US2889791A - Loop fabric stitching machine - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS J. J. FEDEVICH LOOP FABRIC STITCHING MACHINE m m. N

w M 5E MM W W m Y J M4 M15 E s L J ix Y "u I T" B T I t hLINI June 9, 1959 Filed April 28, 1955 June 9, 1959 J. J. FEDEVICH 2,889,791

LOOP FABRIC STITCHING MACHINE Filed April 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

I3 69 3 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH J. FEDEVICH ATTORNEYS June 9, 1959 Y J. J. FEDEVICH 2,889,791

LOOP FABRIC STITCHING MACHINE Filed April 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 5o INVENTOR. HG TJOSEPH J. FEDEVICH ATTORNEYS June 9, 1959 J, FEDEVlCH 2,889,791

LOOP FABRIC STITCHING MACHINE Filed April 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 27 av 22* j 22 SW FIG. ID

FIG. II

INVENTOR.

Q JOSEPH J. FEDEVICH ATTORNEYS United States Patent LOOP FABRIC STITCHING MACHINE Joseph J. Fetlevich, Canton, Ohio Application April 28, 1955, Serial No. 504,524

8 Claims. (Cl. 11279) The invention relates to stitching machines for providing a fabric backing with a looped pile surface, and more particularly to an improved machine for rapidly and continuously stitching a relatively wide fabric web or strip to provide deep pile loop fabrics suitable for floor, wall and upholstery coverings.

In such machines the fabric web is pulled through the machine under one or more transverse rows of closely spaced needles threaded with separate threads or cords and moving down and up through the fabric web at rates of 1500 or more strokes per minute. The needles move a predetermined distance below the fabric web between grating :bars supporting the web, and picker arms below the Web move between the needles in timed relation to catch and hold the threads and form loops therein as the needles retract upwardly through the fabric web. Thus, for each down and return stroke of a row of needles, a row of loops is formed on the underside of the fabric web, and succeeding rows form a closely looped pile surface. By providing two or more staggered rows of needles the loops may be formed as closely adjacent laterally as desired.

In a machine of this type, it is essential that the needles,

the grating bars and the picker arms be accurately aligned with each other with extreme precision, because otherwise wear on the needles and breakage of the threads occurs. Moreover, the needles must be mounted with their points in one plane to produce loops of uniform depth. It has been attempted to drill a row of accurately spaced holes in a needle mounting bar for mounting the needles, but it is practically impossible to drill a row of any substantial length of holes with sufliciently accurate spacing to match up with a row of picker arms to prevent wear on the needles and breaking of the threads. Furthermore, when it is desired to change the gauge or spacing of the needles to meet trade requirements, it becomes a laborious and time-consuming operation to change the needle mounting bars, and to replace and line up grating bars and picker arms on the same gauge.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine which overcomes the foregoing diflicultie's by providing sectional needle mounting bars, grating bars and picker arm holding bars of the same exact lengths, by removably mounting the sectional bars in accurate registry with each other, and by mounting the needles in slots which can be milled in the needle mounting bars with the same gang of accurately positioned saws or cutters that are used to cut slots in the grating and slots in the bars for holding the picker arms. Thus the needles, grating and picker arms are bound to have the same gauge or spacing.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of'a novel construction for the needle mounting bars and the locating bar on which they are mounted, whereby the needles are accurately mounted with their points in one 'plane and the mounting bars are quickly removable.

' These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, improvements and arrangements comprising the present 2 invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and .de-' scribed in detail herein. Various modifications and changes in details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a transverse fragmentary sectional view, look ing toward the front of the improved machine, and show ing a row of needles in raised position above registering grating bars and picker arms.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1 and longitudinally of the fabric web.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view l'ar to Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing theneedle points below the fabric web and the picker arm's catching the thread loops.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the needles retracted to the top of the upstroke, with the picker arms still holding the loops. a

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing the manner of removing one of the sectional needle retaining bars from the locating bar on Which it is mounted. v

Fig. 7 is an inside elevational view of one of the detached needle retaining bars showing the slots for receiving and spacing the needles, as on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 4, showing the needles at the bottom of the downstroke and the picker arms in position to catch the loops. d

Fig. 9' is a rear elevation, looking in the direction of line 9-9, Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation, looking in the direction of line 10-10, Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged somewhat schematic plan sectional view as on line 11-l1 of Fig. 8, showing the manner of leading the threads to the needles.

