Tufting machine and tufting method

Abstract

A tufting machine is provided for selectively forming yarn tufts including yarns of different colors or types to form a patterned tufted article, such as a carpet. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of backing material fed through the tufting machine and engaged with a series of needle gauge members to pick up loops of yarn from the needles. The needle gauge member is to be selectively controlled by an activator to extend or retract the needle gauge member to a position or height sufficient to pick up or not pick up loops of yarn from the needle. The feed of the yarn to the needles will be further controlled to rollback the yarn not picked up by the needle gauge component while the feed of the backing will be controlled to enable tufts to be formed at an increased density beyond the pattern stitch density of the tufted article pattern being formed.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications This patent application is a partial continuation of co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 168,928, filed February 14, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 353,995, filed June 22, 2021 (now U.S. Patent No. 11,585,029, published February 21, 2023), which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 149,957, filed February 16, 2021. This patent application is further a continuation of U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29 / 888,841, filed April 5, 2023, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 463,758, filed May 3, 2023.

[0002] By incorporating via reference U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 168,928, filed February 14, 2023; U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 353,995, filed June 22, 2021, now U.S. Patent No. 11,585,029, published February 21, 2023; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 149,957, filed February 16, 2021; U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29 / 888,841, filed April 5, 2023; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 463,758, filed May 3, 2023, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to tufting machines and methods for forming tufted fabrics. Specifically, this disclosure relates to tufting machines including selectively controllable needle gauge components and modules or needle gauge blocks for carrying such needle gauge components, and methods for forming patterned tufted fabrics. Background Technology

[0004] In the tufting industry, particularly in commercial and hospitality carpets, there is a growing demand for carpets and rugs with novel visual patterns, including the use of a wider variety of colors to keep pace with evolving consumer tastes and intensifying market competition. Consequently, carpet designers and manufacturers are increasingly focused on creating newer, more distinctive, and more eye-catching patterns for carpets, rugs, and other tufted fabrics. This includes the selective placement and display of patterns of specific colors or types of yarn within a pattern field, where the resulting tufted fabric is formed with an essentially true pattern density of visible tufts. Specifically, there is a need to replicate, as closely as possible, the look and feel of patterned carpets, rugs, or other fabrics formed on a loom, but which can be produced and formed on a wide-width carpet tufting machine to improve the efficiency of producing such patterned tufted carpets, rugs, and / or other fabrics.

[0005] Additionally, it is often necessary to increase the operating speed of the tufting machine to increase its output. This means that the needle gauge components (such as loopers or hooks) and other components (such as needles) undergo increased machine cycles. Consequently, these needle gauge components and the modules or blocks carrying such needle gauge components experience higher wear rates and require replacement.

[0006] Therefore, it can be seen that there is a need for a system and method for forming tufted fabrics (such as carpets and rugs) that can address these problems as well as other relevant and unrelated problems in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In summary, this disclosure generally relates to a tufting machine and a method for forming patterned tufted articles, wherein the placement and pile height of yarn or stitch tufts formed in a backing can be selectively controlled to enable the formation of patterned tufted articles (such as carpets) with various pattern effects, including forming tufted articles with free-flowing multi-color and / or multi-pile height patterns, and having a substantially woven or loom-formed appearance.

[0008] On the one hand, a tufting machine will typically include a control system for controlling the operating elements of the tufting machine to form or produce tufted articles according to a desired or designed pattern. The resulting tufted articles may include a variety of pattern effects, including multiple, varying or different pile heights, different types of tufts in the same and / or different rows of tufts, other texture effects, and various colors and / or types of yarns placed visible across the backing at selected locations and tuft heights; wherein, in at least some embodiments, the resulting tufted article has a density / stitch per inch of retained and / or visible colored yarns, said density / stitch per inch substantially matching the density or stitch per inch of the desired or prescribed pattern of the pattern being formed / tufted.

[0009] In an embodiment, the tufting machine will include one or more needle bars having a series of needles mounted thereal. The needles may be arranged in a straight line, staggered, or other manner. As backing material is fed through the tufting zone of the tufting machine, yarn is introduced therein as the needles reciprocate in and out of the backing material. A shifting mechanism may be further provided for laterally shifting the needle bar across the tufting zone, and multiple shifting mechanisms may be used as needed. The shifting mechanism will generally be operable in response to instructions or communications from a control system for laterally stepping or shifting the needle bar across the backing according to pattern shifting steps programmed and / or designed according to the pattern being tufted, thereby causing the carried yarn to appear at a tufting or stitch position along / across the backing.

[0010] Tufting machines typically further include at least one yarn feed mechanism or attachment for controlling the feeding of yarn to its corresponding needle. Such yarn feed mechanisms or pattern attachments can include, but are not limited to, various rollers, spools, servo spools, and single-ended, double-ended, or multi-ended yarn feed attachments, such as Yarntronics™ or Infinity™ / Infinity IIE™ yarn feed attachments manufactured by Card-Monroe Corp. Other types of yarn feed control mechanisms may also be used. At least one yarn feed mechanism or pattern attachment can be operated to selectively control the feeding of yarn to its needle to form yarn tufts, which may include forming tufts with a selected pile height and / or not forming tufts to produce the desired pattern appearance.

[0011] In some embodiments, the control system may further include or operate in conjunction with a stitch distribution control system, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,359,989 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein); through the stitch distribution control system, control of the backing feed and control of the operation of a shifting mechanism for shifting at least a portion of the needles can be coordinated with control of at least one yarn feed mechanism, such that various yarns can be presented to each stitch position or pixel, and typically the yarns to be displayed on the face or surface of the tufted article can be fed in an amount sufficient to form a tuft of the desired height, while non-present yarns not displayed in the tufted area will be retracted or otherwise pulled low enough and / or pulled out from the backing. For each pixel or stitch position of the pattern, a series of yarns can be presented, and yarns not selected as visible or appearing at such stitch positions can be pulled low enough to be hidden without interfering with the selected yarns that will be visible. In some implementations, this may include pulling out non-present or unselected yarns from the backing, or leaving a sufficient portion of non-present yarns within the backing to hold or adhere the unselected or unpresent yarns to the backing while substantially minimizing interference with the pattern surface or the remaining visible yarn clusters. Thus, in implementations, only the desired or selected yarns / colors to be placed at specific stitch locations can be retained at such stitch locations, while the remaining yarns / colors can be hidden so as not to appear in the pattern field being sewn at that time. The control system can further control and coordinate the operation of the needle gauge component assembly, controlling the selective formation of yarn loops and / or yarn clusters, as well as their length or pile height, at least through yarn feeding according to the pattern instructions being formed.

[0012] Additionally, in embodiments, the needle gauge component assembly typically includes a series of needle gauge components positioned below the tufting area, including, but not limited to, loopers, hooks, horizontal cut-pile loopers, cut-pile / loop clips, etc., and these needle gauge components are movable in a first direction as the needle penetrates the backing material to reciprocate with the needle to pick up yarn loops therefrom. In some embodiments, the needle gauge components may each be selectively movable in a direction generally perpendicular to their reciprocating direction, such as substantially vertical (i.e., up and down) relative to the needle's travel or reciprocating motion onto and away from the backing material, and toward and away from the needle reciprocating motion, to selectively pick up and form yarn loops in the backing material. Furthermore, the vertical movement of the needle gauge components can be controlled to form different yarn loops with different pile heights in the backing material, including forming loops of different pile heights in the backing material, or even no yarn loops. In further embodiments, loopers, cut-pile hooks, cut-pile / loop hooks, horizontal cut-pile loopers or hooks, and / or other configurations and / or combinations of other needle gauge components may also be used.

[0013] For example, in some embodiments, the needle gauge component may include a looper or hook, each of which has a body slidably mounted within a needle gauge block or module and has a first portion and a second portion, the second portion including an elongated throat terminating at a proximal tip or beak. The first portion of the body may extend through the needle gauge block or module and may be connected to an actuator at a distal end. In some embodiments, each needle gauge block may include a module or block body having a first or rearward segment and a second or forward segment, the first or rearward segment being adapted to be coupled or mounted along a needle gauge bar, the second or forward segment having at least one channel or passage formed therethrough, and the needle gauge component being received through the channel or passage. The module may further include a replaceable insert that may be received within a passage or channel formed within the module body, the replaceable insert further including a slot or recess adapted to receive and guide the needle gauge component during movement of the needle gauge component through / along the passage of the module block. Alternatively, the insert can be integrated with the module, such as by adhesive or otherwise substantially permanently attaching or securing it to the body of its module or pin gauge block, and in some embodiments, it can be substantially attached while still being able to be at least repairably removed when needed.

[0014] In an embodiment, the replaceable insert will be formed of a hardened material, which may include, but is not limited to, various metal carbides, metals, ceramics, and / or synthetic materials, while the body of the module may be made of a lighter-weight material (such as aluminum and / or other metals, as well as various composite or synthetic materials). The insert may further include an opening or slot configured to receive a guide pin or other positioning device, and one or more fasteners for securing the insert in the gauge block. The opening will typically be further configured to allow adjustment of the insert in at least one direction (e.g., longitudinal) and / or in multiple directions (e.g., longitudinal and / or lateral) to adjust the positioning of the insert, thereby adjusting the arrangement or positioning of the gauge components across and / or along its gauge block. The insert may further be interchangeable so that it can be easily removed to replace one or more gauge components housed therein, for example, replacing worn or damaged gauge components, or changing the spacing between gauge components.

[0015] As an alternative, in some implementations, the module or gauge block itself can be removed and replaced with other gauge blocks or modules, each of which includes a set or series of gauge components mounted therein, for example, to change the gauge spacing between gauge components, to change the type of gauge component size used, or to replace substantially all or at least most of the worn or damaged gauge components as a unit. Additionally, guide grooves or recesses formed within the insert are typically configured to receive the body of the gauge component, with clearances generally sufficient to allow the gauge component to slide substantially freely through it, but without causing excessive displacement or twisting of the gauge component to result in misalignment of the beak or throat of the gauge component with its corresponding needle. The slot or recess of the insert may further terminate at a rear end or rear portion, which may be configured or adapted such that the edge of the needle gauge component body can be placed against and / or equipped with a base or engagement region, along which the needle gauge component can slide to help maintain the required alignment of the needle gauge component as it reciprocates or moves through its module.

[0016] The needle gauge components can be additionally arranged to engage with the needle, including in a substantially linear, offset, or staggered manner, and / or other configurations as needed to engage in a linear, staggered, and / or double-needle bar arrangement. In embodiments, each needle gauge component can be further arranged at an angle relative to the needle as the needle penetrates the backing. For example, in some embodiments, the needle gauge components can be arranged along a travel path oriented at an angle, and / or extendable / retractable, said angle ranging from approximately 1° to approximately 10° relative to the vertical direction of the needle, and / or its travel or vertical movement, while in other arrangements, no offset (i.e., 0° angle) can be provided. The offset of the needle gauge components relative to the needle can be further varied so that the needle gauge components can extend and retract as needed along an angled or offset travel path relative to the needle to minimize potential engagement with the needle during needle gauge component movement, depending on the needle spacing and / or arrangement.

[0017] In various embodiments, the actuators driving the movement of the gauge components may include hydraulic, electric, air or pneumatic cylinders, motors, or other similar actuators. The actuators for each gauge component can be selectively controlled according to pattern instructions to move the gauge component relative to the associated needle to a desired vertical position to pick up yarn loops from the needle, including picking up yarn loops at different points in the needle's stroke to form loops / clumps of varying pile heights, and retracting to an "unstitched" position where yarn loops are typically not picked up. In another embodiment, the actuators can be controlled / triggered to cause the gauge component to carry the captured yarn loops to elongate or pull such captured loops to provide additional pile height and / or other effects, such as for tip shearing or other pattern or texture effects.

[0018] In various aspects, the needle gauge component may be further coupled to its corresponding actuator via a connector or gate configured to extend between the actuator shaft or rod and the distal end of the associated or corresponding needle gauge component. In some embodiments, the connector or gate may include an arm or link having a first end portion configured to engage or connect to the drive bar of its actuator, an intermediate section projecting from the first end portion, and a second end portion generally configured to engage the distal end of the associated needle gauge component. When each actuator is activated or deactivated, the actuator extends or retracts its actuator shaft to move its associated needle gauge component relative to the needle in the desired direction.

