The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

288 THE MECHANICAL HANDLING OF MATERIAL The hanging supports consist of two curved wrought-iron plates 3 ft. long, forming a circular opening at the top 8 in. in diameter, and connected at the lower end by a grooved saddle in which the rope rests, sloped at the ends to prevent injury to the rope. The saddles are of cast iron, of similar construction, and are used in a few places, resting upon wooden brackets and supports projecting from them conveniently near the line. The carriage consists of two curved wrought-iron hangers, connected together by pieces of timber with grooved runners, 9 in. in diameter, with lj-in. grooves. The carriages were first used with two wheels, but experience has shown that it is best to use four wheels. Four clips are attached to each carriage. Each clip is provided with a clamping screw, while the hauling rope is attached to the right-hand side of the descending carriage. The nearer the wheels are brought together the more easily the carriages will travel. When the wheels are placed some distance apart, they do not travel on the same plane, and set up much friction on the rope. The first step towards the installation of the wire ropeway was the selection of the most convenient line, and clearing it—a by no means easy matter, as it lay through thick forest. The supports were then set up. 1 he unreeling of the rope followed, commencing, of course, from the bottom of the line. This was sent out on a large iron reel or bobbin, the total weight of the rope and reel being about 4 tons. An axle was passed through a hole in the centre, and the reel was swung clear of the ground. It was at first intended to unwind the rope and carry it uphill on the shoulders of coolies, placed at intervals of 30 ft., but the broken nature of the ground made this difficult, and eventually elephants were attached to the end of the rope to haul it up. The friction caused by the rope dragging along the ground was, however, so great, that at the end of the journey no less than nine elephants were at work in addition to a large body of coolies. Spliced into the end of the rope was a massive thimble, or eyelet. This was attached to the chain, and the rope was fixed to its upper anchorage. It was then raised on to the supports, connected to the anchorage cable at the lower end, and hauled in by means of a winch, provided with the necessary two and three sheave blocks. Sufficient tension was obtained to give a dip in each span of about one in forty. The unreeling of the hauling rope followed, and the two ends were joined. This rope is, of course, adjusted below the fixed rope, and drawn reasonably tight. The up- and-down sides are arranged 18 in. apart, corresponding with the distance between the inner edges of the clips on the carriage, and kept in that position by means of fixed guide wheels, which lead the rope to the drum and large wheel at the foot. It was a matter of some difficulty to overcome the friction set up in this rope, which checked the loads. 1 he design of rollers had to be changed several times, the last and most successful being large grooved pulleys, about 18 in. in diameter, running easily on their bearings, and provided with wooden guides placed above them to lead the haulage rope into the grooves. Ihe supports for the hangers and saddles vary in height from 8 to 75 ft., and consist as a rule of two uprights and a stout 8-in. cross-bar. In a few instances standing trees have been utilised as uprights. The method of working the ropeway is as follows : The weight of the load has hitherto not been allowed to exceed about 22 cwt. of timber, and though it is possible to send down rough logs of that size, the work has been confined to the transport of railway sleepers and sawn scantlings of different sizes.