EP1132514B1 - Dispositif pour produire des motifs commandés par des servomoteurs indépendants pour machine à tufter et système de conception assistée par ordinateur - Google Patents

Dispositif pour produire des motifs commandés par des servomoteurs indépendants pour machine à tufter et système de conception assistée par ordinateur Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1132514B1
EP1132514B1 EP01111949A EP01111949A EP1132514B1 EP 1132514 B1 EP1132514 B1 EP 1132514B1 EP 01111949 A EP01111949 A EP 01111949A EP 01111949 A EP01111949 A EP 01111949A EP 1132514 B1 EP1132514 B1 EP 1132514B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
yarn feed
yarn
stitch
stitches
pattern
Prior art date
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Expired - Lifetime
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EP01111949A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP1132514A2 (fr
EP1132514A3 (fr
EP1132514B9 (fr
Inventor
Michael R. Morgante
Randall E. Stanfield
Mike Bishop
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Tuftco Corp
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Tuftco Corp
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Priority claimed from EP97120835A external-priority patent/EP0854220B1/fr
Publication of EP1132514A2 publication Critical patent/EP1132514A2/fr
Publication of EP1132514A3 publication Critical patent/EP1132514A3/fr
Publication of EP1132514B1 publication Critical patent/EP1132514B1/fr
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Publication of EP1132514B9 publication Critical patent/EP1132514B9/fr
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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
    • D05C—EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
    • D05C15/00—Making pile fabrics or articles having similar surface features by inserting loops into a base material
    • D05C15/04—Tufting
    • D05C15/08—Tufting machines
    • D05C15/26—Tufting machines with provision for producing patterns
    • D05C15/32—Tufting machines with provision for producing patterns by altering the loop length
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
    • D05C—EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
    • D05C15/00—Making pile fabrics or articles having similar surface features by inserting loops into a base material
    • D05C15/04—Tufting
    • D05C15/08—Tufting machines
    • D05C15/16—Arrangements or devices for manipulating threads
    • D05C15/18—Thread feeding or tensioning arrangements
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
    • D05B—SEWING
    • D05B19/00—Programme-controlled sewing machines
    • D05B19/02—Sewing machines having electronic memory or microprocessor control unit
    • D05B19/04—Sewing machines having electronic memory or microprocessor control unit characterised by memory aspects
    • D05B19/08—Arrangements for inputting stitch or pattern data to memory ; Editing stitch or pattern data
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
    • D05B—SEWING
    • D05B19/00—Programme-controlled sewing machines
    • D05B19/02—Sewing machines having electronic memory or microprocessor control unit
    • D05B19/12—Sewing machines having electronic memory or microprocessor control unit characterised by control of operation of machine
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
    • D05D—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES D05B AND D05C, RELATING TO SEWING, EMBROIDERING AND TUFTING
    • D05D2205/00—Interface between the operator and the machine
    • D05D2205/02—Operator to the machine
    • D05D2205/08—Buttons, e.g. for pattern selection; Keyboards
    • D05D2205/085—Buttons, e.g. for pattern selection; Keyboards combined with a display arrangement, e.g. touch sensitive control panel

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a yarn feed mechanism for a tufting machine and more particularly to a scroll-type pattern controlled yarn feed wherein each set of yarn feed rolls is driven by an independently controlled servo motor.
  • a computerized design system is also provided because of the complexities of working with the large numbers of individually controllable design parameters available to the new yarn feed mechanism.
  • Pattern control yarn feed mechanisms for multiple needle tufting machines are well known in the art and may be generally characterized as either roll-type or scroll-type pattern attachments.
  • Roll type attachments are typified by J.L. Card, U.S. Patent No. 2,966,866 which disclosed a bank of four pairs of yarn feed rolls, each of which is selectively driven at a high speed or a low speed by the pattern control mechanism. All of the yarn feed rolls extend transversely the entire width of the tufting machine and are journaled at both ends. There are many limitations on roll-type pattern devices.
  • scroll-type pattern attachments are disclosed in J.L. Card, U.S. Patent No. 2,862,465, are shown projecting transversely to the row of needles, although subsequent designs have been developed with the yarn feed rolls parallel to the row of needles as in Hammel, U.S. Patent No. 3,847,098.
  • Typical of scroll type attachments is the use of a tube bank to guide yarns from the yarn feed rolls on which they are threaded to the appropriate needle. In this fashion yarn feed rolls need not extend transversely across the entire width of the tufting machine and it is physically possible to mount many more yarn feed rolls across the machine.
