Modular Gauging Element Assembly
A modular gauging element assembly for a tufting machine is provided that allows for broken and damaged gauging elements of the tufting machine to be replaced. The modular gauging element assembly includes a series of gauge modules each having a module body including a series of spaced slots in which gauge elements are received. Locating devices help position the gauge modules along their gauge bars, after which the gauge modules can be mounted in place by fasteners received through the gauge modules.
The present patent application is a formalization of previously filed, co-pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/913,948, filed Apr. 25, 2007. This patent application claims the benefit of the filing date of the cited provisional patent application according to the statutes and rules governing provisional patent applications, particularly USC § 119(e)(1) and 37 CFR § 1.78(a)(4) and (a)(5). The specification and drawings of the provisional patent application are specifically incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention generally relates to the design and assembly of gauge parts for tufting machines, and in particular to gauge modules for tufting machines to enable easy and efficient replacement of the gauging elements in a tufting machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONDuring the operation of tufting machines, a series of needles mounted along a reciprocating needle bar and carrying a series of yarns penetrate a backing material and are engaged by a series of hooks or loopers for forming cut and loop pile tufts of yarn in the backing material. Such engagement requires close precision in the positioning and operation of the needles and the hooks or loopers to ensure efficient and accurate operation of the tufting machine. During assembly of the tufting machines, therefore, it is important that the needles, loopers, hooks, and/or other gauge parts be accurately mounted along their respective gauge bars to ensure that such gauge parts are accurately and consistently spaced and positioned along their gauge bars. If the gauge parts are misaligned, the individual gauge parts can become broken or damaged, and tufts of yarns can be mis-sewn, resulting in inaccurate or irregular patterns being formed, which carpets have to be discarded.
Accordingly, it has been common practice to assemble gauge parts, such as loopers or hooks in modules, including cast modules in which the loopers or hooks are cast or mounted in a solid block or module, typically including five to ten, or more, individual gauge parts, precisely spaced in a series. These modules then are mounted on a gauge bar to help ensure substantially consistent and accurate spacing of the gauge parts. One problem that arises, however, is that typically with such cast modules, especially where such modules are used in smaller gauge (i.e., 10 gauge or less) tufting machines, if a single gauging element or part fails, (such as becoming broken or dull), the whole gauge module generally must be replaced. Such replacement of the modules is often time consuming and expensive and can require removal and replacement of several undamaged or fully functional gauging elements or parts within each of the modules, which leads to potential waste of other gauging elements or parts in the module that are still operable.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for an easily replaceable gauge module that addresses the foregoing and other related and unrelated problems in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBriefly described, in one embodiment, the present invention generally relates to a modular gauging element assembly for use in a tufting machine that facilitates and enables easy and accurate installation and replacement of gauge elements or parts of the tufting machine, including needles, loopers, or hooks. The modular gauging element assembly generally includes an elongated gauge bar, such as a hook bar, needle bar, etc., typically having a series of spaced openings or recesses in which a series of gauge modules are received. A shoulder or ledge further is formed along a lower or bottom edge of each gauge bar, extending beneath the recesses or openings for receiving the gauge modules.
Each of the gauge modules generally includes a module body having front and rear faces, parallel sides, and upper and lower portions terminating at upper and lower edges, respectively. A series of spaced openings or slots generally can be formed in the module body of each gauge module, spaced in series across the top and front faces of each module body. A series of gauging elements or gauge parts generally will be received within such slots or openings formed in the module bodies. Such gauging elements generally can include loop pile loopers, cut pile hooks, level cut loop loopers or hooks, needles, reeds, or other gauge parts. Such gauging elements can be removably secured within the body of the gauge module, such as by one or more fasteners inserted within and engaging or holding the gauging elements in place, or can be cast in place in the modules, with the gauge modules being cast from a metal material such as aluminum or other similar material.
The gauge modules further will include one or more guide members or locating elements/devices such as a tab, one or more pins or projections, a detent, or other similar locating device mounted or formed along the rear side surface of each gauge module. Such locating devices are adapted to engage or fit within the corresponding openings or slots formed along the gauge bar for receiving the gauge modules, to assist in mounting the gauge modules to the gauge bar in a desired horizontal alignment or position.
In addition, a locating element or member generally can be formed along the lower portion of each gauge module along the rear sides surface thereof, and can include a ledge or other similar projection, pin, or other elements adapted to engage the shoulder or ledge formed along the lower edge of the gauge bar to help provide a vertical fixation point for the gauge modules. As a result, the gauge modules each can be located in a desired position both horizontally and vertically along the gauge bar, and can be provided with further support for resisting any upward pulling movement of the yarns acting thereon during a tufting operation. Thereafter, a fastener, such as a set screw or other similar fastener can be received through each gauge module and through a corresponding opening formed in the gauge bar for securing the gauge modules to the gauge bar.
