Patent Issued for Methods And Devices For Controlling A Tufting Machine For Forming Tufted Carpet (USPTO 10,767,294)

2020 SEP 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Columbia Insurance Company (Omaha, Nebraska, United States) has been issued patent number 10,767,294, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Vaughan, Neil (Rydal, GA); Honeycutt, Mark (Cartersville, GA).

This patent was filed on September 24, 2018 and was published online on September 21, 2020.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “During the operation of known tufting machines, loops of yarn are inserted into a carpet backing to create a profile of yarns projecting from the carpet backing. Individual yarns and/or groups of yarn can project from the carpet backing a desired height to form a pattern or give a desired appearance to the face of the carpet. However, when yarns project from the backing at different heights, yarn is consumed at different rates, which creates wasted yarn and add complexity to the manufacturing process.

“Thus, there is a need in the pertinent art for methods and device for controlling the feed length of yarn fed to a tufting machine so that the length of yarn consumed by the tufting machine is substantially the same per a predetermined amount of tufted carpet, regardless of the pattern being tufted.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The invention relates to a control system for a tufting machine of the type having a plurality of needles for forming tufted carpet. The tufted carpet can be formed from tufts of yarn having different heights relative to a backing material. The tufts can be arranged so that patterns are apparent on the face of the carpet.

“In one aspect, the control system for the tufting machine comprises a system controller in communication with the tufting machine for controlling operation of the tufting machine. In another aspect, the system controller can be in communication with a plurality of yarn feed controllers for controlling operation of yarn feed motors which supply yarn from a source of yarn to the tufting machine.

“In one embodiment, the system controller can be programmable to enable input of a plurality of predetermined yarn feed profiles for selected stitches of a programmed pattern to be tufted. In another aspect, the system controller can be programmable to control the operation of the respective yarn feed controllers to feed yarns to the needles for each selected stitch to be tufted according to the respective predetermined yarn feed profile. In this embodiment, although at least two of the predetermined yarn feed profiles can be different, for each repeat of the programmed pattern, substantially the same feed length of yarn can be used from each of the plurality of yarns.

“In one aspect, each predetermined yarn feed profile can be programmed by determining a base yarn feed value for each stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat of the programmed pattern. In another aspect, the yarn feed profile for at least one stitch for each pattern repeat can be varied from the base yarn feed value.

“In another embodiment, the system controller can be programmable to enable input of a plurality of N predetermined yarn feed profiles for selected stitches of the programmed pattern. In another aspect, after every X pattern repeat, the system controller can index each of the plurality of N predetermined yarn feed profiles to operatively control a different yarn feed controller. In still another aspect, the system controller can control the operation of the respective yarn feed controllers to feed yarns to the plurality of needles for each selected stitch to be tufted according to the selected predetermined yarn feed profile. In this embodiment, after (NX) repeats of the pattern repeat, substantially the same feed length of yarn can be used from each of the plurality of yarns.

“In one aspect, each predetermined yarn feed profile can be programmed by determining a base yarn feed value for each stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat of the programmed pattern. In another aspect, the yarn feed profile for at least one stitch for each pattern repeat can be varied from the base yarn feed value.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A method for controlling a tufting machine for forming patterned tufted articles of the type having a plurality of needles carrying a plurality of yarns into a backing material that passes through the tufting machine at a desired rate, the tufting machine having a plurality of yarn feed motors, each yarn feed motor in communication with one yarn from the source of yarns and one needle of the plurality of needles, the method comprising: using a processor to control the operation of a plurality of yarn feed controllers of the tufting machine, each yarn feed controller being coupled to the processor and a respective yarn feed motor for controlling the amount of yarn being supplied by the respective yarn feed motor; using the processor to receive an input corresponding to a programmed pattern to be tufted, the programmed pattern comprising a plurality of predetermined yarn feed profiles for selected stitches of yarn to be tufted by respective needles of the plurality of needles, wherein at least two predetermined yarn feed profiles of the plurality of predetermined yarn feed profiles are different; and using the processor to control the operation of the respective yarn feed controllers to feed yarns to the plurality of needles for each selected stitch to be tufted according to an associated predetermined yarn feed profile, wherein the processor: (i) determines, for each predetermined yarn feed profile, a base yarn feed value for each stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat of the programmed pattern; and (ii) varies at least one of the predetermined yarn feed profiles from the base yarn feed value for at least one stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat, and wherein, for each repeat of the programmed pattern, each yarn of the plurality of yarns has a respective feed length of yarn that is used, and wherein the processor varies said at least one of the predetermined yarn feed profiles from the base yarn feed value to achieve a desired feed length for each yarn of the plurality of yarns.

“2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor repeats steps (i) and (ii) for each predetermined yarn feed profile until the feed length of yarn per pattern repeat is substantially the same for the plurality of predetermined yarn feed profiles.

“3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of variation from the base yarn feed value is less than 0.3 inches.

“4. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of variation from the base yarn feed value is less than 0.2 inches.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of variation from the base yarn feed value is less than 0.1 inches.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of variation from the base yarn feed value is less than 0.05 inches.

“7. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of variation from the base yarn feed value can be a positive or negative variation in yarn feed length from the base yarn feed value.

“8. The method of claim 1, further comprising drawing the plurality of yarns from the source of yarns at a substantially constant yarn feed rate.

“9. The method of claim 8, wherein the yarn feed rate can selectively be less than, equal to, or greater than an average feed control rate of the plurality of predetermined yarn feed profiles.

“10. The method of claim 8, wherein a drive roll is positioned between the source of yarns and the plurality of yarn feed motors to draw the plurality of yarns from the source of yarns.

“11. The method of claim 1, further comprising feeding each yarn through a yarn accumulator system that is in communication with the source of yarns.

“12. The method of claim 11, wherein the yarn accumulator system is disposed between the source of yarns and the plurality of yarn feed motors and comprises a plurality of weight elements; further comprising allowing for the free passage of one respective yarn therethrough one respective weight element.

“13. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is in communication with a memory, wherein the memory stores a software application that, when executed, determines the variation of said at least one predetermined yarn feed profile from the base yarn feed value for said at least one stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat.

“14. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is connected to a user interface that is configured to transmit and receive information related to the variation of said at least one predetermined yarn feed profile from the base yarn feed value for said at least one stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat.

“15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises a display.

“16. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of predetermined yarn feed profiles indicate, for each of the yarn feed controllers, the duration of activation of each respective yarn feed motor necessary to supply yarn to the backing material at a desired feed control rate.

“17. The method of claim 1, wherein for each repeat of the programmed pattern, the feed length of yarn varies between each of the plurality of yarns by less than 5%.

“18. The method of claim 1, wherein for each predetermined yarn feed profile, each stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat has a low yarn feed value or a high yarn feed value that is greater than the low yarn feed value, and wherein the processor varies at least one of the predetermined yarn feed profiles from the low yarn feed value for at least one stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat.

“19. The method of claim 1, wherein for each predetermined yarn feed profile, each stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat has a low yarn feed value or a high yarn feed value that is greater than the low yarn feed value, and wherein the processor varies at least one of the predetermined yarn feed profiles from the high yarn feed value for at least one stitch of the yarn for each pattern repeat.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Vaughan, Neil; Honeycutt, Mark. Methods And Devices For Controlling A Tufting Machine For Forming Tufted Carpet. U.S. Patent Number 10,767,294, filed September 24, 2018, and published online on September 21, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,767,294.PN.&OS=PN/10,767,294RS=PN/10,767,294

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