Patent ID: 6776109
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: D06H

Abstract:
A system for controlling the bow and skew of a backing material fed through a tufting machine, the tufting machine having a reciprocating needle bar disposed with respect to a tufting zone through which the backing material is fed, a cloth feed roll positioned upstream of the tufting zone, a roll of backing material from which the backing material is supplied, the backing material having a plurality of elongate warp yarns extending longitudinally in the lengthwise direction of the backing material and a plurality of weft yarns extending substantially perpendicular to the warp yarns in the cross-length direction of the backing material, the system comprising:at least one weft yarn marker disposed on the backing material, the at least one weft yarn marker being substantially parallel to the weft yarns of the backing material; at least one detection device positioned with respect to the needle bar and being constructed and arranged to detect the at least one weft yarn marker as the backing material is being passed toward the tufting zone; a bow roll positioned intermediate the cloth feed roil and the roll of backing material, the backing material being at least partially passed thereabout; and a controller operably coupled to the at least one detection device and the bow roll.