Tufting machine

• US 20050066867A1
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe D'Investment Moselle SA
• Original Assignee: Spencer Wright Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Beverly, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 112/80.520
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/14 Arrangements or devices for holding or feeding the base material D05C15/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D05C 15/16 Arrangements or devices for manipulating threads D05C15/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A tufting machine for producing pile fabric having a pile height of approximately at least 50 mm has divider plates between adjacent needles to prevent yarn loops and especially the legs of cut loops from becoming trapped between an adjacent needle and its associated yarn feed. The divider plates may take the form of plates forming an extension of the fingers of the needle plate between each pair of which a needle reciprocates and may be mounted on a block on the bed plate beneath the needle plate, or may be plates upstanding from the hook bar.

Claims

1. In a tufting machine comprising a plurality of aligned needles arranged to reciprocate in a direction which, in use, is perpendicular to a backing material which is progressively fed through the machine;

a hook associated with each needle which is oscillatedly moveable, in use, to pick up yarn from its associated needle, a loop engaging surface of the hook being, in use, at least 50 mm below the backing material;

wherein each tuft is isolated from a tuft formed by an adjacent needle by a divider plate which extends in the direction of needle reciprocation for at least 20% of the distance between the backing material and the loop engaging surface of the hooks.

2. A tufting machine according to claim 1, wherein each divider plate extends for at least 30% and preferably at least 50% of the distance between the backing material and the loop engaging surface of the hook.

3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein each divider plate extends for up to 80% of the distance between the backing cloth and the loop engaging surface of the hook.

4. A machine according to claim 2, wherein each divider plate extends for up to 80% of the distance between the backing cloth and the loop engaging surface of the hook.

5. A tufting machine according to claim 1, including a needle plate having a series of reed fingers and each divider plate is an extension of a respective reed finger.

6. A tufting machine according to claim 2, including a needle plate having a series of reed fingers and each divider plate is an extension of a respective reed finger.

7. A tufting machine according to claim 3, including a needle plate having a series of reed fingers and each divider plate is an extension of a respective reed finger.

8. A tufting machine according to claim 1, having a needle plate including a series of reed fingers between each pair of which a needle reciprocates, a bed plate located beneath the needle plate, and a support block carried by the bed plate and the divider plates extend from the support block.

9. A tufting machine according to claim 2, having a needle plate including a series of reed fingers between each pair of which a needle reciprocates, a bed plate located beneath the needle plate, and a support block carried by the bed plate and the divider plates extend from the support block.

10. A tufting machine according to claim 3, having a needle plate including a series of reed fingers between each pair of which a needle reciprocates, a bed plate located beneath the needle plate, and a support block carried by the bed plate and the divider plates extend from the support block.

11. A tufting machine according to claim 1 having a hook bar for carrying said hooks, and the divider plates are mounted on upstanding on said hook bar.

12. A tufting machine according to claim 2 having a hook bar for carrying said hooks, and the divider plates are mounted on upstanding on said hook bar.

13. A tufting machine according to claim 3 having a hook bar for carrying said hooks, and the divider plates are mounted on upstanding on said hook bar.

14. A tufting machine as recited in claim 5, wherein said divider plate is enlarged at an end adjacent said hooks relative to an end adjacent said needle plate.

15. A tufting machine as recited in claim 11, wherein said divider plate is enlarged at an end spaced remote from said hooks relative to an end adjacent said hooks.