PONSONBY STEAM ROPE WORKS

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 564, 31 October 1871, Page 2

PONSONBY STEAM ROPE WORKS

A visit to Mr. Neil Lloyd's Steam Rope Manufactory, in the Ponsonby Road, would •well repay anyone for the trouble of walking there, especially if he had the interest of the province at heart, for it is one of the most complete establishments that we have in the neighbourhood of Auckland; in fact, without transgressing the bounds of possibility, we inny state that there is nothing of its kind to equal it in the colony. These remarks are the result of a visit paid to the establishment yesterday, wheii a couple of hours were spent very pleasantly iv watching the various operations incidental to the manufacture of cordage ot every description from tho smallest pack-thread up to the largest-sized cable. And, large as tho establishment is, and numerous as are the productions from it, the entire uumbor of employees is not more than a dozen or fifteen, the greater part of which, are boys, whose principal occupation is that of attending on the machines, which perform their functions with the regularity of clock-work. In the principal building are about a dozen machines, all at. work at once iv the manufacture of rope in various stages. In the centre is a large hackling machine, which is kept constantly in motion straightening the flax out into long t!ii''k bundles. These bundles are now drawn through a machine called a drawer, consisting of a series of upright combs on an endless band, which draw the flax through au orifice of a size just large enough to supply sufficient flax to make what is technically known as a " thread." On being reduced to this size, the flax is taken to a spinning machine, where it is spun into tlireads and wound on a reel by the oi^e machine. Three of these reels of thread are then hitched on to another machine, which spins them into a strand. Three strands are requisite to make a rope, as probably all our readers are aware. Well, another machine takes three of these strand?, and by a very simple but very ingenious self-acting contrivance, spiiis the strands into rope. At the time of our visit, all these machines were fully employed turning out a two inch rope, at the rate of about a mile of rope in four hours. In another part of the building is to be found the apparatus for the manufacture of cables, and sucn like large work. Everything seems to be of the most complete description, and with all the machinery, when it is seen doing its work, seems to be so very-simple that the wonder is that the old-fashioned method of rope-making remains still in. iise, for it can -never compete, either in price or quality, with the work these machines turn out. We were also shown in process of manufacture a flat rope, made to the order of Messrs. T. and 3. Morrin, for the use of some mino on the Thames goldfield, for deep sinking. The rope is some sixty fathoms long, and is composed of four ropes laid side by aide, flattened, and strongly sewn together. This is also done by machinery—a combination of the sewing machine and a tery powerful pi-ess. The ropes arc laid side by aide, each rope having alternately a forward and backward twist, so as to equalise the strain on the four ropes. On being drawn through the machine, the; four rbpea are slightly flattened; and,' by means of an auger on each side, the whole four are pierced through. A needle of an enormous size, with a small rope for the thread, is passed through, and drawn tight by levers on each side ; and so, by a slow but sure process1, the flab rope is niitde. Mr. Lloyd assured us that, now his establishment is complete, containing all the latest American improvements in the way of machinery p ho cau produce anything in his line of business that may be required in New Zealand. This is really and truly a colonial industry, and deserves every encouragement. Speaking of colonial industry reminds us that every requisite for the business that can be produced in the province or colony is used here. The flax, coal, oil, tai1, and othor articles, are all New Zealand productions, so that the establishment is almost ■ entirely colonial, tho only exception being the machinery, which is of American des»gn and manufacture. In conclusion, we commend the establishment to the notice of all those who may be in any way interested in the success of colonial manufactures. —Herald. '