Patent Abstract:
An overtufting machine/method provides additional yarn per area in an area of design than in areas lacking the overtufted design. Specifically, for many embodiments, a carpet is first tufted, and then run past an overtufting station which preferably moves in a lateral direction relative to the direction of feed to direct at least one needle through the carpet in at least one selectable height option. Rails are preferably used to shuttle the needle supported by a head on at least one carriage to shuttle along the rail(s).

Full Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/761,482 filed Feb. 6, 2013, 61/762,458 filed Feb. 8, 2013, 61/766,968 filed Feb. 20, 2013, and 61/833,560 filed Jun. 11, 2013, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a tufting operation and particularly a tufting operations such as tufting through a pre-tufted carpet to provide a design feature therethrough, and in many embodiments the area of the design feature will have a higher stitch count than portions not having the design feature, and still other embodiments envision cross-tufting, i.e., tufting in a lateral direction relative to the direction of feed, or possibly simultaneously with a direction of feed for some embodiments. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,218,987 and 8,225,727 allow creative images to be tufted into carpet backing. Other devices similar to those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,814,850 and 7,478,605 are also known for such use. While these are all excellent devices for slow speed operation, the applicant desires to rely on a machine and methodology which will improve his prior art techniques and machines. 
     Also, mending guns have been available to the carpet industry to add stitches of carpet where missed during making carpet. These guns typically have a single needle and some may have yarn feed systems to allow for multiple pile heights such as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,493, incorporated herein by reference. Other mending guns may have a cutting attachment to be able to cut inserted yarn such as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,249 incorporated herein by reference. However, these guns are designed to be used to tuft through backing (and not the pre-tufted carpet) to fill in where tufting machines have not already introduced yarn. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a present object of many embodiments of the present invention to provide an tufting machine and/or methodology, particularly one suited to overtuft through a pretufted carpet with design elements that are believed to be somewhat novel in approach. 
     Specifically, a roll which is preferably could be a pretufted roll of carpet, but could also be a roll of yet-to-be tufted backing for at least a few embodiments, may be fed through the tufting machine such as from a supply roll to a finished roll. Some embodiments can provide prior art tufting through backing and then a second station for overtufting. A presently preferred embodiment of the present invention provides the input roll to a tufting machine which tufts through a roll of pre-tufted carpet in many embodiments (“carpet material”). Feed and/or processed rolls may be servo and/or otherwise controlled to feed in the direction of feed from the input roll to the processed or finished roll in a direction of tuft. Other embodiments may operate on a plotter style system with or without rolls. And still other systems may not use rolls at all. 
     Intermediate the input roll and the processed roll may preferably at least one tufting station having a head supported by a frame. The head may be comprised of a plurality of needles, possibly 24 or other number, whereby the needles may engage the carpet material as it passes from the input roll to the processed roll. The tufting head may be elevationally adjustable relative to the carpet material when tufting and/or at least some, if not any of individual needles, may be elevationally positionable to provide for pile height adjustment, possibly on the fly. Pile height may also be adjusted/adjustable with a yarn feeder mechanism or otherwise to the needle, such as can be found with needle mending gun technology. Cutters may be provided to cut the yarn from individual needs. Also the needles may be arranged in an array other than 1×24, such as 6×4 or any other array. Some of the needles are preferably aligned linearly with a direction of feed for many embodiments. Other needles may be aligned in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the direction of feed). Still other embodiments may provide an array which is not aligned with one or both of the direction of feed or the lateral direction. 
     A second tufting station may be located before the first station (i.e., closer to the input roll). The second tufting station may tuft backing to provide pre-tufted carpet to the first station for at least some embodiments. 
