Patent ID: 8240263
Filing Date: 2012-08-14
Classification: D05C

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a tufting machine of the type having front and rear rows of spaced needles disposed transversely across the width of the machine, a pattern yarn feed control for supplying yarns to the needles, a needle bar shifter for shifting for the transverse rows of needles, loopers operable to seize yarns from the needles, a control system for providing pattern information to the pattern yarn feed control mechanism and the needle bar shifter comprising the steps of: threading the front and rear transverse rows of needles with a plurality of different yarns forming a repeat; feeding a backing fabric through the tufting machine and reciprocating the front and rear transverse rows of needles to cause the plurality of yarns to penetrate the backing fabric; seizing the yarns penetrating the backing fabric with loopers; laterally shifting the front and rear transverse rows of needles no more than one gauge unit; controlling the feeding of yarns to the transverse rows of needles in accordance with the pattern information to form relatively high tufts of yarns to be displayed and relatively low tufts of yarns to be hidden.