IMPROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR BRAIDING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick James, of Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS
IN CIRCULAR BRAIDING MACHINES.”
Sealed the 9th March 1875, and dated the 10th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Frederick James
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th December 1874.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK JAMES, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR BRAIDING MACHINES," to be as follows:—
My Invention consists in so constructing circular braiding machines
that they can be adapted to a great variety of work with very little
trouble or loss of time. In order to accomplish these objects I place
the weight by which the yarn or wire is kept taut concentric to and
outside the spindle of the bobbin, and I apply a spring under each

page_text: governor, this enables me to change the number of bobbins in the
machine without the use of "dummies or blank spindles, and is of
great service in braiding Venetian cords and other similar braids that
only require eight yarns or strands.
Another part of my Invention consists in certain improvements in the
braiding machinery for manufacturing fuses, for which former Letters
Patent were granted to me on the 3rd day of August 1871, No. 2045,
whereby the fuses are made harder and the material is economised.
In performing my Invention I place a conical tube under the hopper
containing the gunpowder or other explosive compound, and above the
point where the yarns or wires which form the case or shell of the fuso
are united and braided together; this tube serves to contract the yarns or
wires around the gunpowder or other explosive compound and com-
presses the whole together, thereby forming a solid and flexible fuse
with less material than heretofore.
A similar machine on a larger scale can be used for making the
engine packing commonly called "gaskin;" in this case the black lead
or other material is carried from the hopper into the interior of the
gaskin through the conical tube above referred to.
In covering telegraph wires the wire passes through the conical tube
with the straight yarns or strands, and the whole are surrounded by the
outer shell or case formed by the braiding together of the yarns or
wires.
I also use a creel with movable arms on to which the braid, fuse, or
gaskin is wound to facilitate the removal thereof when the creel is full.
Although I have herein specified several applications of my improve-
ments, I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to the articles
or things themselves, but that this Invention is confined to the improved
construction of the circular braiding machines for the purposes afore-
said.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Frederick James in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
FREDERICK JAMES, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord Ono thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Frederick James
Her special licence that I, the said George Frederick James, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Frederick James, 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 CIRCULAR BRAIDING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Frederick
James, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
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 I, the said George Frederick James, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner tho
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in placing the weight by which the yarn or
wire is kept taut concentric to and outside the spindle of the bobbin,
and in applying a spring under each governor whereby the number of
bobbins working can be changed without the use of "dummies" or
blank spindles.

page_text: bobbins g, g, through the hopper and through the gunpowder or other
explosive compound, as described in the Specification above referred to.
These bobbins and the others required for the filling up warps are sup-
ported in the creels q placed at each side of the machine.
My present improvements relate, first, to the mechanism for keeping
the yarn or wire that is wound on the bobbins "taut." In ordinary
circular braiding machines this is accomplished by means of a weight
passing down the hollow spindle; now I effect the same object by means
of the weights c¹ which fit easily on the hollow spindles c; these weights
bear upon split keys passing through the wires c³, as shewn full size in
Figs. 4 and 5. The yarn or wire from the bobbins d after passing
through two holes in the flyer dis taken through an eye in the
dropper d³ and then through an eye in the wire c³, from whence it passes
as usual to the top of the spindle c and then to the top of the bush e¹
which is adjustable by set screw in the top of the tube e, as shewn in
Fig. 1; the dish e fixed to the tube e' is to collect any gunpowder or
other material that might escape from the hopper.
The second part of my Invention relates to the governors, and is
shewn best in Figs. 1, 6, and 7. In ordinary circular braiding machines
the top and bottom governors are connected together, and consequently
the number of working bobbins cannot be changed without the use of
"dummies" or blank spindles; now by my present improvements I hinge
each pair of governors to the under side of the top and bottom plates, re-
spectively, as shewn in Fig. 1. Each governor consists of a three-armed
lever n fixed on a pivot, the upper part of which fits in a hole in the
plate and the lower part in a bracket n¹ screwed to the under side of the
top or bottom plate. Between the three-armed lever n and the bracket n¹
is a coiled spring n³, the object of which is to apply friction to the lever n.
By this arrangement and mode of constructing the governors the number
of the bobbins working can be changed with the greatest facility.
On referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 it will be seen that the spout of the
hopper is supported by the plate f¹, shewn also in Fig. 8, and this
plate is supported by the pillar o which is capable of being. raised or
lowered in the socket of the top bobbin plate. The plate f¹ is provided
with twelve or other convenient number of holes surrounding the spout
of the hopper, and these holes are to guide warp yarns of jute or other
fibre around the gunpowder or other explosive compound that is con-

page_text: veyed out of the hopper f. Below the adjustable plate supporting
the hopper is the plate p, shewn detached in Figs. 9 and 10; this plate
is also supported by the pillar o, and in it is the conical tube p¹, the
object of which is to contract the yarns around the gunpowder or other
explosive compound; and around the tube p¹are twenty-four or other con-
venient number of holes for guiding other warp yarns or wires around those
passing through the conical tube. All the yarns or wires which are
brought from bobbins supported in the creels q, and which form the core
of the braid or fuse are surrounded by an outer casing of braided yarn
or wire, or both, from the bobbins d; the fuse thus completed passes
down through the bush e', then through the hollow central spindle e,
through which it is drawn by the grooved pulley i on the driving shaft;
in order to give the requisite friction the fuse is taken under the guide
grooved pulley 1, and thence it passes up to the creel m on which it is
wound; this creel is made with movable arms as in ordinary creels for
winding yarn into hanks to facilitate the removal of the fuse when the
creel is full. The creel is turned round by a friction band from the
driving shaft i; it is evident that the fuse may be wound on a bobbin if
preferred.
Although I have described my present improvements in circular braiding
machines as applied to the manufacture of fuses I wish it to be under-
stood that my Invention is applicable to all circular braiding machines
for other purposes. I would also remark that a similar machine on a
larger scale can be used for making the engine packing commonly called
gaskin;" in this case the black lead or other material is carried from
the hopper into the interior of the gaskin through the conical
tube p¹ above referred to.
$$
In covering telegraph wires the wire passes through the conical tube p¹
with the warp yarns or strands, and the whole are surrounded by the
outer shell or case formed by the braiding together of the yarns or wires
from the bobbins d.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a con-
venient manner of carrying the same into operation, I wish it to be
understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the details given as
they may be considerably varied or modified, but what I do claim is,- ;
First. The improved mode of applying the weight to the spindles of
circular braiding machines, as shewn and described.

page_text: Secondly. The application of a spring to each governor, whereby the
number of working spindles can be varied, as shewn and described.
Thirdly. The application of a conical tube under the hopper con-
taining gunpowder or other compound for consolidating the core of the
fuse or braid, as shewn and described.
And, lastly. The application of a creel with movable arms to circular
braiding machines, as described.
-
In witness whereof, .I, the said George Frederick James, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
G. F. JAMES. (L.S.)