Tufting machine with self-aligning gauging modules

• US 5,295,450 A
• Filed: 05/01/1992
• Issued: 03/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Card-Monroe Corporation
• Original Assignee: Card-Monroe Corporation
• Inventors: Neely, Marshall A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crowder, Clifford D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US07/877,827
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 112/80.4, 112/80.01, 112/80.45, 112/80.6, 19/129 R, 403/331, 403/379, 403/380, 403/381, 66/207, 66/208
• US Class Current: 112/80.45
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/20 Arrangements or devices, e.g. needles, for inserting loops; Driving mechanisms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/22 Loop-catching arrangements, e.g. loopers; Driving mechanisms therefor

Abstract

Symmetrical, modular blocks each having a plurality of fixed, equally spaced, gauging elements, namely loopers, needles, and reeds protruding therefrom, the blocks are positioned on the sides of the guide bars of a tufting machine, each guide bar having transverse channels at equally spaced intervals. These channels respectively receive guide bars of the blocks when the blocks are removably positioned on the sides of the guide bar. Bolts or screws secure the blocks in place on their guide bars so that their needles, loopers, and reeds are appropriately gauged and positioned for tufting action, protruding toward the tufting zone.

Claims

1. A gauging module assembly for a tufting machine comprising:

(a) an elongated gauge bar having an axis and a flat side, and a front edge generally perpendicular to said flat side, said gauge bar being provided with a plurality of equally spaced, sidewise opening, parallel recesses transversely across said gauge bar, each recess being open throughout its length and being defined by opposed parallel side edges extending throughout such length;

(b) a plurality of juxtaposed unitary modular blocks, each having a rear surface for abutting the flat side of said gauge bar;

(c) a plurality of equally spaced, parallel, tufting machine gauging elements protruding from each of said blocks, each of said tufting machine gauging elements having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of each of said elements being embedded and permanently fixed in its block, said elements of each block being parallel to each other and protruding outwardly beyond said front edge in equally spaced transverse alignment with each other, away from said block in a direction generally parallel to and spaced from the flat surface of said block and said flat side of said gauge bar;

(d) a guide tab fixed on the rear surface of said block for being received sidewise into one of a plurality of said spaced recesses in said gauge bar, when said rear surface of said block is moved sidewise into a positioned flat against said side surface of said gauge bar, said guide tab having opposed straight side edges for engaging the side edges, defining its recess for, thereby centering each of said blocks on said gauge bar when said rear surface is moved sidewise against said flat side of said gauge bar and its guide tab is received in one of said recesses; and

(e) detents respectively passing through said blocks and into said guide bar for securing said blocks to the side of said guide bar at a prescribed position, and with its tab urged into its recess, each of said blocks when attached to the side of said guide bar, holding said spaced elements of that block in a fixed position protruded beyond said front edge toward a tufting zone of said tufting machine with said distal ends of said spaced elements being generally in said tufting zone;

said tufting machine gauging elements being reeds having upper surfaces in a common plane, each of said modular blocks having an outer surface in a common plane, and said reeds having upper surfaces generally in said common plane with said outer surfaces of said blocks.

5. The tufting machine defined in claim 1 wherein each of said recesses has an axis perpendicular to the axis of said needle bar, said recessing being parallel to each other, said blocks when positioned on said needle bar, holding said needles parallel to the axes of said recesses.

6. The tufting machine defined in claim 1 wherein said needles of each block have centerlines which are equally spaced from each other and said needle blocks are spaced from each other, the spacing between said needle blocks being such that the space between the centerline of the end needles of one needle block and the end needle of the adjacent block is approximately one-half the spacing between the centerlines of said needles.

2. A tufting machine in which an elongated needle bar having an axis, a length, a transverse dimension of its axis, and a vertical side and in which the needle bar reciprocates along a path of reciprocation and actuates needles which produce tufts in a backing material fed through a tufting zone of the tufting machine, the improvement comprising:

(a) a plurality of substantially identical mounting blocks removably mounted in side-by-side relationship against said vertical side of said needle bar;

(b) a prescribed number of said needles being fixedly embedded by their proximal ends into each of said blocks for protruding downwardly away from said needle bar and toward said back material;

(c) said needle bar being provided with a plurality of vertically disposed sidewise opening parallel equally spaced recesses transversely of said bar along the vertical side of said needle bar, said recesses having uniform width;

(d) a vertically disposed elongated guide tab protruding from each of said blocks, each guide tab being approximately as wide as one of said recesses for being selectively received in any of said recesses on said needle bar for thereby prescribing the position of all of said blocks side-by-side on said needle bar; and

(e) detent means individual to each of said blocks for locking said blocks against the side of said needle bar.

3. The tufting machine defined in claim 2 wherein said recesses have centerlines which are equally spaced from each other and wherein said guide tabs for said blocks include transversely centered generally rectangular guide bars respectively on said blocks.

4. The tufting machine defined in claim 2 including an alignment bar for each of said blocks, said alignment bar being connected to an end portion of and perpendicular to said guide tabs for forming a stop for abutting a portion of said needle bar.