Abstract: Disclosed are various systems and features for use with a machine, such as a sewing machine, to facilitate patch library systems that may enable the storage and retrieval of patch configuration information. Such systems and features may be useful in the context of performing an action along a self-guided path on a substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying stitches to a decorative component having a three dimensional configuration is provided. The apparatus having a head with a needle bar assembly operatively coupled to the head; a looper configured to cooperate with the needle bar assembly in order to provide a plurality of stitches in the decorative component, the looper rotating in a plane parallel to the decorative component; and a post assembly configured to drive the looper in a reciprocating fashion in the plane, wherein the post assembly is operatively coupled to a motor configured to drive the needle bar assembly in a reciprocating fashion.

Abstract: A variable timing system for a sewing machine is provided comprising a shuttle hook having a hook tip, a first helical gear mounted on the shuttle hook, a lower shaft configured to rotate the shuttle hook in synchronization with a needle bar, and a second helical gear mounted on the lower shaft and capable of engaging with the first helical gear. In accordance with embodiments, at least one of the helical gears is axially movable. The variable timing system may comprise a control device configured to generate a control signal representative of a current sewing situation. A drive force mechanism may receive the control signal and in response, transmit axial movement to the axially moveable helical gear to move the gear into proper position relative to a threaded needle of the sewing machine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sewing machine that can perform zigzag sewing a cylindrical sewn article. A sewing machine 1 includes an approximately cylindrical guide member 11 that guides a sewn article A, a sewing needle 99 that sews the cylindrical sewn article A, a holding member 71 that holds the sewing needle 99 approximately vertically, a vertical hook 21 provided in the guide member 11 so that the direction of rotation is approximately perpendicular to the axial direction C of the guide member 11 and that catches the upper thread loop of the sewing needle 99, a rotary shaft 22 that rotates the vertical hook 21, and an operating means 50 that moves the holding member 71 and the rotary shaft 22 reciprocatingly at approximately the same time.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a needle bar to which a needle is attached, a needle bar rocking mechanism which rocks the needle bar, a needle plate having a needle hole through which the needle is passed, an imaging device which images a lower part of the needle bar, a setting section which sets a range of rocking motion of the needle bar based on an image obtained by the imaging device, and a control device which controls the needle bar rocking mechanism based on the range of rocking motion set by the setting section.

Abstract: The over lock sewing machine for forming seams of an over-edge chain stitch and a double-thread chain stitch on a work cloth is provided with a needle bar holding a plurality of needles for forming a seam by a vertical reciprocating movement a plurality of loopers and a needle bar transmitting mechanism moving the needle bar in approximately orthogonal direction relative to a cloth feeding direction of the work cloth and the vertical reciprocating direction of the needle bar. Accordingly, the over lock sewing machine can make various decorative stitches with an over-edge chain stitch function and a zigzag stitch function. Moreover, the over lock sewing machine is capable with operation at a low cost.

Abstract: A new and improved portable zigzag straight stitch walking foot sewing machine comprising a longer needle stroke, a larger presser foot having a radiused bottom, a throat plate having a larger opening therein, an inner presser foot having a relatively high lift permitting the easy insertion or removal of fabric which a new and improved spring loaded connecting rod that operates to prevent the fabric from being drawn into the presser foot opening and feed mechanism. In a specific embodiment, the new and improved portable zigzag straight stitch walking foot sewing machine includes a new and improved throw mechanism which is not biased and a retro fix stop device for reproducibly controlling the stitch length.

