A CON- SIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE OPERATION OR WORKING PARTS OF THE MACHINERY FORMERLY INVENTED BY HIM FOR MAKING AND MANUFACTURING OF CORDAGE OF ALL KINDS, AND FOR WHICH, IN THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE, I OBTAINED HIS MAJESTY'S ROYAL LETTERS PATENT, BY MEANS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS THE WORK IS ACCELERATED AND COMPLETED IN LESS TIME AND WITH LESS LABOR THAN BY THE METHOD ORIGINALLY USED BY ME FOR THE ABOVE PURPOSE
Year: 1798

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
DANIEL BELFOUR, of the Town of Elsineur, in the Kingdom of Denmark,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of May, in the thirty-eighth year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said John Daniel Belfour, His especial licence
that I, the said John Daniel Belfour, during the term of years therein men-
tioned, should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A CON-
SIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE OPERATION OR WORKING PARTS OF THE MACHINERY
FORMERLY INVENTED BY HIM FOR MAKING AND MANUFACTURING OF CORDAGE OF
ALL KINDS, AND FOR WHICH, IN THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND
NINETY-THREE, I OBTAINED HIS MAJESTY'S ROYAL LETTERS PATENT, BY MEANS
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS THE WORK IS ACCELERATED AND COMPLETED IN LESS TIME
AND WITH LESS LABOR THAN BY THE METHOD ORIGINALLY USED BY ME FOR THE
ABOVE PURPOSE;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said John Daniel Belfour, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said:

page_text: Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being
thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW THEREFORE KNOW YE, that I, the said John Daniel Belfour,
do, by this Instrument under my hand and seal, in pursuance of such proviso
in the said recited Letters Patent contained, and in compliance therewith,
declare that the Plans and Drawings annexed to this Instrument, and the
description and references herein-after contained, do particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention and improvements for which such
Letters Patent were granted me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same
are to be performed; premising, and desiring it to be particularly understood,
that the size and dimensions of the machines, and their component parts, which
are herein described, are taken from those which I myself have constructed
and used, and from which the annexed Drawings are made, but that the
machines, &c. may be made of different sizes, if required.
It will be found in the Specification of my former Patent, in One thousand
seven hundred and ninety-three, that the advantages to arise from ropes and
cordage made on this principle were, that the ropes and cordage so manu-
factured receive a considerable degree of additional strength; are much less
liable to stretch, from their compactness; keep the water better out; wear
longer; and are less subject to what is called meg, or break partially, called
by the seamen stranding; and that it also saves a considerable quantity of the
yarn. Now know ye, that these Presents are to claim and continue all the
aforesaid advantages and improvements, together with others, namely, that
ropes and cordage made and manufactured by the machinery hereafter
described will, by the yarn or yarns being kept tight and stretched during the
operation, be much stronger, less liable to stretch, keep the water. better out,
wear longer, be less liable to strand or meg, more elastic, and save in the
operation a considerable quantity of the yarns, than ropes and cordage are
and do when made in the usual method. But altho' the same advantages
and improvements, together with others, are to arise from this mode of manu:
facture that arose from the machinery as described in my former Patent in
One thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, yet the reason for my suing for
this Patent arises from my having discovered and invented machinery by which
the mode of manufacturing is considerably shortened and facilitated, but by the
doing of which I by no means abandon the mode of operation in my former
Patent, or any other that may be used to obtain and gain the same ends and
advantages, namely, by the yarns being kept single, double, treble, or at most

