Chapter II: Part III

PRESENT DAY MANUFACTURING PROCESSES METHODS AND EQUIPMENT AS
SEEN IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST CORDAGE FACTORY

I Buying, Grading and Storing of Fiber 55

II Preparation of Fiber for Spinning--Formation of “Sliver” 63

III Spinning of Rope Yarn and Binder Twine 71

IV Tarring of Rope Yarns and of Small Ropes 77

V Forming and Laying of Ropes and Cables--Ropewalk Method 79

VI Forming and Laying of Ropes and Cables--Factory Method,
Two-Machine System 85

VII Forming and Laying of Ropes--Factory Method, Single-Machine
System 91

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Ancient Egyptian rope 12

Nootka whaling lines 13

Ancient Egyptian rope-making methods 14

Use of rope in ancient Egyptian kitchen 14

Specimens of ancient Egyptian cordage 15

Detail of sculptured rope from Triumphal Arch at Orange 17

Attic sailing ship, sixth century B.C. 17

Mayflower in Plymouth harbor 18

Office of Plymouth Cordage Company 20

Bourne Spooner, founder of Plymouth Cordage Company 21

First advertisement of Plymouth Cordage Company 21

Old-time method of hackling cordage fiber 22

Spinning rope yarn by hand with old-time spinning wheel 23

Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth 24

Hank of Manila fiber 28

Philippine hemp cart 29

Filipino cleaning Manila fiber 30

Filipinos preparing Manila fiber for market 31

Examining Manila fiber at dock 32

Suburb of Manila--Manila fiber plant growing 33

Philippine street scene 34

Gathering leaves of Sisal fiber plant 36

Loading Sisal fiber leaves on plantation car 37

Scenes at cleaner house on Sisal fiber plantation 38

Bale of Sisal fiber 39

Machine separating Sisal fiber from leaves 40

Sisal fiber drying 41

Sisal fiber steamer at Plymouth Cordage Company’s pier 42

American hemp stacked in fields 44

Preparing American hemp for market 45

New Zealand flax plant 46

Hemp growing by the water 47

Uncle Ben, hemp breaker 48

Pine tar manufacturing methods 50

Pine tar handling at naval stores yard 52

Examining and re-grading Manila fiber at cordage factory 56

Track and warehouse facilities, Plymouth Cordage Company 57

Stacking Manila fiber in warehouse 58

Trucking Manila fiber into warehouse 59

Sisal fiber being transferred from warehouse to mill 60

No. 2 tar house, Plymouth Cordage Company 61

No. 3 mill, Plymouth Cordage Company 62

Preparation room, No. 3 mill, Plymouth Cordage Company 64

Lubricating oil mixing room, Plymouth Cordage Company 65

Formation of sliver on first breaker 66

Reducing size of sliver on preparation machines 67

Draw frame machines 68

Plymouth Cordage Company factory in early days and today 70

Spinning machine of early nineteenth century 72

Modern spinning machine 73

Spinning room, No. 1 mill, Plymouth Cordage Company 74

Spinning room, No. 3 mill, Plymouth Cordage Company 75

Tar storage and handling equipment, Plymouth Cordage Company 76

Tarring of rope yarns 78

Ropewalk manufacturing processes 80

Interior of ropewalk, Plymouth Cordage Company 82

Sixteen-inch towline with eye-splice 83

Lathyarn and tie rope machines, Plymouth Cordage Company 84

Rope-making machinery, Plymouth Cordage Company 87

Removing reel from forming machine 89

Compound laying-machine, four-strand type 90

Shipping platform, Plymouth Cordage Company 92