Improvements in Braiding Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
Improvements in Braiding Machines.
A communication by ANDREW VINCENT GROUPE of 134 South Ninth Street in the
City and County of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, United States
of America, Mechanical Draughtsman.
:
I, GEORGE CECIL DYMOND, M.I.M.E. of The Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street both in the County of
Lancaster 118, New Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick and 322,
High Holborn in the County of Middlesex; Patent Agent, do hereby declaro
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 braiding machines of that general class wherein two
oppositely-driven sets of thread carriers and their complementary parts are
constructed and organized to effect the platting together of the threads for the
purpose of forming a cord of braid or a braided covering for a central core. It
has especial reference to that type of machines wherein two sets of bobbins are
rotated in concentric parts, and the threads of one set are directed over and under
those of the other set successively, so as to attain the braiding of the several
threads at a central point.
The essential feature of this invention resides in the construction and arrange-
ment of a sectional trackway for the carriers of one set of bobbins, and in the
mechanism for actuating said carriers, whereby the threads of the other set of
bobbins are directed in an easy course between the adjacent track sections and
over and under the same and the carriers thereon in a manner to minimize the
friction of the co-operating parts and to insure a practically uniform tension on
the respective threads, thus increasing the speed of the machine, and, perforce,
the quality and quantity of the material produced thereby.
In the drawings—
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention in its
preferred form.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 4 is a quadrantal development of the sectional trackway for the upper
bobbin-carriers, the thread course and track support, one of said carriers, and
the actuating mechanism therefor, the view being within the broken line indicated
in Fig. 2.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are diagrams of sections of the thread course, illustrating the
passage of one of the bobbin carriers and the positions of the actuating pins
therefor relative to the thread.

page_text: Figure 8 is a section of the rocking-lever for said pins, and a portion of the
cam-way for actuating said lever.
Figure 9 is a sectional detail, as on the line air of Fig. 4.
The bed-plate 1; lateral uprights 2, and cross bar 3 constitute the frame-work
of the machine. The main driving shaft 4 is journalled in bearings on the bed-
plate and is provided on its inner end with a bevel gear wheel 5, which co-acts
with two similar wheels 6, 7 on the lower end of two concentric tubular shafts 8, 9
respectively.
Between these tubular shafts is a stationary shaft 10 which rises fixedly from
the bed-plate.
To the shaft 8 is fixed a skeleton plate or spider 11 on the underside of which
are supported, at intervals apart, the lower thread-supplying bobbins 12. In
the present instance the trunnions or shafts for these bobbins are supported
between the plate 11 and outwardly-extending spring tension fingers 13 on the
wheel 6, whereby the threads may be drawn from the bobbins under the requisite
tension. On the periphery of the plate 11, at points adjacent to the respective
bobbins are vertical arms 14 which are provided at their upper and lower ends
respectively with perforated extensions 15 for the passage and guidance of the
threads on their way to and through a sinuous slot or cam way 16 by means of
which such threads are raised and lowered in respect to a fixed annular
trackway 17 and upper bobbin carriers 18 thereon, as hereinafter described.
This slot or cam way is formed by and between the lower and upper edges of two
concentric rings 19 and 20 respectively, the upper one of which is fixed to the
uprights of the main frame and the lower one to a spider or plate 21 on the upper
end of the fixed shaft 10.
cam way.
The annular trackway just referred to is secured to the inner faces of the
rings 19, 20, on a horizontal plane midway between the highest and lowest planes
intersected by the undulations of the cam way, and is divided into sections on
diagonal lines coinciding with the adjacent inclined portions of the cam way.
Hence the sections are supported underneath the highest portions of the cam
way and above the lowest portions thereof, and the space between the adjacent
ends of the respective sections constitute, in effect, a part or continuation of the
The trackway is preferably, though not essentially, T-shaped in
cross-section for the reception of the correspondingly-grooved or recessed bobbin
carriers 18 which travel thereon in a direction reversely of the lower bobbins
above described. The upper bobbins are supported between inwardly-extending
spring tension fingers 22 on the carrier, and the threads from these bobbins are
drawn through a suitably-disposed guide arm 23 to the central braiding point.
The means for rotating the upper bobbin carriers is of such construction as to
permit the passage of the threads from the lower bobbins over and under the
upper carriers as dictated by the cam way. Therefore driving mechanism of
the following desciption is provided, although, it may be remarked, other means
to the same end may be used without departing from the essential feature of the
invention.
On the upper end of the central tubular shaft 9 is a plate or spider 24, on the
underside of which, adjacent to the respective bobbin carriers 18, are depending
brackets 25. Fulcrumed on each of the brackets is a rocking lever 26, which
carries on its respective arms vertically-reciprocable pins 27, 28. These pins are
fitted to and guided in appropriate perforations in the spider, and are adapted,
by actuation of the lever, to register alternately with sockets 29, 30, respectively,
in the underside of the carrier, one pin remaining in engagement with its socket
before the retraction of the other pin, and thereby insuring the continuous
rotation of the carrier by and with the underlying plate or spider.
On one arm of the lever is a roller 31 which travels in a cam way 32 formed
on or secured to the lower fixed ring 20, such way being of appropriate contour to
effect the actuation of the lever at proper intervals in respect to the upper thread