Abstract: A link-member swinging apparatus for reciprocatively swinging a link member while keeping a fulcrum portion of the link member at substantially a predetermined location, including an actuator which is operatively connected to an input portion of the link member, the input portion of the link member being distant from the fulcrum portion thereof in a lengthwise direction of the link member, and a supporting device which elastically supports the fulcrum portion of the link member, while permitting the fulcrum portion to be elastically moved from a reference position thereof in a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the link member.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a needle bar rocking mechanism for rocking a needle bar in a direction crossing a direction in which a workpiece cloth to be sewn is fed, a thread tension applying mechanism for applying tension to a needle thread supplied from a needle thread supply to a sewing needle mounted on the needle bar, a thread tension releasing mechanism operating the thread tension applying mechanism so that the needle thread is released from the tension applied to it by the thread tension applying mechanism, and a single rotary actuator for driving both of the needle bar rocking mechanism and the thread tension releasing mechanism.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a stitch forming device which forms stitches on a work sheet by locking an upper and a lower thread with each other, and a tension changing device which changes a tension of the lower thread to stop supplying of the lower thread to the stitch forming device at a predetermined timing. A sewing machine for forming stitches on a work sheet by locking an upper and a lower thread with each other, includes a pattern selecting device which selects one of a plurality of different stitch patterns, a detecting device which detects the selected one stitch pattern, and a tension changing device which changes, based on the detected one stitch pattern, a maximum tension of the lower thread to a corresponding one of a plurality of different tension values.

Abstract: A hand-held mending gun for tufting stitches into a backing material has a hollow needle reciprocably driven axially and oscillated laterally so as to form stitches in a backing material laterally offset from other stitches. Zig-zag backstitches may thus be formed as may other laterally offset stitches. A crank drives a needle carrier in a reciprocating path extending longitudinally along the axis of the needle. The elongated path is defined by constraining the needle carrier to move within a slot in a pivotally mounted yoke member having a pair of spaced apart tines disposed about a cam so that rotation of the cam oscillates the yoke member about the pivot. The cam is driven by gears such that it may make one cycle For each two cycles of reciprocation of the needle to form alternate laterally offset stitches. Cams of various configurations may be utilized so that more than one stitch may be provided at each lateral side.

Abstract: In a sewing machine, a needle-bar is slidingly mounted in two bearings, the external surface of each of which has a spherical profile. The bearings are pivotably engaged in respective seats of complementary profile provided in a fixed support, for an upper bearing, and in a movable lever, for a lower bearing. This lever is alternately pivoted into two opposite positions under the action of a stepper motor. The motor drives the movable lever by engagement of a pinion with peripheral gear teeth carried by the movable lever.The motor, the fixed support, the movable lever, the bearings and the needle bar form a self-contained and detachable assembly.

Abstract: A sewing machine with a pivotable stitch formation unit is provided such that it is possible to form a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch seam without loop stitches occurring on the fabric. The fabric is displaceable under the needle without rotation because of a pivoting arrangement of the head and the shuttle holder. The arrangement allows the sewing machine to be switched over from a straight stitch to a zigzag stitch operation due to the adjustment of the oscillation frequency of the needle bar holder relative to the oscillation frequency of the needle bar by means of a multistep shifting gear.

Abstract: A sewing machine has a vertical needle bar pivotable about a point thereon adjacent the upper end and moveable up and down. A sewing needle is detachably secured to the lower end of the bar and has an eye adjacent its lower end. The machine has an adjustable stitch width and, during its operation at a preset width, satisfies the requirement that the eye must be continuously properly positioned with respect to the machine hook at all times. The eye is vertically aligned with the hook point when the eye is in proximity of the hook, so as to insure reliable stitch formation at any selected stitch width. An arrangement for maintaining such proper positioning employs a first stop secured to the bar at a first location thereon intermediate its ends. A second stop is secured to the bar at a second and lower position intermediate its ends. A member is slidable along and is disposed on the bar in the space between the two stops. A spring is disposed on the bar between the first stop and the member.

Abstract: A zigzag sewing machine comprising a needle bar lateral drive device, a needle bar lateral drive steppping motor for controlling the needle bar drive device, a feed device for driving a feed dog back and forth, a crossfeed device for driving the feed dog from side to side, and a crossfeed stepping motor for controlling the feed drive device. The sewing machine can sew beautiful pattern stitches and neat stitches by setting up amplitude according to the minimum feeding pitch of the feed dog which is smaller than the minimum moving pitch of the needle bar. Since the needle location is determined by cooperation between the needle bar and the feed dog, the maximum lateral moving width of the needle is shorter than amplitude and the needle can be securely and accurately driven even at a high sewing speed.

