Abstract: A surgical instrument includes first and second members configured to receive tissue therebetween. The first member is adapted to receive suture, the second member is coupled to the first member, and a grasper coupled to the second member engages the suture received by the first member. A method of passing suture includes loading suture into a first member of a suture passing surgical instrument, stabilizing tissue between the first member and a second member of the surgical instrument, passing suture through tissue via the first member of the surgical instrument, holding the passed suture via suture grasper of the surgical instrument, and removing the first member from the tissue. Advantageously, a novel bendable or deflectable needle may be utilized, e.g., in conjunction with the surgical instrument. The bendable or deflectable needle may have one or more unique configuration with respect to a suture slot defined in a distal portion thereof.

Abstract: A needle thread passing device is capable of being constructed in a small size for easy storage. A needle receiving member 34 has a needle insertion hole 34c and a thread insertion slit 34e forming an angle with the needle insertion hole 34c. A needle threader member 42 is movable between positions away from and close to the needle receiving member 34 and has a needle threader pin 48b that can push a thread inserted through the thread insertion slit 34e into a needle eye 52a of a needle 52 inserted into the needle insertion hole 34c when the needle threader member 42 moves from the position away from the needle receiving member 34 to position close thereto. A cover 32 can move with respect to a main body 30 containing the needle receiving member 34. The needle threader member 42 is constantly biased toward the position away from the needle receiving member 34.

Abstract: A selectively and reversibly adjustable utensil, aperture forming structure, and stirrup, and methods of geometrically modifying an eye defined by the utensil, the aperture defined by the structure, and the stirrup, utilizing active material actuation, so as to facilitate entraining a filament within the eye or aperture, and securing the filament once entrained.

Abstract: In an eyeless sewing needle, a periphery of an axial hole at the base end is heated to make a fibrous structure be a granular structure without directionality, and at least a part of a heat-affected zone made between the fibrous structure and the granular structure due to the heating is within a range that is three times the diameter of the sewing needle and that extends from an effective base of the axial hole towards the needlepoint. This allows provision of a flexible sewing needle so that the hole periphery can be processed while keeping a hard state at the position of the needlepoint slightly away from the axial hole.

Abstract: A needle thread passing device is capable of being constructed in a small size for easy storage. A needle receiving member 34 has a needle insertion hole 34c and a thread insertion slit 34e forming an angle with the needle insertion hole 34c. A needle threader member 42 is movable between positions away from and close to the needle receiving member 34 and has a needle threader pin 48b that can push a thread inserted through the thread insertion slit 34e into a needle eye 52a of a needle 52 inserted into the needle insertion hole 34c when the needle threader member 42 moves from the position away from the needle receiving member 34 to position close thereto. A cover 32 can move with respect to a main body 30 containing the needle receiving member 34. The needle threader member 42 is constantly biased toward the position away from the needle receiving member 34.

Abstract: A multi-needle sewing machine includes a machine frame side thread guide member fixed to a machine frame and having plural of machine frame side thread guide portions and guide threads drawn from plural thread spools located on a machine frame respectively, plural thread entrances defined in a needle bar case to introduce threads guided by the machine frame side thread guide portions to needle sides of needle bars, respectively, plural intermediate thread guide portions located between the machine frame side thread guide portions and the thread entrances so as to be movable respectively, the intermediate thread guide portions guiding intermediate portions of the threads, and a intermediate thread guide portion moving mechanism moving the intermediate thread guide portions according to movement of the needle bar case during movement of the thread entrances with movement of the needle bar case while the intermediate thread guide portions are spaced from each other.

Abstract: An open eye needle including an elongated portion, a tip portion and an open eye portion. The tip portion is attached to the elongated portion. The open eye portion is attached to the elongated portion. The open eye portion includes a tongue portion, an eye region and a channel. The eye region is defined by the tongue portion. The channel extends around the tongue portion and intersects the eye portion. The channel includes a first channel portion and a second channel portion that extends from the first channel portion. The first channel portion is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the second channel portion. The second channel portion is in communication with the eye region.

Abstract: A selectively and reversibly adjustable utensil, aperture forming structure, and stirrup, and methods of geometrically modifying an eye defined by the utensil, the aperture defined by the structure, and the stirrup, utilizing active material actuation, so as to facilitate entraining a filament within the eye or aperture, and securing the filament once entrained.

Abstract: A new needle design is described. The eye of the needle is gapped in such a way that it can be threaded easily without having to insert the thread through the eye of the needle. Rather a thread is guided naturally into the groove of the gap and allowed to fall into the eye of the needle. The gap is fashioned in such a way as to prevent thread fallout during operation as well as fabric from getting caught in the gap.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a threader including a threading nook for passing a thread through an eye of a needle, and a thread drawer including a thread drawing member wiping the thread extending through the needle eye downward, the thread drawing member also drawing a looped thread having been passed through the needle eye by the threading hook.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a threader including a threading hook for passing a thread through an eye of a needle, and a thread drawer including a thread drawing member wiping the thread extending through the needle eye downward, the thread drawing member also drawing a looped thread having been passed through the needle eye by the threading hook.

Abstract: A sewing apparatus such as sewing machine includes a needle bar, a needle bar rocking mechanism for rocking the needle bar, a thread cassette having a thread accommodating section for accommodating a thread, a cassette mount to which the thread cassette is detachably attached, a threading mechanism for passing the thread drawn from the thread cassette through a hole of a sewing needle mounted on the needle bard, a detector for detecting the thread cassette ejected from the cassette mount, and a needle bar position control unit controlling the needle bar rocking mechanism so that the needle bar is rocked so as to occupy a predetermined zigzag position, when the detector has detected the thread cassette ejected from the cassette mount.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a sewing needle moved up and down and having an eye, a threading hook passed through the eye of the needle, an urging member for urging the threading hook upward, an actuating member for moving the threading hook downward against an urging force of the urging member so that the threading hook is passed through the needle eye, a transmitting member moved between a transmission position where an operation of the actuating member is transmitted to the threading hook and a non-transmission position where an operation of the actuating member is not transmitted to the threading hook, a thread holding member for holding a thread, a moving mechanism for moving the thread holding member near to a position where the thread held by the thread holding member is located near the threading hook having been passed through the eye of the needle, and an abutting member abutting the transmitting member when the thread holding member has been moved to the position of the thread to move the transmitting

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a needle bar driving mechanism for vertically moving a needle bar by rotation of a main shaft, a needle thread take-up driving mechanism for vertically moving a needle thread take-up by rotation of the main shaft in phase with vertical movement of the needle bar, a mounting member on which the needle bar driving mechanism and the needle thread take-up driving mechanism are mounted, and a machine frame supporting the mounting member. The mounting member has two sides provided on the left and right of the needle bar driving mechanism and the needle thread take-up driving mechanisms respectively. The mounting member is supported in one of the sides by the main shaft, a rotating shaft rotated with the main shaft or a bearing member for the main shaft or the rotating shaft so that the mounting member is rotated relative to the machine frame and the main shaft or the rotating shaft.

Abstract: A quick-release line inserter having an inserter shaft (1) with a line slot (2) for containing line (3) positioned on an outside perimeter of an inserter shaft that is sized and shaped for the shaft and the line to enter a space or aperture to be threaded. The shaft can have various cross-sectional configurations. The inserter shaft also can be designedly tapered or untapered and have a design curvature for particular use conditions. The shaft is held with a shaft handle (4). Use is by positioning line on the inserter shaft, inserting the inserter shaft containing the line through a space or aperture, grasping the line at an exit side of the space or aperture, removing the inserter shaft from the space or aperture, and releasing the line from the inserter shaft.

Abstract: A machine for producing a reinforcement for a composite component. The machine includes a stand with a subframe having uprights with slideways for mounting a transverse bar on which is mounted a movable carriage. The carriage has a first movable arm extending in another direction and includes a second movable arm. The carriage is movable in a first direction, X, the first arm is movable in a second direction, Y, orthogonal to the first, and the second arm is movable transversely with respect to the plane defined by the bar and first arm in a third, Z, direction. Motors are provided to producing such movements. The second arm includes a thread-stitching tool which also constitutes a tool for laying down the thread and is mounted on a rotary support at the lower end of which is arranged the needle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stitching head, which can be used in a machine for producing a reinforcement in the form of a sheet for a composite component formed by said reinforcement embedded in a cured matrix, said reinforcement comprising superposed plies of thread through which passes a consolidating thread, said head including a support carrying, on the one hand, means of linkage to the machine and, on the other hand, a needle as well as means for guiding the consolidating thread right to said needle.According to the invention, said stitching head (P) includes, associated with said needle (33), a device (43, 50) for compacting said superposed plies of thread.

Abstract: An apparatus for threading a needle used in a sewing machine that forms a longitudinal seam in a tie. The needle has an open hook and a shank adjacent its pointed end. A thread gripper movable about two mutually perpendicular axes grips and loops the thread at least partially around the shank of the needle. The thread is received or threaded upon a retracting movement of the needle. In an alternative embodiment, a tined fork loops the thread about the needle.

Abstract: A needle for forming the longitudinal stitching seam of a necktie has a needle point to which a wire is attached, the wire being capable of being rolled up on the needle spool of the necktie sewing machine. To reduce the complexity of the device required to thread a yarn into the needle point, the latter is formed with a hook whose outer surface is flush with the surface of the needle point and beneath which is provided a recess extending beyond the hook in the direction of the wire.

Abstract: A self-threading needle has a threading slot entering into the upper portion of the needle eye at approximately two thirds from the bottom of the eye, and has a point offset relative to the axis of elongation of the needle toward the same side of the needle from which the slot enters the eye. The slot lies in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the needle and to the wall of the needle in which the slot is formed. The needle includes a clearance above the eye and a thread accommodating groove.

Abstract: Easy-threading sewing needles, in two embodiments, for hand needles and sewing machine needles are disclosed, as well as a method for making the easy-threading structure. The needles have eyes defined by sidewalls, one of which is slit along a plane which passes from the outer surface into the eye and divides the sidewall into an elongated inner clip member and a conforming retaining member. The clip member is mechanically spring-biased against the retainer but may be resiliently bent inward to open the slit by pressing a thread loop against the outside of the sidewall. The clip springs back against the mating surface of the retainer as soon as the thread enters the eye and the pressure is removed. The machine needle includes an off-center eye and the thread trap formed on the thinner sidewall, the point of the needle being formed off-center under the eye and a smooth shoulder projecting outward just under the entrance to the slit.

Abstract: A presser foot for a sewing machine includes a shank detachably connected to a sewing machine presser foot bar. The shank has a transverse slot formed at the bottom thereof and a lug provided with a slit extending rearwardly from the back thereof. A lever is pivotally connected to the lug. A plate bridges both the lug and the lever to hold opposite ends of a torsion spring positioned in the slit of the lug to urge the lever by its biasing force. A rod is connected at its base to the lower end of the lever and movably extends through a longitudinal bore to project into the transverse slot of the shank until a stopper of the rod touches the edge of the bore. A presser foot shoe has a pair of supports for supporting a shaft extending transversely of the shoe and adapted to be received in the transverse slot and retained therein by the forward end of the rod closing the open side of the transverse slot.