US 4,815,402 AGranted

Dual needle controlled needle tufting machine

AssigneeSpencer Wright Industries, Inc.

InventorHerbert B. Price

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Abstract

A tufting machine having a pair of rows of spaced apart needles which are independently selectively reciprocated in a path toward and away from a base material fed in a direction longitudinally from one row to the other through the machine. The machine includes drive mechanism including push rods which reciprocate during each cycle. A yoke is secured to each push rod and has a pair of downwardly depending limbs spaced apart longitudinally and corresponding to a respective row. The limbs for each row carry an air cylinder latching bar including latches which are controlled in accordance with a pattern. The needles are each carried by a respective needle holder mounted between the limbs and each needle holder may be coupled to the latch bar corresponding to that row selectively. Each needle in one row may be paired with a corresponding needle in another row aligned laterally across the machine and both needles in a pair may cooperate with a single looper, or the needles in one row may be laterally offset from the needles in the other row and each needle cooperates with one looper.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a tufting machine having a head for mounting drive means including a push rod reciprocating in a linear path, a bed disposed beneath the head having means for supporting a base material fed in a longitudinal direction normal to said path, apparatus for mounting at least one in each of a pair of respective rows spaced apart in said longitudinal direction and for selective coupling of said needles independently to said push rod for reciprocation therewith, and loop seizing means in said bed for seizing loops of yarn presented by reciprocating needles, said apparatus comprising:

a substantially U-shaped yoke having a spanning member and a pair of downwardly depending limbs, means for fastening said spanning member to said push rod, guide means disposed intermediate said limbs, a needle holder corresponding to each needle disposed intermediate said limbs in said guide means, a needle carried by each needle holder, coupling means carried by each of said limbs for reciprocating therewith and for coupling of selective needle holders individually to said limbs for reciprocation therewith to pierce said base material with the corresponding needle and cooperate with said loop seizing means, means for maintaining uncoupled needle holders in a disposition such that needles carried thereby are disposed above said base material, and control means for effecting coupling and uncoupling of said coupling means and said needle holders.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.