Patent ID: 6945183

Claim:
A method of assembling a tufting machine having a frame and at least one reciprocable needle bar having a series of spaced needles mounted therealong and carrying a series of yarns for forming tufts of yarn in a backing material passing beneath the needles, comprising: mounting at least one yarn feed unit on the frame of the tufting machine, the yarn feed unit having a predetermined number of yarn feed devices mounted therein for feeding a series of yarns to the needles, yarn feed controllers controlling the yarn feed devices, and a yarn feed distribution device; connecting the yarn feed controllers to a system controller for controlling the feeding of the yarns to the needles by each of the yarn feed devices; and threading the yarns from a desired number of the yarn feed devices, with each yarn fed to each of the needles through one of a series of yarn feed tubes of the yarn feed distribution device, the yarn feed tubes arranged so as to define at least two pattern repeats across the backing material.