Method and apparatus for tufting high and low cut pile in the same row

Claim 2

In a tufting machine: means for feeding a base fabric in one direction, a needle for carrying yarn to penetrate the base fabric and form long and short loops therein, means for reciprocating the needle thru the base fabric, means for feeding yarn to said needle and means for controlling said yarn including tensioning or drawing thereof to form longer and shorter yarn loops, a looper element mounted on said machine having an end facing in the direction opposite to the direction of the fabric feed for reciprocation to enter a succession of long and short loops and said end comprising an upper forwardly extending portion terminating in an inwardly turned bottom member, a bottom projecting finger defining with said bottom member an entrance for short loops along the bottom of the looper, there being a space between the bottom member and said projecting finger for short yarn loops to pass through into said space when the looper moves rearwardly with respect to the fabric in the same direction as the direction of movement of the feeding of the fabric, said entrance permitting the passage into the space of a short loop through the entrance when sufficient tension is exerted upon the loop, and means for reciprocating said looper element.

Claim 3

The device in claim 1 wherein said portion of said bottom member and said projecting finger are coextensive.

Claim 4

The looper element in claim 1 wherein: the bottom projecting finger is coextensive with part of said inwardly turned bottom member, and said bottom member is beneath and spaced from said projecting finger.

Claim 5

The looper element in claim 2 wherein said inwardly turned bottom member is beneath and below said bottom projecting finger.

Claim 6

The looper element in claim 1 wherein said bottom projecting finger has a pointed terminal end having a slanted bottom and a slanted top.

Claim 7

The looper element in claim 5 wherein said pointed terminal end projects into an angled cavity behind said looper end.

Claim 8

The looper element in claim 3 wherein said inwardly turned bottom member is beneath and below said bottom projecting finger.

Claim 9

The device in claim 1: a knife means comprising a high loop cutting edge and a low loop cutting edge both in substantially the same plane for cooperating with said looper element to sever respective high and low loops thereon when said looper element has been moved away from said needle in the direction of fabric feed and means for moving said knife means to cut said loops.

Claim 10

A looper element for use in tufting machines, said looper element comprising a mounting portion for mounting the same on a tufting machine, to enter the loops in succession and having an end facing in the direction opposite to the direction of the fabric feed for reciprocation to enter a succession of long and short loops, said end comprising an upper forwardly extending portion terminating in an inwardly turned bottom member, a bottom projecting finger defining with said bottom member an entrance for short loops along the bottom of the looper, there being a space between the bottom member and said projecting finger for short yarn loops to pass through into said space when the looper moves rearwardly with respect to the fabric in the same direction as the direction of movement of the feeding of the fabric thereby moving the loops upon the looper element away from said entrance whereby the feeding of the fabric moves the loops upon the looper element away from the entrance, said entrance permitting the passage into the space of the short loop through the entrance when sufficient tension is exerted upon the loop.

Claim 11

A looper element for use in tufting machines, said looper element comprising a mounting portion for mounting the same on a tufting machine, to enter the loops in succession and having an end facing in the direction opposite to the direction of the fabric feed for reciprocation to enter a succession of long and short loops, said end comprising an upper forwardly extending portion terminating in an inwardly turned bottom member, a bottom projecting finger defining with said bottom member an entrance for short loops along the bottom of the looper, there being a space between the bottom member and said projecting finger for short yarn loops to pass through into said space when the looper moves rearwardly with respect to the fabric in the same direction as the direction of movement of the feeding of the fabric thereby moving the loops upon the looper element away from said entrance whereby the feeding of the fabric moves the loops upon the looper element away from the entrance, said entrance permitting the passage into the space of the short loop through the entrance when sufficient tension is exerted upon the loop.

Claim 12

The device in claim 9 wherein said end of said looper curves smoothly toward said bottom member forming a point therewith.

Claim 13

The device in claim 9 wherein said bottom member and said projecting finger are coextensive and said bottom member is below and offset from said projecting finger.

Claim 14

The looper element in claim 9 wherein the bottom projecting finger is coextensive with part of said inwardly turned bottom member, and said bottom member is beneath and spaced from said projecting finger.

Claim 15

The looper element in claim 9 wherein said bottom projecting finger has a pointed terminal end having a slanted bottom and a slanted top.

Claim 16

The looper element in claim 13 wherein said pointed terminal end projects into an angled cavity behind said looper end.

Claim 17

The looper element in claim 9 wherein said inwardly turned bottom member is beneath and below said bottom projecting finger.

Claim 18

The looper element in claim 9 said passage being angled to extend away from said mounting portion and thence toward same.

Claim 19

The device claimed in claim 9 in which said end is a pointed nose and the lower portion of said nose extends into said bottom member to define therewith the passage for short loops wherein said loops enter said passage when said short looper element reciprocates in the direction of fabric feed.

Claim 20

In a tufting machine: means for feeding a base fabric in one direction, a needle for carrying yarn to penetrate the base fabric and form long and short loops therein, means for reciprocating the needle thru the base fabric, means for feeding yarn to said needle and means for controlling said yarn including tensioning or drawing thereof to form longer and shorter yarn loops, a looper element mounted on said machine having an end facing in the direction opposite to the direction of the fabric feed for reciprocation to enter a succession of long and short loops and said end comprising an upper forwardly extending portion terminating in an inwardly turned bottom member, a bottom projecting finger cooperating with said bottom member to define an entrance for short loops along the bottom of the looper, there being a space between the bottom member and said projecting finger for short yarn loops to pass through into said space when the looper moves rearwardly with respect to the fabric in the same direction as the direction of movement of the feeding of the fabric thereby moving the loops upon the looper element away from said entrance, said entrance permitting the passage into the space of a short loop through the entrance when sufficient tension is exerted upon the loop, means for reciprocating said looper element, a knife means comprising a high loop cutting edge and a low loop cutting edge both in substantially the same plane for cooperating with said looper element to sever respective high and low loops thereon when said looper element has been moved away from said needle in the direction of fabric fed and means for moving said knife means to cut said loops.

