Improvements in the Manufacture of Plaited Braid and in the Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Plaited Braid and in the
Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
I GEORGE BEOKER of 30 Great Jones Street in the City, County, and State of New
York, in the United States of America, Manufacturer 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 has for its object to provide a machine for the production of a plaited
braid from flat or round strands.
My machine has strand carriers herein shown as needles which are actuated in
succession and after a novel manner.
The braid produced may be of various form in cross section, such as quadrangular,
triangular, or of other many sided forms.
In accordance with my invention, a series of strand carriers, preferably hollow
needles, are attached to holders, preferably removably attached to radially moving
carriages, so that the strands whether flat or round, are, in the reciprocation of the
strand carriers past a common center, made to cross each other, each carrier entering
a loop or stitch in a strand of some other carrier and having its own loop or stitch
entered in turn by another carrier, as will be hereinafter described.
The plaited braid produced by the machine herein to be described is herein
represented as quadrangular in cross section and requires four flat strands for its
production, two of the strands being shown as narrower than the other two, but if
the, machine should contain but three strand carriers, the braid produced might be
triangular, and with more than four strand carriers, the braid may be oblong.
Each strand carrier as herein shown has a spring finger which acts to support the
strand between the point of the strand carrier and the holder, as the point of the strand
carrier passes the center line of the machine or the point occupied by the mandril or
core, the said spring supporting ono side of the strand or braid while another
strand carrier enters the space between the strand carrier and spring to thus enter a
loop or stitch.
A loop or stitch, as 1 may call it, is made in each strand, and each loop or stitch
is entered and locked by a loop of another strand, each loop locking the other as will
be shown and described.
Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of the main parts of a machine embodying my invention,
the support for the mandril or core and the spool supports being also omitted, a part
of the bed and one of the carriages at the right being broken off to save space on the
drawing, the parts so omitted being just the same as the parts shown in full at
the left.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged section in the line looking to the right.
Fig. 3 is a section in the line a¹ Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a detail in section chiefly to show the clamping mechanism for clamping
the strand at certain times in the production of the plait.
Fig. 5 is a detail showing the end of one of the guides or ways.
Fig. 6 is a detail showing one of the fingers or loop holders.
Fig. 7 is a partial section and elevation of the machine in line a Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 is a top or plan view of one of the carriages to which the holders for the
strand carriers are attached.
Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail partially broken out of one of the holders with its strand
carrier omitted.
Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive are details showing the strand carriers in different positions
as they will appear in the manufacture of a plaited braid, and

page_text: mood form of folder adapted for the reception of
strand carriers, and
Fig. 17, represents a modification of my invention, wherein two cores are shown
with two extra needles.
Referring to the drawings, A represents a suitable bed-plate, it being herein shown
as a cruciform.
This bed-plate, as represented best in Fig. 2, has a hub A¹ which constitutes a
bearing for the hub A² of the cam-plate A³, the said cam-plate having a cam-groove A*,
the said groove recoiving a series of like rollers or other studs, as a, of plates a² con-
nected as will be described each to a like slide 6 to be herein described, the rotation of
the said cam-plate causing the reciprocation of the plates and slides in a radial
direction toward and from the center of the machine.
As herein represented, the bed-plate has rising from it certain guide-ways A³, there
being in practice in the present machine four such guide-ways, each alike.
These guide-ways in practice receive like slides b, and hence a full description of
one set of devices made movable in one of the guide-ways will suffice to enable all
the like parts to be understood, and in the further description, I will by like letters
designate like parts except as to the strand carriers, which I shall letter separately to
facilitate the description of their movements.
I will now proceed to describe the devices shown in the guide-way at the left-hand-
side of the drawing in Figs. 1 and 5.
The guide-way A shaped as shown in cross section Fig. 5, receives a slide b,
the latter being kept down therein by means of suitable gibs 6' attached thereto
by suitable screws.
The underside of each slide has, as herein shown, dove-tailed projections, as b², see
Figs. 2 and 3, to receive between them the dove-tailed plate a referred to, the said
plate being clamped at one edge, see Fig. 2, by means of a bolt, as 63, having a dove-
tailed notek, the said screw receiving upon it a nut which takes bearing upon a
cross-rib of the carriage.
The bolt serves to clamp the slide firmly upon the plate a² in any desired
position, so that the slide moves in unison with the plate, the adjustment of the slide
on the plate enabling the slide to terminate its forward or backward throw at any
desired distance from the centre of rotation of the cam plate A³, that depending upon
the kind of plait being laid.
