Patent ID: 7481172

Claim:
A tufting needle assembly for use with a tufting machine having a frame and at least one elongate needle bar supported on the frame and configured for reciprocating motion with respect to the frame, the at least one needle bar having a midpoint and opposed outer ends, the tufting machine having a feeding direction for a carpet substrate therethough the tufting machine, the tufting needle assembly comprising: a row of back gauge elements disposed on the at least one needle bar, each back gauge element being spaced from adjacent back gauge elements along a back longitudinal axis that extends along the lengthwise dimension of the at least one needle bar, wherein each back gauge element is spaced from an adjacent back gauge element a first distance; and a row of front gauge elements disposed on the at least one needle bar, each front gauge element being spaced from adjacent front gauge elements along a front longitudinal axis that extends along the lengthwise dimension of the at least one needle bar, wherein each front gauge element is spaced from an adjacent front gauge element at least the first distance, wherein at least one front gauge element of a first portion of the row of front gauge elements extending from the midpoint to one of the outer ends of the at least one needle bar is spaced from one respective adjacent front gauge element at a distance greater than the first distance, wherein the front longitudinal axis is positioned substantially parallel to and forward of the back longitudinal axis relative to the feeding direction of the tufting machine.