Pressure sensitive streak eliminator for tufting machines

Claim 1

IN A PILE FABRIC TUFTING APPARATUS HAVING A CREEL, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES RECIPROCABLE TO PENETRATE A BACKING MATERIAL FED TO THE NEEDLES, A SERIES OF YARN GUIDES FOR DIRECTING YARN ENDS TO SAID NEEDLES, A MOTOR FOR OPERATING SAID NEEDLES, AND MEANS INCLUDING CREEL TUBES FOR FEEDING YARN ENDS FROM THE CREEL TO THE NEEDLES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES FIRST STATIONARY YARN GUIDES MOUNTED ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE ENDS OF THE CREEL TUBES, SECOND STATIONARY YARN GUIDES MOUNTED IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST YARN GUIDES, PIVOTING YARN CONTACTING ELEMENTS JOURNALED BETWEEN SAID TWO STATIONARY YARN GUIDES, SAID ELEMENTS HAVING YARN CONTACTING SURFACES OFFSET FROM THE STRAIGHT LINE PATH BETWEEN THE STATIONARY YARN GUIDES AT ONE END THEREOF TO NORMALLY ENGAGE AND DEFLECT THE TRAVELLING YARN ENDS FROM SAID STRAIGHT LINE PATH, PIVOT MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID ELEMENTS, ELECTRICAL SWITCH ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY THE OTHER END OF SAID ELEMENTS, ELECTRICAL SWITCH MEANS OPERABLE DIRECTLY BY THE PIVOTING OF EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS, ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID SWITCH MEANS AND THE MOTOR WHEREBY THE CIRCUIT TO THE MOTOR IS OPENED WHEN THE YARN CONTACTING MEANS PIVOTS TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION TO THEREBY SHUT OFF SAID MOTOR WHEN EXCESSIVE TENSION IS PRESENT IN A FEEDING YARN, AND TIME DELAY MEANS TO PREVENT OPENING OF THE CIRCUIT TO THE MOTOR UNTIL A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL HAS ELAPSED AFTER ONE OF THE ELEMENTS HAS PIVOTED DUE TO EXCESSIVE TENSION IN A FEEDING YARN.