IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING AND WEAVING MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle' Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the
City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING AND WEAVING MACHINES."-A communication
from abroad by Florence Lucas Veerkamp and Charles Francis Leopold,
both of Philadelphia; Pennsylvania, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd April 1866.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County
of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING AND WEAVING MACHINES," (a commu-"
nication to me from abroad by Florence Lucas Veerkamp and Charles Francis
Leopold, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America,)
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain mechanism fully described hereafter
whereby, threads carried by two sets of shuttles or bobbins may be plaited or
woven together so as to form a braid or hose to cover a central cord or wire.
The base plate of the machine carries at or near its centre a hollow

page_text: cylindrical projection, and on the upper end of the latter rests the lower end
of a sleeve or tubular boss.. Through both the sleeve and the hollow pro-
jection extends a tubular shaft, at the upper end of which are secured four
arms, and at the lower end of the shaft is a bevil wheel, into which gears a
similar wheel on the end of a horizontal driving shaft, the latter turning in
suitable bearings on the base of the machine. At the lower end of the
sleeve is a bevil wheel which gears into the driving wheel, and to the upper
end of the sleeve is secured a circular plate, in the face of which is an annular
groove. To the under side of the circular plate are secured the inner ends of
four guide bars, each of which projects through a recess in the said plate and
beyond the edge of the latter, and in each bar is a slot for a purpose described
hereafter. Into the annular groove above mentioned fit projections on the
under sides of four shuttles, each of which carries a Lobbin and is pointed at
one end, and to each shuttle at one side of the bobbin is secured a tension
device of any well-known and suitable construction. To the opposite ends of
each shuttle are secured the opposite ends of a curved rod, which is bent over
the upper end of the bobbin for a purpose described hereafter. On a pin pro-
jecting from each shuttle near the rear end of the same turns a horizontal
roller, against the edge of which bears a similar roller turning at the outer end
of one of the four arms above named, and to the under side of the latter roller
is secured a spur pinion which gears into a similar pinion, the latter gearing
into a cog wheel formed on the upper end of the sleeve or tubular boss.
Secured to the under side of the circular plate, and projecting beyond the
edge of the same, are four hangers, to each of which is secured a plate, and to
each plate is connected a tension device of any well-known and suitable con-
struction and a vertical rod, and on the latter turns a spool or bobbin. To
the upper ends of standards attached to the base is secured a stationary cam
plate, the said plate being parallel to and a short distance below the circular
plate, and the said cam plate having four curved projections. A thick
cord or wire, which is to be covered with braid, is carried from a bobbin
situated below the machine through the hollow shaft, and is secured at the
upper end to a spool caused to turn by means of any suitable mechanism so
as to take up the cord or wire as it is covered with braid. A thread from
each of the first-named bobbins is then passed through the adjacent tension,
device, and is secured at the end to the cord or wire, while a thread from
each of the second-named bobbins is passed through the adjacent tension
device, across the edges of the cam plate, through the slot in one of the guide
bars into the recess in the circular plate or disc, and is also secured at the
end to the cord or wire.

