Magnetically driven tufting machines and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A tufting machine, comprising:
- a needle push drive, a needle shifting drive, a bed rail drive, and (i) a looper drive, or (ii) a hook drive and a knife drive, wherein the needle shifting drive is a tubular linear drive and one of the needle push drive, the bed rail drive, and the looper drive or the hook drive and the knife drive is a tubular linear drive;
a processor that controls positioning of the tubular linear drives; and
a timing unit that provides timing information to the processor used by the processor to synchronize the tubular linear drives.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tufting machine has drives for shifting needle bars, pushing needle bars, rocking loopers, knives, and hooks. The drives require less maintenance, result in less wear, are highly accurate, can operate at high speeds and at high loads, and are easily programmable. The drives avoid the need for oil bathes for the moving parts and therefore reduce spillage onto tufted products. The drives are quiet and thus are preferably over many hydraulic drives. The drives are preferably linear drives and, more preferably, are electromagnetic drives.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A tufting machine, comprising:
-
a needle push drive, a needle shifting drive, a bed rail drive, and (i) a looper drive, or (ii) a hook drive and a knife drive, wherein the needle shifting drive is a tubular linear drive and one of the needle push drive, the bed rail drive, and the looper drive or the hook drive and the knife drive is a tubular linear drive;
a processor that controls positioning of the tubular linear drives; and
a timing unit that provides timing information to the processor used by the processor to synchronize the tubular linear drives. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
Specification