Rope label connecting device and label production equipment
By designing a rope mark connection device including a rope threading mechanism, a knotting mechanism and a rope feeding mechanism, the problems of low efficiency and high labor cost of rope mark connection in the prior art are solved, automated production is realized, and product quality and efficiency are improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510324381.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-10
AI Technical Summary
The existing rope marking connection method is low in efficiency and has high labor costs, making it difficult to meet the needs of efficient automated production.
A rope marking connection device is designed, including a rope threading mechanism, a knotting mechanism and a rope feeding mechanism. The elastic rope and the label paper are automatically connected through the rope guide hole and the placement groove, and the elastic rope is automatically tied through the rotation of the rope clamping part.
It improves the efficiency of rope marking connection, saves labor costs, and ensures the size standardization of elastic ropes on the label and reduces the defect rate.
Smart Images

Figure CN120117261A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of production equipment, and particularly to a rope label connecting device and a label production equipment. Background Art
[0002] Label paper is a kind of paper that can be seen everywhere in daily life and is widely used in fields such as product labels. For example, before containers such as bottles and jars leave the factory, label paper needs to be hung, so an elastic rope needs to be connected to the label paper, and the elastic rope is sleeved on the bottle mouth of the bottled object to realize the hanging of the label.
[0003] The existing method for connecting the elastic rope and the label paper is that workers manually pass the elastic rope through the holes in the label paper and then manually tie a knot on the elastic rope to complete the connection of the rope label. However, the efficiency of manual knotting is relatively low, and the labor cost is relatively high. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The main object of the present invention is to provide a rope label connecting device and a label production equipment, aiming to solve the problems of low efficiency and high labor cost existing in the existing rope label connection method.
[0005] To achieve the above object, a rope label connecting device provided by the present invention includes a frame, a rope threading mechanism, a knotting mechanism, and a rope feeding mechanism for feeding an elastic rope to the rope threading mechanism. The rope threading mechanism and the knotting mechanism are both arranged on the frame. The rope threading mechanism includes a mounting seat, which is provided with a rope guiding hole penetrating in the z direction, and a placement groove for the label paper to extend into and be placed is formed on the mounting seat. Both the rope guiding hole and the placement groove are on the moving stroke of the elastic rope fed by the rope feeding device. The knotting mechanism includes an xz driving platform and a rope clamping part rotatably arranged on the xz driving platform along an axis extending in the z direction. The rope clamping part is driven by the xz driving platform to move in the x direction and the z direction, and the moving stroke of the rope clamping part passes through the placement groove of the rope threading mechanism. The rope clamping part has a first clamping groove for the elastic ropes located above and below the label paper to extend into and be fixed simultaneously.
[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rope threading mechanism further includes a hollow rope threading member, which is movably arranged in the rope guiding hole, and the moving path of the hollow rope threading member passes through the placement groove.
[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a cutting head is connected to the bottom end of the hollow rope threading member, and the cutting head has an annular cutting surface.
[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a rope clamping assembly is further included. The rope clamping assembly is located below the rope threading mechanism and corresponds to the rope guiding hole, so that one end of the elastic rope passes through the label paper and is clamped and fixed by the rope clamping assembly.
[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, it further includes a label clamping mechanism, which is arranged on the side of the string threading mechanism facing the knotting mechanism. The label clamping mechanism has a second clamping groove for the label paper to extend into and be fixed. The label clamping mechanism is movably arranged in the y direction, and the moving stroke of the label clamping mechanism passes through the placement groove of the string threading mechanism.
[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the string clamping part includes two string clamping members that are hinged to each other. Each string clamping member has a groove for the elastic ropes above and below the label paper to be wound and placed, and the groove is arranged near the hinged end of the string clamping member.
[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the string feeding mechanism includes a string feeding assembly and a string feeding shaft for sleeving and installing the elastic rope roll. The string feeding assembly includes two relatively arranged string feeding rollers, and a third clamping groove for the elastic rope to pass through is defined between the two string feeding rollers.
[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the string feeding mechanism further includes a guide rope tube. One end of the guide rope tube corresponds to the third clamping groove, and the other end is connected to the mounting seat of the string threading mechanism and corresponds to the guide rope hole.
[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the string feeding assembly further includes two guide rope members, which are respectively arranged on the rope inlet side and the rope outlet side of the two string feeding rollers, and the guide rope members are tapered from their rope inlet ends to their rope outlet ends.
