Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to the tufting of rugs, carpets, and the like and provides a needle system which may be used for implanting tufts into a backing layer where the yarn is cut into discrete bits prior to tufting. The invention has particular utility in the Spanel et al pneumatic transfer multi-color selection system, but is not to be limited to either pneumatic systems or multi-color selection systems.
2. Prior Art
The subject invention may be used in conjunction with many of the embodiments disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,147 which issued to Abram N. Spanel and George J. Brennan on Jan. 12, 1971 and Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 27,165 which issued Aug. 10, 1971 to Abram N. Spanel and Loy E. Barton. Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 27,165 discloses a pneumatic system in which yarn strands and discrete bits of yarn may be transported pneumatically to a loading station where they are applied by a bit-applying element to the backing layer. A double needle is disclosed as the bit-applying element in a number of the embodiments. U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,147 discloses an alternative system to Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 27,165 and provides for the simultaneous selection of bit-lengths of yarn of different colors for each tufting cycle at each individual needle station. Double needles may be used with the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,147 also.
While double needles with closed eyes can be used efficiently in tufting systems which produce cut-pile products, a modified needle may be desirable to produce loop pile rugs. Also, with double needles, flexibility in producing a combination of loop and cut-pile products is lacking.
A clamping means is required in several of the embodiments of the subject invention and in one particular embodiment an example of a clamping member which is internally disposed within the needle shank, is disclosed. While U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,644 which issued to W. W. Freedle et al. on Mar. 19, 1957 discloses an internally disposed plunger member, there is neither intent nor disclosure of the operable combination of a synchronized needle and clamp necessary for automatic operation in the subject tufting machine invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a tufting needle system for a pneumatic multi-color selection tufting machine in which both loop-pile and cut-pile tufts may be produced in the same product if desired.
Another object of the subject invention is to provide a multi-needle system for use in multi-color selection systems in which conventional looper and knife arrangements may be used to release certain of the tufts from their needles after tufting.
The subject invention may be used in conjunction with the systems disclosed in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,147 and Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 27,165 and discloses a method and means of tufting utilizing three needles which act cooperatively to produce a series of tufts one of which may be a looped-pile tuft while the others may be cut-pile tufts. In a preferred embodiment, the yarn may be clamped at the central needle which then withdraws through the backing layer to form a central tuft. The needles on the right and left of the central needle then descend and the yarn bit passes through the eyes of the left and right needles after these needles draw the yarn bit through the backing layer. The central needle may have an open eye with a camming surface at least for casting off a loop tuft, or it may have a closed eye with a cutting means arranged to operate in cooperation therewith to cut the yarn loop to form a cut-pile tuft. In some of the embodiments the same member serves as both a clamp and a cutting member.
In another preferred embodiment the central needle has a closed eye and is rotatable through 90° to enable the use of conventional looper and cutter devices to cut the loop of yarn free from the eye.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more detailed understanding of the invention, reference is made in the following description to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a tufting machine in which the herein described needle system may be used;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the three needle tufting station showing the central needle as having an internal clamp;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the clamp pin in its clamping position;
FIG. 4 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 3 and showing the central needle pulling the yarn through the backing layer;
FIG. 5 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the central needle reaching a desired down position;
FIG. 6 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 5 but also showing the outer needles beginning their downward descent;
FIG. 7 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the outer needles in their desired down position with the ends of the yarn bit free from the outer needles;
FIG. 8 is an isometric view showing a yarn loop being cast-off by the central needle;
FIG. 9 is an isometric view of an embodiment in which the internal clamp pin is replaced by a knife member which may also serve as a clamp;
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view showing the embodiment of FIG. 9 with the central needle beginning its downward descent;
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 9 showing the central needle in its desired down position with the outer needles descending;
FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 9 showing the cutting of the yarn;
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 9 showing the cutting of the center loop;
FIG. 13 is an isometric view of another knife and clamp combination embodiment;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 13 showing the central needle in its descending position;
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 13 showing the yarn tuft after being cut by the knife;
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment which utilizes conventional looper and cutting means;
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 16 showing the center yarn loop being cut; and
FIG. 18 is a plan view taken along the lines 18--18 of FIG. 16.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIG. 1, tufting apparatus is shown with which the three needle system of the subject invention may be utilized. Yarn supply means 10 is located adjacent yarn-metering device 12 in which yarn of selected lengths and colors is pneumatically fed through collator 16 to loading station 20. A separate color yarn strand may be fed through each of the channels 16R, 16W, 16B which lead into common passageway 18. The yarn is selected and supplied in the manner described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,147.
