IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAID MACHINERY
Year: 1884

page_text: NATHANIEL JONES AMIES, Commercial Street Deansgate Manchester Manu-
facturer and Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAID MACHINERY to be as follows:-
In making a Braid Machine work at any angle in and from its present perpen-
dicular position, and so reduce the length of the carriers, that two or more braid
machines can be placed one over the other, occupying the space now occupied by
one; also in making a spindle suitable for any of the angular positions as indicated
.above, and also suitable for any of the present braid machines; also in introducing
a removable tube for the reception of the braid machine spindle, which steadies the
spindle in its work as well as simplifies the work of those tending the machines;
the spindle mentioned above is rendered suitable for the angular positions of the
machines by having a button or an equivalent movable catch fixed at the bottom
of the spindle to secure it firmly to the body of the machine.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
NATHANIEL JONES AMIES Commercial Street Deansgate Manchester Manu-
facturer & Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BRAID MACHINERY and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
viz.:-
"
In constructing & working the said machinery in a form by which two or more
heads or machines will occupy the floor space which one now occupies, by placing
one head-or machine over the other, singly or in tiers, either in the perpendicular
position as now built, or at any angle from that line, on a framework prepared for
them.
"None of the working parts of the body of any of the machines described or
represented in any of the drawings are claimed as novelties in this invention."
2ndly In introducing a removeable tube, in a braid machine,. "having two
flanges" to receive the spindle; to which it gives a steady motion, and to an
unskilled hand gives a positive indication where to replace a spindle, when taken
out to re-thread, caused by breakage of the thread or the emptying of the bobbin
on the said spindle.
3rdly In making a braid machine spindle which will effect a saving in waste,
wear & tear: which, also by reduced friction and regular tension of the thread will
be the means of securing a larger production of work.
4thly In fixing a spring or anything acted on by a spring or elastic band in such
a way on any convenient part of a braid machine spindle, as causes a pressure on
any part of the bobbin on said spindle, so that any required tension may be
obtained on the thread, and thus dispensing with the present dropper & notched
bobbin into which the former drops to arrest the unwinding of the thread on the
latter.
Fig. 1 represents an ordinary braiding or plaiting machine of seventeen spindles o,
of a type which is more generally in use, with revolving carriers a, which are fitted
into the foot plate band bolster plate c, geared together by the spur wheels 6,
which carriers convey the spindles o forward in crossing the threads which form
the braid.
This fig. 1 is only introduced to simplify the intention & object of this
invention, by shewing the space occupied and the present mode of working the
machine.
Fig. 2 represents the body of a machine having the same number of carriers a,
and all other component parts as in fig. 1, with the carriers a reduced in length;
ready to be placed on the frame as shewn in figs 3 & 4, or on one to work at any
angle from the perpendicular, as seen in fig. 6, when at an angle which produces
outward oscillation the carriers a are secured in their position by collars or their own
gearing wheels e being placed up to the bolster plate c, also when the weight 9 1
in the spindle is inoperative, the elastic band I or other spring must be attached
"
1

page_text: to the weight 1, as in figs. 11 & 12, and the bobbin 11, & the spindle fig. 11,
must be held in their respective positions as shewn in figs. 11 & 12.
Fig. 3 represents an end view of a frame, to carry two or more braid or plaiting
machines of seventeen spindles, fixed one over the other, at a sufficient distance
from one another as to allow the spindles o to be taken out & replaced, this fig. 3
shews one of the positions in which they can be worked by my improvements; the
machines placed on this frame dispense with the open space between the bolster
plate c and the step plate b in figs 1 & 2, which for many purposes is desirable
owing to the saving of space; the bottom plate d has hollow or solid studs n, fig 5,
fitted & fixed to it, to receive the hollow carriers bearing the roses or notched
discs m, as shewn in fig. 5, which carries the spindles o forward by the gearing
wheels attached to the hollow carriers and roses m, fig. 5, the setting on rod fis
attached by a fork to a separate wheel g, which is geared to one of the wheels
and when liberated by the falling of the pendular weight in spindle o, " through
the eye of which weight the thread runs" which moves the trigger h from a notch
in the setting on rod f, and stops the machine; the drawing off rollers i receivo
the braid & the large bobbin winds the same by a band connected with the
pulley k 1, the large driving pulley d1 "is driven from the mainshaft by a strap"
to which are geared bevil wheels el, which drive the upright shaft fl, on
which are pullies g 1, to drive one or more heads or machines by a band or other
gearing.
8
Fig. 4 is a front view of a frame & machines as represented in Fig. 3.
8,
Fig 5 & 6 represent front and side views of braid or plaiting machines of nino
spindles, of the type and construction of those described in figs. 3 & 4 with tho
addition of the insertion of the removable flanged tube for the reception of the
spindles o, the side view fig. 6 shews an angular position of working, and if
sufficiently acute as to occasion an outward oscillation of the hollow carriers, with
the roses m attached, revolving on the stud n, a small nut q is fastened on the top
of the stud n, the spindles and bobbins are secured as described and represented in
fig 11 & 12, on the weight becoming inoperative, the spring or elastic band x 1
restores its necessary action-These figs shew the machines as driven by bevil'
wheels e 1, fixed on the upright shaft f1, driven by a strap on drum j1, on a short
upright shaft i 1, connected by two bevil wheels h1 with the pullies d 1, driven
by the mainshaft,
Figs 7 & 8 represent the front and side views of what is called a German or an
American machine, containing sixteen spindles, which cross one another on stationary
discs r, so shaped as to form one siding of a sliding roadway" without the necessary
governors, as generally used in the machines worked in this country" the spindles o
are propelled forward by a raised flange x, as shown in fig. 8, attached to the
gearing wheels 8, fig. 8 acting on a small stud t, on the under part of the spindle
fig. 8, which spindles slide on the discs r, and the outer & inner plates of the
machine, the space between, forms the roadway for the spindles, which have an
upper & lower flange u, fig. 9, with a thin piece of iron between the two
flanges u, which is tapered at each end, the flanges u overlapping and under-
lapping the discs 7 and the plates of the machine, these spindles are placed in and
out of the machine by removing a small part of the outer plate a 1, which is
re-attached to it by a small nut screw, this machine is ready to be fixed on a frame
as shown in fig. 3 or on one at any angle from the same; when placed at a
sufficiently acute angle as to render the weight in-operative, a spring or india rubber
band y is attached to the weight 61, and to a small stud or hook ml fixed on
the lower part of the spindle.
Fig. 9 represents the spindle as worked in the type of machine as described
under the No 7 & 8, with the addition of the spring cl placed in any convenient
part of the spindle or on a small rod 1, which presses against any part of the
bobbin, and produces an even tension of the thread, dispensing with the dropper &
notched bobbin; the stay w is an elastic substance which will give way to the

