts of the
shackle will be formed with flanges to receive bolts or rivets for connecting the
same together; in other respects the construction of the shackle will be similar to
that shewn in the Drawing, and the mode of applying it will be as already
explained.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Apparatus
for Securing the Ends of Wire and other Ropes," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim, constructing shackles with longitudinal grooves
fitted to receive transversely ribbed keys or wedges, as and for the purpose above
set forth.
In witness whereof, 1, the said George Dixon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the 18th day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
GEORGE DIXON. (L.S.)