US 5,003,676 A · Yarn end splicing apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for thermally splicing a plurality of associated pairs of yarn ends employed in tufting carpet is provided, having an electrically conductive wire extending across a width of a beam of yarn ends as a heating element, the wire being biased in tension between a pair of springs attached to the wire and to terminal mounted on a bracket member. A yarn end spacing and gaging bar is also mounted to the bracket to retain the associated pairs of yarn ends in a contacting relation in recesses disposed between teeth on the bar, the pairs of yarn ends being made up of yarn ends severed from a spent beam of yarn and associated yarn ends from a fresh beam of yarn. The apparatus maintains the heating element in a substantially fixed position with respect to the plurality of associated pairs of yarn ends to effect a substantially simultaneous heating and melting together of the pairs of yarn ends, and is preferably removably mounted to a beam rack holding the fresh beam.

Claims23

Dependent claims

Apparatus for thermal splicing of a plurality of yarn ends from a fresh beam to a plurality of yarn ends severed from a spent beam in a carpet tufting apparatus, wherein each of said plurality of yarn ends from said fresh beam has an associated yarn end from said plurality of yarn ends from said spent beam said associated yarn ends forming a plurality of pairs of associated yarn ends, the apparatus comprising:

means for retaining said plurality of associated pairs of yarn ends in a spaced apart manner, said retaining means having means for holding a section of each of said associated pairs in contacting relation, said retaining means being of a predetermined width sufficient to retain all of said associated pairs simultaneously;
heating element means for heating said plurality of associated pairs of yarn ends to a temperature sufficient to melt said yarn ends in a substantially simultaneous manner, said heating element means extending across substantially the entire width of said retaining means, said heating element means being disposed in a substantially stationary position relative to said retaining means and said associated pairs of yarn ends such that said contacting sections of said associated pairs of yarn ends will be heated and melted together by said heating element means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Yarn end splicing apparatus

Life of this patent

Yarn end splicing apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23