IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES MADE OF HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clarke, of Barnton, near Northwich, in the
County of Chester, Rope Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES MADE OF HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 3rd June 1864, and dated the 18th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clarke at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th December 1868.
I, WILLIAM CLARKE, of Barnton, near Northwich, in the County of Chester,
Rope Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES MADE OF HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
In manufacturing ropes of hemp or other fibrous substances it has heretofore
been customary to saturate them with tar in order to render them waterproof
and durable.
Now, my Invention consists in saturating the yarns, strands, or ropes either

page_text: partially or exclusively with brine or a solution of common salt, rock salt, or
other suitable saline solution; or in some cases the hemp or other fibrous
substance, either in its unmanufactured state or when made into yarn, strands,
or ropes, may be operated upon by solid salt or rock salt, so as to produce
when manufactured a salted rope which will resist the injurious effects of
damp and air; such ropes are also supple in frost and almost non-com-
bustible.
My Invention also consists in making ropes partly of tarred yarns and
strands, and partly of salted yarns and strands, or the yarns, strands, or ropes
may be first tarred and then salted, or the reverse, or salt or brine and tar
combined may be imployed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clarke, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARKE, of Barnton, near Northwich, in the County of Chester, Rope
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clarke, Her special license that I, the said William
Clarke, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Clarke, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES MADE OF HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clarke, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: per-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clarke, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be.
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
In manufacturing ropes of hemp or other fibrous substances it has been
heretofore customary to saturate them with tar in order to render them water-
proof and durable.
Now, my Invention consists in saturating the yarns, strands, or ropes either
partially or exclusively with brine or a solution of common salt, rock salt, or
other suitable saline solution; or in some cases the hemp or other fibrous
substance either in its unmanufactured state or when made into yarn, strands,
or ropes, may be operated upon by solid salt or rock salt, so as to produce
when manufactured a salted rope which will resist the injurious effects of
damp and air, such ropes are also supple in frost and almost non-com-
bustible.
My Invention also consists in making ropes partly of tarred yarns and
strands and partly of salted yarns and strands, or the yarns, strands, or ropes
may be first tarred and then salted, or the reverse, or salt or brine and tar
combined may be employed.
A convenient manner of performing my Invention is as follows:-The yarn.
having been spun in the usual manner, is wound on reels formed of two sets
of arms or spokes placed very close to each other, or single spokes split by a
saw, so that the yarn when wound on them is wound in spiral lines extending
from the boss on which the first layer of yarn is wound to the outer diameter
of the spokes; these reels with the yarn wound on them are then dipped one
or more times into strong brine or a strong solution of salt either hot or cold.
Or hanks of yarn may be dipped in the brine and then wound on bobbins.
The reels or bobbins with the salted yarn, either dry or wet, are then taken to
the rope walk or to the rope machine by which they are made into strands and
ropes. In some cases the salted yarns are surrounded tarred yarns, or with
yarns that are neither salted nor tarred, or both.
The object and effect of my Invention is to render ropes manufactured
according to my Invention supple in extreme cold, uninflammable or nearly
so, stronger and more durable than those manufactured in the usual
manner.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described a convenient
mode of carrying the same into operation, I declare that I do limit myself to
the details given, as the same may be varied, but what I do claim is the
treating of hemp or other fibrous substances or yarns, strands, or ropes of

page_text: hemp or other fibrous substances with salt or saline solutions in the manner
-and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clarke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, One, thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
W". CLARKE. (L.S.)