  • scroll pattern attachments have between 36 and 120 sets of rolls, and by use of electrically operated clutches each set of rolls can select from two, or possibly three, different speeds for each stitch.
  • yarn feed tubes introduces additional complexity and expense in the manufacture of the tufting machine; however, the greater problem is posed by the differing distances that yarns must travel through yarn feed tubes to their respective needles. Yarns passing through relatively longer tubes to relatively more distant needles suffer increased drag resistance and are not as responsive to changes in the yarn feed rates as yarns passing through relatively shorter tubes. Accordingly, in manufacturing tube banks, compromises have to be made between minimizing overall yarn drag by using the shortest tubes possible, and minimizing yarn feed differentials by utilizing the longest tube required for any single yarn for every yarn.
  • a servo motor driven pattern device might run a high speed drive shaft to feed yarn at 0.9 inches per stitch if the needle bar does not shift, 1.0 inches if the needle bar shifts one gauge unit, and 1.1 inches if the needle bar shifts two gauge units.
  • Other slight variations in yarn feed amounts are also desirable, for instance, when a yarn has been sewing low stitches and it is next to sew a high stitch, the yarn needs to be slightly overfed so that the high stitch will reach the full height of subsequent high stitches. Similarly, when a yarn has been sewing high stitches and it is next to sew a low stitch, the yarn needs to be slightly underfed so that the low stitch will be as low as the subsequent low stitches.
  • the yarn feed mechanism made in accordance with this invention includes a plurality of sets of yarn feed rolls, each set being in direct communication with a servo motor. Two sets of yarn feed rolls, and two servo motors, are mounted upon a plurality of transversely spaced supports on the machine. Each set of yarn feed rolls is driven at the speed dictated by its corresponding servo motor and each servo motor can be individually controlled.
  • Figure 1 discloses a multiple needle tufting machine 10 upon which is mounted a pattern control yarn feed attachment 30 in accordance with this invention. It will be understood that it is possible to mount attachments 30 on both sides of a tufting machine 10 when desired.
  • the machine 10 includes a housing 11 and a bed frame 12 upon which is mounted a needle plate for supporting a base fabric adapted to be moved through the machine 10 from front to rear in the direction of the arrow 15 by front and rear fabric rollers.
  • the bed frame 12 is in turn mounted on the base 14 of the tufting machine 10 .
  • a main drive motor 19 schematically shown in Figure 6 drives a rotary main drive shaft 18 mounted in the head 20 of the tufting machine.
  • Drive shaft 18 in turn causes push rods 22 to move reciprocally toward and away from the base fabric.
  • This causes needle bar 27 to move in a similar fashion.
  • Needle bar 27 supports a plurality of preferably uniformly spaced needles 29 aligned transversely to the fabric feed direction 15.
  • the needle bar 27 may be shiftable by means of well known pattern control mechanisms, not shown, such as Morgante, U.S. Patent No. 4,829,917, or R.T. Card, U.S. Patent No. 4,366,761. It is also possible to utilize two needle bars in the tufting machine, or to utilize a single needle bar with two, preferably staggered, rows of needles.
  • yarns 16 are fed through tension bars 17, pattern control yarn feed device 30, and tube bank 21. Then yarns 16 are guided in a conventional manner through yarn puller rollers 23, and yarn guides 24 to needles 29.
  • a looper mechanism, not shown, in the base 14 of the machine 10 acts in synchronized cooperation with the needles 29 to seize loops of yarn 16 and form cut or loop pile tufts, or both, on the bottom surface of the base fabric in well known fashions.
  • a pattern controlled yarn feed mechanism 30 incorporating a plurality of pairs of yarn feed rolls adapted to be independently driven at different speeds has been designed for attachment to the machine housing 11 and tube bank 21 .
  • a transverse support plate 31 extends across a substantial length of the front of tufting machine 10 and provides opposed upwards and downwards facing surfaces.
  • the electrical cables and sockets to connect with servo motors 38.
  • a plurality of yarn feed roller mounting plates 35 On the downwards facing surface are mounted a plurality of yarn feed roller mounting plates 35, shown in isolation in Figure 2.
  • Mounting plates 35 have connectors such as feet 53 to permit the plates 35 to be removably secured to the support plate 31 of the yarn feed attachment.
  • Mounted on each side of each mounting plate 35 are a front yarn feed roll 36, a rear yarn feed roll 37 and a servo motor 38 .
