IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING WIRE AND OTHER ROPES ON TO WINDLASS BARRELS, CHIEFLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM PLOUGH GEAR."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Alfred Edwards, of 19, Southampton Road, and
Eyre Bland Edwards, of 17, Southampton Road, Haverstock Hill, Keutish
Town, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING WIRE AND OTHER ROPES ON
TO WINDLASS BARRELS, CHIEFLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM PLOUGH GEAR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Alfred Edwards and
Eyre Bland Edwards at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
9th January 1880.
"
1
ROBERT ALFRED EDWARDS, of 19, Southampton Road, and EYRE BLAND
EDWARDS, of 17, Southampton Road, Haverstock Hill, Kentish Town, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineers. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING
WIRE AND OTHER ROPES ON TO WINDLASS BARRELS, CHIEFLY APPLICABLE TO
STEAM PLOUGH GEAR."
This Invention of improvements in apparatus for guiding wire and other ropes
on to windlass barrels, chiefly applicable to steam plough gear, relates to
improvements in guiding the rope whilst winding on the drum, such as used
on the windlass or capstan for ploughing land, or in winding gear, or hoisting
machinery.
It consists of a lever weighted at one end, the other end supporting guiding
pulleys through which the rope passes, so that as the rope is being wound on the
drum the rope is guided so as not to lap on the preceding coil.
In winding gear, especially as used for ploughing land, the rope is very apt to
ride and sometimes to kink, great friction is thus caused, and the wear of the rope
is much increased.
The way in which I prefer to attach the apparatus is to have a long projecting
arm, one end of which encloses the axle of the drum, and is thereto attached by a
collar and pin or other suitable fastening; this arm may also have friction wheels
to support it against the end of the drum; this long projecting arm carries the
guiding apparatus composed of the before mentioned lever, which it supports on a
kind of standard. The lever in the case of a vertical drum is hung to swing vertically
so that when the rope is passing through the guides at the end of the lever the

page_text: weight acting on the other end gently lifts the rope as it is coiling on the drum and
guides it just above the previous coil, or by the counter weight prevents it falling
down too fast; the guiding pullies may be made in the usual way to hold the rope,
or they may be made in the form of long rollers so as to allow of more play for the
rope, and in some cases both ends of the lever may have the guiding pullios or 5
rollers, or one set of pullies may be fixed to some part of the frame; the weight is
made to slide on the lever so that it may be adjusted to the force required, and it
is preferably so adjusted as to allow of a slight friction on the rope by the previous
coil.
Where a drum is working horizontally the lever will be made to work horizontally, 1
and in place of the weighted lever we then attach a chain, a pulley, and a weight
on either side of it, or springs to give the required force to guide the rope.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Alfred Edwards and Eyre Bland Edwards in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th July 1880.
ROBERT ALFRED EDWARDS, of 19, Southampton Road, and EYRE BLAND
EDWARDS, of 17, Southampton Road, Haverstock Hill, Kentish Town, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING
WIRE AND OTHER ROPES ON TO WINDLASS BARRELS, CHIEFLY APPLICABLE TO
STEAM PLOUGH GEAR."
This Invention of improvements in apparatus for guiding wire and other ropes
on to windlass barrels, chiefly applicable to steam plough gear, relates to
improvements in guiding the rope whilst winding on the drum such as is used
on the windlass or capstan for ploughing land, or in winding gear, or hoisting
machinery.
It consists of a lever weighted at one end, the other end supporting guiding
pulleys, through which the rope passes, so that as the rope is being wound on the
drum the rope is guided so as not to lap on the preceeding coil until cach layer is
completed.
In windlass gear, especially as used for ploughing land, the rope is very apt to
ride and sometimes to kink, great friction is thus caused, and the wear of the rope
is much increased.
The way in which we prefer to attach the apparatus is to have a long projecting
arm, one end of which encloses the axle of the drum, and is thereto attached by a
collar and a pin or other suitable fastening; this arm may also have friction wlicels
to support it against the end of the drum; this long projecting arm carries the
guiding apparatus composed of the before mentioned weighted lever, which it
supports on a kind of standard. The lever in the case of a vertical drum is hung to
swing vertically, so that when the rope is passing through the guides at the end of
the lever the weight acting on the other end gently lifts the rope as it is coiling
in the drum and guides it just above the previous coil; the guiding pulleys may
be made in the usual way to hold the rope, or they may be made in the forin of
long rollers, so as to allow of more play for the rope, and in some cases both ends
of the lever may have the guiding pulleys or rollers, or one set of pulleys may be
made to be fixed to some part of the frame; the pulleys may be made also to rock
for the better receiving of the rope according to its direction and inclination. When
working the weight is hung on the lever, or to slide on the lever, or a portion of it,
or another weight may be added to roll in a trough, or any other equivalent device
may be employed so that it may be adjusted to the force required, or adjust itself,
and it is preferably so adjusted as to allow of a slight friction on the rope by the
previous coil.
