IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFAC TURING ROPES AND CORDAGE
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
CRAWHALL, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Rope Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Second day of March, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her leirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Crawhall, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Joseph Crawhall, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Joseph Crawhall, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make;
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFAC
TURING ROPES AND CORDAGE;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Joseph Crawhall, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Crawhall, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The machinery now in general use for making ropes and cordage consists, as
is well known, of revolving frames, each carrying as many bobbins as there
are intended to be yarns in a strand, and the yarn from each bobbin is
conducted through a hole in a register plate, and thence through the presser
block; and according as there are to be three or more strands in each rope or
cord to be made by a machine there are three or more such revolving frames
carrying bobbins, and each of the frames receives a like number of revolutions,
so that each strand being composed of a like number of yarns and a like
quantity of twist, the several strands made at one time will correspond, all
which is well understood; and the means heretofore and at present resorted to
for giving motion to the several frames carrying bobbins has been and is as
follows: Rotatory motion is communicated to the main axis or shaft which
carries the axes of the several bobbin frames, by which the several bobbin
frames are carried round with the main shaft or axis; and in order to give
rotatory motion to each of the bobbin frames about its own axis to put twist
on the strand, a cog wheel is affixed, which receives motion from a fixed cog
wheel, or, as it is generally called, a sun wheel; and this motion to the cog
wheels of axes of the bobbin frames is communicated in some cases by those
cog wheels working directly in the teeth of the fixed cog wheel or sun wheel,
in which case the sun wheel has its teeth formed on the interior thereof, there
being no centre or spokes to the wheel, but it is simply a fixed ring with teeth
on the interior, so that the cog wheels of the axes of the bobbin frames are put
in motion directly by the teeth of the fixed wheel or ring, as the bobbin frames
And this is the arrangement of
are carried round by the main shaft or axis.
machinery which I prefer when carrying out my Invention, which has for its
object a ready means of varying the twist put on to the strands made at
different times in the same machine, whether the same or a different number
of strands are being produced thereby; and for this object, in place of having
the sun wheel or internal toothed ring fixed as heretofore, I cause it to be so
arranged that motion may be communicated thereto, and this I do by having
a circular groove formed in the under side thereof, and I have a circular plate
with a projecting circular ring to correspond with the grove formed in the
under side of the sun wheel; and this plate I have fixed securely in the position
where the sun wheel was formerly fixed, and in such manner that the sun wheel
being placed on the plate will turn freely thereon, and yet be retained in its
place, by means of the projection on the one and the groove in the other; or by
other convenient means may be resorted to for retaining the sun wheel in its

page_text: proper position for causing a determined motion to be given to the cog wheels
of the bobbin frames as they are carried round by means of the main axis or
shafts. And in order to give motion to the cog wheel or internal toothed ring
(heretofore, as above stated, called the sun wheel, and I believe from the
circumstance of its being a fixed wheel,) there are cogs or teeth formed on the
external surface or periphery, so that the same may be driven with any desired
speed by using different sizes of cog wheels to give motion thereto. By this
means it will be evident that if the main shaft or axis carrying the axes of the
bobbin frames continue to revolve at the same speed, and no motion be given
to the wheel or internal toothed ring heretofore called the sun wheel, then the
strands produced would have the same amount of twist put in as heretofore
when making strands, and a rope or a cord therefrom; but if motion were then
given to the wheel formerly called the sun wheel, such motion, if in one
direction, would go to increase the twist put on cach strand, and if the motion
were in the other direction the quantity of twist in the strands then making
would be reduced; and it will be evident that this change in the quantity of
twist put on to the strands will depend on the relation which the driving cog
wheel bears to the wheel formerly called the sun wheel, and this may be varied
according to the object desired to be obtained. And as an instance of the
utility of this Invention, I would state, that supposing the machine has been
at work making hempen ropes or cordage, and it was desired to make metal
wire rope, which would require a different degree of twist to the strands, this
could readily be accomplished by varying the driving cog wheel used for giving
motion to the wheel formerly called the sun wheel.
The other arrangement of machinery for making ropes and cordage to which
my Invention is applicable is, where the sun wheel or fixed wheel has had the
teeth formed on the outer surface or periphery, and where there is an inter-
mediate wheel between it and each of the cog wheels of the bobbin frames.
In this arrangement of machinery it has been usual to fix the hollow axis of
the sun wheel, the main axis which carries the axes of the bobbin frames
passing through and revolving freely in the hollow axis or centre of such fixed
wheel, as is well understood.
In applying my Invention to this class of machinery for making ropes or
cordage, in place of having the wheel fixed, I apply another cog wheel on the
same hollow axis, and arrange the same in such manner that it may turn
freely independently of the main shaft or axis which passes through it, and
which carries the axes of the bobbin frames; and I give motion to such
additional cog wheel by means of a driving cog wheel, of a diameter according
to the quantity of twist desired to be put on to the strands which are making

page_text: by the machine: I have not thoight it necessary to describe the various parts
of the machinery used in the manufacture of ropes and cordage as heretofore
and at present used, as the same are well known, and a workman acquainted
with the same will; from the above description, readily make such alteration in
the machinery as will be proper for carrying out my Invention or improvements.
And I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to any of the parts of
the machinery herein mentioned when separately considered; nor do I confine
myself to the details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of my
Invention is retained; but what I claim as my Improvements in Machinery
for Manufacturing Ropes and Cordage is, the giving motion to wheel which
I have called the sun wheel, so as to regulate the quantity of twist which a
machine shall put on the several strands which it is at any time making.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Crawhall, hath hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
JOSEPH (Ls.) CRAWHALL.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid Joseph Crawhall came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified; in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
.
.
Enrolled the Second day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
BUY NOSITTUT