Improvements in or relating to Ropes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Ropes.
I, CLAUS HEINRICH MICHELSEN, Manufacturer, of Grohn Vegesack, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the production of a new cord or rope, which has for its
object to combine, with a proportionately great softness, a high resistance against
internal rubbing, and nevertheless great firmness.
For working with ropes those made of hemp, manilla, etc., almost universally are
used. Such ropes, which are used for the transmission of movement such as
running over discs, through pulleys, round capstans and rollers, and in the like,
wear out more by internal friction than by the weight lifted or the direct pull to
which the fibres are exposed. This friction takes place by continual bending-and
winding, and the like, and shows itself between the strands, yarns, and fibres of
the rope, and that so strongly that, with quickly running ropes. great heat is
even evolved therein. Old and worn-out ropes, used in transmission, ropes used
in pulley-blocks, windlasses, &c., show this plainly, when, transversely severed, by.
the dust found in the inside, which is caused entirely by the friction of the fibres
against one another.
-
In ropes used for transmission purposes, it is customary to endeavour to arrest
or at least diminish this. internal friction by oiling, or greasing the rope very
strongly, and renewing this operation from. time to time. But, when the discs or
pulleys are of small diameter, despite such treatment ropes of hemp or manilla are
no longer employed, but cotton ropes are perforce utilised..
In general, when it is a question of great softness, as a rule, ropes made of
cotton only are almost universally utilised. But these are throughout liable to the
defect and disadvantage, that they stretch very considerably, and possess only a
moderate holding power: on the other hand, such cotton ropes have the advantage
of having little internal friction amongst the strands, yarns or fibres, and do not
(or very little) "rub" or "corrode," in the same manner or to be same extent as
do which are made of the harder and coarser fibre namely hemp.
ropes
The ropes which form the subject of this invention are therefore characterised
by their combining the advantages of the hemp-ropes with those of cotton-ropes,
while at the same time avoiding the defects of both kinds of rope; inasmuch
as with them, above all things, with whatever amount of bending and winding,
care is taken that there shall be no internal friction between the fibres, and that
they shall not stretch or have small holding power, after the manner of the ordinary
cotton rope.
These new ropes are made of European or Manilla hemp, etc. or any other
foreign variety of hemp, with the simultaneous use of cotton, in such manner that
the yarns to be used for the rope are covered with fine cotton-yarn, on the rope-
yarn spinning machine while they are being spun.
In this manner, the hemp-yarns are not wound together with the cottou, but have
the cotton spun over them. Thus the spinning of the yarns and the spinning over
the same with cotton-fibre are carried on together in one operation.
-
By this means the twisting in the rope-threads and the twisting of the cotton-
cover progress together with like evenness and regularity, which is not the case
with threads that are simply wound together. The further procedure for the
127

page_text: completion of the rope in strands, out of the combined hemp-cotton yarns takes
place, in the manner well-known in the manufacture of ropes, in the rope-walk or
on the rope-spinning machine.
Ropes, manufactured in the manner described, prove themselves to be the
very best conceivable substitutes for hemp or cotton ropes. They possess the
strength of hemp-ropes, the softness of cotton-ropes, and the holding power and
fixity of both. The internal friction of the hemp-threads is practically
suppressed, and the durability, efficiency, and applicability of the ropes is
demonstrated in the most astonishing manner.
Experience has shown that it is impossible to reimpregnate with grease old
ropes, in use for the purposes of transmission, in such manner that the grease
penetrates to the very centre of the rope: the fat penetrates, rather, for a short
distance only into the rope, and consequently this mode of treatment, which has
for its only object to make smooth and supple the innermost, deepest layers of
the rope, and to make them capable of resting the deteriorating influences of
internal friction and decay, is rendered practically inadequate and inoperative
therefor.
The new, combined hemp-cotton yarns, resulting from the method of the
simultaneous spinning of the two materials-the hemp-yarns and the cotton
yarns do not favour the internal friction of the hemp fibres, which, in fact, is
prevented by the layers of cotton intervening. between the hemp fibres; these
intervening layers furthermore act as sucking wicks, and consequently, very
materially promote the object sought by greasing the rope. If hot fat is
applied to such a rope, the cotton sucks it in, down to the innermost fibre;
so that the impregnation of the rope, even in use, becomes a very simple and
easy matter.
J.
The manufacture of these new ropes increases in price thereof only in an
almost inappreciable degree, so that the ropes which are more efficient in working
than ropes of pure cotton, are under the circumstances to be considered as
decidedly cheaper than the best conceivable substitute for the kind of rope used
hitherto.
Dated this 11th day of April 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Ropes.
I, CLAUS HEINRICH MICHELSEN, Manufacturer, Director of the Firm
Bremer Tauwerk-Fabrik, A.-G., formerly C. H. Michelsen of Grohn-Vegesack,
Custom-union or District, (German Empire) 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 the production of a new cord
or rope, which
combines with great softness, a high resistance against internal friction, and great
firmness.
The kind of ropes usually employed for the transmission of movement such as
running over discs, through pulleys round capstans rollers and the like are made of
hemp manilla etc. and wear out more by internal friction than by the weight lifted
or the direct pull to which the fibres are exposed. This friction takes place by
continual bending and winding, and the like, and shows itself between the strands,
yarns, and fibres of the rope, and that so strongly that, with quickly running ropes
heat is even evolved. Old and worn-out ropes, used in transmission, ropes used in
pulley-blocks, windlasses, etc. show this wear plainly, when transversely severed, by

