Improvements in Braiding Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Braiding Machines.
I, ADOLF BOTTENBERG, of Schwarzbachstrasse No. 126, Barmen, Rhenish
Prussia, Germany, 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 relates to a new braiding machine, and it has for its object to
be able to make laces of any design and to use a greater number of movable
bobbins within a certain limited space of the machine than has been possible
with the braiding machines of the old and known construction. In the machines
hitherto in use the threads representing the warpthreads are wound on fixed
bobbins and those forming the weft threads are wound on movable bobbins,
whereas in my new machine the case is reversed. I use movable bobbins for
carrying the warp threads and stationary ones, from which the weft threads are
drawn off, and the movable bobbins I direct by means of a sort of a Jacquard
mechanism also of partly new character and specially adapted and constructed
for this new braiding machine. The movable or warp bobbins thereby are
raised and lowered, whereas the weft tobbins remain in the places, only the
threads, coming from them, are moved to and fro by means of suitable thread
guides, which cause these weft threads to pass below or above across the warp
threads, according to the position given to the warp bobbins, which depends
upon the design or the figure, which is intended to be produced.
In order however, to create a fabric fit for use, the great number of threads,
which are united at one point, requires that, as soon as two threads have been
meshed or bound together, at the very moment of their intermeshing are held
and supported in this position and so long, until by a following binding the
meshing is secured and can not be undone again. This requires a new beater,
the needles of which work in such a manner that the needles, supporting two
intermeshed threads, will not be withdrawn before the needles having to sup-
port the meshing or binding following in the same place are fully in their
position and that the withdrawing needles do not hinder the other ones to
assume that position.
On the accompanying drawings my new machine is shown in various views.
Figure gives a general view of the machine in plan in skeleton form;
Figure 2 is a vertical section along line II of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows the device for raising and lowering the warp thread bobbins
in side view;
Figure 4 shows the same in plan;
Figure 5 shows the mechanism for shifting the weft thread guides to and fro;

page_text: Figure shows the wires govering said guides in view at right angle to
Fig. 4;
Figure 7 shows the arrangement for giving certain weft threads a longer
stroke or path, reaching across more than two warp threads;
Figure 8 is a side view of Figure 6;
Figure 9 is part of an enlarged view of a guide plate for the weft thread guides
and showing a modified arrangement of slits for the thread guides;
Figure 10 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, with the warp bobbin in
raised position and showing the weft thread to pass below this raised warp
thread;
Figure 11 is a vertical section of the beater showing the lower set of needles
in a raised position;
Figure 12 is a similar view showing the lower set of needles in its depressed
position and the needles of the upper set in the raised position;
Figure 13 is a plan view of the beater.
The bobbins 1 carrying the warp threads wa move up and down upon two
pins 2 and 3, which are suitably arranged in a slightly oblique position upon
standards 4 and 5, fixed on a plate or table O, so that the thread going from the
bobbin to the braiding iron or braiding point runs out as near as possible at
right angle from the bobbin. The free ends of the pins 2 and 3 are so much
apart from each other that the weft threads we can pass between them con-
veniently, when the warp bobbins are in their lower position, as well as in their
raised position.
table U.
The standards 4, 5 are arranged in a circle and so close together as is prac-
tically admissible, in order to get them in the smallest space possible upon the
In the example shown there are 48, three of which however are only
shown in their outlines the other ones being merely indicated by single lines,
in order not to overcrowd the figure.
It is advisable to make one set of the standards 4 or 5, by preference the
outer one, of two parts connected by a knuckle joint, so as to be able to put on
and take off the bobbins conveniently. These two parts may be held together,
to form rigid structure, by a pin or any other suitable contrivance.
The woving up and down of the warp bobbins is performed by means of the
Jacquard A in Figure 1 in the following manner:
Each bobbin 1 rests with its lower end upon a hub 6, which can also be moved
up and down upon the pins 2 and and the downward motion of which reaches
just far enough so as to bring the top end of the bobbin and the upper end of
the pin 2 in a level, leaving free the space between the ends of both pins 2 and 3.
