IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE ROPES
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
WIRE ROPES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to strand formers or dies used in the manufacture of wire
rope.
The object to be attained is to so construct a pair of half dies that they shall fit
any size of strand from the largest capacity of the machine to which they are
attached to the smallest, and thus obviate the necessity for a particular set of dies
for each size of strand.
My invention consists partly in pivotting to a suitable base or frame a pair of
quadrant shaped dies having an increasing half circle groove in each of their
peripheries from the front to their back edges, in such a manner that when their
peripheries are contiguous and in the same relative, though reverse, positions, the
two half circle grooves will form a complete circle whose diameter will be determined
by the position in which the quadrants may be placed.
My invention also partly consists in providing the front edges of the dies or
strand formers with springs projecting back of the pivotal points, where they may
be retained at any desired point and thus adjust tho said dies, or so that the half
circle grooves may be coincident in diameter and of the desired size.
The die holder or frame which may be made in any desired form, has pivotted
to it by screws or studs quadrant shaped blocks whose extremities form the arcs of
circles, the radii of which are the centres of the said studs respectively.
The peripheries of these circles are recessed each by a half circle groove of
increasing diameter from back to front. To the front edge of each die is secured
a spring. These springs project in opposite directions and govern the position of
the dies by means of pins which are inserted in the desired hole of a row of holes
across the holder or frame to correspond with the arc or sweep described by the
outer end of a spring.

page_text: The results obtained by using the springs are first, that a yielding pressure may
be had on the strand at all times, and next, that any imperfection or projection,
such as a kink or splice in the wire will rotate the strand formers or dies which
would be permitted by the bending of the springs, until the increasing grooves in
the faces of the dies had arrived at a point sufficiently large to permit the enlarge-
ment to pass, when the strand space will be immediately contracted to the size of
the strand, thus preventing the breakage of the dies or holders, the strand itself, or
a crooked, bad or uneven place in the rope, by the greatly increased tension.
I am aware that springs are sometimes used on balf dies or strand formers, but
these permit the enlargement only in one direction and having a space between,
while by the use of the device herein described the strand space is always
circular,

page_text: COATLEIE
SPECIFICATION,
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
WIRE ROPES" 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 apparatus to be used in the manufacture of wire ropes,
for forming the strands thereof.
The chief object of the said invention is to obviate the necessity for employing
one set of dies for each size of strand, by constructing and arranging a pair of
strand-formers or dies in such a manner that they can be adjusted to fit various
sizes of strands. Another object of the said invention is to provide for the yielding
of the dies when any enlarged part of the strand, such as a kink or splice, passes
through or between them.
I construct my improved apparatus as follows, viz:-I pivot to a suitable die-
holder or carrier a pair of strand-formers or dies, each of the adjacent or contiguous
edges of which has the form of an arc of a circle concentric with the pivot of the
die. Moreover each of these edges of the die is made with a semi-circular taper
groove, that is to say, a groove which is semi-circular in transverse section and
which increases in diameter, or in width and depth, from one end to the other of
the said edge in the direction opposite to that in which the strand moves through
the said dies. When these edges are in contiguity and correspond in position, the
two semi-circular grooves form together a complete circle, the diameter of which
depends upon the position of the dies.
I provide for the adjustment of the strand-formers or dies by attaching thereto
springs which project therefrom and can be retained in any desired position by
means of pins or studs as hereinafter described. These springs permit the dies to
yield when any enlarged part of the strand passes through or between them.
The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a plan or top view shewing my improved apparatus applied to a
strand-spinning head.
Figure 2 is an edge view of the said apparatus, and
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line a, a, Figure 2.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
A is the die-holder or carrier, which is made with a socket a to fit upon a pin or
stud a' in the spinning head. a³ is a set-screw for securing the die-holder A on the
said pin or stud. B, B₁ are the strand-formers or dies, which are pivotted upon the
pins or studs c, c, fixed in the die-holder A. It will be seen that each of
the adjacent or contiguous edges of these dies has the form of an arc of a circle
concentric with the pin or stud c or c¹. Each die is formed with a semi-circular
groove b, the size of which increases from 6' to 6' as clearly shewn in Figure 3.
These grooves, when the dies are in contiguity, form together a circular aperture,
as shown in Figure 2, through which aperture the strand passes, d, dare springs

page_text: attached to the dies B, B1, and projecting therefrom, one over each row or series of
the holes a³ in the die-holder A. e, el are pins or rods which can be inserted in
one or other of the holes a³ for the purpose of holding the springs d, d¹ in any
desired position. The dies B, B1, can be adjusted (to adapt them for any size of
strand from the largest to the smallest that can be made by the machine to which
they are attached), by turning them upon their pivots and securing them in
position by means of the said pins or rods.
The springs d, d exert a yielding pressure on the strand at all times, and permit
any imperfection, projection or enlargement, such as a kink or splice in the strand,
to partially rotate the strand-formers or dies B, B¹ on their pivots in the direction
of the arrows, Figure 1, and bend the springs d, d' until, by the increase in the
diameter of the aperture formed by the grooves in the dies B, B', the enlargement
is allowed to pass; the said aparture or strand-space will then be immediately
contracted to the ordinary size of the strand, by the reaction of the springs d, d.
By making the dies to yield in this manner, I provide for preventing the breakage
of the dies or holders or of the strand itself, and the formation of crooked, bad, or
uneven parts in the rope by reason of greatly increased tension thereof.
I wish it understood that I do not claim broadly or irrespectively of the
improvements above set forth the employment of springs in combination with
strand-formers or dies, as I am aware that springs are sometimes used with strand-'
formers or dies to permit the enlargement of tho aperturo between them, but in one
direction only, in which case the space between the dies becomes an oval and is not
filled by the strand, whereas in the apparatus above described the strand-space is
always circular, and the strand always fits the same more or less accurately
whether the strand be large or small, so that one set of strand-formers or dies will
serve for all the sizes of strands or ropes made on the machine to which the said
dies may be applied.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
First. The pivotted strand-formers or dies arranged relatively to each other as
above described and having the semi-circular taper grooves in their adjacent or
contiguous edges, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
3
Second. The provision of means for permitting the said strand-formers or dies
to yield when any enlarged part of the strand passes through or between them,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Third. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing and operating
as, and for the purpose, specified.