A braiding machine comprising a support structure, a track, an enclosure, a plurality of rotor metals, and a passageway having a first opening and a second opening, and a method of forming an upper using a braiding machine, the method comprising braiding over a forming last that passes from a first side of a braiding point to a second side of the braiding point of the braiding machine. The braiding machine is capable of forming intricate braided structures and may include different sized rings and non-linear passageways through which a forming last passes. Multiple forming lasts may be attached together by connection mechanisms and passed through the braiding machine.

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.

The invention relates to a method for operating a braiding, winding or spiraling machine for braiding around, wrapping around or spiraling around a strand-like material, in particular a cable, with at least one elongate material strand formed from at least one elongate material fibre, in particular from at least one wire. In the method, a diameter of the strand-like material is measured and a feed rate of the strand-like material and/or a rotational speed at which the at least one elongate material strand moves about the longitudinal axis of the strand-like material is controlled by open-loop or closed-loop control depending on said diameter measured. A predefined degree of coverage of the strand-like material by the at least one elongate material strand can be kept substantially constant by means of an open-loop or closed-loop control of the relative feed rate of the strand-like material depending on the diameter measured.

The invention relates to a method for operating a braiding, winding or spiraling machine for braiding around, wrapping around or spiraling around a strand-like material, in particular a cable, with at least one elongate material strand formed from at least one elongate material fibre, in particular from at least one wire. In the method, a diameter of the strand-like material is measured and a feed rate of the strand-like material and/or a rotational speed at which the at least one elongate material strand moves about the longitudinal axis of the strand-like material is controlled by open-loop or closed-loop control depending on said diameter measured. A predefined degree of coverage of the strand-like material by the at least one elongate material strand can be kept substantially constant by means of an open-loop or closed-loop control of the relative feed rate of the strand-like material depending on the diameter measured.

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.

A device for producing a braided sheath around an elongate object. The device has a warp thread frame which rotates in a warp thread rotation direction about a machine axis and has a group of warp thread bobbins, and the device has a group of bobbin carriers which rotate in the opposite direction about the machine axis and each have at least one weft thread bobbin. At least one warp thread is guided from each warp thread bobbin to a braiding point and at least one weft thread is guided from each weft thread bobbin to the braiding point. The course of the warp thread can be shifted alternately above and below the weft thread rotating past in the opposite direction via a laying means. The device has a bobbin carrier support which rotates with the warp thread frame in the warp thread rotation direction during operation.

A device for producing a braided sheath around an elongate object. The device has a warp thread frame which rotates in a warp thread rotation direction about a machine axis and has a group of warp thread bobbins, and the device has a group of bobbin carriers which rotate in the opposite direction about the machine axis and each have at least one weft thread bobbin. At least one warp thread is guided from each warp thread bobbin to a braiding point and at least one weft thread is guided from each weft thread bobbin to the braiding point. The course of the warp thread can be shifted alternately above and below the weft thread rotating past in the opposite direction via a laying means. The device has a bobbin carrier support which rotates with the warp thread frame in the warp thread rotation direction during operation.

Methods of braiding using a braiding mechanism are described. The braiding mechanism includes an array of filament engagement elements, a mandrel extending from the center of the circular array, a plurality of actuators disposed operably about the array, and a rotating mechanism adapted to rotate one or more filaments. The plurality of filaments are loaded onto the mandrel by looping a middle portion of each filament of the plurality of filaments over an end of the mandrel and extend radially toward and contact the circumferential edge of the circular array of filament engagement elements. The plurality of actuators are operated to engage a first subset of the plurality of filaments and move the engaged filaments in a generally radial direction to a position beyond the circumferential edge of the array. The rotating mechanism is operated to move the engaged filaments about the mandrel axis.