Various features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,
As indicated in
A series of spaced openings 31 further are formed in the front facing surface 29 of each gauge bar 21. While the openings 31 are shown in one example embodiment as substantially rectangularly shaped channels or recesses that extend vertically through the front facing surface of the gauge bar, between the upper and lower surfaces 26 and 27 thereof, other types or configurations of such openings, including substantially horizontally oriented slots, recesses, channels, one or more substantially circular holes, or other similar elements/openings also can be formed in the gauge bars. Additionally, an elongated shoulder or ledge 32 further typically will be formed along the lower edge or corner portion between the lower or bottom surface 27 and forwardly facing surface 29 of the gauge bar, extending longitudinally along the length of the gauge bar and forming a recessed area below the slots or openings 31 thereof. As indicated in
As indicated in
The rearwardly extending upper section 43 of the rear face or side 41 further typically engages or rests on the upper surface of the gauge bar, as indicated in
As additionally indicated in
As further indicated in
The gauging elements or gauge parts 11 are shown in the drawings, for purposes of illustration, as including cut pile hooks or loopers 13, or alternatively, as level cut loop loopers or hooks 13′ as indicated in
For installation of the gauge modules 35 of the modular gauging assembly 10 of the present invention, after the gauge bar has been installed within the tufting machine, each gauge module can be aligned with the desired receiving opening of the gauge bar and slid or pivoted upwardly from below the gauge bar and will be substantially automatically guided and located in their desired location or placement both vertically and horizontally along the gauge bar. Thereafter, the gauging modules can be fixedly mounted in place by the insertion of the fasteners 51 (
As a result of the construction of the present invention, the gauge modules can be quickly and easily located both horizontally and vertically so as to enable substantially greater uniformity of alignment of the gauging elements or gauge parts within the tufting machine. In addition, removal and installation of the gauge modules on a finished or operational tufting machine is further facilitated by the simple removal of the fastener 51 and thereafter the removal and replacement of the gauge modules since the gauge modules are substantially automatically located within their desired or proper alignment along the gauge bars, which alignment can be easily monitored or checked and corrected, without having to break down and remove the gauge bar or other elements of the tufting machine in order to replace or reinstall the gauge modules. In addition, the lower locating element helps provide a further vertical fixation point for the gauge modules to help align/locate the modules on the gauge bar as well as helping resist any upward pulling movement or motion acting thereon due to the loops of yarns that are caught on the gauging elements and are being pulled upwardly with the retraction or reciprocation of the needles out of the backing material so as to further help reduce pull-back or back robbing of the yarns and enhance uniformity of the tufts of yarns being formed in the backing material.
It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that while the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous variations, modifications, and additions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A modular gauging element assembly for a tufting machine, comprising:
- a series of gauge modules each including a module body having a front face, a rear face, an upper portion, a lower portion, and a plurality of spaced openings formed in said upper portion and said front face of said module body;
- a gauge bar mounted within the tufting machine, adapted to receive said gauge modules in desired positions along the gauge bar and including a shoulder formed along a lower portion of said gauge bar;
- at least one guide member located along said rear surface of each module body and adapted to engage said gauge bar to horizontally align each gauge module along said gauge bar;
- a locating element extending transversely along said lower portion of each module body and adapted to engage said shoulder of said gauge bar to vertically align and support said gauge modules along said gauge bar;
- a fastener received through each of said gauge modules and engaging a corresponding fastener opening within said gauge bar when said guide member of said gauge module is received in its desired position along said gauge bar; and
- a plurality of gauge elements each received within one of said spaced openings of said module bodies of said gauge modules.
2. The modular gauging element assembly of claim 1 and wherein said gauge elements comprise loop pile loopers.
3. The modular gauging element assembly of claim 1 and wherein said gauge elements comprise cut pile hooks.
4. The modular gauging element assembly of claim 1 and wherein said gauge elements comprise needles.
5. The modular gauging element assembly of claim 1 and wherein each module body of said gauge modules is cast with said gauge elements mounted therein.
6. The module gauging element assembly of claim 1 and wherein said gauge elements comprise level cut loop loopers.
7. The module gauging element assembly of claim 1 and further comprising at least one fastener received within said module body of each gauge module for affixing said gauge elements within said spaced openings of each said module body.
8. In a tufting machine for forming a series of tufts of yarns in a backing material, the improvement comprising:
- at least one gauge bar having a longitudinally extending ledge and a plurality of receiving sites located in spaced series along said gauge bar; and
- a plurality of gauge modules each comprising a front side, rear side, top and bottom portions, at least one first locating element along said rear side thereof and adapted to engage one of said receiving sides of said gauge bar for horizontally locating said gauge module along said gauge bar, and at least one second locating element adjacent said bottom portion of said gauge module and adapted to engage said ledge of said guide bar for vertically locating said gauge module along said gauge bar; and
- gauge parts received within said top portions of said gauge modules, projecting from said front sides thereof.
9. The tufting machine of claim 8 and wherein said gauge parts comprise loop pile loopers.
10. The tufting machine of claim 8 and wherein said gauge parts comprise cut pile hooks.
11. The tufting machine of claim 8 and wherein said gauge parts comprise needles.
12. The tufting machine of claim 8 and wherein said gauge parts comprise level cut loop loopers.
13. The tufting machine of claim 8 and wherein each module body of said gauge modules is cast with said gauge parts mounted therein.
14. The tufting machine of claim 8 and wherein said gauge modules further comprise a series of spaced slots each adapted to receive one of said gauge parts therein, and fasteners received along said front sides of said gauge modules for releasably mounting said gauge parts within said gauge modules.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 27, 2007
Publication Date: Oct 30, 2008
Inventor: Marshal Allen Neely (Soddy Daisy, TN)
Application Number: 11/845,478
International Classification: D05C 15/20 (20060101);