CONTENTS

PART I
Historical
CHAPTER PAGE
I Ancient, Mediæval and Tribal Rope-Making 11
II Rope-Making in the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries 19
PART II
Raw Materials
I Manila Fiber 27
II Sisal Fiber 35
III The Hemps—American, Russian, Italian. Other Fibers 43
IV Pine Tar. 49
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