Sewing – Special machines – Embroidering
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-08-28
Izaguirre, Ismael (Department: 3765)
Sewing
Special machines
Embroidering
C112S080520
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved tufting machine configuration for the tufting of carpet with a relatively low pile and a relatively high pile with the relatively low pile areas being substantially more uniform than has heretofore been achieved. The resulting carpet is particularly well suited for tip shearing the relatively high pile sections.
The tufting of multiple pile height carpet patterns is well known in the tufting industry and has been accomplished through a variety of techniques, most generally pattern control yarn feed mechanisms of roll type or scroll type attachments. Most recently, such pattern attachments have been driven by computer controlled servo motors as described in Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,080 and most preferably by independent servo motor controlled pattern attachments such as is described in the assignee's co-pending Ser. No. 08/980,045.
Traditionally, when tufting multiple pile height carpet, the yam carrying needles are set to penetrate backing fabric by an equal depth and to be seized upon loopers at an equal depth below that backing fabric. The difference in pile height is obtained by relatively underfeeding the yarns to the low pile height areas and thereby backrobbing some of the yam tufted for those stitches. Backrobbing is an inherently non-uniform process as it involves not only the elasticity of a particular section of yam, but also the varying resistance encountered by that yam as it is pulled through the backing fabric. The result is that slight variations in pile height occur and these variations are exaggerated the more the yam must be backrobbed to produce a low pile height. Such variations make it difficult to closely tip shear the relatively higher pile height yams without also tip shearing some of the irregular lower pile height yams. Thus a method of more uniformly tufting lower pile height yams is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a multiple needle tufting machine with a pattern control yam feed mechanism and a method of more uniformly tufting low pile height yams in a multiple pile height yam pattern.
The preferred mechanism to accomplish this object is to shim the needles which tuft the relatively high pile height yams so that they penetrate the backing fabric to a greater depth than the needles tufting the relatively lower pile height yams and by similarly aligning the hooks which cooperate with the shimmed needles at a depth further beneath the backing fabric than the hooks operating with the needles tufting the relatively lower pile height yarns.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved high/low tufted fabric.
It is yet another object of this invention to produce high/low tufted fabric with lower overall yam usage.
It is a further object of the invention to produce a high/low tufted fabric that can be closely tip sheared in a fashion that shears a very large percentage of the relatively higher tufted yams without shearing any substantial percentage of the lower tufted yams.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3019748 (1962-02-01), Card
patent: 3780678 (1973-12-01), Short
patent: 4867080 (1989-09-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 4993336 (1991-02-01), Mizinuma
patent: 5986821 (1999-04-01), Neely et al.
Izaguirre Ismael
Miller & Martin
Tuftco Corporation
LandOfFree
Method of manufacturing textured carpet patterns and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of manufacturing textured carpet patterns and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of manufacturing textured carpet patterns and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2505266