Patent GB-1250188-A (GB)
IPC: D05C15/18
Filed: 1968-11-06
Abstract: 1,250,188. Tufting. A. N. SPANEL. 6 Nov., 1968 [6 Nov., 1967; 18 Dec., 1967], No. 52629/ 68. Addition to 1,169,951. Heading D1G. In making tufted pile fabrics, yarn is either cut into bits and fed pneumatically to the position at which the bits are attached to the backing or the end of a strand of yarn is conveyed pneumatically to the attaching position, the end portion severed to form a yarn bit and the bit attached to the backing. The tufting machine shown in Fig. 1 comprises a creel 10 having three spools supplying yarns R, W, B of different colours. Each yam (e.g. R) passes through a metering device 12, a selector device 14 where a length of a selected yarn is severed to form a yarn bit, and a collator 16 having passageways 16R along which the bit travels to an adjustable stop 25 to be positioned through the eyes of two needles 22 which have risen through the backing layer 26. As the needles descend the bit forms tufts which are secured to the layer 26 by binder (e.g. latex) sprayed or brushed on at 38. The Yarn Metering Device comprises three yarn brakes 12A, B and C separated by yarn pullers 12X, 12Y which reciprocate with 180‹ phase difference. Puller 12X descends while brake 12B is applied and brake 12A is released, to pull yarn from the creel. Puller 12Y descends while 12X rises, brakes 12A and C being applied and 12B released. Yarn pulled off and stored is now available if required by the selector 14. The pullers are operated by a double armed lever 242 (Fig. 5) carried on a shaft 240 oscillated in time with the needle bar movement. Each brake comprises a spring biassed rod 200 extending into yarn channel 162 and lifted for release by a plate 210 engaged by a notch 212 in a brake operating shaft 214. Brake rods 200 for adjacent yarn channels 162 are staggered as shown, (as are valves 252 and, cutters 262, described later) to accommodate closely spaced yarn passageways 162. The Selectors each comprise a valve 252, 254 selectively operated by a solenoid 256 (5OR in Fig. 1). Opening of the valve causes the stored length of the selected yarn to be drawn by the suction generated at loading station 20 by pump 24, beyond the severing device 52R which comprises a spring raised knife 262 which is depressed against spring biassed anvil 260 by an arm 266 on a shaft 268 pivoted in time with the needle bar motion to sever the yarn, the severed bit then passing through passage 16R of collator 16 to the common passage in loading station 20. The valve and yarn severing devices may be combined in a single device (Fig. 7 not shown) or the valve may act as the last brake which may then be omitted, (Fig. 8 not shown). Further, the valves may be pneumatically operated and the severing means may be a laser.  In a modification (Fig. 10 not shown) the collator is omitted and the selector 14 is adjacent to the loading station 20, only one spool 10s being provided. A multicoloured design fabric may then be produced by yarn having successive increments of length of different colours. A modification of this arrangement (Fig. 11 not shown) provides a plurality of spools, and the final brake 12C1 has a stop 12D1 which inhibits release of that brake unless selectively released. Springs 12E1 are then provided in the cyclically operated brake actuating mechanism. In a further embodiment (Fig. 12) each yarn passes through its own selector 14R as in the machine of Figure 1, but the knife of each is selectively operated to feed a length of yarn, corresponding to the number of bits of that colour to be successively applied, to the device 145, the knife of which is  cyclically operated.