DENSE PILE TUFTING MACHINES

• US 3,577,943 A
• Filed: 04/03/1969
• Issued: 05/11/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spencer Wright Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Watkins Charles William
• Inventors: WATKINS CHARLES WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US04/813,130
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• US Class Current: 112/80.31
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/28 by moving the base material laterally

Abstract

This disclosure relates to tufting machines for producing dense pile fabrics and more particularly those of the cut pile type. In general, the machine includes apparatus for shifting the backing fabric used in the tufting process relative to the needles, loopers, and cutting mechanism. Through the novel arrangement of the shifting mechanism and the tufting components, as set forth in this disclosure, a dense pile fabric is produced having rows of pile tufts which are spaced less than the distance of the spacing between adjacent needles as viewed in the direction of the backing fabric feed. As is known in the art, the guage of the machine is measured by the transverse spacing between adjacent needles. The longitudinal rows of tufting produced through the apparatus of the present disclosure are spaced less than the guage distance. The disclosure further presents a commercially desirable machine of the so-called sliding needle plate type which produces a cut pile fabric.

Claims

1. A method of forming a dense pile fabric by means including a plurality of transversely spaced needles, a looper for each needle, and a laterally shiftable needle plate having a plurality of finger elements for supporting a backing fabric, said method comprising;

feeding a backing fabric longitudinally across the needle plate, penetrating the backing fabric with the needles for forming yarn loops in said backing, holding the yarn loops with said loopers during the return stroke of said needles, initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate and said backing fabric during the downstroke of said needles with the relative timing of said needle plate and said needles being such as to permit interference-free relative movement therebetween such that said backing fabric is intercepted and restained by said needles from further lateral shifting movement with said needle plate, whereby said backing fabric shifts only a portion of the distance with said needle plate with each lateral shift thereof.

2. A method of forming a dense pile fabric as recited in claim 1, wherein said needle plate is shifted at least the distance between adjacent transversely spaced needles and said backing fabric is shifted substantially one-half the distance of said needle plate.

3. A method of forming a dense pile fabric as recited in claim 1 further comprising, advancing the loop of yarn toward the rear portion of said loopers, and cutting each loop of yarn when it is adjacent the rear portion.

4. A method of forming a dense pile fabric as recited in claim 1 further comprising, initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate and said backing fabric while loops are being held on said loopers such that the loops on the loopers restrain said backing fabric from shifting the full shifting distance with said needle plate.

5. A method of forming a dense pile fabric by means including a plurality of transversely spaced yarn-carrying needles, a looper for each needle, and a laterally shiftable needle plate for supporting a backing fabric for lateral shifting movement therewith, said method comprising;

initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate at least the distance between adjacent transversely spaced needles, penetrating the backing fabric with said yarn-carrying needles before said backing fabric has shifted the full distance with said needle plate whereby said needles restrain further lateral movement of said backing fabric with said needle plate, the relative timing of said needle plate and said needles being such as to permit interference-free relative movement therebetween, removing said needles, advancing the backing fabric longitudinally of said needle plate and repeating the above steps.

6. A method of forming a dense pile fabric as recited in claim 5 further comprising, receiving the loops of yarn carried by said yarn-carrying needles through said backing fabric with said loopers to form loops and holding the loops of yarn during shifting of said needle plate and the backing fabric such that said backing fabric is further restrained by said loops on said loopers from shifting the full shifting distance with said needle plate.

7. A method of forming a dense pile fabric as recited in claim 5 further comprising, cutting the loops of yarn on said loopers after shifting of said needle plate.

8. A method of forming a dense pile fabric by means including a plurality of transversely spaced yarn-carrying needles, a looper for each needle, and a laterally shiftable needle plate for supporting a backing fabric, said method comprising;

penetrating the backing fabric with said yarn-carrying needles to form loops therein, receivIng and holding the loops of yarn on said loopers during the return stroke of said needles, initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate at least the distance between adjacent needles and in relative interference-free cooperation therewith and while the loops of yarn are held by said loopers whereby said backing fabric is restrained by the loops held by said loopers and shifts only a portion of the distance with said needle plate.

9. A method of forming a dense pile fabric as recited in claim 8, wherein said backing fabric shifts substantially one-half the distance said needle plate is shifted.

10. A method of forming a dense pile fabric by means including a plurality of transversely spaced yarn-carrying needles, a looper for each needle, and a laterally shiftable needle plate for supporting a backing fabric for relative longitudinal movement of said backing fabric and lateral shifting movement therewith, said method comprising;

penetrating said backing fabric with said yarn-carrying needles to form loops therein, receiving and holding said loops with said loopers, initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate at least the distance between adjacent needles, and in relative interference-free cooperation therewith such that the backing fabric is shifted substantially one-half the distance said needle plate is shifted whereby rows of closely spaced longitudinal rows of loops are produced having a spacing substantially one-half the distance of the spacing between adjacent needles.

11. A method of forming a dense pile fabric as recited in claim 10 further comprising;

removing the needles from said backing fabric, advancing said backing fabric longitudinally of said needle plate, and cutting said loops on said loopers to form cut pile.

12. In a tufting machine, a plurality of transversely spaced needles, means for reciprocating said needles so that during reciprocation thereof said needles penetrate a backing fabric for inserting loops of yarn through said backing, a laterally shiftable needle plate for supporting the backing fabric, with said needle plate being shiftable so as to be disposed in interference-free relationship with said needles during penetration thereof, means for feeding the backing fabric longitudinally across said needle plate, a looper associated with each needle, each said looper having a hook portion for receiving and holding a loop of yarn from its associated needle, said looper being disposed with its hook portion facing in a direction opposite to the direction of backing fabric feed such that the loops of yarn will feed toward the rear of said looper as the backing fabric is fed relative thereto, cutting means for cutting the loops of yarn after they are fed toward the rear of said looper, and means for initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate and said backing fabric while loops are being held by said loopers such that said loops on said looper restrain the lateral shifting movement of said backing fabric whereby said backing fabric will shift a distance less than the distance between adjacent spaced needles.

13. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 12 wherein said means for initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate and said backing fabric is operative for initiating shifting movement thereof during the downstroke of said needles.

14. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 13 wherein said means for initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate and said backing fabric is operative to shift said needle plate at least the distance between adjacent needles.

15. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 12 further comprising, a plurality of transversely spaced needle plate fingers for supporting the backing fabric during penetration thereof by said needles, said needle plate fingers being supported by said needle plate and extending from said needle plate in the direction of fabric feed to a distance substantially equal to the spacing of said needles from said needlE plate.

16. In a tufting machine, a plurality of transversely spaced needles, means for reciprocating said needles so that during reciprocation thereof said needles penetrate a backing fabric for carrying loops of yarn through said backing fabric, a laterally shiftable needle plate for supporting the backing fabric, means for feeding the backing fabric longitudinally across said needle plate, a looper associated with each needle for receiving and holding a loop of yarn from its associated needle, each said looper having a hook portion disposed in a direction facing opposite to the direction of fabric feed such that the loops of yarn from said needles will feed toward the rear portion of said looper during feeding of said backing fabric, cutting means for cutting the loops of yarn after they are fed toward the rear portion of said looper, means for initiating lateral shifting movement of said needle plate and said backing fabric during the downward stroke of said needles and while loops are disposed on said loopers, said means being operative to shift the needle plate at least the distance between adjacent needles and in relative interference-free relationship therewith, and the holding of the loops by said loopers and the penetration of the backing fabric by said needles during shifting of said needle plate being operative to restrain the shifting of said backing fabric so that the backing fabric will shift a distance less than the distance between adjacent needles.