Where a drum is working horizontally the lever will be made to work
horizontally, and in place of the weighted lever we then attach a chain, a pulley,
and a weight on either side of it, or springs to give the required force to guide the
rope.
In the Drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing part of the
winding barrel and the rope proceeding to the plough; Figure 2 is an end elevation,
looking end on to the rope proceeding to the plough; Figure 3, the weighted lever
with its pivot pin or fulcrum; Figure 4, another view of the weighted lever; Figure 5,
the trough with the rolling weight to be attached on to the weighted lever by bolts
through the holes ac, c; Figures 6 and 7, vertical guide rollers; Figure 8, adjustable
horizontal guide roller, shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2; Figure 9, elevation of part of
rocking shaft, round which turns the guide rope pulley, seen in Figure 1, Figure 2,
Figure 3, and Figure 4, and detached Figure 10; Figures 11, Figure 12, details of
guide rope pulley. The shaft of this pulley is attached to the frame by the inner
shaft, and by the screws and bolts the outer cylindrical part rocks, as shewn by the
dotted lines, to the inclination of the rope, whether for the upper or lower part of

page_text: the drum; the centre of the pulley works round the outer cylindrical part, being
held to it by the flanges shewn in Drawings; Figure 13, small guide pulley, seen
in Figures 1, 3, and 4.
In the Drawings the like letters indicate the like parts. Figure 1, a shows
the part of the engine winding barrel with the rope b coiled upon it; the
rocking guide pulley c and the small guide pulley d are carried on the frame
and lever d. The frame work e carries the frame and lever and pulleys, and is
itself supported by the projecting arm f proceeding to the shaft of the windlass
barrel, as before described; this framing e supports the vertical rollers g, g, one only
being shown in Figure 1, the frame lever d¹ itself pivotting on the pin 7, the end of
which is shown in Figure 2; Figure 3 and Figure 4 also shows the pin.
The lever frame d has a small balance weight d², part of which only is shown
hanging on the hook d³, Fig. 1. Above the lever frame is the trough d, in which
rolls the self adjusting weight d5, the travel of the weight may be regulated by the
pins din the holes di.
In action the coiling of the rope on the windlass barrel takes place more evenly
in the centre of the drum, the difficulty being to get the rope to coil on either the
extreme upper part or extreme lower part of the windlass barrel; the weighted
lever therefore assists the rope in coiling at the upper part of the drum when the
lever is inclined upwards at the guiding end by the weight at the end of the lever,
and by the weight of the adjustable weight in the trough, so also when the rope is
being coiled on the lower part of the windlass the adjustable lever being then
depressed, the adjustable weight rolling forward depresses the guiding roller and
assists the rope to coil on the extreme lower part of the windlass barrel ; the
coiling then of the centre part of the coil on the windlass barrel in going up or
down determines the inclination of the lever, and then the weights come into play
and assist the coiling either on the extreme upper or lower part of the windlass
barrel.
In Figure 2 the section of the rope b is shewn passing in the sheave of the
rocking guide pulley c, and between the vertical rollers g and adjustable horizontal
guide roller i supported by the frame f. The roller i is intended when ploughing
uneven or hilly land to relieve the lever of a little of the weight, and is adjustable
to height by a screwed shank.
Although we have described the apparatus in its most perfect form with the
balance weight and self adjustable weight the apparatus will work with the balance
weight alone, but not so perfectly or so well.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that
what we claim is,―
1st. The application of a weighted lever carrying guide rollers for assisting
and guiding a rope to coil upon a windlass barrel, substantially as described.
2nd. The application of a weighted lever with self adjusting shifting weight,
such lever carrying guide rollers for assisting and guiding a rope to coil upon a
windlass barrel, substantially as described.
3rd. The rocking pulley, as described in Figures 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 11, & 12,
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Alfred Edwards and Eyre Bland
Edwards, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.