Abstract: An individually controlled needle tufting machine has a reciprocable latch bar for latching and unlatching selective needle holders, each needle holder being guided between a pair of guide plates and carrying a respective needle so that each needle selectively may be driven by the latch bar. The guide plates each include a plurality of curvilinear ridges and the edges of the needle holder are curvilinear and are received within a respective spaced apart pair of ridges within which they are guided as the needle holder reciprocates. The plates include vertically spaced apart inserts within which the ridges are formed. The needle holder has a yarn clamp mounted internally adjacent the bottom and a leaf spring has a leg mounted externally of the holder and has a leg entering internally to act upon and urge the yarn clamp.

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 cut/loop hook and clip module for use in a tufting machine has a molded body member including a plurality of tufting machine hooks cast therein in side-by-side relationship. The hooks have a beak at one end, a blade extending from the beak to a shank and a mounting portion of the shank extending remote from the beak. An elongated groove is formed in the shank and the mounting portion for receiving the tail portion of a cooperating clip. The clip includes a creased and bowed flag portion at one end of the tail portion. The hook includes a detent in the form of a notch adjacent the groove and the tail portion includes a detent in the form of a nub which is positionable into the notch to locate the clip so that the creased flag portion is in proper relationship relative to the beak of the hook. The flag portion of the clip is positioned on the side of the hook opposite to that having the groove with the flag portion biased against the blade adjacent the end of the beak.

Abstract: A tufting machine including a reciprocating needle bar carrying needles has a yarn jerker including a stationary adjustable yarn guide and a combination yarn jerker and threader carried by the needle bar. The jerker-threader has a substantially U-shape configuration with little mass offset from the needle bar. At least one arm of the jerker-threader is substantially parallel to the axis of elongation of the needles. The stationary guide has a leg which is also substantially parallel to the axis of elongation of the needle. The stationary yarn guide, the jerker-threader and the needles each have eyelets parallel to one another. The jerker-threader and the yarn guide are spaced apart by a relatively small distance and are offset one from the other. The construction permits the apparatus to occupy only a small amount of space in the tufting machine and has very little mass offset from the needle bar in comparison to prior yarn jerker systems.

Abstract: A tufting machine having spaced apart needle modules removably mounted on a needle bar in the tufting machine, the modules having notches at opposite side edges remote from the needles. Each side edge is of a generally half U-shape configuration so that when two modules are mounted side-by-side a substantially U-shape recess is formed at the abutting sides. A clamping plate is secured by a fastener extending through each recess to clamp against the pair of adjacent modules. A cut-out at a central portion of each module at the edge remote from the needles receives a locating member which is adjustably secured to the needle bar, the locating member abutting the edges of the cut-out to precisely locate each module. In another embodiment, a tab formed as part of a gauging bar is temporarily positioned within the recess to locate modules not having the central cut-out.

Abstract: A yarn feed roller assembly for a tufting machine for selectively controlling the speed at which yarn is fed to each needle of the tufting machine so that different pile heights may be produced by each needle. The assembly has a pivotable control arm corresponding to each needle and carrying a pair of narrow width feed rollers. Each control arm is a thin plate so as to reduce the amount of space required and to permit each needle to be individually controlled. Each feed roller associated with an arm correponds to a different pile height and is adapted to engage and be driven by a corresponding drive roller rotatably driven from the tufting machine at a different speed from each other drive roller. A yarn strand directed to a corresponding needle is first guided between the drive rollers and the feed rollers of the control arm. Each control arm may be pivoted about a fulcrum to engage a selected feed roller with its corresponding drive roller to feed the yarn to the needles at a corresponding speed.

Abstract: A yarn feed roller assembly for a tufting machine has a number of sets of rollers about which yarn is adapted to be wound and fed to the needles of the tufting machine. A number of drive shafts each carrying a number of clutches and a like number of feed gears are each driven at a different rotational speed. Each clutch has a first part fixed for rotation with the shaft and a second part rotatably fastened to the corresponding feed gear and axially moveable relative to that feed gear. The feed gear is rotatably mounted on each drive shaft and upon actuation of a particular clutch the feed gear associated therewith is drivingly connected to the shaft for rotation therewith. Respective feed gears of the corresponding shafts are in meshing relationship with one another with a corresponding gear on a respective set of yarn feed rollers so that upon coupling of a particular feed gear to its shaft the yarn feed roller set associated therewith is driven at a speed related to that shaft.

