IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING MACHINERY
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN
BRAIDING MACHINERY."-A communication from abroad by John Wood,
residing at Providence, Rhode Island, in the United States of America
Sealed the 30th August 1864, and dated the 3rd March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1864.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAIDING MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the braiding of flat braid of the maximum
width and number of strands. It is an improvement on the "double plate"
or "two plate" machine for braiding this description of braid, and is cal-
culated to adapt the method employed in the said double plate machine, with
two serpentine race plates, to the ordinary "single plate" braiding machine
with only one serpentine race plate, with a view to produce a machine o
simpler construction and a more convenient operation than the said double
plate machine for the manufacture of wide flat braid. Heretofore the wider

page_text: flat braids have been made with the greatest perfection upon the said double
plate machine, the distinctive features of which are, that the braid is formed
at a distance from the serpentine pathway traversed by the carriers, and that
the said pathway does not continue entirely around the circle, but terminates
in a full curve at two points in the circle nearest to the point at which the
braid is formed. The selvage edges of the flat braid being formed by the
passage of the carriers around these two terminal curves, and the central
portion of the braid by the passage of the carriers in their serpentine course,
departing and returning between these two points or terminal curves. In
this method of braiding at a point aside or at a distance from the centre of
this serpentine course, the flat braid will be formed of uniform closeness and
evenness of texture from side to side, and any departure therefrom in either
direction with respect to the centre will have the effect to braid more closely
at the edges than in the middle of the braid, or vice versa, accordingly as the
braiding point is moved towards or from the centre, thereby producing
imperfect braiding.
In the ordinary method employed. in the said "single plate machine," the
braid is formed at or nearly at the centre of the serpentine pathway traversed
by the carriers, and only a sufficient traverse of the tension weight is required
to enable the carriers to move in their serpentine course with an equal tension
of each strand.
In the method employed in the double plate machine, however, there
is required besides that traverse which provides for the said serpentine move-
_ment, an additional traverse of the tension weight equal to double the distance
at which the braiding point is removed from the centre to enable the carriers to
move freely, and with an equal tension at the furthest as well as at the nearest
point in the serpentine pathway to that at which the braid is formed; and as
the braiding point is the farthest removed from the centre in braiding the
widest braid with the greatest number of strands, the construction and
arrangement of the carriers must be such as is calculated to afford sufficient
traverse to the tension weights, both for the serpentine movement of the carrier
and for the approaching and receding movement of the same to and from the
braiding point at a distance from the centre, which amounts to a traverse of
about six inches in a braid of 53 strands of an inch wide.
According to this Invention there is employed an improved carrier in order
to braid the wider kinds of flat braid upon the "single plate machine" by
the method employed heretofore only in the double plate machine, viz., that
of forming the braid at a distance from the centre. The carrier is constructed
and its yarn guides arranged in such a manner that the tension weights may have

