GB2476958A

GB2476958A - Spliced ropes, especially bell ropes for full circle bell ringing

Info

Publication number: GB2476958A
Application number: GB1000623A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Pratt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-01-14
Filing date: 2010-01-14
Publication date: 2011-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 2030-01-14
Also published as: GB2476958B; GB201000623D0

Abstract

A line comprises a braided rope 40 spliced to a twisted rope 50, the braided rope 40 comprising a plurality of first strands 42 braided together; the twisted rope 50 comprising a plurality of second strands 52 twisted together; with the first strands 42 grouped into groups 44 each of which are wound around one of the second strands 52 which may then be twisted together. The splice may be used to join two pre-formed ropes or it may be applied during the process of forming one of the ropes. The splice may be applied twice to splice a double braided rope (40, 60 fig 6) to a twisted rope (50 fig 6). The splice is particularly applicable combining a pre-stretched, braided synthetic rope with a twisted natural fibre rope to make a church tower bell rope for full circle bell ringing.

Description

Spliced ropes and method of splicing ropes The invention relates to a method of splicing two ropes together. In particular, the invention relates to a method of splicing a braided (or part braided) rope to a twisted (or part twisted) rope. The invention also relates to a rope formed by splicing two such ropes together. The invention is particularly useful in the field of bell ropes.

Various different varieties of rope exist. For example ropes generally comprise a number of smaller strands combined together in some fashion to make a thicker, stronger line. Two or more strands can be combined together by twisting to form a twisted or laid rope. Three or more strands can be combined together by braiding to form plaited or braided rope. Braided rope can be flat or tubular or can be solid braided such that strands alternate between the inside and the outside of the structure.

Ropes can be combined together to form thicker and stronger ropes. For example twisted ropes can themselves be twisted together (any number of strands can be twisted together e.g. 2 ply, 3 ply or greater), a hollow tubular braided rope can surround another braided rope (known as braid on braid or double braid) or it can surround a twisted rope or one or more untwisted strands of rope. Different combinations may be chosen according to intended use, e.g. according to desired strength, stretch, handling properties or abrasion resistance.

Ropes can be made from different materials. Early ropes were manufactured from natural fibres, e.g. plant or animal fibres such as cotton, hemp, jute, flax or animal hair. Modern ropes frequently use synthetic fibres made from man made polymers such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. Again, different materials can be chosen, e.g. depending upon desired strength, stretch, handling properties or abrasion resistance.

By way of explanation, a natural fibre rope may be made as follows. Natural fibres (each typically a few centimetres in length) are spun together into long continuous yarns. A number of yarns (say 12 to 15 in one example) may be twisted together to form strands. In turn, a number of strands may be twisted together to form a rope.

For example, three strands may be twisted together to form a three strand laid rope.

At each stage, the twist must be reversed, so for example if the fibres were twisted together into yarns in an anti-clockwise direction, then the yams should be twisted together in a clockwise direction to form the strands and the strands should be twisted in an anti-clockwise direction to form the rope. This would form a right-handed rope. The initial twist may be in either direction. If the final twist is in a clockwise direction (looking down the line in the direction of forming), the rope is said to be left-handed. If the final twist is anti-clockwise, the rope is said to be right-handed. The direction of twist must reverse at each level in order to maintain the balance of the rope. A number of components may be plied together by laying out the components in parallel and applying a twist to each of them (all in the same direction) while keeping them under tension. This twist should be applied in the same direction as the underlying twist (e.g. if strands are being plied together to form rope, each strand should be twisted in the direction in which its component yarns are wound around each other). As the twist is imparted to each strand, the strand attempts to counter the twist by forming a helix of the opposite twist direction. These helices (one for each strand) can then be allowed to wind together to from a balanced twisted rope (see Figure 1).

This technique for rope making is limited by the length of strands which can be laid out in parallel. Long rope walks in Britain were able to make ropes up to about 300 metres in length. Sometimes it is necessary to combine two or more ropes together, e.g. in order to form a longer rope or in order to form a loop in the rope. Although knots can be used for this purpose, knots can significantly reduce the strength of the rope and they can be bulky and/or unsightly. Therefore for more permanent joins ropes can be spliced together. Splicing involves separating the strands of one end of a rope and then inserting those strands into or in between the strands of another rope (or a different part of the same rope). Splicing may also be used to bind the end of a rope to itself to prevent fraying.

Many different splices are known for different purposes, e.g. for joining ropes of the same or different thicknesses, for forming loops or for joining ropes end to end or end to middle. Splices are also known for both twisted ropes and braided ropes.

Many church towers contain bells. Bells can be simply hung in a belfry and sounded by hitting with hammers (which can be operated manually or automatically). However many churches (especially in England) have bells which are hung for full circle ringing. Such bells are mounted on a wheel which can rotate through more than 3600. Before ringing commences the bells are rotated from a hanging position (where they are left when not in use) to an inverted position.

Ringing is then performed by rotating the wheel (and the bell) through a full circle so that the clapper inside the bell strikes the inner side of the bell. The wheel and bell are then rotated again in the opposite direction for the next strike and the cycle repeats.

Rotation of the wheel and bell are controlled by a rope attached to the wheel. The attachment point of the rope is on the periphery of the wheel, generally about 120° round from the mouth of the bell. The rope passes round one or more pulleys and then hangs directly down to a bell ringing chamber. The rope may pass through one or more holes in intervening floors in large towers. Where possible, the ropes are arranged in a circle (or as close as possible to a circle) within the ringing chamber so that each bell ringer can see each other bell ringer. The length of the rope may vary depending on the height of the tower and the location of the ringing chamber below (which may be at ground level or may be part way up the tower). The length of the rope can typically vary between about 5 and about 20 metres. The arrangement described above is shown in Figure 2.

