Abstract: A cloth feed take off system for a cut pile control needle tufting machine having a yarn tail extractor for removing the loose strand of yarn formed by the initial stitch each needle makes upon reactivation. The cloth feed take off system maintains high tension in the cloth in the stitch forming section while providing a lower tension in the cloth in the yarn tail extractor section.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to means for preventing the reciprocating needle of a sewing machine from operating in a zig-zag mode when a straight stitch throat plate means is positioned on the work bed surface. A latching means is provided for selective interconnection between the zig-zag jogging mechanism and the needle mechanism with said latching means being responsive to movement of the presser mechanism for unlatching the latching means. A locking mechanism is also provided to lock the latching mechanism in an unlatched position.

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 system is disclosed for a sewing machine in which preselected stitch patterns may be formed automatically. Information related to the positional coordination of the needle penetration for each stitch of each pattern is stored in the sewing machine. Logic means are used to select and release said stitch information in timed relation with the operation of the sewing machine. The selected information is converted to positional analog signals which control closed-loop servo means including a moving-coil linear actuator which directly controls the position of conventional stitch-forming instrumentalities of the sewing machine to reproduce a pattern of stitches corresponding to the selected stitch information.

Abstract: The carriage of a home knitting machine is provided with a reader operable independently of any movement of the carriage of the machine for reading out patterning instructions on a programmed card prior to knitting, an electronic memory for storing the signals read from the card, and means for recalling the stored signals from the memory in synchronization with movement of the carriage during knitting and for causing the operation of needle selectors on the carriage in accordance with the recalled signals to provide for the formation in a fabric of a pattern defined on the card.

Abstract: A mechanism for the precisional turning of a threaded shaft or leadscrew wherein the turning of a hand knob is used to precisionally regulate the amount of turning of the shaft. By the hand turning of a drive knob, a pair of ring drive keys are made to move along the upper surface of a cam unit having two lobes and two recesses. A castellated counter ring, which is placed around the cam unit has equally spaced cogs which normally will not be engaged by the ring drive keys. However, when the ring drive keys fall into the recesses of the cam surface, they engage against two cogs on the counter ring causing them to shift a fixed amount, after which the rise of the lobe of the cam raises the ring drive keys out of engagement with the cogs of the counter ring. The effect of this is to turn the shaft, for example, 1/10 of a shaft revolution.

Abstract: An adjustable yarn jerker system for a tufting machine including a movable jerker member secured to the needle bar and a split adjustable stationary jerker secured to the machine frame. The split adjustable jerker comprises a bar adjustably moveable relative to the machine frame carrying a first jerker member and a slide member adjustable relative to the bar and carrying a second jerker member. The first and second jerker members being independently adjustable the pull back on the respective yarns are selectively controlled.

Abstract: The carriage of a flat bed knitting machine is provided with pivoted handles movable between a folded and a generally upright position and in their folded positions the handles hold the carriage against longitudinal motion in a defined position on the needle bed.

Abstract: A sewing machine is disclosed in which the pattern of successive needle penetrations during stitching is influenced in accordance with pattern information stored within the machine in a static memory. This pattern information is retrieved and utilized electronically to control, among other factors, the magnitude and direction of feed of the work fabric being stitched. Manually operable electric feed reversing switch means is provided which is effective, while it remains closed, to interrupt utilization of this pattern information to the stitch forming instrumentalities both as to needle bight and work feed motion and to substitute in its place information from auxiliary static memory for use electronically to influence uniform work feed in a reverse direction with the needle maintained in one predetermined lateral position.

Abstract: A sewing machine is disclosed having electromechanical actuators for controlling the stitch forming instrumentalities in the formation of stitch patterns with a non-contact position sensing device associated with each electromechanical actuator comprising spaced coils and a metallic shunt plate arranged adjacent and shiftable relatively to the coils in response to movement of the actuator to produce a measureable variation in the inductance of the coils which bears an advantageous linear relationship to the electromechanical actuator position.

Abstract: Pretension threading device which includes two thread deflecting means supported on opposite sides of a pretension, and arranged to deflect thread caught and drawn into the thread deflecting means into wrap around the pretension. One thread deflecting means extends to beyond the pretension in a direction away from a thread supply tapering to a point beyond the pretension spaced from the adjacent sewing machine housing. The other thread deflecting means lies in covering relationship to the pretension, terminating at the pretension and tapering beyond the pretension device in a direction away from the thread supply to the adjacent sewing machine housing.

