IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR UNTWISTING ROPES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McGlashan, of Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR UNTWISTING ROPES."
Sealed the 14th May 1869, and dated the 20th November 1868. .
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James McGlashan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th November 1868.
I, JAMES MCGLASHAN, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR UNTWISTING ROPES," to be as follows, that is to
say:-
This Invention relates to improved and simplified apparatus for
untwisting ropes when it is desired to disintegrate them for the purpose
of making tow or oakum, or for other purposes.
The improved apparatus comprises a tube, into one end of which the
rope to be untwisted is entered, and which is mounted in bearings in
the framing, being made to rotate therein by means of a toothed driving
wheel gearing with a toothed wheel fixed upon it. In gear with the

page_text: same driving wheel or with a second driving wheel of a slightly different
size there is a toothed ring loose on the tube, which ring revolves at a
rate slightly different from that of the tube, and which by means of
skew bevil teeth drives a bevil wheel on the spindle of one of a pair of
small rollers carried by the tube. The two rollers are placed in a plane
at right angles to the tube's axis, and the rope passes between and is
nipped by them. The slight differential motion of the loose ring which
is imparted to one of the rollers as described causes the rollers to feed
the rope gradually through, whilst as they are carried round by the
rotation of the tube they untwist it as it passes. The rollers may be
plain or fluted, or otherwise roughened, and may be pressed together by
springs or screws in order to nip the rope.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James McGlashan in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MCGLASHAN, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James M°Glashan, Her special
licence that I, the said James M'Glashan, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James McGlashan, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and 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
APPARATUS POR UNTWISTING ROPES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James McGlashan, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause

page_text: 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 I, the said James McGlashan, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof: -
The apparatus improved by construction in manner hereafter described
is intended to be used for untwisting ropes when it is desired to dis-
integrate them for the purpose of making tow or oakum, or for other
purposes.
My improvements in such apparatus comprise a tube or hollow
spindle, this latter term exclusively being that hereafter used in this
Specification, into one end of which hollow spindle the rope to be
untwisted is introduced; such hollow spindle being mounted in bearings
in the framing is made to rotate therein by means of a toothed driving
wheel gearing with a toothed wheel fixed upon the said hollow spindle.
In gear with the same driving wheel, or with a second driving wheel of
a slightly different size there is a toothed ring loose on the hollow
spindle, which ring revolves at a rate slightly different from that of the
hollow spindle, and which by means of skew bevil teeth drives a bevil
wheel on the axis of a pair of small rollers carried by the hollow spindle.
The two rollers are placed in a plane at right angles to the axis of the
hollow spindle, and the rope passes between and is nipped by them.
The slight differential motion of the loose ring which is imparted to one.
of the rollers as described causes the rollers to feed the rope gradually
through, whilst as they are carried round by the rotation of the hollow.
spindle they untwist it as it passes. The rollers may be plain or fluted,
or otherwise roughened, and may be pressed together by springs or
screws in order to nip the rope.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention
I now proceed to particularly describe and ascertain in what manner
the same is to be performed or put in operation by reference to the
accompanying Drawings, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the machine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation ;
Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are different views of the spindles B; Figs. 7, 8, 9.
10, and 11 are different kinds of rollers; Figs. 12, 13, and 14 are

page_text: different modes of applying the machine. In Figs. 13 and 14 the ropes
are untwisted and made into tow; in Fig. 12 they are merely untwisted
and flattened. Figs. 1 and 2 are drawn to three inches to the foot;
Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are drawn to six inches to the foot; Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10,
and 11 are full size for the machine shown; Figs. 12, 13, and 14 are
drawn to one and a half inches to the foot. In some parts the toothed
wheels are indicated by circles only.
A is a framing or cast-iron box or pair of rails fixed together for
holding the hollow spindles B; B, hollow spindles through which the
material to be operated upon passes, they are much wider at the outlet
than they are at the inlet, which is "bell-mouthed." Each spindle has
within it a pair of rollers, which may be either fluted, grooved, spiked,
smooth, or otherwise formed as required. These rollers by the arrange-
ment of the wheels can be made to take in the ropes or cords at any
speed, while the spindles themselves are driven at any other speed
required to take out or give the number of twists or turns per foot
wanted. The machine shown is suitable for ropes from three-eights to
one inch in circumference, the half on the right hand being suited for
ropes with fifteen turns to the foot, and that on the left being geared
for twelve turns per foot. C are brackets fitted on A to carry the
shaft D, upon which are keyed the bevil wheels E which drive the stud
wheels F. These wheels (F) may be either single or double, and convey
motion to the hollow spindles B. The spur wheel G is made fast to the
spindle B, and drives it, the other spur wheel shown on B (namely, H,)
is loose on it, but is cast on the angular tooth bevil wheel I. So long
as G is smaller than H the shaft D goes in the same direction, and suits
for ropes twisted in one way, but when G is larger than H the shaft D
goes in the opposite direction, and the machine then suits for ropes
twisted the other way. The bevil pinion J is driven by the bevil
pinion I, and is one-third less than I; J is fixed to the axle of the
roller K, and on the other end of K is a counterbalance weight L, to
cause the spindle to run smoothly. When fluted rollers are used, such
as those shown at Figs. 7 and 11, and for grooved or smooth rollers, they
require to be geared together, the weight L is then dispensed with, and
small pinions put in its place. The pinion J on roller K being geared
into the wheel I must keep its position, though it has to revolve freely,
while the other roller M must accomodate itself to the thickness of the
material acted upon; this is provided for by casting a pin in the bush N,

page_text: which pin passes through the cover O and keeps in its place the spring P,
which may be spiral, india-rubber, or volute, as shown; Q is a bar on
which the stud wheels are to be fixed. When the spindles in one system
are all meant to work in the same way half the number of stud wheels
would be found sufficient; R is a conductor with divisions (S) placed
between the spindles to prevent the ropes from twisting into each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or put
in operation, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of "Improve-
ments in Apparatus for Untwisting Ropes," herein-before described and
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, it being understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details of construction described and
illustrated, nor do I claim the mere details per se and apart from the
purposes of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said James McGlashan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.