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, comprising:
 at least one needle bar carrying a plurality of needles;   a yarn feed system configured to feed a plurality of yarns to the needles;   a drive system for driving reciprocation of the needles toward and away from a backing moving through the tufting machine to form tufts of yarns in the backing;   wherein the drive system comprises:
 a plurality of push rods coupled to the at least one needle bar; and 
 a plurality of needle stroke support assemblies each configured to receive a push rod therethrough; and 
 wherein each of the needle stroke support assemblies include at least one support adapted to move with the push rod so as to stabilize the push rod against a substantially non-linear motion as the push rod is reciprocated in along a substantially linear path of travel for reciprocating the needles along a needle stroke distance into and out of the backing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the needles comprise hollow needles. 
     
     
         3 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the needle stroke distance is at least about 3″. 
     
     
         4 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the push rods are coupled to the at least one needle bar by push rod feet; wherein the at least one support of each needle stroke support assembly comprises a first support extending transversely with respect to the path of travel of the push rods and through which one of the push rods is slidably received, and a second support coupled to a frame of the tufting machine and extending substantially parallel with respect to the path of travel of the push rods and having a first guide positioned therealong; and wherein each of the push rod feet include a second guide configured to cooperatively engage with the first guide of a corresponding second support such that as the push rods are reciprocated along the push rods are supported against movement in a first direction transverse to their path of travel and in a second direction substantially parallel to their path of travel. 
     
     
         5 . The tufting machine of  claim 4 , wherein the first support comprises a plate mounted along the frame of the tufting machine and having a bearing assembly mounted thereto; wherein the bearing assembly defines a passage through which the push rod passes during reciprocation of the push rod. 
     
     
         6 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one shift mechanism for shifting the backing transversely. 
     
     
         7 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , further comprising 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. 
     
     
         8 . The tufting machine of  claim 7 , 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. 
     
     
         9 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one support of each needle stroke support assembly includes a body coupled to one of the push rods at an upper end thereof and to the needle bar, and a first guide positioned along at least a portion thereof and configured to engage with and move along a second guide mounted to the frame of the tufting machine during reciprocation of the push rods. 
     
     
         10 . 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 being tufted by the tufting machine. 
     
     
         11 . 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. 
     
     
         12 . A tufting machine comprising:
 at least one needle bar having a plurality of spaced needles mounted therealong, the needles configured to penetrate a backing for forming tufts of yarns therein; and   a drive system including:
 a plurality of push rods coupled to the at least one needle bar; and 
 a plurality of needle stroke support assemblies coupled to a frame of the tufting machine, each of the needle stroke support assemblies configured to slidably receive a push rod therethough; and 
 wherein the needle stroke support assemblies are configured to support the push rods in at least a first direction substantially transverse a path of travel of the push rods as the push rods are reciprocated along a needle stroke distance, and in a second direction substantially parallel to the path of travel of the push rods so as to substantially stabilize and maintain the push rods against non-linear motion as the push rods are reciprocated along the needle stroke distance for driving reciprocation of the needles into and out of the backing. 
   
     
     
         13 . The tufting machine of  claim 12 , wherein the tufting machine is configured to produce tufted turf products; and wherein the needle stroke distance is about 1″ to about 5″. 
     
     
         14 . The tufting machine of  claim 12 , wherein the needles have a length of at least 3″ and the needle stroke distance is at least about 3″. 
     
     
         15 . The tufting machine of  claim 12 , wherein the needles comprise hollow needles and the needle stroke distance is at least about 3″. 
     
     
         16 . A tufting machine, comprising:
 at least one needle bar carrying a plurality of needles configured to penetrate a backing;   a yarn feed system configured to selectively feed a plurality of yarns to the needles;   at least one shift mechanism for shifting the needles across the backing or shifting the backing with respect to the needles; and   a drive system located along a frame of the tufting machine and configured to drive reciprocation of the needles into and out of the backing, the drive system comprising:
 a plurality of push rods, the push rods coupled to the at least one needle bar by a plurality of push rod feet; and 
 a plurality of needle stroke support assemblies coupled to a frame of the tufting machine, each of the needle stroke support assemblies configured to slidably receive a push rod therethough and support the push rods in at least two directions with respect to a path of travel of the push rods so as to substantially stabilize and maintain the push rods against non-linear motion as the push rods are reciprocated to reciprocate the needles into and out of the backing. 
   
     
     
         17 . The tufting machine of  claim 16 , wherein the needles comprise hollow needles, and the yarns comprise a plurality of different type of color yarns; and further comprising a yarn selection system including a plurality of yarn jerkers adapted to be moveable between an extended position to allow passage of selected colors or types of yarns from the yarn feed system to the hollow needles, and a retracted position to retract and/or hold back non-selected colors or types of yarns supplied by the yarn feed system to one or more of the hollow needles. 
     
     
         18 . The tufting machine of  claim 17 , 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 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. 
     
     
         19 . The tufting machine of  claim 16 , wherein each needle stroke support assembly includes a first guide mounted along the frame of the tufting machine, and a second guide coupled to a corresponding push rod foot; wherein at least one of the first and second guides comprises a bearing assembly; and wherein the second guide is configured to engage and slide along the first guide as the push rods are reciprocated. 
     
     
         20 . The tufting machine of  claim 16 , 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.