Shift mechanism for a tufting machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10156035-B2
Application number	US-201715459300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A shift mechanism for a tufting machine for controlling the transverse, lateral shifting movement of a series of needles of the tufting machine across a backing material for forming a series of cut and/or loop pile tufts of yarns in the backing in accordance with a pattern. The shift mechanism will include a motor controlled rack and pinion shift control assembly having one or more pinions, each driven by a motor, that engage and drive a rack coupled to at least one needle bar of the tufting machine, for controlling the transverse shifting movement of the needles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tufting machine, comprising:
at least one needle bar having a series of needles mounted therealong;
backing feed rolls feeding a backing material along a path of travel through the tufting machine;
a yarn feed mechanism feeding a series of yarns to the needles;
gauge parts along the path of travel of the backing material and reciprocated into engagement with at least some of the needles as the needles are engaged with the backing material to form tufts of yarns in the backing material; and
a shift mechanism coupled to at least one needle bar and operable for shifting the needles in a direction substantially transverse to the path of travel of the backing material, the shift mechanism comprising:
a rack linked to the at least one needle bar and having a series of spaced teeth;
at least one pinion having a series of teeth or rollers engaged by one or more teeth of the rack; and
a motor drivingly connected to the at least one pinion, whereby as the pinion is rotated, the rack is moved linearly so as to cause the transverse shifting movement of the needles across the backing material.

2. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises a torque motor.

3. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pinion comprises a pair of roller pinions each engaging the rack at multiple points of contact and further comprising a pair of motors, each engaging one of the pair of roller pinions.

4. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the shift mechanism further comprises a sliding bracket to which the rack is mounted, at least one bearing guide mounted to the sliding bracket, at least one track or rail engaged by the at least one sliding bracket and along which the at least one sliding bracket and along which the at least one bearing guide is moved as the rack is moved linearly, and a linkage connected at one end to the sliding bracket or rack and at an opposite end to the at least one needle bar for causing the at least one needle bar to be shifted transversely with respect to the backing material in response to movement of the rack.

5. The tufting machine of claim 1 , further comprising a pinion preloader connected to the at least one pinion, and a gear head assembly coupled to the pinion preloader and to a driveshaft of the motor.

6. The tufting machine of claim 5 , wherein the motor comprises a torque motor or a reversible servo motor.

7. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one needle bar comprises a pair of independently shiftable needle bars, and further comprising a pair of shift mechanisms, each coupled to one of said pair of needle bars.

8. A tufting machine for forming a series of tufts of yarns at stitch locations in a backing material in accordance with a selected pattern for a tufted article, comprising:
at least one needle bar with a series of needles spaced therealong, the needle carrying the yarns into and out of the backing as the needles are reciprocated toward and away from engagement with the backing;
a series of gauge parts located below the backing and reciprocable toward engagement with the needles as the needles engage and penetrate the backing, the gauge parts configured to pull loops of yarns from at least some of the needles engaged by the gauge parts; and
a shift mechanism coupled to at least one needle bar and operable for shifting the needles in a direction substantially transverse to the path of travel of the backing material, the shift mechanism comprising:
a rack having a body with a series of spaced teeth therealong and linked to the at least one needle bar;
at least one pinion having a series of rollers arranged about the at least one pinion in a tooth profile sufficient to be engaged by multiple teeth of the rack to provide multiple points of contact between the rack and at last one pinion; and
a motor drivingly connected to the at least one pinion, whereby as the pinion is rotated, the rack is driven linearly so as to cause the transverse shifting movement of the needles across the backing material.

9. The tufting machine of claim 8 , wherein the at least one needle bar comprises a pair of independently shiftable needle bars, and further comprising a pair of shift mechanisms, each coupled to one of said pair of needle bars.

10. The tufting machine of claim 8 , wherein the motor comprises a torque motor or a servo motor.

11. The tufting machine of claim 10 , further comprising a pinion preloader connected to the at least one pinion, and a gear head assembly coupled to the pinion preloader and to a driveshaft of the motor.

12. The tufting machine of claim 10 , wherein the shift mechanism further comprises a sliding bracket to which the rack is mounted, at least one bearing guide mounted to the sliding bracket, at least one track or rail engaged by the at least one sliding bracket and along which the at least one sliding bracket and along which the at least one bearing guide is moved as the rack is moved linearly, and a linkage connected at one end to the sliding bracket or rack and at an opposite end to the at least one needle bar for causing the at least one needle bar to be shifted transversely with respect to the backing material in response to movement of the rack.

13. The tufting machine of claim 10 , wherein the at least one pinion comprises a pair of roller pinions each engaging the rack at multiple points of contact and further comprising a pair of motors, each engaging one of the pair of roller pinions.

Assignees

• Card Monroe Corp

Inventors

• Mathews Ricky E

Classifications

• D05B69/12

  using rotary electric motors · CPC title

• D05C15/30 Primary

  by moving the tufting tools laterally · CPC title