US1564697A - Braiding machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 8, 1925- 1,564,697

G. F. M CAHEY Bnunme momma:

Filed May 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 45 46' I Jwvenhz Dec. 8 1925; I 1,564,697

G. F. M CAHEY BRAIDING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

4 660%98 fl/c a ey 21 MWKZ/Ma Dec. 8, 1925. 1.564.697

G. F. M CAHEY BRAIDING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 figs @0 6 [wad/,

Q7M v Patented Dec. 8, i925.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. MGCAHEY, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLANI), ASSIGNQR TO 3'. M. BRAIDER, ING, OF EA$T PROVIDENCE, RHQDE ISLAND, A CORPGRATIQN OF RHODE ISLAND.

BRAIDING Application filed May 21,

Z '0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. MOCAHEY, a citizen'ot' the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braiding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to braiding machines of the class provided with oscillating carriers, and has tor its object to provide in such a machine spaced-apart upper and lower raceways and means located intermediate these raceways tor driving the carriers through the raceways whereby the upper portion of the carrier is caused to oscillate to compensate in a large measure for the in-and-out movements oi the carrier relatively to the braiding center, causing its yarn delivering eye to take a course more nearly in a true circle about the braiding point and so materially reduce the action of the usual yarn take-up in the carrier.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a set of driving gears for the carrier, each being slotted to engage a portion 01 the carrier to advance it through the raceway, said gears being provided with teeth which are staggered and these teeth being arranged to provide entrance guides for the opposite side walls of these driving slots to facilitate the entering and leaving of the carrier shank to and from the slot in passing from one gear to the other on its way through the serpentine raceway.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating the upper and lower raceway plates with the driving gears set intermediate said plates to engage portions of said carrier to drive the same.

Figure 2 is a fragmental top view show ing portions of the top plate with its modified form of raceway formed therein also showing in dotted lines the serpentine raceway in the lower plate and illustrating the action of the driving gears in passing the carrier from the slot in one gear to that in the next for the purpose of driving the carrier through the raceways.

IHACHINE.

1924 Serial No. 714,806.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a fragmental portion of both the upper and lower raceway plates with a portion of the carrier mounted therein.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the guide shoe of the carrier which runs in the upper raceway.

Figure 5 is a top view of the guide shoe and its plate which runs in the lower raceway.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the shoe with its plate which runs in the lower raceway.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the fragmental portion of the gear which is formed of a pair of superimposed plates, each being peripherically slotted and provided with teeth and these plates are connected together so that their respective slots will register and their respective teeth will be in staggered relation relatively to each other, a tooth in each opposite plate serving as a flaring guide on the opposite side walls of the slots.

Figure 8 is a plan view showing segmental portions of a pair of gears with their staggered teeth intermeshing and their slots registering.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the carrier partly in section showing the anti-friction roll sleeve on its shank 28.

It is found in practice in the operation of braiding machines in order to obtain a high degree of speed, of advantage to reduce the extent of the in and out motions of the carrier relatively to the braiding center which in the old style machines the raceway is caused by following the serpentine or figure 8 form of raceway. To obviate this detrimental effect, I have provided a machine with upper and lower raceways set out of vertical alignment with each other, the upper raceway running much nearer to a true circle than the lower raceway, and the carrier being constructed with an offset portion and arranged to engage both the upper and lower raceways whereby when revolved about a common braiding center the carrier is caused to receive an oscillating motion to swing its yarn guiding eye in and out towards and from the center to compensate in a measure for the opposite movements of the body of the carrier, whereby the guide eye for the thread will run in substantially a circle thus requirlllg but a slight movement of the yarn takeup in the carrier; and the following is a detailed description of one construction of mechanism by which these advantageous results may be obtained:

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates, the base-plate of my improved braiding machine in which is formed the lower raceway 11 which is in the usual figure 8 form, and this plate is provided with side walls 12 forming a chamber 13 in which the driving gears, presently described, are mounted. On these side walls 13 is mounted the upper raceway plate letwhich is provided with raceways 15 arranged to run with but a slight oi'i'set on either side oi a circle passing through the centers of the quoits 16.

In order to provide a carrier which is supported and controlled in its action by the operation of these upper and lower race- Ways 11 and 15, I have formed a weight or tension standard 17 on which hoth the bottom and top weights 18 and it slide and on the upper end of each standard isformed a yarn guide eye 20, the yarn package being carried on the spindle 21 which is supported on the laterally-extending, lower arm On the lower end of this weight standard, I have formed a bearing portion which extends through and oscillates in a hole 24 in the shoe 25.

This shoe is adapted to run and be guided in the upper raceway 15; the lower end of this hearing member 23 extends through and is fixed in an arm 26 in the lower portion of the carrier by a pin 2'? or it may be otherwise fixed therein. The arm has an under bearing portion 4:6 that rests on the upper surface of the driving gear.

