Improvements in the Manufacture of Ships' Fenders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Mar., 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Ships' Fenders.
We, REUBEN COLE and FRANK COLE, of Jacob Street, Bristol, Manufacturers,.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of ships' fenders,
whereby the covering or casing of hemp, coir, manilla, and the like, which is at
present braided or plaited round the core of the fender by hand labour, will be
more firmly and expeditiously put on by machinery, thereby improving the fender
and lessening the cost of production.
Our invention consists in providing machinery which will braid or plait the
threads or yarns into spherical or other shaped coverings to be put over or worked
round the core of the fender during the process of braiding.
In carrying our invention into effect, we erect a series of bobbins and their
accessories on actuating mechanism similar to that at present used for braiding and
covering balls tassels, and the like, with silk thread for ornamental purposes, but
on a considerably enlarged scale, with the addition of wheels, pulleys, and similar
contrivances arranged at suitable parts of the mechanism to enable the yarn
(which besides the difference in size is of a very different texture from silk thread),
to be fed readily and evenly from the bobbins through the pipes and appliances to
the work as required; other modifications, besides enlargement, of the silk braider
will be necessary in consequence of having to manipulate a totally different
material, but the essential feature of this invention is the enlarging and adapting
existing braiding machinery to produce the covers for ships' fenders, made of hemp,
coir, manilla, or similar yarns, and using the same for that purpose.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Ships' Fenders.
We, REUBEN COLE and FRANK COLE, of Jacob Street, Bristol, Manufacturers,
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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of ships' fenders,
whereby the coverings of coir, hemp, manilla, and the like, which are at present
braided or plaited around the core of the fender by hand labour, can be more
firmly and expeditiously put on by machinery, thereby improving the fenders and
cheapening the cost of production.
This invention consists in providing the necessary machinery to braid or plait
the threads or yarns of coir or the like into spherical or other shaped coverings,
either to be put over or worked round the core in the process of plaiting this
machinery is practically an enlargement of machines at present used for covering
balls, tassels, and the like with silk thread, but on account of the difference in the

page_text: texture and flexibility of silk and coir, several additional appliances have to be
attached to enable the latter material to be effectively worked by the machine.
The means we employ for carrying our invention into effect will be described in
connection with the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a machine fixed ready for use, with two of the yarn
enrriers placed in their positions; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, showing the means
employed for actunting the spindles on which the carriers are supported:
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the spindles and carriers, showing details
of construction of parts for facilitating the passage of the yarn from the reels to
the fender, and the suspended weight in the interior of the spindle to keep the
yarn tight in working;
Fig. is a part-plan of the lower part of the frame carrying the spindles, and
Fig. 5 is a part-plan of the toothed wheels which engage one in the other, and
are all actuated by a bevel wheel attached to the shaft of one of the wheels.
The appliances illustrated have a general similarity to the machines used for
covering small goods with silk and other thread, and will require little detailed
description; the spindles (conveniently 32) which are employed, are placed in the
semicircular choses in the discs provided for their reception, and the action of the
toothed wheels rotates them in opposite directions, and the spindles surmounted
by the carriers will be constantly travelling in intersecting paths, active and
dummy conductors being fixed, as shown in Fig. 4, to regulate the accurate travel
of the spindles.
In machines used for plaiting with flexible threads or yarns, the hearings over
which the thread is drawn are stationary, but on account of the greater rigidity of
the coir and other yarns used for covering the core, it is found desirable to make
the tension bearings to rotate; rollers, wheels, and the like are therefore provided,
as shown in Fig. 3 by the parts marked a, b, c, d, which allow the yarn to pass
freely; it is also the practice to attach the hall or other article to be covered to
the central spindle by an adjustable clip, and the operator has to reach over the
carriers to affix or place the ball in the required position; on account of the
increased size of our machine, it is necessary that a means he provided for raising
and lowering the core from the outside, we therefore insert the central spindle in a
vertical socket and bearings, and make a number of holes in one side of the spindle,
as shown in Fig. 1, and in proximity thereto we attach a wheel with pointed teeth
to engage in the holes in the spindle; this wheel is connected by a shaft and
gearing to a wheel and clutch on the outside, as shown, or to any other suitable
means for rotating the toothed wheel and thereby raising and lowering the
spindle.
The following is a detailed description of the drawings, and of the means by
which the machine is operated :-The frame A is firmly embedded in the ground
or on a suitable foundation, and a number of vertical shafts B placed to rotate in
sockets C; on these shafts a series of toothed wheels D are placed, which actuate
each other, and cause the shafts to revolve in different directions, and with them
circular discs E, F, in which are semicircular chases; hollow spindles G, on which
carriers are fixed are inserted in the chases, and are revolved with the vertical
shafts; two carriers are shown in position in Fig. 1, but in full working, the
number would suitably be 32. One of the vertical shafts (the centre one) is
shown in section, to indicate the mode of attaching the toothed wheels, discs, aud
Iubricating appliance. A regulating shaft I has a pointed toothed wheel J, which
engages in holes in a centre spindle K, on which the fender is placed, and by the
wheel and clutch at the outer end of the shaft 1, the fender is raised or lowered to
the required height for being covered with the yarn. As the spindles revolve in
the discs, they are passed from one disc to another by conductors, as shown in
Fig. 4, of these L L are active, as the spindle on emerging from one pair of
recesses knocks the heel of the conductor and resets it in an opposite direction, so
that an alternate motion is given to each carrier on its passage, which braids the

page_text: yarn, and prevents them coming into collision; the conductors M are dummies,
and motion is imparted to them by the spindles as they come into touch.
The action of the machine is as follows: The reels or carriers are filled with
yarn, and one end of the yarn threaded round the wheels a, b, c, d, and attached to
a weight g in the hollow spindle and passed out at the top of the spindle as shown;
the weight keeps the yarn tight, and a catch on the top of the reel locks it until
the weight lifts the catch, and then a fresh supply is given out, and the weight
keeps that firm until it is used; the required spindles are set in the recesses of
the dises and rotated by gearing as shown or any suitable power.
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. In the manufacture of ships fenders, plaiting the coir and other yarn covering
by machinery, the said machinery being a considerable enlargement of similar
appliances now used for plaiting silk thread on small goods, with special
contrivances and adaptations to enable the more rigid material to be used, whereby
the covering is more firmly and expeditiously performed, and the cost of
production reduced, substantially as herein set forth and described, and illustrated
in the drawings.
2. In the covering of ships' fenders by machinery as herein described, the
insertion of wheels, pulleys, or rollers at the wearing parts for the more ready
passage of the yarn from the reels or carriers to the required position on or around
the central spindle, substantially as set forth and shown in Fig. 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In the covering of ships fenders by machinery as herein described,
connecting the central spindle, which supports the core, by means of a toothed
wheel and gearing to a wheel or similar contrivance outside the machine, by which
the core can be adjusted to any required height, and retained during the operation
of plaiting, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 21st day of March 1895
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent.