Needle plate member for a staggered needle tufting machine

A needle plate member for a staggered needle tufting machine in which the rear free edge of the needle plate is provided with transversely spaced notches therein for receiving the passage of the front needles while supporting the base fabric being stitched by the front needles and a plurality of rearward projecting forked finger members alternating with the notches and projecting rearward of the rear free edge of the needle plate for receiving the passage of the vertically reciprocable rear needles while supporting the portions of the base fabric stitched by the rear needles. The needle plate member is particularly adapted for use with a separate mechanism for laterally shifting the base fabric in a staggered needle tufting machine to produce dense tufted pile fabric and particularly pile fabric having multiple rows of stitching transversely spaced less than the needle gauge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a staggered needle tufting machine and more 
particularly to a needle plate member for supporting the base fabric in a 
staggered needle tufting machine. 
In a conventional multiple needle tufting machine, the needle plate is 
provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced straight fingers extending 
from one edge of the plate in the direction of the fabric feed, or 
rearward, so that each finger extends between and beyond an adjacent pair 
of needles. These fingers are adapted to provide a support for the portion 
of the base fabric in the path of the needles and are spaced to permit 
free reciprocation of the needles between the fingers. In a conventional 
multiple needle tufting machine, the needle plate fingers are uniformly 
spaced at the same gauge as the needles. 
Furthermore, a conventional needle plate finger has a rectangular 
cross-section, with its short dimension transverse, and its long dimension 
vertical. Thus, each cantilevered needle plate finger has substantial 
depth to provide sufficient strength to support the base fabric as the 
fabric is penetrated by the needles. Moreover, the short transverse 
dimension of each needle plate finger is desirable so that the needles can 
be spaced closer together to achieve finer gauges. 
Generally speaking, in order to form tufted loops of low pile having as 
short a nap as possible, the hooks are mounted to move as closely as 
possible beneath the bottom surfaces of the needle plate fingers, and the 
height of the bills of the loopers is reduced to a minimum. To reduce the 
depth of conventional needle plate fingers would materially reduce their 
strength and rigidity to a degree that the needle plate fingers would not 
adequately support the base fabric as the fabric is penetrated by the 
needles carrying the yarns. 
Examples of various types of prior art needle plates are shown in the 
following U.S. Pat. Nos. 
______________________________________ 
2,975,736 
J. L. Card Mar. 21, 1961 
2,976,829 
R. T. Card Mar. 28, 1961 
3,019,748 
J. L. Card Feb. 6, 1962 
3,064,600 
R. T. Card Nov. 20, 1962 
3,241,507 
G. D. Dedmon, et al 
Mar. 22, 1966 
(Base plate 62-FIG. 4) 
3,361,095 
J. T. Short Jan. 2, 1968 
3,398,708 
R. T. Card Aug. 27, 1968 
______________________________________ 
Both J. L. Card patents disclose typical conventional needle plates having 
longitudinal grooves receiving elongated needle plate fingers of 
rectangular cross-section having a greater depthwise dimension than its 
transverse dimension. 
The three R. T. Card patents disclose needle plates having needle plate 
fingers of varying configurations to accommodate narrow gauge, staggered 
needles. 
The Dedmon et al patent discloses a "usual base plate 62" in which the 
needle plate fingers appear to have been formed by milling the trailing 
edge of the base plate to produce long needle plate fingers of substantial 
depth. 
The Short patent discloses a needle plate of substantial thickness having a 
plurality of uniquely shaped recesses in the trailing edge of the needle 
plate especially formed to accommodate hollow, cylindrical needles of the 
type through which a fluid is discharged to carry the yarn through the 
hollow needle and fabric. 
None of the above patents disclose a needle plate which is capable of 
producing very low pile loops in a tufted fabric. 
There has been a trend in the tufting industry toward the production of 
tufted fabrics having a very low, as well as dense, pile, simulating 
products resembling velvet. The height of the tufted loops have been 
reduced by reducing the height of the bills of the looper hooks, but 
further reduction of the pile height has been limited by the finite depth 
of the needle plate fingers. 
Substantially low pile tufted fabrics have been produced by utilizing a 
needle plate such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,787 of Charles 
W. Watkins, dated Mar. 12, 1985, for "LOW PILE NEEDLE PLATE FOR TUFTING 
MACHINE" and which has been assigned to the assignee of this application. 
The above Watkins low pile needle plate has been utilized very 
successfully in the production of low cut pile tufted fabrics by in-line 
multiple needle tufting machines. In order to successfully produce low 
pile tufted fabric with the Watkins needle plate in a staggered needle 
tufting machine, the tops of the tufting hooks must be high enough to 
support the backing fabric. As the tufting hooks are lowered, the portions 
of the backing fabric penetrated by the rear needles over the tufting 
hooks is not adequately supported, even though the portions of the backing 
fabric stitched by the front needles are adequately supported by the 
notched needle plate. 
It has been discovered that by laterally and reciprocably shifting the 
moving backing fabric relative to the stationary needle plate of the 
Watkins U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,787 in an in-line tufting machine, dense pile 
tufted fabric of superior quality is produced. However, when the mechanism 
for laterally shifting the backing fabric is incorporated with the Watkins 
low pile needle plate in a staggered needle tufting machine, the portions 
of the backing fabric stitched by the rear needles are not adequately 
supported. 
Dense tufted pile fabric in which there is relative lateral movement 
between the backing fabric and the needles has been produced in accordance 
with one or more of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 
______________________________________ 
3,301,205 R. T. Card Jan. 31, 1967 
3,577,943 Watkins May 11, 1971 
4,440,102 R. T. Card, et al 
Apr. 3, 1984 
______________________________________ 
In the above R. T. Card U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,205, the relative movement 
between the fabric and the needles is attained by laterally shifting the 
needle plate in order to form loop pile. 
In the Watkins U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,943, the relative movement is attained 
by laterally shifting the needle plate for producing cut pile tufted 
fabric. The needles are programmed to penetrate the backing fabric while 
the fabric is laterally shifting. 
In the R. T. Card, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,102, the relative lateral 
movement is attained by laterally shifting the needle bar relative to the 
fabric. The needles penetrate the fabric as the needles are laterally 
shifting. 
Although Watkins (U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,943) discloses relatively short 
needle plate fingers 30 projecting rearwardly from the free rear edge of 
the needle plate 28, nevertheless, this needle plate is used in 
combination with an in-line multiple needle tufting machine. Although 
Watkins, in Col. 4, lines 28-32, states that it is contemplated that his 
machine can be used with staggered needles, nevertheless, there is no 
teaching in the Watkins patent of any structure which would adequately 
support the portions of the base fabric penetrated by the rear needles, as 
well as the front needles. 
A conventional "jute shifter" has been utilized in jogging or laterally 
shifting the base fabric in small increments in combination with 
conventional needle plates having conventional long and thick needle 
fingers, with limited success. Both the large size of the needle fingers 
and the fact that the loops are held on the looper hooks while the fabric 
is laterally shifted, substantially restrain the lateral movement of the 
base fabric and therefore the formation of the zig-zag stitching to 
produce dense tufted pile fabric. Moreover, this problem is compounded 
where the needle fingers are conventionally longer to project between 
staggered rows of needles, and particularly in fine gauge staggered needle 
tufting where the yarns become quite crowded and bind upon the needle 
plate fingers. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a uniquely 
constructed needle plate member which will adequately support all portions 
of the backing fabric penetrated by both the front and rear needles in a 
staggered needle tufting machine. 
It is also an object of this invention to provide a needle plate member 
which will adequately support the backing or base fabric moving through a 
staggered needle tufting machine, whether the backing fabric is moved 
longitudinally straight through the machine, or whether the backing fabric 
is laterally shifted relative to the needle plate member and the needles. 
The needle plate member made in accordance with this invention has 
transversely spaced rearward opening notches formed in its free rear edge 
portion, similiar to the notches disclosed in the low pile needle plate of 
the Watkins U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,787, for supporting the portions of the 
base fabric penetrated by the front needles of a staggered needle tufting 
machine. Moreover, the needle plate member made in accordance with this 
invention is further provided with forked needle plate fingers projecting 
rearward from the free rear edge of the needle plate and alternating with 
the notches, in order to adequately support the portions of the backing 
fabric penetrated by the rear needles of the staggered needle tufting 
machine. Because of the relative strength of the needle plate which is 
preferably of solid material, and including the notches in the rear edge 
thereof, the needle plate fingers projecting from the rear edge do not 
have to be as long or have the width or depth of conventional needle plate 
fingers. Thus, with the reduced dimensions in both the depth or thickness 
of the needle plate per se, and the needle plate fingers, the looper hooks 
may be vertically spaced closer to the needle plate member than to 
conventional needle plates, albeit not as close as the spacing between the 
looper hooks in the low pile needle plate of the Watkins U.S. Pat. No. 
