US3408893A - Braider carrier - Google Patents

Description

J. SINGH Nov. 5, 1968 BRAIDER CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 23, 1966 J. SINGH BRAIDER CARRIER Nov. 5, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 23 1966 J. SINGH 3,408,893

BRAIDER CARRIER Nov. 5, 1968 Filed May 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 5, 1968 J. SINGH 3,408,893

' BRAIDER CARRIER Filed May 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 99 mo 95/0/ ITIIIIIIIIIIIII 3,408,893 BRAIDER CARRIER Jagmohan Singh, Reading, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 23, 1966, Ser. No. 552,332 13 Claims. (Cl. 87-21) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A braider carrier particularly for use in the reinforcement of high pressure hose and the like, the carrier havinga support for a plurality of coils of individual wires which when drawn from the coils make up a braiding strand, and a rotatable control unit carrying a wire clamping and tensioning device which serves to clamp the wires to draw them from the coils when the control unit is rotated in one direction and which serves, when the control unit is rotated in the opposite direction, to first provide an untensioned supply of the wires and thereafter when said rotation reaches a given position to release said clamping action and perform its tensioning function as the wires are drawn therethrough by the braiding action.

The present invention relates to braiding machines of the type employed in the reinforcement of high pressure hose and the like with metallic or other strands and particularly to the strand carriers employed in such machines.

In the production of high pressure hose it is conventional to provide abraided covering of strands each composed of a number of parallel steel wires or other high strength filaments, hereinafter referred to as Wires and each strand being supplied from an individual carrier. For optimum reinforcement, each of the wires making up a strand or band should be under substantially equal tension and the strand supplied by each carrier should be under substantially the same tension as the strands supplied by the other carriers.

Under prior practice the wires to be drawn from each carrier were wound on a single bobbin and the let-off tension was applied to the entire band of wires making up the braiding strand. Although attempts were made to equalize the tension on the individual wires, due to geometry of the braiding process and unavoidable errors in the winding of the bobbin such equalization was impossible of attainment with the result that a braid of poor quality was produced. In attempts to overcome the above mentioned difiiculties more recently carriers have been devised which employed an individual bobbin for each Wire and have means for controlling the let-off torque of each individual bobbin. However these carriers also have their disadvantages particularly due to the fact that the tension of the individual wires is still affected by imperfections in the winding of the bobbins. Also the tension is affected by the inertia forces involved, such forces being dependent on the amount of wire present on each bobbin and changing with changes in speed of rotation of the bobbins. Further the carriers employing a separate bobbin for each wire have, in the constructions heretofore employed, been of low wire carrying capacity making their use uneconomical. It also should be noted that at least in many cases the single bobbin carrying all of the wires, if the tension problem can be solved, offers economies in braider operation as compared to the multiple bobbin carrier.

The principal object of the instant invention is the provision of a braider carrier which eliminates the problems inherent in the prior practice and more particularly nited States Patent 3,408,893 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 an object is the provision of a braider carrier in which the individual wires making up each strand, whether they are coiled on a single bobbin common to the several wires or on individual bobbins, are preliminarily drawn from the bobbin to provide a supply of untensioned wires to make up a braiding strand and thereafter are drawn from such untensioned supply through tensioning means during the let-off period. As a result the length of each wire fed to the braiding point is determined solely by the demand of the braiding geometry and the tension on each wire is determined solely by the tension device, neither the original condition of the wires on the bobbin or bobbins, nor other such factors, in any way affecting the tension in the wires delivered to the braiding point or the lengths so delivered.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a braider carrier attaining the foregoing objects comprising one or a series of supply bobbins mounted for relatively free rotation on a spindle and a control device adapted, at certain points of the travel of the carrier, to withdraw the wires making up the strand from the bobbin or bobbins to provide an untensioned supply, and thereafter at another point in the travel of the carrier to release the wires in strand form toward the braiding point with each wire being under substantially uniform tension.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a control unit for a braider carrier as referred to in the last previous object comprising a rotatable body, spring means resisting rotation of the body in one direction, wire tensioning and clamping means, and means for causing the tensioning and clamping means to exert its clamping function during rotation of the body in said one direction to withdraw the wires of the braiding strand from their bobbin or bobbins and to release the wires for movement under tension when the body is rotated in an opposite direction to a given position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier capable of uniform control of the tension of the individual Wires as mentioned above but without sacrifice of wire carrying capacity and/ or the use of maximum strand tensions.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a carrier adapted for braiding at higher speeds than possible with the conventional type carriers.

The invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description to follow and to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a portion of a braider deck illustrating carriers embodying the instant invention employed therewith;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale of a braider carrier embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view generally taken longitudinally through the carrier on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows but with a control unit of the carrier rotated to a position approximately ninety degrees from its position of FIG. 2 for the purpose of more clearly illustrating certain parts;

FIG. 4a is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 4 illustrating a modified structure;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 77 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a detailed elevational view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the carrier looking in the direction of the arrow 8 of FIG. 2;

. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 1010 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 8 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a braider deck illustrating the operation of a carrier embodying the instant invention; and

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of a control unit, embodied in the carrier of the instant invention, during the braiding action.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown a portion of the deck or raceway 10 of a braiding machine of the type employed in the covering of high pressure hose and the like. The deck is provided with intersecting slots 11 and 12 of generally cycloidal shape defining the serpentine paths along which the braider carriers 14 travel, the carriers being driven by conventional gearing (not shown). While in FIG. 1 only two of the carriers are illustrated, traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in one of the slots, it will be understood that there are, as is conventional, a succession of carriers in each slot the carriers in the two slots traveling in opposite directions. Strands 15 are drawn from the carriers and braided about a tubular core such as a hose 16 at a braiding point spaced from the center of the deck.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2 to 11 inclusive the braider carriers 14, to which the present invention is specifically directed, each comprise the usual foot 17 rigidly fixed to a base plate 18. Secured to the base plate as by screws 20 is a bobbin container or can 21. The function of container 21 is to provide a low clearance envelope around the bobbin, where an individual bobbin for each wire is employed, so that any loose wire on the bobbin cannot interfere with other bobbins, and where a single bobbin is employed, to provide a storage space between the container wall and the bobbin for excess wire which may become accumulated during the braiding operation due either to nonuniform lengths being laid during winding or to unequal demand for the wires making up the strand during the braiding process.

The container or can 21 includes an end plate 22, a removable cap 23 and an outer cylindrical wall 24 fixed to the end plate 22. Cap 23 is provided with an annular groove 25 receiving the upper edge of cylindrical wall 24 with a slip fit. A key 26 engaged in aligned grooves in a lip of cap 23 and in wall 24 serves to prevent relative rotation between the cap and the wall. Wall 24 is provided with a vertical slot extending from adjacent the end plate 22 to the upper rim of the cylindrical wall for withdrawal of the wires 9 making up the strand. As illustrated particularly in FIG. 6, overlying slot 30 is a thin metal plate 27 having one margin secured to the wall 24 and the other margin free. Plate 27 carries a strip 28 of felt or the like on the surface facing wall 24, the plate and felt serving to exert a relatively light restraining force on the wires or other filaments as they are pulled through the slot. Wall 24 is also provided with diametrically opposed longitudinally extending access slots 31.

. A wire guiding and assembling member 29 is seecured to wall 24 suitably diametrically opposite slot 30 and approximately midway of the height of container 21. Member 29 may take different forms but in the embodiment shown comprises a disc 34 contoured to fit flat against the wall and secured thereto and a plate 35 having one end secured to disc 34 and its other end secured to a filler strip 36 which in turn is fixed to wall 24 (see FIGS. 2 and 6) whereby the plate is spaced from th wall to permit the several wires 9 to pass therebeneath against the curved surface of disc 34.

A hollow spindle 32 extends axially of the container 21 the spindle having a flange 33 at its lower end intcrfitting a slot 38 in end plate 22. A pin 37 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) is inserted in aligned perforations in base plate 18 and end plate 22 and in a groove formed in flange 33 to. secure the spindle against rotation'relative to the base plate and container. 1

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 a series of bobbins 40 are mounted on the spindle for free rotation in the space between the spindle'and the wall 24 each bobbin being wound with one of the wires 9 making -up a braiding strand 15. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 4a, a single elongated bobbin or spool 41 may be employed the bobbin being dividedinto compartments for the individual wires 9 by annular adjustably positioned dividers 42. The adaptability of the carrier of the instant invention to use the multiple wound single bobbin of FIG. 4a gives it certain advantages over a carrier requiring thejmultiple bobbins of FIG. 4. Thus the winding of the wires or other filaments thereon may be more economically and efiiciently accomplished. Furthermore the construction of FIG. 4a is readily susceptible to adjustment to accommodate different numbers of wires. For example where fewer than the maximum number of compartments, into which the bobbin may be divided by dividers 42, is required it is only necessary to place the excess dividers 42, which are readily shiftable on the bobbin, at one end or the other of the bobbin and employ the remainder to define the required number of compartments each in such case having an increased wire capacity. 7

A bracket 45 is secured to the outer wall of the container (FIGS. 2 to 5) the bracket carrying guide pulleys 46 and 47 which receive the strands of assembled wires or filaments from a control unit now to be described and direct the strand through a guide eye 48 to the braiding point.

The control unit indicated generally at 50 see FIGS. 2 to 4 and 8 to 11) comprises a cylindrical body 51 mounted with a slip fit on the end of a stub shaft 52 and secured thereon against upward axial movement by a screw 53 having an enlarged head and threaded into the end portion of the stub shaft. Stub shaft 52 extends axially into the interior of hollow spindle 32 and includes an enlarged lower end or hub 54 to which is secured one end of a torsion spring 55. The lower end of the spring is attached to a pin 56 projecting upwardly from base plate 18. A collar 47 is mounted on stub shaft 52 beneath body 51 and is pinned thereto for rotation therewith by a plurality of pins 58 (see FIGS. 3, 4 and.10). Collar 57 is provided with a plurality of pairs of diametrically opposed slots 60 extending through the full thickness of the collar 57 and opening into the bore of the collar. The pairs of slots are adapted to selectively receive the projecting ends 61 of a locking pin 62 received in a radial bore in the stub shaft. Collar 57 is also provided with a radially extending bore 63 in which a pin 64 is mounted the pm having an end projecting beyond the collar into the space between the collar and an annular flange 67 of cap 23. A portion 65 of the Wall of the hollow spindle 32 pro ects into said space and defines a shoulder or stop 66 for pin 64 thus limiting the rotation of collar 57 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 10.

A threaded portion 70 is formed on stub shaft 52 below collar 57 the threaded portion receiving ring .nut 71 threaded thereon. Also a threaded portion 72 is provided in a recessed portion 73 formed in the interior wall of hollow spindle 32 directly opposite the threaded portion 70. A ring nut 74 is mounted on the threaded portion 72. The upper surfaces of ring nuts 71 and 74 are preferably slightly below collar 57 to prevent rubbing. Ring nut 71 confines the inner races of an antifriction hearing such as ball bearings 75 between it and a flange 76 on stub shaft 52 and similarly ring nut 74 confines the outer races of the bearing between it and the shoulder defining the lower end of recess 73.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 8, 9 and 11 body 51 has a recess 78 in the vertical wall thereof the recess accommodating tensioning and locking means for the wires 9 the tensioning and locking means being illustrated generally at 80. The tensioning and locking means comprises a plurality of superposed plate members 81 having aligned perforations adjacent their ends to loosely receive pins 82 and 83, the pins in turn being supported in flanges 84 and 85 defining the upper and lower walls respectively of the recess. A leaf spring 86 is interposed between each pair of the plate members and when com pressed to a flattened form is received in a recess 102 in the plate member 81 below it. Each leaf spring is perforated adjacent one end to receive pin 82 and is notched adjacent the other to receive pin 83 with suflicient longitudinal clearance to permit the leaf spring to be pressed from a bowed to a fully flattened state.

