Abstract: A sewing machine has at least one rotating top thread hook, the hook enclosing a bobbin housing which accommodates a bottom thread. A spring bar is mounted in the base of the sewing machine and has a free end for bearing against the bobbin housing. The free end of the spring bar is displaceable by the top thread as it is being looped. To prevent unwanted displacement or oscillation of the spring bar, a cam is disposed in the base closely adjacent to the free end of the spring bar. The cam prevents displacement of the free end beyond a predetermined range of displacement.

Abstract: A universal sewing foot, for a sewing machine having a skipping top transport and a skipping bottom transport, comprises an advancing foot and a holding foot which alternately engage the workpiece. A locking member selectively locks the holding foot so that it operates either in a non-skipping mode, in which the foot is urged downward against the workpiece by a spring, or a skipping mode, in which the foot is locked to the skipping upper transport with the spring under compression.

Abstract: A cutting device for cutting the thread chain, or the like, between successive sewn parts moving along a path through a sewing machine. The sewing machine includes a needle. A holder downstream of the needle includes a horizontal cutout. A hook for lifting the thread chain between adjacent sewn parts on the path is movable up through the cutout for raising the thread chain. A scissors moves across the sewn part path and cuts the upraised thread chain. The holder holds the upstream sewn part from shifting while permitting the downstream sewn part to shift slightly upstream as the hook rises and prior to the cutting, whereby a single cut cuts the thread chain adjacent both sewn parts. A sensor senses the trailing edge of a sewn part and activates a stitch counter to cause the needle to apply a predetermined number of stitches before halting sewing so that the cutting can thereafter take place.