     Furthermore, the tufting head may preferably be laterally moveable relative to the carpet material and/or frame so that cross tufting can be accomplished as well as possibly tufting into or away from a direction feed from the input to the processed rolls, or even angularly tufted such as diagonal, curved or other configurations. The carpet may also be moveable relative to tufting heads for some embodiments. Bands of material may be tufted laterally (cross tufting) or even obliquely (at an acute angle relative to lateral tufting) for some embodiments. It can be quickly seen that with x-y capability, angles, curves, or virtually any tufting pattern could be established. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the individual needles, whether individually and/or collectively may be adjustable in width and/or elevation amongst themselves on the tufting head attributing to additional effect. In some embodiments needle spacing may be automatedly controllable so that the at least assisting in spacing between adjacent needles could be adjusted possibly even on the fly. Elevational adjustment could also be adjustable, as discussed above. 
     One or more tufting head(s) may also be moveable into the direction of the feed or away from the direction of the feed such as by having rollers on a carriage and/or frame portion which may also be controlled by servo motors and/or other mechanisms by their adjustment mechanisms. Although cooperating hook and/or knife feet(s) may cooperate with head(s) for at least some embodiments, presently preferred embodiments may operate more like a mending gun for each needle or otherwise and can produce multiple pile heights without a cooperating foot with hook and/or knife feet. Furthermore, as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, not only is x-y and z adjustability provided for one or more needles within the tufting head, individual needles may also be provided with various adjustability in accordance with the sophistication of the computer program and/or equipment controlling the tufting operation. Furthermore, multiple heads may be used in parallel or may be separately controllable on the tufting machine in various embodiments. While operation like a tufting machine can occur, the applicant ran a mending gun across a twelve foot section of pre-tufted carpet in about 90 seconds to show proof of concept that the mending gun could drive the needle consistently through pre-tufted carpet. Plotter style constructions could also be employed with this technology as well as other machines that could support one or more heads overtufting designs through pre-tufted carpet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tufting machine in the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the presently preferred embodiment of the tufting head as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side plan view of the tufting head shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an alternative side plan view of the preferred embodiment of a tufting head of  FIGS. 1-2  showing the ability to automatedly adjust the spacing between adjacent needles; 
         FIG. 5  is a detailed side view of the processed roll; 
         FIG. 6  is a side plan view of a portion of the tufting machine showing a hook and/or knife system which may be utilized in at least some embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  is a detailed rear plan view of the hook and/or knife system shown in  FIG. 6  which with an alignment system may; and 
         FIG. 8  is a top schematic view of a presently preferred path of the head in operation; 
         FIG. 9  is a top schematic view of a first alternatively preferred path of heads in operation; 
         FIG. 10  is a top schematic view of a second alternatively preferred path of operation; 
         FIG. 11  is a side plan view of an alternatively preferred head and carriage arrangement as moves relative to a frame such as with a chain drive or otherwise; and 
         FIG. 12  is a cutaway side perspective view of a needle gun providing a pattern of overtufted carpet providing at least two pile heights as part of a design; 
         FIG. 13  is a top plan view of a carpet segment having been overtufted in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 14  shows a bottom plan view of an array of needles for an alternatively preferred embodiment as could be provided on a carriage; 
         FIG. 15  shows a schematic representation of a tip shearing device after overtufting carpet in accordance with the invention which may be used with some embodiments; and 
         FIG. 16  is a top plan view of a carpet segment having been overtufted in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a top perspective view of a tufting machine  10  having rolls  12 , 14 . The input roll  14  is preferably pre-tufted carpet but could also be just backing for at least some embodiments. Roll  12  is preferably a treated or processed roll having passed through the treatment of one or more tufting heads  16 , 18  and/or others in the tufting machine  10 . 
     Roll  12  has been tufted in accordance with common tufting techniques as are widely known in the art. Specifically, a pre-determined number of stitches are preferably tufted per distance, such as per inch like  10  or  12 . Furthermore the gage (or spacing between) between adjacent needles is normally determined by the tufting machine utilized. Accordingly for a set stitch count per inch, a relatively uniform pattern can be achieved, such as 10×10 per inch, 10×12 per inch, etc. 
     Some embodiments do not want or specify uniformity at the upper surface. Four yarns might be directed through one needle, while two yarns might be directed through adjacent needles to provide a couroroy type pattern of loops, possibly either with, or without varying pile height. 
