Tuftco Corporation

Jerry T Green

Gary L Ingram

Max M Beasley

Richard J Prichard

George Leonard Caylor

Michael E Shipley

Lateral pins () are used to provide a tufting machine modular gauge assembly that allows damaged or broken gauge elements () to be replaced individually. The modular gauge assembly consists of a gauge bar () with a plurality of modular blocks () removably attached to the bar. The modular blocks are six sided with a detent () and fastener mechanism () for attaching the block to the gauge bar. The gauge elements may be attached to the block by dedicated screw-pins () or by a lateral pin () that passes through all the gauge elements within a block. The lateral pin may either pierce the gauge elements (at) or abut the gauge elements. Abutting pins may be malleable and segmented and secured in position by set screws.

Modular gauge block assembly with secure lateral pins

A tufting machine modular gauge assembly that allows damaged or broken gauge elements to be replaced individually. The modular gauge assembly consists of a gauge bar with a plurality of modular blocks removably attached to the bar. The modular blocks are six sided with a detent and fastener mechanism for attaching the block to the gauge bar. The gauge elements may be attached to the block by dedicated screw-pins or by a securing pin that passes through all the gauge elements within a block.

Modular block assembly for tufting machine

Lateral pins are used to provide a tufting machine modular gauge assembly that allows damaged or broken gauge elements to be replaced individually. The modular gauge assembly consists of a gauge bar with a plurality of modular blocks removably attached to the bar. The modular blocks are six sided with a detent and fastener mechanism for attaching the block to the gauge bar. The gauge elements may be attached to the block by dedicated screw-pins or by a lateral pin that passes through all the gauge elements within a block. The lateral pin may either pierce the gauge elements or abut the gauge elements. Abutting pins may be malleable and segmented and secured in position by conical ended bolts.

A looper apparatus for a multiple needle tufting machine including a looper support member having a transverse hook bar for supporting a plurality of looper hooks for a cooperation with the reciprocable needles in the tufting machine and an elongated guide member reciprocably supported in linear bearings to restrict the motion of the looper hooks in a straight linear direction substantially parallel to the feeding direction to the base fabric, and a drive mechanism pivotally connected to hook support member for reciprocably driving the support member in a linear path. A stub shaft with thrust bearing is mounted at one end of the tufting machine and connected by a curved rocker arm to an end of the hook bar to offset knife pressure placed against the hooks and communicated to the hook bar.

Linear motion looper apparatus for tufting machine

A tufting machine in which a driveshaft is connected by a stroke adjustment means to a rocker shaft for reciprocally driving push rods connected to the needlebar, wherein the driveshaft is located relatively above the rocker shaft and positioned centrally in a high speed head whereby the tufting machine operates in excess or 1,200 rpm.

Inverted tufting machine needle drive and stroke adjustment

A holder for a yarn package or yarn carrier including a support member to which is fixed a clamp member having a bottom jaw surface and a bell crank member pivotally supported upon the support member below the clamp member, so that the rearward and upward projecting leg of the bell crank member constitutes a pivotal clamp member for clamping the lip of the yarn carrier against the fixed clamp member and the longer, forward projecting lever arm leg of the bell crank member provides a support for the interior of the yarn carrier.

Yarn carrier holder

A looper apparatus for a multiple-needle tufting machine having a hook bar including a transversely extending recess opening through the front face of the hook bar and receiving a transverse gauge bar or member having transversely spaced vertical hook slots for receiving the shank portions of corresponding looper hooks. A clamp assembly including a plurality of clamp members assembled within the lower portion of the gauge bar so that each clamp member is adapted to engage the bottom edges of the shank portions of a pair of adjacent hooks in clamping position. Each clamp member is adapted to be moved to its clamping position by a corresponding set screw extending upwardly through the lower portion of the gauge bar. The clamp members are preferably in the form of clamp balls.

Hook bar clamp assembly for tufting machine

A needle bar assembly for a multiple needle tufting machine including an elongated continuous mounting bar connected to the push rod of the needle drive mechanism for reciprocal movement, and a plurality of elongated, but substantially shorter, needle bar segments having needle holes for receiving the needles and secured end-to-end along and to the mounting bar, whereby individual needle bar segments may be independently attached and detached to the mounting bar, and longitudinally adjusted if desired. The needle bar assembly also contemplates a pair of needle mounting bars slideably received in a needle bar holder connected to the needle drive mechanism and two sets of substantially shorter needle bar segments secured end-to-end along each of the corresponding needle mounting bars.

Growing community of inventors

Signal Mountain, TN, United States of America

Jerry T Green