Independent servo motor controlled scroll-type pattern attachment for tufting machine and computerized design system
First Claim
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1. In a multiple needle tufting machine adapted to feed a backing fabric from front to rear through the machine having a plurality of spaced needles aligned transversely of the machine for reciprocable movement through the backing fabric by operation of a rotary main drive shaft, a yarn feed mechanism comprising:
- (a) a support having a mounting surface;
(b) a plurality of yarn feed mounting plates removably attached to said mounting surface;
(c) at least one yarn feed roll on each of said yarn feed mounting plates;
(d) a servo motor associated with each of said yarn feed mounting plates for rotating a yarn feed roll thereon independently of yarn feed rolls on other mounting plates;
(e) a servo motor controller for processing ratiometric information, electronically connected to said servo motor;
(f) a master controller which receives rotational position information for the main drive shaft by electrical connection to an encoder and sends corresponding ratiometric pattern information by electrical connection to the servo motor controller.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a scroll-type yarn feed attachment for tufting machines characterized by independent servo-motor control of sets of yarn feed rolls, an improved tube bank, and a software design system to facilitate use of the attachment.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. In a multiple needle tufting machine adapted to feed a backing fabric from front to rear through the machine having a plurality of spaced needles aligned transversely of the machine for reciprocable movement through the backing fabric by operation of a rotary main drive shaft, a yarn feed mechanism comprising:
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(a) a support having a mounting surface;
(b) a plurality of yarn feed mounting plates removably attached to said mounting surface;
(c) at least one yarn feed roll on each of said yarn feed mounting plates;
(d) a servo motor associated with each of said yarn feed mounting plates for rotating a yarn feed roll thereon independently of yarn feed rolls on other mounting plates;
(e) a servo motor controller for processing ratiometric information, electronically connected to said servo motor;
(f) a master controller which receives rotational position information for the main drive shaft by electrical connection to an encoder and sends corresponding ratiometric pattern information by electrical connection to the servo motor controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of automatically inputting the parameters of tufting of a tufting machine of the type having an electronically controlled yarn feed attachment for providing measured increments of yarn to a plurality of transversely aligned needles adapted to be reciprocably driven, through a backing fabric passing from front to back through the tufting machine by a rotary main drive shaft, thereby placing stitches comprising tufts of yarn through said backing fabric comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting pattern parameters of width, length, a relatively high pile height and a relatively low pile length, for stitches on a computer display;
(b) designing a pattern showing the location of relatively high pile tufts and relatively low pile tufts on the computer display to create a graphic representation of tufted carpet in a data file;
(c) processing the data file containing the graphic representation of tufted carpet to assign yarn feed values to stitches based upon the pile height selected for that stitch and at least the preceding stitch. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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- 21. A yarn feed module assembly on a mounting plate having a first side, a second opposed side and a connector adapted to be removably fastened to a scroll type yarn feed attachment comprising a first yarn feed servo motor mounted on the first side of said mounting plate in direct connection with a first yarn feed roll on said mounting plate, and a second yarn feed roll mounted on the second side of said mounting plate in direct connection with a second yarn feed roll on said mounting plate.
- 22. A yarn feed module on a mounting plate having a first side, a second opposed side and a connector adapted to be removably fastened to a scroll type yarn feed attachment comprising a yarn feed servo motor mounted on the first side of said mounting plate in direct communication with a yarn feed roll on said mounting plate, wherein said servo motor has a gear toothed drive sprocket which engages with a gear toothed outer section of the yarn feed roll.
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28. A yarn feed module on a mounting plate having a first side, a second opposed side and a connector adapted to be removably fastened to a scroll type yarn feed attachment comprising a yarn feed servo motor mounted on the first side of said mounting plate in direct communication with a yarn feed roll on said mounting plate, wherein the servo motor generates commutation information which can be communicated to a controller.
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30. A method of operating a tufting machine to tuft a yarn in a backing fabric such that the yarn has a relatively high pile height on selected stitches and a relatively low pile height on selected stitches comprising the steps of
(a) inputting yarn feed value information to a master controller; -
(b) threading the desired yarn around a yarn feed roll on a yarn feed module, through a yarn feed tube and to a needle;
(c) operating the tufting machine so that the needle reciprocates and carries the yarn through the backing fabric;
(d) providing positional information concerning the reciprocation of the needle to the master controller;
(e) sending ratiometric yarn feed value information corresponding to a stitch from the master controller to a servo motor controller;
(f) processing the ratiometric information with the servo motor controller and directing a corresponding servo motor in communication with the yarn feed module to rotate the distance required to feed an appropriate amount of yarn corresponding to the stitch;
(g) reporting positional information from the servo motor to the servo motor controller;
(h) reporting status information from the servo motor controller to the master controller.
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31. In a tufting machine of the type having a scroll pattern attachment and a tube bank for directing yarns therefrom to a plurality of transversely spaced reciprocable needles, an improved tube bank wherein the minimum length of any yarn feed tube is the length of yarn feed tube required to transport a yarn from a yarn feed roll in a central portion of the scroll type pattern attachment to a needle located adjacent a marginal portion of the tufting machine.
Specification