US2042824A - Rope and the like - Google Patents

Description

Patented June 2, 1936 noPE AND 'rn'E LIKE Sidney Albert Brazier and Cecil Hampson, Manchester, and Melon Langstreth, Rochdale, England, assignors to Dunlop Rubber Company Limited, poration,

birmingham, England, a British cor- Appucation February' s, 1935, sei-ns1 No.A 5,052 In Great Britain February 23, 1934 9 Claims.

This invention relates to ropes and the like and particularly to non-metallic ropes for use as drivlng belts.

Such rope as is-well known comprises a number of strands, each strand being made up of a number of cords andv each cord consisting of a number of fibre threads or ends, for example, of hemp, sisal, manilla and the like vegetable bres. i

To improve the driving qualities of such ropes, it is known for instance to impregnate them with a mixture of graphite and grease but the fibre threads on the outsiderof each strand of a rope so treated are vliable to fray due particularly to l5 the relative displacement'ofthe strands to each y other when the rope exes, with the result that loose pieces of bre containing the graphite and grease come oif and spoil the articles and materials undergoing manufacture.

It is also known to make endless presser belts of rubberized fabric for vulcanizing machines.

A proposal has also been made to manufacture ropes, cords or the like from iilamentary or fibrous organic material impregnated with an aqueous Vdispersion of rubber by treating certain of the yarns which are to be formed into a strand with rubber .latex which is used in such quantity that when the treated yarns are, with other yarns which have not been so treated, formed into a strand, the strand will be permeated or impregnated to the desired extent with the latex or dispersion. l

The object of the present invention is to provide a rope. particularly for driving purposes, having a surface conditioned so as to obviate any tendency of the rope to slip and also having improved strength in those parts subject to most abrasive action.

It has been found to be -insuilcient merely to 40 rubberize with an aqueous dispersion of rubber the individual strands of a rope. On the other hand it was found to be unnecessary to make a rope from thread, individually impregnated with rubber derived from rubber latex because the inside of the strands of a rope are not subjected to any substantial abrasive action. It is the adjacent cords on the outside of the rope which are in the main subjected to this action.

According to the present invention, therefore. a rope, particularly for driving purposes consisting of strands each of which is composed of an outer layer of cords surrounding an inner core of cords is characterized in that each cord in the aforesaid outer layer of cords is composed of rub- S Vbel'iined fibrous material.

Before'further disclosure of the present invention reference should be made to the accompanying drawing wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the rope strand constructed in accordance with the pres- 5 ent invention; and l Fig. 2V is a cross-sectional view of the same.

In the drawing the outer layer of cords above referred to is identified by the word rubberized y and the inner core of cords above referred to is l0 identied bythe word unrubberized The cords in the aforesaid outer layer can either be rubberized after their formation, or the cords can be made from already rubberized threads. In the latter case, if desired, the cords made from 15 already. rubberized threads can be further rubberized after their formation.

Rubberizing of the aforesaid fibrous material forming the threads or cords of the rope is preferably effected by treatment with aqueous dis- 20 persions of or containing rubber of the kinds hereinafter specified.

vThe cords in the inner core of each strand are preferably made of brous threads but may ii desired consist of or contain a Ametallic core.

In a preferred method of carrying out the invention, the individual threads are immersed in an aqueous dispersion. For example, fifty-four such threads are immersed simultaneously in the dispersion. It has been found possible toA obtain 30 sufficient penetration of the aqueous dispersion into each thread by merely passing the thread through the tank containing the dispersion. The fifty-fourl impregnated threads are then assemb1ed into a cord. 35

Good results have been obtained by forming a rope from three strands each of which comprises twelve outer rubberized cords produced as above described and twenty-one inner unrubberized cords. 4

In another method of carrying out the invention, wherein the cords are rubberized after their formation from unrubberized threads the cords are immersed in a bath containing the aqueous dispersions aforesaid where they can be subjected, 4

.if desired, to mechanical pressure and release. The mechanical pressure may be provided by rollers preferably V-grooved and mounted so as to maintain a continual pressure on the material passing through. It is preferable that the cords 50 should undergo more than one passage between vthe rollers. It is also desirable that the cords should be immersed in the aforesaid dispersions vfor periods of not less than l5 minutes priorto l the rst passage through the rollers. Drying oi i the cords after impregnation may take place in the stretched or unstretched condition.

