Abstract: A tufting machine and method of tufting on a backing fabric, where the machine for carrying out the method includes a needle push bar, loopers, a needle selector for selecting certain ones of the needles at every needle stroke cycle and for inserting the selected needles into the backing fabric, a feeder for intermittently and longitudinally feeding the backing fabric in a stop and feed manner, a shifter and a pattern controller. The backing fabric remains stationary in the longitudinal direction during a stopping period which is at least one needle stroke cycle in duration and may be fed during a succeeding feeding stroke period. The shifter aligns selected ones of the needles each with any one of an associated plurality of the loopers by effecting relative lateral shifting movement between the needle push bar and both the loopers and the backing fabric while the backing fabric remains stationary in the longitudinal direction during the stopping period.

Abstract: An intermittent drive for a backing fabric feed is applied to a tufting machine together with a needle select apparatus, a pattern control, and a mechanism for laterally shifting a needle or the backing fabric. The intermittent drive moves the backing fabric feed in such a manner as to continuously stop the feed roller and the take-up roller over several needle stroke cycles, and to drive those rollers while the needle is not yet in the backing fabric in the first needle stroke cycle just after the stop. The pattern control provides the needle select apparatus with a signal so that of the needles can be selected and brought into the tufting engagement with the looper disposed under the laterally shifted needles to seize only one loop of pile yarn in any one of the needle stroke cycles of each periodic time of a stop and feed motion of the intermittent drive feed for the backing fabric.