Abstract: A patterning device for a tufting machine having a reciprocating needle bar slidably mounted for lateral movement. The patterning device has a pair of solenoid actuated pawls mounted on the tufting machine head above the needle bar, and a pair of ratchet members mounted on the needle bar for cooperating with a respective pawl. The solenoids are individually controlled by a programmable pattern controller driven in synchronization with the tufting machine so as to engage the pawls selectively with the respective ratchet to force the needle bar to shift laterally. One pawl and ratchet acts to shift the needle bar to the right, and the other to the left. A centering tooth intermediate the pawls cooperates with an alignment plate to ensure precise shifting, and a needle bar locking tooth on the needle bar cooperates with a centering dog on the bed of the tufting machine to ensure that the needle bar does not shift while it is within the work piece.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to threading apparatus for sewing machines and in particular to a movable thread engaging means disposed in proximity to a disc-type tension device which thread engaging means is operative during movement of the tension discs towards one another for guiding the thread between and in operative relationship with the tension discs so as to ensure that the thread will be properly threaded through the tension device.

Abstract: A method and article of fabricating a table comprising the steps of making a lightweight metal frame having a plurality of channels, the edges of which are slightly overlapped by steel plates placed on and connected to the frame. The top surface of the steel plates is machined to render the same coplanar.The frame has orthogonal ribs, and a plurality of bosses formed with apertures therethrough for passage of connecting screws which thread into tapped holes formed in the steel plates. Any excessive length of the screws will be cut off during the machining operation.

Abstract: A cylinder and dial type circular knitting machine not operable in interlock gating because of interference between cylinder and dial needles is provided with needles and needle controlling camming enabling the machine to produce interlock fabric in interlock gating.

Abstract: A lightweight vacuum cleaner having a hollow body with an intake nozzle and a nozzle support tube at one end, a suction creating means removably latched at the other end, and a filter bag assembly positioned in a compartment therebetween. The filter bag assembly includes a sealing and support plate having an integral guide tube for receiving the nozzle support tube through one end and a substantially U-shaped frame. An air permeable filter bag having a neck and a tubular body communicating with the interior of a main bag body is positioned between the legs of the U-shaped frame with the tubular neck removably secured about the guide tube.

Abstract: A patterning device for a tufting machine including a rotary shaft carrying three cams and driven in timed relationship with the tufting machine. Two of the cams each act to cyclically oscillate a respective pawl carrying carriage in opposite directions toward and away from the other during a substantial portion of each cycle. Two sets of ratchet teeth one for each pawl are secured to an output drive member which may be coupled to a tufting machine fabric or needle bar shifting system. A programmable pattern controller drive in synchronization with the shaft selectively controls the engagement of the pawls with the respective set of ratchet teeth during a portion of the cycle when each carrier is moving in a first non-coupling direction and when the directions reverse motion is transmitted to the ratchet by the engaged pawl. The third cam controls a locking tooth to cyclically engage with and disengage from a set of teeth in a locking and alignment plate secured to the output drive member.

Abstract: A tufting machine having a needle plate supported for lateral movement relative to the needles. The needle plate may be shifted laterally in accordance with a pattern. The support for the needle plate includes a pair of laterally extending rods movable in bearing members secured to the tufting machine. Picker rolls on the leading edge of the needle plate provide a positive gripping action between the backing fabric and the needle plate during the shifting movements.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of making a very dense tufted fabric using a programmed intermittent backing fabric feed in combination with means for changing the relative lateral displacement of the point of needle penetration into the backing fabric. The method in general comprises feeding a backing fabric through the machine, tufting stitches into the backing, stopping the fabric feed and initiating relative lateral displacement between the backing fabric and the needles, tufting additional stitches into the backing fabric and either initiating further relative displacement between the backing fabric and the needles and tufting again or feeding the fabric forward and repeating the process.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed in which the main driving mechanism of a sewing machine is harnessed simultaneously to actuate a thread wiper and a tension release mechanism for the sewing machine. Operation of the mechanism may be initiated by a solenoid which may be advantageously small in size and power since the solenoid does not supply any of the driving force incident to the operation of the thread wiper or tension release mechanisms.