Patent ID: 7237497

Claim:
A tufting machine comprising: a frame; at least one reciprocating needle bar having a plurality of needles arranged in spaced series therealong, said needles carrying a series of yarns for forming cut and loop pile tufts in a backing material passing through the tufting machine; a level cut loop looper assembly mounted below said needle bar and comprising: a series of modules each having a plurality of slots formed therein; a plurality of level cut loop hooks each removably received within one of said slots; a series of fasteners received within each of said modules and each releasably engaging a portion of at least one of said hooks to secure said hooks within said modules, wherein there are approximately half as many fasteners as there are hooks; and a series of clips moveable between retraced and extended positions adjacent said level cut loop hooks for controlling formation of loop and cut pile tufts of yarns; and a backing feed roll for feeding the backing material through the tufting machine.