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US 4,067,270 AGranted
Narrow gauge cut pile tufting apparatus
AssigneeTuftco Corporation
InventorHoyt E. Short
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cut pile tufting apparatus particularly adapted for narrow needle gauges in the order of 1/10th inch, including staggered needles and relatively thin and flexible cut pile hooks.
Claims13
In a cut pile tufting machine having a plurality of needles, a looper cooperating with each of said needles, and a knife cooperating with each of said loopers for cutting yarns on said loopers to form cut pile, knife support means comprising:
- a. a reciprocal knife bar having a rocking axis substantially parallel to the transverse alignment of said needles,
- b. at least one knife block, said knife block having a longitudinal axis,
- c. means securing said knife block to said knife bar at a predetermined pitch angle,
- d. a plurality of opposed pairs of recesses formed longitudinally in said knife block, each pair of recesses being adapted to slidably receive one of said knives at said pitch angle,
- e. at least one pair of said recesses being staggered relative to another pair of said recesses to support said knives in substantial alignment parallel to the rocking axis of said hook bar.
2 more elements
In a tufting machine having means for supporting a base fabric for longitudinal movement in a feeding direction through said machine, a narrow gauge tufting apparatus comprising:
- a. a first row of uniform first needles movable in reciprocal axial paths for introducing yarns through the base fabric to form first loops, said first needles being uniformly spaced transversely of said longitudinal feeding direction,
- b. a second row of uniform second needles movable in reciprocal axial paths for introducing yarns through the base fabric to form second loops, said second needles being uniformly spaced transversely of said longitudinal feeding direction,
- c. said second needles being uniformly and transversely staggered relative to said first needles so that the transverse distance between adjacent longitudinal vertical planes containing the axes of said first and second needles is a uniform narrow gauge,
- d. said uniform narrow gauge being less than the transverse dimension of each of said uniform needles,
- e. said first and second rows of needles being longitudinally spaced apart a predetermined distance substantially greater than said narrow gauge,
- f. a first hook for each first needle, said first hook having a throat and a bill projecting from said throat,
- g. a second hook for each second needle, said second hook having a throat and a bill projecting from the throat of said second hook,
- h. reciprocal hook bar means extending transversely of said feeding direction adjacent said fabric supporting means,
- i. means fixing each hook to said hook bar means so that the bill of each of said hooks extends longitudinally in a hook path intercepting the axial path of its corresponding needle,
- j. said hook bar means being reciprocable to move each said bill between an inoperative position spaced from and projecting toward its corresponding needle and an operative position engaging said corresponding needle,
- k. each of said bills having a uniform narrow width substantially less than said gauge and being relatively more flexible than its corresponding needle, so that said bill flexes transversely of its corresponding needle and said longitudinal feeding direction as said bill engages its corresponding needle and moves toward its operative position.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.