Abstract: Air spliced yarn and associated method and apparatus for forming the spliced yarn. The spliced yarn has the ends extending in a common direction laterally of the body of the yarn with the fiber components of the spliced ends of yarn being intimately entangled with each other and forming a commingled projection of entangled fiber components extending laterally from the body of the yarn. The spliced yarn is disclosed for connecting a running package of yarn to a reserve package of yarn as in a yarn creel feeding a bank of yarns to a carpet tufting machine.The apparatus comprises a hand held manually actuatable air valve for compressed air connected to a housing having a hollow wall. The housing has an open ended passageway therethrough for receiving side-by-side yarn ends facing in the same direction. A series of openings for entrance of compressed air into the passageway extend through the inner wall of the housing for effecting air entanglement of the ends of yarn positioned in the passageway.

Abstract: Air spliced yarn and associated method and apparatus for forming the spliced yarn. The spliced yarn has the ends extending in a common direction laterally of the body of the yarn with the fiber components of the spliced ends of yarn being intimately entangled with each other and forming a commingled projection of entangled fiber components extending laterally from the body of the yarn. The spliced yarn is disclosed for connecting a running package of yarn to a reserve package of yarn as in a yarn creel feeding a bank of yarns to a carpet tufting machine.The apparatus comprises a hand held manually actuatable air valve for compressed air connected to a housing having a hollow wall. The housing has an open ended passageway therethrough for receiving side-by-side yarn ends facing in the same direction. A series of openings for entrance of compressed air into the passageway extend through the inner wall of the housing for effecting air entanglement of the ends of yarn positioned in the passageway.

Abstract: A textile winder has manually actuatable yarn air splicers mounted on the winder closely adjacent the path of travel of the yarn from its source to the yarn package being wound. The yarn air splicers mainly serve for connecting the yarn from the trailing end of the relatively large package being wound to the leading end of the yarn from the source of supply, such as skeins of yarn carried by a creel.A yarn end severing means is mounted adjacent each yarn air splicer for severing the ends of the yarn to be spliced so as to obtain substantially coextensive yarn ends for facilitating splicing and obtaining more effective splicing. Manually performed methods of operation of the yarn air splicer and associated yarn end severing means by the winder attendant are also disclosed.

Abstract: A needle bar of modular construction for use in a tufting machine wherein each of the modular units has a mounting bracket with a plurality of uniformly spaced apart tubes soldered thereto and each tube receives the shank of a tufting needle therein with fastener means penetrating the tubes for engaging and securing the tufting needles within the tubes.

Abstract: A modular construction of needle bars wherein each of the modular units thereof comprises a mounting bracket having a first flange portion and a second flange portion arranged at right angles to each other and wherein a plurality of tufting needles each having a shank portion and an opposing tapered end having a transversely arranged yarn receiving eye therein are secured to the first flange by the shank portions of the needles being soldered thereto so that the needles are in uniformly spaced apart parallel relation with the eyes of the needles in alignment with each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for weaving pile fabrics of the type whose pile tufts are formed by shogging pile yarns weftwise over warpwise extending pile wires. Two sets of pile yarns are employed extending through respective sets of pile yarn guides arranged in weftwise rows on a loom, and the pile yarn guides, with the pile yarns extending therethrough are pattern controlled in such a manner that, in the forming of warpwise extending rows of pile tufts on the fabric, pile tufts are, at times, formed in each row from one set of pile yarns and at other times pile tufts are formed in each row from the other set of pile yarns, and the pile yarn set which is not forming pile tufts is forming floats between the warpwise extending rows of pile tufts.

Abstract: Tufted pile fabrics formed from two sets of pile yarns and groups of ground warp yarns wherein the number of pile yarns forming the face of the fabric remains constant throughout the fabric so as to normally provide a uniform pile density. Each of the sets of pile yarns is at times forming pile tufts and at other times is hidden from view by being floated and woven with the base. Further, one warp-wise extending row of pile tufts formed from pile yarns of both sets is provided for each group of ground warp yarns.

Abstract: The tufting machine has a pair of elongate needle bars with respective rows of tufting needles thereon extending transversely of the machine and normally forming a single row of aligned needles for serving as one needle bar during each turfting operation, with the needles in one row arranged in alternation with the needles in the other row. The needle bars and needles are so constructed and arranged that the needles in one row are shiftable laterally out of and laterally back into alignment with the needles in the other row. While the needles in one row are out of alignment with the needles in the other row, either or both rows of needles are shiftable longitudinally for changing the order of the needles when the needles are again shifted back into alignment with each other.