Once the yarn is fed to loading station 20, a cutter means 30 which may be adjustable to provide the desired length of yarn bit, cuts the yarn into discrete bits which are then pulled through a backing layer B as will be described by a series of needles 60, 61, 62. Needles 60, 61 are connected to needle bar 38 and operate off of cam 40. Needle 62 is connected to needle bar 68 and operates off of cam 41. A clamp 66 (FIG. 2) is associated with needle 62 and is connected to bar 35 which is shown operating off of cam 36. The backing B is shown being fed from supply roll 42 over idler roller 44 to drive roller 46 which is operated by a ratch and pawl mechanism 48. A suction pump 50 is shown for creating negative pressure for the pneumatic transfer of yarn from yarn-metering device 12 to loading station 20.
Motor 52 is shown as driving the entire device through a suitable transmission 54 which may be a train of gears, timing chains, or the like. The metering device 12 and the cutting device 30 are shown operating off of shaft 25 while needle means cam 40, 41, clamp 35 and backing drive ratch and pawl 48 are shown operating off of shaft 27 along with the schematic symbol 56 for the clock pulses for the pattern read-out. Thus, the schematic of FIG. 1 shows the means where desired bit-lengths of yarn are fed to the loading station where they are cut into discrete bits after threading into needles 60, 61, 62 when the needles are in their loading position as shown by the dotted lines. It is to be clearly understood that the invention disclosed herein is not limited to this particular tufting system and has utility with any type of pneumatic pressure flow system, either positive or negative, or a combination of the two, or where mechanical means are used to present the yarn in a loading position for tufting.
With reference to FIG. 2, one embodiment of the needle system is shown. Three needles are shown comprising a series with conventional closed eye needles shown as outer needles 60 and 61 and an open eye needle 62 shown as the central needle. With respect to central needle 62 the camming surface 64 of needle eye 63 which extends below needle eye opening 65 will be noted. Needle shank 67 of needle 62 extends to a drive bar means 68 which is separate from the drive bar 38 which operates the outer two needles 60 and 61. Disposed within needle shank 67 is a clamp pin 66 which extends down into drive bar 68 where it terminates in a plunger 69 which is biased downward by a return spring 70. An air-pressure cavity 71 is shown as providing the means by which said clamp pin 66 is forced to its upward position by the plunger 69 thereby overcoming the bias of spring 70 which will cause clamp pin 66 to clamp a yarn strand against the top of needle eye 63. It will be recognized that this means of operating clamp 66 may be used as an alternative to the cam operated means of FIG. 1.
The outer needles 60 and 61 are shown as being driven by needle bar 38 as shown in FIG. 2 which has a slot 72 for the central needle shank 67 to extend through. In the loading position, as shown, the needles are piercing the backing B and aligned to receive a yarn bit or yarn strand Y as shown. The yarn Y may be fed to its loading position, as shown, and then cut or it may be cut prior to the threading of the needles and fed as a discrete bit as disclosed in aforementioned Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 27,165. While FIG. 2 and succeeding figures do not show the yarn as being contained in a passageway such as passageway 18 of FIG. 1, it should be understood that this could be the case particularly if pneumatic means are used to transport the yarn into its loading position of threading the needles. It will be noted that eye 63 of central needle 62 must be aligned with the eyes 73 and 74 of outer needles 60 and 61 respectively.
With reference to FIG. 3, clamp pin 66 is shown moving to its clamping position whereby the yarn will be clamped against the interior top of needle eye 63 of central needle 62. In this position, clamp pin 66 is being forced up by air-pressure from a compressor, not shown, in cavity 71 which acts against plunger 69 to overcome the bias of spring 70.
While FIG. 3 shows the yarn being clamped after it has been cut by cutter 30 in the case where pneumatic pressure is used for transporting the yarn, it might be desirable to clamp the yarn prior to cutting to prevent it from being shifted by the pneumatic pressure subsequent to cutting.
In FIG. 4 central needle 62 is seen beginning its descent through backing B with yarn Y clamped firmly in place by clamp pin 66. It will be observed that clamp pin 66 serves to cause yarn to be drawn equally by needle 62 from both the direction of needle 60 and the direction of needle 61 thereby insuring equal length tufts as will become evident, provided, of course, the yarn bit is properly centered with respect to needle 62 at the time of clamping. The centering may be accomplished by a number of methods such as the yarn-metering technique of aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,147, for example.
