An Improvement in Ropes for Life Saving Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st Jan., 1896-Accepted. 1st Aor., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Ropes for Life Saving Purposes.
We FRANCIS CHAPMAN Manager 57 Seedley Park Road Pendleton Manchester
and FRANCIS JOSEPH MAYO CHAPMAN Clerk in office at Rubber Works
57 Seedley Park Road Pendleton Manchester do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
A floating rope in use of which we claim to use cotton jute hemps or worsted or
like materials. Also between each layer a quantity of cork or bark in powder or
strips of cork cut in lengths inserted or drawn out with the cork inserted between
the strands. The last or outside cover to be varnished. Each layer is plaited by
a machine with any number of spindles.
Dated this 30th day of March 1895.
FRANCIS CHAPMAN.
FRANCIS JOSEPH MAYO CHAPMAN.
An Improvement in Ropes for Life Saving Purposes.
We FRANCIS CHAPMAN 57 Seedley Park Road Pendleton Manchester Manager
in Engine Packings Works and FRANCIS JOSEPH MAYO CHAPMAN 57 Seedley
Park Road Pendleton Clerk in office Rubber Department do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
An improvement in ropes for life saving and like purposes in which we use
cotton, hemp, worsted, flax, or like material also between each layer (as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2 marked A) a quantity of cork or bark mixed between the strauds or
layers either in powder coarse ground, or strips cut in lengths or intermixed between
the threads, any number of layers to be used according to size of rope required;
the last or outside cover (as shown in Fig. 3) to be varnished, or coated with some
other substance which will serve to protect it from the water.
It will be seen that our invention consists substantially of a rope which has a
quantity of cork or other light bark inserted between, or woven into the strands
or strips which may be composed of cotton, hemp, worsted, or other fibrous
material suitable for the purpose of forming ropes or cords. By this admixture of
cork or other light bark the rope is of such a specific gravity that it floats upon
the surface of the water, or is but slightly submerged.
The rope may be formed in any convenient manner, such as twisted in strands
in the usual manner, or woven, or plaited, or it may be composed of layers of cork
or other light substance, alteruating with layers of fibrous substance; or the layers
may be arranged longitudinally and extending across the rope; and be bound
together with an outer layer.
There are obviously many different ways of forming a rope according to our
| invention, and in the accompanying drawings we shew two of these.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a section of a rope composed of annular layers arranged longitu-
-dinally.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of part of a rope composed of longitudinal layers which
are not circular.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of part of a rope shewing the outer layer plaited or woven.
In Fig. 1 the layers of cork A are interposed between the layers of cotton,
hemp, worsted, flax, or other material of which the rope is made, these latter
layers being marked B. Or these positions may be reversed and the core and
layers A may be of fibrous material and the layers B of cork.
In Fig. 2 is shewn a portion of rope in which each longitudinal layer A of cork
or the like, as well as each layer B of fibrous material is disposed so as to either
radiate from the centre to the outside of the rope, or to extend across it from one
-side to the other.
Fig. 3 shews part of a plaited outer layer, such as is used to bind together a
rope formed as shewn in Fig. 1 or 2, or in any other manner.
We do not confine
-ourselves to the particular manner of forming ropes shewn, the essential feature of
our invention being the use of cork or other light bark in any form intermixed or
interwoven with the hemp or like material of which the rope is made.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
-claim is :-
1. An improved rope which consists essentially of strands, strips, or rings of
hemp, or the like having a sufficient quantity of cork or other light bark mixed
with or enclosed in the same to ensure that the rope shall float upon or near the
surface of water, substantially as shewn and described.
2. An improved rope which is formed by mixing with or inserting in the hemp
or the like material of which it is made, sufficient cork or other light bark to
ensure its floating upon or near the surface of water, substantially as shewn and
.described.
3. The improved rope substantially as shewn and described with reference to
Fig. 1.
4. The improved rope substantially as shewn and described with reference to
Fig. 2.
Dated this 31st day of December 1895.
FRANCIS CHAPMAN.
FRANCIS JOSEPH MAYO CHAPMAN.