Singer Cobble Inc., "Photocell controlled pattern attachment for tufting machines" (US3103187A)
Patent · not yet checked at the source
- Made by
- Singer Cobble Inc.
- Date
- filed 29 May 1961; published 10 Sep 1963
- Number
- US3103187A
- Themes
- Machine tufting & Dalton, Tools & equipment
Cite this source
Singer Cobble Inc., “Photocell controlled pattern attachment for tufting machines” (US3103187A), filed 29 May 1961; published 10 Sep 1963. patents.google.com/patent/US3103187A/en.
Research notes
An early attempt to automate pattern selection on a broadloom tufting machine: a photocell, not a mechanical cam or chain, controls the pattern attachment. It is the earliest Singer Cobble electrical pattern-control patent found. It is cited as prior art in later tufting-control patents (GB1050239A, DE1485465C3 'Elektrische Steuervorrichtung für eine Tuftingmaschine'), which suggests it was a recognised step towards electrical control. Verified Oct 2026 from Google Patents citation-table entries (number, title, dates, assignee). The patent text itself was not opened, so how the photocell read the pattern is not confirmed. Research note (Oct 2026): from search results; pages not opened.