US1713506A - Tuft frame for tufted-pile fabric looms - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1929. c. ALvoRD 1,713,506

TUFT FRAME FOR TUFTED FILE? FABRIC LOOMS Filed Nov. 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenror' Clmron Alvord b /mlzlmakf May 14, 1929. c. ALVORD TUFT FRAME FOR 'IUFTED FILE FABRIC LOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1928 Fig. 6.

Inverflor.

A\vord CHnTon Patented May 14, 1929.

CLINTON ALV OBD, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TUIT FRAME 'FOR TUFTED-PILE FABRIC LOOMS.

Application filed November. 24, 1928. Serial No. 321,695.

This invention relates to the tuft frames employed in looms for weaving tufted pile fabric such as Axminster carpets. Such frames are suspended on a carrier, by means of which at the required time and in accordance with the desired pattern they are successively presented to the tuft-forming mechanism of the loom. Each frame supports one or more spools containing wound thereon the strands of tuft yarn and is provided with devices for spacing the several yarn strands and presenting them in position to be taken by the tuft-forming mechanism. The latter mechanism usually comprises a series of grippers, one pair for each yarn strand, and consequently the spacing and presenting means is arranged to present the several yarn strands to the grippers. These ,grippers, after seizing the yarn strandstdraw off from the spools the length required to form the tufts andthen these lengths are severed from the strands.

The present invention has for its chief object to provide in connection with the tuft frame a simple and efficient means for separating and guiding the yarn strands and presenting them to the tuft-forming mechanisms such as the grippers.

The invention has for its further object to provide such a separating and guiding means in which the yarn strands may readily be threaded broadside into the spaced yarn passages and retained therein so positioned as to be accurately and surely seized by the grippers. r

The invention has for its further object to provide such a yarn guide as'an integral ticularly such a yarn guide formed of a strip of sheet metal punched, crimped and formed into the required shape, thus facilitating manufacture and insuring identity of all the parts whichseparate and guide the plurality of yarn strands. K

The invention has for its furtherobject to provide such a tuft frame in which the yarnspacing and guiding means-are readily and accurately positioned throughout, thus insuring uniformity. W

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out-in the claims.

As the general construction, purpose and use of a tuft frame for a tufted pile fabric loom are well known and familiar to those skilled in the art, and as the invention relates only to the yarn spacing and guiding features .of the tuft frame, it is sufficient here to illustrate and describe one form of such a tuft frame with preferred forms of the invention embodied therein.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a frontelevation partially broken away of a tuft frame-shown equipped with three yarn carrying spools.

' Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Q Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a yarn guide embodying the invention as it appears before and after being crimped or formed into shape and a portion of one of the attaching combs preferably employed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross section of a portion of a slightly different form of yarn guide.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of'a portion of a yarn guide such as shown in Fig. 4 as it appears before and after being crimped or formed into shape. 7

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view partially in horizontal cross section of a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale embodying the invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective. view partially broken away shown in'Fig. '1 and looking toward the bottom.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail in front elevation of a slightly different form of yarn guide embodying the invention. one-piece unit comprising a plurality of the yarn spacing and guiding passages and par- Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation and partially in vertical cross section of the construction shown in Fig. 1 with the end of a pair of grippersshown in position about to seize a. yarn strand.

Fig. 10 is a view generally similar to Fig. 9 showing a variation'in the means for attaching the yarn guide to the tuft frame.

The tuft frame is shown as comprising a main body bar 1 preferably I hollow metal beam of rectangular cross section thus presenting with the minimum weight great strength and rigidity. This body bar is provided at its ends with the usual hangers 2 by which the tuft frame is detachably suspended on the usual carrier. Suitable brackets 3 are supported on the body bar and in these brackets are journalled the yarn carrying spools 4 of which there may be of the construction.

in the form of a q one or more as required by the width of the fabric being woven.

sages, there being one such yarn passage for each strand of yarn delivered from the spools 4. The yarn guide therefore extends substantially the entire length of the body bar and may be made in one or more sections ac-' cording to the length of the body bar, or as may be desired. Each section of the yarn guide is an integral one-piece structure prefretaining finger. The strip is then crimped' erably formed from a stri of suitable sheet metal. Preferably also t e strip of sheet metal is punched, bent and crimped into the requiredshape and held together and secured to the body bar without the use of solder.

