One-fifth of the ultimate strength of the rope should be considered a fair working load.
In shafts and elevators where human life is constantly raised and lowered, the working load should not be more than one-tenth of the ultimate breaking strength of the rope.
To increase the amount of work done, it is better to increase the working load than the speed of the rope. Experience has shown that the wear of the rope increases with the speed.
Wire Rope should be greased when running or idle. Rust destroys as effectively as hard work.
Galvanized Wire Rope should never be used for running rope. One day's use will wear off the coating of zinc, and the rope will soon begin to rust.
Great care should be taken that the grooves of drums and sheaves are perfectly smooth, ample in diameter, and conformed to the surface of the rope. They should also be in perfect line with the rope, so that the latter may not chafe on the sides of the grooves.
Set of Wire Rope Splicing Tools.
To produce the best work, the splicer should have at his disposal a set of tools similar to those in the accompanying illustration.
The Tool set consists of—1 Tucker for Small Strands Splicing; 1 Marlin Spike, Round; 1 Marlin Spike, Flatted; 1 Pair Special Steel Wire Cutters; 1 Serving Mallet. All of best Cast Steel, Hand Forged.