Circular braiding machine and strand guiding device for same

A circular braiding machine having a rotation axis (1) and comprising a group of inner spools and another group of outer spools, each of said spools carrying a single strand, each of said groups being arranged on a respective circular track coaxial to the rotation axis (1) and being movable in opposite circumferential directions around said tracks;

• means for crossing the strands (32,37) of the inner and outer spools (31,38), wherein the means for crossing the strands (32,37) includes guide parts or devices (42) for guiding the respective strands (37) from one of said groups of said spools to a point between said spools of said one of said groups and a braiding point (35), whereby the guide parts or devices (42) are movable back and forth so that respective lengths of strand sections extending between the braiding point (35) and said spools of said one of said groups continuously change;
• and
• means for compensating for changes in the length of each of the strand sections, said means for compensating including at least one movable guide element (76) for the respective strands arranged between said spools of said one of said groups and the guide part or device (42) associated therewith and positive guidance means for moving the at least one movable guide element, whereby the length changes of the respective stands are at least partially compensated by motion of the at least one movable guide elements for the respective strands.