The preferred form of constructionv is shown in Figs. 1, 2,3, 6, 7 and 9. A strip of sheet metal 5 is punched as shown at the lefthand portion of Fig. 3. A unit section of the strip when thus punched presents a recess 6 extending inward from the front edge of the strip and three tongues 7, 8 and 9. The tongues are bent back during or after the punching operation into the positions illustrated. The tongue 7 is bent against one face of the body of the strip so that it extends well forwardly of the front edge of the strip to form a threading guide projection. The tongue 8 is bent against the same face of the body of the strip to form a spacing tab. The tongue 9 is pressed so as to project from the opposite face of the strip to form' a yarninto the shape shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 3 so that each section of the trip between the adjacent recesses 6 forms a double wall rib 10 with the entire series of such double wall ribs standing parallel and equally spaced, thereby forming between them at the front portion of the guide vertical yarn passages 11. Those portions 12 of the metal of the strip at the rear of the recesses 6 form the union between the parallel ribs 10 and thus form top walls spanning each space at the rear of each yarn passage and merging into the side walls of the ribs. i

It will thus be seen that the yarnpassages are open at the bottom to provide entrances for grippers such as shown at 13 in 3. A pair of grippers ma therefore enter each yarn pasasge" 11 at t e bottom to seize and draw down the end of the yarn strand 14. The yarn passages 11 are of such width as to closely fit the grippers and insure the grippers-seizin the strands of yarn, each of which is thus 'eld and guided into proper position by its yarn passage. It willalso be seen that the yarn passages are open at the front to provide broadside arn threading entrances. This is of great importance because it enables each yarn readily 'tobe threaded into the yarn guide. The

operator may take each yarn strand extending from the spools and pass it broadside into the proper threading entrance, or the yarn strands may first be placed in a comb and then all of the yarn strands simultaneously passed broadside into the series of threading entrances, or any other suitable means may be provided for threading the yarn .guide. In order to guide and direct the yarns broadside into the several threading passages, the projections 7 are provided and it will be seenthat these projections 7 constitute yarn threading guide projections extending forward from and integral with each rib. Consequently as the yarn is brought broadside toward the guide, each pair of the adjacent projections 7 assist in guiding the yarn into the yarn passage. For this purpose the upper edges of the projections 7 are preferably bevelled off, as illustrated. Where there is but a single spool in the tuft frame, or in the case of the central spool where there are a plurality of spools in the tuft frame, the yarn strands 14, as shown at the central spool 4 in Fig. 1, will all run parallel with the heads of the spool and are readily guided between the respective pairs of projections 7 and broadside into the respective yarn passages. But where there are a plurality of spools, as in the case of the three spools shown in Fig. 1, in a tuft frame, the heads of adjacent spools with the interposed bracket take up considerable space so that the yarn strands at the right and left of the center must converge In orfar described, it will be observed, is struck out from one wall of each rib 10 and extends between the rib walls forward from each rib,

order to maintain'fthe symmetry and parallelism of the rib walls, the tongues 8 are prothus slightly separating the rib walls. In

vided. Each tongue 8 is therefore an integral tab struck out from one wall of each rib'and preferably the same wall as that from which the tongue 7 is struck out, but at the rear portion of the wall so that this tongue-serves as a slpfcer extending between the rib walls.

order .to hold the yarn strands within the am passages and prevent them from passing out through the threading entrance,

retaining fingers are provided, one for each yarn passage, and in the construction thus far described these fingers are formed by the tongues 9. Each tongue 9 is so positioned in the strip that extends laterally from the rib wall from which it is struck out across the threading entrance and at its tip stands opposite or slightly enters the aperture 15 in the wall of the opposite rib from which the threading guide projection 7 was struck out. Each tongue therefore constitutes a retaining-finger integral with the yarn guide which extends laterally from each rib across the threading entrance and cooperates at its tip with an aperture in the-opposite wall. Thus, as illustrated at the right-hand side of Fig. 6, the yarn strand 14 is guided in between the projections 7 and passes broadside into the threading entrance around the tip of the retaining finger 9 and behind the retaining finger so that thereafter it cannot pass forwardly out from the yarn passage.