4,503,787. 
The construction of the needle plate member permits the free exit of the 
loops formed on the looper hooks from the notches and the spaces between 
the needle plate fingers as the base fabric moves rearwardly. Furthermore, 
when a fabric shifting mechanism is used for laterally shifting the base 
fabric in a wave-like or zig-zag pattern to form dense pile fabric, the 
lesser dimensions of the needle plate fingers, the large rear openings in 
the notches, and spaces between the forked ends of the fingers facilitate 
the release and movement of the yarn loops, to form dense pile fabric, and 
particularly dense cut pile tufted fabric of uniform texture and high 
quality, even in a fine gauge staggered needle tufting machine. 
The utlization of the relatively open notches and the needle plate fingers 
of smaller dimensions permits greater freedom of movement of the formed 
loops and a minimum of interference to the rapid transverse movement of 
the backing fabric when shifted, yet still provides more than adequate 
support for all portions of the backing fabric penetrated by both rows of 
needles in a staggered needle tufting machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The staggered needle tufting machine 21 includes a frame 22 and a needle 
drive housing 23. Reciprocably mounted within each or a plurality of 
bearings 24 in the needle drive housing 23 is a push rod 25 fixed to a 
transverse needle bar 26. The needle bar 26 supports a first row of 
uniformly spaced front needles 27 and a second row of uniformly spaced 
rear needles 28 uniformly staggered between the front needles 27. The 
push-rods 25 are reciprocated vertically by a conventional needle drive 
mechanism, not shown, to cause the front and rear needles 27 and 28 to 
move between an upper position, not shown, above the base fabric 30 to a 
lower position (FIG. 3) penetrating the base or backing fabric 30, so that 
the needles will carry the yarns 31 and 32 through the base fabric 30 to 
form loops 33 of tufting therein. 
The base fabric 30 is supported upon the needle plate member 34, made in 
accordance with this invention, for movement by means not shown, in the 
direction of the arrow in FIG. 3, that is longitudinally from 
front-to-rear through the machine 21. 
As best disclosed in FIG. 3, the looper apparatus 35 which cooperates with 
the needles 27 and 28 includes a transverse hook bar 36 supported upon a 
plurality of transversely spaced brackets 37 fixed to corresponding rocker 
arms 38 journaled on a rock shaft, not shown. The rock shaft is driven by 
conventional means, not shown, to cause limited reciprocable movement of 
the hook bar 36 in synchronism with the reciprocable movement of the 
needle bar 26. 
Supported within the hook bar 36 are a plurality of transversely spaced 
loop pile hooks 40 and 40.sup.1 of conventional construction, and 
staggered to cooperate with the staggered needles 27 and 28. As disclosed 
in FIG. 3, the cut pile hooks 40 and 40.sup.1 point forward in the 
direction opposing the fabric feed. 
A knife 41 is provided for each looper hook 40 and 40.sup.1 to cooperate 
with the corresponding hooks to produce cut pile tufts. The knives 41 are 
mounted in knife blocks 42 carried upon a transverse knife bar 43, which 
in turn is carried by the arms 44 mounted on the reciprocably driven 
rotary knife shaft 45. The knife shaft 45 and the means for driving the 
hook bar 35 and the needle bar 26 are all driven sychronously by means 
well-known in the art to cause the needles 27 and 28, the cut pile hooks 
40 and 40.sup.1, and the knives 41 to cooperate to form cut pile tufts 
from the yarns 31 and 32. 
In a preferred form of the invention, a fabric shifter mechanism 46, such 
as a conventional jute shifter, is mounted on the rear portion of the 
tufting machine 21 in order to engage and laterally shift the base or 
backing fabric 30. The fabric shifter mechanism 46 includes a freely 
rotatable, transversely extending, pin roller 48 rotatbly supported within 
the bracket 49 and connected to slide blocks 50 by depending rods 51. Each 
of the slide blocks 50 is fixed to the slide shafts 52 which are supported 
for shiftable sliding movement in the bushings 53 fixed by brackets 54 to 
the rear of the needle drive housing. Fixed to the slide rods 52 by a 
connector bracket 55 is a transverse push-rod or shift rod 56. 