As shown in the drawings, the machine has two rows of needles extending transversely of the web and mounted on opposite sides of a transverse needle locating bar. However, it will be understood that within the scope of the invention, additional locating bars can be provided for mounting additional rows of needles. The gauge or spacing of the two rows of needles is identical, but the needles of one row are staggered with respect to the other row, so that the rows of loops stitched in the fabric web have one-half the gauge or spacing of the needles.

Referring to Fig. '1, the lower portion of the machine has frame members 11 at each side supported by a transverse beam member 12. The shafts 13 and 14 (Fig. 2) on which the picker arms are mounted are supported at intervals in brackets 15 resting on the beam 12, and are journaled at their ends in the frame members 11. Pref erably, the shafts are journaled in oilless sleeve bearings 16 mounted in tubular bosses 17 on the frame members 11. A cap 18 having an axial lubricant connection 19 is screwed into each boss 17, and an anti' friction thrust bearing 20 is interposed between cap 18 and the end of the shaft.

As shown in Fig. 2, the frame members 11 have side portions 21 and '22 extending transversely of the machine and parallel to the shafts 13 and 14. The side and end portions of the frame members 11 form the table portion of the machine over which the fabric web passes. The inner edges of the frame side portions 21 and 22 are preferably recessed to provide shoulders or ledges 25 on which the end bars 26 of the grating plate sections 21 are supported. I I

The end bars 26 may be secured to the frame side portions 21 and 22 by screw studs 28, and the upper surfaces of the bars are preferably flush with the upper surfaces of the side portions 21 and 22. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each grating plate section has a plurality of parallel grating strips 29 extending between the end bars and having their ends secured therein. The spacing or gauge of the strips 29 is uniform and conforms exactly to that of the needles and picker arms to .be described.

The upper portion of'the machine includes a frame 30, the lower portion of which is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a series of mounting heads 31 depend from and are supported in said frame. Each head journals a vertical shaft 32 which supports at its lower end a needle mounting bar 33 extending transversely of the machine above the grating plates midway of the end bars 26. The needle mounting bar may be made in sections, preferably one for each mounting head 31, and the sections. are connected end to end in abutting relation to form the needle mounting bar 33 extending across the entire machine.

As shown in Fig. 3, each mounting shaft 32in upper and lower bearing sleeves 34 and 35 respectively,.is se curedin the head 31 with a series of packing plates 36 between the sleeves. The lower sleeve 35 has a bottom flange 37, and set screws 38 extending through the flange and screwed into the head serve to draw the sleeve against the packing plates, while stop screws 39 limit tightening movement of the sleeve. The bottom end of the shaft has a flanged collar 40 secured thereon by a screw 41, and the collar fits into a channel 42 on the upper surface of the mounting bar 33 while the screw 41 is located in a slot 43 in the lower surface of the bar. Screws .44 on each side of the collar secure it to the needle mounting bar 33.

