Abstract: A yarn feed system (10) for a tufting machine comprises multiple pairs of feed rollers (11, 12) disposed one pair above the other. One of each pair of rollers (12) comprises multiple independent side-by-side axially aligned feed roller elements (13), each roller element (13) being mounted on a tufting machine in a releasable mounting (17, 18). In use the feed roller elements (13) can be released from the mounting (17, 18) if it is required to change the pattern to be produced in a tufted fabric or a thread breaks and the yarn feed system of the invention minimises the amount of rethreading necessary in these circumstances.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a hook bar for mounting a plurality of hooks and is secured to a plurality of drive links driven by oscillating rocker arms from a rock shaft, and includes a plurality of resilient leaf springs secured at spaced apart locations to the hook bar and to a fixed member in the bed of the tufting machine. The leaf springs provide a low oscillating mass support for the hook bar in the plane of oscillation. Tension tie-rods extend laterally between adjacent drive links to counteract the lateral loads of the knives against the hooks.

Abstract: A tufting machine having laterally shifting needles has a controlled amount of yarn fed to the needles, the amount of yarn being appropriate for the insertion of a diagonal back stitch such as arises during lateral shift of the needles relative to a backing material during the tufting operation. The yarn is wrapped about a plurality of rotating feed rollers each driven at a constant speed, the rollers having a smooth surface so that the yarn slips on the rollers until the needles induce sufficient tension on the yarn to cause it to grip and be driven by the rollers. The speed of the rollers is greater than the required to accommodate the yarn requirements of the needles if no slippage occurred between the yarn and the rollers. An additive tension may be applied between the feed rollers and the needles by a leaf spring and an anvil against which the leaf spring is biased, the yarn being fed between the anvil and the spring.

Abstract: A tufting machine has an adjustable needle stroke mechanism including an adjustable variable eccentric drive. The output of the drive is applied to a transversely extending oscillatable mainshaft by means of a fixed length rocker arm adjustably clamped to the mainshaft. The mainshaft is adapted to carry rocker arms at each push rod for reciprocating the push rods and thus the needles. The variable eccentric drive includes a circular cam eccentrically disposed between a pair of drive plates mounted on and rotatably driven by a cam shaft. The cam drives a connecting rod for driving the fixed length rocker arm. The cam is connected by bolts to the drive plates extending through holes in the cam and elongated slots in the drive plates. The eccentricity of the cam may be adjusted by moving the cam relative to the cam shaft and securing the bolts at different locations within the drive plate slots.

Abstract: An indexing mechanism for a tufting machine for indexing a needle bar or a backing material feed roller has three oscillating input gear sectors, a drive transmission corresponding to each gear sector, an output member and a programmable selector mechanism for each drive transmission for periodically selectively coupling the corresponding drive transmission with the respective gear sector. The drive transmissions include a pair of epicyclic gear assemblies having planet gears mounted within a common planet cage. The sun gear of one of the assemblies is connected to a flywheel coupled to a transfer gear which may be selectively moved to receive motion from a first sector. The ring gear of one epicyclic gear assembly is coupled to a second transfer gear which may be selectively moved to receive motion from a second gear sector. The other epicyclic gear assembly has its ring gear coupled to a third transfer gear which may be selectively moved to receive motion from the third gear sector.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a transversely shiftable needle bar driven by a pattern cam, the needle bar is further acted upon by biasing mechanism arranged to urge it in a direction opposite to the direction it is being driven by the cam so as to take up the lost motion due to clearances in the cam drive system. The specific biasing mechanism disclosed is an air thruster acting on a pivotably mounted bracket having a roller acting on the needle bar in opposition to the load applied by the cam. The load is applied by a pivotably mounted arm connected to the cam drive. The arm is also connected by a rod to the bracket as an assurance.

Abstract: A yarn tension detector having a cage-like form pivotably moveable between predetermined limits about the pivot point and under the control of the tension of a moving yarn. The detector includes a pair of spaced abutment members in an electrical circuit with a lamp. The cage-like member makes a circuit whenever it engages one or the other of the abutments to thereby cause the bulb to light. The member also includes oppositely directed guide formations about which a yarn is trained and as the yarn is fed from a creel to, for example, a tufting machine the tension in the yarn as it moves through the guide formations pivots the member. One of the guide formations progressively opens when the yarn tension is in excess of a predetermined high tension to release the yarn from the detector after it has indicated the yarn tension fault.