page_text: "
!
bobbin, when placing on the spindle; and then rogains its position, and prevents
the bobbin from oscillating outwardly from the spindle when working at any angle
from the perpendicular at which the stay w may be needed..
8.
Fig. 10 represents a side view of a spindle in the perpendicular position with
the alterations and additions' which I claim as improvoments and novelties; the
advantages of which are; less breakages of the thread k1; consequent upon the
said thread 1 on bobbin 1 being held at any desired tension by an easily
adjusted spiral or other spring n 1 attached to any convenient part of the spindle,
the thread so held, is threaded through three eyelet holes o1, two of which are
bored through the shell of the tube p 1, in about the centre or otherwise of the
upper part of the said tube p1, a similar hole is also bored in the pendular
weight q 1, which when the spindle is taken out of the machine for re-threading,
the pendular weight is inverted to the top of the tube p1, when the eyelet
holes o 1 of the tube p 1, and of the pendular weight q 1, converge in one, through
which the throad is drawn and from thence, is passed through the throat r 1, and
drawn through the hole at the top of the tube p 1, the spindle is then replaced in
the machine to cross and re-cross with other threads in forming any braided or
plaited fabric; by these means but two threadings are needed, wheras with
droppers and notched bobbins now in use four or five are necessary, with various
strains at each angle forming the threadings; the weight 91 moves only the
length of the slot v 1, when a thread breaks the button u 1 falls to the bottom
of the slot in the tube p 1, (close to the spring n 1) and to that extent is
elongated from the bottom of the spindle tube p 1, to arrest the further motion
of the machine.
Figs 11 & 12 represent a front and side view of spindles prepared to run in a
machine in a horizontal position, or at any angle from that position, where the
weight is in-operative, as such; these figs have all the essentials of fig. 10, but
working, as here indicated, a spring or elastic band 1 is necessary, which is
attached to tho weight by the button ul, and to the spindle by a small hook w 1,
fixed to the metal plate, "through which the tube pl is inserted" by which
means any required amount of tension can be obtained, not only in this position,
but as in fig. 10, a greater tension is sometimes required with a pendular weight
than the tube of the spindle will allow of, which the mode here indicated will
furnish-fig. 11 has the flanged tube Z attached to the spindle, showing the india-
rubber ring 1 fitted into a groove 81, by which, or other mechanical means or
equivalents, the spindle is kept from oscillating outwardly from the flanged tube
when working, a similar expedient to keep the bobbin also from oscillating is shewn
in fig. 12.
Fig 13 represents a removable tube to hold the braid spindle in the braid
machine, having one or more flanges, fixed to it or secured by a screw nut y 1, by
unscrewing which the tube can be removed; but by having a removable piece of
the top & bottom rose plates sufficiently large as to admit of the tubes with fixed
flanges, as a 1, in fig 7, they can be readily abstracted and replaced.
Figs 14 & 15 are two views of a weight as inserted in tube p 1 of the spindles
seen in figª 10, 11 & 12.
÷
'Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is "
1stly In constructing and placing two or more braid or plaiting machines on
the floor space now occupied by one, by being placed one over the other; auch
machines include in their manufacture, the use of any fibre, thread, or material
and for any purposes, such as various braids for trimmings, candlewick, cords,
cordage &c, &c.
Anal T
Amahle tube in braiding machine for the recention of the

page_text: 3rdly In making a braid machine spindle with the slot for the necessary move-
ment of the weight, in the upper part of the spindle tube, in conjunction with a
spring pressing against the bobbin, whereby droppers are dispensed with and plain
bobbins used.
4thly In fixing a spring or any motor on any convenient part of the spindle to
produce a regulated pressure on any part of the bobbin, holding the yarn or thread
from which the plaited fabric is produced.