A yarn guide constructed as thus described is readily and accurately formed by suitable punching, bending and crimping operations and presents a series of units of identical shape and position. But there is more or less yield or give to any given length of such a construction and it is desirable that there should be a slight yield, especially to enable the series 'of pairs of grippers tocooperatewith the yarn guide. It is necessary, therefore, that the yarn guide shall be accurately mounted with the yarn passages properly positioned and spaced on the body bar of the tuft frame, and suitable means are therefore provided for that purpose. In the preferred construction illustrated, a straight v edge aligning member shown as a metal strip 16 of a thickness substantially equal to the top, wall 12 of the yarn guide is secured to the bottom surface 17 of the body bar 1 in such" a position that its front straight edge 18 is at a somewhat less distance from the front surface 19 of the body bar than the length of the top Wall 12. A comb plate 20 having uniformly spaced teeth 21 is secured at the bottom of the body bar with its teeth extending between the ribs of the yarn guide so as properly to position the yarn guide and at the-same time to press the yarn guide against the flat bottom surface 17 of the body bar. This comb 20 and the aligning member 16 may both be rigidly secured in place by long rivets or bolts 22 extending through the bodv bar. In order further accurately to position the yarn guide and hold it against the straight edge aligning member 16. a second comb 23 having the teeth 24 and of gen erally similar construction to the comb 20 is secured to the front surface 19 of the body bar with its teeth between the ribs of the yarn guide and bent aroundbeneath the top walls 12 thereof and acting to press the yarn guide against the straight edge 18 of the aligning member 16. A little space or wind 25 extends between the comb 23 and the bottom of the front surface of the body bar and the comb 20 is set back so that the top wall cannot abut the base of the teeth. Consequently the yarn guide may be very tightly clamped and guide and with the base of the comb constituting the straight edge aligning member.

A slightly different form of construction of the yarn guide is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this construction the parallel-walls forming the ribs are pressed close together without any spacing tabs, thus enabling Wider yarn passages to be secured with sheet metal of -a given thickness. In this case therecesses 27 are punched out corresponding to the recesses 6. Between each pair of recesses there is punched out a long tab forming the aperture 28 and in line with this aperture at the front edge is punched out a short recess.

The long tab is bent inwardly, as shown at 29,'to form the retaining finger and is also bent parallel with the strip and inserted in the recess in line with the aperture 28 to form the required yarn threading guide projection 30. But it will be seen that this projection 30 fitting in the recess in line with the aperture 8 lies within the strip so that when the strip is crimped into position, as shown at the right-hand sideof Fig. 5, the walls forniing the ribs may be pressed tightly together. In

each unit section an aperture 31 is punched out to come opposite the retaining finger 29.

'Another form of construction for widening the thread passage, especially at the bottom portion constituting the gripper entrance. is indicated in Fig. 8 where the double wall ribs '40 are pressed tightlytogether at the bottom and are spaced slightly apart at the top. Thus the lower portions 41 of the thread passages are wider than the upper.

portions and give more room for the operation of the grippers. thus enabling wider gr ppers to be employed. if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A yarn guide for a tuft yarn frame comprising a strip of metal-transversely crimped to present a series of spaced, parallel, double wall ribs, the opposed rib Walls of. adja ent rib sections merging at the top of their rear portions leaving the front portions of said ribs separated to form vertical yarn passages presenting at the front broadside threading entrances and the said spaced ribs at the bottom presenting gripper entrances.

2. An integral one-piece yarn guide for a tuft yarnframe comprising a series of parallel, double wall ribs equally spaced .to form yarn' passages, open at the bottom to provide gripper entrances and openat the front to provide. broadside yarn threading entrances and a top wall spanning each space at the rear of each yarn passage and merging into the side clined toward the center to correspond substantially with the direction of the yarn strands leading to the respective threading entrances.

5. An. integral one-piece yarn guide for a tuft yarn frame comprising the construction defined in claim 2, together with an integral retaining finger extending laterally from each rib across the threading entrance and cooperating at its tip with the opposite rib to permit the broadside passage of the yarn through the threading entrance and -to prevent its withdrawal from the yarn passage through said entrance.

