GB871006A - Tufting machine and a method of making tufted fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

871,006. Tufting-machines. McCUTCHEN, J. K. Feb. 26, 1959, No. 6677/59. Class 112 A method of producing tufted fabrics in which a pattern is formed by selectively producing cut or uncut loops of yarn formed in a base fabric comprises moving a looper to enter in succession loops thus formed and then carry them in the direction of fabric feed, severing in succession some of the loops held and moved by the looper and selectively blocking the movement of other loops so that loops so blocked are disengaged from the looper unsevered. In a machine for prosecuting the method a main drive shaft 25 causes the needle bar 31 to reciprocate in timed relationship with the oscillations of a shaft 39 carrying loopers 42 and a shaft 52 carrying loop cutters 56. The fabric base 36 is fed step by step to the right by means such as those described in U.S.A. Specification 2,411,267. A blocking finger 67 is disposed alongside each .looper, its end 71 being pressed against the opposite side of the looper to that at which the cutter 56 is disposed. Each finger is pivoted to the machine frame at 68 and spring biased in an anti-clockwise direction. The end of each finger remote from the looper is attached by flexible elements 75 to a floating connector block 76, six elements 76 being connected to each block. From each block a cable 77 passes to the end of a jack 80 of a number of dobby heads 81 such as are described in U.S.A. Specification 2,587,507. The dobby heads are driven from the shaft 25 and each includes a pattern chain 85 which selectively moves the jacks 80 between the two extreme positions shown. The needles 32 descend to insert loops of yarn into the fabric base and each looper moves to enter a loop and then move back in the direction of fabric feed. When a jack 80 is in the left position the end of the finger 67 lies below and clear of the looper beak as in Fig. 4, the loops then moving back along the beak to be cut by the cutter 56. When the pattern chain 85 causes the jack 80 to be in the left position the cables 77, 75 rock the finger 67 to bring its end up close to the looper beak as in Fig. 5. Loops then entered by the looper are blocked and pushed off the beak, as the looper moves in the direction of fabric feed, and are not cut. Instead of the dobby heads 81 the fingers 67 may be operated by cams, electronic controls, jaquard mechanisms or other pattern control means. U.S.A. Specification 2,143,678 also is referred to.