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US 5,337,647 AGranted
3 dimensional braiding apparatus
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRobert M. Roberts, William A. Douglas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for braiding a three dimensional form from individual fibers. The fiber is supplied on a plurality of fiber carriers situated in slots in track members forming a carrier plane at the base of the machine. The carriers are moved in a linear manner with the tracks and are also moved transverse to the track in columns formed by the slots in the tracks. Automatic elements are provided to limit the travel of the tracks and the columns to one, two or three discreet steps and to return the tracks and carriers to their original positions at the end of a braiding cycle. Automatic elements are provided to take up the braided form as it is fabricated. Elements are also provided for compacting the braided form periodically during the braiding process.
Claims19
Apparatus for braiding of a three dimensional form comprising:
- an upper frame;
- a lower frame;
- a braiding head supported on said upper frame;
- a plurality of tracks forming track rows slidably supported on said lower frame, said tracks having transverse slots forming transverse columns across said tracks;
- a plurality of carrier members mounted in the slots in said track members for movement therewith and moveable along said transverse columns;
- fiber holding means mounted on said carriers;
- a supply of fiber mounted on each of said fiber holding means, each of said fibers being attached to said braiding head;
- means for moving said tracks in accordance with a predetermined braiding schedule, said means comprising a first plurality of actuators mounted along one side of said lower frame, each of said actuators being attached to one of said tracks for moving said track across the frame and a second plurality of actuators mounted on another side of said lower frame, each of said second plurality of actuators being aligned with one of said transverse columns for moving said carriers along the transverse slots;
- means for limiting the travel of said first plurality of actuators to defined steps of at least two different lengths;
- means for limiting the travel of said second plurality of actuators to defined steps of at least two different lengths;
- means for moving said carrier members along said transverse columns in accordance with a predetermined braiding schedule whereby movement of said tracks and said carrier members generates a braided form at the braiding head;
- means for compacting the braided form at the braiding head;
- a plurality of stop members;
- actuator means selectively actuable to interfere with the movement of the first plurality of actuators after movement of predetermined defined steps;
- means for selectively blocking the movement of said carriers along said transverse columns at selected predetermined points in said column defining predetermined steps for said carriers;
- means for moving some of said first plurality of actuators one half of a defined step whereby the tracks connected to said actuators block the transverse columns at the intersection with said track said means comprising a dual actuator having first and second moveable portions, said first portion having a working stroke the length of the predetermined steps and the second portion having a working stroke of a length equal to one half of one defined step.
13 more elements
Apparatus for braiding of a three dimensional form comprising:
- an upper frame;
- a lower frame;
- a braiding head supported on said upper frame;
- a plurality of tracks forming track rows slideably supported on said lower frame, said tracks having transverse slots forming transverse columns across said tracks;
- a plurality of carrier members mounted in the slots in said track members for movement therewith and moveable along said transverse columns;
- fiber holding means mounted on said carriers;
- a supply of fiber mounted on each of said fiber holding means, each of said fibers being attached to said braiding head;
- means for moving said tracks in accordance with a predetermined braiding schedule;
- means for moving said carrier members along said transverse columns in accordance with a predetermined braiding schedule whereby movement of said tracks and carrier members generates a braided form at the braiding head;
- and
- means for compacting the braided form at the braiding head, said compacting means comprising means for extending a compacting member across the lower frame and means for raising the compacting member to the braiding head for compacting the braided form.
8 more elements
Apparatus for automatically braiding a three dimensional form comprising:
- an upper frame;
- a lower frame;
- a braiding head supported on said upper frame for vertical movement, the braiding head forming a braiding plane at its lower surface;
- fiber clamping means attached to said braiding head for holding the fibers at the braiding plane;
- a plurality of tracks forming parallel track rows extending parallel to one side of said frame, each of said tracks containing a plurality of pockets, said pockets of adjoining track rows forming a plurality of transverse columns;
- a plurality of carriers slidably mounted in said pockets and forming a plurality of carrier columns transverse to said tracks said carriers forming a carrier plane;
- fiber holding means mounted on each of said carriers;
- a fiber supply contained on each of said fiber holding means, each of said fibers extending from the carrier plane to the fiber clamping means at the braiding plane;
- a plurality of first actuator means attached to said each of said tracks and to one side of said lower frame for moving each of said tracks along the carrier plane;
- a plurality of second actuator means attached to one side of said lower frame adjacent the side of said lower frame containing said first plurality of actuators, each of said second plurality of actuators aligned with one of said columns of carriers for moving said column of carriers;
- means for stopping the movement of said tracks at predetermined discrete steps;
- means for stopping the movement of said carrier columns at predetermined steps;
- means for returning said tracks to their original starting position when all of said tracks and carrier columns have been moved their predetermined discrete steps;
- means for returning said carrier columns to their original starting positions when all of said tracks and carrier columns have been moved their predetermined discreet steps;
- means for moving said braiding head up a predetermined amount after each time the tracks and carrier columns are returned to their original positions;
- and
- compacting means for compacting the braided form at the braiding plane.
14 more elements
Apparatus for braiding of a three dimensional form comprising:
- an upper frame;
- a lower frame;
- a braiding head supported on said upper frame;
- a plurality of tracks forming track rows slideably supported on said lower frame, said tracks having transverse slots forming transverse columns across said tracks;
- a plurality of carrier members mounted in the slots in said track members for movement therewith and moveable along said transverse columns;
- fiber holding means mounted on said carriers;
- a supply of fiber mounted on each of said fiber holding means, each of said fibers being attached to said braiding head;
- means for moving said tracks in accordance with a predetermined braiding schedule, means for moving said carrier members along said transverse columns in accordance with a predetermined braiding schedule whereby movement of said tracks and carrier members generates a braided form at the braiding head;
- means for compacting the braided form at the braiding head;
- a ring member suspended between the lower frame member and the braiding head, through which the fibers pass between the carrier and the braiding head, the angle between the fiber and the vertical axis above the ring being less than 22.5 degrees;
- actuator means for raising said ring member to a position abutting the bottom of said braiding head;
- secondary means for limiting the angle of the fiber entering the braiding head when said ring member is in the raised position, said secondary means comprising;
- first and second arcuate members slideably mounted on the bottom of said braiding head, the open side of said arcuate members arranged to face each other on opposite sides of the vertical axis of the braiding head;
- actuator means for sliding said arcuate members toward each other thereby forming a partial circle around the fibers attached to the braiding head;
- and
- means for selectively rotating said secondary means 90.degree. from their original position in the plane of the upper frame.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.