ROTARY BRAIDING MACHINE

Abstract

A rotary braiding machine, in particular for producing wire mesh, includes a plurality of braiding spools, a braiding rotor, a braiding head, a draw-off disk, a machine frame. The braiding rotor rotates about an axis which coincides or nearly coincides with the draw-off direction of the braiding material. The draw-off direction of the braiding material runs obliquely in space, i.e. neither horizontally nor vertically. In this manner, advantages of the conventional horizontal and vertical design of such a rotary braiding machine are combined such that only one product variant must be produced and distributed.

Description

The invention relates to a rotary braiding machine, in particular for the production of wire mesh.

Rotary braiding machines are used for producing mesh made of continuous strand material like wire or textile fibers, for example yarn or plastic fibers, in the form of hollow tubular mesh or flat lace mesh or for braiding a wire mesh around, for instance, a cord. Application areas for technical mesh produced in this way are for example shieldings for electric cords against electromagnetic fields or protective covers against mechanical stress for cords or hoses.

The invention is described using the example of a rotary braiding machine for the production of wire mesh. It is noted, however, that the invention can also be used for rotary braiding machines for processing of any other fibrous materials.

A rotary braiding machine of the type considered has a plurality of braiding spools, each of which is mounted in a spool carrier. In this context, a braiding spool is a cylindrical body for winding a fiber onto it, in particular wire, with two flanges arranged at the ends of the cylindrical body having a larger diameter than that of the cylindrical body. A spool carrier is an apparatus at which a braiding spool can be supported rotatably around its longitudinal axis.

The spool carriers with the braiding spools are mounted on two discs arranged coaxially on top of each other and rotating in opposite directions around a common axis. Together with the spool carriers and the braiding spools, these discs form the braiding rotor. Here, the braiding spools mounted on one of the discs (“outer” braiding spools) perform certain movements, which are not described here in detail, relative to the braiding spools mounted on the other disc (“inner” braiding spools), resulting in the desired braiding of the wires running off the braiding spools.

If a wire mesh is to be braided around a strand material, as for example a cord or a hose, then this strand material can be fed to the rotary braiding machine through through-holes in the center of the two discs. In this case, the rotary braiding machine additionally has, for this purpose, a supply roller or a take-off spool for feeding the strand material. A supply roller and a take-off spool have the same geometrical form as a braiding spool, but usually have dimensions differing largely from that, in particular a substantially larger diameter of the cylindrical body.

Furthermore, the rotary braiding machine has a braiding head in the form of an ear and/or a tube, at the inlet of which the single wires and, optionally, the strand material to be braided around converge and are braided with each other or are braided around, respectively. The point at which this convergence occurs is called braiding point. The braiding point lies on or approximately on the geometrical axis around which the braiding rotor rotates.

In order to remove the braided material, i. e. the braided wires or the strand material braided around, resp., from the braiding point in a controlled way, the rotary braiding machine additionally has a draw-off disc. This disc has the form of a wheel which is at least partially wrapped around by the braided material and rotates with a certain rotary speed adapted to the kind of braided material to be produced.

The direction in which the braided material moves from the braiding point towards the draw-off disc is called the draw-off direction of the braided material. The draw-off direction can thus be described as a straight line with an orientation. In the type of rotary braiding machine considered, the braiding rotor rotates around an axis which is identical or nearly identical with the draw-off direction of the braided material.

As a high level of noise arises when the braiding spools, the spool carriers and the braiding rotor move as well as when the wires are braided, the rotary braiding machine can additionally have a noise reduction hood enclosing at least the braiding rotor. In this context, a noise reduction hood shall mean a cover which is substantially closed in the operating condition of the machine, which consists of a noise-reducing material to a large extent, and which partially or completely encloses single machine components or the whole machine. The noise reduction hood can be fixed to the machine or can be designed in a self-supporting manner, preferably in the form of a cabin, in the latter case preferably standing on or being fixed to the floor. The noise reduction hood can have suitable apertures like flaps or windows or, in the case of large machines with walk-in noise reduction hoods or cabins, also doors for access of the operating staff.

Moreover, the rotary braiding machine has a machine frame. Here, a machine frame means an apparatus for supporting and/or mechanically fixing certain machine components, in particular the braiding rotor, as well as for connecting machine components to each other. It preferably consists of tubes, stays, plates or other form elements rigidly connected to one another, and can have further facilities like damping elements for damping oscillations and vibrations. The machine frame itself can again be fixed in a stationary way, preferably to the floor.

