IL39446A - Process and apparatus for the production of tufted pile fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

Improved apparatus for producing tufted pile fabrics comprising a tufting machine having plural rows of needles and loopers wherein the loopers in a first row of loopers in the direction of travel of a backing sheet are longer than loopers of the next row so that yarn loops formed in the backing sheet by the first row of loopers are not displaced by the loopers in the next row to cause irregular formation of loops in the tufted fabric product; also, a process for producing pile fabrics of uniform pile height by a loop robbing technique. [US3780678A]

Claims (2)

1. Case 1065 39446/2 • 1. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for moving a backing sheet in a desired path of travel, a needle bar positioned on one side of the path and having plural rows of yarn-receiving needles extending generally transversely of the path with the rows spaced along the path of backing sheet movement, a plurality of looper means positioned on the other side of the path and having correspondingly spaced rows of hooks extending in the direction of movement of the backing sheet- for cooperation with the needles, means for reciprocating the needles generally perpendicular to the path to penetrate a backing sheet passing along the path for the insertion of yarn therein, and means for moving the looper hooks during reciprocation of the needles to engage the yarns carried thereby to form yarn loops in the backing sheet; the hooks in the first row of loopers in the direction of hooks whereby yarn loops formed by the first row of needles and hooks pass without interference with the operation of the following row of needles and looper hooks.

2. A tufting machine according to. Claim 1, wherein an adjacent pair of looper hooks in said first and next following row of looper hooks together are comprised of a single main body portion removably secured to said looper bar, and a hook portion integrally attached to said main body portion comprising a first hook positioned in said first row of hooks adjacent the backing sheet path and a second hook . positioned in said next following row of ook closer to said looper bar and at a greater distance from the backing sheet 39446/2 3. A tufting machine according to Claim 2, wherein said first and second hooks are positioned in spaced staggered relation along the length of the looper bar. 4. A tufting machine according to Claims 2 or 3 , wherein one of said first or second hooks is positioned in the same plane as said main body portion. 5. A tufting machine according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the tips of the needles in the first row of needles corresponding to said first row of looper hooks are positioned closer to the needle bar and further from the path loops in the previously formed row of longer loops to the length of the loops in the ote^hr previously formed row of loops, 7. A method according to claim 6, which includes providing a base sheet, feeding uniform lengths of yarn to the two rows of needles which correspond to the said first row of looper hooks and the next following row of looper hooks, reciprocating the yarn-carrying needles through the sheet while retaining the""inserted yarn lengths by the looper hooks to form a first pair of rows of yarn loops with the loops of one row longer than the loops of the other row, further feeding said uniform lengths of yarn to said two rows 39446/2 of needles, longitudinally advancing the base sheet, reciprocating the yarn-carrying needles through the sheet, and retaining the inserted yarn lengths with the looper hooks to form a second pair of rows of yarn loops while withdrawing yarn from the yarn loops of the previously formed row of longer loops to conform them to the length of the loops in the other row of said first pair. 8. A method according to Claim 7, wherein yarn is withdrawn from the previously formed row of longer yarn during movement of the needles into the base sheet. 9. A method according to Claim 7, wherein yarn is withdrawn from the previously formed row of yarn loops during movement of the needles out of the base sheet. 10. A multiple needle, tufting machine, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 11. A method for producing tufted pile fabrics, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fo the Applicants ARTNERS