page_text: The operation of the machine is as follows:-The sleeve and hollow shaft
will be caused to revolve in opposite directions, the circular plate and its
bobbins being carried round in one direction, while the arms with their bobbins
are carried round in the opposite direction. As the peripheries of the rollers
carried by the arms are brought against those of the rollers on the shuttles,
the latter will be pushed forward in the groove in a direction contrary to
that in which the circular plate turns, hence the threads will traverse in
contact with the edge of the cam plate, and the curved projections on this
plate will push the threads outwards, while the springs (one of which forms
a part of each tension device before named) tend to draw the said threads
inwards, the threads being thus moved back and forth in the slots of the bars
and in the recesses of the plates. As the shuttles and bars are brought
towards each other each shuttle will pass over one of the cam threads, and
will carry over the latter one of the shuttle threads. As the shuttle leaves
the cam thread the latter will pass between the rollers, and these rollers
revolving at such a speed that the thread is carried outwards without being in
the slightest degree detained or injured from friction between the surfaces.
As each shuttle passes from contact with the cam thread and towards the
next bar, the latter will also be carried towards the shuttle and towards one
of the projecting portions of the cam plate; as each bar is brought over the
projecting portion of the cam plate the cam thread will be carried outwards
beyond the edge of the circular plate or disc; as the shuttle continues its for-
ward motion it passes below and carries the shuttle thread beneath the can
thread, which slides readily over the curved rod, and is thus prevented from
being caught by the bobbin. As the operation of the machine is continued
the threads will be carried round the inner cord or wire, the cam threads
being passed over the shuttle thread and then under the next, so that the
threads are plaited round the central cord in the same manner as in cording
and braiding machines of the usual construction.
O SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
October 1866."
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Iun, in the County of Middlesex,
5 and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the:
said George Davies, Her special licence that I, the said George Davies, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Davies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING AND
WEAVING MACHINES," (a communication to me from abroad by Florence Lucas:
Veerkamp and Charles Francis Leopold, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
in the United States of America,) upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George Davies, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said George Davies, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say :-
This Invention consists of certain mechanism fully described hereafter
whereby threads carried by two sets of shuttles or bobbins may be plaited or
woven together so as to form a braid or hose to cover a central cord or wire.
The base plate of the machine carries at or near its centre a hollow cylindrical
projection, and on the upper end of the latter rests the lower end of a sleeve
or tubular boss. Through both the sleeve and the hollow projection extends
a tubular shaft, at the upper end of which are secured four arms, and at the
lower end of the shaft is a bevil wheel, into which gears a similar wheel on
the end of a horizontal driving shaft, the latter turning in suitable bearings
on the base of the machine. At the lower end of the sleève is a bevil wheel
which gears into the driving wheel, and to the upper end of the sleeve is
secured a circular plate, in the face of which is an annular groove. To the
under side of the circular plate are secured the inner ends of four guide bars,
each of which projects through a recess in the said plate and beyond the edge

page_text: of the latter, and in each bar is a slot for a purpose described hereafter. Into
the annular groove above mentioned fit projections on the under sides of four
shuttles, each of which carries a bobbin and is pointed at one end, and to each
shuttle at one side of the bobbin is secured a tension device of suitable con-
struction. To the opposite ends of each shuttle are secured the opposite ends
of a curved rod, which is bent over the upper end of the bobbin for a purpose
described hereafter. On a pin projecting from each shuttle near the rear end
of the same turns a horizontal roller, against the edge of which bears a
similar. roller turning at the outer end of one of the four arms above named,
and to the under side of the latter roller is secured a spur pinion which gears
into a similar pinion, the latter gearing into a cog wheel formed on the upper
end of the sleeve or tubular boss. Secured to the under side of the circular
plate, and projecting beyond the edge of the same, are four hangers, to each
of which is secured a plate, and to each plate is connected a tension device and
a vertical rod, and on the latter turns a spool or bobbin. To the upper ends
of standards attached to the base is secured a stationary cam plate, the said
plate being parallel to and a short distance below the circular plate, and the
said cam plate having four curved projections. A thick cord or wire, which is
to be covered with braid, is carried from a bobbin situated below the machine
through the hollow shaft, and is secured at the upper end to a spool caused to
turn by means of any suitable mechanism so as to take up the cord or wire
as it is covered with braid. A thread froin each of the first-named bobbins
is then passed through the adjacent tension device, and is secured at the end
to the cord or wire, while a thread from each of the second-named bobbins is
passed through the adjacent tension device, across the edges of the cam plate,
through the slot in one of the guide bars into the recess in the circular plate
or disc, and is also secured at the end to the cord or wire.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The sleeve and hollow shaft
will be caused to revolve in opposite directions, the circular plate and its
bobbins being carried round in one direction, while the arms with their bobbins
are carried round in the opposite direction. As the peripheries of the rollers
carried by the arms are brought against those of the rollers on the shuttles,
the latter will be pushed forward in the groove in a direction contrary to that
in which the circular plate turns, hence the threads will traverse in contact
with the edge of the cam plate, and the curved projections on this plate will
push the threads outwards, while the springs (one of which forms a part of
each tension device) tend to draw the said threads inwards, the threads
being thus moved back and forth in the slots of the bars and in the recesses of
the plates. As the shuttles and bars are brought towards each other each