Frequently, the take-off spool and/or the feeding equipment, in particular a supply roller, for the strand material to be braided around is accommodated or mounted in or at the machine frame.

It is known to fix the braiding rotor at the machine frame in such a way that the draw-off direction is oriented horizontally or vertically. Likewise, the terms horizontal or vertical design, resp., of the rotary braiding machine are used.

Both designs mentioned have certain advantages and disadvantages:

The vertical design requires a relatively small footprint of the rotary braiding machine and, due to the horizontal arrangement of the braiding rotor, allows for a relatively low center of gravity of the machine, which in turn facilitates the stable and low-vibration support of the rotating components. Furthermore, all spool carriers are accessible for the operator on an approximately equal, well-suited working height.

On the other hand, the vertical design requires more deflections and curvatures both of the strand material, which has to be fed between the hall floor and the lower edge of the braiding rotor, and the completed braided material, in case it has to be directed from the draw-off disc at the highest point of the machine downwards towards the floor again. This is an issue in particular with larger and thicker and thus less flexible products. Furthermore, the draw-off disc must be mounted on top of the machine frame, leading to complex constructions, in particular in the case of large machines where high tension stress on the wires to be processed and on the braided material must be sustained. Finally, large machines according to the vertical design can get so high that access by the operator becomes impossible without a stair or the like.

Vice versa, the horizontal design requires a larger footprint of the machine, leading to a higher center of gravity of the machine, however. On the other hand, the processing stations from drawing-off the strand material to winding the braided material can be “stretched” in the horizontal direction, so that fewer deflections and curvatures of the material are required.

These and further advantages and disadvantages of the horizontal and the vertical design result in the fact that a certain type of rotary braiding machine must often be produced and sold in both designs, altogether leading to a doubling of the number of variants with a corresponding increase of the number of non-identical components, to increased project planning efforts and to higher costs.

The object of the present invention is to provide a uniform and thus cost-efficient design of a rotary braiding machine.

This problem is solved by a rotary braiding machine according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention are contained in the sub-claims.

With a rotary braiding machine according to the invention, the drawing-off direction of the braided material is oriented obliquely in space, i. e. neither horizontally nor vertically, but inclined both with respect to the horizontal and with respect to the vertical by a certain angle.

This angle is preferably between 20 and 70 degrees to the vertical, further preferably about 30 degrees to the vertical, and even further preferably about 45 degrees to the vertical.

At an angle of 45 degrees, the design of the rotary braiding machine is thus exactly “between” the horizontal and the vertical design, combining the advantages of the two designs particularly well. At this angle, for instance, the overall height of the machine is reduced to a factor of about 0.7 (sin 45°≈0.707).

At the same time, a quasi-horizontal direction of production using a deflection of the material over large deflection rollers or roller arcs with a relatively small deflection can be realized. The relatively low center of gravity of the machine and the good accessibility of the spool carriers, which are now arranged in an inclined, a “desk-like” manner from the viewpoint of the operator, are conserved, however.

As the rotary braiding machine must therefore only be produced and sold in a single, oblique design anymore, also the desired reduction of the multitude of variants and components and the accompanying cost reduction results. The basic components of the machine like the braiding rotor and the draw-off disc can be adopted without change in this way, because they are suited for both the vertical and the horizontal design anyway.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the draw-off disc is not fixed to the machine frame. In a preferred variant of this embodiment, the draw-off disc is mounted at a separate stand, which is preferably fixed to the floor besides the machine. In this way, high tensile forces acting through the mesh on the draw-off disc can be sustained simply and effectively. This results in a simple, stable and low-cost design without an extensive reinforcement of the machine frame.

In a preferred variant of this embodiment, the rotary braiding machine has a noise reduction hood which substantially encloses the braiding rotor. This is because, by means of the spatial separation of the draw-off disc from the machine frame and from the braiding rotor, it is possible that the noise reduction hood only encloses the braiding rotor, but not the draw-off disc, without components of the machine frame having to penetrate the noise reduction hood, which in turn would lead to problems with designing and mounting the noise reduction hood as well as to acoustical bridges between the interior and the exterior of the noise reduction hood.

