IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE MAKING MACHINERY
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROPE MAKING MACHINERY" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object the mechanical manufacture of cords of any
desired thickness from vegetable or similar matter of any kind the fibres whereof
are suitable for cords or ropes.
This apparatus not only renders the manufacture very rapid but moreover
requires less room than similar apparatus for the manufacture of ropes or
cordages.
Three apparatus serve according to this Invention for transforming the textile
material into the finished cord or rope, viz:
SPINNING:
The first apparatus may be described as follows:
It may be observed that a mainshaft, driven by steam, water power or otherwise,
may impart motion to the driving shafts of a workshop fitted in accordance with
this Invention.
The driving shaft a (Fig. 1) receives motion from the main shaft which here is
supposed to be placed overhead; the pulley 1 which makes as many revolutions as
the shaft to which it is attached, actuates the pulley 2 which in turn drives the
drum 3 upon which run two belts one of which surrounds the pulley 4 and
the other the pulley 5 which are placed side by side. These two last named pulleys
the diameters of which differ slightly, act as follows, pulley 4 drives the twister
whilst pulley 5 drives the adjacent reel.
The diameters of all these pulleys are regulated according to that of pulley 1 and
is so chosen that the reel may wind up such quantity of half-spun yarn as the
spinning apparatus is able to produce. This indicates that various pulleys 1 will
ID 077

page_text: be required according to the kind of fibre which is employed so that the winding
may be quicker or slower and it is evident that a spinning apparatus will furnish
a much greater length of yarn with hemp than when oakum for instance is used.
Suppose (for the sake of furnishing an example of the motion of the apparatus)
that the diameters be proportioned like those of the apparatus shown.
The
diameter of pulley 1 is 0.25 meters; if the driving shaft a upon which it is
mounted makes 30 revolutions, the pulley likewise makes 30; the pulley 2 having
a diameter of 0.15 meters makes 50 and as its shaft is also that of pulley 3 whose
diameter is 0.40 meters the latter will also make 50 revolutions which gives for
the pulley 4 (the diameter whereof is 0.15 meters) 133.3 revolutions and for
pulley 5 (diameter 0.14 meters) 143 revolutions. Now pulley 4 fixed upon its
shaft drives the twister 6, which thus makes only 133 revolutions while the reel,
driven by the adjacent loose pulley, makes 143; it follows therefore that each time
the shaft a has completed 30 revolutions, the reel has made 10 revolutions more
than the twister 6 and will have wound up 10 turns of yarn. It may be observed
that the length of yarn thus wound up is substantially the same at whatever
distance from the axis of the reel the layer which is being wound up may be. In
fact the spinning appara us produces in a given time about the same length of
yarn, it would therefore seem that the speed of the reel ought to be diminished as
the circumference of the winding surface increases; practice shows that the spinning
device itself by holding the yarn somewhat tighter retards the rotation of the reel
forcing the driving belt to slip on its pulley 5. The speed of 30 revolutions given
to shaft a may be carried up to 80 and even to 100 per minute and the quantity
wound upon the reel in this time will readily reach 5 meters.
The half-spun yarn is twisted as follows: The apparatus is arranged and shown
and the spinner sits at the left side of the rod which carries the raw-material.
Now if the pulley 1 turns the movement of the other parts corresponds therewith.
The yarn which from the hand of the spinner passes into a hole in the axis of the
twister passes out by a second aperture through a ring and into a guide and is
ultimately rolled up on the reel.
The friction to which the yarn is subjected, partly by changes of direction to
which it is subjected by the points of contact with the twister, causes the torsion.
Let as an instance that length of yarn be considered which is rolled up in one
minute. The shaft a makes 30 revolutions whilst the twister makes 133 and the
reel 143 which gives 3 coils of yarn round the reel. If the centre of the reel has
a diameter of 3.3 centimeters its circumference is about 0.10 meters and the ten
coils amount to about 1 meter. Now while a meter of yarn is wound up on the
reel, the twister has made 133 revolutions causing a torsion of 1'/, revolutions per
centimeter.
By the diameter of the driving pulley and the speed at which the shaft a
revolves the apparatus may be so adjusted that any desired amount of twist is
attainable with any kind of fibre.
The manner of obtaining the yarn will be readily understood from the foregoing
and it is not necessary to dwell on obvious details of manufacture.
The strands are made by the following apparatus shown in Fig. 2.
