Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1886;
Complete Left, 7th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 21st Oct., 1887
[Communicated from abroad by FLORENZ L. VEERKAMP, CHARLES F. LEOPOLD, and
WILLIAM DARKER, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Machinists.]
1, LANKY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to rotary braiding machines of that class in which two sets
of bobbins move in contrary directions in concentric annular paths; and consists of
improvements in, and in additions to, the machine described in the Specification of
English Letters Patent dated July 11th 1882 No. 3288.
The present invention comprises improvements in the mechanism employed for direct-
ing the course of the lower threads; improvements in the mechanism whereby a reverse
motion of the machine can be had in the breaking of one or more of the threads or when
otherwise desired and improvement in the stopping mechanism and in the upper
thread bobbins and bobbin carriers all of which improvements are hereinafter
described.
The machine described in the specification before referred to is designed to operate
upon the principle of having stationary upper and lower thread supplying devices
supported and carried in two sets of thread-carrying devices revolving in opposite
directions in concentric annular paths but in different planes, and thus causing the
upper and lower threads so supplied to pass over and under each other alternately,
and be thereby platted to form a braided product which is delivered to a take-up
device at the central top of the machine.
The frame work of the machine consists of the base having in its centre a hollow
cylindrical projection or upright tube, on the outside of which is placed a revolving
sleeve, and through both sleeve and tube extend a tubular shaft. From the base of
the machine arise two uprights with a cross arm to connect them and hold the take-up
device. The machine is driven by a main-shaft having on its inner end a bevel gear

page_text: wheel working into a bevel gear wheel secured to the revolving shaft and the inner
tubular shaft is operated by a bevel gear connecting it with a gear wheel on the
main shaft.
In the construction of the improved machine I dispense with the system of bobbin
carriers whose inner ends rest on a disc at the upper end of the central tubular shaft
and whose outer ends move in a groove in an upper revolving ring secured to the
lower bobbin holders; and I simplify this portion of the mechanism by detaching the
said ring from the lower bobbin holder, so that it will remain stationary and
dispensing with said upper thread bobbins and their bobbin carriers, and substituting
thereon bobbin spools constructed as hereinafter described. I thus decrease the number
of moving parts and the consequent friction arising therefrom.
The threads are plaited as before by carrying the lower threads successively over
and under each of the upper bobbin spools by means of push prongs and stationary
guide arms, but the push prongs are transferred from the grooved ring to the lower
Bobbin holder plate, and the guide arms, while remaining attached to the stationary
annular plate, are made of double form, so that the thread will be guided back-
ward as accurately as forward on reversing the motion of the machine, and so
unravel the braided cord as accurately as it was braided and without tangling it;
which motion is frequently an important desideration on the accidental breaking
of one or more of the upper or lower threads.
The general construction of the actuating mechanism of the complete machine
remains as before, indeed all that portion relating to the lower bobbins, their
tension springs and the means for supplying threads therefrom, remains unchanged.
To restate this construction generally, an annular skeleton plate is secured to the
revolving sleeve and from this plate proceed spokes which support the rods upon
which the lower bobbins are placed. Tension springs for the lower threads are
supplied as before, and their construction and operation remaining the same, need
not be again described herein.
An upper thread carrier bearer constructed in the form of an annular plate is
secured, as before, to the inner tubular shaft and supports a number of carriers
or holders for the upper bobbins which as before are not in themselves movable,
but are carried around the machine by the said revolving carrier bearer actuated
by the tubular shaft. The rim of an intermediate stationary plate supports guide
arms over which the lower threads are drawn and guided by means of push prongs
or thread carrying arms secured to the rim of the revolving skeleton plate carrying
the lower bobbins.
A ring is secured by arms to the frame and is stationary; in lieu of a radial groove
and slots, as before it is no longer so constructed, but may be supplied with a down-
ward annular projection as a guide to the bobbin carrier, instead of using one of the
sides of the groove in the carrier bearer, for a like purpose. This ring otherwise than
as stated, simply holds the bobbin carriers in place on the carrier bearer while the latter
is revolved, and prevents them flying out of place by the centrifugal force thereby
exerted. This downward projection on the ring, is not however, absolutely essential.