     One or more tufting head(s)  16 , 18  may be mounted on one or more carriages  20 , 22  on one or more rails  24 , 26  or other appropriate structure for lateral movement in the directions  28  shown in  FIG. 1 . Rolls  12 , 14  could shift in the lateral directions  28  for some embodiments to impart motion of the carpet material  46  relative to one or more heads  16 , 18 . Still further embodiments could move both heads  16 , 18  and carpet material  46  in the lateral direction  28 . This can be accomplished by one or more chains, belts, motors, screws and/or other driver  30  such as driver  30  being driven by servo motor  32  and/or other mechanism in the lateral direction  28  as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Multiple carriages  20 , 22  may be used and may be driven by one or more drivers  30  either simultaneously or independently relative to one another as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     Rolls  12 , 14  could also be a portion of a tufting machine intermediate to or in conjunction with one or more carriages  20 , 22  could be directed. Of course, for even more custom looking work, one or more hand held heads  16 , 18  could be employed. 
     Computer  34  could preferably control not only lateral movement of the heads  16 , 18 , for some embodiments, but also other movements which will be described below. Movements of the finished roll  12  relative to input roll  14  can be controlled by servo motors  36 , 38  and/or other mechanism so that movement into or away from the direction of feed  40  may be accomplished such as controlled by computer  34  or other device. The reverse direction of feed may also be accomplished with one or more servo motors  36 , 38  and/or other mechanism as would also be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. The lateral direction  28  is perpendicular to the direction of feed  40 . Other embodiments may use a plotter style construction and/or other constructions possibly without rolls  12 , 14 . Some embodiments may not have computers  34  moving one or more heads  16 , 18 . Instead, heads  16 , 18 , preferably, but not always mounted on carriages  20 , 22 , could be pushed by an operator across the input roll  14 , or in a desired pattern relative to the input roll  14 . 
     Meanwhile, with reference to  FIG. 6  and/or others, one of ordinary skill in the art will see that the tufting heads  16 , 18  may be elevationally and possibly controllably adjustable relative to a frame portion  19  and/or carpet material  46  such as with one or more servo motors  42 , 44  or other mechanism so as to direct the depth of tuft through the carpet material  46  whether it be yet-to-be tufted backing or tufted carpet through backing which is used in many of the preferred embodiments. Some embodiments may be able to move head(s)  16 , 18  relative to carriages  20 , 22  in other ways such as by rotation  201  about bearing  202  or otherwise; possibly on the fly. 
     However, many embodiments will move needles as will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 8-10 . Like moving the lateral direction  28  of the heads  16 , 18  elevation would be changed on the fly so can the elevation of the needles relative the material  46  such as by servo motors  42 , 44  to move the heads  16 , 18  and/or elevation of the material  46  as desired using computer  34  or other device. Alternative embodiment may employ different mechanisms such as servo motor  50  shown in  FIG. 4  to move the heads collectively and/or individually  16 , 18  relative to the carriage  20  and  22 . Still further embodiments may be known to change elevation of the tuft of the carpet material  46  or other ways such as with technology similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,493 or other device. Yarn feed systems may also be used to change tuft height in still other embodiments. 
     It is also possible that tufting head  16 , 18  may be moved to proceed in or away from the direction of feed such as by moving along track  56  as may be directed by hand, one or more servo motors  58 , 60  or other device as shown in  FIG. 6 , or otherwise, and is controlled by computer  34  or otherwise. Computer  34  may also control elevation of needles  52 , 54  and/or tufting head(s)  16 , 18 . Servo motors  42 , 44  may also be controlled by the computer  34 . Communicators  62 , 64 , 66 , 68 , 70 , 72  etc. may provide links between computer  34  and many of the servo motors  42 , 44 . One or more yarns may be directed through needles  52 , 54  during the process. Yarns fed through each of the needles  52 , 54 , particularly if multiple yarns are simultaneously directed through a specific needle such as  52  may or may not be cabled or otherwise wound either loosely or tightly around one another. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , each of the needle assemblies  74 , 76  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  or others may be provided with a yarn inlet  78 , 80  which is preferably a tube directing yarn to needles  52 , 54 . Air inlet  82 , 84  provides a mechanism to advance yarn through the yarn inlet  78 , 80  as desired so that tufts such as loop  86  shown in  FIG. 3  can be created through extension as shown by  54  and retraction as shown as  52  as controlled by computer  34  or other device. Other operational systems may utilize air differently or not at all. This can be somewhat similar to mending gun operation such as shown in  FIG. 12  which shows a needle assembly provided as a gun  100  having needle  102  which could be connected to a carriage or other structure for movement in at least one of directions  40 , 28  unless the carpet is moved relative to the gun  300  which could occur for at least some embodiments. 
