Braiding machine for strand structures

Dec. 13, 1966

P. E. NOLAN

3,290,984

BRAIDING MACHINE FOR STRAND STRUCTURES

Filed Oct. 24, 1963

Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US3290984A_D0001.tif" />

ATTORNEYS

Dec. 13, 1966

P. E. NOLAN

3,290,984

BRAIDING MACHINE FOR STRAND STRUCTURES

Filed Oct. 24, 1963

Sheets-Sheet 3

<img file="US3290984A_D0002.tif" />

United States Patent Office

3,290,984

... Patented Dec. 13, 1966 on one end thereof and a capstan 12 mounted on the other end. The capstan 12 has a cable receiving wheel 14 and a bevel gear 16 that is driven by a smaller mating bevel gear 18 which is operatively connected to a variable speed transmission 20 of any suitable type. A drive shaft 22 has one end connected to the transmission 20 to form a capstan drive and has an intermediate portion keyed with a cogwheel 24 whose gear teeth mesh with the gear teeth of a driving pinion 26. An electric motor 28 of any suitable type is mounted on the base 10 and is operatively connected to cause rotation of the pinion 26.

A pillow block bearing 30 on the base 10 supports the drive shaft 22 between the cogwheel 24 and the drive shaft’s other end which carries a bevel gear 32. As is illustrated in FIGURE 3, the bevel gear 32 meshes with and drives a transversely disposed, larger bevel gear 34, which is keyed to an intermediate portion of a driver shaft 36. The driver shaft 36 is horizontally disposed and provided with a bevel gear on each of its respective ends. Inasmuch as the structural elements associated with the bevel gears on each end of shaft 36 are identical, only the elements shown on the bottom of FIGURE 3 will be described in detail; the corresponding elements on the top of FIGURE 3 will merely be identified with one hundred added to the reference numeral. For example, the bevel gears 38 and 138 are carried on opposite ends of the driver shaft 36.

The bevel gear 38 meshes with and drives a transversely. disposed, larger bevel gear 40 (FIGURE 1) intermediately fixed to a vertically disposed shaft 42. The lower end shaft 42 is rotatably mounted in an end bearing 44 fixed to the base 10 and the upper end thereof protrudes through a ball bearing mount 46 fixed to the upper portion of frame 11. A bevel gear 48 fixed on the protruding end of shaft 42 meshes with and drives a larger, transversely disposed bevel gear 50 which is fixed.to a hollow wheel.shaft 52 adjacent one of its ends that is supported by a journal bearing 56 having a suitable mounting bracket 58 for attachment to the top of frame 11.

Adjacent the journal bearing 56, a braiding wheel 60 is fixed to the shaft 52 and a smaller braiding wheel 62 is fixed to the end of shaft 52. The peripheries of each braiding wheel .60 and 62 are notched with a plurality of equally radially spaced, semi-circular recesses; the number and shape of such notches may be varied in accordance with the particular braiding operation to be performed.

By way of example in describing the present invention each braiding wheel has three notches and the notches on one wheel are aligned with the three notches on the other wheel; thus the three sets of notches define three pairs of notches 64—64, 66—66, and 68—68 with one of each pair being on braiding wheel 60 and the other of each pair being on the braiding wheel 62. More than two braiding wheels may be mounted on the shaft 52 in order to maintain proper alignment of the braiding strand and in some circumstances a single braiding wheel may following description with respect to the three pairs of notches will simply be identified with a single reference numeral for each pair, such as 64, 66 and 68.

As is shown in FIGURE 3, the shafts 52 and 152

3,290,984 BRAIDING MACHINE FOR STRAND STRUCTURES

Page E. Nolan, 3302 S. 106th St, Omaha. Nebr. Filed Oct. 24,1963, Ser. No. 318,690

Claims. (Cl. 87—51)

This invention relates to a braiding machine, and in particular to such a machine which automatically braids wires, ropes, test set cables, etc.

In certain automatic braiding machines it is conventional practice to utilize selectively energized electromagnets to effect movement of a plurality of cable carriers along a grooved plate in a predetermined pattern such as a figure eight. Certain other machines utilize mechanical means, such as change gears, to effect transfer of yarn holders or bobbins for a braiding operation. Both the mechanical and electrical transfer methods present disadvantages to cable manufacturers because of the complexity of the braiding machines which result in low efficiency, initial high cost and specially trained repairmen.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to construct an automatic braiding machine from relatively simple parts.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic braiding machine with a simple operation to effect a braiding twist.

This invention has another object in that strands to be braided are transferred between braiding wheels of a braiding machine by electromagnetic means.

