GB1098540A - Improvements in or relating to pile fabric floor coverings - Google Patents

Abstract

1,098,540. Tufting machines. BIGELOWSANFORD Inc. Dec. 22, 1966 [Dec. 23; 1965], No. 57511/66. Heading D1G. Tufting apparatus comprises a needle adapted to be projected into and withdrawn from a backing, means for feeding yarn to the needle, and means for cutting the yarn on the side of the backing from which the needle is projected into the backing. Pile fabric is made with said apparatus by inserting yarn through the backing from one side, cutting the yarn on pins one side at a point spaced from the backing, feeding the yarn and inserting both cut ends through the backing from said one side at a point spaced from the first insertion. Portable apparatus comprises a body 2 having a pistol grip 4 and housing an electric motor controlled by a trigger 8 for driving a transverse shaft 12. A barrel 16, carried by body 2, slidably supports a hollow needle bar (18) carrying a hollow needle 20 projectible through a presser foot 118. The needle bar is reciprocated via a link 98 from a crank pin 94 on a disc 90 fixed to shaft 12. A handle 24 is mounted on barrel 16. Yarn 28 is fed by a driven cone (30) and co-operating presser roller (32) to a tube 46 fixed to the needle bar and communicating with the hollow interior thereof. A tube 56, fixed to the needle bar and communicating with the hollow interior thereof, slidably carries a housing 58 rigid with a plunger (54) which is slidable within tube 56 and carries a knife blade (22) movable into the hollow interior of the needle bar. A lever 68, pivoted intermediately at 72, is engaged at one end with housing 58, and carries at its other end an abutment block 82 adapted to be engaged by a striker 84 mounted on disc 90 for moving housing 58, against the bias of a spring mounted therein, towards the needle bar for projecting the knife blade (22) therein. An air supply line 102, connected to tube 46, is provided with a normally-closed valve 110 having a plunger 112 engagable by a cam segment 91 on disc 90 for admitting compressed air to the interior of the needle bar. In use, when needle 20 is projected through backing fabric, compressed air is admitted to the needle bar for assisting the yarn feed to project a tuft length of yarn beyond the fabric. Blade (22) then severs the yarn at a distance from the outlet of needle 20. The apparatus is then moved in the line of tufting, and, during the next needle penetration, both free ends of yarn are projected through the backing to form a double tuft. The striker 84 may be removed for producing uncut tufting. A multi-needle tufting machine comprises a reciprocating needle bar 132 carrying hollow needles 130 and aligned yarn guide tubes 164. Backing 144 is fed between a presser foot 142 and a needle plate 146. Yarn is fed by conventional pattern means to the tubes 164 which pass through a cavity 148 supplied, via an intermittently-operated valve, with compressed air which enters the tubes 164 through apertures 166 therein. Associated with each needle is a knife blade 168, the blades being located in a cavity 170. Each blade is carried by a slidable rod 172 outwardly biased by a spring 180 and carrying a head 178 which co-operates with a lug 186 on an endless pattern chain 182 moving the blade inwardly to sever the yarn.