Artificial Grass Tufted with Hollow Needle Machine

Abstract

A method of using an improved hollow needle tufting machine to make an artificial grass product includes features not present in prior art hollow needle tufting machines. Specifically, some embodiments have at least four inch long needles. Other embodiments have larger diameter feed rolls. Other embodiments have larger diameter guide tubes. Still other embodiments have a lowered backing support to provide an increased distance from the backing support to the needle bar.

Having set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing artificial grass comprising:
 providing a hollow needle tufting machine having a plurality of at least four-inch hollow needles reciprocally driven from a needle head;   feeding a backing material through the tufting machine across a backing support;   selectively feeding artificial grass yarns of at least two different colors through each of the plurality of the hollow needles and the backing material while tufting to form an artificial grass product having multiple colors therein while tufting to provide a tuft height of at least two inches.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the needle head and the backing are initially spaced at least four and a quarter inch apart. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the backing support is lowered to achieve the desired spacing of the backing support and the needle head. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least two different colors provide at least one of field lines relative to a background, a logo, and text on the artificial grass product while tufting. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  having a guide tube diameter of at least 5/16 inch selectively feeding the yarns to the hollow needles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  having an improved guide resisting pinching of yarn as selectively fed to the hollow needles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the improved guide has a smooth inner bore extending from a rear to a front along a channel. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the improved guide has a slot with a jog permitting yarns to be inserted through the slot while the job assists in maintaining an inserted yarn within the channel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing a shear inline with the hollow needle tufting machine and tip shearing the artificial grass product continuously as the artificial grass product is fed from the hollow needle tufting machine. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a shifting system, and further comprising the step of shifting at least one of the backing relative to the needle bar and the needle bar relative to the backing during the tufting step to provide at least one of increased gauge and stitch density. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing a feed roll having at least a two-inch diameter and using the feed roll to selectively feed the artificial grass yarns to the selected needle during the tufting step. 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing artificial grass comprising:
 providing a hollow needle tufting machine having a plurality hollow needles reciprocally driven from a needle head;   feeding a backing material through the tufting machine across a backing support;   selectively feeding artificial grass yarns of at least two different colors with at least a two-inch diameter through each of the plurality of the hollow needles and the backing material while tufting to form an artificial grass product having multiple colors therein while tufting to provide a tuft height of at least two inches.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the hollow needles are at least four inches long. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the needle head and the backing are initially spaced at least four and a quarter inch apart. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the backing support is lowered to achieve the desired spacing of the backing support and the needle head. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the at least two different colors provide at least one of field lines relative to a background, a logo, and text on the artificial grass product while tufting. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  having a guide tube diameter of at least 5/16 inch selectively feeding the yarns to the hollow needles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  having an improved guide with a smooth inner bore extending from a rear to a front along a channel, resisting pinching of the yarn as selectively fed to the hollow needles. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising a shifting system, and further comprising the step of shifting at least one of the backing relative to the needle bar and the needle bar relative to the backing during the tufting step to provide at least one of increased gauge and stitch density  20 .
 The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing a feed roll having at least a two-inch diameter and using the feed roll to selectively feed the artificial grass yarns to the selected needle during the tufting step.