To effect the adjustment of the slide on the plate a³, I have provided the slide
with a screw having a shoulder to bear against a rib, as 7, of the slide, the screw
rotating freely in the said rib without moving longitudinally, the threaded part of the
screw engaging a threaded stud 68 suitably attached to the plate a² so that rotation of
the screw draws the slide forward or backward upon the said plate.
Each carriage bas herein shown, has near its inner end one or more studs or
equivalents which, as herein shown are engaged by one or more springs, as 610,
attached to the carriage C, so that the said carriage may be readily applied to or
removed from the slide b, when desired.
These carriages, as herein shown, consist essentially of a base, as c, having suitable
uprights c', c², c³, and having preferably a stud c which, as herein represented, serves
merely as a rest upon which may be laid and held the needle holder D, the said holder
being retained upon the said carriage by means of a suitable screw, as c, represented
as screwed up through the base and into the holder, as best shown in Figs. 7
and 9.
The holders D are suitably shaped to receive the like strand carriers e, e¹, e², e³,
to be carried by them and to be described.
The holder Ď, in the form in which I have herein represented the same, has a guide
slot, as d, and a notch, as d, the carrier being normally kept pressed down in proper
working position by a spring d² attached at its rear end to the holder, as represented
in Fig. 7.
This holder, which may be of any suitable or desired shape, is represented as

page_text: containing bearings for a rock-shaft d³ carrying a clamping lever d through which
the strand 12 is led from a suitable spool, the lower end of the said clamp, as herein
shown, bearing upon the said braid 12, see Fig. 4. which is led from the said spool
over a leader 18, and then through a suitable hole or eye at the upper end of the
said clamping lever.
From the lower end of the clamping lever d', the strand, either flat braid, or tape,
or, it may be, a cord, passes over a take-up, herein shown as a roll m at the lower
ends of a lever m pivoted at 20 between the uprights c, c³, the strand passing
from the underside of said roll directly through the hollow strand carrier or
needle e.
Each clamping lever has a spring 24 connected to it by a rivet or screw 25,
and the free end of the spring is acted upon by an adjusting scrow 26, the said spring
normally acting to keep the lower ond of the clamping lover on the strand passing
between it and the upright part 27 of the holder.
As herein shown, the hollow strand carriers or needles are alike except as to
size, they being shown of different sizes merely to adapt them to strands of
different width.
Each carrier as herein represented, has a projection, as 22, which enters a notch d*
in a part of the holder D, the said projection and notch constituting sort of a joint to
permit the carrier or needle to rise and fall at its front end, the said carrier or needle
between its ends passing through the suitable slot d, in a flange or upright do, forming
part of the holder D, so that the said carrier or needle may rise and fall therein during
the operation of plaiting, as will be described.
The carriers or needles e, e¹, e², e³, as herein shown, are bent downwardly near their
front ends at a little distance back from their points, and the carriers or needles are
provided with suitable springs, as h, h', h2, h3, the free end of each spring normally
coming in contact with the underside of the carrier or needle with which it co-operates,
thus leaving a space between each carrier and its spring through which another carrier
and the spring may pass when looping the strands together, the strand controlled by
a carrier resting against the spring of that carrier when the carrier is forward.
If desired, the holder D may be made in two pieces 30, 31, as represented in
Figs. 15 and 16, but this is only to enable the top part 31 to be changed for another
top part in which the flange d contains two or more slots for two or more needles,
for if one needle only is needed the holder may as well be made in one piece, as
in Figure 9.
By providing the flange 10 with more than one slot I may employ more than
one needle in a carriage, as in Fig. 16, and when more than one needle is
employed the holder will also be provided with suitable clamping lever for each strand
going to each needle.
The take-up is acted upon by a suitable spring m³, herein shown as attached at
one end to the holder, and merely to facilitate the connection of the said spring with
the part m¹ of the take-up and enable the take-up to be actuated with greater or less
power, I have connected a latch m³ to one end of the spring, the said latch having
several notches, see Fig. 7, and constituting an adjusting device for the said spring
the adjusting device being made to engage the short arm of the take-up-lever, but
desire it to be understood that the end of the said spring may be connected directly
to the take-up-lever, or to any other usual form of adjusting device instead of the
notched. bar.