Omitting mention of accessories the apparatus consists of the following parts:
1) a wheel a furnished with fixed bobbin carr ers which receive the bobbins of
half-spun yarn; 2) a cylinder b pierced at its base by a certain number of holes
symmetrically arranged round the axis; 3) a guide c similar to that in the
"laying" or "closing" machine; 4) a winding device d.
The wheel as upon its circumference as many bobbins as yarns are to be
employed for making a strand each yaru is passed through a corresponding opening
in the base m m of the hollow cylinder b, all the yarns pass out of the cylinder
by a single aperture and are inserted in the centre of the guide c where th-y unite
and then surround the winder d as a finished strand. By this arrange went the
torsion of the half spun yarn is first reduced and it is re-twisted at the moment
when all the yarns are united so that the strand his substantially the same twist

page_text: as the yarns which are operated upon. The movement is effected as follows: The
shaft A receives motion from the main shaft by any suitable transmitting gear.
The fixed pulley p makes the same number of revolutions as the shaft A and
communicates its motion to the pulley p¹ by which in turn the shaft B is rotated.
The yarn on the bobbins is twisted from right to left, the apparatus receives motion
towards the right. Now if the origin of the motion and the time are considered to
be divided into very small intervals it will be observed, that the yarns united in
passing into the guide c are there compressed so that each yarn is untwisted as
the wheel rotates.
As the rotation is towards right and the yarns are twisted towards the left their
twist will diminish from the guide to the bobbins this loss of torsion being spread
over the entire free length of the yarn. On the other hand there is produced
between the guide and the winder a twisting of the united yarns in the same
direction as the half spun yarn was twisted. At each side of the guide and in
opposite directions a double operation of twisting and untwisting is effected; at
the ring the yarn commences to be untwisted in the space which separates the
guide from the bobbins and, likewise at the guide, a fresh twist is imparted to the
yarns united into a strand, this twist being almost equal to that of the original
yarns.
Between the guide and the winder the strand passes through another ring which
guides the strand according to the axis of rotation and serves as a pivot for the
same when it shifts in being rolled in layers upon the reel d.
The manner in which the "drag" of the winder is regulated by speed gearing.
in such a way that, whatever the circumference of the winding surface may be, the
length wound up in a given time shall be the same will be hereinafter explained
with reference to the "laying" machine.
For the purpose of obtaining strands of any desired thickness and consisting of
a greater or less number of yarns the wheel a contains a certain number of tixed
bobbin carriers, say 24, for instance which are symmetrically arranged. Thereby
2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 yarns may be united or by intercalation 5 between 4 and 6;
7 between 8 and 6, or 10 between 8 and 12 and the widest deviation will not
sensibly affect the untwisting of the yarns placed at such distances.
Strands may therefore be mechanically made in all the multifarious ways which
are required in rope making.
The number of apparatus used depends on the magnitude of the works, one
driving shaft may however operate a great number of such apparatus.
The apparatus for "laying" "closing" or for making the ropes properly so called
is shown in Fig. 3.
This apparatus consists
1) In the driving shaft A receiving motion from the main shaft.
2) A countershaft B.
3) Pulleys a b and c d fixed upon their shafts.
4) Speed pulleys e f and p q.
5) A cylinder g fixed to the speed pulley next to it and free, like the latter, to
turn on shaft D.
6) A double wheel R fixed on its shaft and carrying on its double circumference
iron rods t terminating at one end in bobbin carriers and at their opposite end
carrying very light pulleys.
7) A hollow cylinder 8 pierced at its bas o o¹ with a certain number of
symmetrically arranged holes. The other end of the cylinder presents a large
circular aperture near which a plate n n is provided which similarly to to o o¹ has a
series of regularly spaced apertures and carrying the "closing" guide or "
gauge."
8) The ring q and winder E complete the apparatus which besides has only
supports and other secondary accessories.
It has however to be observed that the cylinder 8 in which the shaft terminates
revolves in bearing collars r r at the end of the supports for the shaft B.
6) A double wheel R fixed on its shaft and carrying on its double circumference
iron rods t terminating at one end in bobbin carriers and at their opposite end
carrying very light pulleys.
7) A hollow cylinder 8 pierced at its bas o o¹ with a certain number of
symmetrically arranged holes. The other end of the cylinder presents a large
circular aperture near which a plate n n is provided which similarly to to o o¹ has a
series of regularly spaced apertures and carrying the "closing" guide or "gauge."
8) The ring and winder E complete the apparatus which besides has only
supports and other secondary accessories.
