Machine and method for producing dense pile fabric
First Claim
1. In a tufting machine including a bank of laterally spaced needles, a needle plate for supporting a backing fabric relative to said needles, means for actuating the needles to penetrate the needle plate and the backing fabric thereon and to insert a series of tufts of yarn into the backing fabric upon each penetration of the needles, means for feeding the backing fabric longitudinally of the needle plate, control means for selectively rendering the feeding means inoperative during at least two successive penetrations of the needles into the backing fabric in accordance with a pattern, and means operative while the feeding means is inoperative for imparting relative lateral movement between said needles and said backing fabric in accordance with a pattern, whereby more than one series of tufts may be selectively inserted laterally into the backing fabric on successive penetrations of the backing fabric by the needles while the feed is inoperative.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method of making a very dense tufted fabric using a programmed intermittent backing fabric feed in combination with means for changing the relative lateral displacement of the point of needle penetration into the backing fabric. The method in general comprises feeding a backing fabric through the machine, tufting stitches into the backing, stopping the fabric feed and initiating relative lateral displacement between the backing fabric and the needles, tufting additional stitches into the backing fabric and either initiating further relative displacement between the backing fabric and the needles and tufting again or feeding the fabric forward and repeating the process.
36 Citations
11 Claims
- 1. In a tufting machine including a bank of laterally spaced needles, a needle plate for supporting a backing fabric relative to said needles, means for actuating the needles to penetrate the needle plate and the backing fabric thereon and to insert a series of tufts of yarn into the backing fabric upon each penetration of the needles, means for feeding the backing fabric longitudinally of the needle plate, control means for selectively rendering the feeding means inoperative during at least two successive penetrations of the needles into the backing fabric in accordance with a pattern, and means operative while the feeding means is inoperative for imparting relative lateral movement between said needles and said backing fabric in accordance with a pattern, whereby more than one series of tufts may be selectively inserted laterally into the backing fabric on successive penetrations of the backing fabric by the needles while the feed is inoperative.
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5. In the method of forming a tufted pile fabric by a tufting machine having a bank of reciprocating needles and means for feeding a backing fabric in a longitudinal direction for penetration thereof by said needles, the improvement comprising the steps of selectively stopping the longitudinal feeding movement of the backing fabric, penetrating the backing fabric with said needles to insert a first series of tufts therein;
- shifting one of said needle bank and said backing fabric laterally with respect to the other while said feed is stationary, penetrating the backing fabric with said needles to insert a second series of tufts therein laterally displaced from said first series, and thereafter feeding said backing fabric at least one discrete increment of feed length.
- View Dependent Claims (6)
- 7. A method of forming a dense pile tufted fabric by a tufting machine having reciprocating needles and means for feeding a backing fabric in a longitudinal direction for penetration thereof by said needles, said method comprising, feeding said backing fabric at least one discrete increment of feed length and then stopping the feed, penetrating said backing fabric with said needles and depositing a first series of tufts therein, initiating relative lateral movement between said needles and said backing fabric at least one discrete shifting increment while said backing fabric feed is stationary, again penetrating said backing fabric with said needles and depositing a second series of tufts therein laterally spaced from said first series of tufts, feeding said backing fabric at least a second discrete increment of feed length and then stopping the feed, and repeating at least the steps of penetrating, initiating relative lateral shifting and penetration again while said backing fabric feed is stationary.
- 9. A method of forming a dense pile tufted fabric by a tufting machine having reciprocating needles and means for feeding a backing fabric in a longitudinal direction for penetration thereof by said needles said method comprising, penetrating the backing fabric with the needles and depositing a first series of tufts of yarn therein, feeding said backing fabric at least one discrete increment of feed length and then stopping the feed of fabric, again penetrating the backing fabric with the needles and depositing a second series tufts of yarn therein longitudinally spaced from said first series of tufts, initiating relative lateral shifting movement between said needles and said backing fabric at least one discrete shifting increment while said backing fabric feed is stationary, again penetrating the backing fabric with the needles and depositing a third series of tufts of yarn therein, feeding said backing fabric at least a second discrete increment of feed length and then stopping the feed of the fabric, and again repeating the steps of needle penetration, initiating relative lateral shifting and needle penetration while said fabric is stationary before advancing the fabric at least a third discrete increment of feed length.
Specification