METHOD FOR MAKING LENGTHS OF ROPE

• US 3,704,578 A
• Filed: 07/15/1971
• Issued: 12/05/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John A. Myers
• Original Assignee: John A. Myers
• Inventors: Myers, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schroeder, Werner H.
• Application Number:
  US05/162,874
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 57/1R,21,34R,59,64,100,106,108,138,156
• US Class Current: 57/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 3/12 operating with rotating loops of filaments

Abstract

Strands are cut to length and suspended between a simple stationary strand-twisting device operated by a stationary electric motor and a strand-laying device comprising a portable motor that may be a usual electric drill or a motor mounted on a track. A paddle-like strand spacer is inserted between the strands near the drill, and after the strands are twisted sufficiently by operation of the stationary motor alone, both the stationary motor and drill are operated simultaneously to lay the strands together at the same speed at which they are being twisted while the strand spacer is moved from the drill toward the strand-twisting device.

Claims

2. Rope-making apparatus comprising:

a strand-twisting device having a first electric motor, a plurality of parallel strand-twisting spindles spaced about an axis on which rope is to be made and rotatably mounted and coupled to said first motor to be rotated in unison at the same rate and in the same direction, a rope-laying device having a base, a rope-laying spindle rotatably mounted to said base, a second electric motor mounted to said base and coupled to said rope-laying spindle, said second motor being operable to rotate said rope-laying spindle in the same direction and at the same rate as the direction and rate of rotation of said strand-twisting spindles, a track aligned with said axis of said strand-twisting spindles and extending therefrom for a distance equal to that of the longest length of rope to be made, means for movably mounting said base on said track and means for constantly urging said base along said track with a desired force in a direction away from said strand-twisting device to maintain taut strands of rope extending from different ones of said strand-twisting spindles to said rope-laying spindle, said rope-laying spindle being aligned on said axis, a strand spreader movable from said rope-laying device toward said strand-twisting device, and control means for selectively operating said motors.

3. Rope-making apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said track is a pair of rails spaced apart and said means for constantly urging said base along said rails is an arrangement of pulleys, a weight, and a rope connected to said base and to said weight and guided by said pulleys such that the weight travels vertically during the length of travel of said base along said track to maintain taut strands of rope to be made.

4. Rope-making apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said track is a pair of parallel J-shaped rails, a plurality of opposite pairs of wheels rotatably mounted to said base, each of said wheels engaging the groove formed by the J-shape of an adjacent one of said rails, an axle secure to each of said wheels, a bearing for each of said wheels, each bearing being mounted to said base, each of said axles being longitudinally slidable in its respective bearing to allow variation in distance between opposite ones of said wheels so that said rails do not need to be mounted precisely to maintain said wheels in said grooves.