page_text: quadruple, during tlie operation, the cordage and ropes do receive considerable
additional strength, are less liable to stretch; keep the water better out, wear
longer, are less liable to strand or meg, are more elastic, and a considèráblé
quantity of yarn is saved.
Having thus stated the reason for my suing for this new Patent; and the
advantages to arise from it; I proceed to declare that the improvements;
as well as the original design, are all my own invention, and that the improve-
ments arise from the effect of practice. Claiming the sole right to these
advantages (during the term of this Patent), by whatever machinery or mode
of operation they, or any of them, may be attained, I proceed to describe
them, viz
As soon as the yarns are spun and tarred (unless to make white ropes)
they are to be carefully wound on reels, say one, two, three, or at most four
yarns on a reel, and any length the manufacturer thinks proper, according to
the length or number of ropes he intends to make; and he is to use as many
reels at once as will make the ropes the required thickness, according to the
number of yarns on each rect; but I would recommend that he never has
more than four yarns on one reel, even for t e largest cablés, as using more
than that number will prevent their laying fair in the strand, and thereby
destroy a part of the advantages to be gaineil. I recommend that he never
uses more than two yarns on a reel till the size of the rope to be made is át
least twelve inches, nor more than three yarns on a réel till the size is at least
to be eighteen inches. For whale' lines, bolt ropes, &c., &c. I recommend
only one yarn on the réels. The yarns thus on their reels, let there be at one
end of the ropeground fixed posts or stantions' in the most advantageous
situation, betwixt which the reels are to hang on cléets, or pieces of wood or
metal nailed or fixed on those posts, on which clects each end of the iron
spindle that is fixed in the reel is to work, so that the reel can turn' easily
round. They can be fixed one above another between these stantions,
according to the height and convenience of the ropewalk. These stantions
can be about three inches square, and any height the manufacturer chuses,
according to the number of réels he means' to place on them. Should
the reels be found to turn too easy round, so as to subject the yarns
on one reel entangling with the yarns on the other, he can fix a lever
of wood or metal to act on the ends of the' spindles in' the reels, and by
pressure prevent their moving, so' freely. See a front view of one of the
reels on its spindle, letter a, and the end view of it, letter b. The reels thus
placed and adjusted; the yarns on them are to be put thro' between the
rollers in the pressing machine, as in Plate' Ist, letter A'. This pressing machine

page_text: is made of oak; should stand about twelve feet from the reels, being about
eight feet in length and six feet in height, standing on two or more feet; and
is divided into two hundred and forty-three partitions thro' which the yarns are
to pass. There are eighteen round iron bars of about seven eighths of an inch
diameter, marked B, six of which bars only are marked B, but it refers to the
whole eighteen, which are to be placed at equal distances in the machine to
correspond with the six shewn and marked. These barrs run thro' the upright
pillars marked C (four of which pillars only are marked C, but those refer to
the whole number) in the pressing machine a horizontal direction, on each of
which barrs is placed twenty-seven rollers of brass, the lower of each of these
eighteen barrs (say nine) alternately lay fast on the mortices in the frame,
having their rollers on them. The upper of these eighteen barrs alternately (say
nine) having each the same numbers of rollers on it, are at liberty to move
up and down (about an inch) for convenience of introducing the yarns between
the rollers, and allowing the upper roller to rise a little during the operation.
If any part of the yarns should be thicker than the others, the yarn, on being
drawn thro' between these two rollers during the operation, turns them both
round with it, and the upper roller acts upon the yarn as a press to keep
the yarn tight during the operation, and by turning round does not deprive the
yarn of its twist, which would be the case if drawn through a dead power. And
if 'tis considered that the weight of the upper barr and roller is not sufficient
to keep the yarns tight, levers or weights can be placed on the upper bars
to give the press required. The ends of the barrs should be something longer
than the frame to allow a weight or lever to be placed, but I consider that if
the yarn is so tight as to act on a right line more press is unnecessary and
tedious. The ends of the barrs about two inches should be square, over which
ends should be placed the flatt barr of iron D, in which the barrs can move
up and down, but not turn round; those barrs to have mortices in them to fit
the square ends of the round barrs only, allowing them space to move
as aforesaid. The brass rollers to be about an inch and a quarter in length,
and two inches in diameter, having a hole through them to admit them
to turn round on their iron barrs. Six of these rollers are marked c, by
which they are all, four hundred and eighty-six, described; the purpose of this
pressing machine being to keep the yarns tight during the operation, which
may be made of other materials than here described, altho' I consider these
the best and most durable. This great and material point of the yarns being
kept separate and tight during the operation can be effected by many various
modes, such as other rollers or reels, weights applied or fixed to them, held by
hand or otherwise, but I consider this the cheapest mode, the surest mode, the