[0019] For example, in some embodiments, the actuator can drive the needle gauge component in a substantially vertical direction relative to the directional reciprocating motion of the needle in and out of the backing, such as when the needle gauge component reciprocates toward and away from the needle, to adjust the height of the needle gauge component relative to the needle. In other embodiments, actuation of the actuator and movement of the connector can help control the movement of the needle gauge component toward and away from the needle in a direction substantially along the directional reciprocating motion of the needle gauge component toward and away from the needle.

[0020] Additionally, in embodiments, the connector or door link or arm may be further housed within a housing or support structure. In one exemplary embodiment, such a housing or support structure may comprise a body formed of a durable, lightweight material, such as carbon-filled nylon or other similar composite or plastic materials chosen to provide durability and support for the link or arm while reducing weight. Other materials, including various metals, synthetics, and / or composites, may also be used. The configuration of the support structure or housing may be further varied as needed to accommodate links of different configurations and / or sizes; and in various embodiments, the connector link or arm may further have a reduced thickness or structure to further aid in weight reduction, and in some embodiments, a skeletal structure may be included. During actuator engagement and disengagement, the connector link or arm is housed within and moves through channels or pathways formed in the connector housing, translating this movement to its associated or corresponding pin gauge component.

[0021] In some aspects of this disclosure, a tufting machine is provided, the tufting machine comprising at least one needle bar having a plurality of needles mounted thereal; a backing feed roller for feeding backing material; inserts, each insert having a series of slots in which one of the needle gauge components is slidably received; at least one yarn feed mechanism for feeding yarn to the needles; and a needle gauge component assembly positioned below the backing material.

[0022] In some embodiments, as the needle reciprocates into the backing material, the needle gauge component assembly may include at least one module carrying a series of needle gauge components that reciprocate toward and away from engagement with the needle. The at least one module includes a module body, which may be cast, molded, or otherwise formed from a metal, polymer, composite material, or synthetic material, or a combination thereof, and will have a first hardness. The module body will be adapted to be mounted along the needle gauge bar and will be configured with a passage defined therethrough. Inserts will be mounted to the module body on opposite sides of the passage, each insert having a series of spaced-apart slots formed therein, each slot being configured to slidably receive at least a portion of one of the needle gauge components. In embodiments, the inserts may be cast, molded, or otherwise formed from a metal or metal carbide or powdered metal material with a hardness greater than that of the module body, and have slots formed or defined therein. In one embodiment, each needle gauge component may include a body that is at least partially housed in an opposing slot of an insert and is movable in a separate direction through a passage of the module body relative to the travel of the needle. The body of each needle gauge component has a first portion extending through a passage of at least one module and a second portion having a throat configured to pick up a yarn loop from the needle.

[0023] In one embodiment, the tufting machine will include a series of actuators coupled to needle gauge components for controlling the movement of the needle gauge components through the module body; and a control system including programming for controlling at least one yarn feeding mechanism to coordinate with the actuation control of one or more of the actuators to control the feeding of yarn to the needle to extend or retract a selected needle gauge component, such that the throat of the selected needle gauge component moves between a non-stitched position and a joined position relative to the travel of the needle into the backing material to selectively form yarn tufts in the backing material according to the pattern being formed.

[0024] In various embodiments of the tufting machine, the needle gauge components include a horizontal cut-and-loop looper, a loop looper, a cut-and-loop hook, or a cut-and-loop looper, and / or combinations thereof. In further embodiments of the tufting machine, the actuator may include a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, a servo motor, or other types of actuators.

[0025] In other embodiments of the tufting machine, the needle gauge component assembly may further include a series of connectors that extend between each needle gauge component and an associated actuator, each of the connectors including a link housed within a housing and capable of moving through the housing.

[0026] In some embodiments, the housing of each connector will include a body, which may be formed of a polymer, composite material, or synthetic material, or a combination thereof, and has a channel extending therethrough; and each link comprises a metal or composite material, or a combination thereof.

[0027] In other embodiments, the body of each housing may comprise a composite material comprising a polymer or plastic with fiber filler and having channels defined therein, along which a link can move; and wherein the link of each connector comprises a hardened metal body coupled to the body of the housing and having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being configured to engage with a first portion of one of the needle gauge components, and the distal end being configured to engage with an actuator associated with the needle gauge component for transmitting movement of the actuator to the needle gauge component.

[0028] In yet another embodiment, each insert of at least one module includes a first insert and a second insert, each insert including a tab or flange portion that covers and / or mounts to the top, first surface, bottom, or second surface of the module body. In other embodiments, the body of each insert may have an upper or proximal portion, a lower or distal portion, and an intermediate section extending therebetween and along a passage defined through the module body; wherein the slot of the first or left insert is spaced apart from the corresponding slot of the second or right insert and is opposite and substantially aligned.

[0029] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the tab or flange portion of each of the first and second inserts is configured to overlap with the upper surface of the module body and includes a slotted opening adapted to receive a fastener passing through it for adjustable mounting of each of the first and second inserts to the module body, wherein the inserts are arranged relative to each other at a selected spacing and at selected locations relative to a passage defined through the module body. Additionally, the inserts may be molded or encapsulated, packaged, or otherwise substantially integrated within the module body. The inserts may also include tab or flange portions that can engage opposite side surfaces of the module body; and a plate or intermediate section may be provided therein. The intermediate section may connect the tabs or flanges of the inserts, wherein a groove of the insert is at least partially formed therein and extends thereal. Alternatively, a support plate may be received between the tabs or flanges of the inserts along a first and second side surface of the passage.

[0030] Therefore, in some aspects of this disclosure, a needle gauge component assembly for a tufting machine includes at least one module having a module body having a passage defined therethrough; and a series of needle gauge components housed within the passage of the module body, each needle gauge component including a body having a first portion and a second portion having a throat, wherein the needle gauge component is carried by its module and engages in a first direction toward and away from an associated needle of the tufting machine to pick up a yarn loop from the needle along the throat of the needle gauge component, and wherein the needle gauge component is selectively movable in a second direction along the passage of the module body. A first insert and a second insert are arranged on opposite sides of a passageway in the module body. Each insert is formed of a material with a hardness greater than that of the module body, either metal or composite material, and has a series of spaced-apart slots configured to receive at least a portion of one of the needle gauge components. The slots of the first and second inserts are substantially aligned across the passageway. A plurality of actuators are also included, each coupled to a first portion of an associated needle gauge component in the series of needle gauge components, and adapted to move its associated needle gauge component through the passageway of the at least one module in a second direction, whereby the needle gauge component extends or retracts through the module body such that the throat of the needle gauge component moves between an extended position for engaging a needle and picking up a yarn loop from the needle, and a retracted position substantially avoiding picking up a yarn loop from the needle.

[0031] In some embodiments, the needle gauge component assembly may further include connectors extending between each actuator and its associated needle gauge component, each connector having a housing formed of a polymer material, within which a connecting rod is encapsulated. In some embodiments, the module body of at least one module is molded or cast from metal or composite material.

[0032] In other embodiments, the pin gauge component assembly may include a first insert and a second insert, each comprising a body molded or cast from a metal, carbide, or powdered metal material, and including a tab or flange portion in which a groove is formed. Furthermore, the body of each of the first and second inserts further includes an upper tab or flange portion and a lower tab or flange portion engaging with an upper and a lower surface of the module body, wherein the groove extends through the upper tab or flange portion and the lower tab or flange portion.

[0033] In another embodiment, the needle gauge component assembly may include a first insert and a second insert, each of the first insert and the second insert comprising a body molded or cast from a metal, carbide, or powdered metal material, and including a tab or flange portion in which a groove is formed, and wherein the module body of at least one module comprises a metal or composite material molded or cast to form the module body, wherein the first insert and the second insert are substantially integrated therewith.

[0034] In some aspects of this disclosure, a method of operating a tufting machine is disclosed, wherein, according to an example embodiment of this disclosure, as the needles of the tufting machine reciprocate in and out of the backing material, an actuator of a needle gauge component can be selectively engaged or disengaged to move its needle gauge component between a fully retracted or unstitched position and various extended or raised positions, in which the needle gauge component will not engage with the associated or corresponding needle, and therefore no yarn loop will be formed, the extended or raised positions including a fully extended position. In its raised or extended position, as the needles enter and exit the backing material, the needle gauge component engages with the needle at its exit portion to pick up a yarn loop from the needle. The yarn loop picked up from the needle can have different pile heights or lengths depending on the position and / or movement of the needle gauge component relative to its associated or corresponding needle. For example, in the fully raised position, smaller or shorter yarn loops can be formed to produce lower pile heights, or even yarn loops that are substantially hidden in the backing material, including such loops that are substantially removed by controlling their yarn feed. When the looper moves to a lowered position (thus pulling the yarn loops as needed), longer yarn loops can be picked up and formed by the looper to create higher or larger pile height yarn clusters in the backing. Additionally, the actuator can be further controlled to selectively lower or retract its corresponding needle gauge component and the yarn loops it captures, forming even longer yarn loops, enabling other pattern effects, such as those used for tip shearing.

[0035] The needle can typically be further laterally displaced relative to the longitudinal movement of the backing through the tufted area to present different colors or types of yarn to each stitch position of the pattern formed in the backing material. For example, needles with one or more needle bars can be threaded with a series of desired colors in various threading sequences. Additionally, the backing material can typically operate at an actual or effective stitch rate significantly greater than the prescribed or desired pattern stitch rate of the pattern being formed. Therefore, as the needle is displaced, the desired number of different colors or types of yarn can be presented to each stitch position. By controlling the position and / or movement of the needle gauge components, yarn loops can be selectively formed in the backing material, and in some embodiments, the formation of such yarn loops is further controllable to form different pile heights of the resulting tufts. For example, in various aspects, a series of different colors or types of yarn can be presented to each stitch position as the needle bar is displaced, and if a particular color or type of yarn is not selected to be sewn at that stitch position, the corresponding needle gauge component can remain in a retracted or lowered position so that loops of such unselected yarn are not typically formed.

[0036] Furthermore, as the needle reciprocates through the backing, its yarn feed can be controlled so that unselected yarns are retracted, withdrawn, or otherwise pulled back or out of the backing material, and some yarn loops are retracted, withdrawn, or pulled back to a degree sufficient to prevent such yarns from appearing at the stitch positions in the finished patterned article. Controlling the backing material with a higher operational, effective, or actual stitch density allows for the formation of a significantly increased number of yarn-presented stitches within the backing material, thereby substantially avoiding the occurrence, display, or otherwise presenting of missing or gapped yarn colors or types in the pattern field of the patterned tufted article. Therefore, the finished patterned tufted article can have a tuft density per inch that substantially matches the desired or prescribed pattern stitch density; that is, for a pattern designed with a pattern stitch density of 8, 10, or 12 or other numbers of stitches per inch, the resulting finished patterned tufted article can form a density of visible and / or retained face yarns or tufts per inch that can substantially match the pattern stitch density.

[0037] The foregoing and other advantages and aspects of embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent and more readily understood from the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, it should be understood that the foregoing overview and the following detailed description of this disclosure are exemplary and intended to provide further interpretation without limiting the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are included and form part of this specification and are incorporated to provide a further understanding of embodiments of this disclosure, illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments discussed herein. No attempt is made to illustrate the structural details of this disclosure in a manner more detailed than might be necessary for a basic understanding of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein, or in the various ways in which the exemplary embodiments may be practiced. Those skilled in the art will further appreciate and understand that, as is customary, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the dimensions of the various features and elements in the drawings may be enlarged or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure described herein.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a side view of an example embodiment of a tufting machine with a selectively controllable looper assembly, based on the principles of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of the tufting area of ​​a tufting machine.

[0041] Figure 3 yes Figure 1-2 A perspective view of a tufting machine.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a needle gauge block or needle gauge block and needle gauge component based on the principles of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the needle gauge block or needle gauge block and needle gauge components.

[0044] Figures 6A-6B yes Figure 4-5 A plan view of the needle gauge block or needle gauge block.

