Tufting machine for producing athletic turf having a graphic design
First Claim
1. A tufting machine for producing athletic turf having a graphic design, the tufting machine comprising:
- (a) a support frame to which a backing fabric can be fastened and statically held in plane;
(b) a tufting frame that is movably mounted to the support frame and travels thereupon along a Y-axis, wherein the tufting frame comprises a first beam that spans across the backing and is oriented along an X-axis and a second beam that is oriented parallel to the first beam and opposite the backing;
(c) a first carriage that is movably mounted to the first beam and travels thereupon along an X-axis;
(d) at least two tufting needles that are disposed within the first carriage, wherein each needle receives a different type of yarn and is selectively reciprocated, along a Z-axis, in order to insert its designated yarn into the backing in accordance with the graphic design;
(e) a second carriage that is movably mounted to the second beam and travels thereupon along an X-axis;
(f) a looper disposed within the second carriage, the looper for catching yarn inserted through the backing by a needle and thereby forming a loop tuft along the backing;
(g) a tufting frame drive mechanism capable of advancing the tufting frame along the support frame;
(h) a first carriage drive mechanism capable of advancing the first carriage along the first beam;
(i) a second carriage drive mechanism capable of advancing the second carriage along the second beam;
(j) needle drive mechanisms capable of reciprocating the needles individually;
(k) a computer for storing the graphic design and for selectively controlling the various drive mechanisms in accordance with the graphic design; and
(l) wherein the first and second carriages are independently driven so that the second carriage may be precisely positioned, relative to the first carriage, to enable the looper to catch yarn from a particular reciprocating needle.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tufting machine capable of producing individual articles of athletic turf bearing precise graphic patterns is disclosed. The machine includes a support frame to which a backing material is statically held, a tufting frame that spans above and below the backing and is computer-controlled to travel along the support frame, a yarn-inserting needle carriage disposed above the backing along the tufting frame and a yarn-catching looper carriage disposed below the backing along the tufting frame. The carriages are computer-controlled to asynchronously shift relative to each other as may be necessary for their individual yarn-inserting components and yarn-catching components to cooperate.
59 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A tufting machine for producing athletic turf having a graphic design, the tufting machine comprising:
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(a) a support frame to which a backing fabric can be fastened and statically held in plane; (b) a tufting frame that is movably mounted to the support frame and travels thereupon along a Y-axis, wherein the tufting frame comprises a first beam that spans across the backing and is oriented along an X-axis and a second beam that is oriented parallel to the first beam and opposite the backing; (c) a first carriage that is movably mounted to the first beam and travels thereupon along an X-axis; (d) at least two tufting needles that are disposed within the first carriage, wherein each needle receives a different type of yarn and is selectively reciprocated, along a Z-axis, in order to insert its designated yarn into the backing in accordance with the graphic design; (e) a second carriage that is movably mounted to the second beam and travels thereupon along an X-axis; (f) a looper disposed within the second carriage, the looper for catching yarn inserted through the backing by a needle and thereby forming a loop tuft along the backing; (g) a tufting frame drive mechanism capable of advancing the tufting frame along the support frame; (h) a first carriage drive mechanism capable of advancing the first carriage along the first beam; (i) a second carriage drive mechanism capable of advancing the second carriage along the second beam; (j) needle drive mechanisms capable of reciprocating the needles individually; (k) a computer for storing the graphic design and for selectively controlling the various drive mechanisms in accordance with the graphic design; and (l) wherein the first and second carriages are independently driven so that the second carriage may be precisely positioned, relative to the first carriage, to enable the looper to catch yarn from a particular reciprocating needle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A tufting machine for producing athletic turf having a graphic design, the tufting machine comprising:
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(a) a support frame to which a backing fabric is fastened and statically held in plane; (b) multiple tufting frames that are movably mounted to the support frame and travel thereupon along a Y-axis, wherein each tufting frame comprises a first beam that spans across the backing and is oriented along an X-axis and a second beam that is oriented parallel to the first beam and opposite the backing; (c) at least one needle carriage that is movably mounted to the first beam of each tufting frame and travels thereupon along an X-axis; (d) at least two tufting needles that are disposed within each needle carriage, wherein each needle receives a different type of yarn and is selectively reciprocated, along a Z-axis, in order to insert its designated yarn into the backing in accordance with the graphic design; (e) at least one looper carriage that is movably mounted to the second beam of each tufting frame and travels thereupon along an X-axis; (f) a looper disposed within each looper carriage, the looper for catching yarn inserted through the backing by a needle and thereby forming a loop tuft along the backing; (g) tufting frame drive mechanisms capable of advancing the tufting frames independently along the support frame; (h) needle carriage drive mechanisms capable of advancing the needle carriages independently along the respective first beams to which they are mounted; (i) looper carriage drive mechanisms capable of advancing the looper carriages independently along the respective second beams to which they are mounted; (j) needle drive mechanisms capable of reciprocating the needles individually; (k) a computer for storing the graphic design and for selectively controlling the various drive mechanisms in accordance with the graphic design; and (l) wherein the looper and needle carriages are independently driven so that each looper carriage may be precisely positioned, relative to a needle carriage, to enable its looper to catch yarn from a particular reciprocating needle.
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Specification