Tufting machines and methods of tufting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12180632-B2
Application number	US-202318235917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2023
Priority date	Aug 26, 2022
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A system, apparatus and methods for forming tufted articles can include a hollow needle tufting machine for forming patterned tufted articles including multiple colors of yarns. The hollow needle tufting machine can include a series of hollow needles arranged along a needle bar at a gauge spacing and will receive a series of different color and/or types of yarns from a yarn feed system. A funnel block having a series of funnels configured to receive a series of yarns will be provided adjacent the needle bar for directing selected yarns to a corresponding or associated hollow needle. The hollow needles will be reciprocated into and out of a backing to deliver a series of yarns; and can be engaged by corresponding knives to form tufts of yarns. The knives can be moved between no-cut and cutting positions to form loop and cut pile tufts of yarns in the backing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A tufting machine, comprising:
a backing support;
a plurality of needles positioned above the backing support and configured to penetrate a backing positioned on the backing support upon reciprocation of the needles;
wherein the needles comprise hollow needles, each having an upper end and a lower end, with a passage defined between the upper and lower ends;
a yarn feed system for supplying a plurality of yarns;
a series of funnels in communication with the needles;
a yarn selection system coupled to an air supply and configured to deliver selected yarns of the yarns supplied by the yarn feed system to one or more of the needles;
wherein the yarn selection system comprises:
a series of injectors configured to direct the selected yarns to the needles into one or more of the funnels for feeding to the needles;
a series of jerker modules arranged along a path of travel of the yarns from the yarn feed system to the funnels, each of the jerker modules in communication with the air supply and including a plurality of bores with pistons received therein; and
a plurality of jerkers coupled to the pistons and each comprising a body having a proximal end and a distal end configured to engage at least one of the yarns supplied by the yarn feed system;
wherein the jerkers are individually moveable between an extended position and a retracted position to retract non-selected yarns from the funnels by selective control of air flows to the bores of the jerker modules; and
a cutting assembly arranged below the backing support and including one or more knives configured to cut the selected yarns as selected yarns are carried into the backing with the reciprocation of the needles into and out of the backing.

2. The tufting machine of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to control operation of the yarn feed system for feeding the selected yarns to the needles, and operation of the jerkers; wherein the control system includes programing configured to dynamically advance operation of the yarn feed system and the jerkers ahead of a next stitch placement step of a pattern being formed.

3. The tufting machine of claim 2 , wherein the control system further includes programming configured to feed the selected yarns and selectively move the jerkers between their extended and retracted positions based on rotation of a main drive shaft of the tufting machine.

4. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the jerker modules comprise double acting cylinders, having a series of multi-way valves in communication with the bores and configured for controlling flows of air into and through the bores to cause movement of the pistons therealong for controlling extension and retraction of the jerkers.

5. The tufting machine of claim 4 , wherein the bores of the jerker modules have a diameter of less than ½ inch.

6. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the jerker modules comprise double acting cylinders having a reduced profile; and are mounted in one or more groups having a spacing of 8 jerker modules located in about 2 inches.

7. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the proximal ends of each of the jerkers include an anti-rotation mechanism configured to resist rotation of the jerkers as the jerkers are moved between their extended and retracted positions.

8. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the funnels each include an upper end defining and inlet portion, and a lower end defining an outlet in communication with an associated one of the needles; and wherein the inlet portion comprises a multi-angle orifice including a first portion through having a first diameter, and a second portion having a second diameter that is different from the first diameter.

9. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the cutting assembly further comprises a plurality of knife modules within which the knives are received, and actuators each coupled to the one or more of the knife modules and in communication with the knives, the actuators being selectively actuable to control movement of each of the knives between a retracted position and a cutting position.

10. The tufting machine of claim 1 , further comprising a shift mechanism connected to the backing support and configured to move the backing support transversely with respect to a path of travel of the backing.

11. The tufting machine of claim 10 , wherein the shift mechanism comprises a rack and pinion shift mechanism.

12. The tufting machine of claim 1 , wherein the yarn feed system comprises at least one yarn feed attachment having a plurality of yarn feed devices each configured to control feeding of at least one yarn to the needles.

13. A tufting machine, comprising:
a main drive shaft;
a backing support along which a backing is supported;
a plurality of needles positioned above the backing support and configured to penetrate the backing to deliver a plurality of selected yarns upon reciprocation of the needles;
wherein the needles comprise hollow needles, each having an upper end and a lower end, with a passage defined between the upper and lower ends;
a yarn feed system for supplying a plurality of yarns;
a series of funnels in communication with the needles;
a series of jerkers arranged along a path of travel of the yarns from the yarn feed system to the funnels, each of the jerkers configured to be selectively operated to retract non-selected yarns from the needles;
a cutting assembly arranged below the backing support and including one or more knife modules, each comprising a knife configured to cut the selected yarns as selected yarns are carried into the backing with the reciprocation of the needles into and out of the backing; and
a control system configured to control feeding of the selected yarns to the needles, and movement of selected jerkers between their extended and retracted positions, the control system including programming configured to advance the feeding of the selected yarns by the yarn feed system and the movement of the selected jerkers ahead of a next stitch placement step of a pattern being formed based on rotation of the main drive shaft of the tufting machine.

14. The tufting machine of claim 13 , wherein the control system further includes programming configured to control feeding of different lengths of the selected yarns during a rotation of the main drive shaft.

15. The tufting machine of claim 13 , wherein the jerkers each comprise a body having a proximal end and a distal end projecting configured to engage and selectively pull back the non-selected yarns as the jerkers are moved from an extended position to a retracted position.

16. The tufting machine of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of jerker modules, each of the jerkers modules comprising a body having a plurality of bores defined therethrough and coupled to an air supply, a series of pistons received within the bores and coupled to the jerkers, and valves in communication with the bores and configured to control flows of pressurized air into and through the bores to cause movement of the pistons along their bores to control movement of the jerkers between their extended and retracted positions.

17. The tufting machine of claim 16 , wherein the jerker modules comprise double acting cylinders having a reduced profile; and are mounted in one or more groups of about 8 jerker modules located within a spacing of about 2 inches.

18. The tufting machine of claim 13 , further comprising an air supply in communication with the jerker modules and the cutting assembly; and wherein the control system furthe

Assignees

• Card Monroe Corp

Inventors

• Mathews Ricky E
• Christman Jr William M
• Lovelady Brian
• Vetter Jamie

Classifications

• D05C15/10

  operating with a plurality of needles, e.g. in one row · CPC title

• D05C15/28

  by moving the base material laterally · CPC title

• D05C15/34 Primary

  by inserting loops of different nature or colour · CPC title

• D05C15/36 Primary

  by selective cutting of loops · CPC title

• D05C15/18

  Thread feeding or tensioning arrangements · CPC title