[0014] In addition, the present invention also provides a label production device, which includes a label storage device, a label conveying device, and the rope-label connecting device as described in any one of the above. The label storage device is arranged on the frame and is located on one side of the string threading mechanism in the x direction. The label conveying device is movably arranged in the x direction, and the moving stroke of the label conveying device passes through the label storage device and the placement groove of the string threading mechanism.
[0015] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:
[0016] In the present invention, the elastic cord is driven by the cord feeding mechanism to be conveyed downward from the cord guiding hole of the cord threading mechanism to the placement groove, and passes through the connection hole of the label paper in the placement groove to realize the connection between the elastic cord and the label paper. Then, the cord clamping part of the knotting mechanism moves to the vicinity of the placement groove of the cord threading mechanism under the drive of the xz driving platform, and simultaneously clamps the elastic cord above and below the label paper. Then, the cord clamping part rotates relative to the xz driving platform, so that the elastic cord above the label paper and the elastic cord below the label paper are stretched and wound around the cord clamping part. Then, the cord clamping part moves in the x direction, the elastic cord disengages from the cord clamping part, and the elastic cords above and below the label paper contract and continue to maintain the mutually wound state to realize the knotting of the elastic cord. The present invention realizes the connection between the elastic cord and the label paper by setting the cord guiding hole and the placement groove, and realizes the automatic knotting of the elastic cord by winding the elastic cord through the rotation of the cord clamping part itself. Compared with the existing cord-label connection method in which the knotting of the elastic cord and the connection of the cord-label are manually completed, it not only has higher efficiency and saves labor costs, but also the size of the elastic cord on the produced label is more standard and the defective rate is lower. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.
[0018] Figure 1 Structural schematic diagram of a label production device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] Figure 2 Front view of a cord-label connection device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] Figure 3 For Figure 2 Schematic three-dimensional diagram of each mechanism in the cord-label connection device for knotting the elastic cord;
[0021] Figure 4 For Figure 3 Partial enlarged schematic diagram of A in;
[0022] Figure 5 For Figure 2 Side view of each mechanism in the cord-label connection device for knotting the elastic cord;
[0023] Figure 6 For Figure 5 Partial enlarged schematic diagram of B in.
[0024] Description of the reference numerals:
[0025] 100 - Rope - label connecting device; 1 - Frame; 2 - Rope - threading mechanism; 21 - Mounting base; 211 - Rope - guiding hole; 212 - Placing groove; 22 - Hollow rope - threading member; 221 - Cutting head; 3 - Knot - tying mechanism; 31 - XZ - driving platform; 32 - Rope - clamping part; 321 - Rope - clamping member; 4 - Rope - feeding mechanism; 41 - Rope - feeding assembly; 411 - Rope - feeding roller; 412 - Rope - guiding member; 42 - Rope - feeding shaft; 43 - Rope - guiding tube; 5 - Rope - clamping assembly; 6 - Label - clamping mechanism; 1000 - Label production equipment; 200 - Label storage device; 300 - Label conveying device. Detailed implementation manners
[0026] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
[0027] It should be noted that if there are directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back,...) involved in the embodiments of the present invention, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship and movement conditions between components in a specific posture (as shown in the drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.
[0028] In addition, if there are descriptions such as "first", "second", etc. involved in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, solution B, or the solution where A and B are satisfied simultaneously. In addition, the technical solutions between various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that those of ordinary skill in the art can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the protection scope required by the present invention.
[0029] The present invention provides a rope - label connecting device and a label production equipment. Figures 1 to 6 This is a specific embodiment of a rope - label connecting device and a label production equipment provided by the present invention.
[0030] Such as Figure 2 、 Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present invention provides a rope label connecting device 100, which includes a frame 1, a rope threading mechanism 2, a knotting mechanism 3, and a rope feeding mechanism for feeding an elastic rope to the rope threading mechanism 2. The rope threading mechanism 2 and the knotting mechanism 3 are both arranged on the frame 1. The rope threading mechanism 2 includes a mounting base 21. The mounting base 21 is provided with a rope guiding hole 211 in the z direction, and a placement groove 212 for the label paper to extend into and be placed is formed on the mounting base 21. Both the rope guiding hole 211 and the placement groove 212 are on the moving stroke of the elastic rope conveyed by the rope feeding device 4. The knotting mechanism 3 includes an xz driving platform 31 and a rope clamping part 32 rotatably arranged on the xz driving platform 31 along an axis extending in the z direction. The rope clamping part 32 is driven by the xz driving platform 31 to move in the x direction and the z direction, and the moving stroke of the rope clamping part 32 passes through the placement groove 212 of the rope threading mechanism 2. The rope clamping part 32 has a first clamping groove for the elastic ropes located above and below the label paper to extend into and be fixed simultaneously.