The hub 6 is jointed to a connecting rod 7, the lower end of which is connected
to the long arm. 8 of a bell crank lever having its fulcrum 8" on the outer
standard 5. The outer arm 9 of this bellerank lever, looking downwards, leans
against a lever 10" on a pin 10 and a second lever 10b on pin 10 is actuated by a
pulling rod 11 of the Jacquard device (Figure 2) in such manner, that when the
respective wire 18 is raised by means of a bellcrank lever 11", inserted between
the rod 11 and the wire 18, the arm 9 of the bellcrank lever is pushed towards
the left by the lever 10" (Figure 2) and the arm 8 is raised and thus the hub 6 is
pushed up on to the upper pin 3, so that now a weft thread could pass underneath
the warp thread, if the passage between the two pins were not blocked by the
hub 6 or the connecting rod 7. Means must therefore be provided, allowing the
bobbins to be held up while the hubs 6 can descend in their lower position.
This is done in the following manner: A third arm 12 of the bellcrank lever
standing upwards actuates an other lever 13, 14 pivoted to the standards 5 at 13*
so that the arm 14, which is bent inwards, that is towards the warp bobbin, can
be brought within reach of the bobbin and holds the same in its upper position,
but allows the hub 6 to go down. The hook 17 of the Jacquard wire 18 there-
fore is so arranged, that it will rest upon the blade 18" (Figure 10) and this

page_text: downward motion of the wire 18 is sufficient to allow the hub 6 to descend so
much, that its head is now in a line with the upper end of the pin 2 therefore
just clearing the passage between the two pins 2 and 3 and allowing the weft
thread to pass through. The different levers are so proportioned and the path
of the end of the arm 14 is so arranged, that it just allows the bobbin to pass
by and that it will then be supported by the arm 14. A spring 15 is provided,
holding the lever 13, 14 in its forward position while the weight of the arm 8
forces it backwards as soon as the hook 17 of the wire 18 is pushed off from the
blade 18" by the Jacquard needle.
It will be understood that by this arrangement the weft threads can be placed
above or below the warp threads.
Now the weft threads we are worked in the following manner: Between the
inner and outer standards 4 and 5 a ringshaped plate 19 is fixed, into which are
cut arched slits 20 and in these slits are guided the vertical thread guides 21 for
the weft threads, coming from bobbins 21" below the table.
In the example shown in Figure 1 the inner slits 20 are so arranged, that the
thread guided by them can move across two warp threads; the outer ones are
longer and allow the threads guided in them to be moved across a greater
number of warp threads. This arrangement may be varied according to the
pattern to be produced. Figure 1 shows that for instance the weft thread 1 can
be carried across the warp threads e, y and the weft thread 11 can be shifted so
as to cross the warp threads y, z.
The movement of the weft thread guides is governed by a Jacquard mechanism
in the following manner: (I beg to observe that the general arrangement of the
Jacquard apparatus used, is in all three cases of the known system and there-
fore needs no special description.) At each end of the slots 20 a little roller 22
is fixed below the plate 19 (Figure 4 and 5); cords 23, tied to the thread guides 21
at one side, are carried over these rollers, and to the end of these cords is fixed a
weight 24 having the tendency to pull the thread guide in one direction. At
the other side of the thread guide 21 a cord 2 is fixed and this cord is laid
round a roller 25 below the table and its end is tied to one arm of a bellcrank
lever 25 on a spinde 25, at the other arm 26 of said lever are connected
wires 26 and 27 of different length, so that when the one wire is drawn, the
respective weft thread guide will cross only one warp thread and when the other
wire is drawn, two or more warp threads can be crossed, according to the length
of the wire: This arrangement makes it necessary that at least the double
number of wires is required and I therefore arrange two Jacquard apparatus B
and C for this purpose, one to the right and the other to the left of the machine
(Figure 1).
Since the moving of those thread guides, which have to pass across more than
two warp threads, by means of Jacquard wires direct is not very practical, I
move these thread guides by means of the device shown in Figures 7 and 8.
