GB912690A - Tufting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

912,690. Tufting machines. CABIN CRAFTS Inc. Sept. 29, 1961 [Oct. 24, 1960], No. 35210/61. Class 112. A tufting machine comprises means for feeding yarn variably to a tufting needle for developing long and short tuft loops, patterncontrolled means governing the yarn-feeding means, a yarn guide movable to different positions corresponding to the development of long and short loops, and means acting on the yarn adjacent the movable yarn guide in one position thereof to develop a short loop by shortening the currently-formed loop. In Fig. 1, needles N carried by a vertically reciprocating needle bar 10 co-operate with loopers L fixed to an oscillating shaft 14 to produce tufts from yarns Y in a base fabric C. Each yarn is selectively fed to the machine at one of two speeds for producing either long or short tufts by pattern-controlled means, as described in Specification 853,943, and passes between loosely-meshing fluted rollers 20, 22, driven at the speed for producing the long tufts. The yarn then passes to the machine through successive fixed guides 16, 17 and 18. Between the guides 16 and 17 each yarn passes through a movable guide 30 connected to a piston 36 in a vertical cylinder 34. A spring 38 biases piston 36 upwardly, and a solenoidcontrolled valve 39 can admit compressed air to cylinders 34 for moving piston 36 to a lowered position. An L-shaped loop-shortening member 40 is fixed at the end of its longer limb to a shaft 42 adapted to be so oscillated that member 40 descends rapidly and rises again rapidly during each ascent of the needle. The shorter limb of member 40 can thereby engage the yarn between guides 30 and 17 to draw back a portion of the tuft in the process of formation. As shown, guide 30, the movements of which are also pattern-controlled, is in the lowered position and a long tuft will be formed, member 40 drawing back only a little yarn to ensure uniformity of tuft length. Alternatively, guide 30 when lowered positions the yarn outside the range of movement of member 40. To produce a short tuft guide 30 is raised, whereby member 40 is engaged with the yam during a greater portion of its downward movement. The fluted rollers 20, 22 ensure that member 40 draws yarn from the tuft and not from the feed. The loose mesh of the rollers allows slippage to occur between the yarn and the rollers when short tufts are being produced. In a modification, Fig. 4, the fixed guide 17 is omitted and a movable guide 30<1> has an upstanding limb providing a second movable guide 33<1>. For the production of short tufts, member 40 engages the yarn between the guides 30<1>, 33<1> in their raised position. For long tufts, guides 30<1>, 33<1> are lowered to position the yam beyond the range of movement of member 40. In Fig. 5, movable guides 30<3>, 33<2> carry two yarns Y<1> and Y<2> which pass respectively upwardly and downwardly from guide 30<2> to guide 33<3>.