[0045] Figures 7A-7E Another implementation of a needle gauge block or needle gauge block based on the principles of this disclosure is shown.

[0046] Figures 8A-8B An embodiment of a connector for connecting a needle gauge component to its actuator, based on the principles of this disclosure, is shown.

[0047] Figures 9A-9B Another embodiment of a connector for connecting a needle gauge component to its actuator, based on the principles of this disclosure, is shown.

[0048] Figures 10A-10B Another embodiment of a connector for connecting a needle gauge component to its actuator, based on the principles of this disclosure, is shown.

[0049] Figure 11A-11BThis is a perspective view of a series of needles and a portion thereof in an exemplary embodiment based on the principles of this disclosure.

[0050] Figures 12A-12C This is a side view illustrating one embodiment of the operation of a selectively actuated needle gauge component according to the principles of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, throughout several views, the same numbers indicate the same parts. Figure 1-1 1C generally illustrates an embodiment of a tufting machine 10 and a method for forming patterned tufted articles according to the principles of this disclosure, wherein the stitches or tufts 5 of the yarn Y can be placed at desired locations in the backing material B and can be controlled. Such tufts or stitches can be formed to have a embossed, high-pile tufted appearance and can be further placed with enhanced selectivity and / or control to form further variations or free-flowing patterned effects. For example, tufted articles can be formed with yarn tufts formed at different pile heights to provide an embossed appearance and formed with different colors or types of yarn to form multi-color patterns of various geometric and / or free-flowing designs. Furthermore, it should be understood that, according to the principles of this disclosure, various numbers of different types and / or colors of yarn (i.e., two colors, three colors, five colors, six colors, etc.) can be used to form high-pile patterned tufted articles.

[0052] like Figure 1 In one embodiment, as generally illustrated, the tufting machine 10 will include a frame 11, which may include a head or upper portion 12 that houses a needle bar driver 13 and defines a tufting area T. The needle bar driver 13 (…) Figure 1 and Figure 2 It typically includes a series of push rods 14, which can be connected via a connector rod 17. Figure 1 The needle bar driver 16 shown is a mechanism such as a gearbox / assembly, which can be connected to and driven by the main drive shaft 18 of the tufting machine, for example via one or more drive belts or drive chains 19, wherein the main drive shaft 18 itself is driven by a motor, such as a servo motor. Alternatively, the push rod 14 of the needle bar drive mechanism 13 can be connected to the main drive shaft 18 via a connector rod 17 so as to be driven directly by the main drive shaft or by a separate drive system (not shown).

[0053] An encoder or similar sensor may be provided to monitor the rotation of the main drive shaft and report the positioning of the main drive shaft to the control system 25 that controls the operation of the tufting machine 10. Figure 1The control system 25 may typically include a tufting machine control device, which includes a computer / processor or system controller 26 having an operator interface 26A (such as a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, etc.) through which the operator can input patterns, make adjustments, etc. In some embodiments, the control system 25 may include or include a stitch distribution control system, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,359,989, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein, wherein the controller 26 further includes a program for a control method for forming a tufted pattern comprising a embossed pattern having tufts of multiple pile heights and controlled patterns of various colors / stitch placements, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,359,989.

[0054] The control system 25 will typically include a program capable of monitoring and controlling the operating elements of the tufting machine 10, such as the needle bar drive mechanism 13, yarn feed attachment 27, backing feed roller 28, main drive shaft 18, and needle bar shifting mechanism 40, according to calculated / determined pattern instructions. Figure 3 ) and the needle gauge assembly 30 installed below the tufting area T of the tufting machine, as discussed in more detail below. Control system 25 ( Figure 1 The system controller 25 can further receive and execute pattern information, or store the pattern information in the memory of the system controller 26. In response to developed / programmed pattern instructions, the control system 25 will control the operating elements of the tufting machine 10 to form the desired tufting pattern in the backing material B as the backing material passes through the tufting zone T in the direction of arrow 33 by the backing feed roller 28. Figure 1-3 As indicated.

[0055] In some embodiments, the system controller 26 of the control system 25 is typically programmable with instructions to form one or more desired patterns for one or more tufted articles, including a series of patterning steps, as understood by those skilled in the art, which may be done manually or by using a design center or design software to create or calculate, or by receiving such patterns via input from a disk, USB or other external drive, or via a network connection. Alternatively, the controller 26 may include image recognition software to enable scanned and / or designed pattern images (such as designed patterns, including pile height and other characteristics, such as different colors or similar markers or indicators showing the placement of loop pile and cut pile tufts in the pattern, as well as photographs, drawings and other images) to be input, programmed, recognized and processed by the control system, including from a design center or through various design software systems, or through a scanner or other imaging device 31 ( Figure 1The control system receives input. It can identify and discern various pattern characteristics, including color and / or texture differences in design pattern images that indicate texture effects, such as the placement or position of loop pile and / or cut pile tufts, and can assign selected yarns to them.

[0056] Furthermore, in embodiments, the control system 25 may operate in conjunction with a stitch distribution control system, or may also include or incorporate a stitch distribution control system, such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,359,989 (incorporated herein by reference as fully set forth herein). For example, but not limited to, the control system may be incorporated into programming to provide the functionality of such a stitch distribution control system, or a separate stitch distribution control may be connected to the control system. The control system may also be equipped with software / programs to read and identify the colors of the input scanned pattern and to distribute the supply positions of the yarn supplied from the yarn supply frame to various needles in the needle based on the threading sequence of the needles on the needle bar, in order to optimize the supply of various colored yarns in the yarn supply frame for their best use, thereby forming an identified pattern field from the pattern image. The control system may further include programs that enable the control system to generate a mapping of the pattern field or pattern, including mapping a series of pattern pixels or cluster / stitch placement positions, identifying the spaces or locations where various colored yarns and / or cut / loop pile clusters will be selectively placed to form the imaged pattern. You can also select the desired pattern density, which is the number of stitches per inch that will appear on the front side of the finished patterned tufted product, and calculate the actual effective or operational stitch density of the pattern to achieve the desired fabric stitch density appearance of the pattern.

[0057] The control system 25 of this disclosure may further include programs to receive, determine, and / or execute various shift or cam profiles, or to calculate proposed shift profiles based on scanned, input, or other designed pattern images or pattern files. For example, in a non-limiting embodiment, designed pattern file images, photographs, drawings, etc., may be loaded, scanned, or otherwise input at a tufting machine or via a network connection, and the control system may read, identify, and calculate pattern steps / parameters, including controlling yarn feed, controlling backing movement, and / or needle reciprocating motion, thereby forming tufts in the backing with an effective stitch density to achieve the desired pattern density, cam / shift profile, and yarn arrangement to match the scanned and / or designed pattern image, and thereafter the operation of the tufting machine may be controlled to form the selected pattern. The operator can additionally select or modify the stitch density, yarn feed, selected cam profile, or calculated shift profile, such as by indicating whether the pattern has 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more colors, or the desired number of pattern repetitions, and / or can manually calculate, input, and / or adjust or change the yarn rack allocation, shift profile, and / or color mapping created by the control system via manual override control / programming as needed.

[0058] like Figure 1-3 As indicated, the tufting machine 10 will further include one or more needle bars 35 attached to and driven by push rods 14. The needle bars 35 cause a series of needles 36 to reciprocate (as indicated by arrows 37 / 37') into and out of the backing material B to carry or insert yarn Y into the backing. In some embodiments, the needles may be arranged in a single straight row along one or two needle bars. In other embodiments, the needles 36 may be mounted in an alternating arrangement along a single needle bar or along a pair of needle bars, wherein the offset rows of needles are laterally spaced along the length of each needle bar and staggered across the tufting area of ​​the tufting machine. The needle bars 35 may further be laterally displaceable across the width of the backing material to allow the needles 36 to be displaced or stepped laterally or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal travel path of the backing material through the tufting machine. Therefore, although an example embodiment including a single needle bar 35 is shown in the figures, along which a straight row of needles 36 is arranged, this disclosure is not limited to a particular configuration using a single needle bar or needles. Conversely, those skilled in the art will understand that in the tufting machine 10 incorporated into the system according to this disclosure, other arrangements of double needle bars and single needle bars, having spaced rows of needles 36, can also be utilized, the rows of needles 36 being arranged in a straight, staggered, or offset configuration, and both being further displaced.

[0059] Each needle in the needle assembly will typically include a shank or body 38 terminating at a tip 38A, and will include a take-off point or area 39 where the needle gauge component 32 can engage with the needle and pick up the yarn Y from it, such as... Figure 10A-11A As indicated. When the needle moves back and forth in a substantially vertical direction in the directions of arrows 37 and 37' ( Figure 2 They penetrate into and out of the backing material B along the travel path, reaching the desired or predetermined penetration depth, carrying the yarn Y, and will be selectively engaged by the needle gauge component 32 of the needle gauge component assembly 30, such as Figure 11A-1 As shown in 1C, loop L is used to pick up the yarn from the needle. Additionally, as... Figure 3 As shown, the shifting mechanism 40 can also be connected to the needle bar 35 (or multiple needle bars) for laterally shifting the needle bar across the tufted area in the directions of arrows 41 and 41' according to a calculated or computed pattern instruction. The shifting mechanism 40 may include a Smart Step™ type movement device manufactured by Cadmonroe, or alternatively may include various other types of movement mechanisms, including servo-motor or hydraulically controlled movement devices, and / or conventionally used pattern cam movement devices. Other shifting mechanisms may also be used, including backing material or jute movement devices, which may operate alone or in combination with the needle bar movement device to laterally shift the backing material relative to the needle.

[0060] like Figure 1 As further shown, one or more yarn feeding mechanisms or attachments 27 can be mounted to the frame 11 of the tufting machine 10 to control the feeding of yarn Y to each needle 36 during operation of the tufting machine. For example, as Figure 3 As indicated, a series of different types or colors of yarn (Y1-Y4) can be fed to each of the multiple needles in a selected threading order or sequence (e.g., ABCD), wherein the threading order is typically determined or selected based on the pattern being run. Additionally, although one yarn feeding unit 27 is shown along one side of the tufting machine 10 (for illustrative purposes), in other embodiments, multiple yarn feeding units may be mounted on one or both sides of the tufting machine to feed yarn to the needles 36 of one or more needle bars 35.

[0061] Various yarn feed attachments are available for use with the needle distribution control system of this disclosure to control the feeding of individual needles 36 of multiple needles 36 in the Y direction of different yarns. Patterned yarn feed attachments or mechanisms 27 ( Figure 1This may include conventional yarn feed / drive mechanisms, such as roller or spool pattern attachments having a series of rollers that extend at least partially along the tufting machine and are driven by a motor under the guidance of control system 25 to control the feeding of yarn across the tufting machine to form pattern repeats and / or multiple pile heights and / or other texture effects across the width of the backing material. Such yarn feed mechanisms or attachments may include Quick Thread™, Enhanced Graphics™, and / or Multi Pile Height Scroll yarn feed controls / attaches manufactured by Cadmonroe, Inc.

[0062] In some embodiments, a patterned yarn feed attachment having multiple yarn feed drivers 45 can be used, such as Figure 1 As indicated, each yarn feed driver includes a motor 46 and a feed roller 47 to control the feeding of a specific set of repeating yarns to a selected needle, including the use of separate yarn feed rollers or drivers 45 to control the feeding of a single yarn (or end) or multiple ends of multiple yarns (i.e., 2-4 or more yarns) to needles 36, such as single-end and multi-end / servo spool attachments, including the Infinity™ and Infinity IIE™ systems manufactured by Cadmonroe. Therefore, although in Figure 1 The diagram illustrates yarn feeding, such as a single-ended or multi-ended yarn feeding mechanism 27. Those skilled in the art will understand that patterned yarn feeding mechanisms for controlling yarn feeding may include single-ended or double-ended yarn feeding control devices, spools, rollers, and / or similar attachments, and / or various combinations thereof, and may be further mounted along one or both sides of the tufting machine. Additionally, in embodiments, the control system 25 may perform yarn feeding compensation and / or yarn feeding modeling to help control and reduce or minimize the amount of non-retained / non-occurring yarn to be fed, thereby avoiding overfeeding of yarn and thus minimizing waste during tufting operations.

