US2591944A

US2591944A - Carpet tufting machine

Info

Publication number: US2591944A
Application number: US171709A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard C Kline
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-07-01
Filing date: 1950-07-01
Publication date: 1952-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 1969-04-08

Description

April 8, 1952 R. c. KLINE CARPET TUFTING MACHINE Fil ed July 1. 1950 INVENTOR. YICHA R D C.K| NE. M

A T TOE/V5115:

u k..HHHMHHHHHHiWHflE 2 NM 3 v vN m Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARPET TUFTING MACHINE Richard C. Kline, Mount Kisco, N. Y.

Application July 1, 1950, Serial No. 171,709

2 Claims. (Cruz-"'19) The needle assembly of the invention is especially applicable for use in the power driven carpet tufting machine of the copending joint application of myself and Joseph Miller, Serial No. 128,314, filed November 19, 1949, and the copending application of myself, Serial No. 148,946, filed March 10, 1950, the first of which describes a machine for producing tufted carpet having an uncut pile, and the second of which describes a modification thereof for producing a tufted carpet, the pile of which is cut as each tuft is formed.

In each machine of said copending application, there is provided a longitudinally displaceable needle thrust bar, on one end of which the needle assembly is mounted for tufting a base fabric stretched perpendicular to the direction of needle travel, the opposite end of the needle thrust bar being linked to a power driven eccentric for reciprocating the same. The machine of the first application is also provided with a stepper thrust bar spaced from and displaceable parallel to the needle thrust bar, on one end of which adjacent the needle, a stepper assembly is mounted, the end being provided with a cam roll engaging a cam of roughly D-shaped contour mounted on the eccentric drive shaft for reciprocating the stepper in intermittent timed relation to the needle for eifecting the tufting operation as described therein. The stepper takes the form of strips of spring steel having V notches in their ends for catching the yarn and forming the tufts as the needles are withdrawn from the base fabric.

In the machine of the second application which is generally similar to the first, each stepper comprises two' oppositely bevelled blades of spring steel which are mounted in superimposed and slidable engagement, providing in one relative position to each other a V notch therebetween for forming the tuft as aforesaid, but being thereafter relatively displaceable to cut the tuft when formed thereby to produce a pile cut carpet. These blades are respectively mounted on the ends of a pair of stepper thrust bars which are independently and longitudinally displaceable to effect the tufting and pile cutting operation aforesaid by means of a pair of cams mounted on the 2 eccentric shaft which reciprocates the needle thrust bar.

The needles described in the aforesaid copend-' ing applications comprise sheet metal stampings of tempered steel or equivalent, which are outwardly flared from their points toward the bases thereof, and slightly back of the points the flared metal is bent at right angles to provide reinforcement and stiffness of the needles. Somewhat back of the point, each needle is provided with an elongated needle hole for passage of the yarn therethrough. In order to impose an appropriate tensioning on the yarn during operation of the machine, resilient prongs extend along the underside of the needles, these prongs being longitudinally adjustable with respect to the needles for adjusting the efiective size of the needle holes and hence for adjusting the friction on the yarn passing through the holes. During the tufting process, the portion of the aforesaid needles comprising the needle holes and the ends of the tensioning prongs must pass through the foundation fabric. Since the attitude of the yarn with respect to the tensioning prongs changes as the yarn passes through the fabric, the tension on the yarn may vary. In addition, the yarn on the upper side of the needles is forced through the fabric between the upper surface of the needles and the strands of the foundation fabric increasing the yarn tension, abrading the yarn and tending to distort the fabric. The increase of tension also tends to cause previously formed loops to pull out of the fabric. Q I When a heavy foundation fabric is used, a relatively stiff needle is required. The needles de-' scribed in the above-mentioned application are weakened at a portion near thepoints thereof because of the location of the needle holes adjacent thereto. a The needle of the present invention is an improvement overthe needles described in the above-mentioned copending application. 'It has been found that whenthe needle of the present invention is used with the tufting machine of said co-pending application, both improved operation and an improved product are obtained; The needle of the present invention comprises asheet metal stamping of tempered steel or equivalent, which is outwardly flared from its point toward its base. Slightly back of the point, the flared metal is bent at right angles to provide reinforcement and stiffness of the needle." The needle is adapted tobe fastened to a needle thrust ba and a r l n yar i n ipn s aened to the thrust bar, extends along the under side of the needle. A needle hole is provided in the portion of the needle which is mounted against the thrust bar rather than in the portion of the needle extending in front of the thrust bar, and a yarn passageway aligned with the needle hole is provided in the thrust bar itself. An end of the tensioning prong is mounted adjacent the needle hole and the prong is longitudinally adjustable with respect to the needle so that the size of the needle hole and hence the yarn'tension may be controlled.