Another object of this invention is to synchronize the energization of electromagnets in a predetermined sequence conforming to a braiding operation of a braiding machine.

Another object of this invention is to transfer the strands to be braided and the supply thereof as a unit between peripheral portions of the wheels of a braiding machine.

This invention has another object in that the braiding tubes of a braiding machine are made of magnetic material so as to be magnetically moved in a braiding pattern.

It is a further object of this invention to provide the braiding wheels of a braiding machine with tube receiving notches which define the air gaps of magnetic core structures.

In the achievement of the foregoing and other objects, a braiding machine embodying the present invention includes a plurality of braiding wheels disposed in peripheral relationship to each other with attracting means on each wheel, a plurality of braiding tubes retained on the ⁶⁰peripheries of such wheels, by the attracting means, and sequence control means actuating the attracting means in sequence whereby the braiding tubes are sequentially transferred between the wheels.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view with parts in section . . - ----------- — of a braiding machine embodying the present invention; be^ sufficient; accordingly, for the sake of brevity, the

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken along line 2—2 of ^Γ FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of certain details shown in FIGURE 1;

. FIGURE 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the sequen- ⁶⁵ are disposed in converging relationship to each other tial control system; and . '

FIGURE 5 is a schematic diagram of a braiding tube utilized in the present invention.

As is illustrated in FIGURE 1, a braiding machine embodying the present invention includes a horizontal base 10 having a generally rectangular, upstanding, open frame and the braiding wheels 60 and 160 (62 and 162) are disposed so their peripheries are adjacent each other. By means of the above described gearing arrangement, 70 ^{tlbe b}y^aidinS wheels 60 and 160 are rotated in opposite direction, i.e., counterclockwise for a wheel 60 and clockwise for wheel 160 as viewed in FIGURE 4.

3,280,984

The notches 64, 66 and 68 provide separate mountings for three braiding tubes T_ls T₂ and T₃, respectively. Each braiding tube is made of magnetic material and includes a hollow cylinder portion having a circumference slightly smaller than the circumference defined by a peripheral notch 64, 66 or 68 whereby a tube may be rotatably nested in a notch on the wheel. Adjacent the larger braiding wheel 60 (160), each braiding tube is integrally formed with a pair of aligned, apertured mounting ears which receive the axle of a spool (S_1; S₂ and S₃). A supply of the material to be braided is wound on each spool and a strand thereof extends through its corresponding tube for a braiding operation to be described below.

Each of the notches 64, 66 and 68 define the air gap of an electromagnet, the core of which may be integral with the braiding wheel 60 (160) or may be a separate piece attached thereto. As is illustrated in FIGURE 2, the opposite edges of each notch form the north and south poles of the magnetic core so that upon energization thereof, the corresponding braiding tube, which is made of magnetic material, will be magnetically held in the notch. Each of the three electromagnets includes a core and an electric coil, identified as units 74, 76 and 78 for the respective notches 64, 66 and 68. As in the case of the notches 64, 66 and 68 the electromagnets are also to be construed as part of a set or pair 74—74, 76—76, and 78—78 with one of each pair being on braiding wheel 60 and the other of each pair being on the braiding wheel 62. For the purpose of illustration, the wiring diagram of FIGURE 4 shows the coils of each pair of electromagnets connected in parallel for simultaneous energization; it is to be understood that the electromagnets may also be connected in series.

The braiding wheel shafts 52 and 152 are mounted with their axes converging (FIGURE 3) so that the braiding tubes Tj, T₂ and T₃ have converging axes and the strands therefrom feed into a guide ring 13 which is suitably supported by the transmission housing 20 and from which the braided product moves as a single strand to the capstan wheel 14. Because of the converging axes the peripheries of the braiding wheels 60 and 160 (62 and 162) are beveled to present flat peripheral surfaces adjacent each other.

The braiding wheel shaft 152 carries a driving collar 18® or gear for rotating a cam wheel assembly 182; the circumference of the cam wheel 182 is equally divided into two cam surfaces 184 and 186 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

A description of the electrical components of the circuits shown in FIGURE 3 will be incorporated in the following description of a sequence of operation of the braiding machine. Each pair of electromagnetic coils (connected in parallel) are connected to a rotatable slip ring assembly having a common brush and a plurality of brushes according to the number of notches, identified with a letter B after the reference numeral. A similar numbering system is utilized for the relays (R) and for the cam switches (C).

