Patent ID: 7739970

Claim:
A tufting machine for forming spaced rows of loop pile tufts and cut pile tufts in a base fabric passing through a tufting zone of the tufting machine, comprising: a first row of needles positioned in spaced series along the tufting zone, each needle of said first row of needles having a pickup area formed therealong and carrying a yarn for introduction into the base fabric; a second row of needles spaced transversely across the tufting zone from said first row of needles and positioned in spaced series along the tufting zone, each needle of said second row of needles having a pickup area formed therealong and carrying yarns for introduction into a base fabric; a series of level cut loop pile hooks positioned along a cut pile side of the tufting zone and moveable across the tufting zone and into engagement with said needles of said second row of needles to pick up the yarns therefrom; a series of clips selectively moveable along said level cut loop pile hooks between extended and retracted positions to selectively form loop pile and cut pile tufts in the base fabric; a series of knives each positioned adjacent one of said level cut loop pile hooks and adapted to engage the yarns picked up by said level cut loop pile hooks for forming the cut pile tufts in the base fabric when said clips are in a retracted position; a series of loopers positioned along a loop pile side of the tufting zone and moveable across the tufting zone and adjacent opposed ones of said level cut loop pile hooks, into engagement with said needles of said first row of needles so as to engage and pick up the yarns therefrom to form the loop pile tufts in the base fabric.