Vandewiele Nv

Frank Callens

Kristof Oosterlynck

Vincent Lampaert

Frank Shanley

Kristof Oosterlijnck

A presser foot module () for a tufting machine. The module has a module body () for attachment to a tufting machine and the plurality of fingers () extending from the body in a first direction which, in use, is opposite to the direction in which the backing medium () is fed through the tufting machine. The module body () has a downwardly depending lip () defining a presser surface (A) extending across an end of the body which is adjacent to the interface with the fingers (). Each finger () has an unsupported end opposite to the module body () so as to provide access to an open gap between adjacent fingers in a direction opposite to the first direction.

Presser foot module for a tufting machine

A method of operating a tufting machine including a sliding needle bar with a plurality of needles, a presser foot mounted slidable with the needle bar, an end yarn feed, a needle selection mechanism, a plurality of loopers, a plurality of knives to cut a loop of yarn on a respective looper, and a dislodge mechanism to selectively dislodge a loop of yarn from the looper before the yarn is cut. The method controls the feed of yarn to the needles and, when a cut end is required, a determination is made whether a predetermined yarn condition is present in the yarn at its cut end and, in response to such a determination, an additional loop of yarn, not required by the pattern data is formed, such that the additional loop of yarn forms a yarn buffer that can be pulled back through the backing medium.

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Oostrozebeke, Belgium

Frank Callens