Patent ID: 7814850

Claim:
A tufting machine for producing athletic turf having a graphic design, the tufting machine comprising: (a) a support frame to which a backing fabric can be fastened and statically held in plane; (b) a tufting frame that is movably mounted to the support frame and travels thereupon along a Y-axis, wherein the tufting frame comprises a first beam that spans across the backing and is oriented along an X-axis and a second beam that is oriented parallel to the first beam and opposite the backing; (c) a first carriage that is movably mounted to the first beam and travels thereupon along an X-axis; (d) at least two tufting needles that are disposed within the first carriage, wherein each needle receives a different type of yarn and is selectively reciprocated, along a Z-axis, in order to insert its designated yarn into the backing in accordance with the graphic design; (e) a second carriage that is movably mounted to the second beam and travels thereupon along an X-axis; (f) a looper disposed within the second carriage, the looper for catching yarn inserted through the backing by a needle and thereby forming a loop tuft along the backing; (g) a tufting frame drive mechanism capable of advancing the tufting frame along the support frame; (h) a first carriage drive mechanism capable of advancing the first carriage along the first beam; (i) a second carriage drive mechanism capable of advancing the second carriage along the second beam; (j) needle drive mechanisms capable of reciprocating the needles individually; (k) a computer for storing the graphic design and for selectively controlling the various drive mechanisms in accordance with the graphic design; and (l) wherein the first and second carriages are independently driven so that the second carriage may be precisely positioned, relative to the first carriage, to enable the looper to catch yarn from a particular reciprocating needle.