The set of bells hung in this fashion (known as a ring of bells) typically comprises a number of different sized bells providing different tones. A set of six to eight bells is common although more or fewer may be provided. The bells are typically rung by a group of people (bell ringers), each person controlling one rope and thereby one bell. A popular aim of bell ringers is to ring a full set of permutations of the set of bells or a particular subset of such permutations. A full set of permutations with no repetition is known as a full peal. For a shorter sequence a quarter peal can be rung.

A full peal on seven bells comprises 5040 different permutations of the bells, whilst a quarter peal comprises 1260 different permutations. A full peal of 5040 permutations typically takes around 3 hours and a quarter peal around 45 minutes.

During this time the bells are swung continuously. However moving from one permutation to the next must involve at least two bells swapping places within the order. A bell which changes its order must either move up the order (reducing the time between strikes) or down the order (increasing the time between strikes). The length of time between strikes is controlled by the bell ringer pulling on the rope to accelerate or decelerate the bell.

It will therefore be appreciated that the bell ringers must handle the bell ropes for significant periods of time. Therefore the feel and handling of the rope is very important.

Bells of different sizes vary considerably in weight. Small bells may weigh only around 50 kg whereas the largest bells can weigh up to about 4 tonnes. Although the weight of the heavier bells can be offset to a certain extent by having a larger wheel, the heavier bells necessarily gain a lot more momentum during the swing and therefore a greater force is required to accelerate or decelerate the bell. This force is applied to the bell by the bell ringer through the rope. Therefore the rope is placed under tension and will tend to stretch. If the bell is particularly heavy (e.g. greater than about a tonne) or if the rope length is particularly long (e.g. greater than about 6 metres), stretching of the bell rope can be problematic. It is essential for the bell ringer to control exactly where the bell stops at the top of its swing. Ideally the bell is swung just past its top dead centre so that it can be held steady against the tension of the rope without too much effort. If the rope stretches, the bell will tend to swing too far, making it harder for the bell ringer to hold the bell steady and possibly causing the bell to be rung late in its next swing. It is an aim of bell ringing to be as precise as possible with the timing. Therefore no stretch in a bell rope is an ideal property.

Stretch in a rope may be due either to the material from which it is made or from the construction of the rope. Until recently, natural fibres were less stretchy than man-made fibres. However recent high performance man-made fibres have started to compete with and even exceed the performance of natural fibres in this regard.

Bell ropes are typically made from twisted (laid) natural fibre ropes. One reason for this is that the natural fibre ropes provide a much better feel in the hands of the bell ringer. As mentioned above, this is particularly important during lengthy ringing sessions. However, due to the twisted construction, these ropes tend to act a little like springs. No matter how much you try, you cannot completely remove all of the stretch from a twisted rope. Natural fibre ropes can also be adversely affected by damp (which can be common in bell towers, especially in colder seasons) which can cause the ropes to swell in diameter and to reduce in length. On larger lengths of rope the reduction in length can be significant. Both of these effects can be problematic Most bell ropes are made from 3-strand twisted construction, although 4-strand has been used in the past. Although 4-strand twisted ropes have a smoother and more flexible feel, such ropes have lower strength for a given weight or diameter and so they are not readily commercially available. Also there is no neat way to splice a three strand twisted rope to a four strand twisted rope. Therefore bell ropes incorporating 4-strand twisted rope are not common.

Braided synthetic ropes can be manufactured to be far less stretchy. They can also be pre-stretched in the factory to remove a large amount of any stretch which they may have. The braided construction is superior to the twisted construction in this regard as it is not coiled like a spring. The woven crossings of the strands with each other provide a natural limit to the amount of stretch which can be applied.

Therefore a braided rope which has been pre-stretched to this limit exhibits very little further stretch. However the feel and handling of synthetic ropes in the hand is not as attractive and pleasant as twisted natural fibre ropes. Therefore, although their stretch properties may be better, braided synthetic ropes are not suitable as a straight substitute for a twisted natural fibre bell rope.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a line comprising a braided rope spliced to a twisted rope, the braided rope comprising a plurality of first strands braided together; the twisted rope comprising a plurality of second strands twisted together; wherein the plurality of first strands are grouped into one or more groups; and wherein at least one of the groups of first strands is wound around one of the second strands.

A line according to this invention provides a secure join between a braided rope and a twisted rope. Winding one or more strands of the braided rope around a strand of the twisted rope provides the security of a large contact area (and hence a good frictional engagement) between the two ropes and the further security of the strands of the braided rope being trapped between strands of the twisted rope. When a load is applied to the line, the twisted strands tend to squeeze more tightly together, thereby locking down on the strands of the braided rope which are trapped therebetween. At the same time, the wind of the strands of the braided rope around the strands of the twisted rope will cinch down under load. This splice therefore provides a very good strong joint between the two ropes.

In the context of a bell rope, this splice enables a comfortable rope (e.g. a twisted natural fibre rope) to be spliced onto a synthetic rope with reduced stretch properties (e.g. a synthetic braided rope), thereby providing better and more responsive control of the bell, while retaining the desired feel of the rope at the end which is handled by the user.

The term "strand" is used herein to mean either a single component or a plurality of components (e.g. yams, filaments or fibres) which may be twisted or braided together to form the strand. In the case of a strand comprising a plurality of components, each component may itself comprise a plurality of sub-components and so on.

