Stitch Distribution Control System for Tufting Machines

摘要

A stitch distribution control system for a tufting machine for controlling placement of yarns being fed to the needles of the tufting machine by yarn feed mechanisms to form a desired pattern. A backing material is fed through the tufting machine at an increased stitch rate as the needles are shifted according to calculated pattern steps. A series of loopers or hooks engage and pick loops of yarns from the needles. The yarn feed mechanisms further can be controlled so that selected loops of yarns can be back-robbed so as to be hidden from view in the finished patterned tufted article.

主权项

1. A tufting machine for forming patterned tufted articles including multiple different yarns, comprising:
at least one needle bar having a series of needles mounted therealong; backing feed rolls for feeding a backing material through a tufting zone of the tufting machine; a yarn feed mechanism for feeding a series of yarns to said needles; a series of gauge parts mounted below the tufting zone in a position to engage said needles of said at least one needle bar as said needles are reciprocated into the backing material to form tufts of yarns in the backing material; and a stitch distribution control system controlling said backing feed rolls to incrementally move the backing material through the tufting zone, and controlling said yarn feed mechanism to control feeding of the yarns to said needles so as to present and maintain yarns at selected stitch locations along the backing material as the backing material is moved incrementally in accordance with a series of pattern steps to form the patterned tufted article having an increased operative stitch rate.