In 1917, Nathan E. Sherwood was granted a patent for this mechanism, which was manufactured by the NES Manufacturing Co. located in Detroit, Michigan. It was used for twisting flexible strands into cords; in other words, a rope-making machine. It uses four external gear-driven hooks and one center hook turned from the main gear. The main gear has 30 teeth, while the four external gears each have 10. The rope winder became known as the NES Wizard.

"You can make many needed things that you cannot buy — and you can make rope for a fraction of what you would pay for rope and you get a rope that will outwear several of the factory made kind."
-Excerpt from a 1913 handbook by N. E. Sherwood