The transverse shift rod 56 is slidably received within a bearing 57 within 
a wall 58 into a drive compartment 59. The shift rod 56 is pivotally 
connected through a link bar 60 to a cross head 61 pivotally supported by 
a pin 62 to a base plate 63. The opposite end of the cross head 61 is 
pivotally connected through link bar 64 to a cam follower carrier 65. The 
carrier 65 is provided with the plurality of slide rods 66 adapted to 
slide in bearings 67 fixed to the mounting plate 63 and to an upper plate 
68 supported on the mounting plate 63. 
The carrier 65 also supports a pair of freely rotatable cam follower 
rollers 70 in horizontal alignment and adapted to rollably engage the 
diametrically opposite edges of a rotary cam 72. The peripheral edge of 
the cam 72 is of the desired pattern configuration for controlling or 
programming the laterally shiftable movement of the pin roller 48. The 
center of the cam 72 is fixed to a driven shaft 73 of a gear reducer 74 
mounted on the mounting plate 63. The gear reducer 74 has an input shaft 
75 connected by a sprocket and chain transmission 76 to the main drive 
shaft 77 of the tufting machine 21. Thus, as the main drive shaft 77 is 
driven by the main drive motor, not shown, the shift rod 56 is 
longitudinally reciprocated in response to the rotary movement of the 
pattern cam 72 to shift the pin roller 48 and the backing fabric 30 
supported by the pin roller 48 laterally back and forth over the needle 
plate 34. As the needles 27 and 28 stitch the yarns 31 and 32 through the 
shifting backing fabric 30, a wave-like or zig-zag stitching pattern such 
as disclosed in FIG. 12, is produced in the backing fabric 30. 
As disclosed in FIG. 11, the pattern cam 72 is provided with three lobes or 
lands 78 of uniform circumferential length and uniformly spaced by the 
arcuate recesses 79. The recesses 79 merge with the lands 78 gradually 
through the sloping shoulder portions 80. The radial differences between 
the lands 78 and the arcuate recesses 79 determine the lateral shifting 
distance of the pin roller 48 relative to the needle plate member 34. 
The needle plate member 34 is preferably constructed of a plurality of 
needle plates or needle plate sections, arranged end-to-end transversely 
of the tufting machine 21. The needle plate member 34 is preferably made 
of a rectangular sheet of unitary solid material, such as spring steel, of 
relatively thin gauge or thickness. The needle plate member 34 is 
supported upon an elongated mounting plate 82 adapted to be supported upon 
the bed plate, not shown, of the tufting machine 21. 
Formed in the rear or trailing edge 83 of the needle plate member 34 are a 
plurality of open notches 84 preferably of uniform size and transverse 
spacing. Each notch 84 is only large enough to accommodate, that is to 
receive, a front needle 27 as it penetrates the base fabric 30. The edges 
85 and 86 of each notch 84 are spaced as closely as possible to a 
corresponding needle 27 to support a maximum area of the base fabric 30 
adjacent the corresponding front needle 27, without interfering with the 
movement of the respective needle 27. 
As disclosed in FIG. 6, the notches 84 are V-shaped, each having a pair of 
opposed angular edges 85 and 86 disposed closely adjacent the opposite 
sides of the path of a corresponding front needle 27. The walls 85 and 86 
diverge symmetrically about the longitudianal median of the angular notch 
84, which median coincides with the center of each corresponding front 
needle 27. The diverging side walls 85 and 86 open through the trailing 
edge 83 of the needle plate member 34 to provide ample room for the exit 
of each tufted loop 33 formed by the corresponding needle 27. 
The notches 84 are spaced apart to define lands 87 along the trailing edge 
83 of the needle plate member 34. The lands 87 are also preferably equally 
spaced from each other and the adjacent notches 84. The median of each 
land 87 is preferably longitudinally centered with each corresponding rear 
needle 28. 
Formed in the top surface of the needle plate member 34 and extending 
through the rear edge 83, and specifically through each land 87, is an 
elongated finger groove 88 to snugly receive an elongated rearward 
projecting needle plate finger or finger member 90 made in accordance with 
this invention. Each needle plate finger member 90 includes a 
substantially straight shank portion 91 terminating in a rear forked end 
portion 92. In a preferred construction, each needle plate finger member 
90 is substantially Y-shaped so that its forked end portion 92 is 
substantially V-shaped and comprises a pair of rearward diverging tines 93 
and 94. 