The lower flange 85 is perforated or cut away as at 103 to accommodate a compression spring 87 the upper end of which bears against the lower of the plate members and the lower end of which is received in a socket 88 formed in a horizontal arm 92 of an L-shaped follower lever 89. A vertical arm 90 of the follower lever is pivotally mounted on a pin 91 extending from flange 85. The horizontal arm 92 of the follower lever has a forked end portion 93 rotatably supporting a follower roller 94 adapted to ride on a track 95 formed in an outer flange 96 of cap 23. Track 95 includes a horizontal portion 97 suitably constituting the upper edge of the flange and a portion defined by a recess in the flange, said last mentioned portion including a downwardly inclined section 98 and a flat or horizontal section 99 terminating at a wall 100 of the recessed portion. The junction 101 of horizontal portion 97 and inclined section 98 is suitably spaced approximately 230 degrees in a clockwise direction (FIG. or to the left (FIG. 8) from stop 66. The force exerted by spring 87, when the spring is held compressed by lever arm 89 with roller 94 riding on horizontal track portions 97 as illustrated in FIG. 8, is suflicient to overcome the combined pressure exerted by the leaf springs 86, whereby the leaf springs are reduced to their flattened states at such time and forced into the recesses 102 (see FIG. 11), and to urge the plate members into wire clamping relationship.

A strand guide roll 105 is mounted for free rotation on a horizontal pin 106 projecting from the base wall of an extension 107 of recess 78, the guide roll serving to receive wires 9 drawn from the bobbin or bobbins and to direct them to tension device 80. Guide rollers 108 and 109 are mounted on vertical pins 110 and 111 respective- 1y,- the ends of the pins being carried by the upper and lower flanges 84 and 85 respectively. Guide rollers 108 and 109 are so located as to deliver wires 9 between the superposed plate members in alignment with grooves 112 extending longitudinally of the plates as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 11. The grooves 112 are each suitably of a width to receive a wire therein but are of a depth substantially less than the diameter of the wire whereby when roller 94 is on a high portion of its cam track as illustrated in FIG. 8 the wires 9 are clamped against movement relatively to the control means.

The operation of the carriers during the braiding action will be hereinafter explained in more detail but from the above description of the various mechanisms it will be understood that torsion spring 55 when loaded tends to rotate control unit 50 comprising body 51 and collar 57 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 toward stop 66 and to maintain roller 94 on the high portion 97 of its cam track with each wire 9 clamped between two of the plate members of the tensioning and clamping means as described above. Once the clamping action has been effected continued rotation of the control unit under the influence of the spring will cause the wires 9 to be drawn from the bobbin or bobbins in container 21. Upon reverse rotation of the control unit against the bias of spring 55, such reverse rotation taking place because of the travel of the braider carrier and the demand for the strand as will be hereinafter explained, the wires 9 previously drawn from the bobbin or bobbins provide an untensioned wire supply between the bobbin and the tensioning and clamping means. When the reverse rotation continues to the point that roller 94 rides down inclined cam track portion 98 sufliciently to relieve the pressure of spring 87 on plate members 81 and permit the wires 9 to be pulled therebetween the wires are drawn from this untensioned supply. Hence at the time of let-otf the tension in the wires is determined solely by the tensioning device 80.

The several braiding carriers are prepared for use in the braiding operation as follows. Screw 53 is removed from the end of stub shaft 52 and body 51 and cap 23 slipped upwardly off the shaft. A plurality of individual bobbins as illustrated in FIG. 4, or a single compartmented bobbin as illustrated in FIG. 4a, are then slipped onto the hollow spindle 32 for free rotation thereon and the wires 9 of the individual bobbins or compartments are pulled out and inserted in slot 30 beneath plate 27. Cap 23 is then replaced and secured against rotation by key 26 It will be assumed for the purpose of this discussion that the torsion spring 55 is in a relaxed state at this stage. To load the spring, collar 57 is slid upwardly on stub shaft 52 to raise notches 60 above the level of the pin 62. A tool of suitable type is applied to the extending end of the stub shaft, which may be perforated as at 113 to receive a portion of the tool, and the stub shaft is turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 10, to load the spring to the desired value, the number of turns required having been empirically predetermined. With the stub shaft held against further rotation by the tool, collar 57 is adjusted to bring pin 64 into a predetermined relationship with shoulder 66 and is then slipped downwardly on the stub shaft into contact with the extending ends 61 of pin 62. The stub shaft is then given any additional slight rotation necessary to bring ends 61 of pin 62 into alignment with the most adjacent pair of notches 60, the collar then beingslipped downwardly to its final position. Collar 57 is allowed to turn under influence of spring 55 until pin 64 contacts shoulder 66 and then the tool is removed. Body 51 is then slipped onto the end of the shaft and rotatably adjusted until pins 58 are in line with their associated openings in collar 57. Suitably pins 58 are unequally spaced to insure that body 51 will be correctly positioned on collar 57. With the pins 58 in alignment with their openings body 51 is slid downwardly substantially to its final position.