  • Each yarn feed roll 36, 37 consists of a relatively thin gear toothed outer section 40 which on rear yarn feed roll meshes with the drive sprocket 39 of servo motor 38.
  • the gear toothed outer sections 40 of both front and rear yarn feed rolls 36, 37 intermesh so that each pair of yarn feed rolls 36, 37 are always driven at the same speed.
  • Yarn feed rolls 36, 37 have a yarn feeding surface 41 formed of sand paper-like or other high friction material upon which the yarns 16 are threaded, and a raised flange 42 to prevent yarns 16 from sliding off of the rolls 36, 37.
  • yarns 16 coming from yarn guides 17 are wrapped around the yarn feeding surface 41 of rear yarn roll 37, thence around yarn feeding surface 41 of front yarn roll 36, and thence into tube bank 21.
  • yarns 16 coming from yarn guides 17 are wrapped around the yarn feeding surface 41 of rear yarn roll 37, thence around yarn feeding surface 41 of front yarn roll 36, and thence into tube bank 21.
  • the gear ratio between yarn feed rolls 36, 37 and the drive sprocket 39 is about 15 to 1 with the yarn feed rolls 36, 37 each having 120 teeth and the drive sprocket 39 having 8 teeth. Satisfactory results can generally be obtained if the ratio is as low as 12 to 1 and as high as 18 to 1. However, when the ratio is lower than 8 to 1 or higher than 24 to 1, it is no longer feasible to drive the yarn feed rolls as shown.
  • mounting plates 35 have hollow circular sections 51 to receive the outer toothed section 40 of the yarn feed rolls 36, 37.
  • the outer edge 52 . of such circular sections 51 is deeper to receive the slightly thicker toothed sections 40.
  • the drive sprockets 39 are also similarly received, as shown in Figure 3, so that the intermeshing drive teeth are substantially concealed within mounting plates 35 and the chance of yarns 16 or other material becoming inadvertently entangled in the yarn feed drive is thereby minimized.
  • a fixed pin 50 is set through each mounting plate 35 and yarn feed rolls 36, 37 are permitted to rotate freely about the pin 50, on bearings 44, 45.
  • a retaining ring 43 and bearing 44 are mounted on the pin 50 adjacent to the mounting plate 35 , then the yarn feed roll is mounted, followed by a wave spring 46, another bearing 45, and an outer retaining ring 47.
  • Servo motors 38 are fastened to mounting plates 35 by threaded screws 49, which pass through apertures 54 in the mounting plate 35, and are received in the base of the servo motors 38 .
  • FIG. 6 a general electrical diagram of the invention is shown in the context of a computerized tufting machine.
  • a personal computer 60 is provided as a user interface, and this computer 60 may also be used to create, modify, display and install patterns in the tufting machine 10 by communication with the tufting machine master controller 61.
  • Master controller 61 in turn preferably interfaces with machine logic 63, so that various operational interlocks will be activated if, for instance, the controller 61 is signaled that the tufting machine 10 is turned off, or if the "jog" button is depressed to incrementally move the needle bar, or a housing panel is open, or the like.
  • Master controller 61 may also interface with a bed height controller 62 on the tufting machine to automatically effect changes in the bed height when patterns are changed. Master controller 61 also receives information from encoder 68 relative to the position of the main drive shaft 18 and preferably sends pattern commands to . and receives status information from controllers 70, 71 for backing tension motor 74 and backing feed motor 73 respectively. Said motors 73, 74 are powered by power supply 72 . Finally, master controller 61 , for the purposes of the present invention, sends ratio metric pattern information to motor controllers 65. For instance, the master controller 61 might signal a particular motor controller 65 that it needs to rotate its corresponding servo motor 38 through 8.430 revolutions for the next revolution of the main drive shaft 18 .
  • Motor controllers 65 also receive information from encoder 68 relative to the position of the main drive shaft 18. Motor controllers 65 process the ratiometric information from master controller 61 and main drive shaft positional information from encoder 68 to direct corresponding motors 38 to rotate yarn feed rolls 36, 37 the distance required to feed the appropriate yarn amount for each stitch. Motor controllers 65 preferably utilize only 5 volts of current for logic power supplies 67, just as master controller 61 utilizes power supply 64. In the preferred construction, motor power supplies 66 need provide no more than 100 volts of direct current at two amps peak. The system described enables the use of hundreds of possible yarn feed rates, preferably 128, 256 or 512 yarn feed rates, and can be operated at speeds of 1500 stitches per minute. The cost of motor controller 65 is minimized and throughput speed maximized by implementing the necessary controller logic in hardware, utilizing logic chips and programmable logical gate array chips.