page_text: a sufficient traverse above the base of the carrier, or of a single race plate,
from which such carrier derives its serpentine movement, to permit the braid
to be formed at any required distance from the centre of the machine. Also
the "single plate braiding machine" is combined with a suitable former
adapted to braiding without or at a distance from the centre of such machine.
The carrier consists of a cast-iron base, from which ascends a light upright
tubular spindle, on which the bobbin is fitted to turn freely, the said spindle
being secured firmly in the casting, and being of a length of about twice the
height of the bobbin, which rests on a shoulder of the cast-iron base. The
weight is of cylindrical form, and placed within the spindle, in which it is
capable of sliding up and down freely; the said weight being furnished with an
eye at the top to receive the yarn. The spindle also contains within it a light
rod, which carries a latch; this rod is composed of a piece of wire, which is
straight, except at its ends, which are bent in the form of rings, and set at
right angles to it, and fit within the cylindrical interior of the spindle to keep
the rod in place, and a groove is provided in one side of the weight for the
said rod to slide freely through, the weight being arranged between the two
rings of the rod. The latch is attached rigidly to the said rod, and protrudes
through an upright slot in the tubular spindle for the purpose of entering
notches in the top of the bobbin. Outside of the spindle on the same side
with the slot a yarn guide is secured in the base of the carrier, the bend or
eye of the said guide being about half the height of the bobbin. The yarn
passes from the bobbin through the guide, thence upward over the edge of the
tubular spindle, through the eye of the weight, back over the opposite edge
of the spindle, and thence to the former. As the carrier approaches the
former the weight descends and draws down the yarn into the spindle, and as
the carrier recedes from the former the yarn is drawn up out of the spindle,
drawing up the weight. When the tension weight is drawn up into contact
with the upper ring of the latch bar it lifts the latch out of the notches in
the head of the bobbin, and allows the bobbin to turn to give out the yarn..
The following is a modification of the improved carrier :-The bobbin is
arranged upon a short spindle, and, the weight is arranged to slide on a
vertical guide bar outside of the bobbin, but the said guide bar is extended
upwards from the base of the carrier to about twice the height of the bobbin,
and the arrangement of the latch is such that the weight has a traverse on
the said guide nearly to the top of the guide bar until it comes in contact
with and lifts the end of the said latch. The guide bar has secured or formed
at its top a guide forming a neck to the guide eye, and the weight has a stud
or button which serves as a yarn guide.

page_text: In both arrangements the bases of the carriers are based upon and operate
within a "single serpentine plate," and the carriers and their auxiliary parts
are all arranged and operate above their said bases with that degree of
traverse which adapts the "single plate machine" to the braiding of wide flat
braid, which has only been heretofore accomplished by means of a similar
traverse below the base of the carrier, and the two serpentine plates and two
sets of carrier wheels of the more complicated and expensive "double plate
machine" above referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, 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 George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence that I,
the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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
MACHINERY," a communication to me from abroad by John Wood, a person
resident at Providence, Rhode Island, in the United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the braiding of flat braid of the maximum
widths, and number of strands. It is an improvement on the "double plate"
or "two plate" machine for braiding this description of braid, and is calculated
to adapt the method employed in the said double plate machine with two
serpentine race plates to the ordinary "single plate" braiding machine with
only one serpentine race plate, with a view to produce a machine of simpler
construction and a more convenient operation than the said double plate
machine for the manufacture of wide flat braid. Heretofore the wider flat
braids have been made with the greatest perfection upon the said double plate
machine, the distinctive features of which are that the braid is formed at a
distance from the serpentine pathway traversed by the carriers, and that the
said pathway does not continue entirely around the circle, but terminates in a
full curve at two points in the circle nearest to the point at which the braid is
formed. The selvage edges of the (flat) braid being formed by the passage
of the carriers around these two terminal curves and the central portion of the
braid by the passage of the carriers in their serpentine course departing and
returning between these two points or terminal curves. In this method of
braiding at a point. aside or at a distance, from the centre of this serpentine
course, the (flat) braid will be formed of uniform closeness and evenness of
texture from side to side, and any departure therefrom in either direction with
respect to the centre will have the effect to braid more closely at the edges
than in the middle of the braid, or vice versa, accordingly as the braiding
point is moved towards or from the centre, thereby producing imperfect
braiding.
In the ordinary method employed in the said "single plate machine" the
braid is formed at or nearly at the centre of the serpentine pathway. traversed
by the carriers, and only a sufficient traverse of the tension weight is required
to enable the carriers to move in their serpentine course with an equal tension
of each strand.
In the method employed in the double plate machine, however, there is
required, besides that traverse which provides for the said serpentine novemment
an additional traverse of the tension weight equal to double the distance at
which the braiding point is removed from the centre, to enable the carriers to
move freely and with an equal tension at the farthest as well as at the nearest
point-in the serpentine pathway to that at which the braid is formed. And as

page_text: the braiding point is the furthest removed from the centre in braiding the
widest braid with the greatest number of strands, the construction and
arrangement of the carriers must be such as is calculated to afford sufficient
traverse to the tension weights both for the serpentine movement of the carrier
and for the approaching and receding movement of the same to and from the
braiding point at a distance from the centre which amounts to a traverse of
about six inches in a braid of 53 strands of an inch wide.
In order to obtain this amount of traverse the carriers in the double plate
machine are constructed as shewn in Figures 10, 11, and 12 of the accom-
panying Drawings, consisting of a tube d, the upper portion of which serves as
a spindle for the bobbin E, and the remaining portion enclosing the tension
weight F which has a sufficient traverse below the base B of the carrier (on
which the bobbin rests) to provide for the serpentine movement of the carrier
and for its approaching and receding movement to and from the braiding
point. With this construction the arrangement of the yarn guides n, n, &c.,
is such that the yarn shewn in red lines passes from the bobbin E through the
eyes n, n, in the upright rod H, thence through an eye in the swinging end of
the latch e which regulates the unwinding of the yarn from the bobbin, thence
downward and through the eye c in the weight F, and upward through the
delivering guide at the top of the tube, and thence to the braiding point. To
accommodate the traverse of the tension weight F below the base B of the
carrier the tube D extends so far downward in that direction as to require a
second set of carrier wheels J* and a second serpentine race plate A* which
nearly doubles the size, the number of working parts, and consequently the
cost of the machine, and is otherwise objectionable. The arrangement of the
said yarn guides as described is also objectionable for the reason that it is
necessary to lift the carrier completely out of the machine and turn it bottom
upwards in order to run the strand of yarn through the yarn guides in the
latche and weight F when it breaks or runs, out, which requires considerable
time and is most inconvenient.
According to this Invention there is employed an improved carrier in order
to braid the wider kinds of flat braid upon the "single plate machine" by the
method employed heretofore only in the double plate machine, viz., that of
forming the braid at a distance from the centre. The carrier is constructed
and its yarn guides arranged in such a manner that the tension weights may
have a sufficient traverse above the base of the carrier or of a single race
plate from which such carrier derives its serpentine movement to permit the
braid to be formed at any required distance from the centre of the machine.
Also the single plate braiding machine is combined with a suitable former

page_text: adapted to braiding without or at a distance from the centre of such machine,
substantially as herein-after indicated and described.
In order that the nature and extent of the improvement may be fully
understood, and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the
Invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved
braiding machine; Figure 2 is an elevation of the improved carrier adapted to
such machine; Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the same; Figure 4
is a longitudinal view of the bobbin stop of said carrier; Figure 5 is an
upright view of the tension weight of the same; Figure 6 is a top view of
said weight; Figures 7 and 8 are elevations at right angles to each other of a
carrier illustrating a modification of the improvement; Figure 9 is a plan of
the improved braiding machine shewn by vertical section in Figure 1;
Figure 10 is a vertical section of the carrier used in the "double plate braiding
5 machine;" Figure 11 is an elevation of said carrier and its carrier wheels
and shaft as arranged in said "double plate machine." Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
In the said Drawings, A, Figures 1 and 9, is the serpentine race plate
forming part of the frame of the "single plate machine;" J' are the carrier
wheels adapted to such race plate, and forming therewith the circular serpen-
tine course traversed by the carrier in the operation of braiding, as shewn in
Figure 9, the motion of said wheels being united by equal gears L on each, and
both turning upon suitable studs projecting from the bed plate A of the frame;
C is the former employed in the double plate machine, having its crotched
end 1, which is the "braiding point," arranged at some distance from the
centre T of the circular plate A; and 2, 2, are the terminal curves around
which the carriers pass in forming the selvage edges S of the flat braid; P, P,
being two pointed rods over which the yarn is laid to form the said edges;
this construction and arrangement of parts being in all respects according to
the method employed in the double plate machine above referred to. And it
will be seen by reference to Figure 9 that a certain traverse of the tension
weight is required to allow the carriers D to run from the inside to the outside
circumference of their serpentine course without varying the tension of the
several strands, and that in addition to this a traverse which will take up the
yarn as the carriers approach the braiding point 1, and let it out again as they
recede therefrom and run at the furthest point in the circle from the former 1
as shewn at W. In order to obtain this amount of traverse in a single plate
machine the carriers illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive are made use of,
the same consisting of a cast-iron base B of the form commonly adopted for