Abstract: In a sewing machine, an oscillating cradle has two bearings in which a needle bar is slidingly mounted. An external surface of each bearing has a spherical profile by which it is pivotingly engaged in a respective seat of complementary shape provided in a first arm of the cradle, for an upper bearing, and in a second arm, for a lower bearing. A resilient leaf spring, in the form of a U, exerts an axial pressure on both the upper bearing and the lower bearing, to maintain them in their seats in alignment with one another.

Abstract: A zig zag sewing machine needle bar gate mounted to accommodate thermal expansion on spaced bearings of which one comprises a spherical bearing arranged in a cylindrical bushing bore and with a spring clip biasing the spherical bearing against the bushing bore to compensate for lost motion.

Abstract: A sewing machine employing a stepper driven-stitch patterning mechanism including a stepper rotated cam with a spiral cam groove tracked by a follower formed with different cross sectional shape than the cam groove in order to provide only point contact with each side of the cam groove when spring biased therein. A spring arrangement biases the cam and follower together in a direction perpendicular to the axis of cam rotation, thus minimizing lost motion between cam and follower.

Abstract: In a sewing machine with a needle bar executing transverse motions and with a pressing arrangement whose foot can be lowered onto the work piece laterally with regard to its central position when the needle bar executes lateral movements, the presser arrangement and its drive connection to the needle bar is executed so that a minimal moment of inertia is exerted on the needle bar when driving the pressure arrangement and so that the pressure foot always generates a load evenly spread over the pressed surface, independent of the width of its lateral movements. For this purpose the presser foot is movable in transverse direction relative to the other parts of the pressing arrangement and it is guided parallel to the work piece surface by a guiding arrangement. The transverse movement of the presser arrangement is taken from the transverse movement of the needle bar by a driving connection.

Abstract: A sewing machine is with stepper motors which work alternately in one direction or another to greatly reduce the number of parts for achieving the movement desired in the internal mechanisms of zig-zag sewing machines. The zig-zag mechanism for moving the sewing needle consists of a single, main driving element, formed by a stepper motor. The mechanism has a radial cogged spur gear at its outlet which engages a rack or linear gear formed by two adjoining bodies each having meshing teeth that engage the spur gear to eliminate any play between the spur gear and the two rack bodies. The rack is connected to a lever mechanism including an elongated, cambered,--shaped lever with a curved end. The curved end of the lever is connected to a needle bar support which is pivotally connected at its upper end to the sewing machine. A needle bar is connected to the needle bar support to enable the lever mechanism to impart a to and fro rocking motion to the needle.

Abstract: A zigzag sewing machine includes a frame, a needle bar supporting member mounted on the frame for swinging motion about a horizontal fixed axis, and a needle bar carried by the needle bar supporting member for endwise reciprocation. A rotary member is rotatably supported by the frame for rotary motion about an axis parallel to the horizontal fixed axis, and a connecting rod is connected eccentrically and pivotally at the upper end thereof to one side of the rotary member. The connecting rod is connected pivotally at the lower end thereof to the needle bar at a position below the upper end. At a moment when the shuttle hook of a shuttle catches a loop, the upper end of the connecting rod and the shuttle hook of the shuttle move in a direction opposite to the direction of swinging motion of the needle bar supporting member. When the shuttle hook catches a loop, the lower end of the connecting rod is located above the horizontal fixed axis about which the needle bar supporting member swings.

Abstract: The needle bar (1) engaged in a pivoting cradle (2) is integral with a journal (3) connected by a connecting member (8) to a link (4) driven from the drive shaft (12) of the machine. In order to permit the head (23) of a loop holding member (25), mounted in the pedestal of the sewing machine, to engage in a loop (29) of the needle thread (27) during the ascending course of the needle (22), whatever may be its decentration, the connecting member (8) is formed by a bent extension of the crank pin of the link (4) engaged in a bore (7) of the journal (3).

Abstract: A sewing machine in which the bed shaft and the arm shaft have been replaced by a synchronous belt and the plane of rotation of the synchronous belt is perpendicular to the cloth feeding direction. All function units which drive or are driven by the synchronous belt and the belt itself are mounted on the same side of the sewing machine body. A number of backing rollers guide the synchronous belt in the plane of rotation. These backing rollers are on shafts which are either stationary or driving. The shafts are supported by the sewing machine body in rotation or stationary manners. The backing rollers can be smooth or toothed wheels which drive or are driven by the synchronous belt. Some toothed wheels can drive several function units of the sewing machine. By changing the diameter of the toothed wheels in relation to each other the time relation between the several function units of the sewing machine can be controlled.

Abstract: A power lift system includes a lifting device with lower links. The lower links are connected to a frame of the tractor by arms of an upper link. The lower links may be either vertically pivotably or rigidly coupled to the arms. The arms may be either rigidly or vertically pivotably connected to the tractor frame. The height and the lifting range of the lower links is variable.

Abstract: There is a zigzag sewing machine provided with a horizontal rotary loop taker device which is restrained with respect to the rotation direction, and holds therein a bobbin carrier horizontally attached, and is supplied with a lower threads from the left side to the left basic line marked with an axial line in front of the needle, and provided with a feed dog which is provided nearly to passage of the needle to move vertically and laterally. In such a sewing machine a cam portion is provided for supplying the lower thread to a lower thread contacting portion of the bobbin carrier or a lower thread contacting portion of a part connecting right and left teeth of the feed dog, whereby the amount of supplying the lower thread is adjusted properly with respect to the left basic line and the right basic line during zigzag stitching, and the slack amount of the lower thread is adjusted properly with respect to the left basic line and the right basic line during forming stitches.

Abstract: A sewing machine provides zigzag and feed drive features through operation of independent synchronized stepper motors. A first stepper motor imparts reciprocating motion to a first rack piece which is hingedly connected to a middle piece and a lever. The lever is connected to a needle supporting piece which imparts zigzag motion to a needle. A second stepper motor through a second rack piece imparts oscillating motion to a connecting rod. Shifting motion in a feeding device is provided by an axle which is powered by the oscillating connecting rod.

Abstract: A work cutting attachment for use with a zigzag sewing machine having a reciprocatory needle bar, a presser bar and a feed dog. The attachment includes a base plate, a mounting mechanism for removably securing the base plate to the presser bar, an interlocking mechanism pivotally supported on the base plate and engageable with the needle bar for vertical swinging movement therewith, a movable and a fixed knife disposed generally behind the needle bar relative to the direction of work advancement, a guide member for guiding the fabric chip cut by the knives in a direction moving away from the work fabric to be sewn, and a presser foot disposed generally below the needle bar and cooperating with the feed dog to hold and feed the work fabric to be sewn.

Abstract: A feed drive for the work holder of a zig-zag stitch group sewing machine comprises a rotatable cam plate and a work holder which is engaged with the plate and moved thereby within a rectilinear guide arranged adjacent the head portion of the sewing machine. The work holder is located adjacent the needle and it includes a driver plate which extends below the sewing machine arm portion and grips the workpiece from above. The cam plate is arranged in a standard of the machine and the work holder is driven by engagement of a sensing element in a groove of the cam plate which is connected to the work holder through a lever drive acting on a rotatable shaft arranged below the arm of the machine and connected with a crank and a link with a slide carrying the work holder which is disposed in a guide. The construction includes a seating for the workpiece which is movable parallel to the guide and is coupled with the driving plate.

Abstract: A mechanism for trimming the thread on a sewing machine with a laterally oscillating needle has devices for shifting the amplitude of needle oscillation to a center or zero position and for cutting both needle and bobbin threads. Thread connected to a workpiece is easily cut by actuation of the shift device to move the needle to the center position at which time the thread cutting device is actuated to cut the sewing machine needle and bobbin threads.

Abstract: A sewing machine needle is capable of vertically reciprocating between upper and lower dead points and swinging laterally within a predetermined amplitude between two extreme lateral positions to form zigzag stitches on a fabric material in cooperation with a hook of a rotary loop taker. The needle comprises a relatively thick upper base portion by which the needle is attached to a needle bar of the sewing machine and a shank formed integrally with the upper base portion and adapted to reciprocatingly pass through the fabric material.