Independent servo motor controlled scroll-type pattern attachment for tufting machine and computerized design system

• US 6,516,734 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tuftco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tuftco Corporation
• Inventors: Morgante, Michael R., Bishop, Mike, Stanfield, Randall E., Vaughen, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NERBUN, PETER P
• Application Number:
  US09/878,653
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 112/80.73, 112/80.23, 112/80.41, 112/80.01, 112/475.23, 112/220, 242/364, 242/366.4
• US Class Current: 112/80.73
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 19/08 Arrangements for inputting stitch or pattern data to memory ; Editing stitch or pattern data
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 19/12 characterised by control of operation of machine
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/18 Thread feeding or tensioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/32 by altering the loop length
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 17/026 characterised by the tufted pile surface
• CPC Class Codes: D05D 2205/085 combined with a display arrangement, e.g. touch sensitive control panel

Abstract

The present invention provides a scroll-type yarn feed attachment for tufting machines characterized by independent servo-motor control of yarn feed rolls.

Claims

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 scroll-type yarn feed mechanism comprising:

(a) a plurality of yarn feed mounting plates extending generally in the direction of the yarn feed and having opposed planar sides perpendicular thereto;

(b) at least two independent yarn feed rolls on each of said yarn feed mounting plates;

(c) a separate servo motor associated with each of said independent yarn feed rolls;

(d) at least one controller electronically connected to each said separate servo motor.

2. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein each of said at least two independent yarn feed rolls is associated with a second yarn feed roll to constitute a pair of yarn feed rolls.

3. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein each of said at least two independent yarn feed rolls can be rotated at any one of at least sixteen speeds by said associated separate servo motor.

4. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 2 wherein said pairs of yarn feed rolls have a mass of less than about two pounds.

5. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein a separate set of yarn feed tubes is associated with each of said at least two independent yarn feed rolls.

6. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein a drive sprocket of the separate servo motor is in mechanical communication with its associated independent yarn feed roll on said yarn feed mounting plate such that the rotations of the drive sprocket correspond to the rotations of the yarn feed roll in the range of ratios from between about 8:

1 to about 24;

1.

7. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 6 wherein the yarn feed roll has a gear toothed section for mechanical communication.

8. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein the separate servo motor associated with each of said independent yarn feed rolls provides positional control information to the electronically connected controller.

9. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein at least one of said at least two independent yarn feed rolls is mounted on each opposed planar side of the yarn feed mounting plate.