An Improved Coupling for Ropes.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coupling for Ropes.
We, ADOLPH WENK-WOLFF, Director of Rope-making Company (late
Ferdinand Wolff) and OTTO STROHBACH, Engineer, both of Mannheim, Baden,
in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to a coupling for ropes for transmitting power and for other
purposes which can be applied with the greatest ease and without special knowledge
by any ordinary labourer, and removed with equal ease, so that when slackening or
stretching of a rope, such as a rope for transmitting power, occurs, the shortening
of the rope by cutting off one end may be easily and quickly effected. Our
improved coupling for ropes consists essentially of two sockets, provided with round
screw threads and connected by an universal joint, in which sockets the ends of the
rope after being compressed are secured by having a taper pointed screw driven
therein in the direction of the axis of the rope. As the result of this connection of
the two coupling sockets by means of an universal joint, the greatest possible
mobility of these parts is attained, and by the special method of fixing the ends of
the rope in the coupling sockets it is rendered possible to connect the ends of the
rope firmly with the coupling sockets without occasioning a weakening of the rope
by cutting away a portion of its substance.
Our new coupling has further the advantage that it is of smaller diameter than
the rope the ends of which it connects so that in using the new coupling for ropes
for transmitting power the coupling does not come into contact with the grooves of
the pulley over which the rope runs, and in consequence causes no noise, even when
passing over such a groove.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing in which :-
Figure 1. is a longitudinal section of one of the two coupling sockets and
Figure 2. is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 3. is a longitudinal section showing the coupling connected to the two
ends of a rope and
Figure 4. is a cross section through the middle of the universal joint.
Figures 5, 6 and 7. are side and front elevations, and a longitudinal section
respectively of a screw stock which we use to secure the ends of the rope in the
coupling sockets. As shown in Figure 3. our rope coupling consists of two
Bockets A. which are provided with internal coarse round threads a, and have two
lugs b, at their opposing ends which lugs serve to receive the bolts of the universal
joint which connects together the two sockets A.
These lugs b, project beyond the end or face c, of the sockets A, and this end or
face has a central opening d, furnished with a female thread, which is intended to
receive the taper pointed screw K, which ensures the fastening of the end of the
rope in the socket. The four axes of rotation of the universal joint, of which one
pair is at right angles to the other pair, are formed by four set screws e, which are
screwed into the heart piece C, and of which the shoulders form the real axes of
the joint. The heads of these shouldered screws e, are countersunk in the lugs b.
To prevent any loosening of the screws e, from taking place, a hole f, is drilled
vertically to the plane in which the axes of these screws lie after having been
inserted into the heart piece C, in which a screw h, (which may have its shank
partly smooth as in the drawing) is inserted, so that the screws e, can neither be
turned nor turn of their own accord as long as the screw h, keeps its position in the
hole f

page_text: For securing the ends D, of the rope in the sockets A. the screw stock shown in
Figures 5, 6, and 7, is made use of. This latter consists of two plates or cheeks E
provided with screw threads, which correspond to the thread a, in the socket A,
and two pressure cheeks F, held together by bolts i. The latter cheeks are provided
with pins k, on the two screw threaded ends of which a cross bar l, is held by
a nut m.
In order to insert a rope's end into one of the sockets A, the end of the rope is
placed between the two screw cheeks E, and the latter are pressed together by means
of the pressure cheeks F, the nuts of the bolts i, on the latter being tightened to such
a degree that the diameter of the end of the rope is lessened by about one fifth and
the thread on the cheeks E, impresses itself upon the circumference of the rope
(Figure 7). The end of the rope is now cut away at the level of the terminal
surface r, s, of the screw cheeks, as is shown in Figure 7, and the socket A after
putting a loose disc M upon it, is brought into the position shown in Figure 7,
whereupon pins n, on the disc M engage in corresponding holes in the screw
cheeks E and by screwing home the nuts m, the cross bar 1, presses against the
bottom of the socket A, and thus drives the open end of the latter to the
plane r, s.
The screw stock is then turned by means of the arms X X so far that it advances
upon the rope (which is suitably held in position) in the direction of the arrow x,
so that the female screw a, in the socket engages with the previously formed thread
upon the rope, and advances upon the latter until the end of the rope comes into
contact with the inner face of the socket A. The screw stock is thereupon taken
to pieces, removed from the rope and the fastening of the end of the rope in the
socket A, completed by screwing in the taper pointed screw K, through the hole d,
in the end or outer face of the socket A, by the application of a suitable key which
can be fitted upon the square at the end of the screw K. By driving in the screw K,
the rope which has already been considerably compressed, has its end D, firmly
clamped in the socket A, whilst the end of the rope is able to spread in the ring
shaped groove t, and completely fills the said space.
After both the ends of the rope to be joined have thus been provided with a
socket A, the two sockets are connected by inserting the joint pins into the holes u,
and screwing them into the heart piece C, and these pins e, are then secured in
position by the insertion of the screws h, as shewn in Figure 3. This rope coupling
is chiefly designed for hemp ropes and hemp cables, and has the following
advantages as compared with all other rope couplings :-
1. It is thinner than the rope, so that when used for ropes for the transmission
of power the grooves in the pulleys never come into contact with the metallic
coupling, so that no noise is caused as the rope coupling passes over the pulleys.
2. As the result of the action of the universal joint a free movement is allowed
of the two sockets with respect to each other; this is very essential for the trans-
mission of power.
3. The ends of the rope are firmly secured in the sockets without its being
necessary to weaken the rope by cutting away a portion of the strands.
4. It may be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the ends of ropes,
so that a rope which has stretched may speedily be shortened by cutting off a
portion from one end on the spot. Although this rope coupling is primarily
intended for hempen ropes, it may also be employed for wire ropes or wire ropes
coated with hemp.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A coupling for ropes consisting of sockets in which the ends of the rope which
have been previously considerably compressed, are secured such sockets being
connected by an universal joint, and being each for this purpose provided with two
lugs serving to receive pins which are screwed into a central or heart piece for the

page_text: pose of furnishing a joint which is thinner than the rope, and consequently
ses no noise in running and plays freely substantially as set forth.
In a coupling for ropes of the kind referred to in Claim 1.
(a) Coupling sockets provided with a round thread in which the ends of the
rope, which is previously compressed, are clamped and secured by means of
a taper pointed screw introduced in the direction of the axis of the rope
through the faces of the sockets, without it being necessary to weaken the
ends of the rope by cutting away its substance.
(6) The annular spaces », in the ends of the sockets A, to render easier the
introduction of the taper pointed screws K, in the direction of the axis of the
rope, since the rope is able to expand in the said spaces.
(c) The use of the set screws h, which prevent the loosening of the screw pins
of the universal joint.
Dated the 24th day of Anril 1802
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.