Tufting method and apparatus

Claim 1

A MULTIPLE NEDDLE TUFTING MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR ADVANCING A BACKING SHEET ALONG A PATH, A NEEDLE CARRIER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID PATH, A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW NEEDLES MOUNTED ON SAID NEEDLE CARRIER AND EACH HAVING A FREE END PORTION PROJECTING TOWARD THE BACKING SHEET, EACH OF SAID NEEDLES HAVING A FLUID PASSAGEWAY THEREIN TERMINATING IN AN OUTLET OPENING IN SAID FREE END PORTION OF THE NEEDLE AND HAVING A YARN INLET OPENING SPACED FROM SAID OUTLET OPENING, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID NEEDLE CARRIER CYCLICALLY BACK AND FORTH TO INSERT THE FREE END PORTIONS OF SAID NEEDLES THROUGH THE BACKING SHEET FAR ENOUGH TO EXPOSE THEIR OUTLET OPENINGS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BACKING SHEET AND THEN TO WITHDRAW SAID NEEDLES FROM THE BACKING SHEET, MEANS FOR POSITIVELY FEEDING ALONG PATHS LEADING TO THE YARN INLET OPENINGS OF SAID NEEDLES CONTROLLED LENGTHS OF YARN SUFFICIENT FOR THE FORMATION OF STITCHES CONTAINING PILE LOOPS, AND MEANS FOR FLOWING FLUID THROUGH SAID FLUID PASSAGEWAYS AND OUT OF SAID OUTLET OPENINGS IN SAID NEEDLES TO MOVE SAID LENGTHS OF YARN RELATIVE TO SAID BACKING SHEET OUT OF SAID OUTLET OPENINGS AND AWAY FROM SAID NEEDLES TO FORM A PILE FABRIC HAVING PILE LOOPS EXTENDING FROM SAID BACKING SHEET TO HEIGHTS RELATED TO THE LENGTHS OF YARN FED BY SAID FEEDING MEANS.