High speed tufting machine
First Claim
1. A tufting machine of the type having a frame provided with a head, a plurality of spaced slideable push rods extending through said head along spaced parallel axes and a needle bar carried by the ends of said push rods externally of said head, the improvement comprising:
- (a) a main drive shaft rotatably disposed in said head;
(b) a plurality of individual drive trains in said head, said drive trains respectively including drive wheels at spaced positions on said main drive shaft for rotation therewith;
(c) said drive trains also respectively including rotatable driven wheels disposed in said head and respectively driven from said drive wheels;
(d) crank members respectively rotated by said driven wheels when said driven wheels are rotated;
(e) connecting rod drive means respectively on said crank members; and
(f) connecting rods respectively pivotally connected to said connecting rod drive means and respectively connected to the other end portions of said push rods for reciprocating all of said push rods simultaneously, to reciprocate said needle bar when said crank members are rotated.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The head of a tufting machine frame journals a plurality of transversely spaced push rods, the lower end of which carries a needle bar and its needles. The upper end of each push rod has an individual drive assembly which includes a sidewise extending drive pin pivotally connected to a connecting rod reciprocated by an eccentrically mounted pivot pin protruding from the face of a crank member which is removeably mounted on a driven wheel carried by a stub shaft. A timing belt, connected over the driven sprocket, is itself driven by one of a plurality of drive wheels on a main drive shaft.
39 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A tufting machine of the type having a frame provided with a head, a plurality of spaced slideable push rods extending through said head along spaced parallel axes and a needle bar carried by the ends of said push rods externally of said head, the improvement comprising:
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(a) a main drive shaft rotatably disposed in said head; (b) a plurality of individual drive trains in said head, said drive trains respectively including drive wheels at spaced positions on said main drive shaft for rotation therewith; (c) said drive trains also respectively including rotatable driven wheels disposed in said head and respectively driven from said drive wheels; (d) crank members respectively rotated by said driven wheels when said driven wheels are rotated; (e) connecting rod drive means respectively on said crank members; and (f) connecting rods respectively pivotally connected to said connecting rod drive means and respectively connected to the other end portions of said push rods for reciprocating all of said push rods simultaneously, to reciprocate said needle bar when said crank members are rotated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18)
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12. A tufting machine of the type having a frame provided with a head, a plurality of spaced slideable push rods extending through said head along parallel axes and a needle bar carried by the ends of said push rods for reciprocation by said push rods upon axial movement of said push rods, said push rods terminating within said head, the improvement comprising:
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(a) a plurality of shaft supporting members carried by said frame above said push rods; (b) a plurality of crank member support shafts protruding from said shaft supporting members; (c) crank members rotatably carried respectively by said support shafts; (d) a plurality of crank pivot pins respectively protruding from said crank members, each of said pins being parallel to and offset from it, associated crank members supporting shaft; (e) a plurality of push rod pivot pins protruding from the inner end portions of said push rods; (f) a plurality of connecting rods respectively connected between said crank pivot pins and said push rod pivot pins; and (g) drive means for rotating all of said crank members in synchronization for reciprocating said push rods, simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification