Braiding machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11680346-B2
Application number	US-202117301043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	May 9, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

In an aspect, a braiding machine is provided, and has a set of spool shuttles that each dispense a strand of flexible material under tension. A strand retractor releasably retracts the strands from the spool shuttles. A plurality of shuttle stations at which the spool shuttles can be positioned are arranged in a circuit. At least one shuttle carriage, when driven, repeatedly selects an immediately previously unselected spool shuttle and moves the immediately previously unselected spool shuttle from an associated shuttle station to another shuttle station along the circuit spaced from the associated shuttle station by at least one shuttle station that is intermediate the associated shuttle station and the other shuttle station. At least one spool shuttle is parkable at the at least one shuttle station. A drive arrangement is coupled to the shuttle carriage to drive the shuttle carriage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A braiding machine, comprising:
a housing;
a set of strand shuttles, each of the set of the strand shuttles having a strand holder positioned for holding a strand of flexible material and for dispensing the strand of flexible material;
a tensioner arm pivotably movable relative to the housing, and positioned and biased to releasably securely receive and apply tension to the strands from the strand shuttles to retract the strands;
a plurality of shuttle stations at which the strand shuttles can be parked, the plurality of shuttle stations being arranged in a circuit;
a plurality of shuttle carriages that, when driven, repeatedly select an immediately previously unselected subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles and moves each of the immediately previously unselected subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles from a subset of more than one of the plurality of the shuttle stations at which the immediately previously unselected subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles is parked to another subset of more than one plurality of the shuttle stations along the circuit so as to braid the strands of flexible material; and
a drive arrangement coupled to the plurality of shuttle carriages to drive the plurality of shuttle carriages, wherein the drive arrangement includes a gear that is operatively connected to all of the plurality of shuttle carriages to drive all of the plurality of shuttle carriages.

2. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a strand retractor that includes a strand guide having a passageway through which the strands pass and that is in a fixed position relative to the shuttle stations.

3. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tensioner arm has a strand clamp for releasably securely receiving the strands.

4. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the tensioner arm has a friction grip for receiving the strands when the strand clamp is opened.

5. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of the shuttle stations has a support surface and a notch extending through the support surface, and each of the set of the strand shuttles has a shuttle body with a shaft extending therefrom and defining an axis therethrough, the shaft being sized to fit within the notches and having an enlarged feature that is spaced from the shuttle body, the shuttle body and the enlarged feature being sized to prevent passage thereof axially through the notches at the plurality of the shuttle stations.

6. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shuttle carriages are rotatably mounted on a carousel that is rotatable relative to the plurality of the shuttle stations and the drive arrangement, the carousel being driven by the drive arrangement to rotate in a first direction, and the plurality of shuttle carriages being driven by the rotation of the carousel to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction.

7. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of the shuttle stations has a support surface and a notch extending through the support surface, and each of the set of the strand shuttles has a shuttle body with a shaft extending therefrom and defining an axis therethrough, the shaft being sized to fit within the notches, and wherein each of the at least subset of more than one of the plurality of shuttle carriages has engagement features that leave the shaft of each one of the subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles in the one of the plurality of the shuttle stations as the carousel is being rotated when the subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles is at a first elevation relative to a plane of the carousel, and that engage the shaft of the at least one of the set of the strand shuttles and transport the subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles out of the one of the plurality of the shuttle stations when the at least one of the set of the strand shuttles is at a second elevation relative to the rotation axis of the carousel.

8. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the shaft of each of the set of strand shuttles has an enlarged feature that is spaced from the shuttle body, and wherein the engagement features trap the enlarged features of the shafts of the strand shuttles when the subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles is at the second elevation relative to the rotation axis of the carousel.

9. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the carousel has a plurality of lifters that elevate the immediately previously unselected subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles from the first elevation to the second elevation when the carousel is driven by the drive arrangement.

10. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the carousel has a travel surface supporting the immediately previously unselected subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles at the second elevation.

11. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the carousel has a shuttle guide restricting movement of the immediately previously unselected subset of more than one of the set of the strand shuttles away from the at least one shuttle carriage.

12. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the shuttle guide has at least one loading slot that is alignable with each of the plurality of the shuttle stations for placing each of the set of the strand shuttles at a different one of the plurality of the shuttle stations.

13. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the drive arrangement has a manual crank coupled to the gear.

14. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the manual crank is restricted to rotation in a single direction via at least one pawl.

15. A braiding machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the set of the strand shuttles has a removable spool mounted thereon with the strand wound therearound, the removable spool resisting rotation and rotating upon application of a threshold tension on the dispensed strand.

Assignees

• Spin Master Ltd
• Fuse London Ltd

Inventors

• Whitehead Brian
• Jameson Mollie B
• Chan Herman

Classifications

• D04C3/16 Primary

  for horizontal spools · CPC title

• D04C3/42 Primary

  with means for forming sheds by controlling guides for individual threads · CPC title

• D04C3/00

  Braiding or lacing machines · CPC title

• D04C3/38

  Driving-gear; Starting or stopping mechanisms · CPC title

• D04C3/48

  Auxiliary devices · CPC title