[0031] In the present invention, the elastic rope is driven by the rope feeding mechanism to be conveyed downward from the rope guiding hole 211 of the rope threading mechanism 2 to the placement groove 212, and passes through the connection hole of the label paper in the placement groove 212 to realize the connection between the elastic rope and the label paper. Then, the rope clamping part 32 of the knotting mechanism 3 is driven by the xz driving platform 31 to move near the placement groove 212 of the rope threading mechanism 2, and simultaneously clamps the elastic ropes located above and below the label paper. Then, the rope clamping part 32 rotates relative to the xz driving platform 31, so that the elastic rope located above the label paper and the elastic rope located below the label paper are stretched and wound around the rope clamping part 32. Then, the rope clamping part 32 moves in the x direction, and the elastic rope disengages from the rope clamping part 32. The elastic ropes located above and below the label paper contract and continue to maintain the mutually wound state to realize the knotting of the elastic rope. By providing the rope guiding hole 211 and the placement groove 212, the present invention realizes the connection between the elastic rope and the label paper, and winds the elastic rope by the rotation of the rope clamping part 32 itself to realize the automatic knotting of the elastic rope. Compared with the existing rope label connection method that manually completes the knotting of the elastic rope and the connection of the rope label, it not only has higher efficiency, saves labor costs, but also the size of the elastic rope on the produced label is more standard and the defective rate is lower.
[0032] It should be noted that a plurality of the rope threading mechanisms 2, and the corresponding number of the knotting mechanisms 3 and the rope feeding mechanisms can be arranged at intervals in the y direction on the frame 1, so that the rope label connecting device 100 can connect a plurality of label papers and elastic ropes at the same time, greatly improving the rope label connection efficiency.
[0033] Since the placement groove 212 divides the guide rope hole 211 into two sections, there is no guide component after the elastic rope moves from the guide rope hole 211 to the placement groove 212, resulting in that the elastic rope may not be able to pass through the connection hole of the label paper. Therefore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the rope threading mechanism 2 also includes a hollow rope threading member 22, which is movably arranged in the rope guide hole 211, and the moving path of the hollow rope threading member 22 passes through the placement slot 212. In this way, the elastic rope is driven by the rope feeding device 4 to move from the rope guide hole 211 to the hollow rope threading member 22, and the hollow rope threading member 22 moves downward through the connection hole of the label paper located on the placement slot 212, so that one end of the hollow rope threading member 22 is connected to the rope guide hole 211 above the placement slot 212, and the other end is connected to the rope guide hole 211 below the placement slot 212. At the same time, the rope feeding device 4 drives the elastic rope to move downward along the hollow rope threading member 22 through the connection hole of the label paper, and finally the hollow rope threading member 22 moves upward, and the elastic rope does not move, so as to realize the rapid connection between the elastic rope and the label paper.
[0034] Generally, the elastic cord is provided in a roll and has a relatively long length, but only a relatively short elastic cord is required for the label, so the elastic cord needs to be cut after the elastic cord is tied. Figure 6 As shown, the bottom end of the hollow rope threading member 22 is connected to a cutting head 221, and the cutting head 221 has an annular cutting surface. After the elastic rope passes through the label paper connection hole, the rope clamping part 32 of the knotting mechanism 3 clamps the elastic ropes above and below the label paper at the same time, and then the rope clamping part 32 rotates relative to the xz driving platform 31, so that the elastic rope above the label paper and the elastic rope below the label paper are stretched and wrapped around the rope clamping part 32, driving the label paper to leave the placement groove 212. At this time, the elastic rope and the placement groove 212 form a certain angle. After the rope clamping part 32 completes the knotting of the elastic rope, the hollow rope threading member 22 moves downward again, and the cutting head 221 will apply pressure to the elastic rope and cut the elastic rope through the cutting surface to achieve the cutting of the elastic rope. In this way, by integrating the cutting function on the cutting head 221 of the hollow rope threading member 22, the structure is simpler and the cost is lower than setting a separate cutting component. In addition, the cutting head 221 on the hollow rope threading member 22 can also be used to punch holes in the label paper. There is no need to set up additional punching components. Punching holes in the label paper before placing it in the placement slot 212 can further reduce costs. The punching step and the rope threading step are combined, which reduces the operating steps and improves the efficiency of rope label connection.
[0035] Specifically, the annular cutting surface is arranged in a wave shape, so that when punching, the contact area between the annular cutting surface and the label paper is smaller and the pressure is greater, thereby making punching easier.
