Abstract: A presser unit for a bar tacking sewing machine comprises four separate clamp feet 15, 16, 17 and 18 which conform in outer appearance to the U-shaped stitches I--I, II--II and III--III to be formed at the tip end of the waist band portions of pants and a pressing mechanism 60 for elastically press each clamp feet 15, 16, 17 and 18 against a workpiece A with a given pressure thereby to elastically press the workpiece A.

Abstract: An overlock sewing machine which can switch its operation from an ordinary over-edge chain stitch to a rolled seam or vice versa with no requirement for a complicated operation of adjusting thread tension is obtained. This overlock sewing machine is provided with a spring for providing a thread with prescribed tension. The overlock sewing machine is further provided with a switching mechanism for switching the thread tension between that for the rolled seam and that for the over-edge chain stitch by switching the spring between a tensioning state and a non-tensioning state. Thus, the thread tension is readily switched between that for the rolled seam and that for the over-edge chain stitch.

Abstract: A shin pad for ice hockey or other sports is described, together with a method of manufacturing shin pads. The shin pad includes an elongated flexible lining, and a rigid or semi-rigid knee shield secured to the lining. A lower aspect of the knee shield has one or more lateral slots defined therein. In the preferred embodiment, there is one such slot, generally centrally located. A rigid or semi-rigid shin shield is provided with a corresponding tab or tabs projecting from the upper end thereof for insertion in the slot(s), thereby locating the upper end of the shin shield against the lining. The lower portion of the shin shield is secured against the lining by any suitable conventional means such as sewing or one or more rivets. In the method of manufacturing the shin pad, the knee shield is secured to the lining in conventional fashion, such as by sewing.

Abstract: A hand puncture protector (10) including a pivoting shell which covers susceptible areas on the back and sides of the wearer's thumb (53), index finger (52) and thenar web space to reduce the risk of injury or infection from accidental punctures from needles and other sharp instruments ("SHARPS"). The pivoting shell is formed of a SHARP impervious material, such as thermoplastic, and has separate thumb (11) and index finger (12) components which are preferably fastened together by a single rivet (30) placed above the thenar web space region. VELCRO straps (20, 21) are affixed to the thumb and index finger regions of the molded shell at about the interphalange joint of the thumb and middle phalanx of the index finger to secure the hand protector to the user's hand. A method of protecting health care professionals from injury or infection by accidental punctures is also disclosed.

Abstract: Front and rear needle bars are provided with front and rear needles for inserting yarns into a backing material. An excess of front loopers are provided for the front needles and an excess of rear loopers are provided for the rear needles. The front loopers respectively face the rear loopers and are respectively aligned with each other. The needle bars are shifted laterally so as to provide longitudinal rows of tufts formed by the front needles providing spacing between the tufts of a longitudinal row which space is filled in by the tufts of rear needles.

Abstract: A needle drive for a multi-needle stitching machine is provided, having a needle bar supporting needles, which is suspended on pairs of elbow joint levers. The elbow joint levers are engaged by a common push rod, which is movable back and forth by a drive. The needle bar is supported on vertical guides and is moved up and down by the pushing movements of the push rod. The needles of the stitching machine reach the lower point of reversal when the elbow joint levers are completely stretched, that is, when the elbow joint levers are disposed parallel with each other. In this manner, the lower point of reversal is clearly determined, and remains the same, irrespective of whether the lift of the push rod is increased or decreased in order to adjust the lifting of the needles from the sewing material.

Abstract: An improved circular carrousel machine is provided for carrying out the joining seam of two tubular articles, especially women's stockings, to form a pantyhose article. The machine includes at least two paired, flat, superposed shapes (1) for supporting the articles (M), and at least a sewing machine (C) provided with a finger (3) and a foot (4) and suitably positioned in a corresponding carrousel sewing station. Each of the shapes (1) is provided, in correspondence of each of its internal edges (11), with an appendix (10) of predetermined length and developed according to the longitudinal direction of the shape (1). The appendix (10) is centripetally oriented with respect to the central longitudinal axis (x--x) of the shape (1) and projecting from the respective edge (11). The front edge (30) of the finger (3) of the sewer is wedge shaped, with its front (30) sloping down in the direction of the incoming shapes (1).

Abstract: A tufting machine belt driven drive assembly (5) for use with a tufting machine (7) is disclosed. The drive assembly includes a spindle assembly (24) rotatably supported on the tufting machine with respect to a looper drive shaft (31) and a spaced and parallel knife drive shaft (34). The spindle assembly is rotated in timed relationship with the rotation of tufting machine drive shaft (16) by a drive sprocket (20) mounted on the tufting machine drive shaft, a flexible timing belt (21) encircling the drive sprocket and a driven sprocket (23) formed as a part of the spindle assembly. The spindle assembly has a pair of cam assemblies (52a, 52b) affixed to the spaced ends (41, 42) of the spindle shaft, each cam assembly having an offset stub shaft (54a, 54b) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the spindle shaft for orbiting the spindle shaft.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a sewing head having a sewing needle to be vertically reciprocally driven, and a shuttle base having a shuttle to be rotatably driven in synchronism with the vertical movement of the sewing needle for forming stitches. A machine frame includes a pair of support posts spaced laterally from each other, an upper frame having greater rigidness for mounting the sewing head thereon, and a lower frame having greater rigidness and disposed below the upper frame for mounting the shuttle base thereon. Each of the upper frame and the lower frame extends between the pair of support posts and is fixed thereto.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes two rods rotatably and slidably supported in the sewing machine and two lower loopers secured on the rods. A spindle is coupled to the rods by an eccentric and coupling members for rotating the rods and the lower loopers. One of the lower loopers may be moved axially together with one rod to which a pawl is rotatably supported, The pawl may be selectively engaging with the other rod for allowing the pawl to selectively moving the other rod axially and for allowing the lower loopers to perform two double chain stitchings.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-head sewing machine having an improved structure for driving a main shaft and a lower shaft for driving needle bars and thread take-up levers so as to prevent distortion of these shafts, in turn, variation of stitch performance in the respective heads from occurring.

