Method and apparatus for forming variable cut and/or loop pile tufts over level cut loop tufts

Abstract

A tufting machine including spaced rows of needles for inserting yarns into a backing material. The needles are engaged by a series of cut pile hooks and level cut loop loopers or hooks that generally are arranged at spaced elevations. The cut pile hooks will engage one of the rows of needles for forming cut pile tufts of yarns in the backing material. The level cut loop loopers or hooks engage the other row of needles and each include clips. The clips are selectively moved into a position substantially blocking retention of loops of yarns picked up and/or formed along their level cut loop loopers or hooks for formation of loop and cut pile tufts of yarns in the backing material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tufting machine for forming spaced rows of loop pile tufts and cut pile tufts having varying pile heights in a backing, comprising:
 a first row of needles located along an upstream side of a tufting zone of the tufting machine, and a second row of needles located along a downstream side of the tufting zone, said needles of said first and second rows of needles carrying yarns therewith as said needles are reciprocated into the backing;   a series of level cut loop hooks movable into engagement with said needles of said second row of needles so as to form loops of yarns, said level cut loop hooks each having a clip movable between extended and retracted positions, said clips being selectively actuated to retard retention of loops of yarns by selected ones of said level cut loop hooks to form loop pile tufts;   a first series of knives moveable into engagement with said level cut loop hooks for cutting the loops of yarns retained by said level cut loop hooks to form cut pile tufts in the backing when said clips are in their retracted position;   a series of cut pile hooks positioned along the tufting zone at a different elevation from said level cut loop hooks, said cut pile hooks movable into engagement with said needles of said first row of needles to pick loops of the yarns therefrom; and   a second series of knives movable into engagement with said cut pile hooks for cutting the loops of yarns picked by said cut pile hooks to form cut pile tufts in the backing having a different pile height than the loop pile tufts and/or the cut pile tufts formed by said level cut loop hooks.   
     
     
         2 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  and wherein said knives of said first series of knives are of an opposite hand cutting to the pickup of said level cut loop hooks. 
     
     
         3 . The tufting machine of  claim 2  and wherein said knives of said first series of knives each are positioned along a pickup side of an associated one of said level cut loop hooks. 
     
     
         4 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  and wherein said needles of said first and second rows of needles are spaced at least approximately 5/32 inch apart. 
     
     
         5 . The tufting machine of  claim 1  and wherein said level cut loop hooks are positioned at an elevation that is vertically spaced below said cut pile hooks, and wherein said level cut loop hooks are each substantially aligned with a gap defined between adjacent ones of said cut pile hooks and through which said needles of said second row of needles pass for engagement with said level cut loop hooks, and wherein said cut pile hooks are each substantially aligned with a gap defined between each of said needles of said second row of needles such that said cut pile hooks pass between adjacent needles of said second row of needles to engage said needles of said first row of needles. 
     
