Improvements in Wire Ropes or Cables.
Year: 1889

page_text: CUMI LEID DI MULLICATION.
Improvements in Wire Ropes or Cables.
I, JAMES BENNETT STONE, of 137 Vernon Street, Worcester, in the County of
Worcester, State of Massachusetts, United States, Inventor, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention has for its object to increase the durability of wire ropes or cables by
constructing them in such a manner that, when subjected to strain when in use, they
will remain circular in cross section, so that each outer wire will receive its equal share
of the wear.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a cross section of a strand or rope embodying my inven-
tion. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same with a portion of the outer series of wires
removed. Fig. 3 is a section of the same where the outer series of wires are removed.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a strand or rope in common use, as it appears when new.
Fig. 5 represents the same after it has been subjected to some strain in use. Fig. 6 is
a section of a strand or rope in common use and composed of outer wires of different
sizes. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a variety of strand or rope, embodying my
invention, and different from that shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a wire
rope composed of four strands constructed in accordance with iny invention.
It is well known to those familiar with the art to which my invention relates that
wire ropes or cables, as ordinarily constructed, wear unequally, some of the outer wires
becoming worn through and unstranded before others are worn but little, so that the
life of the rope or cable is not so long as it would be if the wear were equal on all of
the wearing wires. This unequal wear results from the strain to which the rope or
cable is subjected and which, by closing up the interstices between the concentric
series of wires, presses the rope or cable out of round, so that some of the outer wires
project beyond others and thus receive more wear. Thus when a strand or rope com-
posed of nineteen wires of equal diameter is new it is circular in section, as shown in
Fig. 4, with large interstices between the inner and outer series of wires, but when
the same strand or rope has been subjected to some strain and wear the wires become
displaced filling these larger interstices but giving the strand or rope a hexagonal form
as shown in Fig. 5, and in which the wires, at what may be terined the angles are
more prominent than the others and therefore receive more wear. It has been
proposed to obviate this difficulty by making the strand or rope of outer wires of
different sizes, as shown by Fig. 6, but this only partially obviates the trouble, as the
smaller outer wires will not wear so long as the larger ones.
I have discovered that
the difficulty may be obviated by using between the outer and inner concentric series
of wires small filler wires or hard twisted cords which will fill the larger interstices
between these series and which will thus preserve the circular contour of the strand
or rope.
A strand or rope which is in most general use consists of a central wire covered
with an inner series of six wires and the latter being in turn covered by an outer series
of twelve wires, these nineteen wires being all of the same size.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 represent a strand or rope of this kind, a denoting the series of
outer wires, c the series of inner wires and d the central wire, all of equal size,
and b denotes the small filler wires or cords of my invention interposed between the
outer and inner wires a and c, filling the larger interstices between these two series of
wires and thus preserving the circularity of contour of the strand or rope. Fig. 7
illustrates my invention as applied to a strand or rope consisting of a series of three
inner wires c surrounded by an outer series of nine wires a. It will therefore be
understood that my invention may
be used in connection with a strand or rope con-
sisting of two or more series of wires of any desired number, the filler wires or cords c

page_text: being of lesser size than the wires of the said series and occupying what would
otherwise be the objectionable spaces or interstices between the concentric series of
wires.
In forining large ropes or cables any desired number of the strands or small
ropes such as are shown in Figs. 1 and 7 may be used, the same being twisted together
in the usual manner; Figs. 8 and 9. illustrating a cable composed of four strands such
as are represented in Fig. 1.
I am aware that it is not new to form cables or ropes partly of wire and partly of
fibrous materials, and I do not therefore wish to be understood as claiming this feature
broadly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A rope or strand consisting of two or more concentric series of wires with
smaller filler wires or cords between the said series of wires, as set forth.
2. A rope or cable formed of twisted strands or small ropes each of which consists
of two or more concentric series of wires with smaller filler wires or cords b between
said concentric series, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of November 1980.
JAMES B. STONE.
Herbert & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.