Different embodiments of a rotary braiding machine according to the invention and their advantages are now described referring to the drawings. Here, it is shown in

FIG. 1 an oblique view of an embodiment of a rotary braiding machine according to the invention

• • a) without noise reduction hood
  • b) with open noise reduction hood
  • c) with closed noise reduction hood;

FIG. 2 a rotary braiding machine according to the invention

• • a) without noise reduction hood from behind
  • b) with noise reduction hood from in front
  • c) with noise reduction hood from the right
  • d) with noise reduction hood from above;

FIG. 3 an oblique view of a further embodiment of a rotary braiding machine according to the invention

• • a) without noise reduction hood enclosing the braiding rotor (partially cut open)
  • b) with noise reduction hood enclosing the braiding rotor (closed);

FIG. 4 a comparison of different angles of inclination, illustrated by means of a rotary braiding machine from the prior art according to the vertical design

• • a) in the originally intended, non-inclined position
  • b) inclined by 30° to the vertical
  • c) inclined by 45° to the vertical.

FIG. 1a) shows a rotary braiding machine 1 according to the invention which is inclined by 45° with a braiding rotor 2 with 24 spool carriers and wire spools, the machine being dimensioned for wire spools with a maximum weight of 5.5 kg. The draw-off direction is also inclined by 45° to the vertical and is oriented obliquely in space. The braiding rotor 2 is mounted on the cover plate of a desk-like machine frame 3 with the help of fixing angles. The draw-off disc 4 is mounted beside the machine frame on a separate stand 5. The draw-off disc 4 rotates in a vertical plane which is perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the braiding rotor 2.

A supply roller 6 for a cord is mounted at the machine frame 3 on the side of the machine frame 3 opposite the draw-off disc 4. Instead of supply roller 6, however, also a take-off spool 6 for a cord can be mounted here. The cord is led from supply roller or take-off spool 6 through an opening (not shown) in the cover plate of machine frame 3 and through central bores in braiding rotor 2 and moves in the draw-off direction towards the braiding head. At the braiding head (not shown), the cord is braided around by the wires wound off the braiding spools on the braiding rotor 2. Then the braided material is drawn off the braiding head in the drawing-off direction by draw-off disc 4 and is wound onto draw-off disc 4.

In FIG. 1b), the same embodiment of the rotary braiding machine 1 according to the invention is shown with a noise reduction hood 7 enclosing the complete machine except a part of supply roller or take-off spool 6. Noise reduction hood 7 has the form of a cabin and stands on the hall floor outside machine frame 3. It has a window 8 at its end face for visual inspection of the machine state, an (in FIG. 1b) open) door 9 at its front face as an entrance to the machine by operator 10 and an operating unit 11 with input and output elements for operating the machine from outside when the noise reduction hood 7 is closed.

The representation in FIG. 1b) makes clear that the braiding rotor 2, in spite of its inclined position, is in a position which is convenient for operator 10.

FIG. 1c) shows the same embodiment of the rotary braiding machine 1 according to the invention with closed noise reduction hood 7 and without operator 10.

FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of the rotary braiding machine 1 according to the invention of FIG. 1 once again in different side views, namely in FIG. 2a) without noise reduction hood 7 from behind, and in FIGS. 2b) to 2d) in each case with closed noise reduction hood 7 from in front, from the right or from above, resp. In FIG. 2a), it can be seen that the upper edge of draw-off disc 4 is about at the height of the operator's head, so that no unpleasant or exhausting overhead work is required.

FIG. 3 shows a further, larger embodiment of a rotary braiding machine 1 according to the invention for 36 spool carriers and wire spools for a maximum weight of 5.5 kg, the braiding rotor 2 and the draw-off direction A being inclined by 45° as well. In this representation, also cord 12 can be seen from the exit from braiding rotor 2, moving in draw-off direction A to the braiding head (which is arranged approximately behind the head of operator 10) and further as braided-around cord 12 to draw-off disc 4, onto which it is wound.

As a further element, a machine control 13 being arranged beside the rotary braiding machine 1 in the form of a cabinet can be seen in FIG. 3. Status lamps in the form of a traffic light on the upper side of machine control 13 with colors red, yellow, and green serve the purpose of displaying states of error or danger, states requiring actions of the operator, or the normal state of the machine, resp., in a widely visible way.

In this embodiment, draw-off disc 4 is again arranged on a separate stand 5, which in this case is mounted on an extension of machine frame 3.

