Abstract: A guide member is moved in interlocked relation to a rotary member rotating about the axis of a needle bar, so that a string-shaped material paid out from a bobbin is guided to a needle drop position of a sewing needle. The bobbin having the string-shaped material wound thereon is supported by a support member that is rotatable generally about the axis of the needle bar and disposed over a machine table in such a manner as to not hamper movement of an embroidery frame. The bobbin can be positioned at a distance from a machine head; thus, bobbins of increased sizes can be used. The support member is controlled in orientation, by means of a drive source, in accordance with rotation of the rotary member. The bobbin itself revolves around the machine head, which allows the string-shaped material to be constantly appropriately guided to the needle drop position.

Abstract: A multi-needle sewing machine is disclosed that includes a needle-bar case that supports needle bars; a needle-bar case transfer mechanism that transfers the needle-bar case to place a predetermined needle bar to a needle drop position; a thread guide member that is movable up and down, the thread guide member being provided with thread guide sections spaced by a predetermined distance and that guide a plurality of threads; a plurality of thread inlets that are provided at the needle-bar case, each thread inlet being uniquely associated with one of the thread guide sections and that introduces the threads guided by the thread guide sections toward the needle bars; and a lifting/lowering mechanism that moves the thread guide member up and down during transfer of the needle-bar ease and the thread inlets such that the thread guide sections and the associated thread inlets maintain a constant distance therebetween.

Abstract: Individual motors in a sewing machine of the invention are provided, for each of a plurality of machine heads, for individually driving respective mechanical components, such as a needle bar driving mechanism, thread take-up lever and presser foot mechanism. A plurality of rotary hooks are driven by a common motor. Even in a case where embroidering workpieces set on the individual machine heads differ in material between the heads and upper threads used for the machine heads differ in characteristic between the heads, the sewing machine can make, in a concurrent, parallel fashion, embroidery products of different texture suited for the respective materials, characteristics, etc., by setting independent stitch formation per machine head.

Abstract: A guide member is moved in interlocked relation to a rotary member rotating about the axis of a needle bar, so that a string-shaped material paid out from a bobbin is guided to a needle drop position of a sewing needle. The bobbin having the string-shaped material wound thereon is supported by a support member that is rotatable generally about the axis of the needle bar and disposed over a machine table in such a manner as to not hamper movement of an embroidery frame. The bobbin can be positioned at a distance from a machine head; thus, bobbins of increased sizes can be used. The support member is controlled in orientation, by means of a drive source, in accordance with rotation of the rotary member. The bobbin itself revolves around the machine head, which allows the string-shaped material to be constantly appropriately guided to the needle drop position.

Abstract: A spool holder includes a spool base and a thread guide mechanism including a thread guide member having thread guide portions guiding the threads extending from thread spools, respectively and a divided support pillar disposed so as to support the guide member on the spool base and including an upper support pillar having an upper end swingably mounted on the guide member and a lower support pillar having a lower end which is swingably mounted on the spool base, and a holding unit which holds the divided support pillar so that the pillar is switchable between a first position where both pillars are substantially vertically lined so that the guide member is located at an upper position in its use and a second position where both support pillars are bent at the connecting part so that the guide member is located at an accommodation position in its non-use.

Abstract: A tufting machine capable of producing individual articles of athletic turf bearing precise graphic patterns is disclosed. The machine includes a support frame to which a backing material is statically held, a tufting frame that spans above and below the backing and is computer-controlled to travel along the support frame, a yarn-inserting needle carriage disposed above the backing along the tufting frame and a yarn-catching looper carriage disposed below the backing along the tufting frame. The carriages are computer-controlled to asynchronously shift relative to each other as may be necessary for their individual yarn-inserting components and yarn-catching components to cooperate.

Abstract: A sewing machine control device includes a control unit for controlling the execution of a sewing operation based on sewing data including at least needle drop point data and thread color data of a sewing thread by selectively using a plurality of sewing needles respectively set with different color thread; a sewing needle-thread color storage medium storing sewing needle-thread color mapping data specifying the relation between sewing needles and thread color of thread respectively set thereto; a similarity evaluation unit for evaluating the similarity between the thread color specified by the thread color data and the thread color set to each sewing needle based on the thread color data and the sewing needle-thread color mapping data; and a sewing needle selection unit for selecting the sewing needle used for sewing in accordance with the sewing data based on evaluation result rendered by the similarity evaluation unit.