[0036] After the rope clamping part 32 clamps the elastic ropes above and below the label paper at the same time, it rotates relative to the xz driving platform 31, so that the elastic ropes at both ends are stretched and wound around the rope clamping part 32. However, if the elastic rope below the label paper lacks fixation, the elastic rope below cannot be stretched. Only relying on the contraction of the elastic rope above will cause the knotting to be not firm enough and easy to loosen. Therefore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 6 shown, the rope label connecting device 100 further includes a rope clamping assembly 5. The rope clamping assembly 5 is located below the rope threading mechanism 2 and is arranged corresponding to the rope guiding hole 211 for one end of the elastic rope to pass through the label paper and be clamped and fixed by the rope clamping assembly 5. By clamping and fixing the elastic rope below the label paper through the rope clamping assembly 5, the elastic ropes at both ends can be stretched and wound around the rope clamping part 32. When the elastic rope disengages from the rope clamping part 32, it will contract and continue to maintain the mutually wound state to realize the knotting of the elastic rope.
[0037] Since the space in the placement groove 212 is small, it is difficult for the rope clamping part 32 to extend into the placement groove 212 to clamp the elastic ropes above and below the label paper at the same time. Therefore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 4 shown, the rope label connecting device 100 further includes a label clamping mechanism 6. The label clamping mechanism 6 is arranged on one side of the rope threading mechanism 2 facing the knotting mechanism 3. The label clamping mechanism 6 has a second clamping groove for the label paper to extend into and be fixed. The label clamping mechanism 6 is movably arranged in the y direction, and the moving stroke of the label clamping mechanism 6 passes through the placement groove 212 of the rope threading mechanism 2. With such a setting, by first clamping the label paper by the label clamping mechanism 6 and moving it in the y direction, on the one hand, the label paper is fixed to avoid affecting the knotting of the elastic rope, and on the other hand, moving the label paper out of the placement groove 212 will make the elastic ropes above and below the label paper approach each other, facilitating subsequent clamping of the elastic ropes above and below by the rope clamping part 32.
[0038] In order to prevent the elastic rope from disengaging from the rope clamping part 32 during the winding process, in some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the rope clamping part 32 includes two rope clamping members 321 that are hinged to each other. Each rope clamping member 321 has a groove for the elastic ropes above and below the label paper to be wound and placed. The groove is arranged near the hinged end of the rope clamping member 321. With such an arrangement, the free ends of the rope clamping members 321 first approach each other to clamp the elastic ropes above and below the label paper, and then the rope clamping part 32 rotates so that the elastic ropes are wound around the rope clamping members 321 for one turn. Then, the free ends of the rope clamping members 321 move away from each other, so that the elastic ropes move towards the direction close to the hinged ends of the rope clamping members 321 under the action of the contraction force until they enter the grooves, so as to prevent the elastic ropes from detaching from the rope clamping members 321 during the subsequent rotation of the rope clamping part 32.
[0039] The specific structure of the rope feeding device 4 is not limited, as long as it can actively feed the elastic ropes. For example, in some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the rope feeding mechanism includes a rope feeding assembly 41 and a rope feeding shaft 42 for the elastic rope roll to be sleeved and installed. The rope feeding assembly 41 includes two relatively arranged rope feeding rollers 411. A third clamping groove for the elastic rope to pass through is defined between the two rope feeding rollers 411. With such an arrangement, since the elastic rope is clamped by the two rope feeding rollers 411, the two rope feeding rollers 411 rotate to drive the elastic rope to move into the rope guiding hole 211 of the rope threading mechanism 2, completing the rope feeding step.
[0040] Since the elastic rope is provided in a roll, the free end of the elastic rope will bend during rope feeding, resulting in difficulty in entering the rope guiding hole 211. Therefore, in some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the rope feeding mechanism further includes a rope guiding tube 43. One end of the rope guiding tube 43 is arranged corresponding to the third clamping groove, and the other end is connected to the mounting seat 21 of the rope threading mechanism 2 and is arranged corresponding to the rope guiding hole 211. The elastic rope is driven by the rope feeding rollers 411 to move to the rope guiding tube 43 and enters the rope guiding hole 211 through the rope guiding tube 43. With such an arrangement, on the one hand, the efficiency of the elastic rope entering the rope guiding hole 211 can be improved through the guidance of the rope guiding tube 43, and on the other hand, the rope guiding tube 43 can be arranged as a bent tube, so that the rope feeding assembly 41 can be arranged on one side or obliquely above the rope threading mechanism 2, without restricting the rope feeding assembly 41 to be arranged directly above the rope guiding hole 211.
