US3363502A - Braiding apparatus with means for guiding and propelling strand carriers - Google Patents

Description

AL 3,363,502 FOR GUIDING IERS l 1 e e h cw s v e e h S 4 R TR EA G ED N 1968 M. R. FLORENTI BRAIDING APPARATUS WITH MEANS AND PROPELLING STRAN Filed April 14, 1967 1968 M. R. FLORENTINE ET AL 3,363,502

BRAIDING APPARATUS WITH MEANS FOR GUIDING AND PROPELLING STRAND CARRIERS Filed April 14, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet P lE- 93 /2/ 4 /06 26 7 29 W F7 5 97 W x 4 V Jan. 16, 1968 M. R. FLOR TINE ET AL 3,363,502

BRAIDING APPARATUS H MEANS FOR GUIDING AND PROPELLING STRAND CARRIER 3 Filed April 14, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 26b 95 M0 a; 9 90 Jan. 16, 1968 M. R. FLORENTINE ET AL 3,363,502

BRAIDING APPA US WIT v RAT H MEANS FOR GUIDING AND PROPELLING STRAND CARRIERS Filed April 14, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,363,502 BRAIDING APPARATUS WITH MEANS FOR GUID- ING AND PROPELLING STRAND CARRIERS Marcus Ralph Florentine and Donald Richardson, Sinking Spring, Pa., assignors to Textile Machine Works,

Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 630,916 Claims. (Cl. 87-38) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention disclosed herein relates to braiding machines and more particularly to means for propelling and guiding the strand supply carriers of such machines along sinuous paths in opposite directions about a braiding point.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention is specifically directed to means for controlling the high speed movement of the strand supply carriers of braiding machines along oppositely directed sinuous intersecting paths around a braiding point including shuttle members on which the strand supply carriers are mounted, a circle of rotors adjacent pairs of which are driven in opposite directions, cooperating means on the shuttle members and rotors by means of which the shuttle members are connected to and driven by the rotors, and a series of rollers on the shuttle members cooperating with inner and outer guiding or camming surfaces associated with each rotor for maintaining the driving connection between the shuttle members and the individual rotors and for transferring the driving connections for the shuttle members between adjacent rotors to move the shuttle members along their sinuous paths.

Description 0 the prior art Heretofore in the most common form of braiding machines for forming tubular braids, or a tubular braided covering for cores, the machines were provided with a deck plate having sinuous intersecting guideways for di recting strand carriers in opposite directions around the braiding point, the strand carriers having driving lugs for engagement in slots in oppositely rotating horn gears, upper and lower foot plates for engaging opposite faces of the deck plate and elongated heart pieces connecting the foot plates and interfitting in the guideways. The guideways were arranged to coact with the heart pieces to maintain the carriers in predetermined relationship to the braiding point and cause transfer of the driving lugs from a slot in one horn gear to a slot in the adjacent horn gear generally as disclosed in US. Patent No. 1,801,104, issued Apr. 14, 1931.

In another form of machine, as shown in German Patent No. 344,745, the strand carriers were provided with a pair of driving pins for engagement in semicircular notches in flanges of the horn gears with the carriers driven in one direction having a roller intermediate the driving pins for engaging alternate inner and outer arcuate surfaces associated with adjacent pairs of the horn gears. The ends of the adjacent arcuate surfaces extended parallel to each other to confine the roller during transfer of the driving pins from the notches in one horn gear to the notches in the adjacent horn gear. The carriers driven in the opposite direction were also provided with pairs of driving pins for engaging the notches in the horn gears and opposed rollers one of which coacted with an outer arcuate cam surface associated with one horn gear and the other of which coacted with an inner arcuate cam sur- Patented Jan. 16, 1968 face associated with the adjacent horn gear. While it appears that coaction between the rollers and arcuate cam surfaces maintained the driving .pins in engagement with the notches of the individual horn gears engagement of the rollers between the extensions of the arcuate surfaces did not prevent rotation of the carrier about the roller at the transfer points which resulted in partial disengagement of both the leading and trailing driving pins from the notches in the adjacent horn gears. Furthermore, such disengagement of the driving pins was actually necessary to compensate for the increase in the center-to-center distance between the trailing notch of one gear and the leading notch of the adjacent gear over the center-to-center distance between the driving pins.

Hence, in machines having carriers with the heart piece and lug type guiding and driving means or carriers with roller and pin type guiding and driving means momentary lose of control of the carriers at the crossing or transfer points which coupled with the centrifugal forces developed in the carriers caused the carriers to wobble and resulted in the development of excessive wear between the coacting surfaces of the carriers and the guiding and driving means of the machine thereby greatly limiting the speed of operation of the machine.