page_text: shuttle will pass over one of the cam threads and will carry over the latter one
of the shuttle threads. As the shuttle leaves the cam thread the latter will
pass between the rollers, which revolve at such a speed that the thread is
carried outwards without being in the slightest degree detained or injured
from friction between the surfaces. As each shuttle passes from contact with
the cam thread and towards the next bar the latter will also be carried towards
the shuttle and towards one of the projecting portions of the cam plate; as
each bar is brought over the projecting portion of the cam plate the cam
thread will be carried outwards beyond the edge of the circular plate or disc;
as the shuttle continues its forward motion it passes below and carries the
shuttle thread beneath the cam thread which slides readily over the curved
rod, and is thus prevented from being caught by the bobbin. As the opera-
tion of the machine is continued the threads will be carried round the inner
cord or wire, the cam threads being passed over the shuttle thread and then
under the next, so that the threads are plaited round the central cord in the
same manner as in cording and braiding machines of the usual construction.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Improvements
in Braiding and Weaving Machines," I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the braiding and weaving machine ;
Figure 2 is a plan view; and Figure 3, a detached plan view of part of the
machine.
A is the base of the machine, in the centre of which is a hollow cylindrical
projection a, and on the upper end of the latter rests the lower end of a sleeve
B. Through both the sleeve B and the hollow projection a extends a tubular
shaft C, at the upper end of which are secured four arms b, b, b, b, and at the
lower end of the shaft is a bevil wheel c, into which gears a similar wheel D
on the end of a horizontal driving shaft E, the latter turning in suitable
bearings on the base of the machine. At the lower end of the sleeve B is a
bevil wheel d, which gears into the driving wheel D, and to the upper end of
the sleeve is secured a circular plate F, in the face of which is an annular
groove x.
To the under side of the plate F are secured the inner ends of
four guide bars G, G, G, G, each of which projects through a recess y in the
said plate and beyond the edge of the latter; and in each bar is a slot u for a
purpose described hereafter. Into the groove a fit projections on the under

page_text: sides of four shuttles H, H, H, H, each of which carries a bobbin I, and is
pointed at one end, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 in the Drawing, and to each
shuttle at one side of the bobbin is secured a tension device J. To the
opposite ends of each shuttle are secured the opposite ends of a curved rod K,
which is bent over the upper end of the bobbin I for a purpose described
hereafter. On a pin projecting from each shuttle near the rear end of the
same turns a horizontal roller e, against the edge of which bears a similar
roller f, turning at the outer end of one of the arms b, and to the under side
of the latter roller is secured a pinion g, which gears into a similar pinion g¹,
the latter gearing into a cog wheel h, formed on the upper end of the sleeve B.
Secured to the under side of the plate F, and projecting beyond the edge of
the same, are four hangers L, to each of which is secured a plate j, and to
each plate is connected a tension device N and a rod K, and on the latter
turns a spool M. To the upper ends of standards O, O', attached to the
base A, is secured a stationary cam plate P of the form shown in Figure 2,
the said plate being parallel to and a short distance below the plate F, and the
plate having four curved projections , as illustrated in the Drawing. A
thick cord or wire Z, which is to be covered with braid, is carried from a
bobbin situated below the machine through the hollow shaft C, and is secured
at the upper end to a spool caused to turn by means of any suitable mechanism,
so as to take up the cord or wire as it is covered with braid.
A thread s
from each of the bobbins I is then passed through the adjacent tension
device J, as shown in Figure 1, and is secured at the end to the cord or
wire Z, while a thread t from each of the bobbins M is passed through the
adjacent tension device N, through the eye in the spring 5, across the edges
of the cam plate P, through the slot u in one of the guide bars G into the
recess y in the disc F, and is also secured at the end to the cord or wire Z.
The parts of the machine being now in the position shown in Figures 1
and 2, a revolving motion in the direction of its arrow is imparted to the
driving shaft E, when the operation of the machine will be as follows:-The
sleeve B and hollow shaft C will be caused to revolve in opposite directions,
the plate F and its bobbins M being carried round in the direction of the
arrow 2 (Figure 2), while the arms 6 are carried round in the opposite
direction. As the peripheries of the rollers f carried by the arms 6 are
brought against those of the rollers e on the shuttles H, the latter will be
pushed forward in the groove x in a direction contrary to that in which
the plate F turns, hence the threads will traverse in contact with
with the edge of the cam plate P, and the curved projection u on this
plate will push the threads outwards, while the springs 5, one of which forms