The or each group of first strands preferably makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand. Although a partial turn around the second strands may be sufficient for some applications, a full turn (or in some preferred embodiments, two, three, four or more full turns) provides a greater contact area between the two ropes, thereby increasing the friction between them. More than one full turn also ensures that the or each group of the braided rope is trapped between the strands of the twisted rope at more than one place, again increasing the security of the splice.

As described above, each strand of a twisted rope is typically made from a plurality of yarns twisted together. Therefore, although simply winding the strands of the braided rope around the strands of the twisted rope can provide a good frictional engagement, the or each group of first strands is preferably passed through the corresponding second strand, i.e. the group of first strands is passed between individual yarns of the second strand. This provides an extra layer of security as pulling on the ropes (and therefore pulling on each strand) causes the yarns to press down on the group of first strands, locking them in place and preventing the winds around the second strand from working loose. This action pulls the splice tight.

Preferably the second strands are wound around each other in one sense and the or each group of first strands is wound around the corresponding second strand in the opposite sense, i.e. if the second strand comprises yarns twisted together, then the group of first strands is wound around the second strand in the same sense as the sense in which the yarns which make up the second strand are wound around each other. Winding the first strands around the second strands in this direction ensures that the twist which is imparted to the second strand during the process of rope forming will create a pull on the group, thus tightening the winds and increasing the stability and strength of the splice.

Although the first strands (of the braided rope) may be kept in a single group or divided into fewer groups than the number of second strands (of the twisted rope) and that or those groups may be wound around a subset of the second strands, it is preferred that the number of groups of first strands is equal to the number of second strands. By winding some of the first strands around each of the second strands the load of the splice is divided between all of the strands, thereby reducing the maximum load on an individual strand. Most preferably each group of first strands contains an equal number of strands. Although this will not always be possible (it depends on whether the number of strands in one rope is divisible by the number of strands in the other rope), the division is preferably made as equal as possible so as to divide the load as equally as possible between the various groups/strands. In this way, the overall maximum strength of the splice can be maximised.

Braided ropes can come in different shapes and patterns, such as flat braids or solid braids. However, the braided rope is preferably a hollow braided rope as this provides a circular profile which matches with that of a typical twisted rope.

Hollow braided ropes are typically constructed from a number of strands, half of which run helically in a clockwise direction and half of which run helically in an anti-clockwise direction. As the strands cross each other they are braided (woven) with one another. The weave may be of any form, e.g. plain or twill, but in one preferred embodiment the weave strands are woven in a basket weave with pairs of strands passing sequentially over two strands then under two strands.

An advantage of using a hollow braided rope is that the hollow braided rope may surround a length of the twisted rope. In other words a length of the twisted rope is encased within the hollow centre of the braided rope, the ends of the strands of the braided rope then being spliced into the twisted rope. This arrangement provides an excellent frictional engagement between the two ropes, especially under load. As load is applied to the braided rope, the helically wound strands naturally attempt to straighten under the applied tension. This pulls the strands inwards (i.e. reducing the diameter of the hollow tube formed by the braided rope) causing them to tighten onto the length of twisted rope. By encasing a large enough amount of twisted rope within the braided rope, a large frictional contact area can be formed between the two ropes, thus creating a very strong join. In the preferred embodiments at least 10, more preferably at least 20 centimetres, more preferably still at least 40 centimetres of twisted rope is encased in the braided rope. Once enough contact area has been created between the two ropes for the desired strength, encasing further quantities of twisted rope will simply add weight and bulk to the line without adding beneficially to the line's qualities. Therefore in some preferred embodiments the hollow braided rope surrounds less than about 60, preferably less than about 50 centimetres of twisted rope.

Although the entire width of the twisted rope may be encased within the braided rope, the length of twisted rope that is surrounded by the hollow braided rope is preferably tapered. Fibre ropes can easily be tapered by removing or cutting out a portion of the fibres at various stages in the rope. This thins the rope out, reducing its strength, but also reducing its diameter. Tapering the twisted rope towards the end in the portion which is encased within the braided rope gradually reduces the diameter of the spliced line as a whole and provides a smoother finish to the spliced line rather than a sudden change in diameter. This can provide smoother running over pulleys or other surfaces. The twisted rope is preferably tapered over a distance of from about 10 centimetres to about 60 centimetres in line with the lengths of encased twisted rope discussed above. In preferred embodiments the tapering reduces the diameter of the twisted rope by about half.

In preferred embodiments, the twisted rope has either three or four strands. These are common arrangements for ropes, especially bell ropes as they tend to produce a size of rope which is comfortable to handle, yet strong enough to withstand considerable force (such as the forces involved in bell ringing). The majority of bell ropes are three stranded, although four stranded bell ropes also exist. This invention is particularly beneficial for four stranded ropes as it was not previously possible to splice these neatly onto commercially available three stranded twisted ropes.

Braided ropes come in different constructions with different numbers of strands, e.g. 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 32 strands. The present invention is very versatile and applies to all such constructions. In some preferred embodiments, the braided rope may have twelve strands. A twelve stranded braided rope provides a good balance between stretch and strength. A further advantage is that the twelve strands divide exactly into three groups for splicing to a three strand twisted rope or four groups for splicing to a four strand twisted rope, thus distributing the strength of the splice evenly.

The twisted rope may be made from any material, natural or synthetic. The material may be chosen according to its strength, stretch, abrasion resistance or handling properties according to its intended purpose. However, preferably the twisted rope is made from natural fibres as these provide the most pleasant handling characteristics, especially when being handled continuously for significant periods of time (e.g. several hours as described above).

