Belt driven looper drive
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A tufting machine having a frame, a transversely extending drive shaft in said frame, and a looper shaft in said frame and disposed in parallel relationship to said drive shaft;
- said looper shaft controlling a rocking of said loopers during a tufting operation of said machine, wherein an improvement comprises;
(a) a rotatable spindle journaled in a fixed position on said frame, between said drive shaft and said looper shaft and closer to said looper shaft than to said drive shaft;
(b) a drive member for transmitting power from said drive shaft to said spindle for rotating said spindle;
(c) a link carried by said spindle for being reciprocated in synchronization with a rotation of said drive shaft; and
(d) a lever connected to said link and to said looper shaft for imparting a rocking motion to said looper shaft in synchronization with the reciprocation of said link.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tufting machine has a main drive shaft, a looper shaft and parallel to the main shaft, a drive train therebetween in which a spindle supports, on its end, a sprocket which is driven by an endless belt from a wheel on the drive shaft. The other face of the sprocket carries a stroke control lug provided with a orbital crank pin which reciprocates a link connected to a lever on the looper shaft thereby for rocking the looper shaft, rocking the loopers carried by the looper shaft.
65 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A tufting machine having a frame, a transversely extending drive shaft in said frame, and a looper shaft in said frame and disposed in parallel relationship to said drive shaft;
- said looper shaft controlling a rocking of said loopers during a tufting operation of said machine, wherein an improvement comprises;
(a) a rotatable spindle journaled in a fixed position on said frame, between said drive shaft and said looper shaft and closer to said looper shaft than to said drive shaft; (b) a drive member for transmitting power from said drive shaft to said spindle for rotating said spindle; (c) a link carried by said spindle for being reciprocated in synchronization with a rotation of said drive shaft; and (d) a lever connected to said link and to said looper shaft for imparting a rocking motion to said looper shaft in synchronization with the reciprocation of said link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- said looper shaft controlling a rocking of said loopers during a tufting operation of said machine, wherein an improvement comprises;
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15. A tufting machine for carrying out a tufting operation in which successive tufts are sewn in a backing materials said machine having a frame, a transversely extending drive shaft in an upper portion of said frame and a looper shaft disposed in a lower portion of said frame parallel to said drive shaft for carrying loopers which engage said tufts, wherein an improvement includes a drive train comprising:
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(a) a first wheel on said drive shaft; (b) a second wheel carried for rotation about an axis parallel to said drive shaft and said looper shaft, said second wheel being closer to said looper shaft than to said drive shaft; (c) an endless belt extending between said first wheel and said second wheel for driving said second wheel upon rotation of said first wheel; (d) a crank pin carried by said second wheel, said crank pin being offset from said axis of said second wheel for movement in an orbital path about said axis upon rotation of said second wheel; (e) a link connected to said crank pin for being reciprocated by said crank pin upon rotation of said second wheel; and (f) a lever protruding transversely from said looper shaft and having a distal end spaced from said looper shaft, said link being connected to said distal end of said lever for transferring a reciprocal motion of said link into a rocking motion of said looper shaft. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Process of tufting in which a drive shaft is rotated for producing a tufting operation in a tufting machine wherein loops of yarn are inserted through a backing material and a looper shaft imparts reciprocation to loopers which catch and temporarily hold the loops of yarn after said loops of yarns have been formed, wherein an improvement comprises:
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(a) moving a pin in an orbital path about an axis in a timed relationship to a formation of said loops; locating said pin closer to said looper shaft than to said drive shaft; (b) translating an orbital movement of said pin into a reciprocating movement; and (c) imparting said reciprocating motion to said looper shaft for rocking said loopers in synchronization with a rotation of said drive shaft. - View Dependent Claims (22, 24)
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23. A tufting machine having a frame, a transversely extending drive shaft in said frame, and a looper shaft in said frame and disposed in parallel relationship to said drive shaft, said looper shaft controlling a rocking of loopers during a tufting operation of said machine, wherein an improvement comprises:
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(a) a rotatable member in said frame, between said drive shaft and said looper shaft and closer to said looper shaft than to said drive shaft, for rotation about an axis; (b) a drive member for transmitting power from said drive shaft to said rotatable member for rotating said rotatable member; (c) a lug carried at one end of said rotatable member for rotation therewith; (d) a pivot pin protruding from said lug offset from said axis for movement in an orbital path about said axis upon rotation of said rotatable member; (e) a link, carried by said pivot pin, for being reciprocated in synchronization with a rotation of said drive shaft; and (f) a lever connected to said link and to said looper shaft for imparting rocking motion to said looper shaft in synchronization with a reciprocation of said link.
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Specification