The central needle 62 is shown reaching its desired total down position in FIG. 5 with the yarn still clamped in place by clamp pin 66. The loop that is herein formed, represented as A is extended to its full nap height at the down position. Once central needle 62 reaches its desired down position, needles 60 and 61 may start their descent and pull the two yarn legs C and D through the backing as shown in FIG. 6. Clamp 66 continues in its clamping position at this time.
With reference to FIG. 7, needles 60 and 61 reach their desired down position and as can be seen the yarn legs C and D of the yarn bit are left free of the needles having slipped out of needle eyes 73 and 74. At this point, the air pressure in chamber 71 may be turned off to enable spring-biased plunger 69 to return downward to retract the clamp pin 66 from its yarn-locking position.
As shown in FIG. 8, central needle 62 moves upwardly and yarn loop A is cast-off the inclined cam surface 64 which, in effect, cams the yarn loop out of the needle eye 63 through opening 65. It is to be noted that clamp pin 66 retracts to a position below the cam surface 64 so that it cannot interfere with this cast-off function. When yarn loop A is free of central needle 62, its ascent may momentarily stop and with the tufted yarn now free of all needles, 60, 61, 62, backing B may then move to the next tufting position in preparation for the next cycle and the next penetration of backing B by needles 60, 61, 62.
The closeness of succeeding stitches can, of course, be adjusted by the distance that the backing is moved forward. This allows rugs of varying density to be produced without unwanted gaps, since a better looking rug can be made by having needle 60 penetrate very close to the tuft formed by needle 61 in the preceding cycle. This would give a pattern of a looped tuft and two cut-pile tufts (from different piercing points in the backing) close together, then another loop, then another two cut-piles, etc. On the other hand, the backing could be moved a greater distance to increase the spacing between cycles so that when needle 60 next penetrates the backing, it is at a distance from the tuft formed by the last stroke of needle 61 on the order of the distance between needles 61 and 62 and between 62 and 60. Thus, with this type of tufting, the pattern is essentially: single cut-pile tuft, single cut-pile tuft, loop-pile tuft, single cut-pile tuft, single cut-pile tuft, loop-pile tuft, etc., with approximately the same spacing between each of the above tufts.
With reference to FIG. 9, a different embodiment is shown wherein outer needles 60 and 61 and their drive means 38 remain of the same type as earlier described. However, central needle 80 has a closed-eye 85 and has no internal clamp pin 66 and accompanying air-actuating means. Needle 80 may be driven by needle drive bar 81 in the manner of needle drive bar 68 of the embodiment of FIG. 2. Member 82 is a combination clamping and cutting member and is coextensive in part with needle 80. Member 82 is driven by knife drive bar 83 through arm member 84.
In the initial steps of the operation of this embodiment, clamp-knife member 82 acts as clamp member 66 did in the embodiment of FIG. 2. That is to say, once the yarn bit is positioned by being centered in eye 85 of needle 80 and extending into eyes 73 and 74, and has been cut into a discrete bit by knife 30, member 82 is raised to clamp the yarn bit without cutting it, against the top portion of needle eye 85. After the clamping, needle 80 withdraws through the backing with clamping member 82 withdrawing cooperatively with it thus serving to prevent an unequal pull of yarn either from the right or left needles by keeping the yarn in a clamped or pinched condition as shown in FIG. 10. Needle 80 continues to withdraw until it reaches a first down position at which time the formed loop is extended to its desired nap height. Once this position has been reached with the yarn bit pinched between member 82 and a corner 86 of the top surface of the eye 85 of the needle 80, needles 60 and 61 start their descents, pulling the outer legs of the yarn bit through the backing B as shown in FIG. 11. With reference to FIG. 11A, once the ends of the yarn bits have been released by needles 60 and 61, all three needles 60, 61, 80 may stroke down in unison to their full down positions. As needle 80 descends further, member 82 may either remain stationary or ascend whichever is most feasible; but in any event it now serves as a knife, cutting loop A against the upper portion 86 of needle eye 85 which surface is sharp enough to aid in the accomplishment of this act. After the cut has been made (FIG. 12), the backing B may move to its next position and the new tufting cycle begins again as needles 60, 61, 80 all ascend to their loading position with their eyes aligned.
With reference to FIG. 13, another embodiment is shown which once again utilizes outer needles 60 and 61 and their driving means 38. Central needle 88 is driven by drive bar 89, which is similar to drive bar 81 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9. However, the clamp-knife mechanism of FIG. 9 is replaced with a device of an alternate design although one member once again may serve as both a clamp and a knife. Member 90 which is an extended shank, is coextensive in part with needle 88 and has a rounded concave top portion 91 which may serve to clamp the yarn bit against the top of needle eye 92. Shank 90 extends to a separate drive bar 93 for the knife-clamp combination.
The steps of operation are similar to the previously described embodiment. Member 90 is driven up by drive means 93 to clamp the yarn bit while the needles 60, 61, 88 are in their loading position. Central needle 88 then withdraws through the backing B carrying with it the center portion of the yarn bit which is pinched and held between member 90 which descends in cooperation with needle 88 and the top edge 94 of the needle eye 92 as shown in FIG. 14. Both needle 88 and knife-clamp member 90 continue downward together maintaining the yarn in a clamped or pinched condition until needle 88 reaches a first down position which effectively sets the desired height of the pile nap. With needle 88 holding this position and the yarn bit clamped or pinched by member 90, the two outer needles 60 and 61 withdraw, pulling the end legs of the yarn bit through the backing B. Needles 60 and 61 continue downward until the leg ends of the bit are released from their needle eyes. At this point, see FIG. 15, all three needles 60, 61, 88 move downward with knife member 90 remaining in a stationary position or moving upward thus causing the yarn bit to be severed between edges 91 of member 90 and the upper cutting edge 94 of needle eye 92. When the cutting is completed and the needles are free of the tufts, the backing B moves to the next position and the needles then penetrate through the backing B into loading position for the next bit of yarn.
The three needle tufting concept also has utility in a system where conventional looper and knife attachments may be used. With reference to FIG. 16, three closed eye needles 60, 61, 95 are shown in loading position with a yarn bit Y inserted in needle eyes 103, 104, 105. Needles 60, 61 operate off of needle bar mechanism 38 as shown. This may be a single unit or comprise separate mechanisms. Needle 95 is connected to staff 108 which receives its reciprocating drive force from drive bar means 109 which encompasses extension 107 to staff 108. Extension 107 terminates in a rotating device 110 which is designed to impart rotary motion to staff 108 which will cause needle 95 to be rotated for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. As can be seen, extension 107 rigidly terminates in horizontal arm 111 which is in turn pivotally connected to member 113 by means of stud 112. Stud 112 is held in member 113 by means 114. Member 113 extends widthwise across the machine, and studs 112 from each of the needles are connected to individual arms 111, as best shown from the sectional view in FIG. 18. As best seen in FIG. 18, as the member 113 reciprocates back and forth, arms 111 extending from the stud connections 112 will cause the needle staffs 108 to rotate a desired amount. In this case, it is desirable for the needle staffs to rotate 90°, the reason for which will be hereinafter described. A conventional tufting looper 120 with conventional knife means 122 may be placed adjacent each of the needle stations.
The operation of this embodiment can best be seen from FIG. 17. As in the case of the earlier embodiments, central needle 95 withdraws through the backing pulling with it equal amounts of yarn through needle eyes 103, 104 of the two outer needles 60, 61. A clamp is not shown in this embodiment, but one may be used as in earlier embodiments. Once central needle 95 reaches its desired down position, needles 60, 61 withdraw pulling with them the two legs of the yarn bit. Needles 60, 61 descent to a desired down position preferably below that of needle 95 thereby causing the release of the two yarn legs that were in their eyes, 103 and 104. At this time member 113 of the rotating device 110 shifts to cause needle staff 108 to enable needle 95 to rotate 90°. At the completion of the rotation, looper 120 advances to the right and hooks the loop extending out of needle eye 105 which has been rotated to a position where it may be hooked by needle looper 120. Knife 122 cuts the loop in the conventional manner to provide cut pile. Looper 120 and knife 122 move away from the needles 60, 61, 95 to their pre-cutting position and the backing B moves to its next position with needles 60, 61, 95 penetrating the backing B for the next cycle.
While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that other modifications may be made. The appended claims are, therefore, intended to define the scope of the invention.