The braided rope may also be made from any material, natural or synthetic. The material may be chosen according to its strength, stretch, abrasion resistance or handling properties according to its intended purpose. For example, the braided rope may be made from polyester, high modulus polyethylene, other man-made fibres or any mixture thereof. However in preferred embodiments the braided rope may be made from high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) or a mixture of HMPE and polyester or purely polyester. Synthetic materials like HMPE and polyester are more resistant to the environment and can maintain their properties more consistently and for longer periods of time. By contrast natural fibre ropes can be affected by damp which causes them to swell up and shrink in length. Damp can be a common problem in church bell towers. Factories that manufacture synthetic ropes can also pre-stretch them in the factory, thus reducing the elasticity of the final product.

As described above, a single braided rope may be spliced onto a single twisted rope.

However, braided ropes are sometimes provided in a double braid formation (also known as braid-on-braid) in which an inner braided rope is surrounded by an outer hollow braided sheath. The advantages of this arrangement are that the two elements of the rope (i.e. the inner braid and the outer sheath) can be made from different materials which can each be chosen for different properties. A common choice is to choose the inner braid for strength and/or elasticity and to choose the outer sheath for its coefficient of friction and/or abrasion resistance. In this way the outer sheath can act as a protective layer preventing or reducing damage to the inner rope which provides the core strength. The present invention also extends to splicing such double braided ropes onto a single twisted rope. This could be done simply by selecting one of the braided ropes (the inner or the outer) and following the procedure set out above, ignoring the other of the two braids. However, for added strength and security, both braided elements can be spliced into the twisted rope. Preferably therefore, the braided rope is a double braided rope further comprising a hollow braided outer sheath surrounding the (inner) braided rope, and wherein the outer braided sheath comprises a plurality of third strands braided together and wherein the plurality of third strands are grouped into one or more groups and wherein at least one of the groups of third strands is wound around one of the second strands. In this way, the outer braid can be spliced into the twisted rope in the same way is the inner braid is spliced into the twisted rope. This double splice significantly enhances the strength of the join as well as providing a smooth join. Although the outer sheath may be made from a different number of strands (i.e. the number of third strands may be different to the number of first strands) and they may be of different diameter, this does not affect the splice.

The various features described above in relation to the splice of the first strands onto the second strands apply equally to the additional splice of the third strands onto the second strands. Therefore, preferably the or each group of third strands makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand. Preferably the or each group of third strands is passed through the corresponding second strand. Preferably the second strands are wound around each other in one sense and the or each group of third strands is wound around the corresponding second strand in the opposite sense. The number of groups of third strands may be equal to the number of second strands. Each group of third strands preferably contains an equal number of strands.

As described above, the splice of this invention applies to any number of strands, including outer sheaths with 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 32 strands. In preferred -12 -embodiments the outer sheath may have twenty strands. The number of strands forming the outer sheath may vary greatly, but is typically greater than the number of strands of the inner braided rope. The outer sheath is also typically formed from strands of smaller diameter than those of the inner braided rope so that they can be woven into a tighter mesh for greater protection of the inner rope.

The first and third strands could be grouped together and spliced into the twisted rope all at once. Alternatively, the two sets (first and third strands) could be spliced separately, but on top of one another. However such an arrangement would increase the bulk of the rope in the region of the join, which could adversely affect the strength ofthe join. Therefore preferably the splice of the first strands to the second strands is axially (i.e. along the length of the line) separated from the splice of the third strands to the second strands by a distance along the length of the line. This separation provides different attachment points for the inner braid and the outer sheath and therefore, although it increases the length of the splice, it reduces the diameter which is generally preferable for increased strength and for running round pulleys or over other surfaces. In preferred embodiments the distance between the splices is at least about 10 centimetres. This distance is generally sufficient to ensure that there is no overlap between the two splices and thus ensures that the diameter of the splice is kept small. In preferred embodiments the distance between the splices is less than about 50 centimetres more preferably less than about 30 centimetres. Too much distance between the splices will create two portions of increased diameter separated by a portion of smaller diameter. It also increases the overall length of the splice unnecessarily. This can be aesthetically unpleasant and can also result in unnecessary vibrations if the splice is run over pulleys or other surfaces.

In one preferred embodiment the outer sheath is made from polyester. The inner core may be made from any material as discussed above. However in one preferred embodiment, the inner core may comprise polyester and/or HMPE.

-13 -According to a further aspect, the invention provides a bell rope comprising a line as described above.

The invention also extends to a method of forming a line by splicing together a braided rope and a twisted rope. Therefore, according to another aspect, the invention provides a method of forming a line comprising a braided rope spliced to a twisted rope, the method comprising the steps of: providing a braided rope comprising a plurality of first strands; providing a plurality of second strands; unbraiding a length of the braided rope into one or more groups of first strands; winding at least one of the one or more groups of first strands around one of the second strands; and twisting the second strands together to form a twisted rope.

This method of forming the line is particularly advantageous as it begins with the second strands individually, not already twisted into a twisted rope. In other words the splice is formed as part of the process of forming the twisted rope. This makes the process of splicing the two ropes much more simple. It is possible to splice two preformed ropes (one braided, one twisted) together to form the splice as described above. However it can be difficult to separate the strands of a pre-formed twisted rope without damaging the rope (or the strands). Also, once the strands of the rope have been separated, they may be permanently loosened and so the strength of a splice formed in that way may not be as strong as one formed according to the above described method. The above method lends itself particularly to the formation of bell ropes as such ropes are all made to order according to the weight of the bell and the height of the bell tower. The formation of bell ropes also includes the formation of the sally (the fluffy hand grip) at the end which is formed as part of the natural rope making process.