As disclosed in the drawings, and particularly in FIGS. 4-6, the finger 
members 90 may be constructed of a pair of long, flat wires 95 of the same 
shape, each having an angular end portion arranged to form the diverging 
tines 93 and 94. The abutting straight portions of the wires 95 form the 
shank portion 91. 
Although the depth or height of each finger member 90 is greater than its 
transverse dimension or width, nevertheless, the length and depth of each 
finger member 90 is less than that or a corresponding conventional needle 
plate finger because the size and strength of the needle plate finger 
members 90 do not have to be as great as that of conventional needle plate 
fingers. The main function of the needle plate fingers 90 is to support a 
portion of the base fabric surrounding the rear needles 28. The portion of 
the base fabric surrounding the front needles 27 is primarily supported by 
the top surface of the rear portion of the needle plate member 34 by 
virtue of the notches 84 surrounding the front portion of each front 
needle 27. 
As disclosed in FIG. 6, the length of each tine 93 and 94 is relatively 
short. The tines 93 and 94 project rearward on opposite sides of a 
corresponding rear needle 28, but in most instances do not terminate 
beyond the vertical, central axis of the rear needle 28. 
Because of the limited rearward projection of the tines 93 and 94, and the 
relatively shallow depth of the tines 93 and 94, the resistance to lateral 
movement of the yarns 31 and 32 is minimal as the base fabric 30 is 
shifted laterally back and forth, while the yarns are still held on the 
respective hooks 40 and 40.sup.1 . Furthermore, the diverging sides 85 and 
86 of the notches 84 and the diverging tines 93 and 94 of the forked end 
portions 92 of the finger members 90 provide wide openings for the rear 
exit movement of the yarn loops 100 (FIGS. 3 & 6) from the bills of the 
corresponding looper hooks 40 and 40.sup.1. 
The relative shallow depth of the needle plate fingers 90 also permits the 
looper hooks 40 and 40.sup.1 to occupy a more elevated position relative 
to the needle plate 34 and the base fabric 30, if desired, in order to 
produce relatively low, cut-pile tufts. 
The shank portions 91 of each of the needle plate fingers 90 also provide 
additional support for the base fabric 30 around the front needles 27, as 
well as the rear needles 28. 
One typical example of a needle plate member 34 is a solid, spring metal 
plate having a thickness of approximately 1/4" with needle plate fingers 
having a depth of 1/8" and a width or transverse dimension of 0.044". Each 
notch is approximately 0.081" deep, and the longitudinal spacing between 
the apex of each notch 84 and the apex of the converging tines 93 and 94 
is approximately equal to the stagger of the front and back rows of 
needles. The stagger is the longitudinal distance between the rows of the 
back and front needles. In one typical instance, where the stagger is 
3/8", the needle gauge is 5/64", that is the lateral spacing between the 
adjacent needles 27 and 28 in both rows. 
FIGS. 19 and 20 disclose the needle plate member 34 with the same notches 
84 and grooves 88, but supporting needle plate fingers 96 of slightly 
different construction. The shank structure 97 and rearward diverging 
tines 98 and 99 are substantially the same as the needles 90. However, the 
rear ends of the tines 98 and 99 terminate in rearward projecting, 
substantially parallel, tine extensions 101 and 102. The purpose of these 
tine extensions 101 and 102 is to provide additional support for the 
backing fabric surrounding the rear needles 28. There is a trade-off 
between the degree of fabric support, and therefore the length of the tine 
extensions 101 and 102 and the resistance or drag exerted by the tine 
extensions 101 and 102 against the yarn held by the tufting hooks 40 and 
40.sup.1 as the base fabric is laterally shifted. 
FIGS. 13-18 schematically illustrate a stitching sequence for the front 
needle 27 and its corresponding yarn 31 and looper hook 40.sup.1, as the 
base fabric 30 is laterally shifted first in one direction (left) and then 
in the opposite direction (right). Although FIGS. 14 and 18 illustrate the 
base fabric 30 being moved in its respective lateral direction while the 
needle 27 is in a raised position, nevertheless, the base fabric 30 can be 
moved through part of its cycle while the needle 27 is penetrating the 
base fabric 30. Such coincidental fabric movement and needle penetration 
is permitted because of the yieldability or elasticity of the fabric 30, 
even though the pin roller 38 is being positively moved in either lateral 
direction while the needle 27 is also being positively reciprocated 
vertically. 
