System and method of forming patterned tufted products

Abstract

A system, apparatus and methods for forming tufted products can include a tufting machine for forming patterned tufted products, such as carpets, rugs, and artificial grass or turf product with logos of other designs including multiple colors of yarns integrated therein. The tufting machine can include a series of hollow needles arranged along a needle bar at a gauge spacing and can receive a series of different color and/or types of yarns from a yarn feed system. A yarn selection system can be controlled to selectively hold back or retract yarns from the needles. The needles will be reciprocated into and out of a backing to deliver a series of yarns into the backing and can be engaged by corresponding knives to form tufts of yarns.

1 . A tufting machine for forming artificial grass or turf products with patterned designs, comprising:
 at least one needle bar having a plurality of needles positioned therealong;   wherein the needles comprise hollow needles;   a yarn feed system configured to feed a plurality of yarns to the needles;   wherein the needles are moved in a reciprocating movement toward and away from a backing moving along a path of travel through the tufting machine so as to introduce selected yarns into the backing as the needles penetrate the backing;   at least one shift mechanism for shifting the backing transversely;   a yarn selection system arranged along a path of travel of the yarns between the yarn feed system and the needles, the yarn selection system configured to retract and/or hold back non-selected yarns supplied by the yarn feed system to one or more of the needles; and   a cutting system arranged below the backing and including at least one knife or cutting blade configured to cut the selected yarns as selected yarns are carried into the backing with the reciprocation of the needles into and out of the backing.   
     
     
         2 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a control system including programming configured to control operation of the yarn feed system for feeding a length of each of the selected yarns to the needles to substantially sufficient to form a tuft of predetermined pile height, operation of the yarn selection system, and operation of the at least one shift mechanism to enable presentation of different colors or types of yarns to each of a plurality of stitch locations of a pattern being formed. 
     
     
         3 . The tufting machine of  claim 2 , wherein the yarn selection system further comprises a plurality of yarn jerkers adapted to engage the yarns being fed to the needles and a plurality of actuators each linked to at least one yarn jerker and adapted to move the yarn jerkers between an extended position to allow passage of the selected yarns from the yarn feed system through the needles, and a retracted position to retract and/or hold the non-selected yarns supplied by the yarn feed system within the needles. 
     
     
         4 . The tufting machine of  claim 3 , wherein the control system includes programing configured to dynamically advance operation of the yarn feed system and the yarn jerkers or the yarn selection system in advance of a next stitch placement step of a pattern being formed. 
     
     
         5 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one needle bar comprises a series of openings spaced therealong and in communication with a passage extending through a corresponding needle; wherein the yarns are directed through the openings in the at least one needle bar and into the needles. 
     
     
         6 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the needles are arranged along the at least one needle bar at a selected gauge spacing based on a gauge of an artificial grass or turf product of the tufting machine. 
     
     
         7 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , further comprising an air-induced yarn feed apparatus coupled to an air supply and configured to direct flows of air through the at least one needle bar to assist feeding of the yarns through the needles. 
     
     
         8 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the shift mechanism comprises a rack and pinion shift mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one knife or cutting blade comprises a substantially flat cutting surface or edge. 
     
     
         10 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the needles each comprise a body having an internal passage defined therein, a first end received within a needle bar; and a second end terminating at a tip and having a flattened cutting surface configured for cutting flat ribbon yarns or filaments. 
     
     
         11 . A tufting machine, comprising:
 a plurality of needles configured to penetrate a backing;   a yarn feed system configured to selectively feed a plurality of yarns to the needles;   wherein the needles comprise hollow needles, each having a first end and a second end, with a passage defined between the first and second ends through which one or more yarns are fed;   wherein the yarns comprise a plurality of different type of color yarns;   at least one shift mechanism for shifting the needles across the backing or shifting the backing with respect to the needles;   a yarn selection system including a plurality of yarn jerkers adapted to be moveable between an extended position to allow passage of selected yarns from the yarn feed system to the needles, and a retracted position to retract and/or hold back non-selected yarns supplied by the yarn feed system to one or more of the needles; and   wherein as the needles are reciprocated into and out of the backing, feeding of the selected and non-selected yarns is controlled by the yarn feed system and the yarn jerkers are moved between their retracted and extended positions to enable insertion of the selected yarns into the backing to form loop pile or cut pile tufts of the selected yarns in accordance with a pattern being tufted.   
     
     
         12 . The tufting machine of  claim 11 , further comprising a cutting system including at least one knife or cutting blade configured to cut the selected yarns to form the cut pile tufts of yarns in the backing. 
     
     
         13 . The tufting machine of  claim 11 , further comprising a control system having programming configured to control operation of the yarn feed system for feeding the selected yarns to the needles, and programing configured to dynamically advance feeding of the yarns by the yarn feed system and movement of the yarn jerkers between the extended and retracted positions in advance of a next stitch placement step of a pattern being formed. 
     
     
         14 . The tufting machine of  claim 11 , further including at least one needle bar along which the needles are mounted; wherein the needles are arranged along the at least one needle bar at a selected gauge spacing based on a gauge of an artificial grass or turf product produced by the tufting machine. 
     
     
         15 . The tufting machine of  claim 11 , further comprising an air supply, and an air-induced yarn feed apparatus coupled to an air supply for directing the yarns through the needles. 
     
     
         16 . The tufting machine of  claim 11 , wherein the second end of each of the needles includes a tip and having an opening through which the one or more yarns exit the needle, and a flattened cutting surface surrounding configured for cutting flat ribbon yarns or filaments. 
     
     
         17 . The tufting machine of  claim 11 , wherein the tufting machine is configured to produce tufted turf or artificial grass products with integrated designs (e.g., logos) for tufted turf or artificial grass products. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising: moving a backing along a path of travel; feeding a plurality of yarns from a plurality of yarn feed devices along a path of travel to each of a plurality of needles; reciprocating the needles into and out of the backing; shifting the backing or shifting the needles in a direction transverse to movement of the path of travel of the backing; selectively controlling the yarn feed devices to substantially stop or slow feeding of non-selected yarns to the needles, and actuating one or more yarn jerkers to engage and hold or pull back the non-selected yarns such that the non-selected yarns are substantially maintained within the needles; selectively controlling the yarn feed devices and yarn jerkers as movement of the backing along its path of travel is controlled to enable presentation of different yarns to each of a plurality of stitch locations; and forming a plurality of tufts of selected yarns in the backing; wherein the yarns comprise artificial grass or turf yarns including one or more colors so as to form a tufted artificial grass or turf product having one or more of a design, accent feature, logo, or portions thereof integrated therein. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein shifting the backing or shifting the needles comprises shifting a backing support over which the backing is moved. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising moving at least one cutting blade into engagement with a cutting surface of each needle as the needles penetrate the backing and cutting the selected yarns to form the tufts of the selected yarns in the backing. 
     
     
         21 . A tufted artificial grass or turf product comprising:
 a backing; and   a plurality of spaced tufts of artificial grass or turf yarns formed in the backing;   wherein the artificial grass or turf yarns include a base color yarn and a one or more pattern color yarns of different color than the base color yarn;   wherein selected colors of the base color and one or more pattern color yarns are retained in the backing at selected stitch locations within a field of an artificial turf or grass so as to define at least one patterned area of the one or more pattern color yarns being formed within a field of the base color yarn the backing; and   wherein transitions between the at least one patterned area of pattern color yarns and the field of the base color yarn is substantially seamless.