Braiding apparatus capable of generating a two-point interweaving operation

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A braiding apparatus capable of generating a two-point interweaving operation, comprising: a platform; a base plate disposed on said platform; a core unit disposed on said base plate and adapted to supply a core strand; a transmission unit disposed below said base plate; a track assembly arranged on said base plate; and a plurality of strand carriers movably mounted on said track assembly for executing an incessant shuttling motion and provided with carrier strands wound thereon; wherein said track assembly includes a first plurality and a second plurality of transmission discs disposed on said base plate and driven by said transmission unit, each transmission disc of said first and second pluralities of transmission discs having a plurality of notches formed thereon and adapted to carry said plurality of strand carriers, and wherein said first plurality of transmission discs and said second plurality of transmission discs in said track assembly define a first braiding track group and a second braiding track group of transmission discs, respectively, said first braiding track group of transmission discs and said second braiding track group of transmission discs being arranged around said core unit in a concentric configuration, wherein said core unit defines a common center of said concentric configuration, with said first braiding track group of transmission discs encircled by said second braiding track group of transmission discs, wherein each of said transmission discs in said first braiding track group is coupled with corresponding transmission discs of said second braiding track group adjacent thereto, and wherein said transmission discs of said first braiding track group and said transmission discs of said second braiding track group are sequentially connected to each other to thereby define a first continuous braiding route and a second continuous braiding route on which said strand carriers shuttle respectively and continuously to execute said incessant shuttling motion, wherein rotating directions of said transmission discs located on said first braiding route differ from rotating directions of said transmission discs located on said second braiding route, said first braiding route and said second braiding route intersecting at two intersection points spaced apart at 180 degrees from each other, and said carrier strands thereby crossing each other when said strand carriers pass through said two intersection points, said strand carriers being actuated under said incessant shuttling motion to wrap said strand carriers around an outer surface of said core strand and interweaving said strand carriers with each other on said outer surface of said core strand, thereby forming a braided layer with a plurality of convolutions around said core strand, with each of said convolutions of said braided layer having two crossing points.

2. The braiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first braiding route and said second braiding route intersect to form said two intersection points, thereby assuming a chain-like connection formed by double interlinking circuits.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional braiding apparatus;

(2) FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of each convolution of a conventional interwoven pattern formed by the conventional braiding apparatus;

(3) FIG. 3 is a front view of a complete braided rope produced by the conventional braiding apparatus;

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a first preferred embodiment of this invention;

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a first braiding route of the first preferred embodiment;

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a second braiding route of the first preferred embodiment;

(7) FIG. 7 is a brief view of the first preferred embodiment showing both of the first braiding route and the second braiding route which allow strand carriers to shuttle thereon;

(8) FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of each convolution of a braided layer formed by the first preferred embodiment; and

(9) FIG. 9 is a front view of a complete braided rope produced by the first preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(10) Referring to FIG. 4, a first preferred embodiment of a braiding apparatus capable of generating a two-point interweaving operation is briefly shown. The braiding apparatus 3 includes a platform 31, a base plate 32 disposed on the platform 31, a core unit 33 disposed on the base plate 32 and configured to supply a core strand “A”, a transmission unit 34 disposed below the base plate 32, a track assembly 35 arranged on the base plate 32, and a plurality of strand carriers 36 movably mounted on the track assembly 35 and adapted to shuttle on the track assembly 35. The strand carriers 36, as briefly shown, have carrier strands “B” wound thereon respectively, and the carrier strands “B” are fed by the strand carriers 36 so that an outer surface of the core strand “A” fed by the core unit 33 can be wrapped in the carrier strands “B”, as shown in FIG. 9.

