Yarn feed module for tufting machine

Claim 1

In a tufting machine having a plurality of reciprocal needles operative to stitch yarns through a base fabric, a yarn feed mechanism comprising: a. a drive housing of substantial length having a front wall portion, b. at least two drive shafts rotatably mounted in said housing, c. a rotary drive coupling member driven by each of said drive shafts at a speed proportional to the speed of said corresponding drive shaft, d. a plurality of module frames, each module frame having front and rear end portions and a width substantially less than the length of said drive housing, e. a yarn feed roll rotatably mounted on each of said module frames, f. at least two rotary clutch members mounted on each of said module frames, g. means operatively coupling said rotary clutch members to said yarn feed roll for selective driving of said feed roll, h. means for selectively actuating only one clutch member at a time, i. at least two rotary driven coupling members mounted on the rear end portion of each of said module frames, each of said driven coupling members being adapted to register with and drivingly engage a corresponding drive coupling member, in operative position, and to drivingly disengage said drive coupling member in inoperative position, j. drive transmission means on each of said module frames drivingly connecting each of said driven coupling members to a corresponding clutch member, k. detachable securing means on each of said module frames for attaching the rear end portion of each of said module frames to the front wall portion of said drive housing for driving engagement of each of said driven coupling members with a corresponding drive coupling member, in operative position, and for detaching the rear end portion of said module frame from said front wall portion for driving disengagement of the driven coupling members on said module frame from said corresponding drive coupling members, in inoperative position, and l. means for driving each of said drive shafts at a different speed so that each of said rotary clutch members in a module frame is driven at a corresponding different speed.