Double end servo scroll pattern attachment with single end repeat capability for tufting machine

• US 6,945,184 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tuftco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tuftco Corporation
• Inventors: Frost, Steven, Prichard, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): NERBUN, PETER P
• Application Number:
  US10/966,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20050139134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 112/80.73, 112/80.23, 112/475.23, 112/80.01, 112/475.01, 112/220
• US Class Current: 112/80.73
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/18 Thread feeding or tensioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/32 by altering the loop length

Abstract

A tufting machine having a servo driven yarn feed attachment adapted to feed two yarns on each yarn feed roll is provided with a tube bank that allows tufting of two single end patterns on the tufting machine from one set of yarn drives.

Claims

1. In a multiple needle tufting machine adapted to feed a backing fabric longitudinally from front to rear through the machine having a plurality of spaced yarn carrying needles aligned transversely of the machine for a reciprocal movement through the backing fabric to form a tufted carpet, a yarn feed mechanism comprising:

(a) an array of sequentially designated yarn drives each configured to carry a first yarn and a second yarn proceeding from a yarn supply to a first and a second needle respectively of the plurality of spaced apart yarn carrying needles; and

(b) a tube bank intermediate the array of yarn drives and plurality of yarn carrying needles wherein the tube bank directs first yarns from the array of sequentially designated yarn drives to the first needles comprising a first sequential group of the spaced yarn carrying needles to form a first repeat and directs second yarns from the array of sequentially designated yarn drives to the second needles comprising a second sequential group of the spaced yarn carrying needles to form a second repeat;

wherein the first repeat of the tufted carpet may be separated from the second repeat of the tufted carpet to form first and second rugs.

2. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein the order of the yarns directed to the first sequential group of yarn carrying needles is the same as the order of the yarns directed to the second sequential group of yarn carrying needles.

3. The yarn feed mechanism of claim 1 wherein the order of the yarns directed to the first sequential group of yarn carrying needles is in the reverse order of the yarns directed to the second sequential group of yarn carrying needles, so that the second repeat is a mirror of the first repeat.

4. A method of tufting a carpet by feeding a backing fabric through a tufting machine of the type having a plurality of spaced needles aligned to form a row transverse to the machine for reciprocal movement through the backing fabric, a yarn supply, and a yarn feed mechanism having about one-half as many independently controlled servo motors as there are needles in the transverse row comprising the steps of:

(a) feeding yarns from the yarn supply to the yarn feed mechanism;

(b) placing first and second yarns on a servo driven yarn feed drive in the yarn feed mechanism;

(c) feeding the first and second yarns from the yarn feed mechanism into a tube bank;

(d) distributing the first yarns via the tube bank to a first sequential group of needles; and

(e) distributing the second yarns via the tube bank to a second sequential group of needles.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first yarns fed to the first sequential group of needles tuft a first repeat and the second yarns fed to the second sequential needles tuft a second repeat.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first and second repeats are cut apart to form rugs.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the first and second repeats are substantially identical.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the second repeat is a mirror of the first repeat.

9. A tufting machine comprising

a transverse row of spaced needles adapted for reciprocal penetration of a backing fabric;

a drive to move the backing fabric longitudinally past the transverse row of needles;

a yarn feed mechanism having about one-half as many independently controlled yarn feed drives as needles in the transverse row;

a tube bank having two openings for each yarn feed drive configured to feed a first yarn from a yarn feed drive to a first repeat and a second yarn from said yarn feed drive to a second repeat.

10. The tufting machine of claim 9 wherein the first repeat and the second repeat are substantially identical.

11. The tufting machine of claim 9 wherein the second repeat is a mirror of the first repeat.

12. The tufting machine of claim 9 further comprising a set of yarn guides permitting yarns to be fed directly from yarn feed drives to the transverse row of needles without passing through the tube bank.

13. In a multiple needle tufting machine adapted to feed a backing fabric longitudinally from front to rear through the machine having a plurality of spaced needles aligned transversely of the machine for reciprocal movement and penetration of the backing fabric, a pattern control yarn feed mechanism comprising:

an array of yarn feed drives having a yarn feed roll and a servo motor, the number of yarn feed drives numbering about one-half the number of transversely aligned needles;

a controller which electronically receives information relating to the reciprocal movement of the needles, and electronically sends corresponding ratiometric pattern information to the servo motors;

pairs of first and second yarns being fed into the yarn feed mechanism, each pair of yarns being driven by a separate yarn feed drive;

the servo motors of the array of yarn feed drives being independently operable at different speeds in accordance with a carpet pattern.

14. The pattern control yarn feed mechanism of claim 13 wherein the controller electronically communicates ratiometric information to servo motor controllers and the servo motor controllers electronically direct servo motors to rotate yarn feed rolls the distance to feed the appropriate yarn amount for each stitch.

15. The pattern control yarn feed mechanism of claim 13 wherein the servo motors electronically provide positional control information to an associated servo controller.

16. The pattern control yarn feed mechanism of claim 13 further comprising a tube bank feeding first yarns to a first repeat and second yarns to a second repeat.

17. The pattern control yarn feed mechanism of claim 16 wherein the first and second repeats are substantially identical.

18. The pattern control yarn feed mechanism of claim 16 wherein the second repeat is a mirror of the first repeat.

19. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising:

(a) a row of transversely aligned yarn carrying needles adapted for reciprocal penetration of a backing fabric;

(b) a backing fabric feed mechanism adapted to feed the backing fabric longitudinally through the tufting machine;

(c) a pattern control yarn feed mechanism comprising an array of independent servo motor driven yarn feed drives, wherein the number of yarn feed drives is about one-half the number of yarn carrying needles;

(d) pairs of first and second yarns, each pair of yarns being associated with a separate yarn feed drive so that both the first and second yarns are fed to tuft stitches of the same height in the backing fabric.

20. The multiple needle tufting machine of claim 19 wherein the pairs of first and second yarns are fed to adjacent yarn carrying needles.

21. The multiple needle tufting machine of claim 19 wherein a tube bank directs first yarns to a first repeat and second yarns to a second repeat.

22. The multiple needle tufting machine of claim 21 wherein the first repeat and the second repeat are substantially identical.

23. The multiple needle tufting machine of claim 21 wherein the second repeat is a mirror of the first repeat.