  • the preferred yarn feed servo motors 38 are trapezoidal brushless motors having a height of no more than about 3.5 inches. Such motors also preferably provide motor controllers 65 with commutation information from Hall Effect Detectors (HEDs) and additional positional information from encoders, where the HEDs and encoders are contained within the motors 38.
  • HEDs Hall Effect Detectors
  • encoders additional positional information from encoders
  • the present yarn feed attachment 30 provides substantially improved results when using tube banks specially designed to take advantage of the attachment's 30 capabilities.
  • tube banks have been designed in three ways. Originally, the tubes leading from yarn feed rolls to a needle were made the minimum length necessary to transport the yarn to the desired location as shown in J.L. Card, U.S. Patent No. 2,862,465. Due to the friction of the yarns against the tubes, this had the result of feeding more yarn to the needles associated with relatively short tubes and less yarn to the needles associated with relatively long tubes, and with uneven finishes resulting on carpets tufted thereby.
  • tube banks were then designed so that every tube in the tube bank was of the same length. On a broad loom tufting machine, this typically required that there be over 1400 tubes each approximately 18 feet long, or approximately 25,000 feet of tubing. The collective friction of the yarns passing through these tubes created other problems and a third tube bank design evolved as a compromise.
  • all of the yarn feed tubes from a given pair of yarn feed rolls had the same length.
  • all of the yarn feed tubes leading from the yarn feed rolls in the center of the tufting machine would be about 101 ⁇ 2 feet long.
  • all of the tubes leading from the yarn feed rolls would be approximately 18 feet long.
  • a tube bank constructed in this fashion requires slightly less than 20,000 feet of tubing, over a 20% reduction for the uniform 18 foot long tubes of the second design.
  • a new fourth tube bank design is new preferred in which the longest length of tubing required for yarns being fed from the center of the tufting machine is utilized as the minimum tubing length for any yarn.
  • This length is approximately 101 ⁇ 2 feet on a broadloom machine.
  • the result is that the yarn tubes spreading out from the center of the tufting machine are all about 101 ⁇ 2 feet long while yarn tubes spreading from an end of the tufting machine range between 101 ⁇ 2 feet and about 18 feet in length. This reduces the total length of tubing in the tube bank to approximately 17,000 feet, a savings of approximately 32% in total tube length.
  • the yarns distributed from the right end of the machine can be fed slightly faster so that the yarns distributed to the center of the tufting machine will tuft at the standard height ( S ), the yarns distributed to the right side of the machine will tuft at a slightly increased height (S+1 ⁇ 2Fr) and the yarns distributed to the left side of the machine will tuft at a height lower than the standard height by only half the amount (S-1 ⁇ 2Fr) that would occur on the traditional scroll type pattern attachment.
  • S standard height
  • S+1 ⁇ 2Fr slightly increased height
  • S-1 ⁇ 2Fr the yarns distributed to the left side of the machine will tuft at a height lower than the standard height by only half the amount (S-1 ⁇ 2Fr) that would occur on the traditional scroll type pattern attachment.
  • software can be provided that requires the operator to set the yarn feed lengths for the center yarn feed rolls and the yarn feed rolls at either end of the tufting machine.
  • the operator might set the yarn feed lengths for the 61st pair of yarn feed rolls 36, 37 for the 120th pair. If the yarn feed length for a high stitch was 1.11 inches for the 61st pair and 1.2 inches for the 120th pair of yarn feed rolls 36, 37, then the software would proportionally allocate this 0.1 inch difference across the intervening 58 sets of yarn feed rolls.
  • the following pairs of yarn feed rolls would automatically feed the following lengths of yarn for a high stitch once the lengths for the 61st pair and 120th pair of yarn feed rolls were set by the operator: YARN FEED ROLL PAIR NUMBERS LENGTH OF YARN FEED 1-6 and 115-120 1.2 inches 7-12 and 109-114 1.19 inches 13-18 and 103-108 1.18 inches 19-24 and 97-102 1.17 inches 25-30 and 91-96 1.16 inches 31-36 and 85-90 1.15 inches 37-42 and 79-84 1.14 inches 43-48 and 73-78 1.13 inches 49-54 and 67-72 1.12 inches 55-66 1.11 inches
  • Another significant advance permitted by the present pattern control attachment 30 is to permit the exact lengths of selected yarns to be fed to the needles to produce the smoothest possible finish. For instance, in a given stitch in a high/low pattern on a tufting machine that is not shifting its needle bar the following situations may exist:
  • Figure 7 displays a representative dialog box 80 that allows the operator at computer 60, or at a stand-alone or networked design computer to select pattern parameters.
