Tufting machine
A tufting machine which has improved production rates such that it is capable of being used to produce larger samples of tufted products or is capable of being used for production runs of tufted products, but still retains sufficient flexibility for changes in yarn and construction of the tufted product to be made relatively easily is disclosed.
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The present invention relates to improvements in tufting machines for producing looped pile or cut loop pile in various patterns, lengths and designs on a backing web of fabric material, typically but not exclusively for producing carpet, rugs or sample carpets or rugs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConventional carpet or rug making machinery typically provides means for feeding continuously a primary backing material web past an array of in line tuft forming needles, each receiving a yarn of a desired colour and size, to produce tuft loops (either cut or uncut) with a corresponding array of cooperating loop forming members or hooks with a cutting knife on the opposite side of the backing material web. The array of in line tuft forming needles generally extends transversely across the backing material web. The needles typically reciprocate through the primary backing material web to form the tuft loops but are otherwise mounted in a fixed position. Such machines are effective when producing tufted (carpet) material of reasonably large size and where yarns, colours or structures of the tufted material are not changed as it is a time Consuming and difficult process to make such changes. As a result such machines are not often used to produce samples or designs of small run volumes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,478,605, a tufting machine is disclosed for producing sample designs of tufted carpet like material or specialist small run carpet or rug designs of a relatively small size. In this machine a backing material web is incrementally moved through a tufting zone with one or more tufting needle beads being moved transversely across the backing material web in the tufting zone to produce tuft loops or cut pile in association with a hook looper head on the opposite side of the material web. If a cut pile is to be formed, the looper head includes a hook and knife to cut the loop formed whereas if looped pile is formed the looper head includes a loop forming member. Each of the needle heads includes a plurality of needles, each capable of receiving a desired yam of a selected colour/configuration, with each needle being individually selectable for use in a particular operational run of the needle head across the backing material web. The machine also includes means to selectably feed a desired length of yarn to the needle in use to allow looped tufts to be formed of selectable lengths or heights relative to the backing material web. The machine is highly flexible and is therefore particularly useful for producing sample products or specialist designed products, however as it produces one or only a limited number of lines of tuft loops across the backing material web each pass of the needle head (or heads), it remains relative slow in production rates. It is therefore less suitable for producing larger sample products or for producing production runs of medium to larger tufted products (carpets, rugs or the like).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe objective of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine which has improved production rates such that it is capable of being used to produce larger samples of tufted products or is capable of being used for production runs of tufted products, but still retains sufficient flexibility for changes in yarn and construction of the tufted product to be made relatively easily.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for forming a tufted pile product including a backing material web comprising:
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- feed means for said backing material web for feeding said backing material web in incremental steps substantially along a horizontal path through a tufted pile forming zone;
- a needle head arranged on one face of the horizontal path for said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said needle head including a needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles arranged in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- needle head support means for said need e head enabling movement of said needle head along a first transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- first drive means for driving said needle head along said first transverse path;
- second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly operationally through said horizontal path as said first drive means drives said needle head along said first transverse path, all of the needles of said needle sub assembly penetrating, in use, the backing material web upon reciprocation of said needle sub assembly;
- a looper head arranged on an opposite face of said horizontal path for said backing material web, said looper head carrying a looper sub assembly including a plurality of looper members or a plurality of hook and knife members in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- looper head support Means for said looper head enabling movement of said looper head along a second transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- third drive means for driving said looper head along said second transverse path; and
- actuation means for the looper members or the hook and knife members of said looper sub assembly to move said looper members or the hook and knife members simultaneously to cooperate with a respective said needle of the needle sub assembly as the needles of the needle sub assembly reciprocate through the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone.
Conveniently the first drive means and the third drive means are independent of one another. Preferably, movement of said needle forming head and said looper head along said first and said second transverse paths is synchronized when tufted pile is formed on said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone.
In one preferred arrangement, the apparatus has an operational zone containing said tufted pile forming zone and a service zone, each of said first and second transverse paths enabling the needle sub assembly and the looper member sub assembly to be selectably positionable in said service zone. Conveniently the needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles is removable from said needle head and replaceable by a different said needle sub assembly. The needle sub assembly may comprise a plurality of modules each comprised of a predetermined number of said tuft forming needles, each said module being selectably removable and replaceable with a different said module of tuft forming needles. Conveniently, the looper member sub assembly having a plurality of looper members or hook and knife members is removable from said looper head and replaceable with a different said looper member sub assembly. The looper member sub assembly may comprise a plurality of modules each comprised of a predetermined number of said looper members, each said module being selectably removable and replaceable with a different said module of looper members. In a possible alternative embodiment, in the looper member sub assembly, cooperating hooks and knives are provided to enable yarn loops formed to be cut to form cut pile. By providing that the needle sub assembly and the looper member sub assembly are each bodily replaceable, it is possible to quickly and easily reconfigure the apparatus for producing an alternative construction of tufted pile product without the labour and time intensive requirements with conventional apparatus of this type. Greater flexibility is also introduced by providing the replaceable needle modules and loom member modules.