The bed A at one side has erected upon it, as herein shown, a suitable standard, as F,
provided with a suitable cross arm Faving suitable pins or spindles, as F², for the
reception of suitable spools, as f. containing the strands 12, 13, 14, 15, see Figures 100
to 12, to be used in the plait, the several strands being led one to each one of the
carriers or needles employed in the machine.
One or all of the guide-ways are or may be provided with spring arms g having
cam surfaces g².
I have shown these arms g on but two guide-ways, viz. those where the carriers et
and e are used.

page_text: These arms are secured by screws 34. and are acted upon through the forward
movement of a carriage by a suitable stud or projection, as g² thereon, the stud being
herein shown as attached to one of the uprights es, the inner ends of the said arms
having attached thereto suitable fingers, as g, preferably attached thereto in an
adjustable manner by screws 95, the said fingers being depressed at the proper times
immediately above a strand to keep down the loop or stitch, as it may be called, of
the braid delivered from the end of the carrier or needle immediately below it, as for
instance, the finger g shown in Figures 11 and 12 keeps down the loop from the
carrier or needle e', the said finger preventing the rising of the loop or stitch during
the passage across it of one of the other carriers or needles, as will be described.
The upper end of the hub a' is shown as provided with a post n bent over at its
upper end, which upper end has a suitable collar or head to receive a mandril or
core n¹, the said core being held in adjusted position by a suitable screw n².
The plait to be made is formed around the lower end of the mandril or core and is
fed off from the lower end therefrom, as made.
This mandril or core may be of any desired shape, and any desired number of
mandrils or cores may be used according to the number of carriers or needles
employed with each holder and the particular width or shape of the plaited braid to
be produced.
In the drawings Figure 1, I have shown four needles; each provided with its own
strand, herein supposed to be a flat tape or braid, but 1 have not in said Figure
shown all the devices for actuating all the carriers or needles because they are alike.
In operation, let it be assumed that each strand carrier or needle has been properly
threaded and that the ends of the strands have been connected together and are held
by a suitable weight or other device such as commonly used in knitting or other
machines to put tension upon the said strands while the machine is being started.
Referring to Figures 1 and 10 they are supposed to show the carriers or needles in
the same position.
To facilitate the description of the operation, I have designated the carriers or
needles as e, e¹, e², e³, and the springs as h, h, h³, h³, and the strands going to them
as 12, 13, 14, 15.
Referring to Figures 1 and 10, the strand 13 has a stitch or loop formed about
the carrier or needle e², the carrier or needle has been pushed forward through
between the carrier or needle e² and its spring h² and through a loop of the strand
carried by the carrier or needle e, and the front end of the carrier or needle e³ has
been passed over the strand 12 carried by the carrier or needle e, which at that time
is supposed to be fully retracted, a loop or stitch of the strand 12 being drawn about
the strand 13.
In Figures 1 to 14 the mandril or core n' is shown as occupying a position
between the strands.
The finger co-operates with the strand 13 to keep it down, and is in Figure 10
shown as elevated above the said strand, but in Figure 11. the said finger has been
pushed down upon the said strand.
With the strands in the position Figure 1, the further rotation of the cam A³ will
cause the carriers or needles e, e¹, e², e³, to be moved in the direction of the arrows
thereon until they arrive in the position Figure 11, wherein it will be seen that the
carrier or needle e has moved forward and entered between the spring ³ and the
carrier or needle e and in so doing has entered a loop or stitch of the strand 15;
that the carrier or needle e' has been moved slightly back, while the carrier or
needle e withdraws out from the loop or stitch in the strand 13, the movement of
the carrier or needle el being sufficient to cause it to draw the strand 13 about the
strand 14, as represented in Figure 11, and the finger comes down upon the
strand 13, the said finger holding this said strand down, so that when the carrier or
needle e is again moved forward, its point will cross the strand 13.
A third position of the carriers or needles is shown in Figure 12, wherein it will
be seen that the carrier or needle e has been pushed fully through the loop or stitch
in the strand 15 of the carrier or needle e³; that the carrier or needle has been

page_text: pushed forward through a loop or strand 12 carried by the carrier or needle e, and
in the passage of the carrier or needle e¹ between the carrier or needle é and
the spring h, the point of the said carrier or needle passes over the strand 14.
