Patent GB-710750-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to web severing means for tufting machines
IPC: D05C15/00
Filed: 1952-11-04
Abstract: 710,750. Sewing-machines. RUSSELL-LACEY MANUFACTURING CO. Nov. 4. 1952 '[May 12, 1952], No. 27779/52. Class 112 [Also in Group VIII] In a multiple needle tufting machine of the kind adapted for inserting pile elements in successive rows across a fabric web and comprising a skip-stitch mechanism for interrupting said insertion to leave untufted lateral portions of the web at desired intervals, a continuously driven severing member, positioned adjacent the moving web, is adapted to cut the web automatically when an untufted part of the latter faces the operative edge of the severing member. A web W of fabric is drawn from a roll R by a pair of rollers 32, 34 past a multiple needle arrangement 14 which is fed with yarn Y and co-operates with loop-cutting mechanism 28 to produce the tufting T. The needles are mounted on a common bar 16 carried by a vertical shaft 18 slidably mounted in a stationary guide-member 36. A block 40 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft, and a block 42 is slidably mounted on the latter. Block 42 is connected by a rod 26 and arm 24 to a rock shaft 22 actuated by a driven crank arm 20. A latch 44, adapted to couple blocks 40 and 42 together is pivoted to block 42 and is engaged with a verticallyslotted member 50 fixed to a spring-biased slide bar 48. A block 52 fixed to the slide bar is adapted to be attracted by a solenoid 54 to disengage the latch from block 40, when block 42 reciprocates idly without actuation of the needles, thereby to leave untufted lateral portions S of the web. Upon each actuation of the skip-stitch mechanism, slack is induced in the yarn Y by means of a solenoid-operated mechanism 56. The web may be cut longitudinally by one or more driven slitting knives 30 disposed beyond the needles The tufted web is drawn by a pair of rollers 60 to hang vertically at the delivery end of the machine, where it is severed transversely at the untufted portions by an endless severing blade 62. The latter is mounted on a pair of pulleys 64 and is driven continuously from a motor 70 by a driving connection 72, a transverse stretch of the blade positioned adjacent the hanging web being normally disposed within an open-faced, spring-biased shroud 66. A second shroud 68, disposed on the opposite side of the web, is adapted to be displaced against the first shroud, when an untufted portion passes, to displace the first shroud and thereby press the web against the cutting edge of the blade, the latter passing through an open face of the second shroud. The first shroud is carried by a sleeve 94 slidably mounted on a rod 92 and biased by a spring 96, an abutment 98 on the sleeve limiting movement of the latter. The second shroud is carried by a sleeve 90 slidably mounted on the rod 92 and connected by a link 88 to one arm 86 of a bell-crank lever, the other arm 84 of which is slotted for engagement with a crank plate 82 adapted to be driven from the motor 70 by a driving connection 74. Interposed in the latter is a clutch 76, normally spring-biased to the open position, and adapted to be closed by means of a yoke actuated by a solenoid 80 (not shown). The severing and skip-stitch mechanisms are arranged to operate in timed relation to each other by means of the timed actuation of the solenoids 54, Fig. 4, and 80 (not shown). As shown, timing chains 100, 102, driven from a common source 104, are fitted respectively with actuating lugs 106, 108 to operate switches 54<1>, 80<1> for the respective solenoids 54, Fig. 4, and 80 (not shown), the lengths of the chains and the arrangement of the lugs being so related as to provide the desired operation of the severing means in relation to the skipstitch mechanism.