6. An integral one-piece yarn guide for a tuft yarn frame comprising the construction defined in claim 2, together with an integral yarn threading guide projection extending forward from each rib and an integral retainlng finger extending laterally from each rib across the threading entrance and cooperating at its tip with the opposite rib to permit the broadside passage of the yarn through the threading entrance and to prevent its withdrawal from the yarn passage through said entrance. A

'Z. An integral one-piece yarn guide for a tuft yarn frame comprising the construction defined in claim 2, together with an integral yarn threading guide'projection struck out from one wall of each rib and extending between the rib walls forward from each rib,

and an integral retainin finger extending laterally from each rib across the threading entrance and cooperating at its 'tip with the aperture in the wall of the opposite rib from which the said projection is struckout to per mit the broadside passage of'the yarn into the yarn passage through the threading entrance and to prevent its withdrawal from the yarn passage through said entrance.

- 8. An integral one-piece yarn guide for a tuft yarn frame comprising the construction defined in claim 2, together with an integral yarn threading guide projection struck out from one wall of each rib and extending between the rib walls forward from each. rib, an integralretaining finger extendinglaterally from each rib across the threading entrance and cooperating at its tip with the aperture in the Wall of the opposite rib from which the said projection is struck out to permit the broadside passage of the yarn into the yarn passage through the threading entrance and to prevent its withdrawal from the yarn passage through said entrance, and an integral tab struck out from one wall of eachrib in the rear portion thereof and extending between the rib walls. d

9. A tuft yarn frame having a series of passages to receive yarn and provided with a series of rigid walls forming entrances for grippers spaced uniformly with said yarn passages, each yarn passage being provided with a broadside threading entrance, one of each two adjacent walls'forming said broadside threading entrance having an aperture and other of said walls having a finger extending therefrom across the broadside threading entrance with its tip cooperating with said aperture to permit the broadside passage of the yarn into the yarn passage through the threading entrance and to prevent its withdrawal from the yarn passage through said entrance.

10. A tuft yarn frame comprising a body bar presenting a fiat bottom surface, a straight edge aligning member upon and extending longitudinally of said bottom surface, a yarn guide presenting a series of parallel ribs spaced to form yarn passagesya comb and means for securing the comb to the front of the body bar with its teeth between the ribs of the yarn guide and acting to press the yarn guide against the straight edge of the aligning meinber.

11. A tuft yarn frame comprising a body bar presenting a flat bottom surface, a

straight edge aligning member upon and ex tending longitudinally of said bottom surface, a yarn guide presenting a series of parallel ribs spaced to form yarn passages,

a comb and means for securing the comb at the bottom of the body bar with its teeth between the ribs of the yarn guide and acting to pressthe yarn guide against the fiat bottom surface of the body bar.

12. A tuft yarn frame comprising a body bar presenting a flat bottom surface, alignin-g means upon and extending longitudinally bf said bottom surface, a yarn guide presenting a series of parallel ribs spaced to form yarn passages, a comb and means for securing the comb to the front of the body bar with its teeth between the ribs of the yarn guide and acting to" press the yarn guide against said aligning means.

13. A tuft yarn frame comprising bar, a yarn guide presenting a series of parallel ribs spaced to form yarn passages, means a body on the bottom surface of the body bar ex-'.' tending longitudinally thereof to align the rear edge of the yarn guide and space the ribs thereof and means on the front of the body bar acting to press the yarn guide against said aligning and spacing means.

14. A tuft yarn frame comprising a body bar, a yarn guide presenting a series of parallel ribs spaced to form yarn passages, means on the bottom surface of the body bar extending longitudinally thereof to align the rear edge of the yarn guide, space the ribs thereof and clamp the yarn guide to the body bar and means on the front of the body bar acting to press the yarn guide against said aligning, spacing and clamping means.

' 15. A tuft yarn frame comprising a body bar presenting a flat bottom surface, a straight edge aligning member upon and extending longitudinally of said bottom surface, a yarn guide presenting a series of parallel ribs spaced to form yarn passages, a comb and means for securing the comb at the bottom of the body bar-with its teeth between the ribs of the, yarn guide and acting to press the fyarn guide against the flat bottom surface 0 the body bar, and a second comb and means for securing the second comb to the front of the body bar with its teeth between the ribs of the yarn guide and acting to press the am guide against the said aligning mem er.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CLINTON ALVORD.

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