As bestshown in Fig. 6, the needle mounting bar 33 has a rib 45 on each side, and the ribs extend the full length of the bar. The lower surfaces of these ribs form'shoulders against which the upper ends of the needles 46A and 46B are abutted to locate all the needle points in one plane. Needle retaining bars 47 are clamped against opposite sides of the mounting bar 33 by a series of spaced screws 48 threaded into tapped holes 49 in the ribs 45 (Fig. 2). The needle retaining bars are preferably in sections having the same identical length as the grating plate sections 27, and are clamped on the needle mounting bar 33 in end to end abutting relation.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the needle retaining bars 47 are provided at longitudinal intervals with holes 48' for receiving the screws 48, and with longitudinal grooves 45' on their inner surfaces for fitting over the ribs 45 on the mounting bar 33. Vertical slots 50 for receiving the needles extend from the grooves 45' downwardly to the bottom edge of each bar, and these slots have precisely the same gauge or spacing as the strips 29 in the grating plates. Between adjacent slots 50 at the bottom edge of the bar 47 are inwardly directed clamping fingers 51 having angularly upwardly extending terminal portions 52 which fit into grooves 53 on the bottom of mounting bar 33. Preferably these fingers are formed originally as a continuous rib on the bar 47, and the slots 50 are then milled through the rib and into the inner surface of the bar 47 by a gang of accurately spaced saws or cutters. Thus, as the screws 55 are tightened against the needles, the clamping fingers 51 hold the bars 47 against the mounting bar 33. V v

Referring to Fig. 6, the terminal portions 52 are slightly beveled to form clearance angles with the grooves 53, and adjacent to the fingers 51 the ribs between grooves 50 are similarly beveled at 54 to provide clearance angles with the lower corners of bar 33. As a result when the screws 48 are removed the terminal bars 47 are easily removed from the mounting bar 33 by rotating the bars outwardly and downwardly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6.

The needles 46A and 46B are held in the slots 50 and clamped tightly against the mounting bar by headless set screws 55 screwed through the terminal bars against the needles. As shown, the portions of the needles in the slots are flatted so that the set screws 55 hold them properly oriented on their axes. As indicated in Fig. 11, the exposed portion of each needle has a thread groove 56 on one side, and the eye of the needle is at the bottom of said groove. The grooves 56 of needles 46A are turned in one direction laterally of the machine, and preferably, the grooves of needles 46B are turned in the opposite direction.

Thread guide strips 58 are fastened on the bottom edges of the needle retaining bars by screws 59, and have outwardly extending inclined flanges provided with rows of thread guide holes 60 on the same spacing as the needles 46A and 46B. Similar thread guide strips 61 are fastened to opposite sides of the upper frame portion 30. The threads or filaments T pass individually from feed rolls located above the frame 30 through the guide strips 61 and 58 to the several needles, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8-11.

Suitable and well-known means for vertically reciprocating the mounting shafts 32 to force the needles through a web of fabric W supported on the grating bars, are mounted within the upper frame portion, and form no part of the present invention. It is suificient to state that the shafts may be reciprocated at the rate of 1500 strokes or more per minute, and the needles penetrate the web to a predetermined distance below the same. Obviously the needle retaining bars 47 are located accurately on the mounting bar 33 so as to be positioned over the slots between adjacent grating strips 29, so that the needles will pass between the strips without contacting them.

The picker arms, for catching and holding the thread loops below the web are carried on the shafts 13 and 14. The arms 63A cooperate with needles 46A and arms 63B cooperate with needles 46B. As shown in Fig. 3, the picker arms are spaced on the same gauge as the needles, and since the needles 46B are staggered with respect to the needles 46A, the grating strips 29 may be spaced on one-half the gauge of the picker arms and needles.

The picker arms 63A are held in vertical slots in picker arm holding bar sections 64A of the same exact length as the needle retaining bar sections 47 and the grating plate sections 27. The arms may be held in the slots by set screws 65 having washers 66 overlapping two of the arms so that each set screw holds two arms. The slots for the arms may be cut with the same gang of saws or cutters used to cut the slots 50 in the needle retaining bars so that exact registry between the arms and needles is obtained.

The bar sections 64A are secured by screws 67 in a longitudinal groove in an arm mounting bar 68A which is keyed into the top of shaft 13 and secured thereto by screws 69. Similarly, the shaft 14 has an arm mounting bar 683 secured thereon, and holding bar sections 64B secured on the mounting bar. The picker arms 63B have a different shape at their upper ends than arms 63A to position them at the proper location relative to the needles 46B. Otherwise, the construction and mounting of the picker arms 63B is identical with arms 63A.

