On the Art of Rope-making.

Manawatu Herald, 3 December 1896, Page 3

On the Art of Rope-making.

(Concluded.) AUTOMATIC BPINNEBS. The machines used for this purpose are a marvel of interest. The sliver passes from the can at the back of the machine through an extended arm, which gives tension over the chain to the spinning- tube. Here the automatic motion oomes in. This tube is working upon an axis, and controls a belt, which acts upon different pulleys with the following effects : — If the sliver is regular — and the whole purpose of go much preparing is that it should be so— then the tube has an easy time of it ; but if the sliver is thick, then the tube repels the load by springing away from it. This action forces the belt on to a pulley, whioh immediately reduoes the speed on the chain. The thick part, once dealt with, the tube springs back to its normal position, the. chain also returning to its quicker speed. Should the sliver be thin the tube springs forward, the speed of the chain being increased so as to bring up the hemp faster. In this way the maohine produces regular yarn. The sliver is drawn out and twisted slightly by hand, passed through the tube, inside of which there is a nipple, which gauges the yarn, having exactly the same effeot ai the thumb and finger in hand■pinning ; from this on to the flyer, round which it is threaded on guides. The " flyer " corresponds with the " whirl " on the hand- wheel. Inside the flyer a bobbin is fixed on a spindle. The yam is wound round this bobbin, the machine started, and away goes the. flier up to 1500 ravolutions in a minute. There are three distinct motions on the spinner, one controlling the chain, another the flyer, and a third driving a reversible screw controlling the bobbin ; the yarn is delivered by the flyer always in the one place, the reversible screw motion compelling the bobbin to slide to the left and back to the right, thus filling it regularly with the yarn. FORMING AND LAYING. There are two ways of forming and laying rope. One is to have the strands formed and the rope laid up entirely by machinery ; this is what is termed the " house " system, and where land is valuable and economy in space a consequent essential it is much favoured. For small sizes of rope these machines are excellent, but for larger sizes, and where space and value of land need not be seriously considered, it is more economic and satisfactory to adopt the other system, and form and lay the rope in the " walk." Suppose we are going to make a 6 inch Bstrand rope, and for that purpose we elect to use a smart yarn, say the size of reaper and binder twine, then we will require in each strand 160 threads. We have first of all to fill the " bobbin bank " with the re* quisite number of bobbins of yarn. This bobbin bank is simply a wooden structure of parallel uprights 12 inches apart, with openings cut out to receive the bolts upon which the bobbins turn. On one side a man keenly watchas the rapidly unwinding bobbins, and as he sees a bobbin about empty he expedites the process by unwinding what is left. A lad on the other side lifts out the empty bobbin and places in a full one, the two ends are knotted together, and so the supply is kept quite regular. The scene is a busy one, and following the yarn from the bobbin bank, it is passed through an upright grating, and thence to the register plate. This plate is bored with holes in concentric circles, the yarns passing through these holes converge into a tube ; and from this to the haulingout machine. The latter is sometimes called a " traveller," and works on a tramway. An endless rope, working up and down the whole length of the " walk," passes 1 over a gab wheel on the traveller, and if a strand is being hauled out, by the use of a lever the gab wheel revolves the hook or hooks attached to the strand or strands, and gives , the twist. , To drive the traveller when haul-ing-out, a ground band of rope is ■ used. This passes over a wheel i driven by the gab wheel, the ground i band is made taut and the revolving i wheel pulls the machine down the > walk. .