Summary 07 the invention Briefly summarized the invention resides in the provision of means in a braiding machine for moving strand supply carriers in oppositely directed intersecting sinuous paths including rotors, shuttle members on which the strand supply carriers are mounted and cooperating means on the rotors for driving the shuttle members, means for maintaining the cooperating means on the shuttle members and the individual rotors in driving engagement and for guiding the shuttle members through the intersecting portions of their paths in a manner to transfer the shuttle members between adjacent rotors while maintaining the cooperating means on the shuttle members and adjacent rotors in driving engagement.

Description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a plan view of a braiding deck of a horizontal braiding machine having mechanism according to the invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along the line and in the direction of the arrows 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of the strand carrier supporting means and driving means therefor taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line and in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIG. 2,;

FIG. 5 is a sectional View taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 66 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are views similar to a portion of FIG. 4 but with the parts shown in different positions relative to each other.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings there is shown a braiding head or deck 10 of a horizontal type braiding machine for forming braided coverings on high pressure tubular hose and the like including an annular housing 11 secured to and supported by legs 12 on a base member 15 (FIG. 1). The housing 11 has a rear wall 16, an outer wall 17 and an inner wall 20 (FIG. 2) defining an inner circular opening 21 through which the hose passes from other similar braiding heads or other heads or stations at which other operations are performed in forming the hose.

Mounted in the rear wall 16 on a circular center line concentric with the axial center of the housing is a series of like hearing members 22 for rotatably supporting rotors 25 for driving shuttle members 26, each of which supports a strand supply carrier, diagrammatically shown at 28 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, along intersecting sinuous paths in opposite directions around a braiding point 29, in a manner to be hereinafter described. Each of the bearing members 22 has a flange 27 adapted to be secured to the outer face of Wall 16 by bolts 30, a bearing portion 31 interfitting a bore 32 in the wall 16 and a bearing portion 35 of reduced diameter for mounting inner races of ball bearings 36 and 37. The inner races of bearings 36 and 37, which are separated by a spacer sleeve 40, are retained in position on the portion 35 between a shoulder 41 formed between bearing portions 31 and 35 of the member 22 and a C-ring 42 or the like carried in a groove 45 in the portion 35.

Each of the rotors 25 includes a member 46 mounted on outer races of the bearings 36 and 37, the member 46 having a gear portion 47 adapted for meshing engagement with the gear portions of next adjacent rotors whereby alternate rotors of the series will be caused to rotate in a direction opposite to intermediate rotors for purposes hereinafter set forth. The rotors are rotated by a gear 43 meshing with the gear portion 47 of one of the rotors, the gear 43 being driven by gears 44 and a chain or belt 48 from a drive shaft 49 as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1. Each member 46 is provided with a flange 50 having spaced openings 51 for receiving reduced portions 52 at one end of posts 55, the posts being secured in the flange by nuts 56 threadably carried on the ends of portions 52. The other ends of posts are similarly provided with reduced portions 57 inserted through openings 60 in a second flange 61 secured to the posts by nuts 62 threadably carried on portions 57. The flange 61 is provided with a bore 65 adapted to receive an outer race of a ball bearing 66, the outer race being retained in the bore between a shoulder 67 formed at one end of the bore and a C-ring 70 carried in an annular groove 71 in the bore 65. The inner race of the ball bearing 66 is mounted on a stub shaft 72 carried in a bore 75 in the end of the member 22 remote from the flange 27 (FIG. 2).

The flanges 50 and 61 of the rotors 25 are provided with recesses 76 alternating with portions 77. The corresponding portions 77 in each of the flanges of alternate rotors have aligned notches 80 formed in the outer periphery thereof adjacent a wall 81 defining one end of each recess 76 (FIGS. 4 and 6). The flange portions 77 of alternate rotors are also provided with aligned elongated notches 82 each having a surface 85 concentric to the axial center of the rotor and extending inwardly from a wall 86 defining the other end of each recess 76, the inner end of the surface 85 being connected to the outer periphery of the portion 77 by an end surface 87. In the intervening rotors 25 the portions 77 on the flanges 50 and 61 are provided with notches 80 and 82 which are reversed in order as compared to the alternate rotors (FIG. 1) so that like notches meet in next adjacent rotors during rotation thereof in opposite directions.

