IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- TURE OF ROPES, BANDS, AND CORDAGE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norton, of Cork, in the County of Cork,
Ireland Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF ROPES, BANDS, AND CORDAGE."
Sealed the 9th January 1855, and dated the 11th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th September 1854.
I, JOHN NORTON, of Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Esquire, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC
TURE, OF ROPES, BANDS, AND CORDAGE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of flat ropes or
bands for various purposes by a very simple and inexpensive process, whilst a
highly superior degree of strength is secured with a given weight of material
as compared with ordinary ropes or cordage. According to this improved
system of manufacture, the necessary number of minor strands or subdivisional
sections of the rope or band are laid together in parallel lines, just as in
ordinary flat rope making, all the strands being stretched evenly & uniformly
together, so as to bring the entire series to an even bearing. In this condition
the set of strands are cemented or connected in one mass with a solution of
gutta percha, or other suitable cementing material, thus producing asolid but
[Price 8d.

page_text: pliable rope. As the strands are not positively held by stitching or other
directly binding means, the strain upon the strands must be equal and regular,
whilst the mass is peculiarly free from rigidity, & it runs easily through blocks
or over pullies. The strands may either be of common hemp or other material.
Such bands are well suited for machinery belts, as well as for the more ordinary
uses of cordage; and although flat ropes have been more especially mentioned
herein, yet it is intended to make ropes & corlage of cylindrical, angular,
and other transverse sections by a similar process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Norton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NORTON, of Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Norton, Her special license that I, the said John Norton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Norton, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 MANUFAC.
TURE OF ROPES, BANDS, AND CORDAGE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Norton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said John Norton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described aud ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the manufacture or production of ropes, bands,

page_text: and cordage of various kinds and suited for various uses by a very simple and
inexpensive process, whilst a highlysuperior degree of tensile strengthis secured
with a given weight of material as compared with ropes and cordage of the
ordinary kind.
In manufacturing ropes or cordage according to this my improved system,
the necessary number of minor strands or subdivisional sections which are
intended to constitute the rope or cord are laid together in parallel lines,
either just as in ordinary flat rope making, or in a cluster of cylindrical or
rectangular transverse section; or other conveniently available sections may be
adopted to suit certain requirements. Whatever transverse section may be
adopted, it is essential that all the strands be stretched evenly and uniformly
together, so as to bring the entire series to an even tensional bearing, every
sectional portion having precisely the same strain upon it. These minor
strands may be produced in any ordinary manner which will afford sufficient
cohesion for the purpose, and when laid together in the manner which I have
described they are cemented or connected together into one mass by the aid
of a solution of gutta percha, or of a composition wherein gutta percha forms
an ingredient; or other suitable cementing material may used for this purpose.
By thus cementing together the loose strands or minor sections of the rope or
cord, a solid but pliable rope or cord is easily produced.
As the strands of such ropes or cordage are not positively held together by
stitching, or by other directly binding means, the tensile strain upon the
individual strands when the rope or cord is put to use is equal and regular;
at the same time the rope or cord, as a whole, is peculiarly free from objec-
tionable rigidity, and it runs or traverses easily and freely through blocks or
over pulleys. The strands of which these improved ropes or cords are made
may be either of common hemp or other suitable material,
Although perfect parallelism of the strands or sectional portions of the ropes
has hitherto been referred to herein, and is preferred for the practical obtain-
ment of uniform tensile action, yet, to secure all the advantagesideriveable from
this system of manufacture, I find it to be advantageous, at least in some
instances, to give the strands a slight twist, as in a common bowstring, for
example; such slight twist, whilst it does not materially interfere with the
improved effect of the strands due to their parallelism, answers as a retainer
for keeping the strands well together when the rope passes over pulleys.
But in making flat ropes of my improved kind, such, for example, as are
used for mining purposes, no twist is necessary, and it is in the manufacture
of flat ropes that my improvements are more particularly applicable. Such
bands or straps are well suited for driving machinery, instead of the ordinary

page_text: machinery belts or cords, in addition to their moro ordinary applications as
ropes and cordage in general.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
out, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of manufacturing or producing ropes, bands, and
cordage as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of manufacturing or producing ropes, bands,
and cordage by cementing together parallel or very slightly twisted minor
strands or sectional portions as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of parallel or very slightly twisted strands or
sectional portions of ropes, bands, and cordage cemented together, as herein-
before described, in the manfacture of complete ropes, bands, and cordage.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Norton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the First day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
JOHN NORTON. (L.S.)