Improvements in Rope-making Machinery.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rope-making Machinery.
We WALTER TWISS GLOVER of the firm of W. T. Glover and Company of the
Bridgewater Street Ironworks, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and
ROGER GUILTINANE in the employment of the said firm, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to rope laying or making machines and has for its principal
object to obtain greater equality of tension throughout the strands or the yarns
or wires of which the rope is composed in order that all the component parts of
the rope shall sustain equal or due proportions of the sirain upon the rope when
the same is in use.
Our Invention is particularly applicable to compound machines
in which by one operation the twisted strands are formed and are twisted
together to form the rope. We mount the spools upon spool carriers which revolve
upon converging axes the point of convergence being a little beyond or in front
of the laying top so that the twisted strands extend in straight lines to the laying
top without having to be hent out of the direct line as in the cases of ordinary
machines. For convenience of description we will take for example a machine
adapted for forming a rope from three strands each composed of a number of
secondary strands each of such secondary strands being composed of a cluster of
yarns. Each spool carrier is provided with a number of spools containing the yarns
and is revolved upon its axis at the same time that it is carried around à central
axis which coincides with the centre of the laying top. In some cases we mount
some of the spools upon the back of the spool carrier so as to increase the holding
capacity of the same." We are thus enabled to mount six or eight spools upon each
carrier. The yarns from the back spools pass through slits or openings in the
carriers and pass to the point where all the clusters of yarns are twisted together.
Each spool carrier is provided with a planet wheel which is in gear with a
central wheel which is mounted to revolve upon the central axis these wheels
being bevelled to suit the inclination or convergence of the axes of the spool
carriers. The said central wheel receives motion through gearing which can be
changed or varied in order that less or more twist may be put into the strands.
The laying top is revolved by means of a central shaft which carries the head
upon which the spool carriers are mounted. In the cases of comparatively large
machines and especially in the cases of horizontal machines we prefer to attach
the laying top to a wlieel which is sustained or kept in place by means of anti-
friction wheels. In some cases we may mount the spool frames to revolve in such
a manner as to put a twist into the clusters of yarns or in the cases of machines
adapted for use in the manufacture of wire ropes we should impart such a
revolving motion to each spool frame as would be necessary to present the twisting
of the wire. In some cases the spools may supply cord or strand composed of
yarns or wires twisted together to à suitable degree before or at the time of being
wound upon the spools.
"Dated this 21st day of September 1889.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rope-making Machinery.
We WALTER TWISS GLOVER of the firm of W. T. Glover and Company of the
Bridgewater Street Ironworks, Salford in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and
ROGER GUILTINANE in the employment of the said firm Engineer 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 and
accompanying drawings:-
Our Invention relates to rope laying or making machines and has for its principal
object to obtain greater equality of tension throughout the strands or the yarns or
wires of which the rope is composed in order that all the component parts of the
röpé shall sustain equal or due proportions of the strain upon the rope when the same
is in use.
Our Invention is particularly applicable to compound machines in which
by one operation the twisted strands are formed and are twisted together to form the
rope. We mount the spools upon spool carriers which revolve upon converging axes
the point of convergence being a little beyond or in front of the laying top so that the
twisted strands extend in straight lines to the laying top without having to be bent
out of the direct line as in the cases of ordinary machines.
Each spool carrier is provided with a planet wheel which is in gear with a central
wheel which is mounted to revolve upon the central axis these wheels being bevelled
to suit the inclination or convergence of the axes of the spool carriers. The said
central wheel receives motion through gearing which can be changed or varied in
order that less or more twist may be put into the strands. The laying top is revolved
by means of a central shaft which carries the heads upon which the spool carriers are
mounted.
In order that our Invention may be clearly understood we will describe the same
more fully with reference to the attached drawings whereof
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation and
Fig. 2 an end elevation of a Rope Laying Machine constructed in accordance with
our Invention.
In the said drawings a is the main laying spindle bare spool carrier spindles
and c in Fig. 1 is a spool carrier. One end of the main spindle a revolves in a
bearing which is fitted in a standard d. Upon the other end of the said spindle is
fixed a wheel or laying head e which is turned so as to be concentric with the axis of
the spindle and is carried by anti-friction wheels which are mounted upon a second
standard d. The spindle a is thus supported at each end and is free to revolve upon
its axis. Upon the spindle a is fixed a spur wheel which is connected by means of
an intermediate wheel with a spur pinion which is fixed upon the driving shaft g
which is provided with fast and loose belt pulleys whereby the said spindle can be
rotated.
Upon the spindle a are fixed two spool carrier heads and these heads being
fitted with bearings for the spool carrier spindles.