The sally is typically formed by inserting short (e.g. about 50 mm) lengths of coloured wool (or other material) in between the yarns of each of the strands while they are separated. As the strands are twisted together to form the rope, the wool is also twisted, thus forming the sally. If different colours of wool are used in different strands, an attractive striped pattern is formed. As described above, the application -14 -of the splice of this invention to any number of twisted strands allows the formation of a greater variety of sallies with different numbers of colours, e.g. a four stranded rope can be used to form a four coloured sally.

The various features and advantages described above in relation to the spliced line as an end product apply equally to this method of forming the spliced line.

Therefore, preferably the or each group of first strands makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand. Preferably the method further comprises the step of passing the or each group of first strands through the corresponding second strand. Preferably the second strands comprise a plurality of yarns twisted around each other in a first sense, and the or each group of first strands is wound around the corresponding second strand in the first sense and the step of twisting the second strands together comprises twisting the second strands around each other in the opposite sense.

Preferably the number of groups of first strands is equal to the number of second strands. Preferably each group of first strands contains an equal number of strands Preferably the braided rope is a hollow braided rope.

In preferred embodiments, prior to the step of winding the or each group of first strands around one of the second strands, the method further comprises the steps of: twisting the second strands together to form a twisted rope along part of their length; and inserting the twisted length of second strands into the hollow braided rope.

Thus the formation of the length of twisted rope which is to be encased within the hollow braided rope forms a natural part of the rope making process. First a length of twisted rope is formed in a standard manner, then that length is inserted into the hollow braided rope and the two are spliced together as described above, finishing with the continuation of the formation of the twisted rope according to standard methods. In this way standard twisted rope making machinery can be used during the formation of the spliced line making the process quick and simple. -15-

As described above, the length of twisted second strands is preferably from about 10 centimetres to about 60 centimetres. Preferably, prior to the step of inserting the twisted length of second strands into the hollow braided rope, the method further comprises the step of: tapering the second strands. Preferably the second strands are tapered over a distance of from about 10 centimetres to about 60 centimetres.

As described above, the twisted rope may have either three or four strands. The braided rope may have eight or more strands. The twisted rope may be made from natural fibres or man-made fibres, but for a bell rope it is preferably made from natural fibres. The braided rope may comprise high modulus polyethylene.

This method of forming a spliced line also extends to the splicing of a double braided rope to a twisted rope as described above. Preferably therefore, the braided rope is a double braided rope further comprising a hollow braided outer sheath surrounding the braided rope, and wherein the outer braided sheath comprises a plurality of strands braided together, the method further comprising the steps of: unbraiding a length of the outer sheath into one or more groups of third strands; winding at least one of the one or more groups of third strands around one of the second strands; and twisting the second strands together to form a twisted rope.

As discussed above, this process can still be carried out easily on standard twisted rope making machinery (e.g. 3 or 4 strand twisted rope making machinery) by forming a length of twisted rope, then splicing the inner braided rope, then forming a further length of twisted rope, then splicing the outer braided sheath, then continuing with the formation of the twisted rope to the desired length. By forming the splices as part of the rope making process, the splices can be formed very neatly and tightly, thus ensuring a particularly high strength and smooth join.

Preferably, the or each group of third strands makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand. Preferably the or each group of third strands is passed through the corresponding second strand. Preferably each of the second strands comprises a plurality of yarns twisted around each other in a first sense, and the or -16 -each group of third strands is wound around the corresponding second strand in the first sense and wherein the step of twisting the second strands together comprises twisting the second strands around each other in the opposite sense.

Preferably the number of groups of third strands is equal to the number of second strands. Preferably each group of third strands contains an equal number of strands.

The outer sheath may have 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 32 strands. In preferred embodiments, the outer sheath may have twenty strands. In Preferred embodiments, the outer sheath may comprise polyester.

Preferably, before the step of winding the third strands around the second strands, the method comprises the step of: axially separating the inner braid and the outer sheath in order to expose the inner braid. This makes the process of splicing a double braided rope much simpler as it keeps the outer braid out of the way while the splice on the inner braid is being carried out. The outer braid of double braided ropes is quite separate from the inner braid and when it is not under tension, it can easily be slid up along the inner braid, increasing slightly in diameter as it is squashed. It can easily be slid back down again when it is time to splice it into the twisted rope.

Preferably, before the step of winding the first strands around the second strands, the method comprises the step of: removing a length of the inner braid. The removal of part of the inner braid allows for the separation of the two splices as described above as when the outer sheath is pulled back down from its storage position, it will extend over the splice of the first and second strands and can be spliced into the second strands further down the line. Preferably, therefore the splice of the first strands to the second strands is axially separated from the splice of the third strands to the second strands by a distance along the length of the line. Preferably the distance between splices is from about 10 centimetres to about 50 centimetres.

In preferred embodiments, around 10 to 30 centimetres of the inner braid are removed, most preferably about 20 centimetres. -17-

As well as applying to double braided ropes as described above, the present invention also extends to a hollow braided outer sheath surrounding an inner core of strands (these may either be twisted around each other or simply run parallel to each other). A rope of this construction is available under the name Marlowbraid from Marlow Ropes and is particularly beneficial owing to its low stretch properties. The inner core may be spliced to. the second strands of the twisted rope using a known twisted rope splice, such as a short splice or they may be spliced in the same way as described above, with the strands of the inner core being wound around the second strands of the twisted rope. The outer sheath may then be spliced into the second strands in the same way as described above.

According to another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturing a bell rope, comprising splicing a twisted rope to a braided rope according to the method as described.