- In addition a guide prong is provided adjacent one side of the needle to carry the'yarn through the foundation fabric in cooperation with the needle. This guide prong extends in front of the needle thrust bar and an end of the guide prong is adjacent the needle at a point in front of the needle hole. Thus, the yarn is betterprotected from abrasion with the strands of the fabric, and is drawn between relatively frictionfree surfaces and is held in a fixed attitude with respect to the tensioning prong. In addition, the guide prong provides a smooth sliding surfacefor a stepper prong.

The invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view as viewed from below of theneedle assembly of the invention'as mountedon the end of a needle thrust bar, while Fig. -2 is a longitudinal section as taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the needle and needle thrust bar assembly, and also the cooperating stepper and stepper thrust barassembly'of a tufting machine in accordance with the co-pending application, Serial No. 128,314aforesaid.

Referring to the drawings, four needles I0, ll, l2 and [3 are mounted in lateral contiguous-alignment on the under side of needle thrust bar l4, being secured to the thrust bar by screwsas at [5. The screws pass through appropriately drilled apertures in the base portions of the needles and are threaded into the thrust bar [4. In addition, the needles are attached to the thrust bar in front of their needle holes by rivetsas at 16. For additionally maintaining the needles I0, ll, I2 and i3 in rigid assembly and contiguous alignment, they may be soldered together along the contiguous longitudinal edges of the base portions as at IT. The needles comprise sheet metal stampings of tempered steel or equivalent which are outwardly flared from their points l8 toward their bases and slightly back of the points, the flared metal is bent at right angles in the manner indicated at [9 to provide reinforcement and stiffness. Back of the points and'behind the point of attachment of the needles to the thrust bar i4, each needle is provided with an elongated hole '20 for'passage of the yarn 2| therethrough. A corresponding series of holes aligned with the holes in the needles'is provided in the thrust bar l4 as'indicated at 22.

'In order to impose a proper 'tensionin'g o'n the yarn during operation of the mechanism, resilient prongs 23 extend along the grooves betweenthe side walls of the needles on the 'under side of the "needles, these prongs being longitudinally adjustable in relation to the holes in the needles bymeans of the screws [5, which pass through elongated holes in the prongs 23. By virtue of this construction and assembly, the eifectiveapertures of the needle holes 20 may beadjustedin accordance with'the diameter of the yarn employed by adjusting the prongs 23 in greater or lesser overlapping relation with respect to the needle holes 20.

It will be noted that for the reasons given above the needle holes 20 are not in the free ends of the needles extending beyond the end of the thrust bar 14, but instead have been placed in the needles H], II, l2 and 13 so that they are in aportion thereof that does not pass through the foundation fabric 35 during the'tufting process. However, the yarn 2| should be held near the points of the needles during the process so that yarn loops 38 will be formed. For these reasons, I have provided

guide prongs

24, 25, 26 and 21 adjacent the points of the needles. The

guide prongs are in the form of strips of resilient :material, such as spring steel, and they have concave notches as at 39 in their forward ends for-engaging the yarn 21. The guide prongs are held in sockets 42 on stamping 28, as by frictional engagement with the sockets or by soldering, welding, etc. and the stamping 28 is at.- tached to the thrust bar M by means of screws as at 29. Thus, the

prongs

24, 25, 26 and 21 are movable and aligned with the needles l0, ll, I2 and I3. Since, in the preferred embodiment, the guide prongs are resilient, the'yarn 21 may pass between the needles and the guide, even though the guide prongs in the absence of the yarn may touch the needles, but the prongs may also be relatively stiff and be spaced from the needles by a distance-substantially equal to the diameterof the yarn2l.

A reciprocatory stepper thrust bar-30 is mounted below the needle thrust bar I4 and carries adjacent the end thereof a group of steppen prongs 3| corresponding in number to the number of needles and mounted in alignment with the needles. The stepper prongs 3| are secured to the stepper thrust bar 30 by means of screws,

as at 32, passing through appropriate apertures in the stepper prongs and threaded into the thrust bar 30. The stepper'prongs 3| are made of a resilient material, such as spring steel, or equivalent,- and the prongs are bent upwardly toward theneedles, asshown in Fig. 2. The stepper prongs have formed in their outer ends concave notches'which are adapted to receive and grip the yarn 2| during the tufting operation.