Claim 21

In a tufting machine: means for feeding a base fabric in one direction, a needle for carrying yarn to penetrate the base fabric and form long and short loops therein, means for reciprocating the needle thru the base fabric, means for feeding yarn to said needle and means for controlling said yarn including tensioning or drawing thereof to form longer and shorter yarn loops, a looper element mounted on said machine having an end facing in the direction opposite to the direction of the fabric feed for reciprocation to enter a succession of long and short loops and said end comprising an upper forwardly extending portion terminating in an inwardly turned bottom member, a bottom projecting finger cooperating with said bottom member to define an entrance for short loops along the bottom of the looper, there being a space between the bottom member and said projecting finger for short yarn loops to pass through into said space when the looper moves rearwardly with respect to the fabric in the same direction as the direction of movement of the feeding of the fabric thereby moving the loops upon the looper element away from said entrance, said entrance permitting the passage into the space of a short loop through the entrance when sufficient tension is exerted upon the loop, means for reciprocating said looper element, a knife means comprising a high loop cutting edge and a low loop cutting edge both in substantially the same plane for cooperating with said looper element to sever respective high and low loops thereon when said looper element has been moved away from said needle in the direction of fabric fed and means for moving said knife means to cut said loops.

Claim 24

The method in claim 19 including directing the short loops entering the passage to loop about said upper forwardly extending portion for subsequent cutting thereon.

Claim 27

A fabric made in accordance with and following the method defined in claim 19 comprising a pile having both a high pile comprising pile members cut from the same loop and low pile comprising pile members cut from the same loop in the same row as said high cut pile pursuant to the method set forth in said claim.

Claim 28

A fabric made in accordance with and following the method defined in claim 21 comprising a pile having both a high pile comprising pile members cut from the same loop and low pile comprising pile members cut from the same loop in the same row as said high cut pile and pursuant to the method set forth in said claim.

Claim 29

In a tufting machine: means for feeding a base fabric in one direction, a needle for carrying yarn to penetrate the base fabric and form loops therein, means for reciprocating the needle thru the base fabric, means for feeding yarn to said needle to form longer and shorter yarn loops, a looper element mounted on said machine to reciprocate thereon and enter into the loops in succession and said looper having an end portion facing in the direction opposite to the direction of the fabric feed, said end portion comprising a top member having an inwardly turned bottom member extending rearwardly therefrom, a bottom lower projecting finger member together with said bottom member defining a space therebetween, said projecting finger member and said inwardly turned bottom member cooperating to form an entrance therebetween for short yarn loops to pass through said entrance into said space and onto said top member when the looper moves rearwardly with respect to the fabric prior to cutting, the feeding of the fabric moving the loops upon the looper element away from said entrance after entry of said looper element into the loops and after selected short yarn loops have entered through said entrance into said space, said entrance being defined by the end of said bottom member extending over said lower finger member whereby yarn entering said entrance must travel forwardly while said looper element moves rearwardly, a portion of the end of said finger member further defining said entrance to said space above said finger member in the direction rearwardly of said looper whereby yarn having entered in a forwardly direction must reverse direction after entering said entrance in order to enter said space whereby a short loop is pulled through the entrance when said yarn is drawn, a means for reciprocating said looper element, a knife means for cooperating with said looper element to sever loops thereon when said looper element has been moved away from said needle in the direction of fabric feed, and means for moving said knife means to cut said loops.

Claim 30

In a tufting machine: means for feeding a base fabric in one direction, a needle for carrying yarn to penetrate the base fabric and form loops therein, means for reciprocating the needle thru the base fabric, means for feeding yarn to said needle to form longer and shorter yarn loops, a looper element mounted on said machine to reciprocate thereon and enter into the loops in succession and said looper having an end portion facing in the direction opposite to the direction of the fabric feed, said end portion comprising a top member having an inwardly turned bottom member extending rearwardly therefrom, a bottom lower projecting finger member together with said bottom member defining a space therebetween, said projecting finger member and said inwardly turned bottom member cooperating to form an entrance therebetween for short yarn loops to pass through said entrance into said space and onto said top member when the looper moves rearwardly with respect to the fabric prior to cutting, the feeding of the fabric moving the loops upon the looper element away from said entrance after entry of said looper element into the loops and after selected short yarn loops have entered through said entrance into said space, said entrance being defined by the end of said bottom member extending over said lower finger member whereby yarn entering said entrance must travel forwardly while said looper element moves rearwardly, a portion of the end of said finger member further defining said entrance to said space above said finger member in the direction rearwardly of said looper whereby yarn having entered in a forwardly direction must reverse direction after entering said entrance in order to enter said space whereby a short loop is pulled through the entrance when said yarn is drawn, a means for reciprocating said looper element, a knife means for cooperating with said looper element to sever loops thereon when said looper element has been moved away from said needle in the direction of fabric feed, and means for moving said knife means to cut said loops.

Claim 31

The device in claim 24 wherein there is a cutting edge on said knife means for long loops and a cutting edge for short loops, said cutting edges being substantially in the same plane whereby said knife edges may travel in the same plane against the looper thereby reducing the space between loopers.