US3467145A - Apparatus for the manufacture of longpile rugs by knotting pile tufts in a fabric - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 16, 1969 H. E. JEANDUPEUX APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LONG-FILE RUGS BY momma FILE TUFTS IN A name Filed March 27, 1968 United States Patent O US. Cl. 1391 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs by knotting pile tufts consisting of strands of an extra yarn in a fabric constituting a ground web of the rug, which makes a Ghiordes or Turkish knot firstly by inserting its pulling buckle into the ground web on one side of a thread portion thereof, secondly by moving its needles relative to the buckle thus pushing both ends of the strand of extra yarn through the ground web while passing them on the other side of said thread portion until they come into the pulling buckle, and thirdly by pulling the apparatus out from the ground web.

Bent wires operating as releasable latching pawls normally prevent the needles from moving forwards relative to the pulling buckle when the latter is urged through the ground web. However, when this buckle reaches its end position, a tongue of a releasing tube engages the ground web, so that the releasing tube removes the latching pawls from their locking position thus automatically permitting the needles to carry out their stroke relative to the pulling buckle. All the operations of the apparatus can accordingly be controlled by merely moving the handle of the apparatus to and fro.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to the apparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs by knotting pile tufts consisting of strands of an extra yarn in a fabric constituting a ground web of the rug and, more particularly, to apparatus comprising a first unit including pulling means which can be set in a predetermined position behind a thread of the ground web by passing said pulling means on one side of said thread, a second unit movable in a predetermined manner relative to said first unit and including pushing means passing on the other side of said thread and reaching a well determined position with respect to said predetermined position of said pulling means when said second unit is moved in said predetermined manner, and actuating means for causing said second unit to move in such predetermined manner.

Description of the prior art The known apparatus of the above mentioned type which have been made according to my former US. Patent 2,873,766 serve to make Ghiordes or Turkish knots by means of strands of an extra yarn previously cut at a predetermined length. Some of these apparatus have a first unit including a pulling buckle usually made of metal. This buckle can be inserted between two portions, for instance, of warp threads, which are comprised between two weft threads of an open-worked fabric constituting the ground web of the rug. The pulling buckle is carried by a head-piece on which a strand of an extra yarn can be set in a predetermined position. A rod is moreover rigidly fixed to the head-piece on the side thereof opposed to that carrying the buckle. The second unit of these known apparatus includes a support arranged for sliding motion along the rod of the first unit. Two needles are pivotally mounted on said support. These needles are guided by grooves provided in the head-piece of the first unit. At rest, the forked ends of these needles are fully retracted and they lie within the head-piece 0f the first unit where they are ready upon sliding the needle support along the rod of the first unit to catch the two ends of the strand of extra yarn set on the head-piece. The needles are guided in such manner by this head-piece that, at the end of the forward stroke of the second unit along the rod of the first one, the forked ends of the needle cross each other within the pulling buckle of the first unit. These known apparatus make a Ghiordes or Turkish knot around two warp thread portions of the ground Web by firstly inserting the pulling buckle between these two warp threads, secondly moving the second unit forwards relative to the first one as far as possible and thirdly removing the apparatus from the ground web. The forward stroke of the second unit relative to the first one causes the needles to pass on both sides of the pair of threads between which the pulling buckle has been inserted. The two ends of the strand of extra yarn which has previously been set on the head-piece of the apparatus obviously follow the needles. At the end of the forward stroke of the second unit of the apparatus, the middle portion of the strand of extra yarn thus lies on the two warp thread portions of the fabric between which the pulling buckle has been inserted and the ends of this strand extend under these two threads on the other side of the fabric. Since the needles cross each other within the pulling buckle of the apparatus, the two ends of the strand of extra yarn lie both in this pulling buckle. Upon removing the apparatus from the ground web, these two strand ends are consequently pulled through the ground web by the buckle and they pass now between the two warp threads between which the pulling buckle had been inserted, thus forming the Ghiordes knot around this pair of warp threads.

Other known apparatus of the same kind comprise a first unit including a pair of identical pulling buckles which are mounted for rocking motion relative to each other about a common axis lying in the plane of the buckles so that these two buckles can be either rocked into a position in which they lie against one another or move away from one another like scissors. The second unit of these known apparatus also includes a pair of needles. These needles do, however, not cross each other, but they extend in parallel. The operation of these known apparatus is similar to that disclosed hereabove. The two buckles of the apparatus are inserted together between two thread portions, for instance of the warp of the ground web, while these buckles are lying against each other. Upon moving the second unit of the apparatus forwards with respect to the first one the two needles remain parallel and pass on both sides of the pair of threads between which the buckle has been inserted. During the forward motion of the second unit the two buckles move away from each other so that each needle inserts one end of the strand of extra yarn in one of the buckles when the second unit comes at the end of its forward stroke. By pulling back the handle of the apparatus the two buckles thereof are first rocked into their, original position and then removed from the ground web together with both ends of the strand of extra yarn thus pulling these ends between the two warp thread portions between which they had been inserted.

