Apparatus for tufting spaced rows of loop pile and cut pile

• US 3,919,953 A
• Filed: 10/16/1974
• Issued: 11/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rodney E. Hill, Roy T. Card
• Original Assignee: Rodney E. Hill, Roy T. Card
• Inventors: Card, Roy T., Hill, Rodney E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, H. Hampton
• Application Number:
  US05/515,171
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 112/79,79A,78,64
• US Class Current: 112/80.45
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/22 Loop-catching arrangements, e.g. loopers; Driving mechanisms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/24 Loop cutters; Driving mechanisms therefor

Abstract

A multiple-needle tufting machine in which the needles are spaced transversely of the machine, and preferably staggered in two transverse rows, and having a plurality of loop pile hooks for cooperating with the needles in one transverse row and a row of cut pile hooks for cooperating with the needles in the other transverse row. The loop pile hooks are mounted so that their bills point in the direction of feeding, while the cut pile hooks are mounted so that their bills point in the opposite direction and toward the loop pile hooks. A reciprocal looper apparatus is provided for moving the loop pile hooks and cut pile hooks toward each other for cooperating with their respective needles in their lowermost position for forming loops on the respective hooks, and for moving the loop pile hooks and cut pile hooks away from each other upon the upstroke of the needles for releasing the respective loops to form spaced rows of loop pile stitching and cut pile stitching. A reciprocal knife is provided for cooperating with each of the cut pile hooks.

Claims

1. A tufting machine for forming spaced rows of loop pile stitching and cut pile stitching having means for supporting a base fabric for longitudinal movement in a feeding direction through said machine, comprising:

a. a plurality of first and second reciprocal needles for introducing yarns through the base fabric to form loops, said needles being spaced apart substantially transversely of the feeding direction, b. a looper apparatus comprising a plurality of loop pile hooks and a plurality of cut pile hooks, there being one hook for each of said needles, c. said looper apparatus comprising means mounting said loop pile hooks adjacent said fabric supporting means so that the bills of said loop pile hooks point in said feeding direction and each of said loop pile hooks cooperates with a first said needle to form a loop pile loop, d. said looper apparatus further comprising means mounting said cut pile hooks adjacent said fabric supporting means so that the bills of said cut pile hooks point in the direction opposite said feeding direction and each of said cut pile hooks cooperates with a second said needle to form a cut pile loop, e. a knife for each cut pile hook, f. means supporting each said knife for reciprocal cooperative movement with a corresponding cut pile hook to cut a cut pile loop and form a cut pile tuft, g. said looper apparatus further comprising reciprocal motive means for moving said loop pile hooks and said cut pile hooks simultaneously toward each other to cooperate with said respective first and second needles in a lowermost reciprocal position penetrating the base fabric to form said respective loops, and for moving said loop pile hooks and said cut pile hooks simultaneously away from each other when said first and second needles are in an elevated position to release and cut said respective loops.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said base fabric is fed in said feeding direction from front-to-rear through said tufting machine, said needles being staggered so that said first needles are in a front transverse row and said second needles are in a rear transverse row spaced behind said front row, said loop pile hooks and said cut pile hooks being correspondingly staggered.

3. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising reciprocal motive means supporting said needles for carrying said yarn loops to an equal depth beneath said fabric supporting means, said loop pile hook and cut pile hook mounting means supporting the bills of said respective hooks to coooperate with said respective needles at substantially the same level.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which each knife cooperates with its corresponding cut pile hook to cut said cut pile loop while said cut pile hook is in its position cooperating with said corresponding second needle.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said looper apparatus comprises a single, reciprocal, transverse looper shaft, said means mounting said loop pile hooks comprising a transverse loop pile hook bar and said means mounting said cut pile hooks comprising a transverse cut pile hook bar, and link means operatively connecting said single looper shaft with each of said hook bars to cause said hook bars to move toward each other when said looper shaft rotates in one direction and to move said hook bars away from each other when said looper shaft rotates in the opposite direction.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which said link means comprises a lever member pivotally mounted upon a transverse pivotal axis on said machine, said lever member having a first end fixed to said loop pile hook bar and a second end operatively connected to said looper shaft, and a link arm having one end connected to said cut pile hook bar and its opposite end operatively connected to said looper shaft.

7. The inventiOn according to claim 6 further comprising first and second radial arms fixed to said looper shaft and projecting radially from said looper shaft at circumferentially spaced points, pivotal connecting means connecting said first radial arm to the second end of said lever member, and means pivotally connecting the opposite end of said link arm to said second radial arm.

8. The invention according to claim 7 further comprising an idler shaft mounted on said machine for rotary movement, said lever member being journaled upon said idler shaft for free rotary movement, so that the pivotal axis of said lever member coincides with the longitudinal axis of said idler shaft, a rocker arm having one end portion fixed to said idler shaft and the other end portion fixed to said cut pile hook bar, said one end of said link bar being pivotally connected to said rocker shaft.

9. The invention according to claim 4 further comprising a second link bar having one end pivotally connected to the second end of said lever member and the opposite end pivotally connected to said first radial arm.

10. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising a needle bar having first and second sections, said first section supporting a transverse row of said first needles and said second section supporting a second transverse row of said second needles, and means for adjustably connecting said first and second sections for varying the stagger spacing between said first and second rows of needles.