The wires 9 which, as previously mentioned, have been drawn out through slot 30 are thereaded through wire guiding and assembling member 29 and then carried around the cylindrical wall 24 to guide roll and around roller 109. Each individual wire 9 is then placed between a pair of the plates 81 to lie in the groove 112. The placing of the wires is suitably performed before body 51 is completely lowered to its operative position and in consequence the force of spring 87 is sufficiently relieved that leaf springs 86 force the plates apart for easy positioning of the wires. The wires 9 are then drawn around roller 108 and from thence the assembled strand of wires is guided around rollers 46 and 47 and led through thread guide 48. Body 51 is then moved to its fully down position and screw 53 screwed into the end of stub shaft 52. With each of the carriers similarly prepared the strands from the several carriers are drawn to the braiding point where they are secured to the hose or other core and the braiding operation is then begun.

Reference will now be made particularly to FIGS. 12

and 13 the former diagrammatically indicating a portion of the serpentine path of one of the braider carriers of the instant invention traveling in a generally clockwise direction around braiding point 122, and the latter illustrating various positions of the clamping and tensioning member 80 relatively to certain fixed points on the carrier at different stages in the travel of the carrier. It will be understood that the actual positions of the clamping and tensioning member 80 at the different stages will vary depending upon the diameter of the hose, the character of the carrier path and other fatcors, the following explanation being however typical of the operation of the carrier. It will also be assumed that the carrier has been installed in its raceway at the location 121 FIG. 12) and that upon attachment of the braiding strand to the hose, roller 94 of the clamping and tensioning device is on the high level of its cam track adjacent the junction 101 of the horizontal and inclined portions (see FIG. 13).

Upon start-up the carrier travels in the direction indicated by the arrow (FIG. 12), i.e. approaching the braiding point 122, until it reaches point 123. During the movement of the carrier between points 120 and 123 torsion spring 55 causes the control unit to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 13 to maintain tension on the braiding strand. Inasmuch as the roller 94 is on the high level 97 of its cam track, plates 81 are in clamping relationship with the wires 9 preventing slipping between the wires and clamping plates.

Continued movement of the roller along the track, and

following the take-up of any slack in the wires between the bobbins and the control unit, causes lengths of the wires to be drawn from their bobbins this occurring upon rotation of the tensioning and locking means 80 in a counterclockwise direction from say point 130 to point 124 (FIG. 13) and movement of the carrier from say point 121 to point 123 (FIG. 12).

As the carrier continues its movement from the point 123 (FIG. 12), and now generally away from the braiding point, the demand for the braiding strand causes the control unit to be rotated against the bias of torsion spring 55 or in a clockwise direction away from point 124, roller 94 finally reaching junction 101 and starting down the inclined portion 98. During this rotation of the control unit slack is created in the wires between the control unit and the bobbins. At this time the carrier has reached approximately the point 125 (FIG. 12) of its serpentine path. The demand for the braiding strand continuing, the roller rides down inclined track portion 98 say to the point 129 (FIG. 13) where the force of spring 87 is sufficiently reduced to release the clamping action of plates 81 on the wires 9 the control unit then remaining substantially stationary and the wires being drawn between the plates under the controlled tension exerted by the plates under the force of spring 87 to let off or feed additional lengths of the wires to the braiding operation, this situation continuing until the carrier has reached the point 126. As will be understood the wires are supplied during this let-off period entirely from the supply previously drawn from the bobbins and which, due to the rotation of unit 80 from point 124 to and beyond junction 101 is now slack as mentioned above and entirely tension free.

