Machine for making rope

Claim 1

A MACHINE USEFUL IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES COMPRISING A ROTATABLE STRAND-WHIPPING PLATE HAVING A HUB WITH AN AXIAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH PERMITTING A ROPE CORE TO BE DRAWN THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE PLATE, STRANDSPOOL CARRIERS MOUNTED ON ONE FACE OF SAID PLATE, MEANS FOR LAYING STRANDS FROM SAID STRAND SPOOL CARRIERS ON SAID CORE IN SIDE-BY-SIDE SPIRAL WINDINGS TO FORM A SPIRALLY WOUND LAYER ABOUT SAID CORE WHEN SAID CORE IS DRAWN THROUGH THE ROTATING PLATE AND LAST-MENTIONED MEANS, MEANS FOR DRAWING THE ROPE CORE THROUGH SAID PLATE AND SAID MEANS FOR LAYING SAID STRAND, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID MEANS FOR DRAWING AT PREDETERMINED, CONSTANT RELATIVE SPEEDS TO PROVIDE A CONSTANT, PREDETERMINED RATE OF ROTATION OF THE PLATE PER LINEAL UNIT OF TRAVEL OF THE ROPE CORE THROUGH SAID MEANS FOR LAYING THE STRANDS, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRIVE MEANS AND INCLUDING SPEED-CHANGE MECHANISM OPERABLE TO SELECTIVELY CHANGE THE SETTING OF THE RELATIVE RATE OF ROTATION OF SAID PLATE PER LINEAL UNIT OF TRAVEL OF SAID ROPE CORE.