  • General screen display parameters are selected such as block width and length 81, 82 grid spacing 83, 84.
  • the width 85 and length 86 of the pattern are also set. Pattern width 85 will generally be 30, 60, or 120 when the design software is used with a 120 yarn feed roll pattern attachment 30 according to the present invention. Pattern length 86 will generally be the same as the pattern width 85 but may be shorter or much longer.
  • each pile height 89 is displayed as a shade of gray (or saturated color), ranging from white 90 for the lowest height to black 95 or a fully saturated color for the highest height.
  • Views of the carpet pattern may be rotated, enlarged, reduced, or provided in 3-dimensional views as shown in Figure 11 as desired. The operator or designer then can create, or modify a pattern by selecting various of the pile heights and applying them to the display.
  • a particularly useful feature of the software is that it automatically translates the pile heights in the finished carpet to instructions for the master controller so that the pattern designer does not have to be concerned with whether the needle bar is shifting, whether it is a high stitch after a low stitch or the like.
  • the software will require more yarn lengths than the number of pile heights the design contains.
  • Figures 9 and 10 display representative yarn feed speed and stepping information for the pattern shown in Figure 8 created with a single needle bar sewing without shifting.
  • Figure 9 displays the yarn feed speeds that would be used in conventional scroll attachments and with conventional yarn feed pattern programming.
  • Figure 10 displays selections according to the present invention.
  • a particularly desirable result of the control over the yarn length of each stitch is a yarn savings of between approximately two and ten percent.
  • the yarn feed for a low stitch following a high stitch is 0.002 inches -- or 0.309 inches less than the yarn fed for a usual low stitch (0.311 inches).
  • the yarn feed for high stitch after a low stitch is 1.0 inches or only 0.175 inches more than the yarn fed for a normal high stitch (0.825 inches).
  • the first low stitch for some yarns is preferably fed at about 0.002 inches and the second low stitch is preferably only about 0.08 inches,
  • the third low stitch will assume the regular value of 0.311 inches. Similar over feeds for the transition to high stitches of perhaps 1.0 inches and 0.93 inches would also be made. With the two transition stitch programming, yarn savings for this pattern are even greater.
  • the complexity added by multiple transition stitch values makes the translation of the pile heights of the finished pattern created by the designer to numeric yarn feed values even more complex.
  • a flow chart showing the logic of the substitution of yarn feed values for the high, medium, and low pile heights selected for a given stitch by a designer is shown in Figure 12.
  • Pattern information depicting finished yarn pile heights, as by color saturation as shown in Figure 8 or three-dimensional form as shown in Figure 11, is input into a computer 60 (shown in Figure 6), in step 101.
  • the computer 60 processes the pattern height information for each pattern width position, which is represented by the yarn for a single needle on the tufting machine. Most patterns will have 30, 40, or 60 pattern width or needle positions though the present yarn feed attachment will permit even patterns with 120 positions. When using two yarn feed attachments with separate staggered needle bars, even 240 positions could be created.
  • step 104 the last two stitches of the pattern in a pattern width position are read into memory of the computer in step 103.
  • the last two stitches are compared to determine their heights.
  • the decision boxes shown in steps 104A through 104I are designed for the situation where pattern heights for each stitch must be selected from high, medium, and low. In the event that additional finished pile heights are used, a more complex decision tree analysis must be utilized.
  • the first stitch in the pattern is processed in the appropriate decision tree 110A through 110I. For instance, if the last two stitches of the pattern are both high, decision tree 110A is utilized.
  • step 114 the pattern height information for the next stitch is obtained.
  • next step 106 it is determined whether this next stitch is high, medium, or low in height and the appropriate sub-tree (106A, 106B, 106C) is utilized.
  • the first query is to determine whether the stitch is shifted 107 and if so, shifted yarn feed values are applied in step 108. Otherwise, unshifted values are applied.
