IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING MACHINES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Tolhausen, of 149, Boulevard Magenta,
Paris, in the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING MACHINES."-A communication from François
Boulanger, residing at Paris, 149, Boulevard Magenta, aforesaid.
Sealed the 6th December 1864, and dated the 10th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Tolhausen at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th June 1864.
I, FREDERICK TOLHAUSEN, of 149, Boulevard Magenta, Paris, in the
Empire of France, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING MACHINES," being a communication
to me from Francois Boulanger, a person resident at Paris, 149, Boulevard
Magenta, aforesaid, to be as follows:-
These improvements relate, first, to a new or improved mechanism for
stopping the braiding frame or machine in case of breakage of any of the
threads.
Secondly, to a new mode of giving the braiding motion to the bobbins or
spools.
Thirdly, to several novel modes of regulating the tension of the bobbin
threads.
Fourthly, to an improved shape or form of the slots in the base plate on
which the bobbin carriers perform their braiding motion.
First, the stopping motion is effected by causing the thread of each bobbin
to pass through an eylet fixed on a sliding rod, which is acted upon by a spiral

page_text: or watch spring suitably secured to each bobbin carrier. This spring may be
made to act on the said sliding rod, either direct, or through a rack and
pinion. When the threads of one particular rod breaks, the eyelet is released,
and the spring draws said sliding rod down on the plate, so as to meet in
course of rotation a double-armed lever, which being thus acted upon causes
a piece or plate of iron to enter between the driving wheel and follower, and
thus stops the motion of the frame by throwing them out of gear. Also the
thread having been pieced, the frame may be set in motion again by starting
a hand lever.
Second, the new mode of propelling the bobbins in their figure of 8 or
braiding motion consists in using instead of the ordinary star wheels, a round
or slightly polygonal stud or boss on each of the braiding wheels, against
which studs or bosses, a flat lenticular portion fixed at the lower end of each
bobbin carrier is made to bear in continual contact, and thus by the motion of
the braiding wheels with the studs or bosses, the bobbins are propelled in
their meandering paths or braiding slots.
Third, the new modes of tension refer to the use of spiral, i. e. watch
springs for regulating the draught of the bobbin thread; in this device as
above alluded to the spring, eye, and so forth are contained in or supported by a
separate cylindrical case alongside each bobbin carrier. However, this hollow
bobbin carrier itself may be used for said purpose by fitting it internally with
a coiled or helical spring acting in a manner similar to the watch spring
aforesaid.
Fourth, instead of providing the lower part of the bobbin carrier with a
double flange to fit on and lap over the edges of the figure of 8 slots, which
in that case are made plain, I prefer to provide said slots on their inner
vertical faces with a square or V groove, into which a corresponding projec
tion or flange on the bobbin carrier is made to fit, so as to be guided by said
groove. This new plan is calculated to afford greater facility in fitting or
mounting the base plate, and also a steadier motion of the bobbins.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Tolhausen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
ṬOLHAUSEN, of 149, Boulevard Magenta, Paris, in the Empire of France, 3.
Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Frederick Tolhausen, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick
Tolhausen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frederick Tolhausen, 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 MACHINES," a communication from François Boulanger, a person
resident at Paris, 149, Boulevard Magenta, aforesaid, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Tolhausen, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under , or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Frederick Tolhausen, do hereby declare
the nature of 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:-
These improvements relate, first, to a new or improved mechanism for
stopping the motion of the braiding frame or machine in case of breakage of
any of the threads; second, to a new mode of imparting the braiding motion to
the bobbins or spools; third, to several novel modes of regulating the tension
of the bobbin thread; fourth, to an improved form of slots in the base-plate
on which the bobbin carriers perform their braiding motion.
The stopping motion is effected by causing the thread of each bobbin to
pass through an eyelet fixed on a sliding rod, which is acted upon by a spiral or
watch spring, suitably secured to each bobbin carrier; this spring may be made
to act on said sliding rod, either directly or through a rack and pinion. When
the thread of one particular rod breaks, the eyelet is released, and the spring
draws said sliding rod down on the plate, so as to meet in course of a rotation
a double-arined lever, which being thus acted upon, causes a piece or plate of
iron to enter between the driving wheel and follower, and thus stops the
inotion of the frame by throwing them out of gear, also the thread having

page_text: been pieced the frame may be set in motion again by starting
lever.
a hand
The new mode of propelling the bobbins in their figure of 8 or braiding
motion, consists in using instead of the ordinary star wheels a round or
slightly polygonal stud, or the boss on each of the braiding wheels, against
which stud a flat lenticular portion at the lower end of each bobbin carrier is
made to bear in continual contact, and thus the bobbins are propelled in their
meandering paths or braiding slots.
The new modes of tension refer to the use of spiral, i.e. watch springs for
regulating the draught of the bobbin thread; in this devise, as above alluded
to, the spring eye and so forth are contained in or supported by a separate
cylindrical case alongside each bobbin carrier. However, the hollow bobbin
carrier itself may be used for said purpose by fitting it internally with a coiled
or helical spring acting in a manner similar to the watch spring aforesaid.
Instead of providing the lower part of the bobbin carrier with a double
flange to fit on and lap over the edges of the figure of 8 slots, which in that
case are made plain, I prefer to provide said slots on their inner vertical faces
with a square or V groove, into which a corresponding projection or flange on
the bobbin carrier is made to fit. This new plan is calculated to afford greater
facility in fitting the base plate, and also a steadier motion.
The various improvements herein-before described are shewn on the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 being a lateral elevation of the improved
braiding machines; Fig. 2, plan of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4, the improved cam
for propelling the spools; Figs. 5 and 6 shew the new spiral or watch spring
for giving tension to the thread; Figs. 7 and 8 are intended to illustrate the
novel form of the base plate; Fig. 9 shews a particular mode of actuating the
tension spring. The same letters of reference denote similar parts in all these
Figures.
a, wooden or metal frame supporting all the working parts of the machine;
b, driving shaft; c, handle or driving pulley; d, bevel wheel on the shaft b,
which gears into a bevel e, imparting motion to a wheel f, which drives the
different motions of the machine by means of carrier wheels 9 and h. The
wheels fand 9 are made to mash by means of a disengaging lever i, which
carries at about one-third of its length a slotted plate j, working on a stud k,
which is confined in its proper position by means of a spiral spring fixed on the
lever . The wheel h is keyed on a shaft m for driving the drum, on which
the braid is taken up whilst being made. This take-up motion is effected by
means of an endless screw on the end of the shaft m, gearing into a worm-
wheel o, which imparts motion to the drum by means of the wharves or speed-

page_text: pulleys p, q.
Above the wheel I locate on the shaft m a tube r, fixed on
a pap s, which keeps it in the proper position for working the machine. This
tube carries at the opposite end a square piece, which drops into the teeth of
the wheel whenever the machine has to be stopped instantaneously whilst at
work. The tuber is capable of sliding on the shaft m, which is provided
therefore with a proper key-way extending part of its length; t, crank.
which at one end bears on the upper face of the base plate, and at the other
works by means of a caster into the groove of another crank u, acting on the
pap s which carries the tube whenever the machine requires stopping;
x, set of spur wheels, imparting motion to the spindles or spools by means
of the cams y, which are keyed on the lower end of the same. These spools or
bobbin carriers work in grooves a, with which the upper portion of the base
plate is provided and which are shaped, as shewn at Fig. 8, so as to main-
tain the spool in a vertical position, and guide it efficiently in its meandering
path. 6, spindle carrying a tube c', in which the instantaneous stopping motion
works; d', portion of the spindle sliding in the grooves a', and which is made
olive-shaped, so as to facilitate the crossing of the bobbins; e¹, guiding flange;
f, spiral or watch spring, which I use in lieu of the coiled spring hitherto
used, being more sensitive and allowing greater facility in threading than
the latter. Instead of causing the said spring to act direct on the thread
guide, as shewn at Fig. 5 and 6, its action may also be conveyed by a small
rack and pinion, as at Fig. 9.
Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 are intended to illustrate several improvements in
the bobbin carriers to be used for certain kinds of heavy goods. Fig. 1
represents the core or internal portion of the spool; Fig. 2, the tension
apparatus; Figs. 3 and 4 sectional elevation and plan of the bobbin all
complete; a", tube carrying the spool or bobbin; 6", 6", are flanges for guiding
the bobbin carrier and keeping it vertical. These flanges are made so as to
clip the projecting rim of the base plate, as in some of the braiding machines
used heretofore, but I also make them of the "male" shape, so as to suit the
"female" grooves of the improved base plate herein-before described; c",
boss or cam, by which the bobbin carrier is propelled as usual; d", slot on
the tube a for receiving and guiding another tube e, by means of the pin f",
fixed thercon, and projecting into the slot d"; 9", coiled spring for operating the
tension of the braiding thread by means of the rod h on which it is secured;
", screw for closing the top end of the tube; j" is a slot through which the
sliding piece k is inserted for regulating the throw or action of the coiled
spring g, elbow piece, which is secured fast on the tube, and provided
with an eyelet for guiding the braiding thread.

page_text: The improved machine being worked in the ordinary way, which is fully
understood by those conversant with braiding machine work, it is deemed
superfluous to describe the mode of operating it. I would, however, observe
that the advantages obtained by the improvements herein-before described,
are derived mainly from a speed superior to that attainable in ordinary frames,
owing to a more perfect guidance of the bobbin carriers by reason of the
peculiar construction of the "female" slots in the base or guiding plate, and
also the more perfect modes of tension employed, in combination with the
instantaneous stopping motion described in the first instance. I also wish it to
be understood that although the Drawings represent a round braid frame, the
same improvements may also be applied to a reciprocating or flat braid
Trame.
Trame.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Tolhausen, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, A.D. 1864.
F. TOLHAUSEN. (L.S.)