The STORY of HOME MADE --
HAND MADE ROPE
RopeMaker@hotmail.com
Dann Johnson
3 hook
machine: Patent
686,440 Nov 12 1901 Orson Bucklin
4
hook
machine: Canada Patent Dec 22 1908 Matchette &
Smith
Photos of 4 hook Matchette Machine
Nov 12, 1901
Patent by Bucklin. This machine
was manufactured by
Thomas Manufacturing,
and also sold by Chicago Appliance, and Sears.
Forest Burkland donated his father's Sears rope machine to
a Museum,
which his father had purchased in 1903 for 98 cents, new from Sears.
After collecting a few, poorly kept and hard used
machines,
I paid $125 for one in like new condition, at an farm estate
auction
after standing in a November rain for 3 hours.
This machine was
also
manufactured
in Sioux City, Iowa
and sold as the "Ideal
Rope
Machine"
and also as "Arcade Rope Machine"
The Bucklin / Thomas
Manufacturing has no real bearings.
The gears are held on by rivets, Light
oil or grease
helps the machine turn smoothly and last for years.
Gearing is a 3:1 ratio.
Main (sun) gear has 27 teeth,
small (planetary) gears have 9 teeth.
Photos Thanks to Taryn Lumely
The photos
include
one as a Thomas Rope Machine Pat
NOV 12, 1901
Manufactured by Thomas Manufacturing of DAYTON, OHIO
and ones above are a
more
common antique store find.
Thomas was one
of three or more manufactures that made this 1901 machine.
One offered on EBAY had
Topeka
Foundry, Topeka, Kansas embossed on
the back side of the
casting.
I also own two
antique but apparently reproduction machines,
cast with no patent date on the main gear.
A few variant Bucklin/
Thomas
machines were produced
including one Four Hook Rope Maker .
The big gear is marked in raised letters,
Pat. Dec. 22, 1908
Research
provided by
John Flory documents
that this 4 hook machine received a Canadian Patent.
But was Patented by two Americans Matchette and Smith.
I verify that
the hooks and gears are interchangeable,
and veritably identical with those of the 1901 patent,
as if they came from the same mold.
Original wood
appears to
be pine painted black
with white stencil still showing,
if you get a well kept
machine.
The wood bottom of the machine has a slot so
that it easily fit over
a
wagon box side board,
a back of a wood chair, or the bottom half of a barn door.
This is the most
common machine that I find on
farm auctions and in antique shops.
I believe the
reason is so common is that it was
and still is a good working rope maker.
Note the difference in
the
two handles pictured below.
The ribbed cast handle on the
top machine appears to
be
the more common of
the surviving original crank handles.
I have seen
many 1901 Patent machines
with home made replacement handles.
Berg Rope
1908
Machine
Hawkeye (New
Era
1911) Rope Machine
Meyer
1924
Rope Machine
Royal Rope
Machine
Sherwood
Rope Machine
1913
Click here
to
view Wonder Rope Maker
Book (23
pages):
Sherwood Improved Hand Rope and Wire Cabling Machine
Book
(14 pages) : Rope Making NEW ERA
Book
(8 pages): Instruction Folder for New Era Rope Machine
On
to
styles of Rope Makers
Styles of
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"wrench - tools"
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