Synchronous Grass Tufting Machine

Abstract

A synchronous grass tufting machine is useful to coordinate the simultaneous driving of spaced apart needle bars vertically relative to a backing fabric being fed through a tufting machine. The needle bars preferably have push rods mechanically linked, if not joined, for simultaneous movement. Controllers may permit selective needle selection, looper operation, backing or needle bar shifting, yarn feeding, backing feeding, and/or other functions.

1 . A tufting machine comprising:
 A backing fabric feed mechanism supporting and directing backing fabric in a feeding direction through the tufting machine;   First and second needle bars each supporting a plurality of needles in at least one longitudinal row extending transversely of the feeding direction, wherein the first and second needle bars are spaced apart in the feeding direction from one another;   A first push rod connected to the first needle bar;   A second push md connected to the second needle bar;   Wherein the first and second push rods are mechanically linked providing synchronous simultaneous vertical motion of the first and second needle bars relative to the backing fabric.   
     
     
         2 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the plurality of needles are evenly spaced apart. 
     
     
         3 . The tufting machine of  claim 2  wherein the first needle bar further comprises staggered longitudinal rows of needles. 
     
     
         4 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  further comprising a pattern control yarn feed selectively feeding needles of the first and second needle bars. 
     
     
         5 . The tufting machine of  claim 4  further comprising a first looper selectively holding yarn ends from selected needles of the first needle bar forming loops. 
     
     
         6 . The tufting machine of  claim 5  further comprising knives which selectively cut selected loops formed by the first looper. 
     
     
         7 . The tufting machine of  claim 5  further comprising a second looper selectively holding yarn ends from selected needles of the second needle bar forming loops. 
     
     
         8 . The tufting machine of  claim 7  further comprising knives which selectively cut selected loops formed by the second looper. 
     
     
         9 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  further comprising a needle selector mechanism, said needle selector mechanism assists in selecting which, if any, needles of the first and second needle bars penetrate backing fabric on a specific stroke. 
     
     
         10 . The tufting machine of  claim 9  further comprising needle clamps, said needle clamps hold respective needles thereby selectively permitting which needles penetrate the backing fabric on the specific stroke. 
     
     
         11 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  further comprising at least one of a backing shifter and a needle bar shifter which imparts transverse movement of the backing fabric relative to the first and second needle bars. 
     
     
         12 . The tufting machine of  claim 11  further comprising a needle plate shifter used with the backing shifter. 
     
     
         13 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  further comprising a main drive shaft, said main drive shaft driving a rotary needle shaft which moves at least the first push rod. 
     
     
         14 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  further comprising bridges extending in the direction of feed securing the first needle bar relative to the second needle bar. 
     
     
         15 . The tufting machine of  claim 14  wherein the bridges extend intermediate the first to the second push rods. 
     
     
         16 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  wherein the first and second push rods are geared to move together. 
     
     
         17 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  further comprising an encoder providing signals to a controller related to position of the first and second needle bars during a stroke. 
     
     
         18 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  further comprising operator controls permitting input of at least one of looper drive operation, yarn feed to selected needles, needle selection, needle bar shifting, backing shifting and backing feed operation for each stroke of the first and second needle bars. 
     
     
         19 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  wherein the first needle bar is downstream in the feeding direction relative to the second needle bar. 
     
     
         20 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  wherein the first and second needle bars can shift transversely independently of one another.