In the example selected for illustration the machine is provided with three spool
carriers.
One end of each of the three spindles &is mounted in a bearing j which is fitted in
a hole which is bored in the 'head' i.
Upon the other end of each spindle is fixed a laying head which is fitted to
revolve in a bearing in the head . It will be seen that the axes of the spindles >>
are each arranged at an angle with relation to the main spindle a so that the axes of
the three spindles & converge as aforesaid. Upon one end of each of the said three
spindles is fixed a planet bevel whicel and the three planet wheels gear with a
bevel wheel which is fixed upon a sleeve m which is loosely mounted upon the
main spindle a. Upon the same sleeve is fixed a spur wheel n which is connected
by means of an intermediate wheel n¹ with a spur pinion n² which is fixed upon the
driving shaft g. It will be seen that when the driving belt is upon the fast pulley

page_text: the wheel will be revolved at the same time as the main spindle but not necessarily
at the same speed. As the spindle a revolves the three wheels b' roll upon the
It will
wheel whereby the three spindles are caused to revolve upon their axes.
be seen that if the wheel revolved at the same speed as the spindle a the spindles b
would not be revolved on their axes. The gearing as represented would however
revolve the said wheel at about twice the speed of the spindle a and in the same
direction the result being that the three spindles would be revolved in a direction
reverse to that of the main spindle as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.
The intermediate wheel n'is mounted upon a stud 3 which is, adjustable in a curved
slot in the standard d the curve of such slot being concentric with the axis of the
wheel n.
By shifting the stud n³ in the said slot the wheel n³ can be replaced by a larger or
smaller wheel in order that the speed of the wheel n may be increased or decreased.
Upon each of the spool carriers c are mounted spools o from which are supplied
the yarns which are to be twisted together to form the strands. The said spools
are mounted in brackets o' which are fixed to the back and front of the spool carrier
the yarns from the back spools passing through slots in the spool carrier. By this
arrangement we are enabled to mount a large number of spools upon each carrier
as for example six or eight spools may be conveniently applied upon each spool
carrier although only four are shown in Fig. 1 to prevent confusion. The yarns
from the spools pass through the head and converge at an adjustable layer ¹ and
at this point are twisted into a strand p. The three strands pass through holes in the
laying head e and through the grooves in a laying top and are twisted together by the
revolution of the spindles around the common axis of the spindle a and are thus
formed into rope. The laying top does not appear in Fig. 1 but it may be of ordinary
or suitable formation. The shaft which receives motion from the driving shaft
through the gearing is connected with the apparatus which draws forward the rope
at a regular speed as it is produced such apparatus being of an ordinary or a suitable
construction. More than three spool carrier spindles with their spool carriers might
be mounted in the heads. We do not confine ourselves to the mounting of any
spools at the back of the spool carriers. The regular twisting of the yarns by the
uniform revolving motion of the spindle carriers which are positively driven at a speed
relative to that of the main spindle and the angular disposition of the spindles b
whereby the strands proceed in straight lines to the point where they are twisted
together result in the production of a regular and well twisted rope. If preferred the
axis of the spindle a may be vertical or inclined instead of being horizontal as in the
example.
If considered to be advisable the brackets which hold the spools might be revolved
so as to put a twist into the yarns as they leave the bobbins or and in the cases of
machines adapted for use in the manufacture of wire ropes we should impart such a
revolving motion to each spool frame as would be necessary to prevent the twisting of
the wire. In some cases the spools may supply cord or strand composed of yarns or
wires twisted together to a suitable degree before or at the time of being wound upon
the spools.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is.
1.) The combination of parts arranged and adapted to act substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated herein before with reference to the drawings
hereto.
2.) The spool carriers carrying spools of yarn mounted to revolve upon inclined
converging axes and actuated to revolve upon such axes substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and indicated.
3.) In a rope making machine the spool carriors c fixed upon inclined spindles which
are mounted to revolve upon axes which converge to a point at or about the point

page_text: where the strands are twisted together the said spindles receiving rotatory movement
from a common bevel wheel and being mounted in heads or frames which revolve
upon a common axis the speed of the inclined spindles being capable of regulation
substantially as set forth and indicated.
4.) In rope making machinery the spool carriers e fixed upon inclined spindles
the spools o mounted upon such carriers the layer heads & perforated to permit the
yarns from the spools to pass in straight lines to the point of twisting together and
the planet wheels gearing with the common wheel in combination with gearing
and actuating mechanism for rotating the parts which carry such inclined spindles
around a common centre and for rotating the said wheel at a speed which can be
varied to suit the requirements substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of June 1890.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.