Rapidly configurable braiding machine
AssigneeA&P Technology, Inc.
InventorsAndrew A. Head, Victor M. Ivers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A braiding system having a plurality of mobile carrier devices movable under its own power, each mobile carrier including a plurality of wheels, a motor driving the wheels, a power source, a controller, and a pick-up unit having a receiver. Each of the plurality of mobile carriers has a tow carrier positioned in the receiver, and each mobile carrier is simultaneously movable along a virtual track-less path predetermined for each individual carrier, such that the simultaneous movement of the mobile carrier devices along their predetermined paths form a braid.
Claims20
A braiding system comprising:
- a braid formation device;
- and
- a plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices, each of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices including:
- a tow carrier adapted for holding tow material;
- a plurality of wheels;
- a motor driving the wheels;
- a power source;
- and
- a controller;
- each of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices simultaneously movable along a virtual track-less path predetermined for each mobile carrier device, the simultaneous movement of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices along their predetermined paths forming a braid.
A braiding system comprising:
- a braid formation device;
- and
- at least two groups of self-powered mobile carrier devices, one of the at least two groups of self-powered mobile carrier devices movable along a generally clockwise path around the braid formation device and the other of the at least two groups of self-powered mobile carrier devices movable along a generally counter-clockwise path around the braid formation device, each of the self-powered mobile carrier devices including:
- a tow carrier adapted for holding tow material;
- a plurality of wheels;
- a motor driving the wheels;
- a power source;
- a controller;
- and
- a pick-up unit having a receiver;
- each of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices simultaneously movable along a virtual track-less path predetermined for each mobile carrier device, the simultaneous movement of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices along their predetermined paths forming a braid.
A braiding system comprising:
- a braid formation device;
- a plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices, each of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices including:
- a tow carrier adapted for holding tow material;
- a plurality of wheels;
- a motor driving the wheels;
- a power source;
- a controller;
- and
- a pick-up unit having a receiver;
- each of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices simultaneously movable along a virtual track-less path predetermined for each mobile carrier device using line-tracking algorithms from the controller, the simultaneous movement of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices along their predetermined paths forming a braid.
A braiding system comprising:
- a braid formation device;
- and
- a plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices, each of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices including:
- a tow carrier adapted for holding tow material;
- a plurality of wheels;
- a motor driving the wheels;
- a power source;
- a controller;
- and
- a pick-up unit having a receiver;
- each of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices simultaneously movable along a virtual track-less path predetermined for each mobile carrier device using a grid of lines forming a pattern of bordered cells, the simultaneous movement of the plurality of self-powered mobile carrier devices along their predetermined paths forming a braid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.