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.

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.

An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.

An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.

The invention relates to a bobbin carrier 7 for receiving a bobbin 2 which is set up for unwinding a strand material I, wherein the bobbin carrier 7 is provided for use in a braiding, winding or spiralling machine and is set up to rotate relative to the machine during operation of the latter. The bobbin carrier 7 has a tensile-force measuring device 3 for measuring the tensile force of the strand material I unwound from the bobbin 2 and has a first data transfer device 4 for transferring data. According to the invention, the first data transfer device 4 is set up to transfer measured tensile force values to a second data transfer device 5 arranged outside the bobbin carrier. As a result, too low or too high tensile forces in the strand material I can be detected early at the individual bobbin carriers 7. The tensile force can be kept largely constant by the transfer of setpoint tensile force values from the second data transfer device 5 to the first data transfer device 4 and by a suitable control or regulation device 8 at the bobbin carrier 7.

The invention relates to a bobbin carrier 7 for receiving a bobbin 2 which is set up for unwinding a strand material I, wherein the bobbin carrier 7 is provided for use in a braiding, winding or spiralling machine and is set up to rotate relative to the machine during operation of the latter. The bobbin carrier 7 has a tensile-force measuring device 3 for measuring the tensile force of the strand material I unwound from the bobbin 2 and has a first data transfer device 4 for transferring data. According to the invention, the first data transfer device 4 is set up to transfer measured tensile force values to a second data transfer device 5 arranged outside the bobbin carrier. As a result, too low or too high tensile forces in the strand material I can be detected early at the individual bobbin carriers 7. The tensile force can be kept largely constant by the transfer of setpoint tensile force values from the second data transfer device 5 to the first data transfer device 4 and by a suitable control or regulation device 8 at the bobbin carrier 7.

A braided sleeve with complex geometry, including changes to the geometry along the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis are described. In particular, along a first portion of the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis, multiple tows are intertwined with each other. Along a second portion, one of tows is removed from being intertwined with the other tows and is relocated to an interior or an exterior of the braided sleeve. A third portion includes the removed tow being intertwined with the plurality of tows again. In this manner, the braided sleeve may provide coverage of preforms with varying diameters along the longitudinal axis of the preforms.

A braided sleeve with complex geometry, including changes to the geometry along the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis are described. In particular, along a first portion of the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis, multiple tows are intertwined with each other. Along a second portion, one of tows is removed from being intertwined with the other tows and is relocated to an interior or an exterior of the braided sleeve. A third portion includes the removed tow being intertwined with the plurality of tows again. In this manner, the braided sleeve may provide coverage of preforms with varying diameters along the longitudinal axis of the preforms.

A braider and a tube body in which braids are arranged on an outer peripheral surface of a mandrel uniformly even if the diameter of the mandrel is uneven. A braider 1 has bobbin carrier conveyance mechanisms 50A and 50B in which bobbin carriers 40A and 40B are conveyed from traveling tracks W1 and W2 to an outside of the traveling tracks W1 and W2 so as to stop winding of braids Y1 and Y2 onto a mandrel 2 and the bobbin carriers 40A and 40B are conveyed from the outside of the traveling tracks W1 and W2 to the traveling tracks W1 and W2 so as to start the winding of the braids Y1 and Y2 onto the mandrel 2.

A wire tension control device including a bobbin and a magnetic moment generator is provided. The bobbin is configured to provide a wire. The magnetic moment generator includes a stator and a rotor relatively rotatable with respect to the stator. The rotor is connected to the bobbin. When the bobbin drives the rotor to rotate, the magnetic moment generator generates a tension on the wire.