Abstract: An embroidery machine includes a sewing arm having an upper shaft for providing a driving force, a needle bar support case, which is assembled to a front portion of the sewing arm so as to be laterally movable, a needle bar provided in a needle bar support case, the needle bar having a needle at a lower end thereof and vertically carrying the needle using a rotation driving force of the upper shaft, and a presser foot, which is provided in the needle bar support case so as to be vertically movable, characterized in that each of the needle bar and the presser foot is operated by an individual drive mechanism. The presser foot is separately driven by its own drive source, independent of the drive source of the needle bar.

Abstract: In a first shifting operation for shifting a sequin sewing device from an operative position to an evacuated position or in a second shifting operation for shifting the sequin sewing device from the operative position to the evacuated position, descending movement of a needle bar is inhibited by jumping the needle bar with a sewing machine maintained in an operating condition. Also, a jump code is inserted into embroidery data at a position where a shift is to be made from sequin sewing to ordinary sewing or from ordinary sewing to sequin sewing. Alternatively, the descending movement of the needle bar may be inhibited by reducing a rotation speed of the main machine shift with the machine maintained in the operating condition.

Abstract: Monitoring of the rotation speed and stationary state of the lower thread bobbin in a sewing machine is performed using a light emitter and two reflected light receivers. The light rays reflected at the surface of the front flange of the bobbin are incident in a sequence which differs in time on the reflected light receivers. These data are evaluated by a computer, which can be the computer of the sewing machine, and are used to stop the machine or the sewing process before the thread end leaves the stitch plate of the sewing machine. It can also be determined from the observed direction of rotation of the bobbin whether the bobbin is correctly placed in the bobbin housing. From the relationship of kind of stitch, stitch speed, and bobbin rotation speed, the bobbin thread supply can also be calculated.

Abstract: A multineedle embroidering sewing machine comprising at least one sewing machine head provided with a plurality of needle bars and a plurality of thread take-up levers corresponding to the needle bars, needle thread deflecting sections, respectively, arranged upstream of the respective thread take-up levers existing in needle thread paths, and thread take-up members provided correspondingly on the respective needle thread deflecting sections.

Abstract: A multineedle embroidering sewing machine comprising at least one sewing machine head provided with a plurality of needle bars and a plurality of thread take-up levers corresponding to the needle bars, needle thread deflecting sections, respectively, arranged upstream of the respective thread take-up levers existing in needle thread paths, and thread take-up members provided correspondingly on the respective needle thread deflecting sections.

Abstract: An embroidering machine having a plurality of embroidering heads attached to a longitudinally extending carrier and each having a needle drive mechanism for an embroidering needle that is moveable in a vertical plane in the respective embroidering head. Each needle drive is connected to a driven main shaft that is guide through the embroidering machine parallel to the longitudinally extending carriers. For complete mass compensation, each drive arrangement of the embroidering head comprises an externally toothed gear wheel disposed on the driven main shaft and a second externally toothed gear wheel disposed on a compensating shaft oriented parallel to the main shaft.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a sewing head having a sewing needle to be vertically reciprocally driven, and a shuttle base having a shuttle to be rotatably driven in synchronism with the vertical movement of the sewing needle for forming stitches. A machine frame includes a pair of support posts spaced laterally from each other, an upper frame having greater rigidness for mounting the sewing head thereon, and a lower frame having greater rigidness and disposed below the upper frame for mounting the shuttle base thereon. Each of the upper frame and the lower frame extends between the pair of support posts and is fixed thereto.

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 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: In a chain stitch sewing machine which performs a required chain stitch sewing with respect to a cloth to be processed, by cooperation of a needle reciprocable up and down and a looper arranged under a needle plate, the chain stitch sewing machine comprises: (1) a large diameter drive gear rotatably provided in a base, (2) a looper support supported by the base so that it can slide in a lateral direction, (3) two or more loopers arranged on the looper support at intervals of a predetermined pitch along the lateral direction and freely rotatable on their own axes, (4) small diameter driven gears respectively provided in the two or more loopers and each engageable with the drive gear, and (5) a lock mechanism for non-rotatably locking the two or more loopers at a required timing.