In a preferred embodiment, the second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly comprises a crank mechanism including a connecting arm pivotally connected to said needle sub assembly, said crank mechanism being rotated to drive said connecting arm in a reciprocating motion. Conveniently, the crank mechanism may be adjustable to vary the length of said reciprocating motion. The apparatus may further include balance means connected to said needle sub assembly to balance forces imposed by the crank mechanism. The needle head may include a first outer support structure, said crank mechanism being mounted in a second support structure, height adjusting means being provided to enable said second support structure to be height adjusted relative to said first support structure.
In a further preferred arrangement, the apparatus may include first gripping means configured to selectably grip and release an edge zone of the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said first gripping means being moveable in a transverse direction to stretch said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone when tufted pile is being formed on said backing material web. The apparatus may further include second gripping means to selectably grip and release an opposed edge zone of said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone. Preferably said second gripping means is also moveable in a transverse direction to stretch said backing material web. Position sensing means may be provided with each of the first and the second gripping means to ensure movement in said transverse direction maintaining edge zones of the backing material web at the same position during each tufted pile forming run of the needle head and the looper member head.
Preferably the apparatus further includes a register marking device to mark on said backing material web a register mark as said needle head produces tufted pile on said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said apparatus also including a position sensing device to cooperate with said register mark to control movement of said needle head, said needle sub assembly or said backing material web ready for a repeat operation of said needle head.
In a still further preferred embodiment the apparatus may include a first yarn feed means to uniformly feed yarn of the same length to each needle of the needle sub assembly and a second yarn feed means to enable adjustable amounts of yarn to be selectably fed to each needle of the needle sub assembly. The first and the second yam teed means being selectable by an operator of the apparatus depending on the nature of the tufted pile product the operator wishes to produce.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Within the tufted pile forming zone 16 a support shaft 23 is provided to support and carry a roll of primary backing material web 24. The backing material web 24 is passed via a roller 25 and a spiked roller 26 to horizontally pass through the zone 16. The spiked roller 26 is driven by suitable drive means 27 to incrementally move the backing material web 24 in desired steps through the horizontal region in the zone 16. Suitable rollers arid collection means are provided on the opposite side of the zone 16 to maintain the web 24 taut in a transverse direction in the horizontal region of the zone 16. Gripper and stretcher devices 28 are provided to grip lateral edges 29, 30 of the web 24 in the horizontal region of the zone 16 to maintain the web 24 taut in the longitudinal direction during an operational run of the needle head 21 to produce tufted pile on the web 24.
The lower looper head 22 is supported to move on spaced. bearing tracks 31 extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine 10 and transverse to the movement direction of the backing material web 24 through the tufted pile forming zone 16. The bearing tracks 31 extend from the zone 16 into the service zone 18. The lower looper head 22 is moved by a driven toothed wheel (not shown) carried by the head 22 operatively engaging with a toothed belt 32. Alternatively other drive means including a rack and pinion drive could be used. Similarly, the upper needle head 21 is supported on bearing tracks (not shown) running parallel to the bearing tracks 31 and moved via a driven toothed wheel (not shown) engaging with a toothed belt 33. Alternatively a driven pinion wheel with teeth might engage with an elongated rack with cooperating teeth. Similar to the drive means for the upper needle head 21, alternative drive means could also be used. Each of the upper needle head 21 and the lower looper head 22 are driven independently of one another but during a tufted pile forming operation, the drive means are synchronized to ensure the needles properly co-operate with the looper members or hook and knife members during the lulled pile formation (looped or cut loop).
Referring now to
Operation of the machine 10 is generally as follows. The upper needle head 21 and the lower looper head 22 arc driven from one side of the web 24 to the other while each of the needles 41 are repeatedly reciprocated to form tufted pile across the web 24. While this occurs, the devices 28 have been engaged to grip the edges 29, 30 and to stretch the web 24. On the completion of each run, the yarn lengths are withdrawn from the backing web 24 (cut pile) or for loop pile cut by a mechanism 95 shown in greater detail in
At the end of a stitching run of the heads 21, 22, the heads 21, 22 are driven back to the starting side of the backing material web 24 and the web 24 is indexed on to allow the process to be repeated.
Conveniently the machine includes a register marking device 101 shown in
As can be recognized, because multiple needles are simultaneously producing stitches of yarn to form tufted pile, the process is reasonably quick. Moreover the machine does permit any size (width) of tufted pile product, limited only by the support means for the backing material web 24. The structures described in the foregoing allows relatively easy adjustment of the yarns used, the height of the pile formed, variability in the height of the pile formed, and variability in the colour patterns of the tufted pile product that can be produced.
