Grimshaw's, for Flat Ropes.

5

equalized. Plate II. fig. 1, is a horizontal view of the piercing part of the apparatus; a, represents four round or common ropes, called the strand; which round ropes are separately coiled upon distinct reels, as fig. 2. These reels, instead of being mounted so as to turn upon axles or pivots, have wheels fixed at their ends, the peripheries of which slide in curved grooves, g, g, so as to produce sufficient friction to retard the reels, and keep all the ropes of the strand distended, and with a uniform tension upon each rope. This forms an important part of the improvement: for, " as the strand is drawn off from the reel, in like proportion the friction of the reel upon the curved bearing is lessened by its becoming lighter, and thus, its retardation is equalized throughout the whole length of the rope."

The box for holding the strand of ropes firmly together while the hole is pierced, is capable of variation in its construction, and is not claimed as a new invention; nor are the needles or piercers as shewn at b, b, fig. 1. These are moved by racks and toothed wheels; but the novelty claimed in this part of the machine consists in applying the power of a steam-engine, or other first mover, so as to produce a rotatory motion of the shaft of c, and hence, by means of the pinion d, the cranks, e, e, e, e and connecting rods, f, f, to give a uniform alternating motion to the piercers, instead of working them by manual labour.

The cords for lacing are to be passed through the apertures thus made in the ropes by means of needles by hand; and are each of them caught on the opposite side by a hook connected to a roller, which is worked by a band passing from the first mover; the detail of which, as described in the specification, we do not clearly com

prehend, therefore shall describe it in the words of the patentee.

"I insert the lacing in the ordinary way by a needle with two eyes; the lacing is attached to one eye of this needle, and the needle, when put into the hole made through the strand, is caught by the workman with a hook, x, fig. 3, on the other side of the rope, by the other eye. This hook is fastened to the end of a cord, v, and this cord fastened by its other end to a roller, w, and this roller connected by another cord to y, and my improvement consists in connecting this same roller, y, to the principle rotative movement by means of a strap or belt, z, z; and this strap or belt is loaded, as shewn in the fig. 3, with any determinate weight at t, so as to keep the said strap, or belt, of one uniform tightness to such extent as the workman thinks proper, for drawing the lacing of the same exact tightness at every stiteb. This is a very important improvement for drawing the lacing of the same uniform tension, as the strap or belt, thus laden, slides upon the drums or pullies y, u. The moment that the lacing is drawn tight, the strand of ropes is advanced by means of the rollers k, i, h, fig. 4, by which it is firmly held. A purchase is obtained upon these rollers by cogged wheels and pinions, as shewn in the figure in the exact ratio of one revolution of the quickest pinion n, to the length of the stitch required."

"Upon the axle of the pinion n, a pulley, o, is fixed of about two feet diameter, and about six inches broad, with ledges to protect its strap, or belt, from sliding off; and directly under this pulley there must be a drum, 9, constantly revolving, the periphery of which is going at the rate of about four feet per second." The pulley, 0,

and drum, q, are connected by an endless strap or belt p, which hangs upon the pulley and passes under the drum, but is not sufficiently tight to cause the pulley to be turned by it. A jockey pulley or rider is mounted in the frame, r, for the purpose of being pressed against the strap, p, in order to make the strap adhere to the pulley, o, and drum, q, and, by that means, cause the pulley to revolve with the drum, and thus draw the strand of ropes for ward." The frame with the jockey-pulley, or rider, 7, is made to press against the strap, p, by means of the catch, 8, until the pulley, o, has made one revolution, when a small pin, on the side of the pulley, comes in contact with the catch, 8, and lifts it up, and the rider, with its frame, r, falls back upon its pivot, by the action of the weight, which relieves the belt and the work stops; thus, one stitch is measured of the length regulated by the work

man.

"The barrel of h, is three feet six inches diameter; the cogged wheel upon its axle has 104 teeth. The barrel of i, is one foot diameter, and the cogged wheel upon one end of its axle has 30 teeth; that upon the other end 54. The pinion m, taking into it, has 13 teeth, and the wheel 7, upon the same axle, 78 teeth. There is likewise another barrel of fifteen inches diameter, pressing against the rope on the opposite side of the one foot barrel, and which carries a wheel of 40 cogs, taking into that of 30: this is to keep the rope from slipping when drawn forward. The pinion n, with 24 cogs makes a stitch, by this train, of about six inches in length. To lengthen the stitch the pinion must have a greater number of teeth, to shorten it a lesser number."

By means of the apparatus for drawing forward the strand, mathematical accuracy in the length of the stitch is effected; by means of the sliding strap uniformity in

the tightness of the lacing is effected; and by the curves under the reel wheels, an equal degree of tension upon each strand. Thus, by the combination of this machinery, flat ropes are more perfectly made than by any other method now in use; and, by the application of the crank motion for piercing the holes through the strands, as well as the mode of drawing the stitches, the whole is reduced to a regular rotative motion, and is capable of being worked by a steam-engine or other mechanical power.

Inrolled, June, 1822.

TO RICHARD SUMMERS HARFORD, of Ebbw Vale Iron Works, Aberystwith, Monmouthshire, for an Improvement in that Department of the Manufacture of Iron commonly called PUDDLING.

THE patentee states that he has experienced much inconvenience and difficulty in the employment of cast iron bottoms or floors, as usually applied to puddling furnaces, from the circumstance of their rapid decay, owing to the severe action of the heat that must necessarily be applied to that class of furnaces; and, in consequence, he has adopted a mode of rendering them durable. "Having found, (he says), when such bottoms or floors are covered in the ordinary way with iron slag, scoria, or sand, that either of these substances form, not only very imperfectly, the means of defending the bottoms of floors from the injury that occurs when they are exposed to the intense heat necessary in the puddling process, but that either of these impart or engender impurities greatly injurious to the formation of good iron."

Harford's, for Improvements in Puddling.

9

In consequence of these discoveries he has been induced to investigate the nature and properties of such other materials as appeared suitable for the purpose, and has found out certain substances which will completely prevent the bad effects above mentioned in the employment of slag, scoria, or sand. He has also observed when the cast iron bottoms, or floors, of puddling furnaces are covered with sand, slag, or scoria, that portions of the siliceous matter, contained in these substances, become intimately united and intermixed with the iron which is undergoing the process of puddling, and, of consequence, a great portion of these impurities are imparted, and the iron rendered very inferior in quality to iron which has been operated upon by the improved process.

In order to prevent the inconvenience above described, the cast iron bottoms of the puddling Furnaces are to be spread over with a quantity of charcoal, either in the state in which it is obtained from the manufacturer, or reduced to powder, the latter of which is preferred: for," as the charcoal in either state is a non-conductor of heat, it answers the purpose of protecting the cast iron bottoms, or floors, from the injurious effects of intense heat better than any substance, or material, hitherto used for the preservation of cast iron bottoms or floors."

Although the Patentee prefers to employ charcoal in the way above described, yet the same beneficial effects may be obtained by using chips or shavings of wood, saw-dust, peat-turf, the spent bark from tan-pits, plumbago, old leather, leather shavings, soot, and many other animal and vegetable substances, from which, when heat is applied, a sufficiently durable charcoal may be obtained for the above purpose..

The specification concludes by saying, "I do hereby