The cord 23" is carried over and around the guide rollers 22, 22" and thence
round a pulley 28 on a spindle 28" and by means of a ratchet wheel 29 and a
pawl 30, linked to a lever 30", loosely held on spindle 28, this pulley can be
turned in one way, a counterweight (same as the counterweight 24 in the
arrangement of Figure 5) pulling the same backwards, when the pawl 30 is
brought out of reach of the teeth of the wheel 29. A second pawl 31 pivoted
to a pin 31 is arranged and this has for its object to check the return motion
of the pulley 28, when the pawl 30 is out of gear with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel 29 and which is therefore provided with hooks 32 and 32". A lifting
cord 30 of a Jacquard wire is fixed to the pawl 30 pulling it upwards and thus
turning the wheel 29 and the pulley 28. When the lifting wire 30b goes down
again the pawl 30 is also lowered and the ratchet wheel 29 is thus released so
that it can be turned backwards by the pull of the weighted cord 23, 23. which
then also pulls the thread guide 21 to the other side. In order however to
prevent this to be pulled a longer way than is desired and to prevent more

page_text: backrun of the pulley 28 than is allowed, I arrange the peculiarly shaped
pawl 31, which with its nose 32 forms a check for the pawl 30. By means of
à cord 31b the pawl 31 can be raised and lowered and brought out of contact
with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 29 and only when it is raised together with
the lowering of the pawl 30, the back run of the pulley 28 is possible.
The lower part of the pawl 31 is so shaped that, when this is raised a certain
distance, its end 32" will again fall into the teeth of the ratchet wheel and then
the back run is stopped although the pawl 30 is still out of gear with the ratchet
wheel. By this means, that is by raising the pawl 31 more or less it allows the
ratchet wheel and the pulley 28 to be turned by one tooth or more.
The cords 30 and 31 are connected to the lifting wires of one of the Jacquard
apparatus of the machine.
The Figures 1, 2, 3 and 10 indicate how the warp and weft threads wa
and we, respectively, are guided from their bobbins on to the braiding iron 33
in the center of the machine, where the braiding or interlacing of the various
threads is effected in a similar manner as is the case with the ordinary braiding
machines, that is, by causing the threads to cross each other, now the one up,
the other underneath and vice versa, as the case may be.
These intermeshings of the threads must be fixed and for this purpose I have
provided the arrangement (beater) shown by Figures 11, 12 and 13 and which
I will now describe.
On a post 34 fixed upon the table 0 centrally below the braiding ring 33 I
arrange two discs 35 and 36, one upon the other, the latter one having a long
hub 36 and the other one 35 is placed round this hub so that it can slide thereon
up and down. These discs are supported each by double rods 37 and 87*
respectively, which at their lower ends are linked to the inner ends of double
armed levers 38, 38" pivoted below the table at 38 and 38° respectively and
made to oscillate up and down by cams 39 and 39" on the driving shaft 40 and
connecting rods 39* and 39 (Figure 1 and 2).
Round the circumference of the disc 35 are arranged and fixed thereto by
link joints a set of needles 41 and in a similar manner a set of needles 42 is
arranged round the circumference of the table 36, the total number of these
needles is suitably equal to the number of the warp threads and they are so
distributed that always the end of one needle reaches in the space between two
warp threads. At their upper ends the needles are guided in slits 43" of a disc 43,
fixed at the top of the post 34, and below said disc is arranged an other one 44,
serving to prevent the needles from falling inwards more than is required and
to guide them on their downward motion. Near their lower ends the needles
are guided between elastic sheet metal guides 45 and 45" respectively; these
guides consist of two feathering or elastic sheet metal plates bulged out towards
each other in the middle part, so as to allow a narrow passage only, just wide
enough to hold the needle safely between them, outside and inside of this nar-
rowed passage the plates leave a wider space between them. Therefore the plate
clamp the needles tight between them while they are caused to move in the middle
part and they allow the needles free play as long as they are guided before and
behind said bulged out parts. The curve, in which the needles are bent and
shaped, together with the guide plates 43 and 44 thus cause the end points of
the needles to prescribe the curved way indicated in dotted lines in Figure 12.
From this it will be seen, that the needles, while rising, gradually move inwards
in a regular steady curve; arrived at the innermost and highest point they
suddenly fall down-(being free at this place and not clamped between the
bulged parts of the plates 45, this is possible)-and then they begin also their
way back in regular course. This special movement of the upper ends of the
needles is necessary and chosen in order to be able to cause the needles of one
set to remain so long within the meshes of the threads until the respective
needles of the other set have gained such a position that they will support the
meshing when the preceding needles have returned, so that the meshing or inter-

page_text: lacing of the threads will be fixed and can not be undone in consequence of the
retirement of the needles.
