Abstract: A sewing machine includes a plurality of needle bars for performing stitching with multiple needle threads. The needle threads have diameters, tenacity, and stretchability different from one another. Sewing parameters inherent to each of the needle threads are beforehand determined. The parameters are maximum sewing speed, thread breakage sensitivity, thread residual amount, needle-rotary hook meet angle, workpiece fabric feed timing, and feed pitch. A spindle motor, a thread cutting motor, a rotary hook drive motor, an X-axis motor, and a Y-axis motor are controlledly driven based on the selected parameters inherent to the just used needle thread.

Abstract: A color switch setting data processing apparatus for a multi-needle embroidery machine is provided by a personal computer or other data processing device. The apparatus causes a display unit to display a stitching sequence and needle bar numbers for color switch setting data. If an insert instruction is produced by indicating the place of insertion by using a cursor and a needle bar number to be inserted is inputted to the place, then the color switch setting data is rewritten by shifting the needle bar number data from the place of insertion and the subsequent places in the stitching sequence, by one place to a later side in the stitching sequence. If a deletion instruction is produced by indicating the place of deletion by using the cursor, the color switch setting data is rewritten by shifting the needle bar number data in the places subsequent, on the later side, to the place of deletion, by one place to an earlier side in the stitching sequence.

Abstract: A sewing machine which includes a main shaft motor for driving a main shaft; a needle bar for moving up and down by rotation of the main shaft motor; a thread exchanging mechanism, having a swinging member swingable by rotation of the main shaft motor, for exchanging a thread by moving a thread barrel having an opening through which a thread is passed, from a standby position to an exchange position; and a controller for controlling the rotation of the main shaft motor.

Abstract: Multiple-needle sewing machines are equipped with at least one needle bar and with fixing device for the individual needles as well as with at least one looper shaft to which the looper holder with the loopers is fixed. In order to obtain quick and easy changeover of a multiple-needle sewing machine to different sewing patterns on a large area sewing material it is proposed that manually operated quick-locking means are provided between each needle or a needle holder for each needle and the needle bar and/or between the looper holder of each looper or each looper and the looper shaft.

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: 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: 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 method and apparatus for forming a side panel for a mattress sack or a box spring enclosure. The apparatus includes a double needle sewing machine and a guide for the ends of the folded side panel which are being stitched together which aligns and guides the ends through the stitching area. Photocells are provided to start and stop the stitching process. The method includes the step of stopping the stitching process after a predetermined number of stitches if light from a second photocell in the feed direction is not interrupted within a predetermined number of stitches.

Abstract: A sewing machine has at least one sewing head having a presser foot which is vertically reciprocally moved by a predetermined stroke in synchronism with a vertical movement of a needle bar. After completion of the sewing operation, an upper thread is cut in a position spaced by a suitable distance from a sewing needle mounted on the needle bar. A refuge mechanism is operable to move the presser foot to a refuge position for giving refuge to a part of the upper thread on the side of the sewing needle cut after completion of the sewing operation. The refuge position is out of the predetermined stroke.

Abstract: A thread take-up lever guard in a multi-needle sewing machine provided with a support disposed on the front surface of a head, a plurality of needle bars each having a needle attached to the lower end, and a plurality of thread take-up levers disposed to oppose the needle bars respectively and protruded from the support to be able to oscillate vertically. The thread take-up lever guard prevents a needle thread carried on a selected thread take-up lever from being caught by an adjacent thread take-up lever assuming a standing posture or is tangled with another needle thread carried on the standing thread take-up lever. The thread take-up lever guard comprises a separator disposed on the support such that every adjacent two thread take-up levers may be isolated from each other over a predetermined range of routes along which the take-up levers reciprocate.

Abstract: A welt forming device comprises: base fabric holding means which is able to hold a base fabric flat at all times; and welt fabric holding means for fixedly holding a welt fabric on the base fabric. Those means are moved in a sewing direction in synchronization with the vertical movement of the sewing needle of seam forming means, to form a first seam to sew the welt fabric to the base fabric. The device further comprises: first welt fabric folding means for folding one side portion of the welt fabric along the first seam over the other side portion; second welt fabric holding means for folding the other side portion of the welt fabric over the one side portion which has been folded by the first welt fabric holding means; and auxiliary moving means for moving the relative position of the base fabric holding means and the sewing needle in a direction which is across the sewing direction.

Abstract: In a device for forming ornamental stitch seams, which comprises two or more needles (3a, 3b) moving alternately backward and forward through a needle plate (2) and a looper (5) cyclically movable following an elliptical trajectory (t) under the needle plate (2), the needles (3a, 3b) describe inclined trajectories (y) to form, with the needle plate (2), an acute angle turned towards the sewing direction (A), for crossing the looper trajectory (t) at a "crossing area" that, relative to a vertical direction (v) passing by the point at which the needles (3a, 3b) get through the needle plate (2), is shifted in a direction opposite to the sewing direction (A).

Abstract: A creel for feeding groups of yarn strands to a textile machine has a framework of interconnected frame members and vertical support members, each support member carrying a plurality of vertically spaced yarn cone holders. A group of yarn strands is supplied from cones mounted on holders on horizontally spaced apart support members. An outermost cone holder of the group has a yarn guide tube corresponding thereto mounted on a frame member with the inlet of the tube positioned for receiving a yarn from a cone mounted on the outermost holder. Each of the other yarn cone holders has an eyelet on a respective frame member for receiving a yarn strand from a cone mounted on a yarn cone holder carried by a respective horizontally spaced support member.

Abstract: A two-needle sewing machine includes first and second sewing needles for performing two stitching operations at the same time; a motor for driving the first and second sewing needles; first and second thread cutting mechanisms provided for the first and second sewing needles, respectively, for cutting threads at the ends of the stitching operations; a first actuator and a second actuator for driving respective ones of the first and second thread cutting mechanisms; and a thread cutting control circuit which stores data corresponding to the timing of a first thread cutting drive signal to the first actuator and the timing of a second thread cutting drive signal to the second actuator, both signals corresponding to rotational speeds of the motor, and which, according to the data and the rotational speeds of the motor, applies the first and second thread cutting drive signals to the first and second actuators at different times defined by the data.

Abstract: A needle-changing mechanism for use in a multiple-needle embroidery sewing machine is disclosed for controlling the changing of a selected sewing needle to a working position on the sewing platform of the sewing machine. The needle-changing mechanism includes a sensing plate having a gap portion sandwiched between two solid side portions. The position of the gap portion is changed by moving the sensing plate according to which needle is currently selected as the working needle. A plurality of photo detectors equal in number to the number of the needles of the sewing machine are arranged at equal intervals along a straight line relative to the axial orientation of the sensing plate such that the gap portion and the side portions of the sensing plate cause the photo detectors to output a pattern of positioning signals. A controller, which receives and processes output signals from the photo detectors, is used to control the movement of the needles so that the desired needle is positioned as the working needle.

Abstract: A creel for feeding groups of yarn strands to a textile machine has a framework of interconnected support members and vertical posts, each post carrying a plurality of vertically spaced yarn cone holders. Each group of yarn strands is supplied from cones mounted on a group of holders on each post. The uppermost cone holder has a yarn guide tube corresponding thereto mounted on a support member with the inlet of the tube positioned for receiving a yarn from a cone mounted on the uppermost holder. Each of the other yarn cone holders has an eyelet on the frame for receiving a yarn strand from a cone mounted on the respective yarn cone holder. The yarn strand from the lowermost cone is directed by the lowermost eyelet to the next adjacent eyelet and together with the yarn from the cone on the holder associated with that eyelet directs the yarns upwardly to each subsequent eyelet and thus into the guide tube so that all of the yarns are guided by the guide tube to a header.

