US 12,065,772 B2
Tufting machine, method of tufting a fabric, and tufted fabric
Steven Debaes, Rekkem (BE); and Koen Callewaert, Tielt (BE)
Assigned to VANDEWIELE NV, Kortrijk/Marke (BE)
Filed by VANDEWIELE NV, Marke (BE)
Filed on Mar. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/692,581.
Application 17/692,581 is a division of application No. 16/477,056, granted, now 11,326,289, previously published as PCT/EP2017/083480, filed on Dec. 19, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 17151158 (EP), filed on Jan. 12, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0195647 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. D05C 15/30 (2006.01); D05C 15/10 (2006.01); D05C 15/34 (2006.01)
CPC D05C 15/30 (2013.01) [D05C 15/10 (2013.01); D05C 15/34 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Tufting machine comprising a needle bar shiftable in a needle bar longitudinal direction, a plurality of needles being provided on the needle bar following each other in the needle bar longitudinal direction, each needle being individually selectable for carrying out a stitch and thereby generating a pile on a backing fabric by moving each selected needle for penetrating the backing fabric while not moving each non-selected needle for penetrating the backing fabric, further comprising such a yarn threading that, on the needle bar, groups of the needles following each other in the needle bar longitudinal direction and comprising a predetermined number of needles are provided, the needles of each group having yarns of different colors threaded therethrough and having a same yarn threading with an identical sequence of yarns for defining a yarn threading repeat, the number of yarns of different colors associated with each group being less than the number of needles within each group, such that, within each group, at least two needles have yarns of the same color threaded therethrough,
wherein the needles are arranged on the needle bar with a substantially uniform distance between immediately adjacent needles in the needle bar longitudinal direction, and wherein the needle bar is shiftable in the needle bar longitudinal direction with a minimum extent of movement fulfilling the requirement:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
wherein:
E is the minimum extent of movement of the needle bar in the needle bar longitudinal direction,
D is the distance between immediately adjacent needles in the needle bar longitudinal direction,
NN is the number of needles within each group.