Improvements in Machines for Making Ropes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 1st July. 1896-Accepted. 26th Sept.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making Ropes.
I, JOHANN TEODOR HAASE, of 4, Langestrasse, Deichshausen, Oldenburg,
Germany, Rope Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for making plaited or braided wire or hemp
rope with twisted or non-twisted wires or yarns, the improvements having more
particularly for object to enable twist to be taken out or put into the wires or
yarns as they are braided or plaited about a core of cork or other material supplied
to the point at which the plaiting is performed; to minimise the variations of the
strain on the plaiting material during the course of plaiting; to obtain a uniform
rate in the supply of the plaiting material to the plaiting point; and to decrease
friction in the machine during the course of plaiting, thereby allowing greater
speed and reduction in the wear both of the machine and of the material to be
plaited.
The improvements relate, first, to the drivers by which the holders are carried
along in their race grooves being invested with carrying as well as with driving
capacity; secondly, to the construction and mounting of the bobbins.
The drivers have top and bottom notched discs in both of which the racer
spindles engage, the latter being provided with disc collars which embrace the
upper and lower sides of the upper disc of the driver whereby the whole weight
of the bobbin holder and bobbins is supported so that the only rubbing friction is
a lateral one of the racers in their guide slots.
The lower disc of the driver, now constituting also a carrier, lies on the cog-
wheel and whilst driving also guides the bobbin.
The lower portion of the spindle reaches into a guide course formed by a fixed
guard flange arranged concentrically to the lower disc of the driver and carrier,
the greater portion of the strong pull of the wire passing off from the bobbin
to the plaiting point being now transferred to this guide course.
The bobbin holders are so mounted as to be capable of revolving on their
vertical axis within an outer stationary frame carried by the racer spindle the
revolution being imparted by a toothed wheel at the base of the holder gearing
with a fixed toothed bar or rack and controlled by a spring jumper.
In plaiting machines wherein the bobbin course turns into itself as in the
machine for making elastic ropes, ordinary bobbins mounted in holders not capable
of revolving as above described make a full turn on their own axis at each course
accomplished, which in some cases as in plaiting tightly twisted strands is
disadvantageous, but by the above described arrangement sufficient negative turn
may be given to neutralize the turn which would otherwise be made by the bobbin
during its course.
•
Or the toothed rack bar may be fixed at the opposite side of the racer groove
so as to rotate the spool holder in the opposite direction the greater the number of
these rack bars and the aggregate number of their teeth the greater is this
positive revolution and the greater the twisting of the strands, it being immaterial
whether the yarn or wires be wound on one or several spools, the construction of
the revolving spoolholder, the construction and arrangement of the spools tension
weights, brakes &c. being modified according to circumstances. According to one
arrangement a single upright spool is used with or without intermediate flanges and
with one or more internal tension weights. Or there may be several independent

page_text: superposed spools upon the same spindle with intervening washers. To ensure
uniform unwinding in the former case the several parts of the spool require to be
wound at one time in the spooling machine or separate tension weights to be
provided for each, but in the latter case the in lependence of the spools rectifies
any inequality in unwinding. Or the spools may be mounted horizontally and one
above the other, geared together by cords which permit of slipping to rectify
unequal unwinding, a single tension weight being arranged below them and a single
self acting letting off motion controlling all the spools in the same holder as in the
case of the upright spools.
The supply of whole or ground cork or other material to form the core is effected
by special arrangements of mechanism whereby the core material is constantly fed
to the plaiting point as the plaiting proceeds. The whole cork in lengths may be
charged by hand into one or other of two or more magazine tubes mounted on a
swinging arm, revolving table or other support so as to be capable of being brought
into alignment with a stationary feed tube leading to the plaiting point and provided
with one or more mechanically actuated feed wheels passing through slots in the
tube so as to grip the cork passing through it and feed them constantly towards
the plaiting point: Or the feeding of the corks through the feed tube may be
effected by the pressure of a spring or weight or by the intermittent strokes of a
plunger forcing them out of a mechanically rotated magazine whose tubes are
successively made to coincide with the feed tube, or out of a mill hopper and feed
tube applied over the plaiting point.