Still further known apparatus of the same type comprise a first unit including two fixed buckles arranged side by side, each of which can be inserted under a thread portion of the ground web. These buckles are bent in such a manner that when they have been inserted each under one thread portion of the ground web, their ends extend upwards above the ground web. The second unit of these apparatus includes two parallel needles, each forked end of which enters one of the buckles when the second unit comes at the end of its forward stroke relative to the first one. The needles thus cause the ends of the strand of extra yarn to pass over the two thread portions of the ground web under which the buckles of the apparatus have been inserted. By removing the apparatus from the ground web its buckles consequently pull the ends of the strand of extra yarn under the two thread portions of the ground web thus knotting the strand around these two threads. All these known apparatus comprise two control members, one for each unit of the apparatus. A first control member usually consists of a handle which belongs to the second unit of the apparatus. The second control member consists of a button secured to the end of the rod of the first unit, which extends throughout the handle and on which the latter is mounted for shifting motion. In order to urge the buckle or buckles of the apparatus through the ground web, the apparatus has to be held in such manner that its control button remains in contact with the handle. Afterwards, the second unit is moved alone relative to the first one by releasing the button and prosecuting the forward motion of the apparatus only with the handle. To remove the apparatus from the ground web a pulling action need only be exerted on its handle. This pulling action first causes the handle to move back alone until it butts against the button while returning the needles of the apparatus into their resting position and then he buckle or buckles to be removed from the ground web. These known apparatus have thus the advantage that they can be actuated by only one hand while the other hand remains free, e.g. for setting the strands of extra yarn on the head-piece of the apparatus, for guiding the buckle or buckles of the latter when the same have to be inserted into the ground web and for stretching the ground web during the manufacture of the rug.

These known apparatus have, however, the drawback of producing a fatigue in the hand which actuates the apparatus. Since the thrust required for inserting the buckle or buckles of the apparatus into the ground web has to be produced by a single finger (the thumb or the forefinger), that which lies on the control button of the first unit of the apparatus, this finger is jaded after a more or less great number of knots. Moreover, since the known apparatus can only be held in the hand in two different positions, the operator cannot recover; he is, on the contrary, compelled to interrupt his work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to create an apparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs by knotting pile tufts in a fabric while avoiding the abovementioned drawback.

A more particular object of the invention is to improve the apparatus disclosed in my previous Patent 2,873,766 by additionally providing the same with releasable latching means inserted between said first and said second unit for normally preventing said second unit from moving relative to said first unit under the control of said actuating means, and with releasing means operatively connected to said latching means for removing the same from their locking position and permitting said second unit to move in said predetermined manner with respect to said first unit, said releasing means including a releasing member engaging the ground web when said pulling means reach said predetermined position, thereby causing the releasing means to remove the latching means from their locking position.

Still further objects of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following description.

4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING One embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is represented diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational partly sectional view of the apparatus in a first working position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1 showing the apparatus in a different working position;

FIGURE 3 is a side view partly in section, and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section along line IVIV of FIGURE 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus represented in the drawing comprises a first unit including a head-piece 1 which is secured to a rod 2 and carries a buckle 3. A second unit movable with respect to the first one comprises a slide 4 made in one piece with a handle 5. Two needles 6, 6a are pivotally mounted on slide 4. Needles 6, 6a are guided by grooves 7 provided on head-piece 1; they are held within these grooves by pins 8. The shape of the needles 6, 6a and that of the bottom of the grooves 7 as well as the position of pins 8 are chosen so that the forked ends of needles 6, 6a enter the buckle 3 and cross each other within this buckle when slide 4 is shifted along rod 2 towards headpiece 1 from the position represented in the drawing. The sizes of the apparatus are moreover chosen so that, on the one hand, the buckle 3 can be inserted between threads 9 and 10, for instance of the warp of an open-worked fabric or ground web, and, on the other hand, the needles engage the fabric between threads 9 and 11, 10 and 12, respectively, when slide 4 is moved toward head-piece 1.

Openings 13 are provided on head-piece 1 so that a strand 14 of extra yarn can be set thereon in a predetermined position.