Abstract: A thread spreading apparatus for use in an overlock sewing machine capable of performing over-edge chain stitching and other stitching. The thread spreading apparatus uses a lower looper for over-edge chain stitching to allow a needle to surely drop into a triangle defined by a needle thread, a looper thread and the lower looper, thereby enabling multi-thread chain stitching and covering chain stitching to be performed without fail. The apparatus includes a thread spreading hook having hook portions with different heights for retaining needle threads and a projection formed on one of the hook portions. During stitching other than over-edge chain stitching, the hook portions of the thread spreading hook retain the needle threads when two needles drop, thereby allowing each needle to drop into a triangle defined by the looper thread, the lower looper and the corresponding needle thread.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an under trimming device mounted below a needle late of a multi-needle sewing machine which mainly comprises an under trimming subassembly and a thread-sucking subassembly. The under trimming subassembly comprises a linkage and a thread-releasing means both being capable of shifting the under trimming subassembly into a standby position, extended position, thread-catching position, retracted and cut position, thread-clamping position, and a thread-releasing position in a series of linear movements. The thread-sucking subassembly is provided at one lateral side of the under trimming subassembly such that the looper thread cut and released by the under trimming subassembly can be instantly sucked and clamped in place and then used in the next sewing operation.

Abstract: A multi-needle embroidering machine having a plurality of heads each carrying a plurality of needles for feeding differently colored threads has a color (i.e. thread) changing mechanism provided in each head for selecting a particular needle to be driven to feed a differently colored thread. An assembly for driving the color changing mechanism is incorporated in one head. The color changing mechanism in the one head and those that do not have a driving assembly are connected to each other by a rod, or rods which transmit a driving force from the former to the latter.

Abstract: A sewing system including (A) a sewing device which includes (a) a sewing needle, (b) a first driver to reciprocate the needle, (c) a second driver to move the needle and a work sheet relative to each other in a direction crossing an axis line of the needle, and (d) a synchronizer to synchronize the reciprocation of the needle and the relative movement of the needle and work sheet, with each other, so as to form a series of stitches on the work sheet, (B) a detector associated with the sewing device to detect an abnormality of the sewing device, (C) a memory associated with the sewing device and the detector to store operation-state data indicative of an operation state of the sewing device upon detection of the abnormality, and (D) a utilizing device which utilizes the stored operation-state data for a control of the sewing system.

Abstract: An automated multiple-needle sewing device which comprises a table, a guide plate movable on the table, a multiple-needle sewing mechanism, a feed roller mechanism, a yarn cutting mechanism, and a guide plate returning mechanism. A material to be sewn is placed on the guide plate and undergoes the sewing, feeding and yarn cutting processes in an automated manner. The guide plate is automatically returned to an initial position for mounting a new other material to be sewn. The feed roller mechanism includes a lifting device for lifting or raising a shaft and feed roller(s) away from contact with the material and guide plate being fed.

Abstract: A needle-bar driving device of a sewing machine, for oscillating a needle bar supporting at a lower end thereof a sewing needle, in the axial direction of the needle bar, including a dead-position changing apparatus for changing at least one of an upper and a lower dead position of the needle bar.

Abstract: An industrial sewing machine comprises a supporting frame supporting a main driving shaft rotatively driving two driven shafts, on one of the driven shafts being keyed cam members for reciprocally driving in a horizontal plane a horizontal needle bar, as well as grippers for feeding with fabric operating hook elements, the other driven shaft operating a vertically displaceable vertical needle bar arranged downstream of the horizontal needle bar, the spacing of the horizontal and vertical needle bars being so designed that the needles supported thereby can make simultaneously seaming lines.

Abstract: A fitted mattress cover for enveloping the top surface side and end surfaces of a mattress constructed to drastically minimize the shifting of the cover relative to the mattress. The fitted mattress cover includes a top panel for fitting in overlaying relationship to the top surface of the mattress and a peripheral skirt depending from the peripheral edge of the top panel for fitting an overlaying relationship to the sides and ends of the mattress. The depending skirt includes a layer of fabric material and a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart elastic cords stitched into the skirt fabric to gather the fabric material into folds perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elastic cords.

Abstract: A main-presser driving apparatus for an automatic binding sewing machine including two sewing needles for carrying out a binding sewing operation and a pair of main pressers for pressing a base cloth on which a binding cloth is to be sewn, the main pressers being supported by a frame of the sewing machine such that the two pressers are opposed to each other and are movable independently of each other along a directional line in which the two pressers advance toward, and retract away from, each other, the driving apparatus including a pair of drive devices each of which includes an actuator for displacing a corresponding one of the main pressers in the above-indicated direction independently of the other of the main pressers, each actuator being controllable to be stopped at a desired operational position; a needle distance specifying device specifying a distance between the two sewing needles; a control command producing device producing, based on the specified needle distance, a control command for each of t

Abstract: A method of feeding a unitary sheet of trim cover assembly to a multiple-needle sewing machine for creating plural stitches thereon, in which non-parallel stitches are formed among parallel stitches on the trim cover assembly by means of a guide member having a sloped portion. The sloped configuration of the guide member causes formation of sloped, folded portion in the trim cover assembly, and the trim cover assembly with such folded portion is fed to the multiple-needle sewing machine.

Abstract: In a trimming device for cutting a cover thread (30) on a multiple needle chainstitch sewing machine, a moveable thread catcher (15) picks up the cover thread (30), which runs between the cover thread guide (27) and a hook part (29) on the spreader (28), and presses the cover thread (30) towards a trapping and cutting device (49,51,48,40) of the trimming device which is disposed adjacent to the left-hand sewing needle (23).

Abstract: The present apparatus (1) can be attached to a conventional sewing machine (2) and consists essentially of upper and lower frames. A needle bar unit (8) along with relative driving means is attached to the upper frame. A rotating hook (11) is attached to the lower frame. The upper frame and the lower frame are situated in front of and around a working head of a sewing machine (2) in order to cooperate with the head itself, there being thus the possibility of sewing double, parallel seams simultaneously. The needle bar unit (8) and the rotating, hook (11) are set in motion through secondary shafts (7, 10), which are connected through kinematic transmission belts (4,6) to a main driving pulley (3) of the complete sewing unit.

Abstract: A sewing machine-driving apparatus forms an accurate and stable seam at a first stitch in a conventional double chain stitch or covering chain stitch sewing machine. Its motor is controlled so as to drive the sewing machine in a direction reverse to that of the usual sewing operation for a limited time period between the completion of a thread cutting operation and a point of time when the sewing machine needles reach their needle-down position. Thus, the stitching needles reach their lowest points without scooping a looper thread at the first stitch; assuring the formation of a stable and accurate seam in the second stitch.

Abstract: In a thread supply device used in a sewing apparatus having a plurality of needles and a looper mechanism, needle threads guided to the needles and a looper thread guided to the looper are cut by a thread cutting unit at a cutting position, which is off a thread supply path, after a sewing operation is finished but before the following sewing operation starts. The thread supply device comprises a supply mechanism, a stopping mechanism, a memory and a control unit. The supply mechanism forcibly supplies the needle threads and the looper thread. The stopping mechanism stops the threads from being supplied. The memory stores an extra length of each thread, which is required for a cutting operation. The control unit reads out the extra length from the memory and controls the supply mechanism and the stopping mechanism so that each thread is supplied in the extra length.

Abstract: A cover thread cutter for a multi-needle sewing machine, the hook of the thread cutter retracts at an oblique angle above a curved cover thread laying finger and captures the cover thread at a position above the curved cover thread laying finger. While pulling the captured cover thread up to the cutting position, it is held against a specified needle, as in ordinary seam forming, and the thread end is held in this state after being cut off.

Abstract: A threading mechanism where a thread catcher hook is reciprocated between two needles by a movable means. Although the two juxtaposed needles are separated horizontally and vertically, position aligning means places the hook opposite either needle eye, thereby facilitating threading both needles and greatly improving sewing efficiency.

Abstract: A fitted mattress cover for enveloping the top surface side and end surfaces of a mattress constructed to drastically minimize the shifting of the cover relative to the mattress. The fitted mattress cover includes a top panel for fitting in overlaying relationship to the top surface of the mattress and a peripheral skirt depending from the peripheral edge of the top panel for fitting in overlaying relationship to the sides and ends of the mattress. The depending skirt includes a layer of fabric material and a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart elastic cords stitched into the skirt fabric to gather the fabric material into folds perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elastic cords.

Abstract: A device for disabling and enabling one or more needles in a quilting machine, a multi-needle embroidery machine, or the like, is described.The device comprises a linear actuator (24) adapted to carry a needle (22) and to keep the latter, for a predetermined time, in a raised position relative to fabric (10) to be sewn.The device includes stitching yarn (44) return means (38) being actuated when needle (22) is disabled, in order to subject to a limited tension the portion of stitching yarn located between the disabled needle and the fabric to be sewn, to prevent the yarn from becoming tangled and from breaking.Furthermore, during the entire operating stage as mentioned above, the known yarn tensioning device (48) through which the stitching yarn is led before arriving at the needle, is disabled.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multiple-needle sewing machine which is capable of making stitch tracings in zigzag, etc. on a cloth by moving up and down a plurality of needles, with the cloth held between a needle plate and a cloth holder and moved right and left. The needle plate has a long hole with such a length that the right and left movement of the needle plate is not hindered by the vertical movement of the plurality of needles. Within the long hole, there is a needle passing plate positioned which has needle holes through which the needles pass. This needle passing plate is formed shorter than the long hole of the needle plate so as not to hinder the right and left movement of the needle plate. Such a structure is effective for making finely a plurality of the same stitches in zigzag, etc.

Abstract: A two-needle lockstitch sewing machine apparatus providing a hooking arrangement such that each thread loop is positioned in the same direction in relation to the needle position. The hooking arrangement is effective to stitch each left and right stitch line with a needle thread having almost the same degree of twist. Thus, uniform stitch lines are obtained and the "edge effect" which is often experienced when the needle thread passes through the needle eye during stitching is eliminated.

Abstract: A sewing system that is smaller and more simple in construction than the prior art. The cloth holding means and cloth clamping means are part of a X-Y-Z motion apparatus that is supported solely from the top arm of the sewing system frame.Because the spaced twin needles of the sewing system will be required to penetrate up to 14 layers of thick cloth in some anticipated applications, considerable rigidity and stability is imparted to the single needed clamp that supports the two needles by reciprocating the needle clamp with two symmetrically spaced needle bars. This minimizes canting of the needle clamp and bending of the needle bar, thereby assuring more uniform stitch lines and minimizes missed stitches.

Abstract: A two needle sewing machine having a one needle pause function wherein a needle thread supply device is provided. The needle thread supply device includes a thread guide element. The thread guide element is reciprocally movable in association with a drive means to change the length of the thread path for controlling the tension of the thread.

Abstract: Disclosed in a feeding control device for a plurality of threads in a sewing machine of the type wherein a set of a feed roller and a pressure roller are rotated forcibly at the same peripheral speed independently of the number of revolutions of a main drive shaft of the sewing machine so that a plurality of threads can be fed while the travel of each thread is controlled by each thread holding device. The present invention eliminates the necessity of securing high parallelism between both rollers to prevent their joint rotation, makes it possible to use a wear-resistant material for the pressure roller and can reduce breakage and damage of the thread due to friction with the rollers that are always rotating, at the time of stop of the thread.

Abstract: A sewing machine comprises a bed 3 on which a work-supporting table 3a is defined and from which a post 4 carrying a cantilevered support arm 5 provided with a needle-holding head 6 at its free end, rises up. An upper shaft 9 performing a rotating motion is housed within the arm 5 and it imparts a reciprocating movement, through a connecting rod-crank linkage 10, to a needle bar 11 vertically slidable in the head 6. Along the upper shaft 9 a plurality of eccentrics 19, 20, 21 are distributed to which auxiliary sewing operation devices 22, 32, 39 detachably associated with the sewing machine 1 are operativley engageable through respective connecting rods 23, 33, 50 and transferring motion mechanisms. A preformed opening 5 is formed in the support arm 5, through which connecting rod 50 is mounted to eccentric 21. An opening 36 is formed in support arm 5 through which stem 37 passes.

Abstract: When two stitch lines parallel with the hem of a workpiece are stitched by a multi-needle sewing machine, a thread feeding apparatus positively feeds threads to each needle in proportion to the radius of the stitch line curvature such that well-balanced stitch lines are performed. Sensors located adjacent to said needles, and CPU (Central Processing Unit) operate cooperatively to drive each stepping motor which positively feeds the exactly required stitch length to each needle.

Abstract: A servo device for a multineedle sewing machine which includes two needle bars; driving and steop devices for said needle bars; devices for engaging and disengaging the two needle bars relative to the driving and stop devices; a feed-length adjustment device associated with at least one feed dog for the transport of the material being sewn; an adjustable thread tensioning device for the needle threads; devices for locking each needle bar selectively in its highest position; a positioning drive for the multineedle sewing machine; and a device including a position indicator attached to an arm shaft of the multineedle sewing machine, for adjusting the speed of rotation and positioning of the needle bars in predetermined positions.

Abstract: The embroidery machine encompasses a large number of embroidery locations equipped with displaceably guided embroidery needles for the embroidery threads. These embroidery threads partially wrap about adjacently situated, conjointly to-and-fro oscillating thread guides of a thread delivery device in order to respectively accomplish the thread advance and thread retraction. At the region of the thread guides there is arranged a thread guide and clamping device comprising adjacently mounted guide elements located in a row upon a machine-fixed holder rail. These guide elements correspond in number to the number of embroidery locations and are constructed for guiding the threads, for clamping of the threads and for the cutting of the threads.

Abstract: This multi-head type embroidering machine comprises a setting device for setting a combination of operation/non-operation of heads to be in operation and heads to be out of operation in correspondence to a desired one or more steps in an embroidering pattern stitching program. This setting device consists, for example, of a memory storing such combination data of the respective heads. If, in a process of carrying out embroidering, a step in which the operation/non-operation combination of heads should be changed has arrived, combination data set in correspondence to this step is supplied. A needle bar drive mechanism for each head is enabled or disabled independently in accordance with this combination data.

Abstract: A multi-needle sewing machine has a workpiece feed mechanism which includes first and second side supports located to opposite ends of the needle bar. A plurality of shafts extend between the side supports at locations spaced from the front region progressively rearwards towards the rear region of those supports. A plurality of transversely spaced endless belts pass around front and rear rollers rotatably mounted on foremost and rearmost ones of the shafts. Intermediate shafts carry respective front and rear guide rollers which guide an upper run of the conveyor belt to lie adjacent to a lower run of that belt and below the needle bar. The belts are driven so that the lower runs thereof travel from the front towards the rear of the side supports.

Abstract: Needles of a multiple-needle sewing machine are set on its needle holder so that the form which the needle tips form is not in alignment in parallel with the surface of a cloth to be sewn but deviates from the surface in vertical direction.Accordingly, since plural needles will stick into a cloth not all at once but with time lags, the forces exerted on the needles, needle holder, needle rods, etc. may be dispersed. It is also possible that more needles may be used than the conventional multiple-needle sewing machine.

Abstract: A two-needle sewing machine which is switched to one-needle sewing at corners. The number of stitches at the beginning of the corner before the changing of the cloth direction is independently set from the number of stitches afterwards. Multiple corners are accommodated by multiple pairs of numerical switches.

Abstract: A sewing machine with thread take-up mechanism is so constructed as to vertically move a take-up member, supported on a needle bar in such a manner as to be vertically movable at a timing which is different from that of the movement of the needle bar on which the take-up member is moved. The take-up member has a hole through which a thread being lead to the sewing needle is inserted.

Abstract: In a needle bar transfer device for a multi-needle sewing machine, a depressing member is secured to a needle bar descending lever for aligning entire needle bars in an equal height at the time of transferring the needle bars, while a needle bar holding member is extended from the needle bar descending lever. Holding portions which are engageable with recessed portions provided at the upper ends of inoperative needle bars and an escape portion which receives an operative needle bar in an interference preventing manner are provided in the needle bar holding member.

Abstract: A multiple needle sewing machine is provided with two needles which are mounted for vertical reciprocating movement in a block which may be laterally shifted between a first position and an second position wherein the first and second needles will be selectively engaged with a vertically reciprocating drive member. A first solenoid is energized to lower a needle bar holding member which is engaged with the inoperative needle to lower the inoperative needle to a position corresponding to the operative needle prior to the lateral shifting of the needles by means of a second solenoid. Subsequent to the lateral shifting of the needle bars to engage the vertical reciprocating member with the previously inoperative needle bar, the previously operative bar will be raised upwardly by the needle bar holding device upon deenergization of the solenoid by a suitable spring.