The opposite end of this arm 26 is connected to an elongated, vertical bearing shank portion 28 of the carrier preferably having an anti-friction roll or outer shell 28 which extends through the driving gears and the lower end of this shank is provided with a bearing in the shoe member 80, which shoe ha an elongated projection ill arranged to run in the lower raceway ll. The upper portion of this shoe-men'iber is in disk form being recessed as at- 32 to carry a supply of oil which lubricates its seat through the hole and a disk-plate 33 is provided on the shank portion 28 to bear against the under side of the driving gear to support the carrier shank in upright position.

In order to provide means for driving this carrier through its upper and lower raceways, l have formed a train of gears 34, each gear being preferably constructed of a pair of disks and each having teeth 35 and 36 cut on its periphery, and also being slotted as at 37 at intervals about its circumference.

ewes? These two disks are then set and permanently connected together so that their slots 37 will register with each other and their teeth and 86 will be in staggered relation to each other, as best illustrated in Figure 7.

"When so arranged the tooth 38 on the upper portion of the gear serves as an extcnsion of the side wall 39 of the slot 37, and the tooth it) on the lower portion of the gear serves as an extension of the opposite side wall ll of the slot 37 whereby these teeth 38 and 410 cooperate to form guiding horns on the gear to assist in receiving and transferring the portion 28 of the carrier from one gear to another in its travel about the raceway.

The lower member of each gear is .provided with a hub 12 which rests upon the lower quoit and through this gear extends a bearing stud (i l, the lower end of which is secured by a nut on the threaded extension 1-6, while the upper end of this stud serve to support the quoit 1.6 in the upper raceway.

It will he observed that the gears thus formed serve as an elongated bearing for the shank portion 28 of the carrier. It will also be observed that by forming the gears tw separate disks and positioning these disks so as to cause the teeth 35 and 36 to bear a relatively staggering relation, three important results are obtained: first, the gears may be slotted vertically to receive the shank portion 28 of the carrier and pro vide an elongated bearing therefor; second, the natural formation of the teeth serves to provide a flaring opening into the slot 37 and third, by so positioning these teeth but a single tooth of each of the gear disks is removed and then by staggering these teeth so little of the stock between the teeth is removed that the intermeshing teeth of the adjacent gears are held when in mesh against any back lashing of lost motion at their slotted meeting edges when opposite the slots thereby causing these gears to run smoothly and without noise which is not possible with any other construction of gears in which a portion of the teeth is removed. In other words, in operating a high sperd braiding machine of this character, it is net'- essry in order to reduce the wear and tear of the mechanism to the minimum to prevent any back lash or lost motion between the teeth of the driving gears, and in order to produce this effect and permit a portion of the carrier to bass down through the gears to engage both upper and lower raceways, it is necessary that the teeth of the gears be staggered as above described.

In the operation of my improved braiding machine the lower portion of the carrier below the upper r ceway plate 14- caused to follow the serpentine path of the lower raceway 11 while that portion of the carrier engaging the shoe 25 is caused to tollow the raceway 15.

Now as the lower portion moves in and out towards and from the center a greater distance than the upper portion controlled by the shoe 25, the lower portion naturally swings the yarn package standard which is mounted on the offset arm 22 back and forth in unison with the swinging movement of the lower portion of the carrier, while the weight standard 17 rotates on its pivotal point 23 in the shoe 25. The oscillating movement of this weight standard necessarily causes its eye-member 20 out through which the yarn 47 is led, to oscillate back and forth in directions which are opposite to the in and out movements of the shoe member 25 owing to the fact that this eye is on the opposite side of the vertical center line through the standard, thus this eye counteracts in a measure the in and out movements of the weight standard and serves to carry the lead eye of the yarn in nearly a circular line through the centers of the upper quoits thereby reducing to the minimum the necessary take-up movement of the yarn take-up weight 18 or other device employed for that purpose.

It is found of advantage in braiding machines of this character to provide a stop motion for arresting the action of the machine when the thread breaks or runs out, and to do this in a simple and eilective way, I have mounted a disk 42 on the hollow,

upright shaft 43 through which the braiding core 41-6 passes and which extends down through the center of the machine to oper ate upon the driving mechanism in any of the usual ways (not shown). This disk plate is provided with peripheral projections 44 arranged to engage the horns 4-5 on the weight 18 when the latter drops due to breakage or running out of the thread. It will be noted that these engaging projections Mr on the stop disk extend into the path oi the carrier only when it is traveling through the straight portion of the raceway at which time the offset or shank portion 28 is being revolved or carried in the arc of a circle by its gear about the weight standard 17 and at which time the weight with its knock oti' horns 45 are traveling at a greatly reduced speed which is the logical time to engage the stop motion as at that time the shock of contact is reduced to the minimum.

My improved braiding machine is simple and practical in construction and by its use great braiding speed is obtained.

The toregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the prr-Jilcge of resorting to all of the me chanical changes to-which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a braiding machine, spaced upper and lower fixed raceway plates, the raceway in said lower plate being of a depth less than the thickness of said plate, a carrier guided in and extending through said upper plate and having its lower end guided in the raceway oi said lower plate, and a train of driving gears intermeshing with each other and operatively mounted intermediate the raceways for driving said carrier.

2. In a braiding machine spaced upper and lower raceway plates having raceways of different contours, a carrier having guide portions to run in both raceways, and a tra'ii oi driving gears intermcshing with each other intermediate said plates for driving said carrier in said raceways whereby it is caused to oscillate as it travels.

S. In a braiding machine, spaced upper and lower fixed plates havingraceways therein, the raceway in the lower plate having a closing bottom wall. to form an oil tight raceway groove, a carrier guided in the raceways of both of said plates, a train of driving gears intermeshing with each other and mounted intermediate said plates, and provided with means for engaging a portion of said carrier intermediate the race ways for driving the same.

4:. In a braiding machine, spaced upper. and lower fixed plates having raceways therein, the raceway in the lower plate having a closing bottom wall to form an oiltight raceway groove, a carrier guided in the raceways of both of said plates, a car' rier driving gear operatively mounted intermediate said plates toothcd to intcrmesh with adjacent. gears and. slotted to engage a portion of the carrier, the teeth of the'gear providing entrance guides for the opposite side walls of said driving slot.

5. In a braiding machine having spacedapart upper and lower raceways, a carrier guided in both of said raceways, a set of twin gears having staggered gear teeth and operatively mounted intermediate said raceways for driving the carrier, said gears being slotted to engage a. portion of the carrier, the intermeshing staggered teeth of the gears cooperating to provide entrance guides for the opposite side walls of said driving slot.

6. In a braiding machine, upper and lower raceways, a carrier having guide members for each raceway arranged out of vertical alignment with each other, and driving gears intermeshing with each other located intermediate said raceways and also arranged to engage and drive said carrier.

7. In a braiding machine having spaced upper and lower raceways, a carrier guided in both ot said i'aceways, a set gears intermeshingiwith each othe and opeiativel mounteo i said raceways and slotted to receive and drive said carrier, the teeth of said ge adjacent said slots being staggered arrai t to prevent. lost motion where the :airier is engaged therewith.

8. In a braiding niacl'iine, a traveling carrier having an offset: gear engaging shank portion, a carrier driv ng ir having two sets or peripherai teeth t i l in staggered relation and sioti'ed to receive said offset portion. the intern'icsl o teeth 05'' each gear providing entrance 9 to said. slots on both of its opposite sine v:

S). In a braiding niaei ving spacedapart upper and lo a travelling oscillating carrier ha in a portion arranged to engag" he roger raceway and an offset portion arrange raceway a set driving k vith each other rotating H Fr:

and mounted said race-ways said gears heir also slotted to engage and drive or.

10. In a braiding 3 achine having spacedapart upper and lower raceways, a travelling oscillating carrier having a portion arranged to engage the upper raceway and an oti'set portion arranged to engage the lower raceway, a train of intermeshing driving gears mounted intermediate said raceways, each of said being slotted to engage and drive the carrier, and the interineshing teeth of the gear at the entrance oat its slot providing flaring entrance guides thereinto.

11. In a braiding machine having spacedapart upper and lower raeeways, an OS- cillating carrier having a portion arranged to engage the upper raceway and an ofi set portion arranged to engage the lower raceway, a set of twin gears with staggered gear teeth mounted intermediate said raceways. said gears being slotted to engage and drive the carrier and thestaggered intermoses? meshing teeth ot'each geara-t the entrance of its siot cooperating to provide flaring entrance guides thereinto.

12. In a braiding machine having spacedapart upper and lower raceways, an oscillating carrier having a portion arranged to engage the upper racewa and an oliset portion arranged to engage the i-ower raceway, a set otdriving gears mounted intermediate said raceways, each of said gears having two rows of staggered teetln and each -.r being slotted to receive said offset portion of the carrier to drive it and the different sets of the staggered teeth providing entrance guides for the opposite walis of said driving slot.

13. In a braiding machine having spaced upper and lower ac-eways a travelling osiating carrier hav' a portion arranged o engage the upper race my and an offset portion arranged to engage the lower raceway, a train of driving gears mounted interi'nediate said raceways, each ot said gears having two rows oi. staggered teeth each gear being slotted to receive said offset portion of the carrier to drive it and the different sets of the staggered teeth providing entrance guides for ti o opposite walls of said driving slot, and said stagg red teeth cooperating to engage each other the upper tooth on one side of the slot and the lower tooth on the opposite side thereof to prevent lost motion at the slots where the carriers pass through the gears.

14. In a braiding machine spaced upper and lower raceway plates, a carrier guided in the raceways of both of said plates, a set of rotating gears intermeshing with each other and operatively mounted intermediate said plates for driving said carrier, and said carrier being provided with an anti-friction bearing surface on that portion engaged by said gears.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

GEQRGE F. MGCAHEY.

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