Tufting machine having plural shiftable needlebars and the method of making a tufted fabric

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIGURE TUFTED PILE FABRIC THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES A TUFTING MACHINE HAVING A FIXED TUFTING HEAD, A THROAT, A PATTERN ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING SELECTED DIFFERENTIAL LENGTHS OF PILE YARNS TO SAID THROAT, DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID PATTERN ATTACHMENT, MEANS FOR ADVANCING A BACKING ACROSS SAID THROAT, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE CARRYING NEEDLEBARS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID NEEDLEBARS ON SAID FIXED HEAD FOR RECIPROCATION RELATIVE TO SAID FIXED HEAD IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE OF A BACKING THROUGH SAID TUFTING MACHINE, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID NEEDLEBARS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID BACKING SO THAT THE NEEDLES PENETRATE PORTIONS OF SAID BACKING AS IT IS ADVANCED OVER THE THROAT WHEREBY ONE FACE OF THE BACKING WILL BE COVERED BY PILE YARNS, AND MEANS FOR CYCLICALLY DISPLACING AT LEAST TWO OF SAID NEEDLBARS ACROSS SAID BACKING IN SYNCHRONIZED TIMED RELATION TO EACH OTHER, AND TO SAID PATTERN ATTACHMENT WHEREBY AT LEAST TWO COMPLETE SETS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF YARN WILL BE TUFTED THROUGH THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE BACKING, AND IN WHICH THE ROWS OF STITCHES OF EACH SET OF PILE YARNS WILL BE INDEPENDENTLY TRAVERSED ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE BACKING TO PRODUCE A UNITARY PATTERN EFFECT ON THE BACKING.