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: 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.