Claims
1. Apparatus for forming a tufted pile product including a backing material web, said apparatus including:
- feed means for said backing material web for feeding said backing material web in incremental steps substantially along a horizontal path through a tufted pile forming zone;
- a needle head arranged on one face of the horizontal path for said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said needle head including a needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles arranged in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- needle head support means for said needle head enabling movement of said needle head along a first transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- first drive means for driving said needle head along said first transverse path;
- second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly operationally through said horizontal path as said first drive means drives said needle head along said first transverse path, all of the needles of said needle sub assembly penetrating, in use, the backing material web upon reciprocation of said needle sub assembly;
- a looper head arranged on an opposite face of said horizontal path for said backing material web, said looper head carrying a looper sub assembly including a plurality of looper members or a plurality of hook and knife members in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- looper head support means for said looper member head enabling movement of said looper head along a second transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- third drive means for driving said looper head along said second transverse path; and
- actuation means for the looper members or the hook and knife members of said looper sub assembly to move said looper members or the hook and knife members simultaneously to cooperate with a respective said needle of the needle sub assembly as the needles of the needle sub assembly reciprocate through the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first drive means and said third drive means are independent of one another.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein movement of said needle forming head and said looper head along said first and said second transverse paths is synchronized when tufted pile is formed on said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus has an operational zone containing said tufted pile forming zone and a service zone, each of said first and second transverse paths enabling the needle sub assembly and the looper member sub assembly to be selectably positionable in said service zone.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles is removable from said needle head and replaceable by a different said needle sub assembly.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the needle sub assembly comprises a plurality of modules each comprised of a predetermined number of said tuft forming needles, each said module being selectably removable and replaceable with a different said module of tuft forming needles.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the looper member sub assembly having a plurality of looper members or hook and knife members is removable from said looper head and replaceable with a different said looper member sub assembly.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the looper member sub assembly includes a plurality of modules each having a predetermined number of said looper members or hook and knife members, each said module being selectably removable and replaceable with a different said module.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly includes a crank mechanism including a connecting arm pivotally connected to said needle sub assembly, said crank mechanism being rotated to drive said connecting arm in a reciprocating motion.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said crank mechanism is adjustable to vary the length of said reciprocating motion.
11. Apparatus according to claim 9 further including balance means connected to said needle sub assembly to balance forces imposed by said crank mechanism.
12. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the needle head includes a first outer support structure, said crank mechanism being mounted in a second support structure, height adjusting means being provided to enable said second support structure to be height adjusted relative to said first support structure.
13. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including first gripping means configured to selectably grip and release an edge zone of the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said first gripping means being movable in a transverse direction to stretch said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone when tufted pile is being formed on said backing material web.
14. Apparatus according to claim 13 further including second gripping means to selectably grip and release an opposed edge zone of said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone.
15. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said second gripping means is also movable in a transverse direction to stretch said backing material web.
16. Apparatus according to claim 14 further including positional sensing means to ensure movement of said first and/or said second gripping means in said transverse direction maintains edge zones of the backing material web at the same position during each tufted pile forming run of the needle head and the looper member head.
17. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including a register marking device to mark on said backing material web a register mark as said needle head produces tufted pile on said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said apparatus also including a position sensing device to cooperate with said register mark to control movement of said needle head, said needle sub assembly or said backing material web ready for a repeat operation of said needle head.
18. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including a first yarn feed means to uniformly feed yarn of the same length to each needle of the needle sub assembly and a second yarn feed means to enable adjustable amounts of yarn to be selectably fed to each needle of the needle sub assembly.
19. Apparatus for forming a tufted pile product including a backing material web comprising:
- feed means for said backing material web for feeding said backing material web in incremental steps substantially along a horizontal path through a tufted pile forming zone;
- a needle head arranged on one face of the horizontal path for said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said needle head including a needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles arranged in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- needle head support means for said needle head enabling movement of said needle head along a first transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- first drive means for driving said needle head along said first transverse path;
- second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly operationally through said horizontal path as said first drive means drives said needle head along said first transverse path, all of the needles of said needle sub assembly penetrating, in use, the backing material web upon reciprocation of said needle sub assembly;
- a looper head arranged on an opposite face of said horizontal path for said backing material web, said looper head carrying a looper sub assembly including a plurality of looper members or a plurality of hook and knife members in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- looper head support means for said looper member head enabling movement of said looper head along a second transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- third drive means for driving said looper head along said second transverse path;
- actuation means for the looper members or the hook and knife members of said looper sub assembly to move said looper members or the hook and knife members simultaneously to cooperate with a respective said needle of the needle sub assembly as the needles of the needle sub assembly reciprocate through the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone; and
- said apparatus having an operational zone containing said tufted pile forming zone and a service zone, each of said first and second transverse paths enabling the needle sub assembly and the looper member sub assembly to be selectably positionable in said service zone.