Dated this 8th day of October 1895
A. M. & W M. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
1, JOHANN TEODOR HAASE of 4, Langestrasse, Deichshausen, Oldenburg,
Germany, Rope Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to machines for making plaited or braided wire or hemp
rope with twisted or non-twisted wires or yarns, the improvements having more
particularly for object to enable twist to be taken out or put into the wires or
strands as they are braided or plaited about a core of cork or other material
supplied to the point at which the plaiting is performed: to minimise the variations
of the strain on the plaiting material during the course of plaiting; to obtain
uniform rate in the supply of the plaiting material to the plaiting point;
and to decrease friction in the machine during the course of plaiting thereby
allowing greater speed and reduction in the wear both of the machine and of the
material to be plaited.
The improvements relate first to the drivers by which the bobbin hollers are
carried along in their race grooves, secondly to the construction and mounting of
the bobbins.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the improvements in the bobbin
driver and one arrangement of the bobbins.
Figures 2 3 4 5 6 7 shew other arrangements of the bobbins.
The bobbin drivers of which A represents one, are mounted between the plates
of a braiding or plaiting machine as used for making ropes by braiding wire or
hemp strands about a core of cork. Each lublin driver is formed of top and
bottom discs ab in one with each other and fast on the cogiwheel B, the discs of
the driver having notches a b' in both of which the racer spindles C engage, the

page_text: spindle C being provided with disc collars c¹ c² which embrace the upper and lower
sides of the upper disc a of the driver A which supports the whole weight of the
bobbin holder so that the only rubbing friction is a lateral one of the racer d in
the guide slot e the lower disc b of the driver both driving and guiding the bobbin
holder the lower end of the spindle being held in the notch of disc b by a fixed
guard flange concentric with the driver which resists the pull of the wire passing
off from the bobbin to the plaiting point.
The bobbin holder comprises an outer frame G carried by the racer in which an
inner frame His mounted to revolve upon vertical pivots hh revolution being
imparted to said frame H by a toothed wheel z fixed to the base of said frame
gearing with a toothed rack alongside the bobbin course and fixed on the machine
frame, a spring pawl 9 mounted on the frame G engaging with the teeth of a
wheel in one with wheel . as shewn at in Figure 2 and being disengagel
(just before the wheel x engages with the rack) by a projection on the rack actiu
on an incline on the pawl to throw the latter out of engagement whilst the bobbin
holder is being turned by the engagement of the wheel with the rack.
In plaiting machines wherein the bobbin course turns into itself, an ordinary
bobbin mounted in a holder not capable of revolving as above described makes a
full turn on its own axis at each course accomplished, which in some cases as in
plaiting tightly twisted strands is disadvantageous, but the rack above referred to
may be so placed and have so many teeth as to give sufficient negative turn to the
bobbin holder to neutralize the turn which would otherwise be made by the bobbin
holder during its course. Or by fixing the toothed rack bar at the other side of
the racer groove the bobbin holder may be rotated in the opposite direction; the
greater the number of these rack bars the greater is this positive revolution and
the greater the twisting of the strands.
The strands or wires may be wound on one or several spools which may be
mounted on horizontal or vertical axes in their holders, the construction of the
revolving spool holder and the arrangement of the tension devices being modified
according to circumstances.
