Tufting machine pattern yarn feed mechanism

• US 5,743,201 A
• Filed: 04/18/1997
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• 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, Neely, Marshall Allen, Kilgore, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/843,559
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 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 use with a tufting machine is disclosed. The tufting machine has a needle bar with an aligned series of spaced tufting needles disposed thereon, each of which is supplied with yarn from a yarn supply for penetrating a backing material to sew tufts of yarn therein. The yarn feed mechanism includes a support framework mounted on the tufting machine adjacent a yarn feed path extending from the yarn supply to the needles of the tufting machine, with at least one yarn feed roll assembly mounted for rotation on the support framework. The yarn feed roll assembly further includes an elongate yarn feed roll having an exterior yarn driving periphery extending along a longitudinal axis parallel to the needle bar of the tufting machine, the yarn feed roll being rotated in timed relationship with the reciprocation of the needle bar. An orbital yarn applying member spaced from the yarn feed roll is supported on the support framework and is movable about the yarn feed roll in an orbital path from a yarn receiving position to a yarn applying position. The yarn applying member is used to apply portions of selected yarns against at least a portion of the yarn driving periphery of the yarn feed roll in the yarn applying position for controlling the rate at which the yarn is fed to the needles of the tufting machine. The yarn applying member of the invention may comprise at least one concentrically orbited control rod spaced from and parallel to the yarn feed roll, or may comprise a pinch roller orbited eccentrically about the yarn feed roll, and constructed to be moved into a yarn applying position engaged with the periphery of the yarn feed roll.

Claims

1. A yarn feed mechanism for use with a tufting machine for producing tufted articles, the tufting machine having a frame, a yarn supply, a needle bar supported on the frame and reciprocated toward and away from a tufting zone underneath the needle bar and through which a backing material is transversely passed, the needle bar having a spaced series of tufting needles aligned thereon and disposed along the length thereof for penetrating the backing material for sewing tuffs of yarn therein, and a yarn feed path along which yarns extend from the yarn supply to the respective needles of the tufting machine, said yarn feed mechanism comprising:

(a) a framework for being mounted on the frame of the tufting machine along the yarn feed path;

(b) a yarn feed roll assembly supported for rotation on said framework, said yarn feed roll assembly being positioned adjacent said yarn feed path and having;

an elongate yarn feed roll rotatably supported on the yarn feed roll assembly, said yarn feed roll extending along a longitudinal axis and having an exterior yarn driving periphery for engaging yarns thereon;

means for rotating said yarn feed roll about said axis in timed relationship with the reciprocation of the needle bar;

an orbital yarn applying member supported on the yarn feed roll assembly and being spaced from said yarn feed roll, said yarn applying member being movable about the yarn feed roll in an orbital path from a yarn receiving position for receiving an intermediate portion of selected yarns thereon, into a yarn applying position in which the yarn applying member selectively applies the selected yarns against at least a portion of the yarn driving periphery of the yarn feed roll so that the rotation of the yarn feed roll drives the yarn toward the needles of the tufting machine.

2. The yarn feed mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein said yarn applying member comprises a first elongate yarn control rod supported on said assembly in a position spaced about and parallel to the axis of said yarn feed roll, said yarn control rod being moved with said assembly concentrically about said yarn feed roll and being selectively positionable about said yarn feed roll in at least one of a plurality of yarn applying positions for holding a portion of the selected yarns in engagement with said at least a portion of the yarn feed periphery of the yarn feed roll.

3. The yarn feed mechanism defined in claim 2 including a second elongate yarn control rod spaced parallel to and radially from said first yarn control rod about said axis, said second yarn control rod being movable with said first yarn control rod for holding an increment of the yarn about and spaced from said yarn feed roll and away from engagement with the yarn driving periphery thereof.

4. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 3, wherein said first yarn control rod and said second yarn control rod are constructed and arranged to be moved together in a prescribed orbital path about said yarn feed roll.

5. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 3, further comprising a third elongate yarn control rod spaced parallel to and radially from said first and said second yarn control rods, respectively, about the axis of said yarn feed roll, said third yarn control rod and said second yarn control rod cooperating with each other for supporting said increment of yarn out of engagement with the yarn driving periphery of said yarn feed roll.

6. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 5, wherein said yarn feed roll assembly includes a spaced pair of opposed indexing plates constructed and arranged for concentric movement about the yarn feed roll axis independently of the rotation of said yarn feed roll, said indexing plates removably carrying said yarn control rods thereon, and means for releasably retaining said control rods on said indexing plates with respect to one another.

7. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1, wherein said means for rotating said yarn feed roll comprises a motor operably engaged with a drive assembly, said drive assembly being operably engaged with said yarn feed roll.

8. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 7, wherein said motor comprises a servomotor.

9. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1, comprising a first yarn feed roll assembly and a spaced second yarn feed roll assembly, each said yarn feed roll assembly being supported for rotation on said framework independently of the other and being positioned adjacent the yarn feed path, the feed rolls of each of said feed roll assemblies being constructed for rotation independently of one another.

10. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1, comprising a spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies disposed along the yarn feed path, each yarn feed roll assembly of the spaced series of yarn feed roll assemblies being supported on said framework for rotation independently of one another and adjacent the yarn feed path, the yarn feed roll of each said yarn feed roll assembly being constructed and arranged for rotation about its longitudinal axis independently of the rotation of the other ones of said yarn feed rolls.

11. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 10, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a line extending upwardly and outwardly away from the frame of the tufting machine.

12. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 10, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a vertical line extending upwardly away from the frame of the tubing machine.

13. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 10, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a horizontal line extending away from the frame of the tufting machine.

14. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 10, wherein the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies are disposed along an arcuate line extending upwardly and outwardly away from the frame of the tufting machine.

15. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1, wherein said orbital yarn applying member comprises an elongate pinch roller carried by the yarn feed roll assembly spaced from and about said yarn feed roll in said yarn receiving position, said elongate pinch roller being eccentrically orbitable about the yarn feed roll from said yarn receiving position into said yarn applying position in which said pinch roller is moved into engagement with the yarn feed roll to apply the selected yarns against at least a portion of the yarn driving periphery of the yarn feed roll in response thereto, so that the rotation of the yarn feed roll drives the yarn toward the needles of the tufting machine.

16. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 15, said yarn feed roll assembly comprising:

a pair of spaced, opposed, and parallel hubs;

a pair of spaced, opposed, and parallel indexing plates, each said indexing plate being supported on a respective one of said hubs for rotation about the yarn feed roll independently of the rotation of said yarn feed roll;

each said hub having a raised cam formed as a part thereof, each respective indexing plate being received on one of said raised cams, said raised cams having an eccentric cam profile defined thereon;

said pinch roller being supported for rotation at its opposed ends on said pair of indexing plates and being carried on said indexing plates for orbital movement about said axis;

said pinch roller being operably engaged with said eccentric cam profile for moving said pinch roller away from the yarn feed roll in said yarn receiving position and into engagement with the yarn feed roll in said yarn applying position in response to the rotation of said pair of indexing plates about the yarn feed roll.

17. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 16, wherein said indexing plates are fastened to one another for moving together about said axis, said yarn feed mechanism further comprising a locking mechanism for each said indexing plate, each said locking mechanism being constructed and arranged to lock said indexing plates, respectively, at any one of a plurality of rotational positions about said yarn feed roll.

18. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 15, comprising a spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies supported for rotation on said framework independently of one another and adjacent the yarn feed path, the yarn feed rolls of each respective one of said yarn feed roll assemblies being constructed and arranged for rotation about their respective longitudinal axis independently of the rotation of the other ones of said yarn feed rolls.

19. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 18, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a line extending upwardly and outwardly away from the frame of the tufting machine.

20. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 18, wherein said spaced series of yarn feed roll assemblies includes four of said yarn feed roll assemblies.

