Yarn Feed System for Tufting Machines

• US 20060272564A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Card-Monroe Corporation
• Original Assignee: Card-Monroe Corporation
• Inventors: Christman, William M. Jr., Card, Roy T., Smith, Sherman W. II
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 112/80.700
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/18 Thread feeding or tensioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/26 with provision for producing patterns
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/34 by inserting loops of different nature or colour

Abstract

A yarn feed system, enabling the control of individual yarns to the needles of a tufting machine, and which system can be manufactured as a substantially standardized unit or attachment that can be removably mounted to a tufting machine. The yarn feed unit includes a series of yarn feed devices for feeding each of the yarns to the needles of the tufting machine, and a series of yarn feed controllers that monitor and control the operation of the yarn feed devices to control the feeding of the yarns to the needles according to programmed pattern instructions.

Claims

1. A tufting machine for forming tufts of yarns in a backing material passing therethrough, comprising:

at least one needle bar having a series of spaced needles positioned therealong;

a plurality of yarn feed devices each including a drive motor and a drive roll for feeding a supply of yarns to said needles along said needle bar;

a plurality of yarn feed controllers electrically connected to said drive motors of said yarn feed devices for controlling the feeding of the yarns to said needles;

a yarn distribution device including at least one tube bank having a series of yarn feed tubes through which the yarns are passed to a first group of said needles to form at least a first repeat, and to a second group of needles to form at least a second repeat; and

a control system in communication with said yarn feed controllers for providing control signals based on programmed pattern information to said yarn feed controllers.

2. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein said yarn feed devices are arranged in a yarn feed unit comprising a self-contained attachment having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices and adapted to be releasably mountable on the tufting machine.

3. The tufting machine of claim 2 and further comprising a series of yarn feed units mounted across the tufting machine and each supplying a series of yarns to a selected group of needles.

4. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein said yarn feed distribution device includes at least two separate tube bank sections and each of said yarn feed devices feeds at least two yarns to said needles.

5. The tufting machine of claim 4 and wherein said tube bank sections are scrambled.

6. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein each of said yarn feed controllers includes a control processor in communication with said control system, and a series of motor controllers that communicate with and control operation of said drive motors of said yarn feed devices.

7. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein said yarn feed controllers each comprise a circuit board having a control processor and a series of motor controllers, each in communication with said control processors and with at least one of said drive motors of said yarn feed devices for controlling the feeding of the yarns by said drive motors.

8. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein said yarn feed devices are arranged in at least one yarn feed unit and wherein said control system includes yarn feed unit system controller running multiple networks over which said yarn feed controllers receive instructions from and communicate with said system controller.

9. The tufting machine of claim 1 and further comprising a housing having a pair of opposed sidewalls and a series of mounting plates for mounting said yarn feed devices within said housing.

10. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein each of said yarn feed devices further includes a drive roll and an idler roll between which a yarn is engaged and drawn for feeding to a needle.

11. The tufting machine of claim 10 and wherein said drive roll of each yarn feed devices includes a gripping surface.

12. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein said yarn feed devices each further include at least one yarn guide for feeding the yarn between a drive roll and an idler roll.

13. The tufting machine of claim 1 and further comprising a design center computer in communication with said system controller.

14. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein said yarn feed devices are arranged in at least one yarn feed unit, and wherein said control system includes a system controller for said at least one yarn feed unit, wherein said system controller of said at least one yarn feed unit is in communication with a machine controller that includes a design center component.

15. The tufting machine of claim 1 and wherein said control system comprises a tufting machine controller for controlling operation of the tufting machine and said drive motors of said yarn feed unit according to programmed pattern instructions.

16. A tufting machine for introducing tufts of yarns into a backing material, comprising:

a needle bar having a series of spaced needles;

a first series of yarn feed devices, each feeding at least two yarns to selected ones of said needles;

a second series of yarn feed devices, each feeding single yarns to selected ones of said needles;

a yarn distribution device having a tube bank having a series of separate yarn feed tubes through which the yarns fed from at least said first series of yarn feed devices are directed to selected ones of said needles, wherein said yarn feed tubes of said tube bank are of a number and an arrangement sufficient to form at least two pattern repeats across the backing material; and

a control system in communication with said yarn feed devices to provide instructions for controlling said yarn feed devices in accordance with programmed pattern information.

17. The tufting machine of claim 16 and wherein said yarn distribution device comprises a series of yarn feed controllers each controlling two or more of said yarn feed devices.

18. The tufting machine of claim 16 and wherein said yarn feed devices are arranged in at least one yarn feed unit that comprises a controller in communication with said yarn feed devices and running at least one network over which instructions are sent to said yarn feed devices.

19. The tufting machine of claim 16 and wherein a portion of said yarn feed tubes of said tube bank are scrambled.

20. The tufting machine of claim 16 wherein said tube bank of said yarn feed distribution device comprises a mirror repeat tube bank.

21. The tufting machine of claim 16 and wherein said control system includes a design center component.

22. The tufting machine of claim 16 and wherein each yarn feed device comprises a drive motor and a drive roll driven by said drive motor to feed the yarns.

23. A method of forming a tufted product, comprising:

moving a backing material through a tufting zone of a tufting machine;

reciprocating a series of needles carrying a plurality of yarns into the backing material to form tufts of yarns in the backing material;

feeding the yarns to the needles through a yarn feed mechanism mounted on the tufting machine and including a series of independently controllable yarn feed devices, each having a servo-motor and a feed roll, a majority of the yarn feed devices feeding at least a pair of yarns; and

directing each of the yarns to selected ones of the needles of the tufting machine spaced along the tufting zone so as to form a plurality of pattern repeats across the backing material.

24. The method of claim 23 and wherein directing each of the yarns to selected needles comprises feeding pairs of yarns with selected ones of the yarn feed devices and feeding single yarns to selected ones of the needles with other selected ones of the yarn feed devices.

25. The method of claim 23 and directing each of the yarns to selected needles comprises distributing a first group of yarns to a first group of needles to form a first repeat and distributing a second group of yarns to a second group of needles to form a second repeat in the backing material.

26. The method of claim 23 and wherein feeding the yarns to the needles through the yarn feed tubes comprises feeding the yarns through yarn feed tubes of at least one scrambled tube bank.

27. A tufting machine for forming patterned tufted articles, comprising:

at least one reciprocating needle bar carrying a series of spaced needles;

backing feed rolls for feeding a backing material through the tufting machine;

a series of driven yarn feed devices, each including a drive motor and a feed roll driven thereby,

wherein a majority of the yarn feed devices receive at least two yarns per feed roll and feed each of the yarns to selected ones of the needles so as to form at least two pattern repeats across the backing material, and

wherein there are at least approximately one-half the number of yarn feed devices as there are needles of the tufting machine; and

a control system for controlling feeding of the yarns by the yarn feed devices to form a desired tufted pattern.

28. The tufting machine of claim 27 and further comprising a yarn distribution device having at least one tube bank section, and wherein a majority of the yarn feed devices feeds at least two yarns each through separate tubes of the at least one of tube bank section to the needles.

29. The tufting machine of claim 28 and wherein at least a portion of the yarn feed tubes of said tube bank are scrambled.

30. The tufting machine of claim 27 and further comprises a series of yarn feed controllers each controlling one or more of the yarn feed devices.

31. The tufting machine of claim 27 and further comprising a mirror repeat tube bank having a series of tubes for feeding the yarns to their selected needles.

32. The tufting machine of claim 27 and further comprising a series of yarn feed devices each feeding a single yarn to a selected needle.