Tufting machine with self-aligning gauging modules

• US 5,400,727 A
• Filed: 09/21/1993
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1992
• Status: Expired

• 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:
  US08/124,723
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 112/80.4, 112/80.01, 112/80.45, 112/80.6
• 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 being selectively received over one of a plurality of equally spaced sidewise opening channel shaped recesses along a side surface of a gauge bar of a tufting machine comprising:

(a) a modular block having a front surface, a pair of side surfaces opposed to each other and a rear surface opposite to said front surface;

(b) a plurality of equally spaced, parallel, tufting machine gauging elements protruding from said block, 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 in a fixed, retained, condition in said block, said elements protruding in transverse parallel alignment with each other, from said block;

(c) an elongated tab fixed on the rear surface of said block for being received sidewise in any one of said spaced recesses in said gauge bar on said tufting machine, when said modular block is positioned with its rear surface against said side surface of said gauge bar, said tab centering said modular block on said gauge bar when said tab is received in one of said spaced recesses; and

(d) a detent for securing said modular block to said gauge bar, said modular block when attached to said gauge bar, being adapted to hold said spaced elements in a fixed position protruding toward a tufting zone of said tufting machine with said distal ends of said spaced elements being in said tufting zone, said detent also urging said modular block toward said gauging block and said tab into one of said recesses.

2. The gauging module assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said tufting machine gauging elements include a plurality of tufting needles, said needles having eyes at their distal end portions.

3. The gauging module assembly defined in claim 2 wherein said modular block is rectangular and has opposed parallel side surfaces and wherein said tufting machine gauging elements are straight members, the outermost members being spaced inwardly from said side surfaces of said modular block by a distance about one-half the spacing of said elements from each other.

4. The gauging module assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said tufting machine gauging elements are loopers.

5. The gauging module assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said modular block is rectangular and has parallel side surfaces and wherein said tufting machine gauging elements are disposed in a common plane which is approximately parallel to the side surfaces of said modular block.

6. The gauging module assembly defined in claim 1 including a stop for forming with said tab, a T-shaped member on said rear surface of said modular block, said stop protruding on both sides of said tab.

14. The gauging modular assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said gauging elements are disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of said rear surface.

15. The gauging modular assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said detent includes a bolt passing through said modular block and through said tab for threadedly engaging said gauging bar when said tab is received within one of said recesses and is at a prescribed position along said recess.

20. The tufting machine defined in claim 14 wherein said gauging elements are reeds and said gauge bar is a bed rail.

7. A tufting machine of the type in which a reciprocating looper gauge bar moves toward and away from a tufting zone as needles of the tufting machine are reciprocated for inserting yarns through a backing material, the improvement comprising:

(a) said looper gauge bar having a prescribed length and a flat side and being provided with a plurality of equally spaced, parallel, sidewise opening, recesses along said flat side;

(b) a plurality of symmetrical, substantially identical, modular mounting blocks mounted side by side on said flat side of said gauge bar;

(c) a plurality of equally spaced loopers carried by each of said modular blocks, said loopers being imbedded in each of said modular mounting blocks so that each block retains the loopers in spaced, parallel relationship according to the gauge of the tufting machine, each of said modular blocks being provided with a tab which is received sidewise within one of said recesses when that block is moved toward said gauge bar; and

(d) detent means individual to each of said modular mounting blocks for removably securing that block against the flat side of said gauge bar in a fixed position with respect to the other modular blocks carried by said gauge bar, said detent means urging said tab into one of said recesses and also urging said modular mounting block against said flat side of said gauge bar.

8. The tufting machine defined in claim 7, wherein each tab is T-shaped and includes a shoulder along one edge portion of said modular mounting block for limiting sidewise movement of that tab within said one of said recesses and for preventing appreciable rotation of said modular mounting block with respect to said looper gauge bar.

