Fig. 186.—Long Splice, all Ends ready for Tucking.
There are now twelve strand ends, 5 ft. long, which must be worked into the inside of the rope and completely hidden; but before this some lengths of thin bagging must be prepared, about 2 in. wide, or, failing that, get some thin yarn, which must be wrapped securely and evenly round each strand for about 2 ft. or 3 ft. from the end. Strips of bagging are the better, and can be expeditiously put on by getting each helper to wrap an end. This gives the outer strands something to knit or bed into when the hempen core is taken out of the centre of the rope and the steel strand ends are worked in. After considering the difference between the size of the hempen core and of the outer strands, necessitated, of course, by the spiral form of the outer strands, it will be obvious that the “bite” of the outer on the inner strands would be very little indeed if the ends were worked in bare. When all the ends are wrapped and cut to such a length that they just butt against each other when worked inside the rope, the work is ready for tucking. Take hold of the piece of hempen core A (Fig. 186) and pull it out just to past the first joint—that is, the two ends 1 and 1′. In all probability, if the rope is large or rather hard laid, this will be difficult, unless a tapered round spike is driven through the two strands immediately behind it.
Fig. 187.—Making Round Joint.
Strand 1 has now to be worked inside the rope where the core came out. To do that, take a flat tucking spike and drive it through the strands 1′ and the next one with the point coming out and covering strand 1. Twist the spike round in the lay of the rope, and, of course, towards the original joint B in the splice; but so manipulate the spike, or “tucker,” that strand 1 will fall into the inside of the rope immediately the worker starts to twist, as at C (Fig. 187).
When working a strand from the outside to the inside of a rope it should be done short, sharp, and at once. Good joints must be made short, for then the twists in the strands so unite with one another as to make it appear as though they were blended into one strand.
The “partner” strand to the one just worked in—that is, strand 1′—must next be tucked out of sight, but before that can be done it will be necessary to consider that if the wires in the strand are spun or twisted in the opposite direction to that in which the rope is “laid” or “closed,” then an ordinary rope is formed. But if the wires and the strands are both twisted in the same direction there is formed a make of rope commonly called a “Langs” or “Albert” laid rope.
In Figs. 179 to 185 ordinary ropes are illustrated, but in Figs. 178, 186, and 187 Langs ropes are shown.
Fig. 188.—Half-round Top-Swage.