Improvements in the Manufacture of Braided Endless Tubes, Cords, Ropes, and the like, and in Machinery for Producing the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Braided Endless Tubes,
Cords, Ropes, and the like, and in Machinery for Producing
the same.
I, ALFRED JAMES, of 77, Greengate, Salford, Lancashire, Mechanic, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists firstly of the hereindescribed improvements in the
manufacture of braided endless tubes, cords, ropes and the like, such for instance as
the air tubes of the pneumatic tyres of velocipedes and other road vehicles, endless
roller blind cords, tubes, ropes, belts and bands for transmitting rotary motion and
power.
According to this invention I make the said braided covering endless, that is to
say, the commencement and finishing of the braided covering overlaps so that
there is practically no joint or seam. In applying my invention for instance to an
endless air tube of a pneumatic tyre I commence the braided covering at one part
of the annular tube and continue braiding round the annular tube until I arrive at
the part where the braiding commenced. I then continue the braiding so as to
overlap this part and hide the commencement of the braiding and if required I
further continue the braiding one or more times round the annular tube to obtain
increased strength each thickness of the braided covering surrounding and enclosing
the previous thickness. It will be seen that by this arrangement there is practically
no joint and the covering is of almost uniform strength throughout and that it can
be made of one or any number of thicknesses the strongest part being where the
finishing of the covering overlaps the commencement.
The second part of my invention consists of improvements in machinery for
producing the said endless braided tubes, cords ropes and the like. In carrying
out this part of my said invention I make the framing of the braiding machine in
halves or otherwise divide the same together with the movable plates which carry
the bobbins and spindles so that the said framing with the plates can be opened to
admit the annular tube cord rope band or the like which is to be covered. The
said ring like tube is carried by a roller above the hobbins and another roller below
the tobbins a spring or other suitable means being employed to move one of the
rollers to keep the annular tube taut. One or both of the rollers have slow rotary
motion imparted to them by means of a worm and worm wheel or other mechanism
so as to continuously move the endless annular tube up between the braiding bobbins
and cause the whole of the endless tube to be braided. When the one two or more
coatings of the braided material have been woven round the tube the said framing
with the movable plates have to be opened so as to allow the finished endless
braided tube to be removed and replaced by another endless tube which has to be
braided.
When braiding an endless flexible tube, such as the inner air tube of a pneumatic
tyre, I inflate the said tube before braiding the covering on to it.
Dated this 10th day of September 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Braided Endless Tubes,
Cords, Ropes, and the like, and in Machinery for Producing
the same.
I, ALFRED JAMES, of 77, Greengate, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire,
Mechanic, 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 consists firstly of the hereindescribed improvements in the
manufacture of braided endless tubes, cords ropes and the like, such for instance
as the air tubes of the pneumatic tyres of velocipedes and other road vehicles,
endless roller blind cords, tubes, ropes, belts and bands for transmitting rotary
motion and power.
According to this invention I make the said braided covering endless, that is to
say, the commencement and finishing of the braided covering overlaps so that there
is practically no seam or joint. In applying my invention for instance to an
endless air tube of a pneumatic tyre I commence the braided covering at one part
of the annular. tube and continue braiding round the annular tube until I arrive at
the part where the braiding commenced. I then continue the braiding so as to
overlap this part and hide the commencement of the braiding and if required I
further continue the braiding one or more times round the annular tube to obtain
increased strength each thickness of the braided covering surrounding and enclosing
the previous thickness. It will be seen that by this arrangement there is practically
no joint and the covering is of almost uniform strength throughout and that it can
be made of one or any number of thicknesses the strongest part being where the
finishing of the covering overlaps the commencement.
The second part of my invention consists of improvements in machinery for
producing the said endless braided tubes cords ropes and the like. This is
illustrated by the accompanying drawing on which.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the main portion of a braiding machine
embodying this part of my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a
plan of the same shewing the machine open as for the removal of a finished tyre
or band; Fig. 4 is a plan of the Lase of the said machine.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures of the drawing.
In carrying out this second part of my said invention I make the framing of the
braiding machine in halves or otherwise divide the same together with the movable
plates which carry the bobbins and spindles so that the said framing with the
plates can be opened to admit the annular. tube rope cord band or the like which is
to be covered. This can be effected for instance as shewn on the drawing where
the two halves of the machine are marked respectively A1 A2 each carrying one
half of the revolving plates C. These halves A' A' of the machine are hinged
together at B so that the half A2 can be opened out from the half 'A' as shewn in
Fig. 3 to admit of the endless tube cord rope band or the like D which is being
covered and when this is in position the two halves A' A' of the machine can be
closed together as shewn in Fig. 2 and secured in this position as by the pin E
passing through a hole a' into another hale a' in the base A³ of the machine.
The ring like tube D is carried by rollers F¹ F above the bobbins and by other
rollers F F below the bobbins, the bracket f¹ of one of the rollers F2 being made
adjustable for length so that the roller F2 can be adjusted to keep the endless tube
taut.

page_text: Slow rotary motion is imparted to the roller F' so as to move the endless tube
or band D in the direction indicated by the arrows as the tube D is being
braided. This motion can be obtained by the usual worm G and worm wheel G³
which turn the roller F¹. The base A³ of the machine is as shewn in Fig. 4 slit
at H to admit the endless tube or band D.
It is to be understood that the braiding machine works in the usual way.
When one two or more coatings of the braided material have been woven round
the tube D or the like, the part A³ of the framing with the movable plates has
to be opened as shewn in Fig. 3 to allow the endless braided tube D to be removed
and replaced by another endless tube which is to be braided.
When braiding an endless flexible tube such as the inner tube of a pneumatic
tyre I inflate the said tube before braiding the covering on to it, if the said tube
will not maintain its circular form in cross section without being inflated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of braided endless tubes, cords ropes and the like, making
the finishing of the braided covering to overlap the commencement of the same so
that there is practically no joint or seam, substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine for producing endless braided tubes cords ropes and the like,
making the framing divided so as to open to admit or allow of the removal of the
endless tube cord rope or the like, substantially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of July 1896
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.