37. Fastening when a lever is used, and is employed when hauling upon
large ropes, where the strength of several men are necessary.
38. A "pudding splice." This is commenced, like the others, by placing
the rope end to end, the turns of the one being passed between those
of the other; having first swelled out the yarns by a "rat's-tail," we
put them, two by two, one over the other, twisting them tightly, and
opening a way for them with the marlinspike. The inconvenience of this
splice is, that it is larger in diameter than the rope itself; but
when made sufficiently long, by gradually reducing the size of the
strands, it has great strength.
39. This shows two strands, a and b, of the ropes, A B, knotted
together, being drawn as tight as possible; we unlay the strand,
a', of the rope, A, for half the length of the splice, and twist the
strand, b', of the rope, B, strongly in its place, tying a' and b'
together tightly. The same process is again gone through on the rope,
B, the strand, a", of the rope, A, being knotted to the strand, b",
of the rope, B. When all the strands are thus knotted together, we
interlace them with the strands of the cable. Thus the strands, a a'
a", are interlocked by being passed alternately above and below the
turns of the cord, B, the ends being also sometimes "whipped." In the
same manner the strands, b b' b", pass alternately over and under
the strands of the rope, A, and are in like manner "whipped." It is
important that the several interlacings and knots should not meet at
one point; we reduce the size of the strands towards the end, so that
they loose themselves in the body of the splice, cutting off such
parts as may project. This splice is employed for joining the ends of
a rope when a chafed part has been cut out, and is quite as strong as
the rope itself.
40. Belaying-pin opened to serve as a button; these are used where it
is necessary to stop or check velocity.