The thrust'bars I4 and 30 are supported by a frame 34 and are slidably displaceable longitudinally in grooves provided in the frame. The frame 34 also carries at the forward end thereof a wire guard 33 in the'sh'ape of an inverted U for regulating the degree of penetration of the needles and step'pers through the foundation fabric-35 and hence for determining the height of tufting. The-guard-33 is held'in a pair .of holes in the end of theiframe'34 as at by means of screws as at Al.

A guide 36 having apertures 31 corresponding in number to the number of strands of'yarn being fed' to the-needlesis provided on top of needle thrust bar IA. The guide 35 may be fastened to the thrust bar 14 "-by means of screws orimay be fastened thereto in any other well known manner, such'as byweldingsoldering, etc. As described-in detail in the above-mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 128,314, the end of "the tufting machine is held during operation with the guard 33 against the foundation fabric 35. The needle thrustbar l4 is regularly reciprocated so that the needleassembly penetrates the fabric 35 :betweenthe strands thereof. At the peakof th'e forward motion of the thrust bar I4, the needles and their cooperating guide prongs extend through the fabric 35 a distance sufiicient to form the yarn loops 38. At this time, the ends of the guide prongs are inside the tops of the yarn loops 33. Before the needle assembly is withdrawn from the foundation fabric, the stepper thrust bar 33 which is intermittently reciprocated in appropriately timed relation to the needle thrust -bar forces the stepper prongs through the foundation fabric 35 between the strands which have previously been separated by the needle assembly. The stepper prongs penetrate the fabric a distance sufiicient to hold the loops, as indicated in Fig. 2, thus replacing the guide prongs as supports for the yarn 2! at the inside of the top of a loop. The needle assembly is then withdrawn and passed along to the next position with respect to the foundation fabric. After the needle assembly reaches its fully withdrawn position and commences the next penetration of the fabric, the stepper prongs are withdrawn from the fabric. The tufting process then proceeds repetitiously in the manner just described.

It will be observed that as the needle assembly passes through the fabric 35, the upper surface of the yarn 2! is protected from abrasion with the strands of the fabric by the needles. During the pulling of the yarn through the needle holes for the forming of the loops 38, the yarn slides between relatively friction free surfaces of the needles and the guide prongs, and during the entire travel of the needle assembly, the yarn is held in a fixed attitude with respect to the tensioning prongs 23 subjecting the yarn to an even tension. Furthermore, the guide prongs provide a smooth sliding surface for the stepper prongs when the stepper prongs are in contact therewith.

While the principles of the invention have been dscribed in connection with a specific form of apparatus, it is to be understood that the description has been given by way of example only and other modifications thereof, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A needle assembly for yarn tufting machines comprising a thrust bar having an aperture therein, a needle having a hole therein and mounted on said thrust bar with one side adjacent said bar and with a free end extending beyond the end of said bar, said hole being aligned with said aperture and both being adapted to permit the passage of said yarn therethrough, a guide prong having a concave notched end, means mounting said guide prong on said thrust bar on the opposite side of said needle and with said notched end adjacent the free end of said needle, a tensioning prong, and means adjustably mounting said tensioning'prong on said thrust bar between said needle and said guide prong and with an end thereof adjacent the hole in said needle, said adjustable mounting means permitting adjustment of the said tensioning prong with respect to said hole.

2. A needle assembly for yarn tufting machines comprising a thrust bar having a plurality of apertures therein, a plurality of needles each having a hole therein, means mounting said needles on said thrust bar with the holes in said needles in alignment with the apertures in said thrust bar and with one end of each of said needles extending beyond the end of said bar, said holes and said apertures being adapted to permit the passage of said yarn therethrough, a plurality of resilient guide prongs and means mounting said guide prongs on said thrust bar on the side of said needles opposite from said thrust bar and with the ends of said guide prongs adjacent the ends of said needles extending beyond said bar.

RICHARD C. KLINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 604,759 Johnson May 31, 1898 2,004,687 Boyce June 11, 1935 2,365,013 Sharkey et a1 Dec. 12, 1944 2,533,420 Blumfield Dec. 12, 1950