Abstract: A tufting machine having a needle bar moveable transversely to the direction of movement of the base material has a stitch placement drive including a stepper cam and a cam drive adapted selectively to rotate the cam through a predetermined angle and in a predetermined direction. A sensor operative in response to the position of the needles energizes the cam drive when the needles are in a retracted position. The cam drive includes a motor, and gearing provided between the motor and the cam so that one revolution of the gearing causes rotation of the cam through an angle substantially equal to the angular separation of the steps about the periphery of the cam. The motor is braked when it is in a datum position as determined by a second sensor coupled to the motor, the brake and an indexing pattern device which controls the rotational direction and number of revolutions made by the motor.

Abstract: A carpet roll machine having a pair of drivable rollers arranged to define a supporting nip on which a roll of carpet can be formed. A lower deflector between the rollers and in sliding contact with at least one of them selectively presents an upwardly facing slide surface. An upper deflector is moveable between a first position wherein it is disposed above the lower deflector and a rest position remote from the first position. In the first position the upper deflector presents a downwardly facing slide surface which together with the slide surface of the lower deflector and the adjacent rollers define a cylindrical space into which the end of a piece of carpet can be fed and constrained to follow a cylindrical path to form an incipient roll. The lower deflector is pivotable between positions wherein it contacts one or the other of the rollers enabling a pile-in or pile-out roll to be formed.

Abstract: Faults can be detected in sheet material, particularly in tufted fabric during manufacture of same, by scanning a surface of the material with an electrical scanning device which produces an electrical output representative of characteristics of the scanned surface. The electrical output is monitored to detect deviations from a norm representative of a fault condition. The scanning may be effected with a scanning device, comprising for example a light receiver which picks up reflected or transmitted light from the material, which is moved across the sheet transversely to the direction of advancement of the sheet.

Abstract: A tufting machine hood module having a number of hooks embedded within a common cast body member in side-by-side disposition. The hooks are of the staggered type with alternate hooks having a first blade length and the intermediate hooks having a second and different blade length. The throats of all of the hooks are transversely aligned so that when the hooks require regrinding the throats may be ground as a unit.

Abstract: A cut pile tufting machine having needle plate backing support fingers oscillated in timed relationship with the hooks and the needles of the machine to support the backing material during needle penetration and to withdraw from the needle path as the hooks move across the needle path to seize loops. The needle plate is mounted on a rocker arm carried by a common rock shaft with the rocker arm on which the hooks are mounted so that the needle plate together with the fingers oscillate in opposition to the oscillation of the hooks. As the hooks move toward the needle center line the fingers move away and as the hooks move away from the needle center the fingers move toward the needle center line.

Abstract: A method of grinding tufting machine knife modules having a plurality of knives fixed in a common knife block in spaced parallel disposition. In a first form a remote knife of the block is secured in a fixed disposition and the other knives are loaded toward that knife with the free ends of the knives in a mutual abutment, the composite end face of all the knives thereafter being simultaneously ground to form an outwardly concave surface configuration in the composite end faces. In an alternate loading arrangement the blades on opposite sides are loaded toward the middle of the module. In a preferred arrangement the knife blades are maintained in spaced parallel disposition but collectively deflected to bring the end faces into co-planar relationship and thereafter ground in conformity with the common plane. A jig and grinding set up are illustrated for this latter arrangement.

Abstract: A cut/loop tufting machine looper/clip assembly wherein a pair of body members respectively support a plurality of loopers or clips. The body members have complimentary reference surfaces for co-operative mating engagement of the members and for engagement of a flag on the clip resiliently with the nose of the looper as required for tufting cut pile and loop pile selectively. The body members are secured together to form a modular unit for installation in the tufting machine.

Abstract: A cutting instrumentality for tufting machines having a multiplicity of knife bar modules arranged in end-to-end disposition to form a knife bar of a length coextensive with the intended operating width of the tufting machine. Each module has a multiplicity of spaced apart parallel holes each for receiving a knife block mounting spigot. Each knife block supports a plurality of knives in parallel side-by-side disposition on each side of a central web. The knives are secured within the block by capping pieces slidable on pins within an aperature in the block and engageable with an edge of selected knives. Each capping piece acts on a pair of knives, one on each side of the web. A member threaded into the block operates on each capping piece to secure the knives in position.