The apparatus moreover comprises a latching device which is inserted between the two described units. This latching device comprises a pair of latching pawls consisting of spring wires 15. Each wire 15 is bent in such manner as to comprise a straight portion 15a extending within a longitudinal groove 16 of rod 2, a bent end portion 15b which is perpendicular to the straight portion 15a and enters a bore provided across rod 2, a camming portion which extends obliquely away from rod 2, and a locking portion 15d extending toward and in a direction approximately perpendicular to rod 2. The latching device also comprises a releasing member consisting of a tube 17 coaxial to rod 2 and to handle 5. This handle together with slide 4 are mounted for shifting motion on tube 17. Two diametrically opposed longitudinal slots 18 are provided in tube 17. In the position shown in FIG. 1 the camming portions 15c and the locking portions 15d of wires 15 extend through slots 18. Tube -17 is finally made integral with a tongue 19 extending throughout head-piece 1 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Tongue 19 protrudes in front of head-piece 1 when the second unit of the apparatus is in resting position as shown in FIG. 1. If this second unit has been removed from its resting position, a return-spring 20 located in handle 5 and bearing, on the one hand, on the bottom of this handle and, on the other hand, on the upper end of tube 17 urges the second unit toward its resting position which is determined by a stud 21 secured to slide 4 (FIG. 3), extending through a slot 22 provided in tube 17 and abutting against the end of a longitudinal groove provided in rod 2. In the resting position of the second unit of the apparatus, wires, 15 are in the position represented in FIG. 1. Their locking portions 15d extend under slide 4 so that a thrust the apparatus. Wires 15 thus prevent one unit of the apparatus from moving relative to the other one when they are in the position represented in FIG. 1. In this workting position of the apparatus, buckle 3 may therefore be inserted into the ground web of the rug, whatever may be the resistance opposed by the latter, upon acting only on the handle of the apparatus.

During inserting buckle 3 into the ground web, the front end of tongue 19 happens to engage the ground web at the precise stage of the operation, which is shown in FIG. 1. The engagement between tongue 19 and the ground web can occur indifierently either with the threads 9 and of the warp or with one of the weft threads (not shown) which extend at both ends of the warp thread portions 9 and 10, between which buckle 3 is just being inserted. A continued thrust exerted on handle 5 in the direction of the ground web has as a result to cause the apparatus to pass from the working position shown in FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2 in which buckle 3 has reached the predetermined position in which it has to be brought with respect to the ground web. At the same time tongue 19 has been caused to get retracted in head-piece 1 and tube 17 to slide along rod 2. This motion of tube 17 in turn causes the lower end of slots 18 to slide along camming portions 150 of wires 15. As a consequence thereof wires are urged toward each other until they come within the boundaries of the outer cylindrical surface of tube 17. In that position, wires 15 release slide 4 which can then freely glide together with needles 6, 6a along tube 17 while head-piece 1 remains immobile.

The apparatus makes then a Ghiordes knot around the thread portions 9 and 10 of the warp under the same conditions as the known apparatus. Needles 6, 6a push the ends of strand 14 between thread portions 9 and 11, 10 and 12, respectively, of the ground web and bring them into buckle 3 at the end of the forward stroke of slide 4, i.e. when slide 4 butts against head-piece 1. Handle 5 is then pulled back. As a result thereof the apparatus returns first in the position of FIG. 2, then in that of FIG. 1 and finally buckle 3 is removed from the ground web and pulls the end of strand 14 so as to pass the same between thread portions 9 and 10 thus ending the Ghiordes knot. The latching device of the apparatus described has thus the advantage that all the operations of the apparatus can be controlled by means of a single member, namely handle 5, which can, moreover, be held in any desired manner. The required thrust for inserting buckle 3 into the ground web is therefore no longer produced as with the known apparatus by a single finger but by the whole forearm, which is obviously much less tiresome.

Although I have described one embodiment of my invention in detail, I do not wish to be limited thereto since various changes in the shape, sizes and arrangement of parts could easily be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention defines by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs by knotting pile tufts consisting of strands of an extra yarn in a fabric constituting a ground web of the rug, comprising, in combination, a first unit including pulling means which can be set in a predetermined position behind a thread of the ground web by passing said pulling means on one side of said thread, a second unit movable in a predetermined manner relative to said first unit and including pushing means passing on the other side of said thread and reaching a well determined position with respect to said predetermined position of said pulling means when said second unit is moved in said predetermined manner, actuating means for causing said second unit to move in said predetermined manner, releasable latching means inserted between said first and said second unit for normally preventing said second unit from moving relative to said first unit under the control of said actuating means, and releasing means operatively connected to said latching means for removing the same from their locking position and permitting said second unit to move in said predetermined manner with respect to said first unit, said releasing means including a releasing member engaging the ground web when said pulling means reach said predetermined position, thereby causing the releasing means to remove the latching means from their locking position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said latching means include a movable latch member mounted on one of said units and having a camming surface and a projection cooperating with the other unit for normally preventing motion thereof relative to said one unit and said releasing means include a shiftable releasing member cooperating with said camming surface of the latch member thereby causing said projection thereof to release said other unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner

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