     
         6 . A method of forming spaced rows of cut pile and loop pile tufts in a base fabric, comprising:
 moving the base fabric along a path of travel through a tufting machine;   engaging the base fabric with first and second rows of needles carrying a plurality of yarns;   as the first and second rows of needles penetrate the base fabric moving a plurality of cut pile hooks between the needles of the second row of needles and into engagement with the needles of the first row of needles to form loops of yarns on the cut pile hooks;   moving a plurality of level cut loop hooks, located at a different elevation from the cut pile hooks, into engagement with the needles of the second row of needles so as to form loops of yarns along the level cut loop hooks;   moving clips associated with selected ones of the level cut loop hooks from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein retention of the loops of yarns formed from the second plurality of yarns carried by the needles of the second row of needles is substantially blocked, to selectively form loop pile tufts of yarns in the base fabric; and   moving a series of knives into engagement with the loops of yarns retained along the cut pile hooks and along non-selected ones of the level cut loop hooks to form cut pile tufts of yarns in the base fabric.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the knives associated with each level cut loop hook are positioned on an opposite side of each level cut loop hook from an associated one of the needles of the second row of needles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising staggering the first and second rows of needles up to approximately ½ inch apart. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising releasing the loops of yarns formed along the selected ones of the level cut loop hooks as the selected level cut loop hooks are reciprocated away from the needles of the second row of needles when the clips of the selected ones of the level cut loop hooks are in an extended position to form the loop pile tufts. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the knives each have opposite hand cutting to pickups of the cut pile hooks and/or the level cut loop hooks associated therewith. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising moving the second row of needles through gaps defined between each of the cut pile hooks to a penetration depth below the cut pile hooks for engagement by the level cut loop hooks. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising moving the first row of needles through the base fabric to a penetration depth less than the penetration depth of the second row of needles so as to form cut pile tufts at a different pile height than the cut pile and loop pile tufts formed by the level cut loop hooks. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming tufted articles having cut pile tufts and loop pile tufts, comprising:
 reciprocating a series of needles, each carrying a plurality of yarns, into and out of a backing moving through a tufting zone;   moving a first series of level cut loop hooks having throat portions located at a first elevation into engagement with the needles at a first penetration depth of the needles to pull loops of yarn therefrom;   moving a second series of level cut loop hooks, each having a throat portion located at a second elevation vertically spaced from the throat portions of the first level cut loop hooks, into engagement with the needles at a second penetration depth pull loops of yarns therefrom;   cutting loops of yarns retained along non-selected ones of the first and/or second series of level cut loop hooks, whose clips are in a non-engaging position, with a series of knives to form cut pile tufts;   moving clips associated with selected ones of the first and/or second series of level cut loop hooks into engaging positions wherein the loops of yarn engaged and pulled from the needles by the selected ones of the first and/or second series of level cut loop hooks are substantially prevented from being retained along the selected ones of the first and/or second series of level cut loop hooks to form loop pile tufts; and   wherein the cut pile tufts and loop pile tufts formed by the first and second series of level cut loop hooks are formed with different pile heights.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein engaging the loops of yarns comprises moving each of the knives along pickup sides of each level cut loop hook associated therewith. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  and wherein the knives are of an opposite hand cutting to the pickup of the level cut loop hooks. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  and further comprising shifting the needles transversely with respect to the backing moving through the tufting zone. 
     
     
         17 . A tufting machine for forming loop pile and cut loop pile tufts in a backing material passing therethrough, comprising:
 at least one row of needles extending in spaced series across at least one reciprocating needle bar, and carrying a series of yarns into the backing material as said at least one needle bar is reciprocated;   a first plurality of level cut loop hooks, each having a throat arranged at a first elevation below the backing material, and movable into engagement with said needles at a first penetration depth of said needles to form and pick loops of yarns therefrom;   a second plurality of level cut loop hooks each having a throat arranged at a second elevation below the backing material, spaced vertically from said throats of said first plurality of level cut loop hooks and movable into engagement with said needles at a second penetration depth that is different from said first penetration depth of said needles to form and pick loops of yarns therefrom;   clips arranged along each of said level cut loop hooks of said first and second pluralities of level cut loop hooks, said clips movable between extended and retracted positions to selectively form the loop pile and cut pile tufts in the backing material; and   knives associated with each of said level cut loop hooks of said first and second pluralities of level cut loop hooks and movable into engagement therewith for cutting loops of yarns retained along said first and second pluralities of level cut loop hooks to form the cut pile tufts;   wherein the cut and loop pile tufts formed by said first plurality of level cut loop hooks are formed at a different pile height from the cut and loop pile tufts formed by said second plurality of level cut loop hooks.   
     
     
         18 . The tufting machine of  claim 17 , wherein throats of said second first plurality of level cut loop hooks are spaced below said first plurality of level cut loop hooks and are substantially aligned with gaps defined between said level cut loop hooks of said first plurality of level cut loop hooks; and wherein said needles of said second row of needles pass between gaps defined between each of said first plurality of level cut loop hooks for engagement by said second plurality of level cut loop hooks. 
     
     
         19 . The tufting machine of  claim 17 , wherein said knives of are positioned along a pickup side of their associated level cut loop hooks. 
     
     
         20 . The tufting machine of  claim 19 , wherein said knives of an opposite hand cutting to the pickup of their associated level cut loop hook.