page_text: easiest mode; that it saves much length of ropeground, and realizes the saving
to more advantage than any other. It is immaterial by what other mode 'tis
obtained, so that it really is obtained to the advantage of the consumer.
Between the reels and pressing machine A should be placed stantions or posts
to guide the yarns from their reels towards that part of the pressing machine
thro' which they are to pass, and those stantions should be so fixed as to stand
upright opposite to the center of each reel, thro' which stantion or post a hole
may be bored, or a staple or other contrivance fixed, through which the yarns
are to go according to the position of the reel to guide the yarn in a direct line
towards the pressing machine, and prevent the yarns getting entangled with
each other when in motion; but this must depend on how the reels are placed,
and which the ingenuity of the manufacturer must arrange, as no given rule or
position can be laid down, because ropegrounds differ so much in their breadth,
height, and other local arrangements. The stantions may be of wood; the size
should be about three inches square, and as long as necessary to guide the
yarns from the number of reels in height. After the yarns are thus placed
thro' the pressing machine, they are then to be put thro' the top minors,
Plate 2, marked E. Of these top minors there must be one for every strand
intended to be made at once, which are generally three. These top minors
may be made of brass, iron, other metal, or of wood, about an inch thick,
thro' which may be bored holes large enough for four common yarns to pass,
or small rollers may be introduced of metal or wood, on which the yarns can
move, and the position of these holes or rollers should be circular, because this
being that part of the machinery which in great measure forms the position of
the strand, it is better to place the yarns circular than in any other position.
The top minors are a very material part of this machinery, and each of them
may be placed in a frame by themselves, or they may stand fast in one frame,
but so placed that the center hole shall be paralel, both in heighth and breadth,
with the hook on which the yarns are fastened, to be twisted into strands by the
moving machine, Hercules, hereafter to be described. In each of these top minors
there must be as many holes or rollers as one third of the partitions in the
pressing machine, say eighty-one, and these holes or rollers can be distant
from one another about an inch, at the option of the mechanic or manufacturer,
as 'tis sufficient that each yarn or yarns thro' each hole or on each roller are
kept clear, and don't entangle one with another. The diameter of the top
minors I must approve of is eighteen inches, having four circles of holes or
rollers, in the outside circle thirty-two, the second twenty-four, the third sixteen,
the inner circle eight, and one in the centre, making eighty-one; and there-
with four yarns in each gives the ninth part of two thousand nine hundred

page_text: and sixteen yarns, no larger cable than these will make being necessary for
any ship, being circa twenty-four inches, the quantity of yarns being thus
through the top minors, according to the size of the rope to be made, are
fastened to the hooks, by which they are to be twisted thro' the breast boards on
the moving Hercules, which Hercules is, by machinery fixed to it, moved up the
ropeground during the operation of twisting the strands, the men who twist
the strands standing on the frame of the Hercules or walk up the ropeground
as it moves forward, they continually twisting the strands with a velocity ac-
cording to the size of the strand under operation, which velocity is to arise
from the effect of practice; the other men moving the Hercules up the rope-
ground by the machinery now to be described. The Hercules is a machine,
Plate 3, marked F; its length, about eighteen feet; its breadth about four
feet eight inches; made of strong timber of any quality (but oak is best); and
on it is fixed the breast board, as at G, thro' which breast board are introduced
the hooks, as H, which hooks, by being turned from the position of the strand.
These hooks can also, by having a small wheel on them, and that wheel turned
by others, give the strands a greater velocity in the movement by having
different-s.zed wheels acting on the wheels on the hooks, turned by a handle,
so as to give the strand the velocity of two, four, or eight turns to one turn of
the handle, if the manufacturer chuses for expedition sake, but this is optional.
This machine (the Hercules) is propelled forward by the power of wheels
acting on large rollers, which rollers are marked d, and which adhere to the
ground, and by that adhesion, as the roller is forced round, the whole machine
must naturally proceed onward. The size of these rollers are in diameter about
sixteen inches. Their length depends upon the breadth of the frame of the
Hercules. I recommend their being as long as convenient, because the longer
they are the more adhesion they have by covering a greater quantity of ground.
In order to have power, and to propel the Hercules forward in the operation of
the parts of a great cable, I have fix'd in it two sets of these rollers and wheels
as at e, one set towards each end, or about the distance of two or four feet
from the ends, their position being not very material. These great rollers are
made of elm or other wood. Thro' them are iron spindles or axles of two
inches diameter, square where in the wood,, but round about four inches at
each end, which ends work in the bushes or boxes of metal in the frame, as at
I, which bushes are made of a proper size to receive the ends of these spindles.
On the middle of the axle is placed an iron toothed wheel of fifteen inches
diameter, as at f, the rollers being divided to admit that wheel on the axle,
and also a space left of two inches to admit the great wheel g to pass round
between that wheel of fifteen inches and the roller. Above this wheel is

