Independent single end servo motor driven scroll-type pattern attachment for tufting machine
AssigneeTuftco Corporation
InventorsMichael R. Morgante, Mike Bishop, Randall E. Stanfield, Eric J. Vaughen, Richard Prichard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a single end scroll-type yarn feed attachment for tufting machines characterized by independent servo-motor control of yarn feed rolls while eliminating tube banks typical of tufting machine feed attachments and produces new tufted carpet designs.
Claims11
In a multiple needle tufting machine adapted to feed a backing fabric longitudinally from front to rear through the machine having a plurality of spaced needles aligned transversely of the machine for reciprocable movement through the backing fabric by operation of a rotary main drive shift, a yarn feed mechanism comprising:
- (a) a support having a mounting surface;
- (b) at least three independent yarn drives removably attached to said mounting surface along a substantially arcuate path, said yarn drives having a servo motor in direct communication with a yarn feed roll;
- (c) a servo motor controller for processing ratiometric information, electronically connected to a servo motor of a single end yarn drive;
- (d) a master controller which receives rotational position information for the main drive shaft and sends corresponding ratiometric pattern information by electrical connection to the servo motor controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.