     Needles  302  may be able to deliver multiple pile height such as high loops  304  or low loops  306  or even loops at or below the level of pre-tufted loops  308  as seen in  FIG. 12 . Still other elevations and/or more elevations may be achieved with various embodiments. Patterns such as design  310  can be seen in  FIG. 13 . Notice that with pretufted carpet, pretufted loops form a pattern or design. Although a single pile height design is shown, more complex designs could be provided as pretufted carpet. With the desired yarn spacing from the pretufted loops 10×6 shown, the methodology of this patent is employed to introduce a pattern, namely with loops  304 , 306 ,  312 , 314  introduced into the pre-existing pretufted carpet to effectively add additional loops within the pattern of pretufted carpet  318 . The denser the design introduced by this methodology, the more tufts per area occur in that areas as opposed to similar portions that do not add design elements by this technology. Although loops  304 , 306 , 312  and  314  are shown as black compared to white for pre-existing loops  308 , one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any color combinations or even similar colors can be used for various designs. Various elevations can also be produced for loops  304 , 306 , 312  and  314  for at least some embodiments. 
     Adjacent needle assemblies  74 , 76  can be moved or adjusted along track  88  to desired locations such as by ½ inch locations and then secured in place such as with locks  90 , etc. Alternatively, needle positions may be moved on the fly for some embodiments such as with servo motors  92 , 94  or other devices moving locators  96 , 98  in needle assemblies  74 , 76  as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art with reference to  FIG. 4  using computer  34  or other device. Other ways of moving the needle assemblies  74 , 76  on the fly or otherwise could also be employed with other embodiments. Similar technology may be used to carriage  22  relative to carriage  20  for at least some embodiments. Other mechanisms may be used with other embodiments. 
     As may be understood from  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the bottom of the head  16 , 18  provides extension of needles  52 , 54  etc. like a rake for at least one embodiment depending on the spacing of the adjacent needle assemblies  74 , 76 . Twenty-four needles  52 , 54  may be provided and/or other number and not all need necessarily provide yarn for all operations. When the needles punch through the material  46 , which is preferably a layer of backing or a layer of loops in tufted carpet, they then may possibly engage hook  98  and/or knife  100  in foot(s)  104  as could be servo controlled by motor  102  with computer  34  or otherwise to engage or disengage a particular loop for various embodiments. The servo motor  102  and/or carriage or foot  104  may be located relative to head  16  such as with sensors  106 , 108  connected to head  16  which could cooperate with sensors  110 , 112  and/or others connected to the carriage or foot  104  to assist in maintaining positioning of the foot  104  relative to the head  16  to maintain desired locations relative to one another possibly using computer  34 . Separate servo motor(s) may control movement of foot  104 , or movement of foot  104  may be coupled to the operation of servo  32  such as is shown in  FIG. 1  and others as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to reduce or eliminate alignment issues. 
       FIGS. 8-10  show that the rows of needles may be tufted in the lateral direction  28  which is perpendicular to the direction of feed  40 . The needles could also travel off offset angle α relative to the lateral direction (such as an acute angle up to about 15, 30 or even about 45 degrees or more for some embodiments). It may be that the computer  34  instructs the tufting in a single lateral direction as shown in  FIG. 8  and/or in both lateral directions as shown in  FIG. 9  for various embodiments. As shown in  FIGS. 8-9 , the needles are in a row, line, along a normal direction of tuft  40  which is not believed to have ever been performed before for at least some embodiments particularly when the carpet material  46  is pretufted carpet. 