The shuttle members 26 each include a. frame 90 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) having flanges 91, 92, and 93 and a support flange 94, on which a strand supply carrier 28 is mounted, which are joined to each other by transversely extending ribs 95, a center shaft 96 mounted in the flanges intermediate the ribs, and end shafts 97 also mounted in the flanges but equidistant from the center of shaft 96 and at opposite sides thereof. Each of the shafts 97 rotatably carries a spool-like roller 100 having a portion 101 for engagement with the notches 80 and 82 in the flanges 54) of the rotors 25, flanges 102, flanking the portion 101, for engagement with opposite side faces of the flange 50 and a hub 105. Also rotatably mounted on each of the shafts 97 between the flange 93 and a C-ring 106 carried in a groove in the shaft, is a roller 107 for engagement with the notches 80 and 82 in the flange 61.

A roller 111i rotatably mounted on each of the shafts 97 adjacent the roller 100 is adapted to engage outer guide surfaces 111 concentric to the center of each rotor 25 and defined by a flange 112 extending inwardly of the wall 17 of the housing 11, and similar inner guide surfaces 115, having the same radius as surfaces 111, defined by a flange 116 extending inwardly of the inner Wall of the housing. A roller 117 of the same diameter as roller 111] is rotatably mounted on each shaft 97 for engagement with outer guide surfaces 120, aligned with and having the same radius as surfaces 111, defined by a flange 121 extending inwardly of the wall 17 of housing 11 and guide surfaces 122, aligned with and having the same radius as surfaces 115, defined by a flange 125 extending inwardly of the wall 20 of the housing. The rollers 100 and 110 are retained against axial movement on the shafts 97 by the flange 91 of the shuttle frame 90 and a split collar 126 clamped to the shafts as by screws 127 (FIG. 3) and the rollers 117 are retained against axial movement on the shafts by C-rings 130 (FIGS. 2 and 5) carried in grooves in the shafts at opposite sides of the rollers.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 96 of each shuttle member between C-rings 132, carried in grooves in the shaft, is a roller adapted to engage the surfaces 111 and 115 defined by the flanges 112 and 116, respectively, and a roller 136 also rotatably mounted on the shaft between the flanges 93 and a C-ring 137 is adapted to engage the surfaces 120 and 122 defined by the flanges 121 and 125, respectively. Also rotatably mounted between C-rings 139 on the shaft 96 of each of the shuttle members 25 adapted to follow a clockwise path, indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 1, is a roller 140 adapted to engage a cam 141 associated with each of the rotors 25, the cam 141 having a portion 142 parallel to the guide surfaces 111, 120 or 115, 122, and diverging portions 145. As will be seen in FIG. 6 the positions of the cams 141 associated with adjacent rotors is reversed so that the surface 142 of one cam is parallel to surfaces 111 and 120 while the surface 142 of the next adjacent cam is parallel to the surfaces 115 and 122. Also as shown in FIG. 6 the portions 145 of adjacent cams 141 are in facing relationship to each other.

The shaft 96 of each of the shuttle members 25 adapted to follow the counterclockwise path, indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 1, rotatably carries a first transfer means comprising a roller 146 (FIG. 6) for engagement with a second transfer means comprising a cam 147 associated with each rotor 25, the cam having a surface 150, parallel to the surfaces 111, 120 or 115, 122, and diverging portions 151. The function of the first and second transfer means is hereinafter set forth in detail. As will also he noted in FIG. 6 the positions of the cams 147 associated with adjacent rotors is reversed so that the surface 150 of one cam 147 is parallel to surfaces 115 and 122 while the surface 150 of the next adjacent cam is parallel to the surfaces 111 and 120. Also the portions 151 of adjacent cams 147 are in facing relationship to each other. The cams 141 and 147 associated with each rotor are mounted on the stub shaft 72 and secured to the end of the bearing member 22 for the rotor as by screws 152 (FIGS. 2 and 6) and the rollers 140 and 146 are positioned on the shafts 96 at the level of the cams they engage.

