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.

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.

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.

A braiding apparatus includes a platform, a base plate, a core unit, a transmission unit, a track assembly, and strand carriers. The track assembly is divided into two braiding track groups each provided with transmission discs. The transmission discs of both braiding track groups are sequentially connected to define two braiding routes. The strand carriers shuttle on both braiding routes respectively and incessantly. Two intersection points are defined when the two braiding routes intersect. Accordingly, carrier strands fed by the strand carriers are wound around a core strand fed by the core unit while shuttling incessantly and are interwoven with each other while passing through the two intersection points during the incessant shuttling motion, thereby wrapping a multi-convolutional braided layer around the core strand to complete a rope. Each convolution of the braided layer has two crossing points, which increases the practicability of the rope.

A braiding apparatus includes a platform, a base plate, a core unit, a transmission unit, a track assembly, and strand carriers. The track assembly is divided into two braiding track groups each provided with transmission discs. The transmission discs of both braiding track groups are sequentially connected to define two braiding routes. The strand carriers shuttle on both braiding routes respectively and incessantly. Two intersection points are defined when the two braiding routes intersect. Accordingly, carrier strands fed by the strand carriers are wound around a core strand fed by the core unit while shuttling incessantly and are interwoven with each other while passing through the two intersection points during the incessant shuttling motion, thereby wrapping a multi-convolutional braided layer around the core strand to complete a rope. Each convolution of the braided layer has two crossing points, which increases the practicability of the rope.

A carrier for supporting a yarn to be used by a braiding machine, has: a spool carrying the yarn; a motor drivingly engaged to the spool; at least one sensor for producing data about a condition of the yarn in the spool; and a controller operatively connected to the motor and to the at least one sensor, the controller having a processor and a computer-readable medium operatively connected to the processor and having instructions stored thereon executable by the processor for: receiving said data from the at least one sensor; determining operation parameters of the motor based on the received data; and operating the motor per the determined operation parameters to create the desired tension in the yarn.

A carrier for supporting a yarn to be used by a braiding machine, has: a spool carrying the yarn; a motor drivingly engaged to the spool; at least one sensor for producing data about a condition of the yarn in the spool; and a controller operatively connected to the motor and to the at least one sensor, the controller having a processor and a computer-readable medium operatively connected to the processor and having instructions stored thereon executable by the processor for: receiving said data from the at least one sensor; determining operation parameters of the motor based on the received data; and operating the motor per the determined operation parameters to create the desired tension in the yarn.

The present invention relates to a braiding machine and a method for controlling a braiding machine of this kind. An exemplary embodiment of the braiding machine has a plurality of braided-material carriers, a drive and a control device. The plurality of braided-material carriers are arranged around a common braiding centre of the braiding machine and are each designed to carry a braided material that is to be braided in the common braiding centre. The drive is designed to drive the plurality of braided-material carriers such that they move around the common braiding centre. The control device is designed to control the drive such that a centrifugal force acting on at least one of the braided-material carriers remains nearly constant.