Sewing – Special machines – Embroidering
Reissue Patent
1997-03-27
2001-03-27
Izaguirre, Ismael (Department: 3741)
Sewing
Special machines
Embroidering
Reissue Patent
active
RE037108
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a tufting machine with self-aligning gauging modules and is more particularly concerned with a tufting machine with replaceable gauging elements which can be readily installed and removed.
Tufting machines are products which must be built with precision so that the needles of the machine are accurately spaced from each other along the needle bar or bars and the loopers are accurately uniformly spaced from each other so that their bills respectively pass closely adjacent to the needles for engaging and holding loops of yarns carried by the needles. Furthermore, the spacing of the reeds must be accurate so as not to interfere with the travel of the needles. When building a machine, any error or tolerance in positioning these gauging elements, namely the needles, the loopers, and the reeds, may accumulate as the work progresses. The present invention seeks to establish a consistency for all such cross over parts throughout the machine.
In the past, holder assemblies have been devised in which groups of knives for loopers have been arranged in pre-assembled or modular fashion in a knife holder, each knife holder having a guide mechanism which enables the knives, as a group, to be positioned on a carrying member of a tufting machine and maintained in appropriate alignment. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,608,934; 4,669,171; 4,691,646; and 4,693,191 illustrate such prior art knife holder assemblies in which parallel knives are disposed in juxtaposition in guide bars which are provided with guides for guiding and then clamping them in appropriate positions on a tufting machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention includes a modular member having a holder or block which is cast around the end portion of a plurality of gauging elements, such as needles, loopers, and reeds which are spaced quite accurately from each other and are held in cantilever fashion so that they protrude, in appropriate alignment and gauging, from the block or holder. The blocks or holders are all of the same precise width, the back side of each holder or block being provided with a central T-shaped tab or alignment member which includes a longitudinally extending guide and a transversely extending shoulder. The longitudinally extending guides are respectively received in transversely spaced slots in gauge bars of the machine, the block and the gauge bar being provided with a pair of aligned holes through which a detent is passed when the transverse shoulder abuts an edge of the gauge bar. The slots are quite accurately, equally spaced from each other and are parallel to each other and perpendicular to a plane of a surface of the gauge bar. A plurality of such blocks are arranged along the surface of the gauge bar and are appropriately positioned on the gauge
bas
bar
so that the protruding central guides are respectively received in the slots and are quite accurately spaced from each other. The width of each block is about equal to the distance between centerlines of the adjacent slots so that the edges of the blocks abut each other.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tufting machine and a method of producing the tufting machine so that the gauging elements of the tufting machine are automatically positioned in appropriate alignment when installed, thereby reducing to a minimum the need for sew-off of a newly constructed machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine which is inexpensive to manufacture, durable in structure and efficient in operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine in which there is a consistency established for all cross over parts, such as the needles and loopers,
are
in appropriate registry when installed on the machine, that they need no adjustment, and the knives which cooperate with the loopers provide uniform tension on the loopers thereby providing longer wearing of the moving parts.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the necessity for individual sew-offs of section upon section of the tufting machine, thereby reducing fabric waste and labor required for the sew-off.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular element for a tufting machine, this element being readily and easily positioned in a nonmovable location on the tufting machine which nonmovable location is engineered into the tufting machine and enables the ready replacement of one modular unit by another.
Another object of the present invention is to provide in a tufting machine, a plurality of transverse slots along the longitudinally extending gauge bar members of the tufting machine, these slots acting as gauging members for the subsequent positioning of modular blocks which carry the reeds, needles, hooks, and loopers, the blocks being so dimensioned that the gauge elements, such as the reeds, hooks, and loopers, are appropriately positioned with respect to each other for efficient sewing in a tufting zone.
Another object of the present invention is to provide, in a tufting machine, structure which will establish a centerline of a modular body which will enable the modular body to be correctly positioned to automatically position the gauging elements, such as hooks, loopers, needles, and reeds.
Another object of the present invention is to provide, in a tufting machine, a structure which will prevent the needles, loopers, and reeds from being inadvertently misaligned with each other.
Another object of the present invention is to provide in a tufting machine, a system which can facilitate the rapid change over of loopers, hooks, or reeds when one or more of these items are damaged, thereby reducing to a minimum the downtime of the tufting machine.
Another object of the present invention to provide a process or method of producing a tufting machine wherein the danger of accumulated tolerance buildup is reduced to a minimum.
Another object of the present invention is to provide in a tufting machine, a modular member which will prearrange a plurality of gauging elements embedded therein so that they will not readily shift or change position during operation of the tufting machine.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be become apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
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Photograph of guide bar and looper block assembly (undated).
Photograph of guide bar and knife block assembly (undated).
Card-Monroe Corp.
Izaguirre Ismael
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC
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