Patent ID: 8347772

Claim:
In a braider having a track for guiding bobbin carriers and horngears, the horngears each having hornplates for forming at least one path, a method comprising the steps of: (a) positioning the bobbin carriers on the horngears in a first fiat braiding mode, with the track and horngears configured so that the hornplates cause the bobbin carriers to move along at least one closed path that does not intersect any other one of the at least one closed path; (b) operating the braider in the first flat braiding mode, to form a first flat braid section; (c) positioning the bobbin carriers on the horngears in a second that braiding mode having a different configuration of non-intersecting closed paths from the first flat braiding mode; (d) operating the braider in the second flat braiding mode, to form a second flat braid section having a different configuration of yarns than the first flat braid section; and (e) automatically switching between the first and second flat braiding modes to form a continuous braid having at least one first flat braid section and at least one second flat braid section.