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US 4,282,818 AGranted
Motion transfer apparatus for tufting machines
AssigneeSpencer Wright Industries, Inc.
InventorGary L. Ingram
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSpencer Wright Industries, Inc.
InventorGary L. Ingram
Estimating the term…
A motion transfer apparatus interposed between a tufting machine needle bar and a needle bar positioner includes a first drive coupling member in the form of a wedge tooth connected to the positioner to follow its transverse step-wise movement, and a second drive coupling member in the form of a tooth receiving wedge socket mounted for movement toward and away from the tooth and for movement directed by the tooth when the members are coupled. The socket member is moved toward and away from coupling engagement cyclically by a follower whose movement is controlled by a cam driven in timed relationship with the tufting machine. The configuration of the cam moves the follower and thus the socket toward and into coupling engagement with the tooth during the small portion of the tufting machine cycle when the needles are above the base material, and to disengage and uncouple during the remaining major portion of the tufting machine cycle. The positioner device may therefor jog the first drive coupling member during the disengaged portion and this step motion is transmitted to the needle bar by the socket during the smaller portion of the cycle.
Apparatus in combination with a tufting machine having a reciprocating needle bar carrying a plurality of needles spaced transversely across the machine and adapted to penetrate a base material moving longitudinally thereof to insert a plurality of stitches upon each penetration of the base material, said machine including mounting means for permitting relative transverse movement between the needle bar and the base material, and a positioning device providing a controlled transverse step shift at an output drive member during a first portion of the needle bar reciprocation cycle, said apparatus comprising, a first drive coupling member, means connecting said member to said positioning device output drive member for transverse movement therewith, a second drive coupling member disposed for engagement with said first drive coupling member, said first and second drive coupling members having complementary engageable surfaces, the surface of said first drive coupling member constraining and directing the movement of said second drive coupling member when said members engage, actuating means driven in timed relationship with the reciprocation of said needle bar for moving the second drive coupling member into engagement with the first drive coupling member during a second portion of said cycle and for moving and maintaining said second drive coupling member out of engagement therewith during the remainder of said cycle, said second portion of said cycle being different than said first portion, and connecting means connecting said second drive coupling member to said mounting means for shifting the needle positions transversely relatively to said base material.
A motion transfer apparatus for receiving a linear step motion at an input member during a first period of time and for transferring that motion at an output member during a second and smaller period of time, said first and second periods being different times in a machine cycle, said apparatus comprising, a first wedge shaped drive coupling member, a second wedge shaped drive coupling member complementary to said first wedge shaped drive coupling member and disposed for engagement therewith, means for connecting one of said first and second wedge shaped drive coupling member to said input member for linear movement therewith, means for mounting the other wedge shaped drive coupling member for movement toward and away from said one member and for movement directed by said one member when said wedge shaped members are engaged, and actuating means driven in timed relationship with said machine cycle for moving said other wedge shaped drive coupling member into engagement with said one wedge shaped drive coupling member during said second period of time and for moving said other wedge shaped drive coupling member out of engagement with said one wedge shaped drive coupling member and for maintaining them disengaged during said first period of time, and means for connecting said other wedge shaped drive coupling member to said output member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.