21. A yarn feed mechanism for use with a tufting machine for producing tufted articles, the tufting machine having a frame, a yarn supply, a needle bar supported on the frame and reciprocated toward and away from a tufting zone underneath the needle bar and through which a backing material is transversely passed, the needle bar having a spaced series of tufting needles aligned thereon and disposed along the length thereof for penetrating the backing material for sewing tufts of yarn therein, and a yarn feed path along which yarns extend from the yarn supply to the respective needles of the tufting machine, said yarn feed mechanism comprising:

(a) a yarn feed mechanism framework for being mounted on the frame of the tufting machine along the yarn feed path;

(b) a spaced series of yarn feed roll assemblies supported for rotation independently of one another on said framework, each respective one of said yarn feed roll assemblies being positioned adjacent the yarn feed path and including;

a rotatable and elongate yarn feed roll extending along a longitudinal axis parallel to the needle bar of the tufting machine, said yarn feed roll having an exterior yarn driving periphery for engaging yarns thereon;

means for rotating said yarn feed roll about said axis in timed relationship with the reciprocation of the needle bar;

at least one elongate yarn control rod removably supported on and orbitally carried by said assembly about said axis, said control rod being spaced from and parallel to said yarn feed roll and being concentrically movable independently of and about said yarn feed roll from a yarn receiving position for receiving an intermediate portion of selected yarns thereon, into a yarn applying position in which the yarn applying member selectively applies the yarns against at least a portion of the yarn driving periphery of the yarn feed roll so that the rotation of the yarn feed roll drives the yarn toward the needles of the tufting machine.

22. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 21, wherein said spaced series of yarn feed roll assemblies are disposed in series along an arcuate line extending upwardly and outwardly away from the frame of the tufting machine.

23. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 21, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a vertical line extending upwardly away from the frame of the tufting machine.

24. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 21, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a horizontal line extending away from the frame of the tufting machine.

25. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 21, wherein said spaced series of yarn feed roll assemblies comprises four of said yarn feed roll assemblies.

26. A yarn feed mechanism for use with a tufting machine for producing tufted articles, the tufting machine having a frame, a yarn supply, a needle bar supported on the frame and reciprocated toward and away from a tufting zone underneath the needle bar and through which a backing material is transversely passed, the needle bar having a spaced series of tufting needles aligned thereon and disposed along the length thereof for penetrating the backing material for sewing tufts of yarn therein, and a yarn feed path along which yarns extend from the yarn supply to the respective needles of the tufting machine, said yarn feed mechanism comprising:

(a) a yarn feed mechanism framework for being mounted on the frame of the tufting machine along the yarn feed path;

(b) a yarn feed roll assembly rotatably supported on said framework, said yarn feed roll assembly being positioned adjacent said yarn feed path and having;

a rotatable and elongate yarn feed roll extending along a longitudinal axis parallel to the needle bar of the tufting machine, said yarn feed roll having an exterior yarn driving periphery for engaging yarns thereon;

means for rotating said yarn feed roll about said axis in timed relationship with the reciprocation of the needle bar;

an elongate pinch roller rotatably supported on and orbitally carried by said framework about said feed roll, said pinch roller being spaced from and parallel to said yarn feed roll and being eccentrically movable independently of and about said yarn feed roll from a yarn receiving position in which the pinch roller is spaced from the yarn feed roll for receiving an intermediate portion of selected yarns thereon into a yarn applying position in which the pinch roller is engaged with the periphery of the yarn feed roll and applies the selected yarns against at least a portion of the yarn driving periphery of the yarn feed roll so that the rotation of the yarn feed roll drives the yarns toward the needles of the tufting machine.

27. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 26, further comprising a spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies disposed along and adjacent the yarn feed path, each said yarn feed roll assembly being constructed for rotation about their respective yarn feed rolls independently of the other one of said yarn feed roll assemblies, the yarn feed roll of each of said yarn feed roll assemblies being constructed and arranged for rotation about its respective longitudinal axes independently of the rotation of the other ones of said yarn feed rolls.

28. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 27, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a line extending upwardly and away from the frame of the tufting machine.

29. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 27, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a vertical line extending upwardly away from the frame of the tufting machine.

30. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 27, the yarn feed roll assemblies of the spaced series of said yarn feed roll assemblies being disposed in series along a horizontal line extending away from the frame of the tufting machine.