       FIG. 11  shows a carriage  200  having a head  202  with twenty four needles systems  204  which have an inserter  206  as well as a yarn feeder  208 , and motor  210  that connects to a manifold  212  for receiving air. These and/or other systems can be used with other embodiments. Other numbers of needles  214  may be used with other embodiments. The needles are illustrated linearly arranged relative to the direction of feed  40 . Rollers  216 , 218  allow the carriage  200  to move laterally (parallel for most embodiments) relative to the direction of feed, i.e., into and out of the paper as illustrated. Frame  220  supports the rollers  216 , 218  and a chain drive  222 , 224  is illustrated although other driving systems for moving the carriage  200  relative to the frame  220  can be used with other embodiments. Yarn feeders  208  may operate similarly or dissimilarly to those of mending guns that allow for at least two different pile height (i.e., more yarn is fed on one setting than another). With computer controlled motor  210 , it may be that an unlimited number of pile heights in carpet material  226  may be controlled on the fly. 
       FIG. 14  shows yet another embodiment in which multiple colors could be introduced as loops  304 , 306 , 312 , 314 . Specifically, an array of needles  330  is provided (4×4) illustrated, possibly providing four or more colors, other arrays of needles  330  may have different arrangements 1×24, 2×2, 2×12, 3×5, or any other arrangement depending on the criteria of the device. Cutter  332  in guns  300  may be useful to cut yarn  334  after making a stitch to assist in transition of colors of loops  304 , 306 , 312 ,  314 . Motor  336  may be useful to switch between high and low setting  338 , 340  for at least some embodiments so that yarn feeder  342  provides more yarn for higher loop  304  and less yarn for lower loop  306 . Other mechanisms may operate differently as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. First row  350  might have first color, second row  352  might have second color, third row  354  might have third color and fourth row  356  might have fourth color, etc. All embodiments do not necessarily provide cutters  332 , but some may. 
     As may be understood with reference to  FIG. 13 , where the overtufted yarn is provided as part of a design, the tufts per inch or other area is higher than in area with no overtufting having a similar pre-tufted design. Also, unlike prior art methodology known to the applicant, purposely overtufting through pre-tufted carpet to provide a design is believed to be novel. 
       FIG. 15  shows a machine  400  tip shearing the carpet after adding in the design as shown and described herein. By having an overtufted design, particularly for at least some embodiments, one that has used multiple yarns per needle in the process described herein to add in a design into a pre-existing array such as 10×10, etc., and then tip shearing the loops to a pre-determined height, such as at the height of the carpet, or otherwise, rather unique and desirable design effects can be created giving rise to custom carpet looks, even when done with commercial high speed equipment. 
     Tip shearing can take place using various equipment known in the art. Input roll  406  is directing product to output roll  410  in direction  408 . One or more shears  402 , 404  may cut at various heights and positions as desired depending on the product to be made. For instance the pattern of  FIG. 13  could be tip sheared to a uniform height for yet another appearance. Alternatively tip shearing rows laterally and/or in the direction of tuft may be desirable for some designs and embodiments. 
       FIG. 16  shows yet another set of pattern possibilities, preferably those even given rise to a hand tufted carpet look. The carpet  500  has stripes  502 , 504  which could be tufted with the tufting machine as is known in the art when producing the tufted carpet  500 . Then the tufted carpet  500  could be overtufted with the technology shown and described herein, possibly together with multiple yarns directed through one more needles which could give still further effects. Then tip shearing could also be employed as described above or otherwise. Not only can overtufting occur in the direction of tuft  506 , such as by adding in element  508 , etc., overtufting can also be imparted in a lateral direction  510  (perpendicular to the direction of tuft  506 ) such as shown by stripe  512 , etc. Furthermore design style elements can be imparted such as diagonal lines  514  or curves  516 , 518 , or even discontinuities, etc. With a controller detailed designs can be overtufted using the technology described herein. Multiple yarns through a single needle can provide still other effects depending upon the rate of twist, tension, etc., applied to the various yarns at various times. 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3