The dispersions comprise those consisting of or containing rubber, gutta-percha, balata or similar vegetable resins occurring naturally or artificially obtained. i

Such artificialy aqueous dispersions mayinclude those of coagulated rubber, vulcanized rubber, synthetic rubber, waste or reclaim. If desired, any of 'the aforementioned dispersions may be sed alone or in admixture with one another. Vulcanized aqueous dispersions can also be employed.

Any of the aforesaid dispersions may contain the usual known compounding ingredients and/ or may be in concentrated form.

Concentrates such as are obtained in Patent 1,846,164 of February 23, 1932, to which may be added any one or more of the usual compounding ingredients may also be used.

It has been found that mixings having concentrations of 35% orbelow are better for impregnation than more concentrated mixings.

It is desirable that the disperslons of rubber and the like should include vulcanzing ingredients and should also include anti-oxident materials, as the ropes of the present invention may be subjected for long periods to severe exposure conditions.

It is desirable that the aqueous dispersions employed should be conditioned to give rapid wetting of the cords. This can be effected by the addition of wetting agents such as soaps in admixtureif desired, with caustic alkalies, yor alternatively by the addition of well-known wetting agents used in the textile industry.

Having now particularly described our said invention, we claim- 1. A method of forming a rope which comprises rubberizing threads of iibrous material, drying said threads, forming said rubberized threads into cords, laying said rubberized cords as an outer layer on an inner core of unrubberized cords to form strands Without rubberlzlng said inner cords, and assembling a plurality of said strands into a rope.

' 2. A method of making rope which comprises rubberizing cords, drying said cords, assembling an outer layer of said dried rubberized cords about a core of unrubberized cords to form a strand and assembling a plurality of said strands into a rope.

3. The method `of forming a rope which comprises rubberizing threads comprised of iibrous material, drying said threads, forming said' rubberized threads into cords, further rubberizing said cords, drying said cords, assembling said rubberized cords as an outer layer on an inner core of unrubberized cords to form strands without rubberizing said innercords and assembling a number of said strands'to form a rope.

4. A method of forming a rope which comprises 'forming a plurality of fibrous threads into cords,

impregnating said cords with rubber, drying said cords, assembling said rubberized cords as an outer layer about a core of unrubberized cords 5 I l from a plurality of said strands.

6. The method of forming a rope which consists in forming a plurality of threads consisting of fibrous material, impregnating some of said threads with rubber and drying the same, form? ing said impregnated threads and the unimpregnated threads into separate cords, impregnating the cords comprised of rubberized threads with 25 rubber to iill the interstices between said threads and drying the same, forming a core of said cords formed of the said unimpregnated threads, applying an outer layer thereto of cords formed of the said impregnated threads obtaining thereby 30 a strand, and forming the said rope from a plurality of said strands.

'7. A rope consisting of a plurality of strands each of said strands being comprised of a plurality of cords, said cords being arranged to form 35 an inner core of cords surrounded by an outer layer of cords, the cords of said outer layer being composed of brous material impregnated with rubber and the cords of said inner core being comprised of fibrous material only. 40

8. A rope consisting of a plurality of strands each of said strands being comprised of a plurality of cords, said cords being arranged to form an inner core of cords surrounded by an outer layer of cords, thecords of said outer layer being composed of a plurality oi threads each of said threads being comprised of brous material lm pregnated with rubber.

9. A rope comprised of a plurality of Astrands 50 each of said strands being comprised of a plurality of cords each consisting ofva plurality of threads consisting of brous material, the cords of each 'of said strands being arranged to form an inner core of ,cords surrounded by an outer 5 5 layer of cords, the. plurality of threads oi" said outer layer of cords each being impregnated with rubber. i

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