The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 1989
Filed:
Apr. 26, 1988
Arthur F Bagnall, Whitefield, GB;
Spencer Wright Industries, Inc., Dalton, GA (US);
Abstract
An indexing mechanism for a tufting machine for indexing a needle bar or a backing material feed roller has three oscillating input gear sectors, a drive transmission corresponding to each gear sector, an output member and a programmable selector mechanism for each drive transmission for periodically selectively coupling the corresponding drive transmission with the respective gear sector. The drive transmissions include a pair of epicyclic gear assemblies having planet gears mounted within a common planet cage. The sun gear of one of the assemblies is connected to a flywheel coupled to a transfer gear which may be selectively moved to receive motion from a first sector. The ring gear of one epicyclic gear assembly is coupled to a second transfer gear which may be selectively moved to receive motion from a second gear sector. The other epicyclic gear assembly has its ring gear coupled to a third transfer gear which may be selectively moved to receive motion from the third gear sector. The output member is connected to the sun gear of the section epicyclic gear assembly and is thus indexed in accordance with the cumulative inputs. The selector mechanism for each transmission includes a continuous chain having rollers disposed thereon in accordance with a pattern, the rollers acting to engage a lever attached to articulating linkage. The articulating linkage is biased to an overcenter position and is cyclically driven to move the respective transfer gear into mesh with the corresponding gear sector unless a roller engages the lever and collapses the linkage.