[0041] Since the free end of the elastic rope is bent, it is difficult for the elastic ropes on the elastic rope roll to enter the third clamping groove. Therefore, in some embodiments, as Figure 2As shown, the rope feeding assembly 41 further includes two rope guiding members 412 which are respectively disposed on the rope inlet side and the rope outlet side of the two rope feeding rollers 411, and the rope guiding members 412 are tapered from their rope inlet ends to their rope outlet ends. Since the caliber of the rope inlet end of the rope guiding member 412 is larger than that of the rope outlet end, the bent elastic rope can enter the rope guiding member 412 and then enter the third clamping groove defined by the two rope feeding rollers 411 via the rope guiding member 412. Then, the elastic rope enters the rope guiding hole 211 through the other rope guiding member 412 under the drive of the rope feeding roller 411.
[0042] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, the present invention further provides a label production device 1000, including a label storage device 200, a label conveying device 300 and the rope-label connecting device 100. The label storage device 200 is disposed on the frame 1 and is located on one side of the rope threading mechanism 2 in the x direction. The label conveying device 300 is movably disposed in the x direction, and the moving stroke of the label conveying device 300 passes through the label storage device 200 and the placement groove 212 of the rope threading mechanism 2.
[0043] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A rope tag connecting device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a frame, a rope threading mechanism, a knotting mechanism and a rope feeding mechanism for feeding an elastic rope to the rope threading mechanism, the rope threading mechanism and the knotting mechanism are both arranged on the frame, the rope threading mechanism comprises a mounting seat, the mounting seat is provided with a rope guide hole in the z direction, and the mounting seat is provided with a placement groove for label paper to be inserted and placed, the rope guide hole and the placement groove are both located on the moving stroke of the rope feeding device for conveying the elastic rope, the knotting mechanism comprises an xz driving platform and a rope clamping part which is rotatably arranged on the xz driving platform along an axis extending in the z direction, the rope clamping part is driven by the xz driving platform to move in the x direction and the z direction, and the moving stroke of the rope clamping part passes through the placement groove of the rope threading mechanism, and the rope clamping part has a first clamping groove for the elastic rope located above and below the label paper to be inserted and fixed at the same time.
2. The rope-marking connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rope threading mechanism also includes a hollow rope threading member, which is movably disposed in the rope guide hole, and a moving path of the hollow rope threading member passes through the placement groove.
3. The rope-marking connecting device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom end of the hollow rope threading member is connected with a cutting head, and the cutting head has an annular cutting surface.
4. The rope-marker connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a rope clamping assembly, which is located below the rope threading mechanism and is arranged corresponding to the rope guide hole, so that one end of the elastic rope can pass through the label paper and be clamped and fixed by the rope clamping assembly.
5. The rope-marker connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a label clamping mechanism, which is arranged on the side of the rope threading mechanism facing the knotting mechanism, and has a second clamping groove for the label paper to extend into and fix. The label clamping mechanism is movably arranged in the y direction, and the moving stroke of the label clamping mechanism passes through the placement groove of the rope threading mechanism.
6. The rope-marker connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rope clamping part comprises two rope clamping members hinged to each other, each rope clamping member is provided with a groove for winding and placing the elastic rope above and below the label paper, and the groove is arranged near the hinged end of the rope clamping member.
7. The rope-marker connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rope feeding mechanism includes a rope feeding assembly and a rope feeding shaft on which an elastic rope reel is mounted. The rope feeding assembly includes two rope feeding rollers arranged opposite to each other, and a third clamping groove for the elastic rope to pass through is defined between the two rope feeding rollers.
8. The rope-marker connecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rope feeding mechanism also includes a rope guiding tube, one end of which is arranged corresponding to the third clamping groove, and the other end is connected to the mounting seat of the rope threading mechanism and arranged corresponding to the rope guiding hole.
9. The rope-marker connecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rope feeding assembly also includes two rope guiding members, which are respectively arranged on the rope feeding side and the rope outlet side of the two rope feeding rollers, and the rope guiding members are gradually contracted from the rope feeding end to the rope outlet end.
10. A label production device, characterized in that: It comprises a label storage device, a label conveying device and a rope-label connecting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the label storage device is arranged on the frame and is located on one side of the rope threading mechanism in the x-direction, and the label conveying device is movably arranged in the x-direction, and the moving stroke of the label conveying device passes through the placement slots of the label storage device and the rope threading mechanism.