Yarn feed system for tufting machines
First Claim
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1. A tufting machine for forming tufts of yarns in a backing material passing therethrough, comprising:
- at least one needle bar having a series of spaced needles positioned therealong;
a yarn feed unit formed as a self-contained yarn feed module releasably mountable on the tufting machine;
comprising;
a cabinet having a frame, an upper end, lower end and a front side;
a plurality of yarn feed devices mountable within said cabinet and each including a drive motor and a drive roll for feeding a supply of yarn to one of said needles along said needle bar; and
a plurality of yarn feed controllers electrically connected to said drive motors of said yarn feed devices for controlling the feeding of the yarns to said needles;
wherein said yarn feed unit is manufactured having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices mounted within said cabinet; and
a control system in communication with said yarn feed controllers of said yarn feed unit for providing control signals based on programmed pattern information to said yarn feed controllers.
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Abstract
A yarn feed system, enabling the control of individual yarns to the needles of a tufting machine, and which system can be manufactured as a substantially standardized unit or attachment that can be removably mounted to a tufting machine. The yarn feed unit includes a series of yarn feed devices for feeding each of the yarns to the needles of the tufting machine, and a series of yarn feed controllers that monitor and control the operation of the yarn feed devices to control the feeding of the yarns to the needles according to programmed pattern instructions.
149 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A tufting machine for forming tufts of yarns in a backing material passing therethrough, comprising:
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at least one needle bar having a series of spaced needles positioned therealong;
a yarn feed unit formed as a self-contained yarn feed module releasably mountable on the tufting machine;
comprising;
a cabinet having a frame, an upper end, lower end and a front side;
a plurality of yarn feed devices mountable within said cabinet and each including a drive motor and a drive roll for feeding a supply of yarn to one of said needles along said needle bar; and
a plurality of yarn feed controllers electrically connected to said drive motors of said yarn feed devices for controlling the feeding of the yarns to said needles;
wherein said yarn feed unit is manufactured having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices mounted within said cabinet; and
a control system in communication with said yarn feed controllers of said yarn feed unit for providing control signals based on programmed pattern information to said yarn feed controllers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of manufacturing a tufting machine having a frame and at least one reciprocable needle bar having a series of spaced needles mounted therealong and carrying a series of yarns for forming tufts of yarn in a backing material passing beneath the needles, comprising:
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selecting one or more yarn feed units based on the number of needles of the tufting machine, each yarn feed unit comprising a pre-manufactured, self-contained attachment having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices mounted within a cabinet between upper and lower ends thereof, for each feeding a yarn to each of the needles, and a series of yarn feed controllers controlling the yarn feed devices;
mounting the one or more yarn feed units to the frame of the tufting machine;
connecting the yarn feed controllers to a system controller for controlling the feeding of the yarn by each of the yarn feed units; and
threading the yarns from a desired number of the yarn feed devices of the one or more selected yarn feed units to each of the needles. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A yarn feed unit mountable as a substantially standardized module on a tufting machine for controlling the feeding of individual yarns to a series of spaced needles in a the tufting machine for forming a series of tufts of yarn in a backing material, said yarn feed unit comprising:
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a frame defining a cabinet having an upper end, a lower end, and a front side;
a plurality of yarn feed devices received and contained within said cabinet and each including a drive motor driving a drive roll for engaging and feeding a selected one of the yarns to one of the needles; and
a yarn feed controller received within said cabinet and having at least one control processor communicating with at least one motor controller for controlling at least one of said drive motors, wherein said control processor provides commands to control operation of said drive motors of said yarn feed devices for controlling the feeding of the yarns by said drive motors in response to programmed pattern instructions. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A tufting machine for forming tufts of yarns in a backing material passing therethrough, comprising:
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at least one needle bar having a series of spaced needles positioned therealong;
a series of yarn feed units mounted across the tufting machine and each supplying a series of yarns to a selected group of needles, each of said yarn feed units comprising;
a housing;
a plurality of yarn feed devices mountable within said housing and each including a drive motor and a drive roll for feeding a supply of yarn to one of said needles along said needle bar; and
a plurality of yarn feed controllers electrically connected to said drive motors of said yarn feed devices for controlling the feeding of the yarns to said needles;
wherein each yarn feed unit is releasably mountable on the tufting machine as a self-contained attachment; and
a control system in communication with said yarn feed controllers of each yarn feed unit for providing control signals based on programmed pattern information to said yarn feed controllers.
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49. A method of manufacturing a tufting machine having a frame and at least one reciprocable needle bar having a series of spaced needles mounted therealong and carrying a series of yarns for forming tufts of yarn in a backing material passing beneath the needles, comprising:
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selecting one or more yarn feed units based on the number of needles of the tufting machine, each yarn feed unit having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices mounted therein for each feeding a yarn to each of the needles, and a series of yarn feed controllers controlling the yarn feed devices;
mounting the one or more yarn feed units to the frame of the tufting machine;
connecting the yarn feed controllers to a system controller for controlling the feeding of the yarn by each of the yarn feed units;
establishing at least one network connection between the yarn feed controllers and the system controller and running multiple networks on at least one network channel; and
threading the yarns from a desired number of the yarn feed devices of the one or more selected yarn feed units to each of the needles.
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50. A method of manufacturing a tufting machine having a frame and at least one reciprocable needle bar having a series of spaced needles mounted therealong and carrying a series of yarns for forming tufts of yarn in a backing material passing beneath the needles, comprising:
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selecting one or more yarn feed units based on the number of needles of the tufting machine, each yarn feed unit having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices mounted therein for each feeding a yarn to each of the needles, and a series of yarn feed controllers controlling the yarn feed devices;
mounting the one or more yarn feed units to the frame of the tufting machine;
establishing at least one network connection between the yarn feed controllers and the system controller by providing the system controller with a series of network cards and connecting at least one network card to the yarn feed controllers to establish a first network channel and connecting another of the network cards to at least some of the yarn feed controllers to establish a second network channel; and
threading the yarns from a desired number of yarn feed devices of the one or more selected yarn feed units to each of the needles.
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Specification