Abstract: In a stitching machine having a main shaft, a stitching needle and a looper and means for driving the shuttle so that the looper effects thread loop seizing and dropping movements and needle evading movements, the improvement in which the means for driving the looper comprises a crank rigidly connected to the main shaft, a slide mounted on the crank for driving by the crank, the slide having a free end which is formed with an outer spherical surface and an inner spherical surface which is offset relative to the outer spherical surface, a guide cylinder having a segment shaped cut out, the outer spherical surface being received in and guided by the guide cylinder, a ball having a bore and being rotatably mounted in the inner spherical surface, a looper shaft for mounting the shuttle, a transmission lever having one end rigidly connected to the looper shaft and the other end in engagement with the bore in the ball.