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 looper is rotated under a throat plate, a stitching needle moves up and down through a needle hole formed in the throat plate and thus a cloth on the throat plate is stitched. After the cloth has been stitched, the thread between the needle hole and the looper is brought to a thread holding means disposed aside by thread drawing pieces and is maintained at its position by the thread holding means. Accordingly, even when the thread at this position is cut over the thread holding means, the thread can remain extending from the looper.

Abstract: A chenille type embroidery machine (10) has an apparatus for rotational steering and height adjustment of a needle (22). An actuator (24) locks or unlocks a locking clip (92) to allow the needle (22) to rotate with a needle height adjuster assembly (46) or to be moved vertically up or down. The needle assembly (46) comprises the needle (22), a needle bar 23, a bar clamp (70), a height adjuster locking block (84), an internal needle height adjuster (88), the locking clip (92) and springs (108a-d). When the actuator (24) is in its "unactuated" condition, the height adjuster locking block (84) is locked to the internal needle height adjuster (88) by the locking clip (92) for rotation therewith. In the unactuated condition, the needle (22) is rotationally steered with the assembly (46). In the "actuated" condition, the actuator (24) extends a shaft (126) to move the locking clip ( 92) and disengage the locking block (84) from the internal adjuster (88).

Abstract: A sewing machine for leather or the like is provided with a flat needle holding bar supported for up/down movement. The needle holding bar is further supported for rotational movement and a control motor is provided to rotate the needle as required to cause the flat surface of the needle to be parallel to the direction in which the thread runs. To this end the needle is rotated after the needle penetrates the leather but before it reaches bottom dead center to a position in which the flat portion is in its normal position for the thread running direction and upper and lower threads are twisted together whereafter the needle is rotated again to be parallel to the thread running direction.

Abstract: A device for driving a thread take-up lever in a multi-head sewing machine having a plurality of sewing heads, one or more thread take-up levers each mounted on a respective head, and a main shaft for driving the heads. The device comprises a movement converting mechanism located within each head for converting rotational movement of the main shaft into reciprocating movement thereof, a transmission control mechanism operatively associated with the movement converting mechanism for transmitting and disconnecting the reciprocating movement produced by the movement converting mechanism to one of the thread take-up levers selected for sewing operation, and a retaining mechanism for retaining the selected take-up lever in a predetermined position when the reciprocating movement of the movement converting mechanism is disconnected from the selected take-up lever by the transmission control mechanism.

Abstract: A cloth presser mechanism comprises a cloth presser vertically movably supported by an arm of a sewing machine. A needle bar is vertically movably supported by the arm of the sewing machine and has a needle at the lower end thereof. The mechanism further includes a rack fixed to the needle bar, a pinion rotatably supported by the arm of the sewing machine and engaged with the rack, a cam integral with the pinion, a first link having an end pivotally supported by the arm of the sewing machine and a middle portion connected to a roller which rides on the surface of the cam, and a second link having an end pivotally supported by the cloth presser. The other end of the second link is pivotally connected to the other end of the first link.

Abstract: A garment has a collar/lapel which is produced by folding a part of the boundary area between a body piece and a flyback. A first expansible and contractible interfacing member is fitted to an area of the body which becomes the rear side of the collar/lapel when it is folded but no interfacing is fitted to the area of the flyback which becomes the front side of the collar/lapel when it is folded. A second expansible and contractible interfacing member is fitted to the area of the flyback which becomes a rear side of the collar when it is folded. A stitch by means of which the first expansible and contractible member is sewn to the body is provided in the proximity of the position where the first expansible and contractible interfacing member fitted to the body is folded as a collar.

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 looper driving system in an embroidery machine of the chain stitch type having a looper support frame, a reciprocable needle, and a plurality of loopers for embroidering a cloth in a multicolored pattern. A transmission shaft rotatable about its axis is axially movably mounted to the looper support frame in parallel relation thereto. Gears convert both the axial and rotational movements of the transmission shaft into a single rotational movement of one of the loopers selectively moved to the needle location. Racks and gears rotate the selected one of loopers when the looper is moved to the needle location from a position away from the needle location.