20. Apparatus for forming a tufted pile product including a backing material web comprising:
- feed means for said backing material web for feeding said backing material web in incremental steps substantially along a horizontal path through a tufted pile forming zone;
- a needle head arranged on one face of the horizontal path for said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said needle head including a needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles arranged in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- needle head support means for said needle head enabling movement of said needle head along a first transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- first drive means for driving said needle head along said first transverse path;
- second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly operationally through said horizontal path as said first drive means drives said needle head along said first transverse path, all of the needles of said needle sub assembly penetrating, in use, the backing material web upon reciprocation of said needle sub assembly;
- a looper head arranged on an opposite face of said horizontal path for said backing material web, said looper head carrying a looper sub assembly including a plurality of looper members or a plurality of hook and knife members in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- looper head support means for said looper member head enabling movement of said looper head along a second transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- third drive means for driving said looper head along said second transverse path;
- actuation means for the looper members or the hook and knife members of said looper sub assembly to move said looper members or the hook and knife members simultaneously to cooperate with a respective said needle of the needle sub assembly as the needles of the needle sub assembly reciprocate through the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone; and
- said second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly includes a crank mechanism including a connecting arm pivotally connected to said needle sub assembly, said crank mechanism being rotated to drive said connecting arm in a reciprocating motion and being adjustable to vary the length of said reciprocating motion, said apparatus further including balance means connected to said needle sub assembly to balance forces imposed by said crank mechanism.
21. Apparatus for forming a tufted pile product including a backing material web comprising:
- feed means for said backing material web for feeding said backing material web in incremental steps substantially along a horizontal path through a tufted pile forming zone;
- a needle head arranged on one face of the horizontal path for said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said needle head including a needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles arranged in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- needle head support means for said needle head enabling movement of said needle head along a first transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- first drive means for driving said needle head along said first transverse path;
- second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly operationally through said horizontal path as said first drive means drives said needle head along said first transverse path, all of the needles of said needle sub assembly penetrating, in use, the backing material web upon reciprocation of said needle sub assembly;
- a looper head arranged on an opposite face of said horizontal path for said backing material web, said looper head carrying a looper sub assembly including a plurality of looper members or a plurality of hook and knife members in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- looper head support means for said looper member head enabling movement of said looper head along a second transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- third drive means for driving said looper head along said second transverse path;
- actuation means for the looper members or the hook and knife members of said looper sub assembly to move said looper members or the hook and knife members simultaneously to cooperate with a respective said needle of the needle sub assembly as the needles of the needle sub assembly reciprocate through the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone;
- said apparatus further including a register marking device to mark on said backing material web a register mark as said needle head produces tufted pile on said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said apparatus also including a position sensing device to cooperate with said register mark to control movement of either said needle head, said needle sub assembly or said backing material web ready for a repeat operation of said needle head.
22. Apparatus for forming a tufted pile product including a backing material web comprising:
- feed means for said backing material web for feeding said backing material web in incremental steps substantially along a horizontal path through a tufted pile forming zone;
- a needle head arranged on one face of the horizontal path for said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, said needle head including a needle sub assembly having a plurality of tuft forming needles arranged in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- needle head support means for said needle head enabling movement of said needle head along a first transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- first drive means for driving said needle head along said first transverse path;
- second drive means for reciprocating said needle sub assembly operationally through said horizontal path as said first drive means drives said needle head along said first transverse path, all of the needles of said needle sub assembly penetrating, in use, the backing material web upon reciprocation of said needle sub assembly;
- a looper head arranged on an opposite face of said horizontal path for said backing material web, said looper head carrying a looper sub assembly including a plurality of looper members or a plurality of hook and knife members in an array extending generally in the direction of said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- looper head support means for said looper member head enabling movement of said looper head along a second transverse path relative to said horizontal path for said backing material web;
- third drive means for driving said looper head along said second transverse path;
- actuation means for the looper members or the hook and knife members of said looper sub assembly to move said looper members or the hook and knife members simultaneously to cooperate with a respective said needle of the needle sub assembly as the needles of the needle sub assembly reciprocate through the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone; and
- said apparatus further including first gripping means configured to selectably grip and release an edge zone of the backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, and a second gripping means to selectably grip and release an opposed edge zone of said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone, at least one of said first gripping means or said second gripping means being movable in a transverse direction to stretch said backing material web in said tufted pile forming zone when tufted pile is being formed on said backing material web.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 10, 2011
Publication Date: Jan 2, 2014
Applicant: Modra Technology Pty Ltd. (Warragul)
Inventor: Timothy John Modra (Warragul)
Application Number: 13/206,610
International Classification: D05C 15/30 (20060101); D05C 15/14 (20060101); D05C 15/12 (20060101);