  • the processor determines whether it is at the end of the pattern in step 109 and if not, step 105 directs processing to proceed at the appropriate decision tree 110. If it is the end of the pattern, step 111 increments the pattern width position counter and the process is repeated for the next pattern width position. This begins with reading in the last two stitches of the pattern for the particular width position in step 103 for each succeeding pattern width position.
  • step 113 shows that the pattern translation into yarn feed variables is complete.
  • numeric values may be inserted for the various stitch designations. In the example of Figure 12 with shifting of up to two steps, and three finished yarn pile heights, some 45 yarn feed values must be input.
  • Figure 13 illustrates a flow chart for assigning yarn feed values when there are three pile heights (High, Medium and Low) and no shifting of the needle bar.
  • the process starts at box 120 and values are initialized 121.
  • the value of the current stitch or step is determined 122 and the value of the previous stitch or step is determined 123, 124. Based upon the values of the current and previous stitches, a Current Step Value is assigned 125.
  • step 127 counters and prior stitch values are updated, and a check is performed to determine whether the last stitch has been reached 128. If there are more stitches, the determination of the new current stitch value 122 begins. If completed 129, the computed yarn feed values are substituted into the carpet pattern.
  • Figure 14 illustrates a method of approximating yarn feed values for a yarn pattern with many yarn feed variations.
  • the yarn feed value calculation begins 130 and the values for the current step and previous step are initialized 131.
  • the actual estimated amount of yarn to be provided to accomplish the desired current step or stitch is then calculated based upon the stitch rate (stitches per inch), the intended pile height of the stitch, the number of positions the needle bar is shifted during the step or stitch, and the gauge of the needle bars 132.
  • the values for the previous stitch and current stitch are updated and the process is repeated until the last stitch is processed 133. In this fashion each stitch is assigned an actual yarn feed value.
  • the first is simply to utilize an encoder to report the position of the needles, or the main drive shaft of the tufting machine, and program the master controller 61 of the tufting machine to signal yarn feed motors to feed the yarn required for the current stitch slightly in advance of the downstroke.
  • This method is satisfactory for independently controlled yarn feed drives.
  • step 135 it is shown that by blending the yarn feed values for the previous stitch and the current stitch a more appropriate amount of yarn can be fed to the needles.
  • step 132 the yarn for that stitch as calculated in step 132 has been fed and a portion of the yarn required for the current stitch has also been fed to the needles.
  • This forward averaging of the yarn feed values in step 135 is repeated through the stitches and when the last stitch is reached 136, the calculation of values is complete 137 and may be utilized for the pattern.
  • the software also can preferably automatically compute the length of yarn required for a particular design by summing the length of the stitches for a given length of the design, and will translate that information to carpet weight depending upon the deniers of the yarns selected. It will be readily apparent that without the advantages provided by the related software, it would be very time consuming to take advantage of the power and advantages of the present individualized servo motor controlled yarn feed attachment.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Automatic Embroidering For Embroidered Or Tufted Products (AREA)
  • Spinning Or Twisting Of Yarns (AREA)
  • Yarns And Mechanical Finishing Of Yarns Or Ropes (AREA)

Claims (19)

  1. Méthode pour entrer automatiquement les paramètres de tufting d'une machine à tufter (10) d'un type possédant un dispositif (30) d'alimentation de fil commandé électroniquement et qui est destiné à faire avancer par des incréments mesurés un fil vers une pluralité d'aiguilles (29) qui sont alignées transversalement et prévues pour être entraínées par un arbre rotatif d'entraínement principal (18) en effectuant un mouvement de va et vient à travers une sous-couche tissée qui passe d'avant en arrière de la machine à tufter (10), ce qui permet de placer des points de couture comprenant des touffes de fils à travers ladite sous-couche tissée, méthode comprenant les étapes consistant à :
    (a) sélectionner sur un écran d'ordinateur les paramètres de motif des points de couture tels que la largeur, la longueur, une hauteur de poils relativement élevée et une hauteur de poils relativement faible ;
    (b) concevoir sur l'écran d'ordinateur un motif représentant l'emplacement des touffes de poils de hauteur relativement élevée et des touffes de poils de hauteur relativement faible pour créer une représentation graphique de tapis touffeté dans un fichier de données;
    (c) traiter le fichier de données contenant la représentation graphique du tapis touffeté pour affecter des valeurs d'alimentation de fil aux points de couture en fonction de la hauteur de poils qui a été sélectionnée pour le point de couture considéré et au moins pour le point de couture précédent.