As is illustrated in FIGURE 3, the electromagnet power source includes two main conductor lines 200 and 202, while the relay control power source includes two main conductor lines 204 and 206. A pair of relays 28MR and 28RR are connected to the magnet power source conductors 200-202 and to the relay control power source conducts 204—206, respectively, and each of such relays have a lead conductor, between which the control circuit of motor 28 is connected in series. Such an arrangement defines an electrical interlock for the motor 28 and the two power sources so that failure of any one of the two power sources will cause a shut down of the motor 28.

Upon energization of the electrical circuits of the braiding machine, the wheels 60-62 are rotated counterclock4 wise (FIGURE 3), the wheels 160-162 are rotated clockwise, and the cam wheel 182 is rotated clockwise. As the wheels rotate past the position shown in FIGURE 3, the cam switches 64C, 168C and 66C are closed by the cam surface .184 and the cam switches 164C, 68C and 166C are opened. At this time a circuit for electromagnets 74—74 may be traced from conductor 200, common brush 63B of the slip ring assembly 60B, the parallel connected coils of the electromagnets 74—74, the corresponding brush 64B, the relay 64R, and conductor 202; a circuit for the relay control may be traced from conductor 204, relay 64R, conductor 210, cam switch 64C, conductor 220 and the conductor 206. As shown from the position of cam surfaces 186, the cam switch 164C is opened so that its relay 164R is deenergized whereby the corresponding coils of electromagnets 174—174 are deenergized. Thus the tube Tj will be magnetically retained in the notch 64 until this notch is again rotated 360°. It should also be noted that since earn switches 66C and 168C are closed, their respective electromagnets 76—Ί6 and 178—178 are energized so that the tubes T₂ and T₃ are magnetically retained in the notches 66—66 and 168—168, respectively.

Upon 120° rotation of the wheels 60 and 160 from the position shown in FIGURE 3, the cam wheel 182 will be rotated 60°, whereupon cam switches 166C, 64C and 168C will be closed and cam switches 66C, 164C and 68C will be opened. Thus, the tubes T_x and T₃ in notches 64 and 168, respectively, will be retained therein; since cam switch 66C is then opened and cam switch 166C is closed, the tube T₂ will transfer from wheels 60-62 to the wheels 160-162.

Continued operations as described above results in the magnetic transfer of the tubes and supply spools as a unit in a figure eight pattern so that the three strands are twisted on each other in the guide ring 13 from which a braided product is pulled. The braided product is wound about the capstan wheel 14 and is then connected to a take-up device (not shown).

In accordance with the above description, the tubes T are firmly retained in their respective notches and thus are available for additional operations. For instance, the braiding tubes T may be individually powered to do some form of work, such as twisting by the simple addition of more slip rings on each braiding wheel shaft and corresponding contacts at the transfer notches in the braiding wheels. With such a provision, the work being performed on such braiding tubes could continue without interruption while being carried on either braiding Wheel. For the sake of brevity, these additional circuits have not been separately described or shown on the drawing, however, a schematic illustration of an individually powered braiding tube is shown in FIGURE 5. While only one braiding tube is shown in FIGURE 5, it is to be understood that the number of tubes is the same as described above.

The braiding tube includes a front hollow cylindrical portion 300 having a pair of insulated contactor rings 302-304 for selective energization of a small electric motor 306 carried by the tube portion 300. The tube portion 300 is rotatably connected to a rear spool mounting portion 308 by means of a journal bearing 310 so that there may be relative rotation between the tube portion 300 and the spool mount 308. Any suitable number of spools may be carried by the spool mount 3C8 and, in this instance, two spools 312 and 314 having suitable stranding material thereon are rotatably mounted on a spool axle 316. A driven gear 318 is fixed to the outer cylindrical wall of the hollow spool mount 308 and is driven by a pinion gear 320 which is fixed to the output shaft of motor 306 for rotation thereby.

When it is desired to have the braiding tube perform work during a braiding operation, the notches in the wheels 60-62 and 160-162 are provided with the braiding

3,290,984 tubes of FIGURE 5. The tube portions 300 are disposed in the aligned notches ·64—64, 66—66 and 168—168 for sequential transfer between the braiding wheels as described above. The contactor rings 302 and 304 are connected to the source of power by any suitable means such as slip rings (not shown) on the hollow shafts 52 and 152 so that energization of the motor 306 causes the spool mount 308 to rotate on the bearing 310 while the front tube portion 300 is magnetically retained in its notches and does not rotate. With such an arrangement, it is now apparent that the stranding material from one or more spools 312, 314, etc. may be provided with a special twisting operation before it is braided.

Inasmuch as the preferred embodiment of the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and 15 changes in structural detail, it is intended that ail matter contained in the foregoing description and shown on the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrations and not in a limiting sense.