Tufting machine for forming shag-type pile fabric

Claim 1

In a tufting machine for forming a pile fabric of the shag type including means for supporting a backing fabric, means for feeding backing fabric across said supporting means, and at least one tufting needle mounted above said supporting means for reciprocation and adapted to penetrate and carry a yarn through the backing fabric to successively form tufting loops, the combination therewith of a first looper operatively associated with said needle for engaging the tufting loops formed thereby and mounted for reciprocation in a plane substantially perpendicular to said supporting means to elongate the tufting loops to shag pile length, said first looper comprising an oscillatable shaft disposed below said supporting means and the path of said at least one needle, a looper having one end thereof pivotally connected eccentrically to said shaft, and guide means mounted between said oscillatable shaft and supporting means and connected to said looper for guiding said looper so that oscillation of said shaft reciprocates said looper in a plane substantially perpendicular to said supporting means for engaging tufting loops formed by said needle and elongating the tufting loops to shag pile length, a second looper operatively associated with said first looper for receiving the elongated loops from said first looper and holding the elongated loops thereon, and severing means operatively associated with said second looper for severing the elongated loops held by said second looper.