The guiding can be performed by annularly grooving the carrier bearer. Said ring
is also provided with one or more strikers, for use in connection with the stopping
mechanism, as hereinafter mentioned. Said stopping mechanism operates for both the
upper and lower threads, upon the accidental breaking of either. Its main features do
not differ in principle from those described in the said former specification and certain
of the parts of the same. A vertically sliding rod rests in a slot in the base of the
machine, and has affixed to it by a set screw a sleeve provided with a cam which cam
when the rod is moved, operates to unhook another rod connected with a lever
which when released is operated by means of a spring to shift the driving belt from
the tight pulley to the loose one. The breaking of a lower thread causes the dropper
of the tension mechanism to strike a bar and throw the machine out of gear; and in
like manner when an upper thread breaks the rod on which the upper bobbin is
supported and around the hook of which the thread from the bobbin passes, flies ou
by centrifugal force and its outer end comes in contact with a striker.

page_text: The bobbin carriers are constructed with triangular edges of skeleton form, in order
that the lower threads may pass freely over and under them with a top covering piece
for a like purpose and with a vertical cross piece recessed to admit of free sliding
motion therein of a rod hooked at its end. The bobbin is an ordinary spool and is
slipped into this hooked rod. The thread from the bobbin is caused to pass around
the hook of this rod on its way to the braiding point; the hook being part of the
stopping mechanism as described. The bobbin carrier is so constructed with
triangular edges in order that the latter may be in the groove of the carrier bearer.
The guide arms are constructed of a wire, bent at an angle from the starting point
on the stationary plate, and then flattened and again bent downwards to the second
point of fastening on the plate. The object of this is to enable the thread to be easily
carried up or down them, especially when the motion of the machine is reversed.
The push prongs are preferably constructed of wires bent in triangular form with the
point downwards, and are secured to the lower bobbin holder plate; they are made of
this form to more easily shed the thread.
On reversing the action of the machine, some lost motion must be taken up; hence
the stationary plate is slotted and a set screw inserted in the slot and reaching into
the said plate.
The operation is as follows: Motion being given to the driving shaft, the lower
bobbin holder, with its bobbins, moves in a circle, and the carrier-bearer with its bobbins,
in a contrary direction. The threads from the lower bobbins are directed by the push
prongs along, over and underneath the carriers alternately and over and under the
threads fed from the bobbins on such carriers, and thus the threads are interlocked
and fed in a braided condition to the take up device.
Dated this 30th day of December 1886.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Braiding Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to rotary braiding machines of that class in which two sets of
bobbins move in contrary directions to each other in concentric annular paths but in
different planes and consists of improvements in, and additions to the machine
described in the Specification of Patent dated July 11th 1882 No. 3288.
The present improvements in said machine consist of novel mechanisms employed
for directing the course of the lower threads, and in a novel combination of the upper
and lower thread supplying and guiding devices, whereby a greater speed of the
machine is obtained, with increased product, less friction produced, and which
construction permits of a reverse motion of the machine when a thread breaks or
when otherwise desired; also in the upper thread supplying devices and the mechanism
for supporting and carrying the same.
In the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference refer to like
parts in the several views ;
Figure 1, is a front elevation of my improved machine ; and
Figure 2 a vertical section thereof;
Figure 3, a top view ;
Figure 4, an enlarged front elevation of a section of the machine, including the
upright bar which contains and supports the stopping device, which is partly in doited
lines; and
Figure 5, is an enlarged side view of a section of the machine showing the upper
thread supplying and carrying devices and lower thread carrying guides, and their
arrangement relatively to the stopping mechanism, which is also shown in this figure.
As stated in the above mentioned former patent, to which reference has been made,
the machine is designed to operate on the principle of having upper and lower thread
supplying devices, not in themselves movable but supported and carried around by
revolving bearers or holders moving in contrary directions to each other in concentric
annular paths but in different planes, the braiding being done by intermediate guides,
one movable and one stationary.
In the present improved machine, the object has been mainly to simplify the moving
parts, and hence in the construction of our improved machine, I dispense with the
end of
system of upper bobbin carriers whose inner ends rested on a disc at the upper
the central tubular shaft B, and whose outer ends moved in a groove in an upper
revolving ring secured to the lower bobbin holder; and I simplify this portion of the
mechanism by detaching the said annular ring from the lower bobbin holder so that it
will remain stationary and perform the single function of guiding and holding the
bobbin carriers on the carrier bearer; and dispensing with upper bobbins and bobbin

page_text: carriers of the form above referred to, I substitute therein ordinary spools of proper
size, as shown in Figure 5, arranged in a carrier constructed as hereinafter described;
thus also decreasing the number of moving parts and the consequent friction arising
therefrom. The threads are platted as before by carrying the lower threads successively
over and under each alternate upper spool, by means of push-prongs or thread carrying
guides and over stationary guides, but the push-prongs are transferred from the
grooved ring to the lower bobbin holder plate so that the device which supplies the
lower braiding threads also carries them and directs their course. The stationary
guide arms while remaining attached to the stationary annular plate as before, are
made of double form, so that the thread will be guided backwards as well as forward
on reversing the motion of the machine, and so unravel the braided cord as accurately
as it was braided, and without tangling it, which motion is frequently an important
desideration in the accidental breaking of one or more of the upper or lower threads.
The upper bobbins and bobbin carriers are entirely different from the corresponding
devices of the former machine. The bobbin used is an ordinary spool of the requisite
size and it is simply slipped onto a sleeve projecting inwardly from the centre of the
outer edge or vertical side of the bobbin carrier, which is constructed of a thin metal
plate tapering to a blunt point at each end, while from the top of said vertical edge
and at right angles therewith and also parallel with said projecting sleeve, extends an
arm or cover pierced with two thread holes; and also projecting inwardly from near
one of the ends of said vertical side in an arm carrying a flap spring to bear against
the thread on the spool, and a hooked rod fits in the sleeve. The carrier bearer is also
grooved annularly near the edge, and cut away slightly at the points where the thread
passes under the carrier, and with abutments or bars in the groove to restrain the
carrier from moving laterally. As the bobbin is raised up somewhat above the base
of the carrier bearer, by being supported on the sleeve, the carrier bearer is provided
with an annular raised portion to support the inner edge of the bobbin itself sufficiently
so only to keep it and its carrier in a true horizontal position. The stopping
mechanism remains precisely as before. The arms of the bobbin carriers which were
set loose by breaking of a thread, are supplied in this machine by the hooked rod
which passes through the sleeve of the bobbin carrier, and which acts in the same
manner. In order to take up lost motion produced by a reverse motion of the
machine, on breaking of a thread, the stationary rim which holds the guide arms is
made in two parts, or rather it rests on or against the projecting arms of an inner rim;
and opposite one or more of these projecting arms the outer rim is laterally slotted,
and a set screw in such slot enables the outer rim to be moved the length of the slot and
tightened again at any point therein. The complex tension springs N of the old
machine are found to be unnecessary in this construction and are dispensed with in
connection with these improvements; a single tension wire in addition to that bearing
against the spool being found sufficient for most purposes.
Thus it will be seen that the lower bobbin holder or skeleton plate being revolved in
one direction carries around not only the lower thread supplying devices, but also
carries the push prongs which guide these threads over the stationary guide arms,
bringing them at proper intervals, due to the relative location of the parts, over and
under the upper thread supplying devices in proper succession; the carrier bearer
which carries said upper thread supplying devices being revolved at the same time but
in an opposite direction, by means of the driving mechanism, which, however, remains
the same for all the moving parts as in the former machine.
In order to enable others skilled in the art to construct and use the machine, I will
proceed to describe more particularly all these parts and the new arrangement and
combination of them, which differ in construction, combination and arrangement from
the corresponding parts described in said former patent.
The frame work of the machine consists of a base A, having in its centre a hollow
cylindrical upright projection or tube a, on the outside of which is placed a revolving
sleeve b, and through both sleeve and tube extends an upright tubular shaft B. From
the base of the machine arise two uprights F, with a cross arm G to support the take
up device It and afford a bearing to the shaft which operates the same; and from the

page_text: arm G project two or more arms 6 which support the annular ring L, an upright
shaft gears with the main shaft to drive the take up device. The machine is driven
by a main shaft 2 having on its inner end a bevel gear wheel 3, working into a bevel
gear wheel 4, secured to the revolving shaft b, and the inner tubular shaft B is
operated by a bevel gear 5, connecting with the gear 3 on the main shaft.
As in the former machine referred to, the lower thread supplying devices consist of
an annular skeleton plate T, secured to and driven by the revolving sleeve b; while
the spokes of this plate have downwardly projecting rods upon which the lower
bobbins are placed a movable supporting pin being inserted in the end of the rod
after the bobbin is put in place thereon. Tension springs pressing against the
bobbins prevent them from delivering the thread too freely as the bobbins are carried
around.
