AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR FORMING STRANDS, AND 'LAYING UP' OR 'TOPPING UP CORDAGE
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Ronald at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
November 1870.
.
I, JAMES RONALD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR FORMING STRANDS, AND 'LAYING UP' OR 'TOPPING UP
CORDAGE," to be as follows (that is to say)
-
The object of this Invention is a machine for the formation of strands
from yarns previously wound on bobbings, and topping up or laying
up the said strands, and so producing finished cordage of a superior
description at one operation.
A machine constructed according to this Invention for (say) the
manufacture of three-strand rope consists of a suitable frame, on
which is mounted horizontally three flyer frames, each of which consist
of, say, a rectangular or other suitably shaped revolving frame. A
convenient form may consist of, say, four parallel bars attached at
each end to a double set of radial arms, the pairs at each end being
a short distance from each other. One end of the flyer frames revolves.

page_text: '
'
on a solid axle projecting from the centre of the outer set of cross arms,
and the other turns in like manner on a hollow axle in suitable
bearings on the frame of the machine. To the front of the hollow
axle is attached a rectangular frame, the outer end of which works
upon a fixed hollow axle, to the inner end of which within the
rectangular revolving frame is keyed a bevil wheel which. gears into
a second bevil wheel on a short transverse shaft, which carries a
small pinion gearing into a toothed wheel on one end of a shaft
which extends across the frame, and carrying a pulley which has a
number of grooves cut round its circular face. In rear and parallel
thereto is a second like grooved pulley, but by preference of a little
larger diameter, the object of this arrangement being to get the
required power to draw off the yarns from the bobbins forming the
strand, as will be hereafter explained. The axles of each end of
the flyer frames are fitted with a small driving pulley carrying straps
conveying motion thereto from a pair of pulleys on the first motion
shaft of the machine. To insure perfect unison in the action of the
several flyers their solid axles are cach fitted with a small spur wheel
which gears into an intermediate cog wheel. Between the two inner
sets of radial arms of the flyer is suspended on a short trunnion at
cach end a frame carrying the yarn bobbins, but which does not revolve
with the flyer frame. The bobbin frame may consist of a disk at each
end and with any required number of disk galleries spaced so as to
conveniently receive the yarn bobbins between them lengthwise. The
bobbin frame is connected together by parallel side rods and the
bobbins are mounted on sliding spindles. The yarns are carried through
guide eyes in guide plates mounted on a centre shaft and a guide
plate fixed a little in advance of the strand forming tube on the bobbin
frame and over small grooved guide pulleys on the flyer axle from
which the strand is carried over a like grooved pulley on one of the
flyer arms, thence it is conveyed to the opposite flyer arm when
passing over, a third grooved guide pulley then turns it about a right
angle, and passing over a grooved pulley mounted at the inner end
of the flyer neck, when it runs through the hollow axle of the flyer,
then several times over the pair of grooved pulleys, and out through
the hollow stationary axles carrying the fixed bevel wheel giving
motion to the said grooved drawing rollers, when the three formed
strands are brought together over a fixed "top," when they may be
"laid up" or
topped up" either by an ordinary "sled" or a reel

page_text: and flyer in the ordinary way. But it is much preferred to use a
rectangular or other suitably shaped revolving frame mounted at
one end on a solid axle, to which is keyed the driving pulley, and
at the other revolving on a fixed hollow shaft, to the inner end of
which is securely fixed a bevel wheel, into which gears a second bevel
wheel on the end of a short transverse driving shaft working in
fixed bearing on one side of the inner end of the frame, and carries a
third bevel wheel gearing into a fourth bevel wheel on a longitudinal
driving shaft which revolves in bearing on the inner face of one
side of the flyer frame, and which through a fifth bevel wheel gearing
into a sixth bevel wheel on a short transverse shaft, having a square
or other suitably shaped hole in the end thereof to receive one end
of a movable spindle carrying the take up reel, and to which is fitted
a friction pulley or plate, which being pressed against one end of the
take up reel carries it round with it when there is no undue strain
applied to the take up. The rope is evenly laid on the reel by a
guide reciprocating on a transverse shaft revolving in bearings on each
side of the frame and fitted with a worm wheel actuated through a
worm on the longitudinal shaft on the side of the frame. The trans-
verse shaft carrying the reciprocating guide has cut in it a right
hand and a left-handed screw the length of the shank of the take up
reel, which screws cut or cross cach other. The shaft is encompassed
by a nut or collar, which is fitted with a swivelling stud travelling
in the screw cuts, and carrying with it the nut on which is fixed
the rope guide. The nut is prevented from turning on the double
cross cut screw shaft on which it is mounted by a fixed guide rod, or
bar, or in any other convenient manner. When the guide arrives at
one end of the screw cuts the swivelling stud turns and enters the
reverse screw and is carried back, and so on as long as the shaft is
in motion. In this arrangement the strands are carried from the "top"
through the hollow axles of the revolving frame, through the guide,
and on to the take up reel. It is preferred to mount the revolving frame
vertically.