It should be noted that the splice of the present invention may be applied to a line more than once, in a number of different places, e.g. to repair a damaged section of line. For example with this splice, a damaged braided rope could be repaired by splicing in a length of twisted rope.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a method of making a twisted rope; Figure 2 illustrates a bell mounted on a ring with a bell rope; Figure 3 shows a twisted rope and a braided rope, each partially unwound prior to splicing; Figure 4 shows a twisted rope and a braided rope part way through the splicing process; Figure 5 shows a twisted rope spliced to a braided rope; and -18 -Figure 6 shows another embodiment of the invention illustrating a part-spliced line formed from a double braided rope and a twisted rope.

Figure 1 illustrates a standard method for making twisted ropes. Three strands 10, 10', 10" are laid out in parallel. Each of these strands is made up of a bundle of yarns 12 which have been twisted together in a left-handed manner (anti-clockwise, looking from left to right in the figure). Each of these three strands 10, 10', 10" is twisted in an anti-clockwise direction, i.e. in the same direction as that in which the yarns 12 have been wound around each other. This twisting action adds to the twist of the yams 12 and tightens them upon each other. To counteract this twist, each of the strands 10, 10', 10" forms a helix which winds in the opposite sense, i.e. in a right-handed manner (clockwise, looking from left to right in the figure). This counter-twist straightens out the yams 12 so that they run more or less parallel to the axis of the helix. The three strands 10, 10', 10" are then allowed to coil around each other as shown in the lower part of figure 1. Figure 1 shows the strands 10, 10', 10" separated for illustrative purposes. In reality the strands 10, 1 0',l 0" would wind around each other tightly. It can be seen that this process forms a right-handed rope, i.e. with the strands winding around each other in a clockwise manner (looking left to right in the figure).

Rope making machines for facilitating this process are well known and comprise a number of attachment points for attaching the strands and a means for applying a twist to each of those attachment points (and hence to each strand).

It will be appreciated that although a three strand, right-handed rope is illustrated in figure 1, the present invention applies to left-handed or right-handed ropes and also applies to ropes with any number of strands.

Figure 2 shows a typical church bell hung for full-circle ringing. A bell 20 is mounted on a wheel 22 which is rotatably mounted in a belfry (not shown). The wheel 22 is controlled (rotated) by means of a rope 24 which is attached to the wheel -19- 22 at attachment point 26. The attachment point is located about 1200 round from the bottom of the wheel (when the bell hangs down in a storage position).

The rope 24 passes over a pulley 28. The pulley 28 keeps the rope 24 running smoothly as the bell (and the wheel) rotate round through a little over 360°. (In other embodiments more than one pulley may be required in order to arrange the ends of the ropes in a circle for the bell ringers). Before use, the bell is "rung up" by pulling in the rope to swing the bell round to the right in the figure and up past top dead centre so that the rope 24 runs round the pulley 28, under the wheel 22 and round to the attachment point 26 which is now located towards the right in the figure. The bell 20 can be held in this position by keeping tension on the rope 24 to counteract gravity which acts on the bell, trying to rotate the wheel anti-clockwise in the figure.

From this position, applying a force to the rope pulls the wheel 22 and hence the bell round in a clockwise direction until the bell passes top dead centre at which point gravity assists in swinging the bell 20 and the wheel 22 round through a full 360° and up past top dead centre in the other direction. The rope 24 now runs up to the left (as shown in the figure) and over the top of the wheel 22. Once again the bell 20 can be held by applying tension to the rope 24 to counteract gravity which acts on the bell, trying to rotate the wheel 22 clockwise (in the figure). The bell 20 can be swung back and forth in this manner repeatedly. As the bell 20 swings, a clapper (not shown) inside the bell 20 hits the inside of the bell 20 causing the bell 20 to sound.

In large bell towers the bells are often positioned high up the tower with intervening floors. Therefore the rope 24 has to run through holes 29 in the floor 30.

It will be appreciated that at the two extremes of the bell 20 and wheel 22, different amounts of rope run round the pulley 28 and the wheel 22. Therefore the end of the rope 24 can be at two different heights depending on which position the bell 20 is in.

The rope 24 ends with a fluffy sally 32 for gripping when the rope end is at the -20 -lower position and with a ioop 34 for gripping when the rope end is at the higher position. Both of these need to be comfortable so that the bell ringers can hold the rope comfortably throughout extended sessions of bell ringing.

As described above, it is desirable for the rope 24 as a whole to exhibit as little stretch as possible so as to provide the best control and responsiveness from the bell, but at the same time it is necessary to provide adequate comfort and feel to the rope 24. As braided ropes tend to provide less stretch and twisted ropes provide greater grip and comfort, the present invention advantageously provides a splice of a braided rope onto a twisted rope. The majority of the rope 24 can then be formed from a braided rope with minimal stretch and the end of the rope which is gripped can be formed from a twisted rope for enhanced grip and comfort.

Although it will be appreciated that the splice can be formed at any point in the rope 24, it is preferably formed a short distance (e.g. about 1 metre) above the sally 32.

The sally 32 is easily formed in a twisted rope simply by incorporating strands of wool (or other comfortable material) into the strands of the twisted rope which are then wound around each other to form the rope. This allows the majority of the rope 24 to be formed from the less stretchy braided rope.

A splice according to the present invention is illustrated in figures 3 to 5.

On the left, figure 3 shows a braided rope 40. Braided rope 40 is formed from a number of first strands 42. Although any braided construction may be used, figure 3 shows a hollow braided rope 40 in which the strands 42 are woven in a basket weave pattern with pairs of strands 42 weaving successively over two, then under two strands 42. Half of the strands 42 run in a clockwise helix and the other half run in an anti-clockwise helix.

