Filament braiding apparatus
AssigneeSolutions Toy Innovations, Inc.
InventorsDerek Gable, Morris Betty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hand held braiding apparatus is operative for braiding elongated filaments in the nature of natural hair and filaments of synthetic material. The apparatus includes a rotatable actuator having an opening operative for receiving a plurality of filament holders in the form of elongated cylindrical tubes. By repetitive operation of the actuator, the filament holders are manipulated into a sequence of positions which effect braiding of filaments received therein.
Claims46
An apparatus for braiding elongated filaments, said apparatus comprising a housing, an actuator within said housing movable between a first and second position, said actuator including an opening having a primary opening in communication with a pair of spaced apart secondary openings, a plurality of filament holders individually movable within said opening between said primary opening and said pair of secondary openings, at least two of said filament holders being arranged within said primary opening and at least one of said filament holders being arranged within one of said secondary openings when said actuator is in said first position, whereby said filament holder within said one of secondary openings is manipulated into a position between said filament holders within said primary opening while one of said filament holders within said primary opening is manipulated into a position within the other of said secondary openings upon movement of said actuator from said first position to said second position.
An apparatus for braiding elongated filaments, said apparatus comprising a housing, an actuator within said housing having an opening therein, said opening rotatable between a first and second position within said housing upon rotation of said actuator therein, three filament holders individually movable within said opening into one of three positions to form a contiguous row thereof upon rotation of said opening between said first and second positions by operation of said actuator, said positions of said filament holders relative to one another defined by the sequence of positions 1-2-3, 1-3-2, 3-1-2, 3-2-1, 2-3-1 and 2-1-3.
An apparatus for braiding elongated filaments comprising a housing, an actuator movable within said housing between a first and second position, said actuator including an opening having a primary opening and a pair of spaced apart secondary openings in communication with said primary opening, said opening having a Y-shape, a plurality of filament holders individually movable between said primary opening and said secondary openings upon rotation of said actuator.
A method of braiding elongated filaments, said method comprising the steps of providing a Y-shaped opening having a primary opening and a pair of spaced apart secondary openings in communication with said primary opening, positioning a plurality of filament holders within said opening, and moving the position of said filament holders between said primary opening and said secondary openings to braid filaments extending within said filament holders.
A method of braiding elongated filaments, said method comprising the steps of providing an actuator including an opening having a primary opening and a pair of spaced apart secondary openings, positioning a plurality of filament holders within said opening, inserting at least one filament within each of said filament holders, moving said actuator repetitively between a first and second position for manipulation of said filament holders within said opening between said primary opening and said secondary openings, whereby said filament holder within said one of secondary openings is manipulated into a position between the filament holders within said primary opening while one of said filament holders within said primary opening is manipulated into a position within the other of said secondary openings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.