[0063] The yarn feeding attachment can be controlled to cooperate with other operating systems of the tufting machine, including backing feed, needle bar shifting, and needle gauge assembly 30, to selectively feed yarn into its corresponding needles. This allows control over the presence of various colors or types of yarn in the package, and the selective picking and holding of loops of selected or desired yarns (e.g., yarns appearing on the surface of the finished patterned article) to form tufts of these yarns with a selected or desired pile height. Furthermore, the surface or front yarns or tufts appearing on the front of the tufted article can be controlled to be fed in sufficient quantity to form tufts of selected colors or types of yarn with the desired or specified pile height, while non-appearing yarns hidden in specific color and / or texture areas of the pattern are retracted and / or pulled down significantly, or pulled out of the backing material, to a degree sufficient to prevent such yarns from interfering with visible front yarns or retained tufts in the pattern field, and to avoid creating unwanted spaces or gaps between retained tufts or front yarns.

[0064] In one embodiment, each color or type of yarn that can be placed / tufted at each pixel or stitch position can generally appear at such pixel or stitch positions for tufting, with only the yarns selected to be displayed or appearing at the pixel or stitch position being retained and forming a tuft with the desired pile height. Thus, for example, for a four-color pattern, each of the four colors of yarn A, B, C, and D that can be tufted at a specific pixel or stitch position can appear at such pixel positions, retaining only one or more selected yarns of the pattern (e.g., yarn "A"), while the remaining unselected yarns B, BC, BD, and / or other combinations can appear at such pixel or stitch positions and be retracted / pulled back from the backing, and / or removed. Therefore, when yarn appears at a pixel or stitch position, if the yarn is to be retained or appear in the pixel or stitch position, the yarn feed 27 can be controlled to feed a certain amount of yarn to form a yarn tuft at the pixel or stitch position. If the presented yarn is not retained or appears in a pixel or stitch position, the yarn can be controlled to prevent it from forming loops or clumps, or the yarn can be pulled back and / or removed. If no yarn insertion at a specific pixel or stitch position is selected, the needle gauge component can also be controlled to selectively pick up or not pick up yarn loops appearing at a specific pixel.

[0065] like Figure 1-3 As further shown, the needle gauge assembly 30 is typically mounted below the bed 34 and tufting area T of the tufting machine 10. When the needle penetrates the backing material, the needle engages with a series of needle gauge components 32 in the needle gauge assembly 30 to form loops L of the yarn Y. Figure 2-3This is used to form a cluster 5 of yarn of selected color or type and having a selected length or pile height. In various embodiments, the needle gauge component 32 in the needle gauge component assembly 30 may include a series of loopers or hooks 50, each of which may be slidably mounted within a needle gauge block, needle gauge block, or other retainer that may be mounted along the needle gauge bar 52 or similar mounting or attachment to connect the needle gauge component to a drive mechanism 53 to drive the needle gauge component to reciprocate toward and away from the needle 36 in a first direction, such as... Figure 1-3 As indicated by arrows 54 and 54'. Those skilled in the art will further understand that various types of needle gauge components may also be used, including cut-pile hooks, loopers, horizontal cut-pile loopers, cut-pile / looper clips, or other needle gauge components.

[0066] like Figure 4-5 As indicated, in one embodiment, the needle gauge component 32 may include a looper or hook 50, each of which has an elongated body 55 that is slidably mounted within and movable through its needle gauge block 51. The body 55 of each looper or hook 50 will include a first portion 60 and a second portion 61 having an elongated throat 62, as shown in... Figure 4-5 In one embodiment shown, the elongated throat 62 may typically extend at an angle relative to the middle portion 56 of the body 55, and the elongated throat 62 may terminate at a generally pointed proximal end or beak 63. For example, the throat 62 and proximal end 63 may be configured similarly to a looper. Other configurations of the needle gauge component may also be used. Figure 4-5 As further indicated, the first portion 60 of the body of each looper or hook 50 will typically protrude through the needle scale block or block 51 and may have a groove or recess 64 formed therein, with which the looper or hook may engage and / or be coupled to an actuator 66, such as through a gate or connector 67. Figure 2 ).

[0067] Figure 4-5One embodiment of a needle gauge block or needle gauge block 51 is shown, comprising a body 75, which may have a generally rectangular or square configuration as shown, but other configurations may also be used, and wherein a series or set of needle gauge components 32, such as loopers or hooks 50, are housed. In some embodiments, the module body 75 of each needle gauge block 51 will be formed of a metallic or metal alloy material, but various composite materials, synthetic materials, and / or other materials may also be used. For example, but not limited to, the body of the needle gauge block may be made of lightweight steel (such as low-carbon steel or tool steel) or aluminum or other similar lightweight but generally rigid and durable materials. In embodiments, the module body may be cast, molded, or otherwise formed. The material forming the body of the needle gauge block may be further selected to provide weight reduction of the needle gauge block while still providing sufficient durability and rigidity to hold and / or substantially maintain the needle gauge components in their alignment or positioning to engage with the take-off portion of the needle during the reciprocating movement of the needle gauge components into and out of engagement during operation of the tufting machine.

[0068] like Figure 4-6B Typically, the module body 75 of each needle gauge block 51 will include a first, forward or front section 76 and a second, backward or rear section 77. The backward section 77 of the body 75 of each needle gauge block 51 will typically be further configured to engage with and be mounted to the needle gauge bar, such as... Figure 3 As shown. For example, the rearward section of the body may include tabs or other positioning devices 77A ( Figure 5 (), to align the needle gauge block along the needle gauge bar, and will further include at least one fastener opening thereal, such as Figures 6A-6B As shown at point 78. A removable fastener (such as a socket, hex screw, or other similar removable fastener) or attachment device will pass through the fastener opening 78 and be inserted into the corresponding opening 79 in the needle gauge bar. Figure 6B The needle gauge block 51 is releasably mounted to the needle gauge bar. Therefore, in some embodiments, the needle gauge blocks, together with the needle gauge components included therein, can be disassembled and replaced as a unit without having to replace the individual needle gauge components; for example, to expedite the replacement of broken or damaged needle gauge components, or to change the needle gauge spacing or arrangement of the needle gauge components of the tufting machine.

[0069] like Figure 4-6B As further indicated, the passage 80 is typically formed through the body 75 of each needle gauge block 51, wherein the passage 80 is typically positioned along the middle portion 81 of the body between the first segment 76 and the second segment 77. The passage 80 is sized and / or configured to accommodate multiple needle gauge components, such as loopers or hooks 50. Figure 4-5In the illustrated embodiment, the body 55 of each looper or hook 50 is typically housed within and extends through the passageway 80, wherein a first portion 60 of each looper or hook typically protrudes downward beyond the lower or bottom surface 82 of the module body 75, while a second portion 61 of each looper or hook may extend upward from / protrude from the upper or top surface 83 of the module body 75 and is above said upper or top surface 83.

[0070] Additionally, one or more inserts 85 can be mounted to opposite side surfaces (e.g., upper and lower surfaces) of each module body, their positioning or location aligned along the passage 80 that runs through the entire body of each needle-scale block, such as... Figure 4-5 The insert is generally indicated in the diagram. It will be configured to engage and guide the needle gauge component as it passes through and moves along the path of the needle gauge block body. For example, in some embodiments, such as... Figure 4-6A As shown, inserts 85A and 85B can be provided in pairs or groups, wherein one insert (e.g., the first insert 85A) is mounted along the first, left, or forward side 80A of the passage 80, while the insert (e.g., the second insert 85B) is mounted along the second, right, or rearward side 80B of the passage 80, and wherein each of the inserts 85A and 85B is generally arranged in a substantially facing, opposite, parallel relationship, wherein the needle gauge component 32 engages and is movable therebetween. Furthermore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 4-5 As indicated, a pair of first inserts may be installed along the first or left side of the passage, along the top and bottom surfaces of the module body, and a pair of second inserts 85B may be installed along the second or right side of the passage, along the top and bottom surfaces of the module body.

[0071] Each insert 85 will typically be formed of a hardened metal or metal alloy, a metal carbide, a ceramic, and / or a powdered metal material (including metal powders containing tungsten, titanium, or other materials with a hardness greater than that of the needle-shaped block body). For example, in some embodiments, the insert may be formed of a metal carbide material with a hardness of about 74+ RC or higher, while the module body may be formed of low-carbon steel. In other embodiments, the insert may be formed of ceramic, a powdered metal material containing tungsten, titanium, or similar hard metal components, a metal carbide, or other materials with a hardness between about 74+ RC and about 85+ RC or higher.

[0072] Each insert 85 may further include an insert body 86, the insert body 86 having a tab or flange portion 87, such as Figure 5 As indicated, the tab or flange portion 87 extends forward or backward from the passage of the needle-shaped module body, typically resting on and engaging the upper surface 83 and the lower surface 82 of the module body. For example... Figure 4 and 6A As further indicated in -6B, each insert 85 will also include at least one opening or slot 89 formed along its tab or flange portion, through which fasteners, such as retaining screws 90 or other similar removable fasteners, can be received. The slots or openings 89 formed in the tab or flange portion of the insert can generally be aligned with corresponding slots or locator openings 91 formed along the upper surface 83 and / or lower surface 82 of the module body to aid in positioning and mounting each insert to the body of its module and along the pathway of its pin block. Figure 6B As indicated, the inserts can be laterally displaced across the module body and substantially parallel to the passage 80, and can be further adjusted to face away from each other across the passages of the pin-scale block body, after which fasteners can be inserted and tightened to secure the inserts 85 to their module bodies. Additional locator guide pins 92 can be further received in slots on locator openings 93 formed along the flange or tab portion 87 of each insert to further assist in positioning the inserts along and across the passages of the module body as needed.

[0073] In another embodiment, the insert 85 may be substantially integrated with its module. The insert may be glued, molded, encapsulated, and / or otherwise secured to the body of its module, wherein the insert is substantially integrated with the module body to form a substantially uniform construction of the module body, and wherein the insert forms or defines part of its passageway. For example, in some cases, the insert may be positioned or housed within a passageway of the module body and substantially permanently mounted to the passageway of the module body, while in other embodiments, the insert may be molded or cast as part of the module body itself, defining passageways and grooves for the looper or hook, and may be coated with a hard metal coating (such as carbides or other substantially abrasion-resistant coatings) or treated with said hard metal coating. In such cases, the needle gauge component may be supplied as a set with its needle gauge block and may be replaced as a set by disassembling and replacing or replacing the needle gauge block and needle gauge component as a unit. In other embodiments, the insert may substantially engage or lock to its module, with limited ability to remove or disassemble one or more inserts as needed to improve maintainability.

[0074] like Figure 4 and 6A As indicated by -6B, the insert will typically further include a series of slots or slits 95 arranged in a spaced-apart, continuous manner along the body 86 of each insert, along the rear portion 88 of the body 86. Typically, each slot 95 is sized or configured to receive a needle gauge component 32, such as a hook or looper 50, etc. Figure 4 and 5As indicated. The slots 95 of the inserts will also typically be arranged at a selected spacing (such as the pin gauge spacing of a pin gauge component), and each slot 95 of the first insert 85A will typically be aligned with a corresponding or associated slot 95 of the second insert 85B, such as... Figure 6A As indicated. The aligned, corresponding or associated slot of each insert will receive at least a portion of the body of each needle gauge component received therein, for example, portions of the front edge 55A and rear edge 55B of the body 55 of each looper or hook 50, and wherein the insert defines a contact area 98 with reduced or minimized area or profile between the needle gauge block and the looper or hook.

[0075] In addition, for example Figure 6A As indicated, the end 96 of the groove 95 can be further shaped to have a substantially flattened or slightly curved or arched configuration to define a base 97, the first and second edges of each looper or hook received in each groove being positioned against and against the base 97 to mount the looper or hook within the insert, and subsequently securing the insert to each needle block via the looper or hook received therein. The grooves of the insert guide the looper or hook as it extends, retracts, or otherwise moves through the passageway of its needle block, and help maintain alignment of the looper or hook (and thus the throat and beak of the looper or hook) relative to the needle as the needle reciprocates in and out of the backing material and engages with the looper or hook.

[0076] In another embodiment, each insert 85 may include an insert body 86 having a first, top, or upper portion and a second, lower, or bottom portion, and having an intermediate section extending therebetween and connecting the first and second portions of each insert body. At least one of the upper and / or lower portions of the body of each insert may be further formed as a tab or flange extending forward or backward from the intermediate section and the passage of the needle block body, typically covering and engaging the upper surface 83 and lower surface 82 of the module body to aid in positioning and securing each insert within the passage of its needle block. Thus, the first insert 85A and the second insert 85B may have a substantially uniform construction, including upper and lower portions, wherein their grooves pass through their upper and lower sections and extend along the intermediate body section, thereby enabling further engagement and guidance of at least a portion of the first and second edges of the looper or hook. In implementation, inserts of this configuration can be molded or cast to have a substantially uniform body, which reduces the number of parts and the need for separate inserts on the upper and lower surfaces of the module body and on opposite sides along its pathway, while increasing the contact points / contact area between the insert and the coiler or hook to enhance the consistency and / or control of movement.

[0077] Alternatively, the first segment, second segment, and intermediate body segment of each insert can be formed as separate components and mounted together along the pathway of the module body. For example, in a further embodiment, an intermediate guide or support plate can be used to aid in guiding the movement of the coiler or hook, wherein the guide or support plate extends along the pathway between the inserts, which are positioned along the upper and lower surfaces of the module body. Such a guide or support plate can provide a body or surface along which the first and second edges, or front and rear edges, of the coiler or hook can travel / slide as the coiler or hook moves along the pathway of the module body. The guide or support plate can also serve as an insert, or a connecting member or segment between each pair or group of inserts 85A and / or 85B. Such guide or support plates can be formed from similar high-hardness materials (e.g., hardened metal or carbide or powdered metal or other high-hardness materials) to provide a hardened surface against which one or two edges of the coiler or hook can slide; or in some cases, they can serve as sacrificial plates that can be easily replaced and protect the module body along the side of the passage.

[0078] During operation of a tufting machine, as disclosed in embodiments of this disclosure, the looper, hook, or other needle gauge components move in multiple directions, including reciprocating engagement and disengagement with the needle, while also moving in a second direction through their needle gauge blocks or needle gauge blocks, for example, vertically moving between raised (for engagement with the needle) and lowered positions, including moving to a non-sewing position, and in some operations, moving after picking up yarn loops from the needle (e.g., to form extended or longer loops). Thus, such a tufting machine is capable of forming highly refined tufted patterns, including varying pile heights, other embossed and multi-colored pattern effects. However, such repetitive cyclical movement of the needle gauge components, as the looper, hook, or other needle gauge components slide and their edges frictionally engage with the body of their modules, causes significant and rapid wear of the needle gauge components (and particularly their needle gauge blocks). As these components wear, their ability to engage with the needle and form yarn loops to produce tufted patterns with considerable precision may decrease. For example, the needle gauge component may be misaligned and / or may not engage with the needle correctly or at the required level of precision, thus requiring more frequent replacement of the needle gauge component / needle gauge block.

[0079] The insert is made of metals (such as high-hardness heat-treated steel), metal carbides, ceramics, and / or other hardened metallic materials (including powdered metals containing tungsten, titanium, or other similar high-hardness materials) to provide a hardness of at least 75+ RC or higher. The insert's configuration defines the contact area 98 between the looper or hook and the needle scale block with a minimized area or profile, significantly improving the wear life of the needle scale block and the looper or hook. The high hardness of the insert protects the needle scale block from direct contact and rapid wear as the looper or hook circulates through it, while the reduced size of the contact area 98 defined by the insert is configured to reduce frictional engagement between the insert and the looper or hook, while substantially consistently guiding and maintaining the alignment of the looper or hook during such movements. The coiler or hook is typically pre-hardened or heat-treated to harden the coiler body or hook body; and in some embodiments, the surface of the coiler body or hook body may be coated with, treated with, or bonded with a low-friction material to help reduce friction between its edges 55A / 55B, which engage with and slide along the groove of the insert, and thereby help improve its wear life. For example, in some applications, wear lives of coilers or hooks exceeding 50 million to 100 million machine cycles have been found, and in some embodiments, between at least about 100 million and 500 million cycles or more.

[0080] The increased hardness of the insert protects the needle gauge block and allows it to be formed from lighter and less hard materials, such as low-carbon steel, aluminum, or their alloys. For example, the needle gauge block can be cast, molded, or otherwise formed from lightweight metals, composites, or other similar materials with hardness far lower than the insert (e.g., the body of the needle gauge block can be formed from low-carbon steel or aluminum alloys with a hardness less than about 60 RC), rather than requiring it to be formed from materials with considerably high hardness, such as tungsten, and / or subjected to substantial heat treatment to attempt to significantly increase its hardness. This helps reduce the weight and cost of the entire needle gauge component assembly without compromising operating cycle performance. This weight reduction in the needle gauge block or block can further enhance control over the movement of the looper through its passageway and the reciprocating motion of the looper or hook toward and away from the needle, for example, by reducing the inertia that may need to be overcome during the reciprocating motion of the looper or hook toward and away from the needle.

[0081] Figures 7A-7E An embodiment of a needle gauge block or needle gauge block 151, including a body 152 suitable for mounting along a needle gauge bar, is shown. For example... Figures 7A-7CAs shown in 7E, in some embodiments, the body 152 of the needle gauge block 151 may have a reduced size and may have a substantially h-shaped or y-shaped configuration, but other configurations may also be used, including other generally non-square or non-rectangular configurations. The body 152 of each needle gauge block 151 will be further configured to house a series or set of needle gauge components 32, such as loopers or hooks 50.

[0082] In some embodiments, the body 152 of each needle-shaped block 151 will be formed of a metallic or metal alloy material, but various composite materials, synthetic materials, and / or other materials may also be used. For example, but not limited to, the body of the needle-shaped block may be made of lightweight steel (such as low-carbon steel or tool steel) or aluminum or other similar lightweight but substantially rigid and durable materials. In embodiments, the block body may be cast, molded, or otherwise formed.

[0083] Additionally, in embodiments, the needle gauge block may have a reduced profile or configuration suitable for helping to reduce the weight of the needle gauge block. In some embodiments, the needle gauge block may include a skeletalized structure, in which the skeletalized structure may include portions of a body that have been removed, have reduced dimensions (e.g., thickness, length, width, or combinations thereof), or have reduced weight, or combinations thereof. Still additionally, in embodiments, the material forming the body of the needle gauge block may be selected to provide weight reduction while still providing sufficient durability and rigidity to hold and / or substantially maintain the needle gauge components in their alignment or positioning to pick up yarn from corresponding needles during the reciprocating motion of the needle gauge components toward and away from the needles during operation of the tufting machine. For example, in embodiments, a stronger metal or metal alloy material may be used to form at least some portions of the body, which may be formed with a reduced profile and / or removed portions to help offset weight.

[0084] exist Figures 7A-7C In the example needle block construction shown in Figure 7E, the body 152 of the needle block 151 is shown to have a substantially h-shaped or y-shaped configuration. In embodiments, the body 152 of each needle block 151 may include a first, forward or frontal segment 153 and a second, rearward or backward segment 154. In embodiments, as... Figure 7B As indicated, the thickness or height of the rear section 154 may be less than the thickness or height of the front section 153, which can provide a reduced profile for the needle block. The front section 153 may also have a front face 156A, a back face 156B, and a side face 156C. Figure 7A and 7C-7D); wherein the rearward section 154 extends rearward from the rear side 156B and, in some embodiments, tapers towards the mounting portion 157. In embodiments, the front side 156A of the front section 153 of the body 152 may include a first or upper portion 158A and a second or lower portion 158B ( Figures 7A-7B ), within which an open recess or channel 155 is defined.

[0085] In this implementation, the thickness of the mounting portion 157 of each needle gauge block can be significantly reduced, and it can be configured to engage with and be mounted to the needle gauge bar, for example, as... Figures 7A-7C As shown. For example, in one embodiment, the rearward section 154 of the body can taper downwards from the back surface 156B of the front section 153 toward the mounting portion 157. In one embodiment, the mounting portion may have a lower surface 157A configured to rest on the needle gauge bar and may be spaced above the lower surface 153A of the front section 153 to facilitate engagement alignment and placement of the body 152 along the needle gauge bar. In one embodiment, the mounting portion 157 may also include tabs or other positioning devices 159. Figure 7B The tab or other positioning device 159 can be positioned along its lower surface 157A and can be configured to align the needle gauge block 151 along the needle gauge bar.

[0086] In some implementations, such as Figures 7A-7B As shown in 7E, the recess 155 can be configured to define an opening 160 that facilitates access to a needle gauge component (e.g., a looper or hook) housed within and movable through the needle gauge block. For example, in some configurations, the recess may have a substantially C-shaped configuration, with its opening 160 defined along the front of the needle gauge block and further opening along its side 161, allowing access to the needle gauge component for maintenance, such as for cleaning dust, debris, or other material collected around it. In some applications, such a configuration may also provide simple visual inspection of the needle gauge component within the needle gauge block. Other configurations may be provided in other embodiments.

[0087] The pin-scale block may further include at least one fastener opening, such as Figures 7A-7CAs shown in 163, the at least one fastener opening can be positioned along the rearward section 154 of the body (e.g., along the mounting portion 157). Removable fasteners (such as retaining screws, sleeves, hex screws, or other similar removable fasteners) or attachment devices can pass through the fastener opening and be inserted into a corresponding opening along the needle gauge bar to releasably mount the needle gauge block 151 to the needle gauge bar. Removing the fasteners allows the needle gauge block, and the needle gauge components included therein, to be removed and replaced as a unit without having to replace individual needle gauge components. In other embodiments, the needle gauge block can be removable / replaceable to change the needle gauge spacing or arrangement of the needle gauge components of the tufting machine. In other embodiments, the needle gauge block can be configured to selectively remove one or more needle gauge components therefrom.

[0088] like Figure 7A and 7C As further indicated, the passage 170 may be formed through the body 152 of each needle gauge block 151. In an embodiment, the passage 170 may be positioned along the forward portion 153 of the body 152. The passage 170 will typically be sized and / or configured to accommodate multiple needle gauge components, such as loopers or hooks 50, as... Figure 7B , 7D As indicated by 7E. In an embodiment, the body 55 of each looper or hook 50 may be received within and extend through the passage 170, wherein a first portion 60 of each looper or hook typically protrudes downward beyond the lower or bottom surface 171 of the body 152 of its needle block 151, while a second portion 61 of each looper or hook may extend upward from / protrude from the upper or top surface 172 of the body 152 and be above said upper or top surface 172. The passage 170 may be further configured to allow the looper or hook to move along it.

[0089] like Figure 7C and 7E As shown, in one embodiment, the passage 170 extends through the recess 159. For example, in some embodiments, a first portion 173A of the passage may define an upper portion 158A of the body 152, and a second portion 173B of the passage may be defined in a lower portion 158B of the body 152; wherein the second portion of the passage is spaced apart from and aligned with the first portion of the passage. Additionally, in one embodiment, the passage may extend at an angle, and in some embodiments, the front and back faces of the passage and / or the front section may be arranged at an angle to allow the needle gauge component to be oriented at an angle when needed, as discussed above.

[0090] Additionally, in some constructions, such as Figure 7CAs indicated, the first and second portions of passages 173A and 173B may be separated, for example, into segments 174. By way of example only, in embodiments, the passage may be divided into multiple segments to accommodate a selected needle gauge pitch, such as 1 / 10 inch, 1 / 8 inch, 5 / 16 inch, or other pitches. In embodiments, the passage may include a wall or divider 176 arranged along the middle portion of the passage between the sides 156C of the front segment 153 of the body 152. In embodiments, the divider 176 may be formed or otherwise integrated with the needle gauge block body; and in some embodiments, the divider or multiple dividers may be configured to be insertable into and / or removable from the passage 170 to divide the passage into two or more segments 174 as needed.

[0091] In an embodiment, multiple grooves or recesses 177 may be formed along the upstream and downstream of the passage 170 or along one or both of the front edge 174A and the rear edge 174B, such as Figure 7A and 7C As indicated; however, in other embodiments, such slots or recesses 177 may not be used. Additionally, the number of slots or recesses 177 formed in the needle gauge block can vary to match various selected applications and can be further configured to accommodate one or more dividers as described above. For example, the number of slots or recesses can match the needle gauge pitch of the needle gauge component, or a multiple of such needle gauge pitch. In some embodiments, such as Figure 7E As shown, the groove or recess 177 can be configured, for example, to have a depth and / or width, such that at least a front edge portion or a rear edge portion of the looper or hook 50 is configured to receive therein, such that the looper or hook can move along the groove in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reciprocating motion direction of the looper or hook toward and away from the needle during the tufting operation.

[0092] Additionally, the needle gauge block 151 may also include one or more inserts 180. In an embodiment, the insert 180 may be positioned adjacent to a passage defined by the body 152 through each needle gauge block, such as... Figure 7C and 7E As typically indicated in the diagram. The inserts are generally configured to provide a contact area between the needle gauge component and the body of the needle gauge block, against which the needle gauge component can engage as it passes through and moves along passage 170. For example, in some embodiments, a series of inserts 180 may be housed within the body of the needle gauge block 151, positioned along the front and rear sides, or upstream and downstream sides 170A / 170B, of passage 170, and act as abrasion surfaces that protect the body of the needle gauge block from excessive wear as the needle gauge component slides through the passage.

[0093] In some embodiments, the insert may be housed within the body of the needle-scale block (e.g., within a passage formed in the body) and may be detached therefrom; while in others, the insert may be substantially integrated with the body of the needle-scale block. In some embodiments, such as Figure 7C and 7E As shown, the inserts 180 can be arranged in groups, with one or more inserts arranged in a substantially opposite, parallel relationship with the needle gauge components 32 housed within the passage 170.

[0094] In some embodiments, insert 180 may include a pin, rod, or bar that may be received in a passage or opening 183 within the body of the needle-scale block. Each insert 180 will typically be further formed of a material with a hardness different from (e.g., greater than) that of the material of the needle-scale block body. As discussed above, in some embodiments, insert 180 may comprise hardened metal or metal alloy materials, metal carbides, ceramics, and / or powdered metal materials (including metal powders containing tungsten, titanium, or other materials with a hardness greater than that of the material of the needle-scale block body). For example, in some embodiments, inserts may be formed of metal carbide materials with a hardness of approximately 74+ RC or higher, while the module body may be formed of low-carbon steel. In other embodiments, inserts may be formed of ceramics, powdered metal materials containing tungsten, titanium, or similar hard metal components, metal carbides, or other materials with a hardness between approximately 74+ RC and approximately 85+ RC or higher.

[0095] like Figure 7E As shown, in this embodiment, the needle gauge component 32 (e.g., a looper or hook 50) can be housed within the passageway 170, extending through both the open recess 155 and the upper and lower portions of the front section 153 of the body 152. The lower end of the needle gauge component may protrude below the lower surface 153A of the front section and, in this embodiment, may be engaged with a door or connector 67 connected to the actuator 68 to control the movement of the needle gauge component through the needle gauge block. In this embodiment, at least a portion of the body of the needle gauge component will be exposed and thus accessible through the opening 160 defined by the recess 155, which facilitates cleaning (e.g., removal of dust and debris) and other maintenance, and allows for visual inspection of the needle gauge component.

[0096] Figure 8A-10B Various non-limiting embodiments of the door or connector 67 that can be used with the needle gauge component are shown, such as for connecting the needle gauge component to its associated actuator 68. Figure 2-3 ) looper or hook 50 ( Figure 4 However, those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 8A-10BThe connectors or gates shown in the embodiments are not limited to use with a specific type of tufting machine or with a specific type of needle gauge component, but can be used with a wide variety of different types of needle gauge components, including such Figure 4-6B and Figure 11A-12C The looper or hook 50 shown, as well as its use with various other types of needle gauge parts, such as horizontal cut loopers or hooks and / or other needle gauge components.

[0097] like Figure 8A-10B As shown, each connector or door 67 typically includes a housing or support structure 101, and a link or connector arm 102 may be substantially included, encapsulated, or housed within the housing or support structure 101. The housing 101 of each connector or door typically includes a first or proximal portion 103, a middle portion 104, and a second or distal portion 106. Additionally, each connector body will further include a passage or channel 107 defined therethrough, and the link or connector arm 102 will be received along the passage or channel 107 and movable. The housing 101 of each connector 67 may typically be formed of a lightweight, durable material, such as composite materials, plastics, or synthetic materials, or combinations thereof. For example, composite or polymeric materials, such as nylon, polyamide, polyamide-nylon, or other similar polymeric materials, may be used, and may be mixed with or provided with fiber-filled materials, such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or other support fibers that may additionally reinforce the housing material, or may otherwise include fiber-filled materials. The material of the main body of the housing can be further adjusted or selected to not only provide reduced weight (such as helping to reduce inertia during start / stop and movement, for example, by extending and / or retracting the needle gauge components through its associated actuator), but also to provide elasticity and shock absorption or damping or cushioning effects during such movement and start / stop operations.

[0098] like Figure 8A-10B As indicated, in some embodiments, the housing 101 of each connector may be overmolded over its link or connector arm 102, or may be segmented and applied around the link or connector arm such that its link or connector arm is substantially enclosed or included therein. The link or connector arm 102 may further be made of a metal (such as steel or other similar high-strength materials), chosen to provide sufficient strength and stiffness so that each link or connector arm can withstand repeated impacts and increased cycles of motion during tufting machine operation. For example, but not limited to, the link or connector arm 102 may comprise a hardened steel material, and in some cases may be further heat-treated or annealed, such as at its ends, in areas of contact and / or engagement with the coiler or hook, and between the connector arm or link and the drive shaft or bar of one or more actuators associated with it.

[0099] In some embodiments, the link or connector arm 102 may further include a skeletonized metal body configured to reduce its weight. In such embodiments, each connector or housing 101 can provide further support and stiffness to the link or connector arm 102, thereby helping to guide and maintain its consistent reciprocating movement or motion during operation. Therefore, the connector or gate 67 can provide a more economical connector or gate design, allowing the link or connector arm with a skeletonized or reduced profile and lighter weight to be used in conjunction with the additional support, shock elasticity, and damping effects provided by the housing 101 applied above and / or encapsulating or enclosing the link or connector arm.

[0100] like Figure 8A-10B As further demonstrated, each connector or gate 67 can be formed to have different sizes and configurations. For example, depending on the pin gauge, distance, stroke length, or length of the link or connector arm, the middle section of each connector housing can have a shorter or longer span, and thus can be varied for different tufting machines and / or tufting applications. This is merely an example, such as... Figure 8B , 9B As indicated in 10B, connectors or gates may include different configurations for use with different pin gauge tufting machines (such as machines with 1 / 8 or 1 / 10 pin gauges), but it is understood that other pin gauges (5 / 16, 1 / 16, 1 / 12, 1 / 14, etc.) and / or types of machines may also be used. The middle section through the housing of each connector may be further oriented at an angle, in some cases downwards and in others upwards, wherein adjacent connectors are in opposing angular orientations or configurations to minimize the space or footprint thus occupied.

[0101] Each connector or door 67 link or connector arm 102 ( Figure 8A , 9A (10A) may be further formed in different lengths as needed or desired. Each link will typically have a first end or proximal end 110, which may be adapted or configured to engage or connect to one or more actuator shafts or drive rods 69 of one or more associated actuators 68, having a substantially angled body section or portion 111 that extends along a passage or channel of the housing, through the connector housing, and terminates at a distal, flanged, or hooked end 112. The body portion 111 of each link will be further positioned and / or aligned within and enclosed in the passage of its housing to help provide stability and / or help guide the link along the channel of its connector housing.

[0102] For example, in some cases, during housing formation, pins or other inserts may be used around or above the connecting rod to align and support it in place, after which the pins can be removed. Alternatively, guide pins may be provided to help maintain and guide movement along one or more portions of the connecting rod or connector arm, including or acting as supports. Still, in some other embodiments, slots may be provided along the body of each housing, through which guide pins can be received to help guide the movement of the connecting rod and may further help provide additional impact resilience.

[0103] In another embodiment, the guide pin or fastener 114A may pass through the housing and be inserted into the body of the link, and may engage with a slot or guide groove or similar device to help guide and control or maintain the link along its passage or channel 107 of the connector housing. Figure 8B , 9B And 10B) move without twisting or rotating or otherwise misaligning. In other embodiments, guide pin 114A may act as a pivot point about which the link or connector arm may move or pivot rather than in a substantially linear motion.

[0104] like Figure 8A , 9A As further indicated in 10B, the distal hook-shaped end 112 of each link or connector arm 102 may be supported by the second or distal portion 106 of its housing 101 along at least one side to help guide and support the hook-shaped end during sliding movement of the link. The hook-shaped end of the link or connector arm will engage with a corresponding hook-shaped portion, recess, or groove of the corresponding needle gauge component; for example, in an embodiment, with a groove or recess 64 formed in the distal end of the first portion 60 or a corresponding or associated looper or hook 50. Figure 5 In other embodiments, the hook-shaped end of the linkage may engage with a clamp for a horizontal cut-pile looper, horizontal cut-pile looper, or other movable needle gauge component. When each actuator is selectively triggered or activated / deactivated, movement of its actuator shaft or drive bar is transmitted to the associated needle gauge component within the needle gauge component via the linkage or connector arm of its corresponding connector or gate. Therefore, the connector or gate can provide an economical, rigid, and high-strength connection between each actuator and its associated needle gauge component, wherein the needle gauge component can be detached or replaced as needed without replacing its associated actuator.

[0105] In one implementation, such as Figure 2 and 12AAs typically shown in the -12C model, the actuator may include a hydraulic, air, electric, or pneumatic cylinder 68, each of which includes a piston rod or shaft 69, which is typically connected via a connector or door 67 to an associated or corresponding coiling device or hook. In some embodiments, the actuator may further be used to control the operation of more than one coiling device or hook 50. Additionally, those skilled in the art will understand that other types of actuators may also be used, including solenoids, motors, or other similar actuation mechanisms.

[0106] Each actuator will typically be connected to a control system 25, which will selectively control its actuation to control the activation and / or movement of each looper relative to the needle. The actuator will be controlled to selectively extend and retract its looper or hook, such that the positioning of its throat / beak can vary in a second direction relative to the reciprocating motion of the looper or hook in the backing material and relative to the movement of the looper or hook 50 in the directions of arrows 54 / 54'. For example, in one embodiment, as the looper or hook reciprocates toward and away from the needle 36 in the directions of arrows 54 and 54', the looper or hook will move substantially vertically (i.e., substantially up and down) relative to the needle, as... Figure 2 , 4 As indicated by arrows 71 and 71' in 12A-12C. The actuator can not only be controlled to extend and retract the looper or hook between an extended position and / or an unstitched position, but can also be further selectively controlled to extend and / or retract the looper to a series of different positions or heights relative to the needle's stroke or penetration depth. Therefore, the position or location of the throat of the looper or hook relative to the needle can be controlled and varied to pick up and / or form yarn loops from the selected needle with different pile heights or lengths, or not pick up yarn, as... Figures 12A-12C As indicated.

[0107] For example, in the fully extended position, the selected looper or hook 50 can pick up a loop of yarn from the needle engaged therewith, the loop typically being formed with a first selected or desired pile height, while other loopers or hooks can extend or retract to a position or location between the fully extended and retracted positions to pick up and form a loop of yarn with a second or other different length or pile height. Some loopers or hooks can also be moved by their actuators to a fully lowered or retracted position to place them in an unstitched position, whereby the throat / beak of such loopers or hooks is positioned below the full penetration depth or end of the stroke of the needle, and therefore does not pick up a loop of yarn from its corresponding or associated needle. In other operations, actuators can be selectively controlled or triggered to retract or lower their respective loopers or hooks after a loop of yarn has been captured thereon, in order to pull down such captured loops to elongate or create higher pile or increase the length of the yarn to obtain additional pattern effects, such as for tip shearing and / or other texture effects.

[0108] like Figure 11A-11B As indicated, each needle gauge component 32 (such as a looper or hook 50) can generally be arranged in groups or clusters, each of which includes modules 51 / 151, wherein the modules are mounted in series along the needle gauge bar to provide multiple needle gauge components arranged across the tufting area at a prescribed spacing (e.g., needle gauge spacing of 1 / 10, 1 / 8, 5 / 16, etc.). The needle gauge components 32 will be positioned to engage needles, including, as needed, in substantially linear, offset, staggered, and / or other configurations depending on the configuration of the needles on one or more needle bars (e.g., if the needles are arranged in a straight, staggered, and / or other configurations along a single or double needle bar). Each looper or hook 50 may further be arranged at an angle or offset relative to the needle penetrating the backing so as to be movable or extendable / retractable relative to the needle and / or its exit point along an angled travel path 71 / 71'. Depending on the needle spacing and / or arrangement, such offset movement of the looper or hook can be further modified as needed when the looper retracts to minimize potential engagement of the looper or hook by the needles.

[0109] For example, in some implementations, the looper or hook can be arranged and / or moved at an angle / offset along the travel path, such as... Figure 11B As indicated by θ, the range of the angle / offset can be approximately 1° to approximately 10° or greater vertically and / or relative to the needle's travel as the looper or hook retracts, and in one example embodiment, an angle of approximately 4° to 6° relative to the path or direction of the needle's reciprocating motion as the needle completes its travel or reciprocates in and out of the backing; while in other embodiments, there is essentially no offset between the looper or hook and the needle, i.e., an angle of approximately 0° relative to the needle. Therefore, when the looper or hook extends sufficiently to reach the needle's exit area 39 ( Figures 11A-12AWhen engaged at the correct position / height, its throat / beak will typically be correctly aligned or positioned to engage and pick up the yarn loop from its corresponding needle. As the looper or hook retracts, it can typically move further along an offset travel path, allowing its throat / beak to be placed or positioned outside the needle's travel path, minimizing potential unintentional yarn pickup when the looper or hook is in its retracted, unstitched position.

[0110] In operation, according to some embodiments, tufted articles can be formed according to the systems and methods of this disclosure, and the tufted articles can be formed to have various patterns and pattern effects, including using a variety of different colors and / or types of yarns to form such patterns, and including embossed or multi-pile effects. For example, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be operated in conjunction with stitch distribution control systems or yarn color placement systems disclosed and shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,141,505, 8,359,989, and 8,776,703, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein.

[0111] In these embodiments, the stitches or yarn clusters formed in the backing material can be further formed with an improved or higher operational or effective stitch density compared to the desired or specified fabric or pattern stitch density of the tufted pattern being formed. If the pattern or fabric stitch density or density requirement of the pattern being formed demands that the tufted article have an appearance of 8, 10, 12, etc., stitches per inch formed therein and / or displayed on its front side, the actual, operational, or effective stitch count per inch formed during the operation of the tufting machine will be significantly higher than the desired or specified pattern or fabric stitch density. Therefore, the actual formation of stitches or yarn clusters in the backing material will be achieved by increasing the actual, operable, or effective stitch density, thereby effectively forming a larger stitch / inch count in the backing material than the desired stitch / inch count shown in the finished pattern. Those stitches or face yarns that do not need to be shown or retained on the front side of the pattern field or area being sewn are retracted or pulled out from the backing material, or pulled low enough to allow such yarns to be held or adhered to the backing but at the same time substantially avoiding the creation of unwanted or unnecessary gaps or spaces between the retained or face yarns of the pattern (i.e., to keep the yarn clusters visible or present in the finished pattern of the tufted article).

[0112] For illustrative purposes, in one example embodiment, the effective work stitch density can be determined based on the fabric or pattern stitch density of the pattern being formed or by increasing the fabric or pattern stitch density of the pattern to approximate the number of colors selected or being tufted in the pattern. For a desired fabric or pattern stitch density of 10-12 stitches / inch and using a pattern with 2-4 colors, the effective or operational work stitch density (i.e., the density of stitches actually formed in the backing material) can be approximately 18-20 stitches / inch to approximately 40 stitches / inch or higher. However, those skilled in the art will further understand that such operational or effective work stitch density for a particular pattern can be further varied or adjusted depending on the yarn type and / or size and / or other factors. For example, if thicker, larger-sized, or heavier yarns are used, the effective work stitch density may undergo further variations as needed to account for the use of such larger yarns (e.g., for a 4-color pattern, the effective work stitch density may vary further, such as running at approximately 25-38 stitches / inch, but may also be further varied as needed). Therefore, when the selected or programmed pattern being run may be designed or required to have 10-12 stitches / inch as its desired pattern density or stitch density, the system can actually operate to form 20-48 stitches / inch or more, depending on the number of colors and / or the type of yarn, even though visually from the surface of the finished tufted product, it will usually only appear to be the desired / selected 10-12 stitches.

[0113] Additionally, when tufting a series of different colors, the needles 36 of the needle bar 35 are typically equipped with the required threading; for example, for a four-color pattern, threads A, B, C, and D can be used on the needles. Alternatively, when using two needle bars, the needles of each needle bar can be equipped with an alternating threading sequence, i.e., A / C threading on the front needle bar, with B / D color threading on the rear needle bar. Furthermore, the needles of the front and rear needle bars can be staggered or offset in alignment. One or more needle bars are typically moved according to the shifting profile of the pattern being formed via a needle bar moving device 40 combined with control of the backing material and yarn feed. Figure 2 The control further shifts to effectively present each color or each different type of yarn in the yarn colors (i.e., 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.), which can be sewn to the looper or hook at the selected pattern pixel or tuft / stitch position (by laterally shifting the needle bar relative to the backing material as the backing material is fed through the tufted area).

[0114] For example, for a four-color pattern, each of the one to four colors that can be sewn at the next pixel or stitch position—that is, one, two, three, four, or no yarn at the selected pixel or stitch position—will appear at the desired looper or hook during each shift movement of the backing material or cam movement cycle in increments of approximately 1 / 8 to 1 / 40 inches. The looper or hook will engage and form a yarn loop, where one or more desired yarns are retained to form the selected cluster, while the remaining yarns can typically be pulled down or back by controlling the yarn feed mechanism, including pulling these non-retained yarns pulled from the backing material so that they float along the backing material. Thus, for each pattern pixel or its associated cluster / stitch position, during each shift sequence and the corresponding incremental movement of the backing material, each looper or hook is capable of tufting any or possibly more than one color of the pattern (i.e., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.), or possibly no color, at the looper or hook. As described above, if yarns of different types or colors are not tufted or placed at specific tuft or stitch positions or pixels, yarn feed can be controlled to limit or otherwise control the yarn of needles that may be present at such stitch positions or pixels, thereby substantially pulling back all yarns, or otherwise preventing such yarns from being placed or appearing at that stitch position, and / or the needle bar can be additionally controlled to skip or otherwise bypass or circumvent the appearance of needles / yarns at that stitch position or pixel.

[0115] The feeding of the backing material B can be further controlled in various ways, i.e., through a stitch distribution control system. For example, the tufting machine backing roller 28 can be controlled to hold the backing material in place for a cycle with a defined number of stitches or needle bars, or the backing material can be moved at a desired number of stitches per inch, i.e., about 1 / 40 inch per penetration, or variations thereof, such as about 1 / 10 inch when four stitches are introduced into the backing, to form a pattern with four colors and an effective stitch density of 40 stitches / inch. The movement of the backing material can be further changed or manipulated stitch by stitch or pixel by pixel, wherein the average movement of all stitches within a cycle substantially matches the incremental movement of the calculated operability or effective processing stitch density. For example, for a 4-color cycle, the first pin can be run at 1 / 80 inch, the next two pins at 1 / 40 inch, and the fourth pin at 1 / 20 inch. As needed, the backing moves an average of 1 / 40 inch per pin throughout the 4-pin cycle to achieve the desired pin / color placement.

[0116] Each different yarn / colored yarn can be tufted at specific stitch positions or pixels, thus presenting such stitch positions or pixels when forming a pattern in the backing material. To achieve this presentation of the yarn at each pixel or stitch position, the needle bar can typically be shifted as needed / desired, according to a calculated or selected cam profile or the shift profile of the pattern to be run / formed, for example, based on the number of colors running in the pattern and the area of ​​the pattern field formed by each specific color, using a combination of single and / or double skip stitches or shifting. Such combinations of single and double skip stitches or stepping can be used to avoid over-tufting or joining previously sewn tufts when the needle bar shifts laterally and the backing material advances at its effective or operational stitch density. The backing can also be shifted in conjunction with or independently of the needle bar shifting mechanism via a backing or jute moving device, etc.

[0117] like Figure 1 and 2 As indicated, when the needle penetrates the backing B, the looper or hook 50 of the needle gauge assembly 30 will reciprocate toward the needle in the direction of arrow 54 to engage with the yarn loop from its associated or corresponding needle and pick up or pull the yarn loop. Additionally, the actuator 66 for the looper or hook can be selectively controlled and engaged to extend or retract the selected looper or hook, such that its beak 63 and throat portion 62 are positioned relative to the needle in the desired location as the needle 36 penetrates and completes its stroke in and out of the backing. Figure 11A-12C The indicated position or orientation of the beak and / or throat portion of the looper or hook can vary between a fully extended position or height and a lowered or retracted "unstitched" position, in which the yarn loops are typically significantly prevented from being picked up and / or formed by such loopers or hooks to provide selective yarn loop pickup, including not picking up yarn loops, and the length of the yarn loops selectively picked up from the yarn presented at each stitch position or pixel is controlled according to the instructions of the pattern being formed. Therefore, the position of the loops of selected or desired front yarns displayed in the "finished" pattern picked up from the needle by the looper or hook can be controlled, wherein the formation of the resulting clusters formed by such picked-up yarn loops retained in the backing is further controlled so that they can be formed at various different pile heights.

[0118] The yarn type / color of each series of yarns to be retained or displayed at specific stitch positions on the backing surface, presented at each pixel or stitch position, is typically determined according to the pattern instructions or procedures used to form the tufted pattern. Controlling the activation and / or positioning of the looper or hook 50 corresponding to or associated with the needle carrying such yarn allows the tufting machine to selectively pick up and retain loops of this yarn at each stitch position where such yarn will be retained, according to the pattern, to form a tuft of such yarn with a selected pile height. For example, if the presented yarn is not displayed or present, the corresponding looper or hook can retract to an unstitched position so that no yarn loops are picked up, and its yarn feed is controlled so that such yarn is not retained at the pixel or stitch position. For retained yarns / colors (i.e., yarns appearing on the front side of the patterned tufted article), the position or height of the looper or hook and the yarn feed mechanism feeding these yarns can typically be controlled collaboratively to pick up and form loops of such yarn sufficient to form the desired type and pile height.

[0119] Based on the principles of this disclosure, further control of the backing feed by increasing the effective or operational stitch density (e.g., the actual density of stitches formed in the backing) further provides a denser or more compressed stitch or tufting field per inch, such that the yarn being returned is removed or the pulse is reduced sufficiently to avoid creating unwanted spaces or gaps between the retained face yarns (face yarns that appear on the face of the tufted article according to the pattern), or interfering with or passing through the display of such retained face yarns formed in the backing material. Additionally, the control system can perform yarn feed compensation and / or yarn feed modeling to help control and reduce the amount of non-retained or non-present yarns that may be "floating" on the back of the backing material, thereby further helping to reduce excess yarn feed and / or waste, or minimizing excess yarn feed and / or waste.

[0120] Additionally, the yarn feeding mechanism can be selectively controlled to feed each yarn to each needle, to substantially retract or pull the yarn carried by the needle from the backing material, or to accompany the reciprocating motion of the needle; and some yarn loops can be retracted or pulled back / lowered to a sufficiently low position to generally prevent the ends of such unselected yarns from occupying the selected needle position, or otherwise interfering with the placement of the selected face yarn or the yarn being displayed in a specific color field formed according to the pattern.

[0121] For example, in some implementations, when a selected or particular looper or hook is retracted to a fully retracted or "unstitched" position, loops are typically not picked up from the needles associated with such fully retracted loopers and hooks, while the yarn feed is correspondingly controlled so that the yarn can move in and out of the backing material with its needle. Additionally, in some cases of forming yarn loops, such as when the looper or hook is in a fully extended position and forming a low loop, by controlling its yarn feed to a certain extent, the resulting yarn loop can be further retracted or significantly lowered or pulled out of the backing material so that a certain amount of yarn is engaged with or "adhered" to the backing, while substantially removing such yarn to a degree such that the ends of such unselected yarn generally do not interfere with the placement of selected yarns appearing on the front at specific stitch locations within the stitching area.

[0122] The placement of non-present yarns can also be controlled to adhere to or otherwise secure them to the backing material to prevent the formation of tails of such extended lengths, which could later become stuck or cause other defects in the finished tufted product. For example, the control system can also be programmed / set to adhere or form low stitches of such non-present yarns at desired intervals (e.g., every 1 inch to 1.5 inches), but larger or smaller intervals can also be used. Yarn compensation can also often be used to help ensure that a sufficient amount of yarn is fed when needed so that non-present yarns can be adhered to the backing material while preventing yarns from crossing or peeking out through another color display, i.e., yarns being adhered into protruding yarns that pass through a single stitch, where several yarns are placed together. Additionally, in cases where multiple non-present yarns are forming extended lengths or tails, the spacing of these different yarns adhered within the backing material can be varied (i.e., one at 1" and another at 1.5" etc.) to avoid such adhered yarns interfering with each other and / or forming color fields.

[0123] Additionally, the actuator 66 can be controlled in conjunction with the control of the yarn feeding mechanism to form extended or elongated yarn loops, such as by engaging and retracting or lowering its corresponding looper or hook (on which the captured yarn loops are located). Thus, the captured yarn loops can be further pulled and / or elongated, while the corresponding yarn feed can also be controlled to feed additional amounts of such yarn. Therefore, longer or greater length yarn loops can be formed in the backing to produce higher pile clusters and / or other desired patterning effects, such as for tip shearing and / or other patterning features. Selective control of the actuator 66 for selectively retracting and extending its looper or hook 50 can be further used to provide additional variations or transition steps or pile heights within the pattern (e.g., controlled as needed) to provide more gradual or subtle differences or variations in pile height, or to provide more abrupt or defined intervals between the pile heights of the forming yarn clusters.

[0124] Therefore, across the width of the tufting machine, the control system controls the displacement and feeding of yarns for each color or desired pattern texture effect, so that each color that can or may be sewn at a specific tuft position or pattern pixel will be presented within that pattern pixel space or tuft position for sewing, but only the selected yarn tufts of a specific color or pattern texture effect will remain in that tuft / stitch position or pattern pixel. As further noted, during the tufting step, additional or more colors can also be presented to each looper or hook to form mixed-color tufts or provide a tweed effect as needed, wherein two or more stitches or yarns will be placed at the desired pattern pixel or tuft position. Thus, the operation of the stitch distribution control system results in a multi-color visual effect of pattern colors or texture effects, which are selectively placed to achieve the desired density and pattern appearance of the finished tufted article. This further enables the creation of a wider range of geometric, free-flowing, and other pattern effects by controlling the placement of tufts or yarns at selected pattern pixels or tuft positions.

[0125] Therefore, the system and method disclosed herein for tufted engraving and multi-pile patterned articles enable operators to develop and run various tufted patterns with diverse appearances, textures, etc., on a tufting machine without having to utilize a design center to draw and create patterns. Instead, through this disclosure, in addition to and / or as an alternative to manually preparing patterns or using a design center, the operator can scan images (i.e., photographs, drawings, jpegs, etc.) or upload designed pattern files at the tufting machine, and the stitch distribution control system can read the images and develop program steps or parameters to subsequently control the tufting machine substantially without requiring further operator input or control to form the desired tufted patterned article.

[0126] The foregoing description generally illustrates and describes various embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the constructions discussed above without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as disclosed herein, and it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative rather than restrictive. Furthermore, the scope of this disclosure should be interpreted to cover various modifications, combinations, additions, alterations, etc., of the embodiments described above and above, which should be considered within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the various features and characteristics of this disclosure discussed herein can be selectively interchanged and applied to other shown and unshown embodiments of this disclosure, and many further changes, modifications, and additions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tufting machine, characterized in that, The tufting machine includes: At least one needle bar, the at least one needle bar having a plurality of needles mounted thereon; A backing feed roller that feeds backing material; At least one yarn feeding mechanism that feeds yarn to the needle; and A needle gauge component assembly, positioned below the backing material, the needle gauge component assembly comprising: Multiple needle gauge components, the multiple needle gauge components being configured to pick up yarn from the needle; At least one module, the at least one module having a body formed of a metal, polymer, composite material, or synthetic material having a first hardness, or a combination thereof, the body having at least one passage defined therethrough; and At least one inserter, the at least one inserter being positioned along the at least one passage; The at least one insert comprises metal, metal carbide, ceramic, or powdered metal material, including metal powder comprising tungsten, titanium, or a combination thereof; The at least one insert has a second hardness greater than the first hardness; During the insertion and removal of the needle from the backing material, the needle gauge component moves relative to the needle in a first direction. Furthermore, as the needle moves toward and away from engagement with the needle, the needle gauge component is capable of moving relative to the needle in a second direction along at least one passage of the body of the at least one module; A series of actuators, coupled to the needle gauge component, to control the movement of the needle gauge component through the module body in the second direction; and A control system comprising a program for controlling the actuation of one or more actuators in the actuators to move a selected needle gauge component in the needle gauge component in a second direction between a position substantially preventing the selected needle gauge component in the needle gauge component from picking up yarn from the corresponding needle and one or more positions for picking up yarn from the corresponding needle, and for controlling the at least one yarn feeding mechanism to control the feeding of the yarn to the needle.

2. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tufting machine further includes a displacement mechanism for displacing the at least one needle bar, backing material, moving device, or combination thereof; and the control system further includes a program adapted to coordinate the displacement of the at least one needle bar or the displacement of the backing material, or a combination thereof, with the control of the actuator, and the control of the at least one yarn feeding mechanism for feeding the yarn to the needle, so as to enable one or more yarns to appear at selected needle positions along the backing material.

3. The tufting machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control system further includes a program configured to control the feeding of the backing material at an actual stitch density greater than the pattern stitch density of the pattern being formed.

4. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The needle gauge component assembly further includes a series of connectors that extend between each needle gauge component and an associated actuator, each connector including a link housed within a housing and capable of moving through the housing.

5. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one insert includes a plurality of pins, which are housed in the body of the at least one module adjacent to the at least one passage.

6. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one insert includes at least two inserts arranged along opposite sides of the at least one passage in a substantially aligned relationship.

7. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one passage includes a series of slots spaced apart along the at least one passage, each slot being configured to receive a portion of one of the needle gauge components therein.

8. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The body of the at least one module includes a first segment and a second segment, the at least one passage extends through the first segment, and the thickness of the second segment is less than the thickness of the first segment.

9. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The body of the at least one module includes a substantially h-shaped or y-shaped configuration, including an open recess defined along its front side.

10. The tufting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one insert includes a plurality of pins positioned on opposite sides of the at least one passage and defining a contact surface between the body of the at least one module and the needle gauge component housed within the at least one passage.

11. A needle gauge component assembly for a tufting machine, characterized in that, The needle gauge component assembly includes: Multiple needle scale blocks, each of the needle scale blocks including a body having a passage defined therethrough; The opposite insert is positioned on the opposite side of the passage; Each insert contains a metal, metal carbide, ceramic, or powdered metal material with a hardness greater than that of the module body, including metal powder containing tungsten, titanium, or a combination thereof; A series of needle gauge components, which are slidably housed within the passage, each of the needle gauge components having a first portion and a second portion; The insert is configured to define a contact area, and the needle gauge component slides along the contact area; The needle gauge component carries the module toward and away from engagement with the needles of the tufting machine in a first direction; and is capable of selectively moving along the passage in a second direction to selectively pick up yarn loops from the needles; and A plurality of actuators, each actuator being coupled to the needle gauge component, each actuator being selectively actuated to move the needle gauge component coupled thereto in a second direction, such that a second portion of the needle gauge component moves between one or more extended positions and retracted positions, the one or more extended positions being for picking up yarn loops from the needle, the retracted positions being adapted to substantially avoid picking up yarn loops from the needle.

12. The needle gauge component assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that, The needle gauge component assembly further includes a series of slots formed along at least one side of the passage, wherein the slots are configured to receive at least a portion of one of the needle gauge components.

13. The needle gauge component assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that, The insert includes a plurality of pins positioned adjacent to the passage such that, as the needle gauge component slides along the passage, the edge portion of the needle gauge component contacts the pins.

14. The needle gauge component assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that, The hardness of the insert is at least 75+RC.

15. The needle gauge component assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that, At least a portion of the module body includes a substantially h-shaped or y-shaped configuration, including an open recess defined along its front side.

16. A tufting machine, characterized in that, The tufting machine includes: One or more needle bars, the one or more needle bars having a plurality of needles mounted thereal; At least one yarn feeding mechanism that feeds yarn to the needle; and A needle gauge component assembly, positioned below the backing material passing through the tufting machine, the needle gauge component assembly comprising: At least one module, said at least one module being formed of a metal, polymer, composite material or synthetic material or a combination thereof, and having a pathway defined therethrough; A plurality of needle gauge components are slidably housed within the passageway. Each needle gauge component includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion being configured to pick up yarn from the needle. The needle gauge component is carried by at least one module toward and away from engagement with the needle of the tufting machine in a first direction, and is capable of selectively moving along the passage in a second direction; One or more inserts, the one or more inserts being housed within the at least one module, the one or more inserts being arranged at certain positions along opposite sides of the passage, wherein a portion of each needle gauge component contacts and slides along the positions when the needle gauge components are selectively moved along the passage in the second direction; The one or more inserts comprise a material with a hardness greater than that of the at least one module, and define one or more contact surfaces along the passage; A series of actuators, coupled to the needle gauge component and configured to control movement of the needle gauge component along the path of the at least one module in the second direction; and A control system, comprising a program for coordinating with the control of one or more actuators to control the feeding of the yarn to the needle, such that a selected needle gauge component of the needle gauge assembly moves along the passage in the second direction, such that as the needle moves into and out of the backing material, a second portion of the selected needle gauge component moves relative to the needle between a retracted position and one or more extended positions to selectively form yarn clusters in the backing material according to the pattern being formed.

17. The tufting machine according to claim 16, characterized in that, The one or more inserts comprise metal carbides, ceramics, or powdered metal materials, including metal powders comprising tungsten, titanium, or combinations thereof.

18. The tufting machine according to claim 16, characterized in that, The one or more inserts include a plurality of pins, which are housed within the at least one module; The pin is at least partially positioned within the passage.

19. The tufting machine according to claim 16, characterized in that, The at least one module includes a body having a substantially h-shaped or y-shaped configuration, the body including an open recess defined along its front side.

20. The tufting machine according to claim 16, characterized in that, The at least one module includes a body having a first segment and a second segment, the at least one passage extending through the first segment, the second segment being configured to be mounted along a needle gauge bar, and the thickness of the second segment being less than the thickness of the first segment.

21. The tufting machine according to claim 16, characterized in that, The tufting machine further includes a displacement mechanism for laterally shifting the one or more needle bars across the backing material, wherein the control system further includes a program adapted to coordinate the displacement of the one or more needle bars, control the movement of the needle gauge components in the second direction, and control the feeding of the yarn to the needles as the needles reciprocate in and out of the backing material, so as to cause a series of yarns to appear along the backing material at selected needle positions, and to extract unselected yarns if they are not picked up by one of the needle gauge components.

22. The tufting machine according to claim 21, characterized in that, The control system further includes a program for controlling the feeding of the backing material such that the backing material moves through the tufted area at an actual stitch density greater than the pattern stitch density of the pattern being formed.

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