Abstract: A tufting machine having a broken yarn detector including a multiplicity of yarn engaging fingers mounted in a support block secured to the frame of the tufting machine. Each finger has an eyelet at one end for receiving a strand of yarn and is pivotably mounted on a rod externally of the mounting block so that the fingers may be supported by the yarn in a raised position during normal operation, but pivotably drops when the yarn is broken. The rod is secured in position by a number of clamping blocks attached to the mounting block, the clamping blocks also having slots aligned with the slots in the mounting block at the location where the clamping blocks are secured for receiving the external ends of the fingers so as not to impede the pivotable movement. A light generator and a photoconductive receiver are mounted for detecting when a finger drops, the finger interrupting the transmission of the light beam to provide a signal which may be used to stop the tufting machine.

Abstract: A tufting machine having a pair of rows of spaced apart needles which are independently selectively reciprocated in a path toward and away from a base material fed in a direction longitudinally from one row to the other through the machine. The machine includes drive mechanism including push rods which reciprocate during each cycle. A yoke is secured to each push rod and has a pair of downwardly depending limbs spaced apart longitudinally and corresponding to a respective row. The limbs for each row carry an air cylinder latching bar including latches which are controlled in accordance with a pattern. The needles are each carried by a respective needle holder mounted between the limbs and each needle holder may be coupled to the latch bar corresponding to that row selectively.

Abstract: A mounting comb for a tufting machine for mounting the needle plate fingers so that the fingers may be readily replaced without requiring substantial cutting of base material. The combs have a base member including a plurality of slots for receiving respective elongated fingers, and at least one securing member releasably assembled to the base member for positively locking the fingers in the comb. In two embodiments the base member has a shallow elongated channel and one securing member is positionable within the channel to clamp the fingers into the slots. In one of these embodiments the securing member is a thin elongated bar, while in the other the securing member is a portion of a base plate upon which the comb is mounted. In another embodiment the base portion and the securing portion each have spaced lands including finger receiving slots through each of the lands.

Abstract: A hand-held tufting mending gun has a piston within a cylinder pivotably mounted on a plate, the piston rod being eccentrically connected to a crank pin on a rotatable drive disk. The plate has an inlet port and an outlet port for registering cyclically with a respective port at each end of the cylinder. When an inlet port registers with a cylinder port at one end, the other cylinder port registers with the opposite outlet port. Also eccentrically connected to the drive disk is a needle driving crank arm for reciprocating a shuttle carrying a hollow needle carrier supporting a hollow needle. A high pressure air source fed to the gun housing is directed to the inlet ports and to the needle carrier, the latter for blowing the yarn through the hollow needle. Air entering the inlet ports feeds first one cylinder port and then the other to drive the piston, and exhausts from the unfed end of the cylinder through the cooperating outlet port.

Abstract: A knife block for mounting four knives in staggered needle fine gauge tufting machines having a pair of dovetail shaped inserts slidably received within a pair of dovetail shaped cavities formed on opposite sides of a central web in a block body member. The inserts include a pair of rectangular grooves sized to receive tufting knives. One groove cooperates with the web to form a knife receiving channel and the other groove, which is laterally offset from the first grove by the machine stagger, is undercut from the outer face of the insert to provide another knife receiving channel. A clamping member locks both outer knives in the channels, and screw members lock each of the inner knives in the respective channels.