Continuing this operation, the carriers or needles e and e² and e¹ and e³ are made
to work in pairs, the needles of each pair moving in the same direction in substan-
tially the same time, that needle of the pair which is being retracted being started
first by the cam groove, the other needle of the pair following it and continuing to
Dove slightly after the needle stops.
In this way it results that a series of stitches or loops are formed in the strands,
one loop locking the other and forming a plaited braid substantially such as repre-
sented in Figure 12, wherein it will be seen that the loops are laid at angles to
each other and that the resultant braid is rectangular in cross section.
It will be obvious that the cross sectional shape of the plaited braid may be
made to vary, that is, it may be quadrangular, quadrilateral, or triangular according
to the number and location of the carriers or needles and their angular position
with relation to each other.
Figures 13 and 14 show how the strands are bent backward and forward in
regular layers from end to end of the plaited braid, and in this way the strand is not
twisted, so it becomes possible to plait narrow braids or tapes into a larger plaited
braid without twisting any of the strands.
The carriers or needles in their operation are made to cross each other at an angle
and form their strands into loops to be entered by other strands delivered by other
carriers or needles.
In the manufacture of the plaited braid herein shown, it will be understood that one
loop is formed after another in the direction of the length of the braid and as there
are four carriers, the loops are really laid on superimposed in succession one at each
of the four sides of the braid, the formation of the loops or stitches following loop
after loop about the four sides of the braid.
In the production by machinery of braids other than flat, it is customary to move
the strand carriers around a centre, some carriers moving in one and others in an
opposite direction, the strands taking a spiral direction in the article produced, as in
braiding machines.
In this my invention, the carriers have only a movement of reciprocation in a right
line, and the strand delivered by each carrier appears as if corrugated, or layer after
layer in the same strand appears superimposed one layer over another, the said layers
being connected by cross layers formed of other strands.
Prior to my invention strands of thread, etcetera, carried by needles have been
looped together as in sewing machines, but prior to my invention I am not aware
that three or more strand carriers have ever been provided with strands and made to
cross each other in an angular direction to interloop loops of the said strands together
and produce a plaited braid.
I do not desire to limit my invention to the exact shape shown for the strand
carriers, nor to the exact devices by which to reciprocate the same so as as to cross
each other in angular direction, as the devices for reciprocating the said carriers
might be variously modified without departing from my invention.
By the term series of strand carriers I mean more than two such carriers.
Referring to Figure 17 I have shown a modification wherein I have represented an
extra core or mandril, marked n¹x, an extra needle ex, and an extra needle ex being
added, the said Figure showing the concatination of the braid and suitable needles,
that the braid is wider than it is thick and that the cores or mandrils are bent slightly
toward each other at their lower ends.
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:
In the manufacture of plaited braid
1: An organized machine for the manufacture of plaited braid, it containing three

page_text: or more reciprocating strand carriers arranged at an angle to each other and crossing
each other in their reciprocations, each strand carrier entering a loop made in the
strand carried by another carrier, and in turn having a loop made in its own strand
entered by a loop of a strand carried by another carrier, substantially as described.
2: A series of strand carriers having attached springs, and a series of holders to
which the said carriers are attached, combined with means to reciprocate the said
holders and strand carriers, the latter crossing each other at an angle, substantially as
described.
3-A series of strand carriers having attached springs, and a series of holders to
which the said carriers are attached, combined with a mandril, and means to recipro-
cate the said holders and strand carriers, the latter crossing each other at an angle,
substantially, as described.
4: A series of strand carriers, holders to which they are attached, and strand
clamping devices, and take-up devices, combined with means to reciprocate the said
holders and cause the said strand carriers to cross cach other at an angle to interloop
their strands, substantially as described.
5- A series of strand carriers, a series of holders to which they are attached, a
take-up for the strand carried by each carrier, a series of carriages to which the said
holders are attached, and a series of slides to which the carriages are attached, and
means to reciprocate the said slides, substantially as described.
6-The cam disk A³, and the series of plates actuated thereby, and a series of
slides, combined with adjusting devices substantially as described to adjust the
said slides toward or from the center of the said cam disk.
7: A series of longitudinally reciprocating strand carriers, and a mandril or core,
combined with fingers to keep down the loops of the said strands, substantially as
described.
8 The herein described method of forming plaited braid from three or more
strands, which consists in forming loops in the said strands in succession and locking
the said loops in succession around or at the different sides of the braid by a loop of
another strand, as set forth.
Dated the 29th
CTL 1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.