Tufting machine

• US 4,831,948 A
• Filed: 05/06/1988
• Issued: 05/23/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yoneda Tekkoh, Suminoe Orimono Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yoneda Tekkoh, Suminoe Orimono Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Itoh, Sigeki, Yoneda, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Feldbaum, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US07/191,113
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 112/80.43, 112/80.44, 112/80.4, 112/80.73
• US Class Current: 112/80.43
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/20 Arrangements or devices, e.g. needles, for inserting loops; Driving mechanisms therefor

Abstract

A tufting machine is provided with a needle block movable up and down, needle carriers mounted on the needle block, the carriers carrying needles aligned crosswisely of the machine, wherein the needles are individually driven to insert into a backing fabric by means of actuators operatively connected to each of them and a needle selector for selecting the needles by controlling the operation of the actuators.

Claims

1. A tufting machine for producing tufted fabrics, the machine comprising:

a needle block having a pair of needle carriers carrying a plurality of needles aligned crosswisely of the machine such that the needles can descend and ascend;

a driving means for moving the needle block up and down;

a number of cylinders mounted on the needle bock corresponding to that of the needles so as to drive them individually, the cylinders being arranged in the zigzag form but at axial spaces corresponding to the intervals between the needles;

wherein the carriers are arranged in two arrays extending in opposite directions from the aligned needles;

wherein each of the abutting ends of the carriers is halved to enable them to be complement to the entire width of the carrier;

a means for transmitting force from the individual cylinders to the respective needle carriers, the means being connected to the respective needle carrier so as to be movable up and down together with the respective cylinders; and

a needle selector for selecting the needles by controlling the operation of cylinders.

2. A tufting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the force transmitting means are pneumatic cylinders.

3. A tufting machine as defined in claims 1 or 2, wherein the needle carriers are mounted on the needle block through a rod means connected to the respective force transmitting means and an intermediate connecting member of L-shape.

6. A tufting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the force transmitting means are mounted on each needle carrier so as to actuate the needle fixed thereto, wherein the pneumatic cylinders are arranged in rows in each array so that they do not overlap each other.

4. A tufting machine for producing tufted fabrics, the machine comprising:

a needle block;

a driving means for moving the needle block up and down;

needle carriers mounted on the needle block, the carrier carrying a plurality of needles aligned crosswisely of the machine;

wherein the carriers are arranged in two arrays extending in opposite direction from the aligned needles;

wherein each of the abutting ends of the carriers is halved to enable them to be complement to the width of the carrier;

a force transmitting means operatively connected to each of the needles so that they are individually inserted into a backing fabric;

a needle selector for selecting the needles by controlling the operation of the force transmitting means;

a yarn feeder for supplying yarns to the individual needles at three different speeds so that high piles, low piles and no pile are selectively supplied; and

a yarn speed controller for changing the yarn feed speed synchronously with the needle selector so that the yarns are supplied as required by the individual needles.

7. A tufting machine as defined in claim 4, wherein the selectable speeds for feeding the yarn comprises speeds at which high piles, low piles and no pile are supplied.

8. A tufting machine as defined in claim 4, wherein the force transmitting means are pneumatic cylinders.

5. A tufting machine for producing tufted fabrics, the machine comprising:

a first head and a second head;

a first needle block mounted on the first head;

a second needle block mounted on the second head;

a driving means for moving the first and second needle blocks up and down in a complementary reciprocal manner;

first and second groups of needle carriers mounted on the first and second needle blocks, respectively, each group of needle carriers carrying a plurality of needles aligned crosswisely of the machine;

wherein the needle carriers in each group are arranged in two arrays extending in opposite direction from the aligned needles;

wherein each of the abutting ends of the needle carriers is half as wide as the needle carrier so as to enable the abutted ends to be complement to the width of the carrier;

a force transmitting means operatively connected to each of the needles so that they are individually inserted into a backing fabric; and

a yarn feeder for supplying yarns to the individual needles at selectable speeds.