page_text: the carriers of the single plate machine, from which ascends a light upright
tubular spindle D, on which the bobbin E is fitted to turn freely, the said spindle
being secured firmly in the casting, and being of a length of about twice the
height of the bobbin which rests on the shoulder a of the cast-iron base B. In
the upper part of the spindle D there is a lining ring b, b, which is rounded
in such form as to allow the yarn to pass freely over it. The weight F is of
cylindrical form, and placed within the spindle, in which it is capable of sliding
up and down freely, the said weight being furnished with an eye c at the top
to receive the yarn. The spindle D also contains within it a light rod G
which carries the latch e, this rod is composed of a piece of wire, which is
straight except at its ends, which are bent in the form of rings and set at
right angles to it, as shewn at 9, 9', in Figures 3 and 4, to fit within the
cylindrical interior of the spindle to keep the rod in place; and a groove fis
provided in one side of the weight F for the said rod to slide freely through,
the weight being arranged between the two rings of the rod g, g'. The latch e
is attached rigidly to the said rod G, and protrudes through an upright slot h
in the tubular spindle, for the purpose of entering the notches in the top of
the bobbin. Outside of the spindle D, on the same side with the slot h, a
yarn guide i is secured in the base of the carrier, the bend or eye of the said
guide being about half the height of the bobbin. The yarn passes from the
bobbin through the guide i, thence upward over the edge of the tubular
spindle D at 6, through the eye C of the weight F, back over the opposite
edge of the spindle at b, and thence to the former 1. As the carrier approaches
the former, the weight F descends and draws down the yarn into the spindle,
and as the carrier recedes from the former the yarn is drawn up out of the
spindle, drawing up the weight F. The quantity of yarn which is thus held
in reserve between the bobbin and the top of the spindle to be let out and
taken back again is equal to twice the distance which the weight moves up
and down within the spindle, and thus, owing to the upward extension of the
spindle is about three times as much as can be let out and taken back again
with a carrier of the construction commonly used in the single plate braiding
machine, wherein the traverse allowed to the tension weight is only so much
as is required for the serpentine movement of the carrier. When the tension
weight F' is drawn up into contact with the upper ring g of the latch bar G it lifts
the latch e out of the notches in the head of the bobbin, and allows the bobbin
to turn to give out the yarn. With this construction of carrier when the yarn
breaks or runs out it is only necessary to draw the yarn from the bobbin, hook
it into the guide eye i, and by means of a rod or wire with a hook at the end the
weight F is drawn up to the top of the tubular spindle D, when the yarn may

page_text: be readily run through the eye c, and the operation of the machine resumed
in much less time than is required in the carrier of the double plate machine.
In the modification of the improved carrier represented in Figures 7 and 8,
the bobbin E is arranged upon a short spindle j, as in the carriers commonly
used in the single plate machine, and the weight F is arranged to slide on
the vertical guide bar H outside of the bobbin, but the said guide bar is
extended upwards from the base B of the carrier to about twice the height
of the bobbin, and the arrangement of the latch I is such that the weight F
has a traverse on. the said guide from its position as shewn (at the base B)
nearly to the top of the guide bar until it comes in contact with and lifts the
end q of the said latch I, a distance of six inches with a let off of twelve
inches in length of yarn. While in the usual construction of the carrier
which provides merely for the serpentine movement before referred to the
yarn passes through an eye in the guide bar midway between the two ends
of the bobbin and down outside of the guide under the lower end of the
weight which gives a traverse of but two and a half inches of the weight,
and a let-off of but five inches of yarn, which, though amply sufficient
for the serpentine movement, is less than half the traverse required for.
the approaching and receding movement incident to the formation of wide flat
braid at a distance from the centre of the machine, for which the improved
construction of the carrier and arrangement of the yarn guides is expressly
calculated, as set forth in the beginning. The guide bar H has secured or
formed at its top a guide k forming a neck to the guide eye l, and the weight
F has a stud or button m which serves as a yarn guide. The yarn (shewn
in red lines) passes from the bobbin through the usual hole n in the guide
bar H midway between the ends of the bobbin, thence upward outside the
guide bar over the neck k down under the neck of the button m on the weight,
and up again to and through the eye l, whence it passes to the braiding
former 1: This arrangement of the yarn guides does not differ in any practical
sense from that first described and shewn in Figures 2 and 3, for it will be
seen that the guide i (Figures 2 and 3) and n (Figures 7 and 8) are both
situated midway between the two ends of the bobbin, that the rounded ring
b, b, in Figures 2 and 3, and the neck k and eye l in (Figures 7 and 8) are both
situated at the extreme top of the carrier, and that the eye c (in Figures 2
and 3) and the button m (in Figures 7 and 8) are both situated upon and form
part of the weight F. And furthermore the end 2 of the latch I (Figures
7 and 8) is situated above the latch m³, which immediately engages with
the pegs p, p, in the top of the bobbin to permit the weight to traverse to
that height (7), precisely as is the ring g, situated above the latch (Figures 2

page_text: and 8) which immediately engages with the notches in the top of the bobbin
and with the same object in view, viz., to give additional traverse to the
weight, to provide for the method hereby adapted to the single plate machine
of braiding at a distance from the centre. On the same principle of arranging
the said yarn guides the yarn may pass twice between the neck k and button
m (of Figures 7 and 8), or twice between the ring b, b, and eye c in the
weight (of Figures 2 and 3), and thereby double the let-off of yarn from the
same traverse of the weight. The weight alone has been herein above
mentioned as a means of producing the requisite tension of the yarn in its
delivery from the carriers, because it is, all things being considered, the best
means for the purpose where an excessive motion or traverse is necessary,
the nearest approach to an equivalent therefor being a coiled spring applied
to wind a band upon a scroll pulley, by means of which a tension is produced
that is nearly equal throughout a traverse of six inches of an eye in the end
of such band through which the yarn is drawn. But from the fact that it is
practically impossible to make a number of coiled springs of the same stiffness
and winding power, or to maintain the same at the same stiffness and
power for any length of time, it is obvious that for the corresponding
evenness of tension required in all of a large number of strands in braiding a
flat braid with a traverse of five or six inches of the weight, and a let-off of
ten or twelve inches in length of yarn, any form or arrangement of a spring is
both unsuitable and impracticable, and that the corresponding evenness of
tension required in all the carriers can only be attained by the use of a
number of weights of equal heaviness applied one to each braiding strand. It
will seen that the bases B, B, of the carriers are based upon and operate
within the "single serpentine plate" A, and that the carriers and their
auxiliary parts are all arranged and operate above their said bases with that
degree of traverse which adapts the "single plate machine" to the braiding
of wide flat braid," which has only been heretofore accomplished by means of a
similar traverse below the base of the carrier, and the two serpentine plates
and two sets of carrier wheels of the more complicated and expensive double
plate machine" above referred to.
Having thus described the Invention with reference to the particular branch
of manufacture for which it is designed, I wish it understood that I do
not claim any arrangement of a tension weight with the carrier of a braiding
machine which simply provides for the serpentine movement of the carrier
braiding at the centre of the machine, neither do I claim that construction
of the carrier and arrangement of the yarn guides which provides for a suffi-
cient degree of traverse below the base of the carrier as employed in the

page_text: "double plate machine," as such arrangement is wholly unsuitable for use in
the "single plate braiding machine" for which the improvement is expressly
designed.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, so constructing the
carrier and arranging its yarn guides that the tension weight may have
sufficient traverse above the base of the carrier or racer to allow wide flat
braid to be formed at any required distance from the centre in the single plate
braiding machine substantially as herein specified. I also claim combining
with a single plate braiding machine, substantially as described, the former C
or its equivalent adapted to braiding at a distance from the centre, substantially
as described for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)