Abstract: An improved felting needle barb having a kick-up of novel design such that the barb has greatly improved wear characteristics and more efficient transportation of fibers over an appreciable longer period of operation than existing felting needle barbs.
Abstract: A tufting machine bed having an oscillating looper assembly in which the oscillating mass is counter-balanced by mechanism including a weight which oscillates about a pivot point in the bed in a direction opposite to that of the looper assembly. The oscillatory motion of the counter-balancing assembly is derived from the same oscillating shaft that drives the looper assembly.