In operation one group of shuttle members identified as 26a are driven in the counterclockwise direction A and a second group of shuttle members identified as 26b are driven in the clockwise direction B. The notches 80 and 82 in the flanges 50 and 61 of the rotors 25 are arranged so that the trailing rollers 100 and 107 of the shuttle members are engaged in the notches 80 adjacent one side of recesses 76 and the leading rollers 100 and 107 are engaged in the notches 82 adjacent the other side of the recesses. During movement of the shuttle members 26a and 26b with the individual rotors, rollers 110, 135, and

117, 136 alternately engage the outer and inner surfaces 111, 120, and 115, 122 respectively, to maintain the rollers 100 and 107 in engagement with the notches 80 and 82 in the rotors. Also at this time the roller 146 on each of the shuttle members 26a moving in the counterclockwise direction A alternately engages the cams 147 of the adjacent rotors, and the rollers 140 on each of the shuttle members 26b moving in the clockwise direction B alternately engage the cams 141 of the adjacent rotors.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 to 9, during movement of a shuttle member 26a, in the counterclockwise direction A between adjacent rotors, after the rollers 110 and 117 at the leading end of the shuttle member pass the ends of the outer surfaces 111 and 120 respectively, associated with a rotor indicated at a, engagement of the rollers 110 and 117 at the trailing end of the shuttle member, and engagement of the rollers 135 and 13-5 on the shuttle member, with the surfaces 111 and 120 maintain the leading rollers 110 and 117 in engagement with the notches 82 in the rotor 25a. As the rotors continue to rotate the notches 82 in the rotor 25a and the adjacent rotor indicated at 25b converge and meet with the leading rollers 100 and 107 of the shuttle member 26a in engagement with the ends 87 of the notches as shown in FIG. 7. At this time the rollers 110 and 117 at the trailing end of the shuttle member 26a and the rollers 135 and 136 on the shuttle member continue to engage the surfaces 111 and 120 associated with the rotor 25a and the roller 146 on the shuttle member is still in engagement with the surface 150 of the cam 147 associated with the rotor 25a.

During continued rotation of the rotors the rollers 135 and 136 of the shuttle member 26a move out of engagement with the surfaces 111 and 120, respectively, associa ed with the rotor 25a and the roller 146 passes from surface 150 to a portion 151 of cam 147 to transfer the rollers 100 and 107 at the leading end of the shuttle member to the notches 82 in the adjacent rotor 25b as the paths of the notches diverge as shown in FIG. 4. Also it will be noted in FIG. 4 that the distance between the notches 80 in the rotor 25a and the ends 87 of the notches 82 in the adjacent rotor 25b has increased slightly so that at this time the leading rollers 100 and 107 in the shuttle are momentarily out of engagement with the end surfaces 87 of the notches 82. As the rotors continue to rotate the leading rollers 110 and 117 on the shuttle member 26a engage the surfaces 115 and 122 associated with the rotor 25b to hold the leading rollers 100 and 107 in the notches 82 in the rotor 251:. Also at this time the roller 146 is held between the portions 151 of the cams associated with both rotors 25a and 25b and the trailing rollers 110 and 117 are in engagement with the surfaces 111 and 120 respectively, associated with the rotor 25a to hold the trailing rollers 100 and 107 in the notches 80 of the rotor 25a, as shown in FIG. 8.

As the rotors continue to rotate the trailing rollers 110 and 117 on the shuttle 26a move out of engagement with the surfaces 111 and 120 associated with the rotor 25a and at this time engagement of the roller 146 with the cam 147 associated with the rotor 25]) maintains the trailing rollers 100 and 107 in driving engagement in the notches 80 of the rotor 25a until the corresponding notches 80 in the rotors 25a and 25b converge and meet and the rollers 135 and 136 engage the surfaces 115 and 122, respectively, associated with the rotor 2512, as shown in FIG. 9. At this time since both leading and trailing rollers 100 and 107 are in engagement with the notches 80 and 82 in the rotor 25b the leading rollers 100 and 107 are again in engagement with the end surfaces of the notches 82. Thereafter as the rotors continue to rotate engagement of the leading rollers 110 and 117 and the rollers 135 and 136 with the surfaces 115 and 122 associated with the rotor 25!) maintains the trailing rollers 6 and 107 in driving engagement with the notches 80 in the rotor 25b until the trailing rollers 110 and 117 also engage the surfaces and 122 associated with the rotor 25b to hold the trailing rollers 100 and 107 in the notches 80 therein.

It is believed to be obvious from the foregoing that cooperation of the leading and trailing rollers 110 and 117 and the rollers and 136 on the shuttle members 26a with the concentric surfaces of the housing 11 and the cooperation of the rollers 146 with the cams 147 maintain the shuttle members in positive driving engagement with the rotors 25 and control the shuttle members to effect the smooth transfer of the shuttle members 26a between the adjacent rotors. Also it is believed to be obvious that cooperation between the various rollers on the shuttle members 26b which are driven in the direction B with the concentric surfaces of the housing 11 and cooperation of the rollers 140 with the cams 141 maintains these shuttle members in driving engagement with the rotors and effect the transfer of these shuttles between adjacent rotors in the same manner as shuttle members 26a.

