Two-pile height yarn feed for conventional tufting machine

Tufting apparatus or the like including apparatus for metering and feeding lengths of a strand of yarn from a creel to a tufting station comprising:

• a creel pulling member engageable with the yarn strand and positioned to pull a length of yarn from the creel;
• a first clamp member positioned between said creel and said creel pulling member;
• a first metering member for metering a predetermined length of yarn;
• a second clamp member positioned between said creel pulling member and said first metering member;
• a second metering member positioned between said first metering member and said tufting station for metering a different predetermined length of yarn;
• and
• a third clamp member positioned between said second metering member and said tufting station.

Apparatus for feeding lengths of a strand of yarn comprising:

• at least one pulling member for feeding a length of yarn;
• an oscillatory member for driving said pulling member;
• and
• a flexible band-like member connected to said pulling member engageable by said oscillatory member, said band-like member being extendable within a track that extends from said oscillatory member to said pulling member, said track preventing unwanted flexing of said band-like member, said pulling member being reciprocable when said band-like member is engaged by said oscillatory member.

Apparatus for feeding lengths of yarn to a working station comprising:

• at least one yarn pulling member for feeding a length of yarn;
• driving means for said yarn pulling member;
• and
• a flexible band-like member connected to said pulling member engageable by said driving means, said band-like member being extendable within a track that extends from said driving means to said pulling member, said track preventing unwanted flexing of said band-like member, said pulling member being reciprocable by said band-like member to pull lengths of yarn.

A method of tufting wherein yarn is fed to a tufting needle from a creel comprising the steps of:

• pulling by a first pulling element a length of yarn from the creel while the yarn is clamped to prevent it from being pulled from the opposite direction;
• clamping the yarn extending between the first pulling element and the creel;
• selectively pulling all or part of said length of yarn by one of a plurality of yarn pullers during a time when the yarn extending to said tufting needle is clamped whereby different lengths of yarn can be selectively fed to said needle;
• and
• releasing the yarn extending to said tufting needle to permit said selected length of yarn to be tufted by said tufting needle.

A method of tufting wherein two different yarn lengths are fed to a tufting needle from a creel through a series of three yarn pullers with a first yarn clamp positioned between the first yarn pullers with a first yarn clamp positioned between the first yarn puller and the creel, a second yarn clamp positioned between the first yarn puller and the second yarn puller, and a third yarn clamp positioned between the third yarn puller and the tufting needle comprising the steps of:

• pulling a length of yarn by said first yarn puller from said creel while said first clamp is unclamped and said second clamp is clamped;
• pulling all or part of said length of yarn by said second or third puller depending on which of said second or third pullers is chosen while said first clamp is clamped, said second clamp is unclamped and said third clamp is clamped;
• and
• allowing said yarn between said second and said third clamp to be drawn to said tufting needle by clamping said second clamp and unclamping said third clamp.