  2. Méthode selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle l'affectation des valeurs d'alimentation de fil aux points de couture est déterminée en se basant sur la hauteur de poils sélectionnée pour le point de couture considéré et au moins pour les deux points de couture précédents.
  3. Méthode selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la valeur d'alimentation de fil affectée à une touffe de poils de hauteur relativement élevée venant après une touffe de poils de hauteur relativement élevée et une touffe de poils de hauteur relativement faible est supérieure à la valeur d'alimentation de fil qui est affectée à une touffe de poils de hauteur relativement élevée venant après deux touffes de poils de hauteur relativement élevée.
  4. Méthode selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle la valeur d'alimentation de fil affectée aux points de couture est en outre basée sur le nombre de points de couture par pouce de touffe, sur le calibrage de la machine et sur le nombre d'incréments calibrés dont il faut décaler les aiguilles par rapport à leur emplacement précédent.
  5. Méthode selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la valeur d'alimentation de fil pour un point de couture à hauteur de poils relativement faible venant après un point de couture à hauteur de poils relativement élevée est diminuée par rapport à la valeur d'alimentation de fil pour un point de couture de hauteur de poils relativement faible venant après d'autres points de couture de hauteur de poils relativement faible d'une valeur supérieure à la valeur suivant laquelle une valeur d'alimentation de fil d'un point de couture de hauteur de poils relativement élevée venant après un point de couture de hauteur de poils relativement faible est augmentée à partir de la valeur d'alimentation de fil pour un point de couture de hauteur de poils relativement élevée venant après d'autres points de couture de hauteur de poils relativement élevée.
  6. Méthode selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la représentation graphique du tapis touffeté peut être visualisée en trois dimensions sur un écran d'ordinateur.
  7. Méthode selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle les différences de hauteurs relatives des touffes de poils sont reflétées en faisant varier le niveau de saturation des couleurs des touffes sur un écran d'ordinateur.
  8. Méthode selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la valeur d'alimentation de fil affectée à un point de couture donné dans un motif reflète une proportion du fil qui a été calculée comme étant nécessaire pour ledit point de couture et une proportion du fil qui a été calculée comme étant nécessaire pour le point de couture suivant du motif.
  9. Module d'alimentation de fil disposé sur une plaque de montage (35) et ayant un premier côté, un deuxième côté opposé et un connecteur (53) prévu pour être fixé de manière amovible à un dispositif d'alimentation de fil à défilement (30), comprenant un servomoteur d'alimentation de fil (38) fixé sur le premier côté de ladite plaque de montage (35) et qui est en communication directe avec un rouleau d'alimentation de fil (37) qui est disposé sur ladite plaque de montage.
  10. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel ledit servomoteur possède un pignon d'entraínement à engrenage denté (39) qui se met en prise avec une partie extérieure à engrenage denté (40) du rouleau d'alimentation de fil (37).
  11. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel les rotations du pignon d'entraínement denté (39) correspondent aux rotations du rouleau d'alimentation de fil (37) dans une gamme de rapports qui est comprise entre environ 8 : 1 et 24 : 1.
  12. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel les rotations du pignon d'entraínement denté (39) correspondent aux rotations du rouleau d'alimentation de fil (37) dans une gamme de rapports qui est comprise entre environ 12 : 1 et 18 : 1.
  13. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel les rotations du pignon d'entraínement denté (39) correspondent aux rotations du rouleau d'alimentation de fil (37) dans un rapport d'environ 15 : 1.
  14. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 10, dans lequel la plaque de montage (35) possède une partie circulaire évidée (51) destinée à recevoir la partie extérieure à engrenage denté (40) du rouleau d'alimentation de fil (37).
  15. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel le rouleau d'alimentation de fil (37) a un poids inférieur à environ une livre.
  16. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel le servomoteur (38) produit les informations de commutation qui peuvent être communiquées à un organe de commande (61).
  17. Module d'alimentation de fil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel le servomoteur (38) produit les informations de position qui peuvent être communiquées à un organe de commande (61).