It will be understood that the improvement specifically shown and described by which the above results are obtained can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. In a braiding machine having strand supply carriers adapted to be moved along intersecting sinuous paths in opposite directions around a braiding point, a housing, a circular series of rotors mounted in said housing, intermeshing gear means on said rotors whereby adjacent ones of said rotors are adapted to be rotated in opposite directions, shuttle members on which said strand supply carriers are mounted, and means for moving said shuttle members to move said strand supply carriers thereon along said intersecting sinuous paths in said opposite directions, the improvement wherein said means includes spaced pairs of notches in said rotors, first rollers on each of said shuttle members for engagement in said pairs of notches in said rotors, second rollers on each of said shuttle members, a third roller on each of said shuttle members, outer and inner concentric surfaces on said housing associated with each of said rotors, a first transfer means on each of said shuttle members, and a second transfer means associated with each of said rotors, said second and third rollers on said shuttle members cooperating with said outer and inner concentric surfaces to maintain said first rollers in engagement with said pairs of notches in said rotors associated therewith, and said second and third rollers cooperating with said outer and inner concentric surfaces and said first transfer means on said shuttle members cooperating with said second transfer means associated with adjacent rotors to transfer said first rollers from said pairs of notches in one of said adjacent rotors to the pairs of notches in the other of said adjacent rotors.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which said spaced pairs of notches are formed in first and second flanges on each of said rotors, and there is a first pair of said first rollers on each of said shuttle members for engaging the pairs of notches in said first flange and a second pair of said first rollers one each of said shuttle members for engaging the pairs of notches in said second flange.

3. In a machine according to claim 2 in which there is a pair of said second rollers associated with each of said first and second pairs of said first rollers on each of said shuttle members, and a third roller associated with each pair of said second rollers, and there are outer and inner concentric surfaces on said housing associated with each of said rotors for engagement with each pair of said second rollers and said third roller associated therewith.

4. In a machine according to claim 3 in which each of said first and second pair of said first rollers and a pair of said second rollers associated therewith are rotatably mounted on first and second shafts in said shuttle member and said third rollers associated with said pairs of said second rollers are rotatably mounted on a third shaft in said shuttle member.

5. In a machine according to claim 4 in which said first transfer means on each of said shuttle members comprises a fourth roller rotatably mounted on said third shaft, and said second transfer means associated with each of said rotors comprises cam means for cooperation with said fourth roller, said third shaft being positioned in said shuttle member intermediate said first and second shafts.

6. A machine according to claim 5 in which there are bearing members in said housing on which said rotors are rotatably mounted, and said cam means associated with said rotors is fixed on said bearing members.

7. A machine according to claim 6 in which said fourth rollers on said shuttle members for moving said strand supply carriers in one of said opposite directions and the fixed cam means associated therewith are at one level and said fourth rollers on said shuttle members for moving said strand supply carriers in the other of said opposite direction and the fixed cam means associated therewith are at another level.

8. A machine according to claim 7 in which one of said notches of said pairs in each of said flanges closely interfit one of said first rollers of each of said first and second pairs and the other of said notches of said pairs in each of said flanges is elongated, said elongated notches having end surfaces for engagement with the other of said first rollers of each of said first and second pairs when said rollers are in engagement with said pairs of notches in said rotors, and said elongated notches of said pairs permitting disengagement of said other of said first rollers of said first and second pairs from said end surfaces during transfer of said first rollers from said pairs of notches in one of said rotors to said pairs of notches in an adjacent rotor.

9. A machine according to claim 8 in which said first rollers of said first and second pairs in trailing positions in said shuttle members during movement in opposite directions engage in said closely interfitting notches of said pairs and said other of said first rollers of said first and second pairs in leading positions on said shuttle members engage in said elongated notches.

10. A machine according to claim 9 in which one of said pairs of said first rollers on each of said shuttle members is provided with flanges for engaging opposite side faces of one of said flanges on each of said rotors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 898,939 9/1908 Thun 8737 949,245 2/1910 Orthrnann S7-37 XR 1,011,632 12/1911 Luthe 8737 1,165,361 12/1915 Pegg 87-38 1,330,264 2/1920 Hardrnan 8738 XR 1,356,570 10/1920 Turney 8738 XR 1,358,173 11/1920 Penso et al. 87--38 XR 1,702,814 2/1929 Corbett 8737 JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner.

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