US 4,991,523 A · Tufting apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for producing tufted textile goods employs a plurality of hollow needles which serve as backing openers, the backing openers being carried on a widthwise extending member which is reciprocated in a vertical direction to cause the backing openers to penetrate a backing. Yarn is transported pneumatically through the backing openers and implanted into the backing as yarn turfts, and backing being shifted in the transverse direction by an amount corresponding to the spacing between adjacent backing openers in order to implant a transverse row of tufts. A knife blade is associated with each backing opener and positioned on the opposite side of the backing so as to engage the flat angled surface of the backing opener which forms its pointed tip. The angled surface is formed with an upwardly and inwardly extending slot which serves to capture and center yarn exiting the opening in the angle surface, and which provides a sharp edge which cooperates with the blade for cutting the yarn. The cutting mechanism results in little or no wasted yarn.

Claims24

Dependent claims

Apparatus for producing tufted goods from a backing web and a length of continuous yarn, comprising:

(a) backing web support means for supporting the backing web;
(b) a backing opener tube containing a longitudinally-extending through passageway and including at one end a pointed tip formed by an angled surface that is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube, said backing opener tube being arranged generally normal to said backing web with said pointed tip having a pointed extremity adjacent said web;
(c) means for axially reciprocating said backing opener tube between positions in which said pointed tip penetrates through and is withdrawn from said web, respectively;
(d) means for transporting the length of yarn successively through said passageway and outwardly through said pointed tip;
and
(e) blade means operable in sliding contact with said angled surface for severing a yarn tuft from said length of continuous yarn.

3 more elements

Apparatus for producing tufted goods from a backing web and a length of continuous yarn, comprising:

(a) a backing opener tube having a pair of ends one of which includes a pointed tip defined by an angled surface, said backing opener tube containing a longitudinal through passageway extending to the other end of said tube;
(b) means for supporting the backing web adjacent said one end of and generally normal to said backing opener tube;
(c) means for reciprocating said backing opener tube axially between penetrating and withdrawn positions relative to the backing web, respectively;
(d) means for supplying the yarn from the other end of said backing opener tube through said passageway and outwardly from said angled surface;
(e) blade means displaceable between activated and de activated positions relative to said angled surface, said blade means in the activated position being arranged to contact and slide across said angled surface to cut the yarn extending outwardly from said angled surface;
and
(f) means operable upon each penetration of the backing web by said backing opener tube for displacing said blade between said activated and de-activated positions, thereby to enable selective cutting of the yarn.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tufting apparatus

Life of this patent

Tufting apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24