page_text: fixed, on an iron axle of two inches diameter, a toothed wheel of the same
diameter (say fifteen inches) and dimensions h, which works in the lower
wheel f, and, by its motion, turns that and the roller round. On the spindle
or axle on which the upper wheel h is fixed is also fixed and bolted fast to it
the wheel g, of the diameter of twenty-five inches, which is as large as can
pass round above the axle on which the lower wheel and roller are fixed; it
having teeth, is forced round by a small pinion wheel i, of five inches diameter,
which is fixed on a long spindle or axle, and on the ends of which axle or
spindle are fixed handles or cranks 7, by which the pinion wheel is turned,
that turning the great wheel g of twenty-five inches, diameter, which moves
with it the upper wheel h of fifteen inches, the teeth of which, working in the
teeth of the lower wheel f of the same diameter fixed on the lower axle, on
which the roller that travels on the ground is also fast, propels the whole
forward. The axles on which these wheels and pinions are fixed are secured
in framework, the height and position of which the diameter of the wheels
All these iron wheels are
give, and in placing which the mechanic can't err.
about an inch and a half thick, but if these rollers at both ends of the Hercules
were fixed fast and not extremely exact, the Hercules might not take a proper
direction in its movement; therefore, in order to regulate that, I have fixed the
foremost roller and its wheels in a frame by themselves, exactly large enough
to be placed within the frame of the Hercules, and cut large mortices through
the frame of the Hercules to admit the tenants of the frame L, in which the
rollers, &c. are fixed, to come through; as at K, and give those tenants two
inches play, in order to brace the frame L in which the rollers, &c. are placed,
a little forwards or backwards on either side, to give it the required direction;
and that may be done by wedges, or it may be effected by screws in, from
the fore part of the cross frame in the Hercules to the fore part of that framing
L in which the rollers, &c. are; the screws, by being turned round one way or
the other by a winch or key, gives the frame L, and its rollers, &c., the
necessary direction. The breast board G is fixed on standards properly and
strongly framed and secured, and the whole Hercules is to be made strong, say
eight inches by four or five inches, or in such proportions according to the
larger or smaller ropes to be made in general by it. As the Hercules is moved
forward, drawing the strands after it, there must be stake. heads or trussels
placed at proper distances to receive the strands, and keep it from the ground,
but I recommend trussels in preference to stake heads; and in these trussels a
roller of wood for each strand, by the motion of which roller the strand is
less rubbed, and it works lighter to the Hercules; the trussels of the usual size
and height, and the rollers four to six inches long, working on small iron

page_text: spindles of about an inch, and sunk half thro' the trussel. The rollers may
be about three inches diameter. After the first operation of twisting the
yarn into strands by this improved method is affected, the strands and ropes
may be laid together and closed in the usual way, only not giving the first
strands more than an inch and an half hard to each fathom before the top
moves on, its purpose being to make each yarn to bear alike and at once, on
the principle of a salvagee.
I have here endeavoured to describe the machinery and modes of operation
of this improved method of making and manufacturing ropes and cordage of
all dimensions in the best manner possible, which I presume is sufficient for
the information of the mechanic and manufacturer; and altho' the simplified
mode of operation differs from that used as described in my former Patent in
One thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, yet as my views are to give
ropes and cordage of all dimensions additional strength, that they shall wear
longer, stretch less, save a considerable quantity of yarn, prevent their breaking
partially, called stranding or megging, and be more elastic, it is immaterial
by what particular mode those points, or any of them, are obtained, or of what
materials the machinery is made, as many modes may be suggested and
variety of materials be used in the machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Daniel Belfour, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of June, in the year of our Lord
Une thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight