Apparatus and method for producing braided suture products

An apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns to form a final braided suture product which comprises:

• a) a frame;
• b) a main carrier support plate;
• c) a plurality of yarn carriers supported on said main carrier support plate, each said yarn carrier adapted for supporting a bobbin for dispensing fine denier yarn made of fine filaments;
• d) means for directing said yarn carriers through predetermined paths;
• e) a first yarn guide fixed with respect to each said yarn carrier to receive and guide said fine denier yarn from said associated bobbin;
• f) a second yarn guide associated with each said yarn carrier and positioned and adapted to receive and guide said fine denier yarn from said first yarn guide to said second yarn guide, said second yarn guide being movable with respect to said yarn carrier in response to tension on said yarn;
• g) a third yarn guide positioned and adapted to receive said fine denier yarn from said second yarn guide and to guide said yarn toward said braiding zone;
• h) means positioned above said yarn carriers for reception of said yarns in said common braiding zone while said yarn carriers are directed through said predetermined paths to form a braided product from said yarns;
• i) means for applying controlled tension to said final braided product within predetermined ranges to permit formation of a braided product of predetermined construction and appearance while causing tension to be applied to said fine denier yarns prior to formation of said final braided suture product;
• and
• j) means associated with each said second yarn guide to control the tension on said fine denier yarns to about 7 grams or less as said yarn is dispensed from said associated bobbin so as to permit braiding said yarns without breakage of said fine filaments.

An apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns made of filaments of less than 6 denier to form a braided suture product at speeds of 13 to 15 meters per hour, which comprises:

• a) a frame;
• b) a plurality of yarn carriers associated with said frame, each said yarn carriers supporting a bobbin containing yarn made of filaments of less than 6 denier;
• c) means for directing said plurality of yarn carriers and said bobbins through predetermined paths while dispensing yarn from each bobbin toward a common braiding zone at a rate sufficient to form 13 to 15 meters of elongated sheath of braided suture product per hour;
• d) a first ceramic eyelet yarn guide fixed with respect to each said yarn carrier to receive and guide said fine denier yarn from said respective associated bobbin;
• e) a take-up spool for receiving the finished braided product, said spool applying controlled tension to the finished braided suture product within predetermined limits and thereby applying tension to said yarns prior to formation of the finished braided suture product so as to permit braiding the yarns in a manner to have a predetermined construction and appearance;
• and
• f) a second ceramic eyelet yarn guide associated with each said yarn carrier, said second yarn guide receiving and guiding the fine denier yarn from said first yarn guide, said second yarn guide being attached to a pivotal arm at one end, said pivotal arm at the opposite end being in engagement with a pin which engages a coil spring, said pin being attached to a pawl adapted to be selectively received by a corresponding slot in a lower portion of said respective bobbin such that said respective bobbin is prevented from releasing yarn by engagement of said pawl with said slot until the yarn tension exceeds 5 to 7 grams;
• and
• g) a third ceramic eyelet yarn guide to receive said yarn from said second yarn guide and to direct said yarn to said common braiding zone.

In an apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product having a frame, a main carrier support plate having a pair of undulating guide channels intersecting each other for guiding a plurality of yarn carriers, a plurality of individual yarn carriers supported on said main carrier support plate, each said yarn carrier supporting a bobbin containing fine yarn made of filaments of less than 6 denier, said yarn carriers and bobbins being guided along said guide channels while dispensing yarn from said bobbins toward a common braiding zone to form an elongated sheath of braid construction at a rate of 13 to 15 meters per hour, a yarn support member extending from each carrier and having a first guide for guiding yarn dispensed from said respective bobbin, the improvement in combination therewith which comprises a second guide associated with each yarn carrier and attached to a pivotal arm at one end portion thereof, the other end portion of said pivotal arm being positioned to engage a resilient spring member to provide resilient bias force on said pivotal arm in a direction opposite the force exerted by said yarn under tension, said pivotal arm being adapted to prevent rotation of said respective bobbin to dispense yarn until the tension of the yarn exceeds 5 to 7 grams, to thereby control the tension on said fine denier yarn to 7 grams or less as said yarn is dispensed.

A method of braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which comprises:

• a) supporting a plurality of yarns carriers on a frame, each yarn carrier supporting a bobbin containing fine denier yarn made of filaments of less than 6 denier;
• b) directing said plurality of yarn carriers and said bobbins through intersecting undulating paths while dispensing yarn from each bobbin toward a common braiding zone at speeds sufficient to form an elongated sheath of braid construction at a rate of 13 to 15 meters per hour;
• c) directing said yarn through a first yarn guide fixed with respect to each said yarn carrier;
• d) directing said yarn from said first yarn guide to a second yarn guide associated with each yarn carrier and positioned and adapted for reception and guiding of said yarn from said first yarn guide, said second yarn guide being resiliently movable in response to tension of said yarn to control tension on said yarn to about 7 grams or less;
• e) directing said yarn from said second resiliently movable yarn guide to a third yarn guide fixed with respect to said yarn carrier whereby said yarn is guided toward said common braiding zone;
• and
• f) applying controlled tension to the finished braided product within predetermined limits to permit braiding the yarns in a manner to have a predetermined construction and appearance.

A method of braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which comprises:

• a) providing a main carrier support plate having a pair of undulating guide channels intersecting each other for guiding a plurality of yarn carriers;
• b) supporting a plurality of yarn carriers on said main carrier support plate, each carrier supporting a bobbin for dispensing fine yarn made of filaments of less than 6 denier;
• c) directing said yarn carriers over intersecting paths corresponding to the shape of said guide channels, a first set of said carriers being directed in a first direction and a second set of said carriers being directed in the opposite direction, said yarn carriers being directed over said paths at speeds sufficient to form a braided suture product at speeds of 13 to 15 meters per hour;
• d) guiding said fine denier yarn from each said bobbin by first guide means fixed with respect to said associated yarn carrier;
• e) guiding said fine denier yarn by second guide means associated with each yarn carrier;
• f) permitting said second guide means to move in response to yarn tension in a manner to dispense yarn from said bobbin in response to tension in said yarn;
• g) receiving said yarns in a common braiding zone while said yarn carriers are directed through said intersecting paths to form a braided product from said yarns;
• h) applying controlled tension to each said fine denier yarn of about 7 grams or less as said yarn is dispensed;
• and
• i) applying controlled tension to said final braided product within predetermined ranges to permit formation of a braided product of predetermined appearance.

An apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which comprises:

• a) a frame;
• b) a plurality of yarn carriers associated with said frame, each having an upstanding spindle for rotatably supporting a bobbin containing fine yarn of filaments of less than 6 denier;
• c) means for directing said plurality of bobbins through predetermined paths while dispensing yarn from each bobbin toward a common braiding zone at speeds sufficient to form an elongated product of braid construction at a rate of 13 to 15 meters per hour;
• d) a first yarn guide fixed with respect to each said yarn carrier to receive and guide said fine denier yarn;
• e) a second yarn guide positioned and adapted for reception and guiding of said fine denier yarn from said first yarn guide, said second yarn guide being resiliently movable with respect to said yarn carrier in response to tension on said yarn, said second yarn guide further being adapted and arranged to permit said yarn to be dispensed from said respective bobbin when the yarn tension reaches a predetermined value of about 7 grams or less;
• f) a third yarn guide positioned for reception and guiding of said yarn from said second yarn guide and for directing said yarn toward said common braiding zone;
• and
• g) means to apply controlled tension to the braided suture product.