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 comprising;
a plurality of yarn feed devices each including a drive motor and a drive roll for feeding a supply of yarns to said needles along said needle bar;
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;
a yarn distribution device including at least one tube bank section through which the yarns are passed to said needles; 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.
92 Citations
38 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 comprising;
a plurality of yarn feed devices each including a drive motor and a drive roll for feeding a supply of yarns to said needles along said needle bar;
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;
a yarn distribution device including at least one tube bank section through which the yarns are passed to said needles; 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)
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16. A method of assembling 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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mounting at least one yarn feed unit on the frame of the tufting machine, the yarn feed unit having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices mounted therein for feeding a series of yarns to the needles, yarn feed controllers controlling the yarn feed devices, and a yarn feed distribution device;
connecting the yarn feed controllers to a system controller for controlling the feeding of the yarns to the needles by each of the yarn feed devices; and
threading the yarns from a desired number of the yarn feed devices through the yarn feed distribution device to each of the needles. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A tufting machine for forming tufts of yarns in a backing material, comprising:
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a needle bar having a series of needles spaced therealong;
a yarn feed unit mounted on the tufting machine and including a series of yarn feed devices for feeding the yarns to the needles;
a yarn feed tube bank constructed and arranged to guide the yarns to various ones of the needles and having at least two separate tube bank sections receiving yarns from the yarn feed devices of the yarn feed unit; and
a control system for controlling operation of the yarn feed devices based on programmed pattern information. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A yarn feed unit for controlling the feeding of individual yarns to a series of spaced needles in a tufting machine for forming a series of tufts of yarn in a backing material, said yarn feed unit comprising:
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a plurality of yarn feed devices each including a drive motor driving a drive roll for engaging and feeding selected ones of the yarns to one of the needles; and
a yarn feed controller communicating with and controlling operation of said drive motors of said yarn feed devices for controlling the feeding of the yarns in response to programmed pattern instructions; and
a yarn feed distribution device having a series of yarn feed tubes arranged in separate tube bank sections each receiving one of the yarns from said yarn feed devices for guiding the yarns to selected needles of the tufting machine. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification