This patent model was included with John A. Roebling’s “Method of and Machine for Manufacturing Wire Ropes” patent that received patent number 2,720 on July 16, 1842. Roebling’s patent detailed how to manufacture wire rope; this model functioned to wrap greased insulating wire around the wire rope. Wire rope’s strength and durability made it a superior choice to hemp rope in many industrial applications, but its applications went far beyond replacing rope.
John A. Roebling & Sons Company were the preeminent manufacturer of wire rope during the late 19th and early 20th century, supplying the wire rope for some of America’s most famous bridges—the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Wire rope had a starring role in the mechanization and electrification of modern America due to its use in cable cars, elevators, telephones, telegraphs, and electrical wire.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.