Patterned cut pile tufting machine

Claim 1

In an apparatus for producing patterned cut pile fabrics, a yarn carrying needle means supported for endwise movement for penetrating a base fabric to deposit loops of yarn therethrough, looper means for seizing the loop of yarn during the withdrawal of the needle through the base fabric, cutting means cooperating with said looper means for cutting the loop of yarn and operable for cutting the loop substantially immediately after it is seized by said looper, means for selectively backrobbing one leg of the cut loop whereby the cut loop is formed with one relatively long leg and one relatively short leg, and said looper means including a looper member and an oscillating looper support means, said looper member disposed in a slot in said oscillating looper support means, a clip member disposed in the same slot as said looper member, said clip member being resilient and having a bill portion including a retaining portion, and a bent portion disposed away from the free end of the bill, said retaining portion disposed in close juxtaposition with a yarn carrying portion of the looper member for retaining one leg of a cut loop between said clip member and said looper member such that when the loop is cut a leg thereof connected with the needle will be yieldably restrained by said retaining portion of the clip member and said looper member, said bent portion forming a hollow space between said bill portion and said looper member to permit disposal of lint and loose fibers picked up from the yarn.