Control apparatus for textile dyeing and tufting machinery
First Claim
1. Apparatus for dyeing, individually, yarn ends of a plurality of yarn ends at predetermined positions along their lengths and producing a tufted textile product with a multi-colored predetermined complex design incorporated therein, comprising:
- a tufting station;
a plurality of spaced dyeing stations of different colors;
a plurality of yarn control assemblies at each dyeing station, each yarn control assembly controlling one or more individual yarn ends and having a corresponding yarn control assembly at each other dyeing station controlling the same one or more individual yarn ends as the yarns are passed through the dyeing stations;
each yarn control assembly being individually controllable by digital color pattern data to cause the dyeing of yarn at its associated dyeing station;
a holding register for holding digital color pattern data for each yarn control assembly at a first dyeing station, and for the corresponding yarn control assembly at each other dyeing station;
means to present a switch of sequential digital color pattern data from a predetermined pattern to the holding registers for yarn control assemblies sequentially positioned from one side of a dyeing station to the other side, each holding register then containing digital color pattern data identifying one particular dyeing station having a particular color dye;
means to output digital color pattern data from each holding register to the yarn control assemblies at the first dyeing station when predetermined portions of yarn ends are at the first dyeing station, and means to delay the output of digital color pattern data from each holding register to the yarn control assemblies at each other dyeing station until the same predetermined portions of yarn ends are at the other dyeing stations, whereby the stitch of digital color pattern data in the holding registers causes particular yarn control assemblies at particular dyeing stations receiving digital color pattern data to dye the yarn ends they control; and
means for presenting each next sequential stitch of digital color pattern data from a predetermined pattern to the holding registers for a corresponding operation;
whereby, individual yarn ends are dyed different colors at predetermined positions along their length and a multi-colored predetermined complex design is tufted according to the digital color pattern data presented to the holding registers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for developing multi-colored complex patterns in textile carpets formed by a yarn tufting operation, employing a scanner to scan and record color data from replicas or artists'"'"' renditions of the patterns to be tufted, a programmable read only memory to store the color data descriptive of the scanned patterns after electronic digitizing of the data, and a microprocessor and logic circuits to select a desired pattern from the memory and provide the color data for the selected pattern to individual yarn control assemblies at spaced dyeing stations of different colors. Individual yarn ends passing through the spaced dye stations are selectively dyed along their length at predetermined positions according to the color data provided to the yarn control assemblies at the spaced dye stations, the yarn ends then being delivered to a tufting machine to produce the selected multi-colored complex pattern. Delivery of color data from memory is controlled by the displacement of the backing applied to the carpet, by means of clocks generated by the backing linear displacement. Delivery of color data to the yarn control assemblies at each dye station, for dyeing of each yarn end at predetermined positions along its length, is controlled by the displacement of the yarn. Clocks are generated by the yarn linear displacement and control logic circuits to delay delivery of color information to the yarn control assemblies at each dye station depending upon the physical displacement of that station in relation to the other dye stations. Logic circuits are provided to eliminate vibrational and reverse motion effects on the backing and yarn clocks, and to compensate for low yarn speed on starting and/or stopping of the machinery. Logic circuits also are provided to interchange the colors in the pattern of a tufted carpet produced from a given selected pattern that has been scanned.
34 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for dyeing, individually, yarn ends of a plurality of yarn ends at predetermined positions along their lengths and producing a tufted textile product with a multi-colored predetermined complex design incorporated therein, comprising:
- a tufting station;
a plurality of spaced dyeing stations of different colors;
a plurality of yarn control assemblies at each dyeing station, each yarn control assembly controlling one or more individual yarn ends and having a corresponding yarn control assembly at each other dyeing station controlling the same one or more individual yarn ends as the yarns are passed through the dyeing stations;
each yarn control assembly being individually controllable by digital color pattern data to cause the dyeing of yarn at its associated dyeing station;
a holding register for holding digital color pattern data for each yarn control assembly at a first dyeing station, and for the corresponding yarn control assembly at each other dyeing station;
means to present a switch of sequential digital color pattern data from a predetermined pattern to the holding registers for yarn control assemblies sequentially positioned from one side of a dyeing station to the other side, each holding register then containing digital color pattern data identifying one particular dyeing station having a particular color dye;
means to output digital color pattern data from each holding register to the yarn control assemblies at the first dyeing station when predetermined portions of yarn ends are at the first dyeing station, and means to delay the output of digital color pattern data from each holding register to the yarn control assemblies at each other dyeing station until the same predetermined portions of yarn ends are at the other dyeing stations, whereby the stitch of digital color pattern data in the holding registers causes particular yarn control assemblies at particular dyeing stations receiving digital color pattern data to dye the yarn ends they control; and
means for presenting each next sequential stitch of digital color pattern data from a predetermined pattern to the holding registers for a corresponding operation;
whereby, individual yarn ends are dyed different colors at predetermined positions along their length and a multi-colored predetermined complex design is tufted according to the digital color pattern data presented to the holding registers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a tufting station;
Specification