IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE ROPES
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE RICHARD COOKE of 39 High Street, Wapping, London, E. in the
County of Middlesex Foreman for Wilkins & Co, Wire Rope Manufacturers of
Wapping, London, E. do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE ROPES to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention consists of a new method of placing and combining
several wires together to form the strands for making a wire rope.
In constructing wire-ropes by this invention, instead of twisting or laying
several wires together to form a strand, I place three or more wires together
longitudinally in the form of a bundle, the whole being firmly bound together
by a hemp yarn wound round each strand in a spiral form, at intervals of about one
and half inches.
The strands thus formed are then laid together by the usual method in the form
of a rope.
This method will give several advantages, namely (a) The greatest possible
amount of wear out of each individual wire (6.) The consentaneous action of all
the wires forming the rope (c) The impossibility of one strand being twisted tighter
than the others.

page_text: I GEORGE RICHARD COOKE of 39 High Street Wapping, County of Middlesex,
Foreman for Wilkins & Co Wire Rope Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature
" and
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE ROPES
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the construction of wire ropes according to this invention instead of twisting
or laying several wires together to form a strand, and then laying together a number
of such strands to form a rope I form each strand of which a rope is composed of a
bundle of three or more wires placed together side by side without twist and "lay"
or twist together any desired number of such bundles.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shows an end view and Figure 2 a
side view of part of a bundle of wires composed of seven wires. Figure 3 shows
an end view and Figure 4 a side view of a rope formed from six of such bundles
of wire "layed" or twisted together around a central core.
It will however be understood that the number of wires of which each bundle
is composed and the number of bundles which are laid together to form a rope may
be varied. A variety of examples are shown in cross section at Figures 5.
To form a rope from a number of such bundles each bundle may first be formed
separately and wound onto a reel, the several wires of which the bundle is
composed being retained in proper. position relatively one to the other by a thin
yarn or wire wound in spiral form around them afterwards any desired number of
reels may be mounted upon the frames of an ordinary wire rope laying machine
and the several bundles be layed or twisted together by such machine just, as
though the rope were being made from twisted wire strands as heretofore. I prefer
however to form the rope directly from a number of wires led off from a
corresponding number of reels or bobbins mounted in the several frames of a laying
machine constructed in the manner described in the provisional specification
lodged by myself and Stephen Richard Millen on the 24th day of July 1885
No 8961.
To make a rope such as shown at Figures 3 and 4 the laying machine would be
formed with six frames each mounted on axes at equal distances apart from one
another carried by a disc or discs on the main axis of the machine, and in each of
the six frames there would be mounted seven reels or bobbins with wire wound
upon them. The machine is formed in such manner that the wires from the seven
reels in each frame are led through eyes or guides ranged in that frame in a manner
corresponding to the positions the wires are to take in the bundle but at some
distance apart from one another. Afterwards all the seven wires are led through
the nose or upper bearing of the frame and then through a steel nipple carried by
a "lay-top or disc fixed above the top of the main axis of the machine. A
separate nipple is provided for each strand or bundle of wires and these are ranged
at equal distances apart around the "lay top." The several nipples converge
together at their upper ends so as almost to touch one another and the upper end of
the bore of each nipple is of such a diameter that the seven wires will just pass
"

page_text: through it. The wires forming each bundle will therefore be kept together in their
proper places close up to the point where the several strands or bundles are twisted
together and where they pass through the fixed closing disc.
In order to prevent the bundles from being themselves twisted as they are layed
together to form a rope each of the six frames as it is carried round with the
revolving frame is prevented from being thereby caused to revolve on its own axis
by a corresponding revolving motion in the opposite direction being given to it by
toothed wheel gearing as in ordinary wire rope laying machinery so that the frame
remains at rest that is without any revolving motion of its own.
Wire ropes constructed as above described can readily be made with a uniform
tension upon each wire so that when the rope is subjected to a pulling strain the
strain may be supported uniformly by all the wires and the evils arising from one
strand being twisted tighter than another will be avoided.
The wires also whenever they come to the outer surface of the rope offer a long
extended surface to wear instead of a short length only as is the case with wire
ropes made in the usual manner in which each wire as it comes to the surface of the
rope curves or bends around the individual strand of which it forms a part. The
rope therefore will last longer than ropes as heretofore made.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
A wire rope composed substantially as described of wire bundles layed or twisted
together each bundle being composed of three or more wires placed together side by
side without twist.