In this embodiment, noise reduction hood 7 only encloses braiding rotor 2. Especially with such a large embodiment of rotary braiding machine 1, this results in a substantial reduction of volume of noise reduction hood 7 compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

As braiding rotor 2 is the largest source of noise of rotary braiding machine 1 due to its fast rotation and to the plurality of moving components arranged thereon, noise reduction hood 7 is in this form sufficient for an effective damping of noise.

The form factor of noise reduction hood 7 is fitted to braiding rotor 2 and forms an approximately prismatic body having the footprint of a regular octagon. This has the advantage that noise reduction hood 7 is only assembled from flat components, which can be produced in a simple and cost-efficient way. Noise reduction hood 7 can, however, also have a different, for instance cylindrical form and can thus be fitted even better to the form of braiding rotor 2, resulting in a further reduction of volume by the omission of corners and an improved appearance.

Noise reduction hood 7 is fixed to machine frame 3 and can also in this embodiment have suitable vision and manipulation facilities like windows, flaps and/or detachable components.

At draw-off disc 4, which in this embodiment is not enclosed by noise reduction hood 7, suitable means for the prevention of accidents have to be provided, like cover sheets, closed cable ducts, proximity sensors, or emergency shut-off switches.

FIG. 4 shows in a conceptual way the change of dimensions of the machine resulting from the idea according to the invention to incline the draw-off direction and thus also braiding rotor 2 with respect to the vertical. This is done on the basis of a rotary braiding machine 1 from the prior art according to the vertical design.

In the unchanged position shown in FIG. 4a), braiding rotor 2 rotates in a horizontal plane. Consequently, the draw-off direction is oriented upwards in vertical direction. Draw-off disc 4 is mounted on top of machine frame 3 and forms the highest point of the machine. The upper edge of draw-off disc 4 has a height of approximately 2.41 m. The width of the machine is about 1.74 m.

By tilting the machine by 30°, as shown in FIG. 4b), the height of the machine—not taking avoidable components of the machine frame into account which, in this representation, protrude even below the bottom side or above the edge of the machine—is reduced to about 2.06 m and the corresponding width to about 2.13 m.

By tilting the machine by 45°, as shown in FIG. 4c) and as also realized in the embodiments of the rotary braiding machine 1 according to the invention in FIGS. 1 to 3, the height of the machine is reduced to about 1.83 m and the width to about 2.16 m.

Here, the dimensions of rotary braiding machine 1 from the prior art shown in FIG. 4, in particular the size of the single machine components and their relative position, corresponds to the dimensions of rotary braiding machine 1 according to the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. By estimating the outer dimensions of the embodiment inclined by 45° in FIG. 4c), also the representation in FIG. 2a) is verified that the upper edge of draw-off disc 4 is about at the height of the head of an operator of normal body height.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1 Rotary braiding machine

2 Braiding rotor

3 Machine frame

4 Draw-off disc

5 Stand of the draw-off disc

6 Supply roller or take-off spool for the strand material

7 Noise reduction hood

8 Window

9 Door

10 Operator

11 Operating unit

12 Cord

13 Machine control

A Draw-off direction

Claims

1. A rotary braiding machine, in particular for producing wire mesh, comprising:

a plurality of braiding spools, in particular for wires, and spool carriers;

a braiding rotor on which the braiding spools are arranged in the spool carriers;

a braiding head defining a braiding point;

a draw-off disc;

a machine frame;

the braiding rotor rotating around an axis which is identical or approximately identical to the draw-off direction of the braided material; and

the draw-off direction of the braided material is oriented obliquely in space, i. e. neither horizontally nor vertically.

2. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the draw-off direction of the braided material is inclined by between 20 and 70 degrees to the vertical.

3. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the draw-off direction of the braided material is inclined by about 30 degrees to the vertical.

4. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the draw-off direction of the braided material is inclined by about 45 degrees to the vertical.

5. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the draw-off disc is not fixed to the machine frame.

6. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 5,

characterized in that

the draw-off disc is fixed to a separate stand.

7. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 5,

characterized in that

the rotary braiding machine has a noise reduction hood which substantially encloses the braiding rotor.

8. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 1, further including at least one of a supply roller and a take-off spool for a strand material.

9. The rotary braiding machine according to claim 1, further including a noise reduction hood.