page_text: course 16, to the end that while the threads are being guided to the undersides of
the respective carriers 18, the advance pins 27 are retracted and disengaged from
the latter to permit the threads to pass freely between said carriers and pins;
and before said threads meet the succeeding rearward pins 28, which are engaged
with the carriers, the latter pins are retracted and disengaged therefrom simul-
taneously with the re-engagement of the advance pins with the respective carriers.
From the above described construction it will be seen that the two sets of
bobbins are rotated in contrary directions to each other and that the threads
delivered therefrom are directed to the central or braiding point; and, further-
more, that the threads delivered from the lower bobbins are guided in a sinuous
course during their rotation so as to pass through and between the adjacent
sections of the trackway for the upper bobbin carriers and over and under said
sections and carriers to effect the braiding operation with rapidity and efficiency.
It will be obvious that any usual or approved take-up mechanism may be
employed to take-up the braid or braided material as rapidly as it is produced,
and that any appropriate tension and take-up means for the threads as they are
directed inwardly may be used to meet special requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a braiding machine, the combination, with a stationary sectional track-
way provided with thread ways between the adjacent sections, carriers on said
trackway, bobbins on said carriers, and means for actuating said carriers, of a
second set of bobbins, supporting and actuating means therefor, and means
whereby the threads from the last-named bobbins are directed between, under
and over sections of the trackway in prescribed order, substantially as described.
2. In a braiding machine, the combination of a sectional trackway provided
with thread ways between adjacent sections, carriers on said trackway, bobbins
on said carriers, means for actuating said carriers, a second set of bobbins,
actuating means therefor, and means for supporting the trackway on each side
of the path traversed by the threads delivered from the second set of bobbins,
whereby said threads may be directed between, under and over sections of the
trackway in prescribed order, substantially as described.
3. In a braiding machine, the combination of two stationary rings between
which is formed a sinuous course, a sectional trackway, a set of bobbin carriers
on said trackway, means for rotating said carriers, a second set of bobbins, and
means for supporting and rotating the same, whereby the threads from the last-
named bobbins are directed between, under and over sections of the trackway
in prescribed order, substantially as described.
4. In a braiding machine, the combination, with a stationary sectional trackway
provided with thread ways between the adjacent sections, bobbin carriers on
said trackway, and carrier actuating mechanism provided with devices for alter-
nately engaging and disengaging each of the carriers at two points, of a second
set of hobbins, supporting and actuating means therefor, and means whereby
the threads from the last-named bobbins are directed between, under and over
sections of the trackway in prescribed order, substantially as described.
5. In a braiding machine, the combination of two stationary rings between
which is formed a sinuous course, a sectional trackway, a set of bobbin carriers
thereon, a fixed cam way, rocking levers engaged therewith and provided with
means for engaging and disengaging said carriers at predetermined intervals,
means for supporting and actuating said levers, lower thread-supplying devices
and means for rotating the same, substantially as described.
6. In a braiding machine, the combination of two rings between which is formed
a sinuous course, an annular trackway intermediate the highest and lowest planes
of, and intersected by, the course, thread-supplying devices on said trackway,

page_text: lower thread-supplying devices and mechanism for rotating said upper and lower
thread-supplying devices in opposite directions to each other, substantially as
lescribed.
Dated this 16th day of twent
1807
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.