  18. Méthode pour faire fonctionner une machine à tufter destinée à tufter un fil dans une sous-couche tissée de façon à ce que le fil ait une hauteur de poils relativement élevée au niveau de points de couture sélectionnés et une hauteur de poils relativement faible au niveau de points de couture sélectionnés, comprenant les étapes consistant à :
    (a) entrer les informations de valeur d'alimentation de fil dans un organe directeur (61) ;
    (b) filer le fil souhaité (16) autour d'un rouleau d'alimentation de fil (36, 37) disposé sur un module d'alimentation de fil, en le faisant passer à travers un tube d'alimentation de fil (21) et en l'amenant à une aiguille (29) ;
    (c) faire fonctionner la machine à tufter de façon à ce que l'aiguille effectue un mouvement de va et vient et transporte le fil (16) en lui faisant traverser la sous-couche tissée ;
    (d) fournir les informations de position liées au mouvement de va et vient de l'aiguille à l'organe directeur (61) ;
    (e) envoyer les informations quotientométriques d'alimentation de fil pas à pas correspondantes à un point de couture depuis l'organe directeur (61) à un organe de commande de servomoteur (65) ;
    (f) traiter les informations quotientométriques d'alimentation de fil pas à pas avec l'organe de commande de servomoteur (65) et ordonner à un servomoteur (38) correspondant qui est en communication avec le module d'alimentation de fil considéré de tourner d'une distance correspondante à la distance nécessaire pour faire avancer le fil de la valeur appropriée qui correspond au point de couture ;
    (g) rapporter les informations de position provenant du servomoteur (38) à l'organe de commande de servomoteur ;
    (h) rapporter les informations d'état provenant de l'organe de commande de servomoteur (65) à l'organe directeur (61).
  19. Râtelier de tubes (21) destinée à orienter les fils (16) provenant d'un dispositif d'alimentation de fil à défilement (30) vers une pluralité d'aiguilles (29) disposées transversalement et effectuant un mouvement de va et vient dans une machine à tufter (10) dans laquelle la longueur minimum d'un tube d'alimentation de fil (21) quelconque est égale à la longueur de tube d'alimentation de fil qui est nécessaire pour transporter un fil depuis un rouleau d'alimentation de fil (36, 37) situé dans une partie centrale du dispositif d'alimentation de fil à défilement (30) jusqu'à une aiguille (29) située à proximité d'une partie marginale de la machine à tufter (10).
EP01111949A 1996-11-27 1997-11-27 Dispositif pour produire des motifs commandés par des servomoteurs indépendants pour machine à tufter et système de conception assistée par ordinateur Expired - Lifetime EP1132514B9 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US3195496P 1996-11-27 1996-11-27
US31954P 1996-11-27
EP97120835A EP0854220B1 (fr) 1996-11-27 1997-11-27 Dispositif pour produire des motifs commandé par des servomoteurs indépendants pour machine à tufter et système de conception assistée par ordinateur

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97120835A Division EP0854220B1 (fr) 1996-11-27 1997-11-27 Dispositif pour produire des motifs commandé par des servomoteurs indépendants pour machine à tufter et système de conception assistée par ordinateur

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Publication Number Publication Date
EP1132514A2 EP1132514A2 (fr) 2001-09-12
EP1132514A3 EP1132514A3 (fr) 2002-03-06
EP1132514B1 true EP1132514B1 (fr) 2004-08-18
EP1132514B9 EP1132514B9 (fr) 2004-12-22

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CN113882092A (zh) * 2021-10-11 2022-01-04 福建屹立智能化科技有限公司 一种双轮提花装置

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2862465A (en) * 1955-05-16 1958-12-02 Card Joseph Lewis Thread feed mechanism and pattern control therefor
US3943865A (en) * 1966-03-07 1976-03-16 Deering Milliken Research Corporation Controlled delivery of yarn
US3752094A (en) * 1971-07-06 1973-08-14 Deering Milliken Res Corp Strand delivery means
GB2002828A (en) * 1977-08-17 1979-02-28 Pickering Ltd E Improvements in tufting machines
US4469037A (en) * 1982-04-23 1984-09-04 Allied Corporation Method of producing for review a tufted fabric pattern
US4867080A (en) * 1988-12-15 1989-09-19 Card-Monroe Corporation Computer controlled tufting machine and a process of controlling the parameters of operation of a tufting machine
US5058518A (en) * 1989-01-13 1991-10-22 Card-Monroe Corporation Method and apparatus for producing enhanced graphic appearances in a tufted product and a product produced therefrom
US5588383A (en) * 1995-03-02 1996-12-31 Tapistron International, Inc. Apparatus and method for producing patterned tufted goods

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EP1132514A2 (fr) 2001-09-12
EP1132514A3 (fr) 2002-03-06
EP1132514B9 (fr) 2004-12-22

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