On the right, figure 3 shows a twisted rope 50. Twisted rope 50 is formed from a number of second strands 52. Although any number of strands 52 may be used, figure 3 shows a three stranded rope 50.

Although not illustrated in figures 3 to 5, the strands 42, 52 of the ropes 40, 50 typically comprise a number of yams or filaments wound or braided together in a known fashion (see e.g. the description of twisted rope making with reference to figure 1).

Figure 3 shows each of the braided rope 40 and the twisted rope 50 partially unbraided or unwound at their right-hand ends in order to separate the individual strands 42, 52. Further, the first strands 42 of the braided rope 40 are grouped into three groups 44. The number of groups 44 is chosen to correspond to the number of twisted strands 52 so as to maximise the strength of the spliced line. As can be seen, braided rope 40 is made from twelve first strands 42 and each group 44 has been formed from four first strands 42. As the number of first strands 42 of the braided rope divides by the number of second strands 52 of the twisted rope, each group 44 can be formed with the same number of first strands 42, thus forming a well balanced splice which distributes the forces applied to the two ropes 40, 50 evenly.

As indicated by the arrow in figure 3, the twisted part 54 of twisted rope 50 is inserted into the hollow centre of hollow braided rope 40. This provides a good area of frictional overlap between the two ropes 40, 50 once they have been spliced together and thus provides strength to the joined line. The length of twisted part 54 is preferably about 50 centimetres in one embodiment, although different uses and different diameters of ropes and strands may benefit from different lengths.

Once the twisted rope 50 has been inserted into the braided rope 40, each of the three groups 44 of first strands 42 is wound around one of the second strands 52 of the twisted rope 50 as illustrated at 56 in figure 4. It can be seen in figure 4 that the groups 44 have been wound around the second strands 52 about two or three times.

However, it will be appreciated that more turns or fewer turns around. the strands 52 may be used depending on the circumstances (e.g. intended uses or thickness and materials of the ropes and strands).

-22 -As shown at the right-hand side of figure 4 (at 46), after the groups 44 of first strands 42 have been wound around the second strands 52, the groups 44 are each inserted through the strands 52 (i.e. between the individual yams of strands 52 which are not illustrated in these figures). This locks off the ends of the groups 44 and thereby prevents the winds from loosening. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments the groups 44 could be for example glued, melted, taped or whipped into place instead.

It should be particularly noted that the direction of the winds of groups 44 around second strands 52 is in the opposite direction to that in which the second strands 52 are wound around each other in the twisted rope 50. For example, in the right-hand side of figure 3, it can be seen that the second strands 52 are wound around each other in an anti-clockwise sense (locking from left to right in the figure), making twisted rope 50 a left-handed rope. Therefore in figure 4, the groups 44 are wound around second strands 52 in a clockwise sense (looking from left to right in the figure). This means that the groups 44 are wound around the second strands 52 in the same sense as the yams (not shown) which make up second strands 52 are wound around each other to form the strand 52. This relationship between the direction of the winds 44 and the twisting direction of strands 52 provides a stronger splice as the twist which is then applied to the second strands 52 in order to form them into twisted rope 50 causes the winds 44 to tighten around the second strands 52, thus securing the two ropes 40, 50 together.

Figure 5 illustrates the line formed by this process with the second strands 52 wound around each other in order to form the twisted rope 50.

Figures 3 to 5 show the process of forming the splice by unbraiding a pre-formed braided rope 40 and then forming the splice during the process of forming the twisted rope 50. The splice can also be used to join two pre-formed ropes, by inserting a portion of the twisted rope 50 into a hollow braided rope 40 in the same fashion, unbraiding and grouping the strands 42 of the braided rope 40 in the same fashion and then using a tool to insert the groups 44 between, round and through the -23 -strands 52 of the twisted rope 50. However, that process is much more difficult as the strands 52 of the twisted rope are typically tightly wound together and separating them can be difficult.

Figure 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention in which the braided rope is a double braided rope which further comprises an outer sheath 60 surrounding the inner core 40. In figure 6, the inner core 40 and the twisted rope 50 have been spliced in the manner described above and the outer sheath 60 has been slid back axially along the rope to keep it out of the way. The outer sheath 60 is also braided and can be spliced into the twisted rope 50 in exactly the same manner. The outer sheath 60 is simply slid back (to the right in the figure) over the splice of the inner core 40 and the twisted rope 50 and the (third) strands 62 of the outer sheath are separated and grouped in the same manner as shown in figure 3. The same process is then followed, just as described above to splice the groups of third strands 62 onto the second strands 52, thus forming a second splice axially separated from the first splice. Once the second splice has been performed, the second strands 52 can be twisted together to form a desired length of rope. If required, a sally can be formed into the rope during this process.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are preferred embodiments only and that various modifications could be made to the embodiments which would fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

-24 -Claims I. A line comprising a braided rope spliced to a twisted rope, the braided rope comprising a plurality of first strands braided together; the twisted rope comprising a plurality of second strands twisted together; wherein the plurality of first strands are grouped into one or more groups; and wherein at least one of the groups of first strands is wound around one of the second strands.
2. A line as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each group makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand.
3. A line as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the or each group is passed through the corresponding second strand.
4. A line as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second strands are wound around each other in one sense and wherein the or each group of first strands are wound around a second strand in the opposite sense.
5. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the number of groups of first strands is equal to the number of second strands.
6. A line as claimed in claim 5, wherein each group of first strands contains an equal number of strands.
7. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the braided rope is a hollow braided rope.
8. A line as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hollow braided rope surrounds a length of the twisted rope.

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9. A line as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hollow braided rope surrounds from about 10 centimetres to about 60 centimetres of twisted rope.
10. A line as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the length of twisted rope surrounded by the hollow braided rope is tapered.
11. A line as claimed in claim 10, wherein the twisted rope is tapered over a distance of from about 10 centimetres to about 60 centimetres.
12. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the twisted rope has three or four strands.
13. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the braided rope has 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 32 strands.
14. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the twisted rope is made from natural fibres.
15. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the braided rope comprises polyester and/or high modulus polyethylene.
16. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the braided rope is a double braided rope further comprising a hollow braided outer sheath surrounding the braided rope, and wherein the outer braided sheath comprises a plurality of third strands braided together and wherein the plurality of third strands are grouped into one or more groups and wherein at least one of the groups of third strands is wound around one of the second strands.
17. A line as claimed in claim 16, wherein the or each group of third strands makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand.
18. A line as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the or each group of third strands is passed through the corresponding second strand.
19. A line as claimed in claim 16, 17 or 18, wherein the second strands are wound around each other in one sense and wherein the or each group of third strands is wound around the corresponding second strand in the opposite sense.
20. A line as claimed in any of claims 16 to 19, wherein the number of groups of third strands is equal to the number of second strands.
21. A line as claimed in claim 20, wherein each group of third strands contains an equal number of strands.
22. A line as claimed in any of claims 16 to 21, wherein the outer sheath has 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 32 strands.
23. A line as claimed in any of claims 16 to 22, wherein the splice of the first strands to the second strands is axially separated from the splice of the third strands to the second strands by a distance along the length of the line.
24. A line as claimed in claim 23, wherein the distance between splices is from about 10 centimetres to about 50 centimetres.
25. A line as claimed in any of claims 16 to 24, wherein the outer sheath comprises polyester.
26. A bell rope comprising a line as claimed in any preceding claim.
27. A method of forming a line comprising a braided rope spliced to a twisted rope, the method comprising the steps of: providing a braided rope comprising a plurality of first strands; providing a plurality of second strands; -27 -unbraiding a length of the braided rope into one or more groups of first strands; winding at least one of the one or more groups of first strands around one of the second strands; and twisting the second strands together to form a twisted rope.
28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the or each group of first strands makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand.
29. A method as claimed in claim 27 or 28, further comprising the step of passing the or each group of first strands through the corresponding second strand.
30. A method as claimed in claim 27, 28 or 29, wherein each of the second strands comprises a plurality of yarns twisted around each other in a first sense, and wherein the or each group of first strands is wound around the corresponding second strand in the first sense and wherein the step of twisting the second strands together comprises twisting the second strands around each other in the opposite sense.
31. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the number of groups of first strands is equal to the number of second strands.
32. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein each group of first strands contains an equal number of strands.
33. A method as claimed in any of claims 27 to 32, wherein the braided rope is a hollow braided rope.
34. A method as claimed in claim 33, wherein, prior to the step of winding the or each group of first strands around one of the second strands, the method further comprises the steps of: twisting the second strands together to form a twisted rope along part of their length; and -28 -inserting the twisted length of second strands into the hollow braided rope.
35. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the length of twisted second strands is from about 10 centimetres to about 60 centimetres.
36 A method as claimed in claim 34 or 35, wherein, prior to the step of inserting the twisted length of second strands into the hollow braided rope, the method further comprises the step of: tapering the second strands.
37. A method as claimed in claim 36, wherein the second strands are tapered over a distance of from about 10 centimetres to about 60 centimetres.
38. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the twisted rope has three or four strands.
39. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the braided rope has 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 32 strands.
40. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the twisted rope is made from natural fibres.
41. A line as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the braided rope comprises polyester and/or high modulus polyethylene.
42. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the braided rope is a double braided rope further comprising a hollow braided outer sheath surrounding the braided rope, and wherein the outer braided sheath comprises a plurality of strands braided together, the method further comprising the steps of: unbraiding a length of the outer sheath into one or more groups of third strands; -29 -winding at least one of the one or more groups of third strands around one of the second strands; and twisting the second strands together to form a twisted rope.
43. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the or each group of third strands makes at least one full turn around the corresponding second strand.
44. A method as claimed in claim 42 or 43, wherein the or each group of third strands is passed through the corresponding second strand.
45. A method as claimed in claim 42, 43 or 44, wherein each of the second strands comprise a plurality of yams twisted around each other in a first sense, and wherein the or each group of third strands is wound around the corresponding second strand in the first sense and wherein the step of twisting the second strands together comprises twisting the second strands around each other in the opposite sense.
46. A method as claimed in any of claims 42 to 45, wherein the number of groups of third strands is equal to the number of second strands.
47. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein each group of third strands contains an equal number of strands.
48. A method as claimed in any of claims 42 to 46, wherein the outer sheath has 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 32 strands.
49. A method as claimed in any of claims 42 to 48, wherein, before the step of winding the third strands around the second strands, the method comprises the step of: axially separating the inner braid and the outer sheath in order to expose the inner braid.
50. A method as claimed in claim 49, wherein, before the step of winding the first strands around the second strands, the method comprises the step of: removing a length of the inner braid.
51. A method as claimed in any of claims 42 to 50, wherein the splice of the first strands to the second strands is axially separated from the splice of the third strands to the second strands by a distance along the length of the line.
52. A method as claimed in claim 51, wherein the distance between splices is from about 10 centimetres to about 50 centimetres.
53. A method as claimed in any of claims 42 to 52, wherein the outer sheath comprises polyester.
54. A method of manufacturing a bell rope, comprising splicing a twisted rope to a braided rope according to the method as claimed in any of claims 27 to 53.
55. A line, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
56. A method of forming a line, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.