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:-
1/ In a braiding machine standards 4 and 5, fixed circularly on a table O, a
pin 2 at top of standard 4, a pin 3 projecting obliquely downwards from the end
of standard 5 in a line with pin 2, both pins 2 and 3 leaving an open passage
between their ends, bobbins 1 movably held on pin 2, a hub 6 on pin 2, a rod 7
supporting said hub, a bellcrank lever 8, 9 linked to the lower end of rod 7 and
pivoted to the standard 5 at 8ª, in combination with a lever 10 on a pin 10
fixed to the table 0, a lever 10 on said pin, a rod 11, a bellcrank lever 11", con-
nected to the rod 11 by its downward arm, a double lifting wire 18 of a Jacquard
machine B connected to the other arm of lever 11, a fixed plate 18 for holding
up the lifting wires at their hooks 17, and keep the parts 11ª, 11, 10b, 10, 10°
and the lever 8, 9 at rest; an arm 12 standing upwards from lever 8, 9, a double
armed lever 13, 14 bearing against the arm 12 of lever 8, 9 and pivoted to the
standard 5 at 13", a spring 15 pressing the bent arm 14 of lever 13, 14 below the
raised bobbin 1 and holding it in its raised position, the whole as described
and illustrated and for the purpose set forth.
2/ In a braiding machine standards 4 and 5 fixed circularly on a table O, a
ring plate 19 fixed to said standards, slots 20 of various length cut into said
plate, thread guides 21 carried in the slots 20 of plate 19, guide rollers 22 fixed
below plate 19 at both ends of the slots 20, cords 23, 23" fixed at both sides of
said thread guides and carried over rollers 22, a counterweight 24 at the free
end of cords 23, a guide roller 25 below table O guiding cord 23, in combination
with a spindle 25b fixed below said table, a lever 25 on said spindle and
having the end of cord 23ª fixed to it, an arm 20 connected with
lever 25, lifting wires 26, 27 jointed to lever 26", the whole as described and
illustrated and for the purpose set forth.
3/ In a braiding machine standards 4 and 5 fixed circularly on a table O, a
ring plate 19 fixed to said standards, slots 20 of various length cut into said
plate, thread guides 21 carried in the slots 20 of plate 19, guide rollers 22 fixed
below plate 19 at both ends of the slots 20, cords 23, 23 fixed at both sides of
said thread guides and carried over rollers 22, a counterweight 24 at the free
end of the cords 23, guide rollers 22" below table 0 guiding cords 23" in com-
bination with a spindle 28 journalled in suitable bearings below table 0, a
pulley 28 on said spindle a ratchet wheel 29 connected to pulley 28, an arm 30°
held loosely on spindle 28, a pawl 30 linked to said lever 30, a lifting cord 30
attached to said pawl 30 and coming from the lifting wire of a Jacquard
apparatus and capable of pulling said pawl upwards, so as to turn the ratchet 29,
a curved pawl 31 pivoted to a fixed pin 31ª and engaging with its hooks 32, 32ª
with the ratchet wheel 29 in either position, a lifting cord 31b attached to said
pawl 31 and coming from the lifting wire of a Jacquard machine capable of
raising the pawl, the whole as described and illustrated and for the purpose set
forth.
4/ In a braiding machine a shaft 40 fixed upon the table 0, cams 39 and 39°
keved to said shaft, a double armed lever 38 pivoted at 38b below the table O
and actuated by said cam 39, a double armed lever 38 pivoted at 38° below
the table and actuated by said cam 39ª, double rods 37 pivoted to the free
end of lever 38 and rising upwards through the table 0, double rods 37 similarly
connected to the outer end of lever 38 and reaching also upwards through the
table O, in combination with a post 34 bolted to the table 0. a braiding ring 33
fixed centrally over the post 34, a disc 36 having a long hub 36 placed movably
on said post 34 and being supported by the double rods 37, a disc 35 placed
movably upon the hub 36 of disc 36 and being supported by the double rods 37,

page_text: needles 42 linked to the disc 36, elastic sheet metal guides 45 on said disc and
guiding the needles 42, needles 41 linked to the disc 35, elastic sheet metal:
guides 45 on said disc 35 and guiding the needles 41, a disc 43 keyed fast to
the upper end of post 34 and having slits 43 for guiding the needles 41 and 42.
therein, a disc 44 keyed fast below said disc 43 upon post 34 and guiding the
needles at its circumference, the whole as described and illustrated and for the
purpose set forth.
Barmen this 23rd day of October 1899
ADOLF BOTTENBERG,
Per Karl J. Mayer,
Agent.