The shafts 13 and 14 are oscillated on their axes by suitable means (not shown) in timed relation to the movement of the needles, so that each time the needles 46A and 46B reach the bottom of their stroke, the picker arms 63A and 63B will swing upwardly past the closed sides of the needle points and catch the threads passing through the eyes of the needles. Referring to Figs. 8-11, when the needles have reached the bottom of their stroke, the picker arms swing in past the closed sides of the needles above the threads issuing from the needle eyes. Now, as the needles move upwardly the points of the arms catch the threads and form loops therein as indicated at L. As the needles retract, the

. fabric web W moves through the machine past the needles and the picker arms swing clockwise (Fig.8) to release one pair of loops and to be in position to catch the next part.

The threads T are brought to the open or grooved sides of the needles 46A and 46B from thread guide holes 60 spaced laterally outward of the open side of the needles. In other words, the thread T for a needle 46A, as shown in Fig. 11, is brought to the open side of the needle from a guide hole 60 spaced laterally outwardly preferably five holes from the hole 60 directly opposite the needle. The thread T for a corresponding needle 46B is brought to the open side of the needle from a guide hole spaced the same distance from the needle in the laterally opposite direction relative to the needle 46A. By bringing the threads to the needles from thread guides spaced laterally outwardly thereof, wear on the threads due to rubbing across the open sides of the needles is minimized, as compared with the rubbing which would occur if the threads were brought to the needles from guide holes directly opposite thereto. By turning the grooved sides of the needles 46A and 463 in opposite directions the .thread or yarn T for both rows of needles. can be yarn which is twisted in the same direction. If the rows of needles were both turned the same way, and yarn twisted in one direction were used, the yarn would become untwisted as it passed into one or the other rows of needles. As shown in the drawings the width of the needle mounting bar is such that rows of needles are spaced apart a substantial distance equivalent to several adjoining loops L.

The novel construction of the needle retaining bar sections enables accurately conforming the spacing of the needles with that of the picker arms and grating plate strips to obtain perfect alignment of the several elements. Moreover, by making the needle retaining bar sections, the grating plate sections, and the picker arm holding bar sections the same exact lengths, and mounting them removably in end to end abutting relation, it will be seen that these elements are accurately aligned with each other as they are assembled on their mounting bars, so as to minimize wear on the needles by misalignment of the grating plates or picker arms. Also, the overall length of the rows of needles and picker arms can be varied while maintaining accurate alignment throughout.

Furthermore, if it is desired to change the gauge of the loops being formed, the needle bar sections, grating plate sections, and picker arm bar sections are easily replaced with those of the desired gauge.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top portion for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top, an oscillatable picker arm mounting bar extending transversely below the table top, needle retaining bar sections of uniform length removably secured end-to-end on said needle mounting bar and having slots spaced on a uniform gauge for accurately positioning a row of needles, needles mounted in said slots, picker arm holding bar sections of lengths equal to said needle bar sections, removably secured endto-end on said picker arm mounting bar and having picker arm slots spaced on said gauge, and picker arms removably mounted in said slots for cooperating with said needles to form thread loops on the underside of a fabric web passing over said table top.

2. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top portion for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top, an oscillatable picker arm mounting bar extending transversely below the table top, needle retaining bar sections of uniform length removably secured end-to-end on said needle mounting bar and having slots spaced on a uniform gauge for accurately positioning a row of needles, needles mounted in said slots, grating plate sections removably mounted endto-end on said table top for supporting the fabric 'web and having slots through which the needles reciprocate, picker arm holding bar sections of lengths equal to said needle bar sections removably secured end-to-endon said picker arm mounting bar and having picker arm slots spaced on said gauge, and picker arms removably mounted in said slots for cooperating with said needles to form thread loops on the underside of a fabric Web passing over said table top.

3. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top and having a shoulder extending lengthwise along an exterior surface of the bar, needle retaining bar sections removably secured end-to-end on said exterior surface along said shoulder and having uniformly spaced slots on their inner surfaces for retaining needles with their upper ends abutting said shoulder, means for clamping needles in said slots, grating plate sections equal in length to said needle bar sections removably mounted end-to-end on said table top for supporting the fabric web and having slots through which the needles reciprocate, an oscillatable picker arm mounting bar extending transversely below said grating plate sections, picker arm holding bar sections removably mounted end-to-end on said picker arm mounting bar, and uniformly spaced picker arms removably mounted on said picker arm bar sections for cooperating with said needles to form thread loops on the underside of a fabric web passing over said grating plate sections.

4. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top and having a shoulder extending lengthwise along an exterior surface of the bar, needle retaining bar sections removably secured end-to-end on said exterior surface along said shoulder and having uniformly spaced slots on their inner surfaces for retaining needles with their upper ends abutting said shoulder, needles mounted in said slots, means for clamping said needles between the exterior surface of said mounting bar and the needle retaining bar sections, and uniformly spaced picker arms oscillatably mounted below said table top to cooperate with said needles to form thread loops on the underside of a fabric web passing over said table top.

5. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top and having a bottom groove, a shoulder extending lengthwise along an exterior surface of the bar, a needle retaining bar section removably mounted on said exterior surface along said shoulder and having inwardly directed angular clamping fingers extending into said bottom groove, said retaining bar having uniformly spaced slots on its inner surface for receiving needles, needles in said slots, and set screws for clamping said needles between said mounting bar exterior surface and said needle retaining bar section.

6. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top, needle retaining bar sections removably mounted along opposite sides of said bar for mounting two parallel rows of needles transversely of the web, said sections having uniformly spaced slots on their inner surfaces, the slots on one side of said mounting bar being staggered relative to the slots on the other side, needles in the slots having grooves on one side and eyes at the bottoms of the grooves, the grooves in one row of needles being turned in one direction and the grooves in the other row being turned in the opposite direction, thread guides on said needle bar sections for guiding threads into said grooves, and uniformly spaced picker arms oscillatably mounted below said table top for swinging past the closed sides of said needles to form thread loops on the underside of a fabric web passing over said table top.

7. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top, needle retaining bar sections removably mounted end-to-end along opposite sides of said bar for mounting two parallel transverse rows of needles staggered with respect to each other, said sections having uniformly spaced slots on their inner surfaces, needles in the slots, means for clamping said needles against said needle mounting bar, a shoulder on said bar for abutting the upper ends of said needles to locate their points in one plane, grating plate sections equal in length to said needle bar sections removably mounted end-to-end on said table top and having slots through which the needles reciprocate, oscillatable picker arm mounting bars extending in parallel relation transversely below said grating bars, picker arm holding bar sections equal in length to said needle bar sections mounted end-to-end on said picker arm mounting bar, and uniformly spaced picker arms on said holding bar sections for cooperating one with each needle to form thread loops on the underside of a fabric web passing over said grating plate sections.

8. In a loop fabric stitching machine having a table top for supporting a moving fabric web, a vertically reciprocable needle mounting bar extending transversely above said table top, needle retaining bar sections removably mounted end-t'o-e1'1d along opposite sides of said bar for mounting two parallel transverse rows of needles staggered with respect to each other, said sections having uniformly spaced slots on their inner surfaces, needles in the slots, means for clamping said needles against said needle mounting bar, a shoulder on said bar for abutting the upper ends of said needles to locate their points in one plane, oscillatable picker arm mounting bars extending in parallel relation transversely below said table top, picker arm holding bar sections equal in length to said needle bar sections mounted end-to-end on said picker arm mounting bar, and uniformly spaced picker arms on said holding bar sections for cooperating one with each needle to form thread loops on the underside of a fabric web passing over said table top.

References Cited in the file of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,071,249 Martin Aug. 26, 1913 1,551,996 McCann Sept. 1, 1925 1,974,887 Zofnass Sept. 25, 1934 2,319,829 Russell May 25, 1943 2,411,267 Hamrick Nov. 19, 1946 2,423,605 McCutchen July 8, 1947 2,679,218 Jones May 25, 1954 2,768,593 Lombard Oct. 30, 1956

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