Abstract: The sewing head comprises at least a cylindrical sector (2) mounted to rotate in a cradle (1) and exhibiting tubular housings inside each of which a tool holder bar (3) is guided.The tools of this sewing head can be coupled to the mechanism of an ordinary embroidery machine. It makes possible a simplification of the handlings required during the changing of embroidery patterns to be made and for the replacement of damaged tools.

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: In a shuttle embroidering machine a plurality of needle carriers and drill carriers are arranged to be displaced at approximately right angles relative to the plane of an embroidery frame. Each needle carrier has a needle inserted into one end and each drill carrier has a drill inserted into one end. A generally horizontally extending arm is attached to the opposite end of each needle carrier and drill carrier. The arms are pivotally displaceable about a horizontal axis. One end of each arm is connected to a needle carrier or a drill carrier and the other end is displaceable along a path due to the pivotal displaceability of the arms about horizontal axes. A drive element provides the operative displacement of the needle carriers and drill carriers. The arms are shaped for selective form-locking engagement with the drive element.

Abstract: A thread changing mechanism for sewing machines comprises a plurality of needle holders which are received for displacement in a magazine which is fixedly mounted at the level of the top dead center of the needle bar. The needle holders have inner guide surfaces in T-configuration, corresponding to outer T-configuration guide surfaces of the coupling member which is secured to the needle bar. In the middle of the magazine, a recess is provided for the coupled needle holder. In a first embodiment, several fingers are pivotable between the needle holders to space them from each other. The coupled needle holder can then move freely upwardly and downwardly during the sewing operation. In a second embodiment, the same free movement of the coupled needle holder is ensured by a fork by which, after the coupling is effected, the needed spacing between the coupled one and the adjacent needle holders is ensured.

Abstract: An embroidery machine having a plurality of embroidery bars, particularly needle and piercer bars, which are mounted for axial displacement independently of each other and arranged in at least one row alongside of each other, which bars can be coupled individually with a reciprocating drive element in accordance with a program determined by a control. In order to be able to couple each individual embroidery bar with the drive element in accordance with any desired unlimited number of programs without having to stop the drive in order to change the program, each individual embroidery bar can be coupled with the drive element by the force of at least one magnet.

Abstract: In a multiple needle sewing machine having a plurality of needle bars and a block member to which they are moveably mounted, a lever device can be located at any one of a plurality of positions corresponding to that of a specific needle bar. During transfer of the lever from one position to another, the block member is moved across the feeding line of a workpiece to be sewn and another needle bar corresponding to another lever position is brought into operative connection with a crank.

Abstract: A quilting machine employs bobbin holders which support bobbins each having a conical lower portion ending in a point. A plurality of hooks are driven in an eliptical path to engage and pull down a loop of thread formed by insertion of a needle through a needle plate and the partial withdrawal thereof. The hooks keep the loop open and pull it down so that it passes over the pointed lower end of the bobbin. In order to facilitate engagement of the loop over the bobbin, the bobbins are maintained in sloped fashion. A thread take-up mechanism pulls up the loop of thread with one of the strands of the loop passing behind the bobbin between the bobbin and the bobbin holder to form a lock stitch.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is waiting means for use in an embroidering machine which has a head; a needle bar vertically movably carried in the forward end portion of the head and having a needle operatively connected thereto for forming embroidery stitches on a cloth; a nipple vertically movably carried in the forward end portion of the head in parallel relation with the needle bar, the nipple slidably receiving the needle bar therewithin and adapted to be lowered synchronously when the needle bar is lowered so as to press the cloth at the needle location where the needle passes through the cloth; and a presser foot vertically movably carried in the forward end portion of the head in parallel relation with the needle bar and the nipple, the presser foot, when the needle is raised, being adapted to be displaced horizontally so as to horizontally feed the cloth while pressing the cloth around the needle location.