FIG. 12 illustrates the lateral movement of the fabric 30 alternately in 
opposite directions relative to the needles 27 and 28 to produce the 
wave-like patterns. Because the needles 27 and 28 usually penetrate the 
base fabric 30 before the completion of the lateral shifting cycle of the 
pin roller 48, the gauge of the stitching 105 is usually less than the 
needle gauge to produce dense cut-pile fabric without a regular geometric 
pattern appearance. 
It will be understood that other patterned fabrics may be obtained by 
substitution of pattern cams 72 having different peripheral 
configurations. 
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the pin roller 48 is spaced rearward of the 
needles 27 and 28. Thus, as the pin roller 48 shifts laterally, it tends 
to swing the base fabric 30 about the pivotal axes of the needles 27 and 
28 particularly as the needles 27 and 28 penetrate the base fabric 30. 
Accordingly, the pattern cam 72 is designed in such a manner that the pin 
roller 48 is overshifted, that is shifted a lateral increment greater than 
the ultimate lateral distance between the stitches 105. 
It is therefore apparent that a needle plate member 34 for a staggerd 
needle tufted machine 21 has been designed which will adequately support 
the portions of the base fabric 30 surrounding both rows of front and rear 
needles 27 and 28 while the cut-pile tufts 110 (FIG. 17) are formed. More 
importantly, the needle plate member 34 with its unique notches 84 and 
needle plate finger members 90 and 96 permit the formation of relatively 
dense cut-pile in a base fabric 30 with a minimum of resistance or drag 
caused by the yarns 31 and 32 against the finger members 90 and 96 while 
the loops 33 are seized on the looper hooks 40 and 40.sup.1 and while the 
base fabric 30 is being laterally shifted over the needle plate member 34. 
Moreover, the needle plate finger members 90 and 96 incorporated in the 
needle plate member 34 may be substantially smaller in size, and 
particularly in depth and length, than those needle plate fingers 
conventionally incorporated in multiple needle tufting machines. Such 
shallow needle plate fingers permit the looper hooks 40 and 40.sup.1 to be 
elevated closer to the needle plate 34, as well as permitting the ready 
exit of the formed loops from the respective notches 84 and forked end 
portions 92 of the needle plate member 34 and finger members 90 and 96, 
respectively. Moreover, the smaller needle plate fingers 90 and 96, 
particularly in regard to their lengthwise dimension, minimizes the 
resistance or impedance to the lateral movement of the base fabric 30 and 
the yarns 31 and 32. 
It has been found in actual practice that the tufting machine 21 
incorporating the novel needle plate member 34 permits the production of 
low cut-pile tufts in staggered needle fabrics more successfully than by a 
tufting machine incorporating the lowpile needle plate of the Watkins U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,503,787. 
Moreover, because of the ability to laterally shift the fabric, instead of 
the needles, the needle bar, or the needle plate, less precision is 
required in the synchronism of the tufting elements for shifting the base 
fabric relative to the needles, because of the yieldability and 
flexibility of the base fabric itself. 
Furthermore, the needle plate member 34 made in accordance with this 
invention permits the production of narrower gauge cut-pile tufting in a 
staggered needle machine than in a staggered needle machine incorporating 
conventional needle plates and needle plate fingers. 
Moreover, because of the lesser resistance to the movement of the yarns by 
the shorter and shallower needle plate fingers, the backing fabric 
carrying the yarns which are seized by the looper hooks may be moved more 
rapidly and thereby increase the production of the cut-pile fabric. 
It has also been discovered that when a needle plate member 34 is 
incorporated in a multiple needle tufting machine for making loop pile 
fabric, not shown, snagginq or tagging of loops formed by needles, such as 
needles 27, penetrating the area within the notches 84, is minimized, if 
not eliminated. Occasionally, a yarn loop tends to be dragged forward into 
the needle path by a retracting or withdrawing looper hook pointing in the 
direction of the fabric feed. The lands 87 between each V-shaped notch 84 
block the forward movement of the corresponding loop and strip the loop 
from its corresponding looper hook. This arrangement is particularly 
effective where the needle plate member 34 is used in a staggered needle 
tufting machine such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,953 of Roy 
T. Card, et al, in which the front row of needles form loop pile while the 
back row of needles form cut pile. By lowering the loop pile hooks and 
increasing the thickness of the needle plate member 34, or the effective 
thickness by adding shims, thereby increasing the height of the notches 
84, high loop pile and low cut pile can be produced without tagging the 
pile loops.