Abstract: An automatic sewing machine comprises a stand, on which a workpiece guide and feed device is mounted. This device substantially comprises an x carriage, a y carriage displaceable thereon and a lever with a workpiece holder for the displacement of workpieces on a workpiece receiving plate. The y carriage is drivable by a drive stationary on the stand by way of a shaft which is likewise stationary on the stand and passes though the x carriage. A drive for the y carriage is supported on the shaft by means of a torque/linear bearing. Driving the shaft takes place in proximity to the sewing head and at a distance from an auxiliary station so that inaccuracies of guidance occasioned by torsion of the shaft are minimized during the sewing operation.

Abstract: A fabric feed mechanism that includes a forward feed roller located forward of the stitch forming area and a rear feed roller located to the rear of the stitch forming area. The drive to the forward and rear feed rollers is synchronized such that the fabric is fed to the stitch forming instruments in a relaxed and unstretched condition. There is a independently applied downward pressure to forward and rear feed rollers and the forward feed roller is raised along with the presser foot. The front feed roller has sections that are located on opposite sides of the presser foot toe to thus ensure that the top layer of fabric is fed under the presser foot rather than riding up the front roller. A material folding device is located forward of the stitch forming area for folding material to be fed to the stitch forming area.

Abstract: A multi-needle stitching machine having a presser foot associated with each needle is provided. The presser foot is displaceably supported on a vertically disposed guide bar and downwardly displaceable by the force of a spring. The presser foot is liftable by the needle bar from the stitching material and lowerable onto the latter with an adjustable force during pricking. The presser head of the presser foot leads the needle when pricking the stitching material until the stitching material is firmly clamped on the sewing material table, and remains there until the needle has again exited from the stitching material.

Abstract: A pad for protecting an engaging finger utilized with a writing instrument. The inventive device includes a cover web extendable at least partially about a digit of a human hand. A securing assembly is coupled to the web for securing a web in an annular configuration about the digit to secure the device thereto.

Abstract: A protective undergarment includes trousers of stretch fabric. Pads located inside the trousers are sewn to the trouser sides. The pads include laminated layers of fabric and a foam substrate. The foam substrate is perforated to augment air circulation and evaporative cooling of the wearer's skin.

Abstract: A method for sewing a curved edge of first base cover material with a second base material to form a trim cover assembly. The first base cover material is elastically deformed, as by expanding or contracting the same, such as to transform its curved edge into a rectilinear edge, and then, the thus-formed rectilinear edge of first base material is sewn with the second base material, whereby a trim cover assembly can be formed easily, using simple guide and retaining members.

Abstract: A knee guard (10) is a substantially elongated rectangular foam member (14) that has a protuberance disposed thereon. That protuberance is formed as a matter of convenience into a V-shape (16). Knee guard (10) has an elongated flexible sheet foldable across its width and covering elongated foam member (14) and V-shaped protuberance (16a and 16b). The sheet (18) has perimeter edges sewn together thereby securing foam member (14) within the folded sheet. A strap (20) is connectively disposed onto sheet (18) thereby retaining knee guard (10) about the knee of an intended user.

Abstract: An apparatus for the accurate positioning and guiding of flat textile structures for undertaking stitching work on a multi-needle sewing machine is disclosed, which includes a plurality of needles and threads with two transporting devices guiding the flat textiles forward and backward in a transporting direction (y). The transporting devices are supported on a carriage which is able to be driven in an axial direction (x). The apparatus further includes a compression plate with needle passages, associated with the needles, and with a stationary supporting surface supporting the flat textile structures. The compression plate has inlet and outlet sides with a clamping sheet being arranged on each of the inlet and outlet sides, and with a clamping plate being arranged under each clamping sheet. The clamping plates are synchronously able to be moved with the carriage in the axial direction, and between which the flat textile structures are securely retained.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a plurality of bobbins, thread guiding device, thread selecting device, a needle having an eye, a thread take-up lever having a thread receiving hole, thread taking-out device, movable thread hooking device, and thread letting-through device. The thread guiding device delivers a plurality of threads from the bobbins. The thread selecting device selects one of the threads. The thread taking-out device brings the selected thread adjacent to the eye of the thread. Simultaneously with the thread taking-out action of the thread taking-out device, the movable thread hooking device and the thread letting-through device co-operatively let the selected thread, being disposed between the thread take-up lever and the needle, pass through the thread receiving hole of the thread take-up lever via an opening of the thread receiving hole, and let the leading end of the selected thread pass through the eye of the needle.