It has however to be observed that the cylinder s in which the shaft terminates
revolves in bearing collars rr at the end of the supports for the shaft B.

page_text: "1
Upon the wheel and on suitable movable bobbin carriers are placed_a_certain
number of bobbins carrying strands ready for " 'laying" or closing." Belts from
cylinder g extend over the pulleys on the rods t which turn freely in rings uu;
now the whole machine together with the strands which are wound off therefrom
under the influence of the "drag" of the winder as follows:
The driving shaft A turning in the direction shown by the arrow sets the
pulley a in motion. This directly transmits motion to pulley b and shaft B. And
the wheel, as well as the cylinder 8 participate in this movement. Pulley e imparts
by the crossed belts a motion in the opposite direction to the shaft of the pulley d
and of the speed pulley e and this motion is communicated to the rods t by means
of the second speed pulley and the adjacent cylinder. By these means if the
driving shaft goes towards the right, as it is supposed to do in the present case the
bobbius turn in a contrary direction and this double motion has for its effect the
twisting of the rope at the same time that the twist in the strands. It will be
apparent from what has herein before been said that if the bobbin carriers were
fixed as in the strand twisting apparatus, the strands would be untwisted, but as
in the present case the bobbin carriers are movable and rotate in a direction
opposite to that of the wheel, the torsion which would be produced were the
bobbins not moved in two directions is avoided. The strands thus maintain their
torsion until they reach the guide where they arrive separately each passing
through a separate opening both in the bottom o o¹ of the cylinder 8 as also in the
circular plate n n¹. At the point z and in consequence of the pressure exerted by
the guide the threads or strands after being united are twisted or
"Jaid" forming
a rope which is rendered regular by the compression it undergoes in passing
through the said guide.
Interchangeable guides of different diameters may be provided for ropes of
different thickness.
After passing through a fixed ring 9 the rope is wound in horizontal layers on
the reel E the speed of which diminishes as the winding circumference increases.
The speedgear is arranged and operates as follows:
The two speed pulleys ef have for their object to communicate to the
unvarying wheel of the driving shaft a movement which is more or less rapid
according as to whether by reason of the thickness of the strands a greater or less
torsion is required. Inspection of the Drawings will alone be sufficient to make
clear how, by altering the position of the belt the wheel may receive a slow or
rapid motion. Thus the required degree of twist may be given for ropes of
different thicknesses. The speed pulleys p and q which regulate the speed of the
reel or winder have a somewhat more complicated action. The pulley Fig. 3
(seen at u¹ Fig. 4) drives another pulley x placed above the shaft whereof is parallel
to that of the change gear p.
The last mentioned pulley drives a third pulley which is the same as v in
Fig. 3. Thus the speed motion is effected and by simply sliding the driving belt
into proper position the winder receives a more and more retarded motion which
however is uniform for any one layer.
It may be observed that though stepped speed pulleys are above described
conical drums (Fig. 5) may be used, the speed may thereby be more gradually
varied, viz. by a belt-shifting fork and by sufficiently enlarging the size, the speed
may be varied within the required limits.
If the speed of the drums themselves is to be altered, it will only be requisite
to replace pulley Fig. 3 by one of larger or smaller diameter. The same in this
respect holds good for either the spinning or the “closing" or "laying” apparatus.
It may moreover be observed that by applying a cranked fork to each spinning
apparatus each of these may be stopped independently, this indication may suffice
and details and accessories may be passed over as they would needles-ly extend
this Specification; what however may yet be added is, that each spinning apparatus
has a different loose pulley for a different twist (8 Fig. 1) which pulleys are inter-
changeable and of different diameters.

page_text: Having now described the nature of this Invention and how the same may be
performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim:
1) In the spinning apparatus an arrangement of different pulleys allowing the
speed of the apparatus to be regulated by increasing or decreasing the speed of the
driving shaft a so that the required twist may be obtained whatever fibre may be
employed.
2) In the strand making apparatus the arrangement of the wheel a carrying a
suitable number of bobbins and conducting the previously spun threads or yarns
into a cylinder b furnished with a guide c so arranged as to effect the double
operation of alternate untwisting and re-twisting followed by the winding up as
described.
3) In the "laying" or "closing up" mechanism an arrangement of devices as
above described having for its object mechanically to wind upon one another at
the desired speed by means of stepped cones or otherwise any suitable number of
strands whilst preserving in the same during the operation the proper twist given
to each.
ALFRED J. BOULT.