As the carrier moves from point 126 again generally toward the braiding point the bias of torsion spring 55 causes rotation of the control unit in a counterclockwise direction toward point 124 (FIG. 13) roller 94 riding onto and then continuing on the high portion 97 of its cam track whereby the clamping and tensioning device again asserts and maintains its clamping action on the wires 9. As soon as the tensioning and locking means 80 has rotated in a counterclockwise direction to take up any slack and tension the wires extending between it and the bobbin, that is when the carrier has reached say point 128 (FIG. 12) and the tensioning and locking means is at the point 8 130 (FIG. 13), the take-01f of wire from the bobbin will occur as before the take-off continuing until the carrier reaches approximately the point 127. In the meantime the tensioning and locking means has rotated to approximately point 124 (FIG. 13).

The above described operations of the carrier as it travels between point 123 and 127 (FIG. 12) will be repeated for each corresponding portion of the serpentine path of the carrier.

The torsion springs of the carriers will of course be adjusted to the same degree and hence each of the carriers will operate in exactly the same manner as the others. The wires making up the braiding strand of each carrier, when released toward the braiding point upon let-oft, will be under only that tension exerted by the plates 81 and spring 87 of the tensioning device. Hence both the tensions under which they are delivered to the braiding point and the lengths delivered are uninfluenced by any irregularities which may be present in the windings on the single bobbin or multiple bobbins, as the case may be, or by other bobbin conditions.

Having thus described the invention in rather complete detail it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to, and that various changes and modifications may be made all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a braider carrier, means supporting a plurality of coils of individual wires which, when drawn from said coils, are adapted to collectively comprise a braiding strand, means for withdrawing wire lengths from said coils and for forming an untensioned supply thereof, and means providing for withdrawal of said wires under controlled tension from said untensioned supply.

2. A braider carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for withdrawing wire lengths from said coils comprises a control unit rotatable in one direction to perform said wire withdrawing function, said unit comprising means for clamping said wires during rotation in said one direction.

3. A braider carrier as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for providing for withdrawal of said wires from said untensioned supply comprises means to release the clamping action of said clamping means when said control unit is rotated to a given point in a direction opposite to said one direction.

4. A braider carrier as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for clamping said wires comprises a stack of plate members between pairs of which individual ones of said wires are positioned and there is means urging said plate members toward clamping relationship with said wires.

5. A braider carrier as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for urging said plate members toward clamping relationship with said wires comprises spring means and said means to release the clamping action of said clamping means comprises means for reducing the pressure of said spring means on said plate members.

6. A braider carrier as defined in claim 2 wherein there is yieldable means urging rotation of said control unit in said one direction.

7. A braicler carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for supporting a plurality of coils of wires comprises a spindle concentric with said coils and there is means separating the coils from each other.

8. A braider carrier as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for separating said coils from each other comprises a flanged spool for each coil.

9. A braider carrier as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for separating said coils from each other comprises annular dividers shiftable axially of said spindle to define coil receiving compartments.

10. A braider carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said means supporting a plurality of coils of individual wires comprises a spindle and a coil receiving container.

11. In a braider carrier, means for supporting a plurality of coils of individual wires which, when drawn from said coils are adapted to collectively comprise a braiding strand, a control unit, means supporting said control unit for rotation, yieldable means urging said control unit to rotate in one direction, a device carried -by said control unit for rotation therewith and adjustable to at times clamp said wires against movement relatively thereto and at other times to permit movement of said wires under controlled tension, means to adjust said device to clamp said wires during rotation of said unit in said one direction and withdraw lengths of wires from said coils, and means to adjust said device to permit said wires to move under controlled tension when said control unit is rotated to a given position in a direction opposite to said one direction.

12. A braider carrier as defined in claim 11 wherein said device comprises a stack of plate members between pairs of which said wires are positioned and spring means urging said plate members toward wire tensioning and clamping relationship.

13. A braider carrier as defined in claim 12 including a 0 cam track comprising a high portion and an upwardly inclined portion leading to and from said high portion, and a follower means for said cam track said follower means being adapted to load said spring means to maintain said plate members in Wire clamping relationship when said follower means is on the high portion of said cam track and to relieve the load on said spring to permit the wires to move relatively to said plates when said follower means is at a point on the inclined portion of said cam track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,337,977 12/ 1943 Davis 8721 2,831,390 4/1958 Leimbach 87-61 2,911,875 11/1959 Ostermann et a1. 87-21 3,109,605 11/ 1963 Ostermann 87-21 XR 3,168,995 2/1965 Ostermann 8721 XR JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner.

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