System and Method for Forming Artificial Turf Products with a Woven Appearance

Abstract

A system and method for forming synthetic/artificial grass or turf tufted fabric materials in which a series of tufts or artificial/synthetic grass or turf yarns is formed in a backing material. The system generally will include a row of needles mounted along a tufting zone and which are reciprocated through the backing material to deliver a series of yarns into the backing materials. The needles are arranged in needle groups with the needle groups spaced apart along the length of the needle bar. A series of gauge parts, typically including cut-pile hooks, will be aligned with and will engage the needles in order to form cut and pile tufts defining spaced grass/turf tuft formations in the backing material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tufting machine for tufting an artificial turf/grass product comprising:
 backing feed rolls;   a drive system for controlling operation of the backing feed rolls, including at least one motor driving at least one backing feed roll for feeding a backing material through a tufting zone of the tufting machine;   a needle bar having a series of needles mounted therealong, wherein the needles are arranged in spaced needle groups, with the needles of each needle group arranged at a first spacing distance and with the needle groups being spaced apart by a second spacing distance;   a yarn feed mechanism for feeding synthetic turf yarns to the needles of the needle bar; and   wherein the drive system controls the at least one motor so as to index the backing material longitudinally at varying distances to form dense groupings of stitch formations of the synthetic turf yarns in the backing material, with selected infill regions defined thereabout.   
     
     
         2 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein each needle group comprises at least two needles. 
     
     
         3 . The tufting machine of  claim 2 , wherein the second spacing distance between each needle group is defined by the first spacing distance between the needles of each needle group multiplied by a number of needles in each needle group. 
     
     
         4 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first spacing distance of the needles of each needle group is approximately 3/16 inch. 
     
     
         5 . The tufting machine of  claim 4 , wherein the second spacing distances comprise a multiple of 3/16 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The tufting machine of  claim 4 , wherein each needle group comprises 2 needles, and the second spacing distance is approximately ⅜ inch. 
     
     
         7 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , and further comprising a shift mechanism for controlling lateral movement of the needle bar. 
     
     
         8 . The tufting machine of  claim 1 , and further comprising a series of gauge parts aligned with and adapted to engage the needles as the needles penetrate the backing material. 
     
     
         9 . The tufting machine of  claim 8 , wherein the gauge parts comprise cut pile hooks. 
     
     
         10 . A method of forming an artificial or synthetic turf/grass product on a tufting machine having a needle bar with a series of needles arranged in spaced needle groups mounted therealong, comprising:
 a. feeding a backing material through a tufting zone of the tufting machine;   b. reciprocating the needles into the backing material to form a series of tufts of turf fibers in the backing material;   c. indexing the backing material longitudinally by a first stitch length;   d. reciprocating the needles into the backing material to form a next series of tufts of turf fibers in the backing material;   e. if the backing material is to be indexed further longitudinally by the first stitch length, repeating steps c. and d. to form tuft groups at spaced locations along and across the backing material;   f. if the backing material is to be indexed further longitudinally by a second stitch length, indexing the backing material longitudinally by the first stitch length plus an additional advancement distance; and   g. repeating steps b.-f. until a desired amount of the artificial or synthetic turf/grass product has been formed.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  and wherein the second stitch length is greater than the first stitch length. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  and wherein the first stitch length is approximately equivalent to a spacing between the needles of each needle group, and the second stitch length is determined based upon the first stitch length multiplied by a number of needles in each needle group. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein indexing the backing material by a second stitch length comprises moving the backing material a distance approximately equivalent to a spacing distance between the needles of each needle group. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising setting needle group spacings along the needle bar. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising forming infill areas between the tuft groups, each infill area of a size approximately equivalent to the needle group spacings. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first stitch length is approximately equivalent to a spacing between the needles of each needle group and the second stitch length is approximately equivalent to a needle group spacing. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a infill area of a desired size is formed about each of the dense tuft groups, and further comprising applying a infill material within each infill area. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the needles of the needle groups is spaced from an adjacent needle of its needle group at a first spacing distance, and each needle group is spaced from an adjacent needle group by a second spacing distance comprising a multiple of the first spacing distance multiplied by a number of needles in each needle group. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein each needle group comprises 2 needles, the first spacing distance is approximately 3/16″, and the second spacing distance is ⅜″. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein infill areas, each of a size approximately equivalent to the second spacing distance, are formed about each of the dense tuft groups.