Hello,

I am not a mining expert, but to my knowledge one of the advantages of
flat ropes is the fact, that the weight of the rope can be compensated
"automatically", because the rope is wound onto the flat rope "drum"
(bobbin, reel) in layers similar to the tape of an "old fashioned"
reel tape recorder. Consequently a long rope (== heavy weight) goes
along with a small diameter of the (almost empty) reel. With some simple
maths you can even keep find configurations with two ropes
(one cage up, one cage down) which keep the system in balance.
Round ropes require either conical drums for rope weight compensation
or application of the Koepe system. I have also seen examples of
Koepe winders with round ropes at the top and flat ropes for
weight compensation at the bottom. (I assume the flat rope is
advantageous because it is twist-free in this case.)

An other advantage of flat ropes in comparison to round ones might be
the fact, that they combine a relatively large cross section (solidness)
with high flexibility at least in one direction (easy to bend).
A round rope with a large diameter requires relatively large wheels
and drums to avoid wear and tear due to inner frictions.

In addition flat ropes are (were) often used to sink shafts, because
flat ropes do not twist and the cages consequently do not require
any guide rails or guiding ropes.

Example sinking of no 4 shaft Göttelborn/Germany:
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-Saar-BW-66-16-31.05.1991-en.html

See also explanation (in German language):
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobine_(Bergbau)

To my knowledge, flat ropes have been frequently used in Belgium and
in France but rarely in Germany.

Examples in Belgium:
Hasard Cheratte:
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-CheratteHasard-BW-560-1-27.02.2005-en.html
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-CheratteHasard-BW-54-2-24.02.2002-en.html

Bois du Cazier
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-BoisDuCazier-BW-560-13-09.04.1992-en.html

Monceau Fontaine / Martinet No 4
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-MonceauFontaine-BW-78-12-20.07.1991-en.html
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-MonceauFontaine-BW-1005-8-29.10.1989-en.html

Monceau Fontaine  18
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-MonceauFontaine-BW-5720-12-25.08.1990-en.html

Monceau Fontaine  19
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-MonceauFontaine-BW-1003-1-29.10.1989-en.html

Petit Martinet
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-MonceauFontaine-BW-104-2-04.03.2001-en.html

Monceau Fontaine 25 (Pechon)
http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-MonceauFontaine-BW-5720-6-25.08.1990-en.html

The more "modern" mines in the North of Belgium used round ropes.

Examples in France:

http://hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-Mining_Lorraine-BW-68-12-01.06.1991-en.html

small ore mine shaft near Crusnes (I don't have an image at hand)

Again, my "feeling" is that round ropes go with "modern" mines.

Kind regards

Harald


Roger Gosling wrote:
> Two different types of wire rope have been commonly used in mining -
> round and flat.
> 
> I always assumed that the use of flat rope was sometimes preferred as it
> will coil onto a drum more neatly (as it doesn't presumably tend to try
> to "cut into" the rolls of rope already on the drum?) and has less
> tendency to kink. However I would assume (though I may be wrong) that to
> maunfacture flat rope is more costly.
> 
> In a recent SGMRG (South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group)
> newsletter the author of the article stated "They were flat because the
> technology to make round wire ropes had not yet been developed . . . .
> ". I am not convinced and would have thought that round wire rope was in
> use before flat wire rope. I have tried to research into the history of
> flat wire rope manufacture, but can't find much on it other than it
> first seems to have been in use in the 1830s or 1840s. Of course
> previous to wire rope, hemp (etc) ropes and chains were used.
> 
> Which came first (in a commercial sense) flat or round? What are the
> advantages of each, given a choice? Was flat rope a preference for any
> particular application, eg winding or hauling? Did the design or the
> drum need to be different depending on the type of rope used? Any other
> comments welcome.
> 
> Cheers
> Roger Gosling
> 

-- 
Dr.-Ing. Harald Finster / Aachen Germany
http://www.finster-stahlart.de industrial history and architecture
http://www.astrid-aix.de       gallery: watercolours and oil paintings