Looper apparatus for forming cut pile and loop pile in the same row of stitching

Claim 1

In a tufting machine having means for supporting the base fabric for longitudinal movement in the feeding direction through said machine, a plurality of transversely spaced reciprocal needles for introducing yarns through the base fabric to form loops, means for selectively controlling the length of a yarn fed to each of said needles, looper apparatus comprising; (a) a hook for each needle cooperating with said corresponding needle to form a loop thereon, each hook having a cutting side and an opposite needle side, (b) each of said hooks having a shank and a bill projecting longitudinally from said shank and terminating in a free end portion, (c) reciprocal hook bar means supporting said hooks transversely spaced apart with said free end portions extending in the direction opposite said feeding direction, (d) a knife for each hook, (e) knife supporting means supporting said knives transversely so that each knife cooperates with the cutting side of the bill of a corresponding hook for cutting a loop on said bill, (f) a looper clip having a mounting portion, a clamping portion and a connecting portion connecting said mounting portion to said clamping portion, (g) means securing said mounting portion in fixed relationship to the cutting side of said corresponding hook to normally bias said clamping portion against the needle side of the free end portion of said bill to normally hold loops formed on said bill, but yieldable to predetermined yarn tension in a loop on said bill to force said clamping portion away from said bill to permit tensioned loop to be withdrawn from the free end of said hook to form an uncut loop, and (h) all portions of said clip occupying a space which will not interfere with the cutting of a loop on said corresponding hook by said knife.