A tufting machine for selectively forming tufts of yarns, including different color or type yarns, for forming patterned tufted articles such as carpets. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of a backing material being fed through the tufting machine and are engaged by a series of gauge parts so as to pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The gauge parts will be selectively controlled by activators to extend or retract the gauge parts to positions or elevations sufficient to pick-up or not pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The feeding of the yarns to the needles further will be controlled to back-rob yarns not picked-up by the gauge parts, while the backing feed will be controlled to enable formation of tufts at an increased rate over the pattern stitch rate for the pattern of the tufted article being formed.

A tufting machine for selectively forming tufts of yarns, including different color or type yarns, for forming patterned tufted articles such as carpets. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of a backing material being fed through the tufting machine and are engaged by a series of gauge parts so as to pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The gauge parts will be selectively controlled by activators to extend or retract the gauge parts to positions or elevations sufficient to pick-up or not pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The feeding of the yarns to the needles further will be controlled to back-rob yarns not picked-up by the gauge parts, while the backing feed will be controlled to enable formation of tufts at an increased rate over the pattern stitch rate for the pattern of the tufted article being formed.

A tufting machine for selectively forming tufts of yarns, including different color or type yarns, for forming patterned tufted articles such as carpets. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of a backing material being fed through the tufting machine and are engaged by a series of gauge parts so as to pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The gauge parts will be selectively controlled by activators to move the gauge parts to positions or elevations sufficient to pick-up or not pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The feeding of the yarns to the needles further will be controlled to pull back the yarns not picked-up by the gauge parts, while the backing feed will be controlled to enable formation of tufts at an increased rate over the pattern stitch rate for the pattern of the tufted article being formed.

A tufting machine for selectively forming tufts of yarns, including different color or type yarns, for forming patterned tufted articles such as carpets. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of a backing material being fed through the tufting machine and are engaged by a series of gauge parts so as to pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The gauge parts will be selectively controlled by activators to move the gauge parts to positions or elevations sufficient to pick-up or not pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The feeding of the yarns to the needles further will be controlled to pull back the yarns not picked-up by the gauge parts, while the backing feed will be controlled to enable formation of tufts at an increased rate over the pattern stitch rate for the pattern of the tufted article being formed.

A tufting machine for selectively forming tufts of yarns, including different color or type yarns, for forming patterned tufted articles such as carpets. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of a backing material being fed through the tufting machine and are engaged by a series of gauge parts so as to pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The gauge parts will be selectively controlled by actuators to extend or retract the gauge parts to positions or elevations sufficient to pick-up or not pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The feeding of the yarns to the needles further can be controlled in conjunction with the movement of the gauge parts, while the backing feed can also be controlled, to enable formation of tufts of yarns at an increased rate over the pattern stitch rate for the pattern of the tufted article being formed.

A tufting machine for selectively forming tufts of yarns, including different color or type yarns, for forming patterned tufted articles such as carpets. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of a backing material being fed through the tufting machine and are engaged by a series of gauge parts so as to pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The gauge parts will be selectively controlled by actuators to extend or retract the gauge parts to positions or elevations sufficient to pick-up or not pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The feeding of the yarns to the needles further can be controlled in conjunction with the movement of the gauge parts, while the backing feed can also be controlled, to enable formation of tufts of yarns at an increased rate over the pattern stitch rate for the pattern of the tufted article being formed.

A tufting machine with a needle bar and looper system provides individual loopers which cooperate with needles of the needle bar selectively between an engage and a disengage configuration whereby when in the engage configuration at least some of the loopers hold yarn directed by the needle through the backing as the needle cycles into and out of the backing to form a first loop having a height of a distance of the looper from the backing, but when in the disengage configuration, the looper is spaced from the yarn so that any loop formed is shorter than the first loop.

A tufting machine with a needle bar and looper system provides individual loopers which cooperate with needles of the needle bar selectively between an engage and a disengage configuration whereby when in the engage configuration at least some of the loopers hold yarn directed by the needle through the backing as the needle cycles into and out of the backing to form a first loop having a height of a distance of the looper from the backing, but when in the disengage configuration, the looper is spaced from the yarn so that any loop formed is shorter than the first loop.

A hook (5) for a tufting machine to provide an enhanced J-cut effect. The hook comprises a shank portion (12) via which the hook is connected to the tufting machine, in use, and a working portion (4) extending from the shank portion. The working portion (4) comprises a cutting edge (6) on one side of a lower face of the working portion. A J-cut forming portion is formed at the working portion (4), in that the working portion in the region above the cutting edge has a greater thickness than the thickness of the shank portion (12).

A hook (5) for a tufting machine to provide an enhanced J-cut effect. The hook comprises a shank portion (12) via which the hook is connected to the tufting machine, in use, and a working portion (4) extending from the shank portion. The working portion (4) comprises a cutting edge (6) on one side of a lower face of the working portion. A J-cut forming portion is formed at the working portion (4), in that the working portion in the region above the cutting edge has a greater thickness than the thickness of the shank portion (12).