On the Art of Rope-making.

Manawatu Herald, 28 November 1896, Page 3

On the Art of Rope-making.

(Continued.) BOPE MANUFACTURE. We will now deal with the manufacture of rope. Before the machinery era, and for that matter to a very limited extent in the present day, everything was made up by hand. At a handspinner there may bo seen any day even now an operative vigorously drawing hemp through pins fixed in a board, this process being called " hackling." The first hackle, if for hard fibres, is open, tbe pins being both long and strong. As the operative desires to fine and clean the hemp, he extends his operation to finer hackles, and so on until the fibre is of the requisite quality for the work that is to follow. The hackled hemp is taken by the Bpinner in such quantity as the size of yarn demands and placed round thft body, being held firmly in position by an apron or belt. He is now ready to spin. But first a word about the wheel, of which there are different kinds. One stylo is of light construction, say from 4ft to 6ft in diameter, with a fiat broad rim to carry a belt. Over this there is fixed a number of loose "whirls," with hooks attached to them, the bolt passing over these whirls. 'When the wheel is turned by its bandit, the whirls are sent spinning round. To spin, the spinner disengages * few fibres of hemp from the pile round his body, fixes on to one of the hooks— beforehand, however, he has fixed a piece of woollen cloth from tbe small f|nger to the thumb »nd index finger of the right hand - the fibres pass throngh the hand, And between the thumb and index finger, the wheel molves, the spinner walks backwards, a rotary motion follows, giving twist, thus spinning the yirn. With the left hand the fibre is fed regularly. The process looks simple, but is really difficult, as it takes five or six years to make ft ptssoble spinner. The men usually work in parties, and in an apparently leisurely manner ; they spin yarns in more tenses than the ona striotly under notice. THE MACHINERY USED. The machinery needed for the manufacture of hard fibres is much coarser in character than that needed for soft fibres, and as regards these latter, there are different systems, ranging in fineness according to the glass of goods to be dealt with. When one speaks of " fineness." it jnast be understood that reference ia made to the size and number of pins within a given area, and also to the dressing power of the different pre paring maohines, and as regards spinning, the power of the machine to produce a fine thread. As all know, every year brings its changes and improvements in machinery generally, and in this our trade is by no means an exception. A decade or two ago the plant which served so well to make " rope yarn " was entirely unfitted to produce harvest twine, and there has been a complete revolution, a clearjjnji out of once valuable machines as only so much scrap iron, to make room for tbe latest type, and these in iurn will sooner or later disappear, for your inventor is no believer in the laiaa/air* doctrine. No sooner

is a thing well done than an effort; is made to go one better ; in this way the manufacturing life is a perpetual unrest. The keen competition of modern days demands that wherever labour-saving maobinery can be put in it is imperative for the manufacturer to do so. As regards ropemaking machinery, especially in the preparing and spinning processes, the man who has done most to improve the type is John Good, an American. His patents are mads by S. Lawaon & Sons, Leeds, for if one requires sterling machinery he must go to England. (To be oontinued.)