Abstract: An electrically controlled sewing machine includes a needle bar, a needle plate, a feed dog, a feed dog vertical drive mechanism, a feed dog front/rear drive mechanism, an embroidery drive mechanism, and a feed dog retraction mechanism. The feed dog retraction mechanism includes a switching operation lever. The feed dog vertical drive mechanism includes a normal sewing drive cam and a retraction drive cam, which are switched between using the switching operation lever. The retraction drive cam drives the feed dog to rise upward by about 1 mm when the upper thread is being tightened, that is, at about 40.degree. to 90.degree. phase at the end of the thread tightening operation by the upper thread take-up lever. Because the feed dog moves upward only about 1 mm, it remains retracted below the level of the needle plate and will not interfere with movement of a workpiece cloth mounted in an embroidery frame.

Abstract: A sewing machine capable of embroidery stitching with a label print function. A label printing mechanism is provided for printing on a tape-shaped label, and a ROM card storing a number of stitching designs is detachably mounted on the sewing machine. The sewing machine prepares print data from the stitching data of a stitching design selected from the stitching designs stored in the ROM card, and prints on the label using the label printing mechanism. A character sequence formed of character designs can be printed as descriptive information regarding stitches. Various designs read by an image scanner can also be printed.

Abstract: In order to improve a touch, this invention provides a ball of the inflatable type comprising a rubber tube used as a ball substrate which is introduced with gas under pressure therewithin, a reinforcing winding layer formed by simultaneously winding the combination of a nylon thread and either an elastic rubber or urethane elastomer thread around the outer periphery of the rubber tube, and a surface cover layer made of a natural or synthetic leather stock which covers the reinforcing winding layer therewith through an adhesive with or without interposing an intermediate rubber layer formed by molding and vulcanization on the peripheral surface of the reinforcing winding layer.