page_text: a part of each tension device, tend to draw the said threads inwards, the
threads being thus moved back and forth in the slots u of the bars G and in
the recesses y of the plates F. As the shuttles H and bars G are brought
towards each other each shuttle will pass over one of the threads t, and will
carry over the latter one of the threads s. As the shuttle leaves the thread t
the latter will pass between the rollers e and f, these rollers revolving at such
n speed that the thread is carried outwards without being in the slightest
degree detained or injured from friction between the surfaces. As each
shuttle passes from contact with the thread and towards the next bar G, the
latter will also be carried towards the shuttle and towards one of the
projecting portions u of the cam plate P. As each bar G is brought over
the projecting portion u of the cam plate the thread t will be carried outwards
beyond the edge of the disc F'to the position shown in Figure 3, and in dotted
lines in Figure 1. As the shuttle continues its forward motion it passes
below and carries the thread s beneath the thread t, which slides readily over
the curved rod K, and is thus prevented from being caught by the bobbin.
As the operation of the machine is continued the threads s and t will be
carried round the inner cord or wire Z, the threads t being passed over one
threads, and then under the next, so that the threads are plaited round the
central cord in the same manner as in cording and braiding machines of the
usual construction. In the ordinary braiding machine two sets of shuttles
moving in opposite directions are used; these shuttles slide in two scroll
grooves, which cross each other in such a manner that a shuttle moving in
one direction passes first outside one shuttle and then inside the next, moving
in the opposite direction, the threads being thus carried round and plaited
over the central cord or wire. In consequence of the irregular form of the
grooves in which the shuttles slide the friction is excessive, and it is
impossible to drive the machines at a great speed. By carrying each set of
bobbins or shuttles round in a circle, and by causing the threads of the outer
bobbins to pass first to one side and then to the other of the inner shuttles, as
in the machine above described, all excessive friction is avoided, and the
machine may be operated with such rapidity that it will produce twice as
much braid as one of the same dimensions made in the ordinary manner. As
this machine is much simpler in its construction than the ordinary machines
it is also much cheaper, less liable to get out of order, and more readily
repaired. It will be apparent that the number of bobbins and shuttles may
be increased or diminished, and that the construction and arrangement of the
parts may be varied without departing from the main features of the Invention,
und that the central cord or. wire Z may be dispensed with when an ordinary

page_text: braid is to be formed. Although it is preferable to use the plate P, the
threads t may, if desirable, be caused to move in and out by means of levers
or other suitable devices. The threads may be woven together, if desired, by
retaining the plate F stationary, carrying the shuttles in one direction, and
imparting a rotary motion in the opposite direction to the plate P or its
equivalent, or by retaining the shuttle stationary, and causing the plates F
and P to rotate.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
Improvements in Braiding and Weaving Machines," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention
(communicated to me by the above-named Florence Lucas Veerkamp and
Charles Francis Leopold),-
Firstly, the plate F with its groove x, recesses y, bobbins M, and tension
devices N, in combination with the shuttles II and cam plate P or equivalent
device for controlling the threads t, the whole being constructed and operating
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Secondly, the combination with the above of the revolving arms 6 and
rollers e and f, to which a rotary motion is imparted, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE DAVIES.
(L.B.)