The additional complicated tension mechanism for the lower threads, described in
the said former patent, is dispensed with as unnecessary in the new combination of the
parts, and in lieu thereof, the thread passes directly from the bobbin to a single wire n
looped at its end, thence under the dropper P, which remains as before (but is
exclusively a part of the stopping mechanism and not a tension device, in this
construction,) thence upward and through a loop 13 on the inside of the upright
bar d which carries the push prong or moving guide D (which latter carries it over
the stationary guide arms M) thence to the braiding point. On the top of the outer
edge of this plate T arise uprights d, curved inwardly at the top and supporting
downwardly projecting push prongs or thread carrying guides D; these are bent
wires preferably, made in the form of a triangle with the point downwards, as shown
in Figures 1 and 4, as this form more easily sheds the threads when moved in either
direction. The said skeleton plate or lower bobbin holder T, the intermediate
stationary plate a' which supports the guide arms M, the carrier bearer E and the
upper ring L, are arranged relatively to each other in the order named, one above the
other, while the circumference of each is so proportioned that the lowest is the largest
and so on, gradually decreasing in circumference relatively; and so the parts permit
the passage of the lower threads and do not interfere with each other in that respect
while in motion. The stationary plate a¹ remains as before, except that it is made in
skeleton form, consisting of a central hub with spokes or arms reaching into a slot s
on the inside of the outer rim, the latter being slotted laterally at one or more points
opposite the ends of said projecting arms or spokes, and secured thereto by a set
screw passing through the slot, the purpose of this construction being to adjust the
rim on the spokes or arms of the central hub or plate, laterally, to take up lost motion
on a reversed motion of the machine. The inner hub or plate of said rim a is
secured as before, to the hollow upright tube or projection a of the frame work of the
machine.
To the rim of the said stationary plate a¹ are permanently secured the guide arms M,
which are constructed of a wire bent at an upward angle from the starting point on
the plate a', thence flattened and again bent downwards to the second point of
fastening on the said plate, as shown in Figure 1, and this form affords an easy
passage for the threads in either direction, when carried over them by the moving
push prongs.
The carrier bearer E is secured as before, to the revolving tubular shaft B and
consists of an annular plate, with an annular groove on its upper surface'near the outer
edge, in which groove 17, the upright side or edge C of the bobbin carriers rest, to
sustain them in position, also abutments or bars 18, to keep the said bobbin carriers a
proper distance from each other and in proper position relatively to the other parts;
said groove may be dispensed with however, and a rim used in place thereof
consisting of the outer side or edge of the groove 17, the place of the other side or
edge of said groove being supplied in that event by a downward annular projection a
on the ring Land supporting thereby the other side of the outer vertical edge C of
the bobbin carrier (see Figure 2). It is also preferable to round the extreme
edges or corners of the groove 17, between the abutments 18, so that the lower
threads, brought to that point by the push prongs may slide more easily and surely

page_text: beneath the bobbin carriers. As the bobbins are supported in their carriers
horizontally, and would thus be elevated above the upper flat surface or base of the
carrier bearer when in position on the sleeve of the bobbin carrier, the said carrier
bearer is provided with an annular raised portion 12 to support the inner edge of the
bobbin itself sufficiently so only to keep it and its carrier in a true horizontal
position.
In lieu of the upper revolving grooved ring L formerly used, the said ring in this
machine is detached from the other parts and made stationary. It is supported from
the cross bar G by arms 6, and serves simply to keep the bobbin carriers in position
in the carrier bearer. It is a plain flat ring without grooves, unless and only when
provided with an inward annular projection a² to take the place of one side of the
groove 17, as above mentioned; but it is provided with arms 1, supporting an inner
ring S which latter are thus located immediately over the top of the bobbin carriers
and keep them from flying upwards and out of position, however, the ring L, may
itself be made wide enough for this purpose.
The bobbin carriers are radically different in construction from that of the aforesaid
former machine. They are constructed as shown in detail in Figure 5 (which is a
side view) also as seen in Figure 4 (which is an outside end view) and are also seen
in top view in Figure 3. The essential features thereof consist of a thin metal plate
which forms the outside edge C, with blunt triangular ends (see Figure 4) and this
part fits loosely in the groove 17 of the carrier bearer. The centre of this vertical
edge or side is pierced with a small hole in which is fitted a hollow necked sleeve 11
projecting inwardly, with a pin about half way of its length, which pin plays in a
slot in the rod which thus allows the latter longitudinal play in the said sleeve.
