Tufting machine with precision drive system
First Claim
1. A tufting machine for creating tufted articles by inserting yarn into a backing, the tufting machine having a frame, a bed supported by the frame, a needle bar carried by the frame and positioned above the bed, a backing feed roll for moving the backing in a path of travel over the bed and beneath the needle bar, the needle bar having spaced needles for inserting the yarns into the backing, loopers positioned beneath the needle bar, and a drive mechanism carried by the frame and connected to the needle bar for causing the needle bar to reciprocate toward and away from the backing as the backing is moved along the path of travel, said drive mechanism comprising an inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor having an armature, an actuator shaft, a roller screw driven by said servo motor and a position feedback device, the tufting machine further comprising a computer in communication with said drive mechanism, said computer having a software control program for controlling the reciprocation of the needle bar.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved tufting machine with a precision drive system for laterally shifting the reciprocating needle bars of the tufting machine across a tufting zone in which tufts of yarn are made in a backing material advanced through the machine beneath the needle bars is disclosed. The precision drive system includes the use of inverse roller screw actuators which may be adapted for driving the several moving components of the tufting machine, to include not only the shifting of the needle bars, but also can be used to reciprocate the needle bars toward and away from the tufting zone, rock the loopers and or knives of the machine, and to shift the backing material in which the tufts of yarn are made as it advances through the tufting machine.
129 Citations
96 Claims
- 1. A tufting machine for creating tufted articles by inserting yarn into a backing, the tufting machine having a frame, a bed supported by the frame, a needle bar carried by the frame and positioned above the bed, a backing feed roll for moving the backing in a path of travel over the bed and beneath the needle bar, the needle bar having spaced needles for inserting the yarns into the backing, loopers positioned beneath the needle bar, and a drive mechanism carried by the frame and connected to the needle bar for causing the needle bar to reciprocate toward and away from the backing as the backing is moved along the path of travel, said drive mechanism comprising an inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor having an armature, an actuator shaft, a roller screw driven by said servo motor and a position feedback device, the tufting machine further comprising a computer in communication with said drive mechanism, said computer having a software control program for controlling the reciprocation of the needle bar.
- 10. A tufting machine for creating tufted articles by inserting yarns into a backing, the tufting machine having a frame, a main drive shaft supported by the frame, a drive motor for rotating the main drive shaft, a bed supported by the frame, a shiftable needle bar mechanically connected to the main drive shaft and positioned above the bed for reciprocation toward and away from the bed, a backing feed roll for moving the backing in a path of travel over the bed and beneath the shiftable needle bar, said needle bar including spaced needles, loopers positioned beneath said needle bar, a drive mechanism mounted to the frame and connected to the needle bar for shifting the needle bar in a direction transverse to the path of travel of the backing, said drive mechanism comprising an inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor having an armature, an actuator shaft, a roller screw driven by said servo motor and a position feedback device, the tufting machine further comprising a computer in connection with said drive mechanism, said computer having a software control program for controlling the transverse shifting of the needle bar.
- 41. A carpet tufting machine for placing yarns into a backing material in a tufting zone to create tufted articles, said tufting machine including a main drive shaft, rods connected to said main drive shaft and extending toward said tufting zone, a needle bar connected to said rods for reciprocal movement toward and away from said tufting zone and for transverse movement, needles mounted to said needle bar, a looper assembly positioned below said needles, a position sensor operably connected to said main drive shaft for determining the rotational position of said main drive shaft, a computer electronically connected to said position sensor, a first inverted roller screw linear actuator connected to said needle bar for transversely shifting said needle bar, said first inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor, an actuator shaft and a position feedback device, said first inverted roller screw linear actuator also being in electronic communication with said computer.
- 55. A carpet tufting machine for placing yarns into a backing material in a tufting zone to create tufted articles, said tufting machine including a main drive shaft, rods connected to said main drive shaft and extending toward said tufting zone, a needle bar mounted to said rods for reciprocal movement toward and away from said tufting zone and for transverse movement, needles mounted to said needle bar, a looper assembly positioned below said needles for movement toward and away from said needles, a position sensor operably connected to said main drive shaft for determining the rotational position of said main drive shaft, a computer electronically connected to said position sensor, a first inverted roller screw linear actuator connected to said needle bar for transversely shifting said needle bar, said first inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor, an actuator shaft and a position feedback device, a second inverted roller screw linear actuator operatively connected to said looper assembly, said second inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor, an actuator shaft and a position feedback device, said first inverted roller screw linear actuator and said second inverted roller screw linear actuator also being in electronic communication with said computer.
- 69. A carpet tufting machine for placing yarns into a backing material in a tufting zone to create tufted articles, said tufting machine including a main drive shaft, rods connected to said main drive shaft and extending toward said tufting zone, a needle bar mounted to said rods for reciprocal movement toward and away from said tufting zone and for transverse movement, needles mounted to said needle bar, a looper assembly positioned below said needles for movement toward and away from said needles, a position sensor operably connected to said main drive shaft for determining the rotational position of said main drive shaft, a computer electronically connected to said position sensor, an inverted roller screw linear actuator operatively connected to said looper assembly, said inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor, an actuator shaft and a position feedback device, said inverted roller screw linear actuator being in electronic communication with said computer.
- 83. A carpet tufting machine for placing yarns into a backing material in a tufting zone to create tufted articles, said tufting machine including a main drive shaft, rods connected to said main drive shaft and extending toward said tufting zone, a needle bar mounted to said rods for reciprocal movement toward and away from said tufting zone and for transverse movement, needles mounted to said needle bar, a looper assembly positioned below said needles for movement toward and away from said needles, a bedrail positioned below said needle bar, a position sensor operably connected to said main drive shaft for determining the rotational position of said main drive shaft, a computer electronically connected to said position sensor, an inverted roller screw linear actuator operatively connected to said bedrail, said inverted roller screw linear actuator including a servo motor, an actuator shaft and a position feedback device, said inverted roller screw linear actuator being in electronic communication with said computer.
Specification