| 摘要 |
A tuft carrier loading apparatus (10) for loading individual tufts (17) into tuft retention sites (9a) spaced along an elongate tuft carrier (9). The apparatus (10) includes a guide for guiding longitudinal movement of the tuft carrier along a path of travel and a plurality of individually and selectively operable tuft feeders (50) spaced along the path of travel, each tuft feeder (50) being operable when selected to feed an individual tuft to a tuft retention site (9a) of the tuft carrier (9). A driver (70) is drivingly connected to the tuft carrier (9) for moving the tuft carrier (9) along the path of travel, the driver (70) being operable to intermittently move the tuft carrier (9) through a series of successive positions whereat predefined tuft retention sites (9a) are moved temporarily into registry with each tuft feeder (50). A controller (60) is provided for controlling selection of the tuft feeders (50), the controller (60) being operable to actuate selected tuft feeders (50) to feed tufts to those tuft retention sites (9a) in registry therewith whilst the carrier (9) is located at each successive position. A detector is associated with each tuft retention site (9a) to detect the presence of a tuft. The driver (70), on detection of an absent tuft in a tuft retention site (9a) following actuation of one or more selected tuft feeders (50) resulting in failure to feed a tuft to the absent tuft retention site (9a), is operable to move the tuft carrier (9) into a position whereat the absent tuft retention site (9a) is moved temporarily back into registry with the or one selected tuft feeder (50) and the controller (60) re-actuates the selected tuft feeder (50) to feed a tuft to the absent tuft retention site (9a). |