Abstract: A device for temporarily interrupting the movement of the embroidery needle on an automatically controlled embroidery or sewing machine has at least one needle driven by a connecting rod and a crank from a drive shaft. On this needle bar there is fastened a driver which can be coupled via a shift pawl developed as double-armed lever with a drive carriage which is pivotally connected to the connecting rod. While one arm of said lever cooperates with a catch developed on the drive carriage, another arm of the lever cooperates with a controllable holding pawl by which the needle bar can be held fast in an upper dead-center position with simultaneous disconnection from the drive carriage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for displacing the color-change carriage on multiple-head embroidery machines having a plurality of embroidery needles per head which can be coupled alternatively with the needle bar drive for change in color or thread, the needle bar carriers of all embroidery heads being laterally displaceable jointly by a displacement bar which is connected with the color-change carriage. In order to create a dependably operating as well as easily mounted displacement device with the use of only a few individual parts, a control bar (10) which is provided in rack-like manner with incisions (10a) is arranged on the color-change carriage (6), a crank pin (11) driven by a servomotor engaging in said incisions (10a) and upon its engagement in an incision (10a) swinging a locking lever (12) on which there is arranged a locking member (14) which cooperates with the incisions (10a) and, via the control bar (10) positions the color-change carriage (6) in its corresponding position.

Abstract: A thread changer for an embroidering machine, having a plurality of needles for different threads, comprises, a driving shaft, a plurality of thread levers loosely mounted on the driving shaft, a coupling element for each thread lever connected to the driving shaft and rotatable therewith, and a clutch member connected between the drive shaft and the thread levers for coupling a selected one of the thread levers to the drive shaft to move the selected thread lever into association with a selected one of the needles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic embroidery machine having a plurality of single-needle embroidery heads which are driven by a common main drive shaft. In order to also be able to produce drill patterns with such an automatic embroidery machine, a drill rod provided with a drill is arranged in each embroidery head, the rod being supported for movement parallel to the embroidery needle and being adapted to be driven from the main drive shaft by a transmission which makes it possible to stop the drill rod in the disengaged position. This transmission comprises a ring eccentric arranged on the main drive shaft and two carriages which are supported for displacement in a linear guide and can be coupled with each other, the drive carriage being connected via a connecting rod with the ring eccentric and the driven carriage being connected by a push rod with a central drive lever which actuates a continuous drive shaft for all drill rods.

Abstract: An apparatus for the drive of the thread take-up on multi-head embroidery machines with at least one embroidery needle in each head, with which the thread take-up comprises a thread take-up lever, which thread take-up lever is mounted on the embroidery head pivotable back and forth about a horizontal axis and is driven by the machine main shaft. The thread take-up levers of all embroidery heads are secured on a common thread take-up shaft, the latter extending over the entire length of the machine. The thread take-up shaft is driven by a crankdrive mechanism from the main shaft of the machine.

Abstract: An embroidering machine comprises a plurality of embroidering head each equipped with a plurality of needles formed into a group each with its thread. A needle bar is engageable with one needle at a time in the group to bring the needle from a rest position thereof into an operating position. A presser foot mechanism with a presser foot attached cyclically moves the presser foot upwardly and downwardly from an upper dead center position to a lower dead center position. The presser foot is provided with a hole for the passage of the one needle. Thread cutting and holding devices are provided for cutting the thread of the one needle to form a thread end portion and hold the thread end portion. Upon the termination of an embroidering operation with the one needle, the presser foot mechanism is operable to move the presser foot substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the needles and, after the thread is cut, to lift the presser foot upwardly beyond its upper dead center position.

Abstract: At least one needle-bearing bar of a quilting machine is connected to a reciprocable shaft, a control device is operatively arranged selectively to engage and to disengage the needle-bearing bar from the shaft. The control device includes either two electromagnetic or a pneumatically operated cylinder. A timer can be provided to effect energization of the electromagnets or fluid delivery to and venting of the cylinder.

Abstract: A sewing machine in which a needle bar for an under-thread is provided below a bed and is vertically and laterally reciprocable, and in which a spool means provided above the bed and wound up with an embroidery thread supplies the thread under tension and in which a control means is provided for the tension means to limit the lateral movement of the tension means, with a take-up means being provided below the bed.