Modern History of Wire Rope

Traces of wire rope use are found in India, China and Japan over 600 years ago where hand-over-hand propulsion was its first use. This led people in Asian countries to devise easier and faster ways to traverse their mountainous terrain. Baskets were not far behind, allowing transportation of goods, followed by primitive versions of haul ropes.

But, it wasn’t until recent history (the 1600-1700s) that most of the technical breakthroughs in the modern history of wire rope were achieved in Europe. This was followed by a remarkable 40-year period, between 1849-89, when a majority of the basic forms of wire rope still in use today all over the world were devised in the United States.