9. The tufting machine defined in claim 7 wherein said detent means includes a bolt passing through said modular mounting block and through said tab for removably securing that block onto said looper gauge bar.

10. Process of producing a tufting machine having a tufting zone therein comprising the steps of:

(a) producing a plurality of equally spaced, parallel transverse, sidewise opening, straight recesses across one side portion of an elongated gauge bar of the tufting machine, each of said recesses having equally spaced parallel centerlines;

(b) installing said gauge bar transversely of the tufting machine so that said centerlines of said recesses extend toward the tufting zone of the tufting machine;

(c) producing a plurality of substantially identical modular block assemblies wherein each modular block assembly has opposed parallel side surfaces, a bottom portion, and a rear surface, and so that the width between said side surfaces is approximately equal to the width between the centerline of adjacent recesses in said gauge bar;

(d) permanently embedding by their proximal end portions in each of said modular blocks has the same number of equally spaced, parallel gauging elements, in parallel relationship to said side surfaces and so that the gauging elements protrude from the bottom portions of said modular blocks and so that the outermost gauging elements of each of said modular blocks are respectively spaced inwardly of said parallel side surfaces of each modular blocks by a distance equal to approximately one-half the distance between centerlines of said gauging elements;

(e) producing, on the rear surface of said modular blocks, an elongated straight non-circular tabs, each of which is equally spaced from said side surfaces and is approximately the width of one of said recesses; and

(f) securing said modular blocks side-by-side on said side portion of said gauge bar and with the respective tabs of said modular blocks received respectively in said recesses and so that all gauging elements extend toward the tufting zone of said tufting machine for thereby spacing all of said gauging elements from their adjacent elements by substantially the same amount.

11. The process defined in claim 10 wherein the modular blocks are removably secured to said guide bar and including the step of replacing selected modular blocks with new modular blocks whenever a gauging element is damaged.

12. The process defined in claim 11 including the steps of producing on said block an alignment bar which is perpendicular to the guide bar and abuts a surface of said guide bar member when each one of said modular blocks is installed on said guide bar member.

13. The process defined in claim 12 wherein the step of securing said modular blocks to said guide bar includes the inserting the guide bar of each modular block in a channel of said guide bar so that the abutment bar is spaced from said guide bar and progressively moving each of said modular blocks transversely of said guide bar for causing said abutment bar to abut said guide bar and the step of securing the modular blocks on said guide bar include passing detents through said modular blocks and into said guide bar.

16. A tufting machine having a tufting zone and a gauging assembly, the improvement comprising:

(a) a gauge bar having a first side surface and a second side surface, said gauge bar being provided with a plurality of equally spaced, straight, transverse, channel shaped, outwardly opening parallel, recesses, across at least a portion of said first side surface of said gauge bar, said recesses each opening sidewise along said second surface, said recesses each being defined by a pair of opposed parallel sides;

(b) a plurality of generally rectangular modular blocks each having a flat rear surface for being received against said first side surface;

(c) an alignment member secured to each of said modular blocks, said alignment member including;

(i) a tab conforming to the shape of said opposed sides for being received therebetween when that modular block containing said alignment member is received against said first side surface; and

(ii) a stop protruding from each of said modular blocks for engaging said second side surface and arresting movement of that modular block;

(d) a plurality of equally spaced parallel gauging elements protruding from said modular block toward said tufting zone; and

(e) a detent for removably securing each of said modular blocks against said gauge bar and simultaneously urging the tab of each of said modular blocks into one of said recesses when said tab is received in said recess and said stop engages the second side surface.

17. The tufting machine defined in claim 16 wherein said first surface and said second surface interact essentially perpendicular to each other and wherein said tab extends to said stop.

18. The tufting machine defined in claim 16 wherein said stop forms a straight shoulder perpendicular to said tab and said recesses are perpendicular to said second surface.

19. The tufting machine defined in claim 16 wherein said gauging elements are loopers and said gauge bar is a looper bar.