In Figure there are three spools 11 12 13 mounted to rotate on horizontal axes
supported one above the other by the uprights of the frame H. The strands or
wires from the spools are led around guide rollers ¹³ ³ through the upper
tubular pivot of the frame H and over the guide roller to the plaiting point,
all the guide rollers being supported by the frame H except the guide roller i³
which is mounted in the tension weight J which is fitted to slide up and down upon
the uprights of the frame H. The spools 11 12 13 are geared together by endless
cords which are crossed between the spools so as to embrace the grooved flanges
of the spools and ensure equal rotation of the spools under the control of a single
letting off motion whilst permitting of a spool slipping to rectify any inequality in
winding off consequent on unequal winding or other difference in the spools. The
letting off motion is a spring pressed detent controlled by the weight J the detent
engaging the ratchet toothed flange L of the lowermost spool and being carried
by slides M movable on the uprights of the frame H by the contact of the slides
of the weight J when the pull on the strands or wires raises the weight and causes
it to raise the detent out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. This letting off
motion is more clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 in which there is only one
spool I the construction and operation being otherwise substantially the same.
In this case there are two detents each pivoted to a bracket on the inner
frame H and raised out of engagement by the weight J striking the slides M
movable on the uprights of frame H which in turn engage with projections on the
detents.
In order to prevent undue rotation of the bobbin a brake is provided consisting of
a friction ring n carried by a disc n¹ sliding on four guide studs, two oo of which are
fixed in the upright of the frame H (the slide M being slotted to clear them) as
shewn in dotted lines in Figure 3, and they have a plate O attached to their outer
ends to which plate are attached the two other studs o' o¹ which pass at either side

page_text: of the frame H and have spiral springs on them which abut against the plate O
and press the friction ring against the end of the spool.
The bobbin driver although not shewn in these figures would be exactly the
same as previously described in respect of Figure 1.
In Figures 4 and 5 there is a single upright spool I which in Figure 5 is divided
by intermediate flanges ii whilst in Figure 6 there are three independent
spools 11 12 13 with intervening washers the spool or spools being in each case
mounted upon the tubular upright member H2 of a frame carried by the tubular
spindle H which takes the place of the frame H in Figure 1, said spindle H¹ being
mounted in the outer frame G and receiving rotary motion in that frame by the
action of the toothed wheel a and of the rack or racks with which said wheel gears
as above described.
Within a guide formed by the tubes H1 H2 is suspended the tension weight.J the
strands or wires from the different parts of the bobbin or from the different bobbins
passing round guide rollers on the other member H3 of the frame carried by
spindle H thence over a guide roller 23 on the detent down through the tubular
member H² under a guide roller on the tension weight and up and out through
the guide aperture at the top. The detent is pivoted at and engages with
ratchet teeth L on the top of the spool or on the uppermost spool and is released
when raised by the weight J.
In the case of several strands unwinding from a single spool (whether divided
by intermediate flanges or not) separate weights J1 J2 J3 would be provided as in
Figure 7, to rectify any inequality in the winding of the different strands, whereas
in Figure 6 the independence of the spools enables this inequality to be rectified,
the friction of the washers being sufficient to enable all three to be controlled by a
single letting off motion as in Figure 1,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for braiding ropes the bobbin drivers made each with top and
bottom notched discs in combination with a fixed guard flange opposite the lower
disc and with racer spindles adapted to engage in the notches of both discs and
provided with collars adapted to engage with the upper and lower sides of the
upper disc substantially as specified.
2. In a machine for braiding ropes the spool frame mounted to rotate on its
vertical axis whilst partaking in the travelling motion of the racer and provided
with a gear wheel in combination with a fixed rack or racks alongside the sinuous
course of the bobbin holder for imparting positive or negative twist to the strand
or strands as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a machine for braiding ropes the combination with a spool mounted in a
frame capable of being revolved on its vertical axis whilst partaking in the travelling
motion of the racer, of a letting off motion consisting of a spring pressed detent
engaging ratchet teeth on the spool and a tension weight hung in a bight of the
strand and adapted to be raised by the pull on the strand and to thereby release
the detent as described.
4. In a machine for braiding ropes, two or more spools geared frictionally
together and mounted in the same spool frame capable of being revolved on its
vertical axis as described in combination with a single letting off motion formed
by a spring pressed detent engaging with ratchet teeth on one of the spools and a
tension weight suspended in a bight of the strands and adapted to release the
detent when raised by the pull on the strands as described.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.