page_text: the dust found in the inside, which is caused entirely by the friction of the fibres
against one another.
In ropes used for transmission purposes, it is customary to endeavour to arrest or
at least diminish this internal friction by oiling or greasing the rope very strongly,
and renewing this operation from time to time. But, when the discs or pulleys are
of small diameter, despite such treatment, ropes of hemp or manilla are no longer
employed, but cotton ropes are perforce utilised.
In general, when it is a question of great softness, as a rule, ropes made of
cotton only are almost universally utilised. But these are throughout liable to the
disadvantage, that they stretch very considerably, and possess only a moderate
holding power: on the other hand, such cotton ropes have the advantage of having
little internal friction amongst the strands yarns or fibres, and do not (or very
little) "rub or "corrode," in the same mauner or to the same extent as ropes do
which are made of harder and coarser fibre such as hemp.
33
The ropes which form the subject of this invention are characterised by their
combining the advantages of the hemp-ropes with those of cotton-ropes, while at
the same time avoiding the defects of both kinds of rope; inasmuch as, with
them, above all things, with whatever amount of bending and winding, care is
taken that there shall be no internal friction between the fibres, and that they
shall not stretch or have small holding power, after the manner of the ordinary
cotton rope.
The improved ropes are made of European or Manilla hemp etc., or any other
foreign variety of hemp, with the simultaneous use of cotton, in such manner that
the yarns to be used for the rope are covered with fine cotton-yarn while they are
being spun on the rope-yarn spinning machine.
In this manner, the hemp-yarns are not wound together with the cotton, but
have the cotton spun over them. Thus the spinning of the yarns and the
spinning of cotton-fibre over the same are carried on together in one operation.
By this means the twisting in the rope-threads and the twisting of the cotton
cover progress together with evenness and regularity, which is not the case with
threads that are simply wound together. The further procedure for the completion
of the rope in strands, out of the combined hemp-cotton yarns takes place, in the
manner well-known in the manufacture of ropes, in the rope-walk or on the rope-
spinning machine.
Ropes, manufactured in the manner above described, prove themselves to be
the best substitutes for hemp or cotton ropes. They possess the strength of
hemp-ropes, the softness of cotton-ropes and the holding power and firmness of
both. The internal friction of the hemp-threads is practically suppressed, and
the durability, efficiency, and applicability of the ropes is plainly demonstrated in
practice.
Experience has shown that it is impossible to reimpregnate with grease old ropes
in such manner that the grease penetrates to the very centre of the rope: the fat
penetrates, rather, for a short distance only into the rope, and consequently this
mode of treatment, which has for its only object to render smooth and supple
the innermost layers of the rope, and to make them capable of resisting the
deteriorating influences of internal friction and decay, becomes practically
inadequate and inoperative therefor.
The improved combined hemp-cotton ropes resulting from the method of
simultaneous spinning of the two materials do not favour the internal friction
of the hemp fibres, which is in fact, prevented by the layers of cotton intervening
between the hemp-fibres; these intervening layers furthermore act as sucking
wicks, and consequently very materially promote the object sought by greasing the
rope. If hot fat be applied to such a rope, the cotton sucks it in, down to the
innermost fibre; so that the impregnation of the rope, even when in use, becomes
a simple and easy matter.
The manufacture of these improved ropes only very slightly increases the price
so that the ropes which are more efficient in working than ropes of pure cotton,

page_text: may under the circumstances be considered as decidedly cheaper than the best
substitute for the kind of rope used hitherto.
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 :-
A rope of hemp (and cotton wherein the cotton constitutes a covering for the
hemp yarns.
Dated this 30th day of November 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.