(11) The track assembly 35 is arranged around the core unit 33 by taking the core unit 33 as a center. Specifically, the track assembly 35 includes a plurality of transmission discs 351A, 352A disposed on the base plate 32 and arranged around the core unit 33 when the core unit 33 is centered on the base plate 32. The transmission discs 351A, 352A are driven by the transmission unit 34. Each of the transmission discs 351A, 352A has a plurality of notches 353 formed thereon for receiving and carrying the strand carriers 36. Accordingly, when the strand carriers 36 embedded into the notches 353 experience rotations of the transmission discs 351A, 352A, the strand carriers 36 are smoothly transported to shuttle on the track assembly 35 continuously, which thereby executes an incessant shuttling motion.

(12) The transmission discs 351A, 352A of the track assembly 35 are connected to each other, which allows the transmission discs 351A, 352 to be grouped. In other words, the track assembly 35 is divided into a first braiding track group 351 and a second braiding track group 352, so the transmission discs 351A belong to the first braiding track group 351, and the transmission discs 352A belong to the second braiding track group 352. When the core unit 33 is centered on the base plate 32, both of the first braiding track group 351 and the second braiding track group 352 surround the core unit 33 by taking the core unit 33 as the center. The first braiding track group 351 is encircled or surrounded by the second braiding track group 352, so the transmission discs 352A of the second braiding track group 352 surround the transmission discs 351A of the first braiding track group 351.

(13) Furthermore, the rotations of the transmission discs 351A of the first braiding track group 351 are actuated by the transmission unit 34. The transmission discs 351A are, but not limited to, sequentially connected to each other, spaced from each other, or partially connected to each other. In the drawings, it is taken as an example that the first braiding track group 351 has six transmission discs 351A which are spaced from each other. The rotations of the transmission discs 352A of the second braiding track group 352 are actuated by the transmission unit 34. The transmission discs 352A are, but not limited to, sequentially connected to each other, spaced from each other, or partially connected to each other. In the drawings, it is taken as an example that the second braiding track group 352 has fourteen transmission discs 352A which are sequentially connected, namely connected one after another. The arrangement and the number of the transmission discs 351A, 352A can be adjusted to meet need.

(14) The transmission discs 351A, 352A of the first braiding track group 351 and the second braiding track group 352 are sequentially connected to each other to thereby define different braiding routes D1, D2. For example, two sides of one transmission disc 351A are respectively connected to two transmission discs 352A which are adjacent to this transmission disc 351A, and other transmission discs 351A are also adapted to the same connecting mode. Meanwhile, the transmission discs 352A are connected in sequence. The above shows an alternate connection, so a first braiding route D1 (shown in FIG. 5) and a second braiding route D2 (shown in FIG. 6) can be defined on the whole track assembly 35, thereby allowing a group of strand carriers 36 to shuttle on the first braiding route D1 continuously and simultaneously allowing another group of strand carriers 36 to shuttle on the second braiding route D2 continuously. Thus, the incessant shuttling motion on both of the first braiding route D1 and the second braiding route D2 is executed.

(15) The first braiding route D1 and the second braiding route D2 intersect or meet each other. Preferably, it is assumed that the first braiding route D1 is defined as a circuit having a first circuitous style while the second braiding route D2 is defined as another circuit having a second circuitous style, and the two circuits not only sit next to each other but also cross partially to assume a chain-like interlinking state, namely double intersecting circuits as shown in FIG. 7 in which the bold or thick line represents the first braiding route D1, and the thin line represents the second braiding route D2. Thus, when the first braiding route D1 and the second braiding route D2 intersect to show the chain-like connection, two intersection points D3, also referred to herein intermittently, for simplicity, as “intersections” (for plural) or an “intersection” (for singular), circled parts shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, are formed, and the two intersections D3 are located in opposite directions to be spaced at 180 degrees from each other. In other words, if a reference line from one intersection D3 to the core unit 33 is defined, and the other reference line from the other intersection D3 to the core unit 33 is also defined, the two references lines are in a line so that the two intersections D3 are spaced from each other by 180 degrees. In addition, the direction of rotating the transmission discs 351A on the first braiding route D1 is different from the direction of rotating the transmission discs 352A on the second braiding route D2, as arrowed in FIG. 7. Accordingly, during the shutting motion of the strand carriers 36 on both braiding routes D1, D2, the carrier strands “B” fed by the strand carriers 36 cross to be interwoven with each other when the strand carriers 36 pass through each intersection D3. The interweaving operation of the carrier strands “B” occur in the two intersections D3, with the result that around the core strand “A” is wrapped a braided layer, each convolution of which only has two crossing points 41.

(16) The operation of this invention is described with the aid of FIG. 4 and FIG. 7. Firstly, a start end of a core strand “A” of the core unit 33 is fed to a strand collector (not shown), and a start end of a carrier strand “B” of each strand carrier 36 is also fed to the strand collector. Then, the braiding device 3 transmits power to operate the transmission unit 34, and the rotations of the transmission discs 351A, 352A are concurrently actuated when the transmission unit 34 is in action. During the rotations of the transmission discs 351A, 352A, the strand carriers 36 shuttle on the first braiding route D1 and the second braiding route D2, and each carrier strand “B” subjects an outer surface of the core strand “A” to winding and interweaving so that the core strand “A” is wrapped in the carrier strands “B”. As for example arrowed in FIGS. 4 and 7, a group of strand carriers 36 located on the first braiding route D1 can only shuttle on the route D1 incessantly, and another group of strand carriers 36 located on the second braiding route D2 can only shuttle on the route D2 incessantly. Accordingly, the carrier strands “B” are continuously wound around the outer surface of the core strand “A” because of different shuttling directions of the strand carriers 36 on both routes D1, D2. Meanwhile, when the strand carriers 36 travel through the two intersections D3 in sequence during the aforementioned shutting motion, the carrier strands “B” cross to be interwoven with each other on the outer surface of the core strand “A”. Thus, the shuttling motion of the strand carriers 36 causes a winding and interweaving operation, and the winding and interweaving operation between the carrier strands “B” and the core strand “A” is continuous to provide an incessant braiding action whereby a rope 4 is finally produced. The rope 4 is then collected by the strand collector for further use. In FIG. 9, it shows that the complete rope 4 has a braided layer created by the winding and interweaving operation and provided with multiple convolutions or coils which are wound around the core strand “A”, and each convolution or each coil of the braided layer has two crossing points 41. The two crossing points 41 are spaced from each other when each convolution is made, as illustrated in FIG. 8 where the front view of the braided layer shows one crossing point 41 by a solid line, and the other circled part shown as a dotted line represents the other crossing point 41 formed on the back.

(17) Regarding the braided layer as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it is apparent that the arrangement of the carrier strands “B” located on two sides of each crossing point 41 is unlike the conventional crowdedly-crossing arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the aforementioned two-point interwoven arrangement contributes to a broad application of the rope 4. For example, the braided layer featuring two crossing points 41 on each convolution not only increases the contact surface between the carrier strands “B” and the core strand “A” but also reduces interstices formed between the core strand “A” and the carrier strands “B”, and these conditions promotes the heat conduction and facilitates an increase in the efficiency of dissipating heat while using the rope 4 in terms of heat dissipation. Therefore, this special arrangement can produce a rope 4 of good quality, and the rope 4 can be widely applied to meet practical needs, thereby increasing the practicability.

(18) To sum up, the braiding apparatus of this invention divides the transmission discs of the track assembly which are disposed around the core unit into a first braiding track group and a second braiding track group and also takes advantage of the connection between the above transmission discs to define a first braiding route and a second braiding route on which strand carriers can shuttle respectively and incessantly for executing an incessant braiding action, especially the two braiding routes meet to form two intersections. Carrier strands fed by the strand carriers are interwoven with each other when the strand carriers pass through the two intersections. Thus, a braided layer having two crossing points on each convolution is created and wrapped around an outer surface of a core strand. Finally, the incessant braiding action of the strand carriers around the core strand produces a complete rope with the special braided layer whereby the practicability of the rope is increased.

(19) While the embodiments are shown and described above, it is understood that further variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.