Tufting machine yarn feed mechanism

• US 5,622,126 A
• Filed: 01/23/1995
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Card-Monroe Corporation
• Original Assignee: Card-Monroe Corporation
• Inventors: Card, Roy T., Hall, Wilton
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/376,345
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 139/97, 112/80.73, 112/80.7, 112/80.01, 112/302
• US Class Current: 112/80.73
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/18 Thread feeding or tensioning arrangements

Abstract

A yarn feed mechanism for a tufting machine includes yarn feed rolls disposed along parallel axes transversely adjacent to the parallel paths of travel of yarns from yarn sources to the needles. A yarn control assembly surrounds each roll, each yarn control assembly having a pair of opposed, concentrically mounted, indexing plates at opposite ends of each roll. Each pair of indexing plates carries a plurality of individually removable cimcumferentially spaced, yarn control rods, the plates being manually rotatable about the axis of the roll, independently of the rotation of the roll. By collecting intermediate increments of selected yarns on one of the rods, then rotating the indexing plates, with the rod installed to selected positions, the rod is moved in an orbital path for applying the yarn increments to portions of the periphery of the roll, such that the roll feeds controlled successive amounts of applied yarns toward the needles.

Claims

1. A yarn feed mechanism for feeding yarns to the needles of a tufting machine comprising:

(a) a frame assembly having yarns passing adjacent thereto;

(b) a yarn feed roll mounted for rotation on said frame assembly, said roll having an axis about which said roll is rotated and a yarn driving periphery;

(c) a movable yarn applying member carried by said frame and disposed adjacent to said roll, and means for moving said yarn applying member with respect to said roll from yarn receiving position in which intermediate portions of said yarns are received by said yarn applying member,to a yarn applying position in which said yarn applying member applies increments of said yarns against portions of said periphery of said roll sufficiently that the rotation of said roll drives said yarns toward said needle;

(d) said yarn applying member including a yarn control rod and rod support on said frame for supporting said rod in a position spaced from and about parallel to the axis of said roll, said yarns being looped partially around said rod and said rod being positionable for holding a portion of said yarns against only a part of said periphery;

(e) said support including a pair of opposed plates removable supporting said rod therebetween;

(f) said plates being concentrically mounted with respect to said roll for independant rotation with respect thereto and said rod being supported in spaced relationship to said roll for orbital movement with respect to said roll.

3. The yarn feed mechanism defined in claim 1 including a yarn supporting rod movable with said yarn applying rod for holding increments of yarns, passing between said yarn supporting rod, away from engagement with said periphery of said roll.

4. The yarn feed mechanism defined in claim 3 wherein said yarn applying rod and said yarn support rod are disposed in spaced parallel relationship to each other, said rods being simultaneously movable in orbital paths about said roll.

5. The yarn feed mechanism defined in claim 4 including a second yarn supporting rod disposed parallel to said yarn applying rod and to the first mentioned yarn support rod, said second yarn support rod and said first mentioned yarn support rod cooperating with each other for supporting increments of said yarns out of engagement when said yarn applying rod, as said yarn applying rod applies other increments of said yarns to said periphery of said roll.

6. The yarn feed mechanism defined in claim 5 wherein said yarn applying rod and said first mentioned yarn supporting rod and said second yarn supporting rod are disposed in circumferentially spaced relationship, and including a pair of opposed rod supporting plates carried by said frame and supporting said yarn applying rod and said first mentioned yarn supporting rod and said second yarn supporting rod, in respective supported positions, by their ends, and means for releasably retaining said rods in their respective supported positions with respect to said plates.

2. The yarn feed mechanism defined in claim 2 wherein said yarn applying member is a rod supported for orbital movement about said roll for carrying said yarns into and out of engagement with a portion of said periphery of said roll.

7. A process of feeding yarns threaded to the needles of a tufting machine, comprising:

(a) diverting a plurality of first and second yarns along prescribed adjacent paths to said needles;

(b) disposing a first rotatable yarn roll transversely to said adjacent paths so that the periphery of said roll is adjacent to and spaced from said paths of said first and second yarns;

(c) diverting first intermediate portions of said first yarns from their paths and into engagement with a radial portion of the periphery of said roll;

(d) rotating said roll according to a prescribed pattern for simultaneously advancing said first yarns toward said needles in accordance with the rotation of said roll; and

(e) wherein the step of diverting first intermediate portions includes passing a rod between intermediate portions of said first yarns and said second yarns, and moving said intermediate portions of said first yarns away from said second yarns and toward said periphery of said roll.

8. An apparatus for feeding yarn, comprising:

a feed roller having an outer surface for frictionally engaging said yarn;

means for rotating said feed roller about a longitudinal axis of said feed roller;

means for directing said yarn along one side of said feed roller;

first and second plates located on opposite ends of said feed roller, and means for rotating about said longitudinal axis;

at least one control rod parallel to said feed roller and releasably engaged between said first and second plates;

said one control rod for placing said yarn between said one control rod and said feed roller and for directing said yarn into engagement with said feed roller upon rotation of said first and second plates wherein said yarn is fed along said one side of said feed roller upon rotation of said feed roller.

9. The yarn feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a second control rod releasably engaged between said first and second plates, said second control rod for directing said yarn to said one control rod so that said yarn does not contact said feed roller upon travel from said second control rod to said one control rod.

10. The yarn feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising means for locking said first and second plates at any one of a plurality of angles of rotation about said longitudinal axis.

11. The yarn feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising an alignment bar connected between said first and second plates for causing said first and second plates to rotate in synchronism.

12. A method for feeding yarn, comprising the steps of:

directing said yarn along one side of a feed roller, said feed roller having an outer surface for frictionally engaging said yarn and having first and second plates on opposite ends of said feed roller;

positioning a control rod parallel to said feed roller between said first and second plates with said yarn being placed between said control rod and said feed roller;

rotating said first and second plates about a longitudinal axis of said feed roller so that said yarn is directed around said control rod and into engagement with said feed roller; and

rotating said feed roller to feed said yarn along said one side of said feed roller.

13. The method for feeding yarn as set forth in claim 13, further comprising the step of positioning a second control rod parallel to said feed roller between said first and second plates with said second control rod being placed between said yarn and said feed roller wherein said yarn travels from said second control rod to said control rod without contacting said feed roller.

14. The method for feeding yarn as set forth in claim 13, further comprising the step of positioning a third control rod parallel to said feed roller between said first and second plates with said third control rod being placed between said yarn and said feed roller.

15. The method for feeding yarn as set forth in claim 14, wherein said steps of positioning said control rod, said second control rod, and said third control rod comprise the steps of positioning said control rod, said second control rod, and said third control rod so that said yarn travels from said third control rod, to said second control rod, and to said control rod without contacting said feed roller and so that said yarn is in contact with said feed roller for at least half a rotation of said feed roller.

16. The method for feeding yarn as set forth in claim 14, wherein said steps of positioning said control rod, said second control rod, and said third control rod comprise the steps of positioning said control rod, said second control rod, and said third control rod so that said yarn travels from said third control rod, to said second control rod, and to said control rod without contacting said feed roller and so that said yarn is in contact with said feed roller for at least three-fourths of a rotation of said feed roller.