This rod is hooked or looped at its inner end, and on the said sleeve the upper
bobbin is slipped and revolved.
The bobbin used is an ordinary spool of the requisite size. From the vertical outside
edge C of the bobbin carrier and at the top part thereof extends inwardly an arm or
cover pierced with two thread holes, or one and a groove (see Figure 3), this arm w
being above and parallel with the sleeve 11, so that the bobbins W being slipped into
the sleeve the said arm covers the bobbin and holds it in place; while the thread from
the bobbin is passed up through the first hole in the arm along the groove therein,
down through the next hole, and finally around the hook of the rod d' and thence to
the braiding point. Said bobbin carrier is also provided with an arin or pin 19
projecting inwardly from the inner side of the said outside upright edge, which pin
or arm carries a flap spring 20, to bear against the thread in the bobbin spool
preventing it delivering too freely, (see Figures 2 and 4).
The stopping mechanism remains precisely the same as in the said former machine,
and reference being made thereto, the said stopping mechanism need not be again
described herein. The said stopping mechanism is brought into action by a release of
the droppers P on the breaking of a lower thread, and by the rod d¹ being set loose
and flying out by centrifugal force, on the breaking of an upper thread; and said
droppers P and rods d coming in contact with the upright rod K or projections
thereon; said projection as respects the upper thread being in the form of a striker 8
which is merely a piece of metal of the requisite length pivoted to the side of the
stationary ring and swings loosely on the pivot (see Figures 4 and 5) and by such
contact is lifted to strike the outer arm of the rod K and elevate the latter, resulting
in throwing the machine out of gear as previously described and set forth in said
former patent.
'
The operation of the machine is as follows: the lower thread supplying bobbins
having been placed in position the thread therefrom is brought up to the braiding
point as described; while the upper thread supplying bobbins are placed in position
and the thread therefrom directed also to the braiding point as described. The machine
being then set in motion the upper and lower thread supplying devices are revolved
in contrary directions from each other, which causes the lower threads to be propelled
by the moving push prongs of the lower bobbin holder over the stationary guide
arms, the effect of which is to bring each alternate lower thread over and under each

page_text: alternate upper thread by its passing beneath the bobbin carrier which supplies the
latter, and the result is a corded braid to be taken up from the central braiding point
by the take up device shown in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
First. The combination in a rotary braiding machine, of a revolving carrier bearer
with a set of bobbin carriers, supplying upper braiding threads; devices for supporting
a set of lower bobbins and for directing the course of the threads delivered there-
from intermediate stationary guides for said lower threads and mechanism for
supporting the same; and mechanism for revolving said carrier bearer and lower
bobbin holder in contrary directions from each other in concentric annular paths but
in different planes; whereby the thread from the upper and lower bobbins are platted
to form cord braid, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination with intermediate stationary guide arms M constructed
and arranged substantially as described, and means for supporting the same, of a
revolving carrier bearer and set of bobbin carriers for supplying a set of upper
braiding threads; lower-thread supplying devices provided with guides or push
prongs D for directing the course of the threads delivered therefrom; and mechanism
for revolving said upper and lower thread supplying devices in contrary directions from
each other, in concentric annular paths but in different planes, whereby said lower
threads are guided by the devices which supply the same, and by said stationary
guide arms, over and under each alternate upper braiding thread, substantially as
set forth.
Third. The combination in a rotary braiding machine with a revolving carrier
bearer and a set of bobbin carriers mounted thereon and supplying upper braiding
threads, of a stationary guiding ring L located above said carriers; devices for
supplying a set of lower braiding threads and with mechanism for guiding and
directing the same over and under each alternate upper thread, with mechanism for
supporting and revolving said carrier bearer and lower-thread supplying devices,
substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a rotary braiding machine with a revolving carrier
bearer E constructed as described for supporting and carrying a set of bobbin carriers,
supplying a set of braiding threads, of said bobbin carriers, and with mechanism for
supporting and revolving said carrier bearer, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The bobbin carriers C provided with a vertical edge having triangular ends,
cross arm or cover a bobbin-sleeve 11 and a tension spring, in combination with a
bobbin spool, substantially as described.
Sixth. The adjustable rim plate a' carrying stationary guide arms M. constructed
substantially as described with one or more slots S in the perephery thereof and a set
screw, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Datad the Gil lav of Mov 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.