US 12,146,251 B2
Tufting machine and method of tufting
Wilton Hall, Ringgold, GA (US)
Assigned to Card-Monroe, Corp., Chattanooga, TN (US)
Filed by Card-Monroe Corp., Chattanooga, TN (US)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/206,796.
Application 18/206,796 is a continuation of application No. 17/242,372, filed on Apr. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,708,654.
Application 17/242,372 is a continuation of application No. 16/295,114, filed on Mar. 7, 2019, granted, now 10,995,440, issued on May 4, 2021.
Application 16/295,114 is a continuation of application No. 15/457,036, filed on Mar. 13, 2017, granted, now 10,233,578, issued on Mar. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/309,489, filed on Mar. 17, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0313431 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. D05C 11/00 (2006.01); D05C 15/10 (2006.01); D05C 15/20 (2006.01); D05C 15/22 (2006.01); D05C 15/24 (2006.01); D05C 15/26 (2006.01); D05C 15/30 (2006.01); D05C 15/32 (2006.01); D05C 15/34 (2006.01)
CPC D05C 15/30 (2013.01) [D05C 11/00 (2013.01); D05C 15/10 (2013.01); D05C 15/20 (2013.01); D05C 15/22 (2013.01); D05C 15/24 (2013.01); D05C 15/26 (2013.01); D05C 15/32 (2013.01); D05C 15/34 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tufting machine, comprising:
at least one needle bar having a series of needles mounted therealong;
wherein the at least one needle bar is moved in a reciprocating motion so as to move the needles along a path of travel into and out of a backing material through the tufting machine;
at least one yarn feed mechanism feeding yarns to the needles;
a gauge part assembly below the backing material, the gauge part assembly comprising:
a plurality of gauge parts, each including a body with an upper portion having a throat along which loops of yarns picked-up from the needles are received;
wherein the gauge parts are moved in a direction toward and away from the needles as the needles are reciprocated into the backing material for pick-up of the loops of yarns from the needles;
a plurality of actuators, each actuator coupled to at least one of the gauge parts and configured to direct movement of the gauge parts coupled thereto in an additional direction with respect to the path of travel of the needles; and
a control system including programming for controlling the at least one yarn feed mechanism to control feeding of the yarns to the needles in coordination with control of the actuators coupled to the gauge parts;
wherein the actuators are controlled by the control system such that the throats of the gauge parts coupled thereto are moved in the additional direction between a position out of the path of travel of the needles sufficient to substantially avoid pick-up of non-selected yarns from the needles, and one or more positions adapted to enable pick-up loops of yarns from the needles by the gauge parts for forming tufts of yarns in the backing material according to a pattern being formed.