A tire-changing machine comprising support means (4) for a wheel, a tool-bearing arm (50) at an end of which a bead-breaking tool (6) is hinged according to a hinge axis (E) which is perpendicular to an axis (A) of the wheel, and first motorised means (32, 33) for causing a relative movement, in a parallel direction to the axis (A) of the wheel, between the support means (4) and the tool-bearing arm (50), such as to press the bead-breaking tool (6) against a flank of a tire on the wheel, characterized in that it comprises second motorised means (64), activatable independently from the first motorised means (32, 33), which second motorised means (64) are destined to rotate the bead-breaking tool (6) about the hinge axis (E) with the tool-bearing arm (50), in order to vary an inclination of the bead-breaking tool (6) with respect to the axis (A) of the wheel which is mounted on the support means (4).

A working tool orienting device in a tire demounting machine includes a base which supports a rotary apparatus, rotating about an axis of rotation and designed to bear and lock wheel rims thereon; a column rising from the base and having an end secured to the base and an end opposite thereto facing upward; a moving arm, which is moved between positions close to and away from the rotary apparatus; a support arrangement for supporting working tools, which is coupled with the upward facing end, and joint means interposed between the support arrangement and the upward facing end, which are configured to make the support arrangement movable relative to the arm.

A device for automatic demounting of a tire from a rim having: a support arm (4); a demounting tool (10) articulated to the support arm (4); an attachment member (12) having one end articulated to the demounting tool (10) by a first articulation pin (13) and the other end thereof pivoted to the support arm (4) around a second articulation pin (14) extending substantially parallel to the first articulation pin (13); at least one extension appendage of the support arm (4) or a section (17) of the support arm (4), which extends beyond the second articulation pin (14); and at least one tie rod member (18) that is articulated on one side to the tool, and on the other side to the extension appendage or section (17) of the support arm (4).

Tire changing machines with automated positioning and closed loop control of bead pressing devices are described to maintain and control operation of the bead pressing devices during tire mount and de-mount procedures. Methodology is also disclosed.

A bead breaking unit for tire changing machines includes an arm having a bead breaking tool and associated rotatable with a supporting structure between an away position, wherein the tool is spaced out from the supporting structure, and a work position, wherein the tool is near the supporting structure, an actuator apparatus having a mobile element associated sliding with the arm, a dragging device for dragging the arm, associated with the mobile element and suitable for operating during movement of the mobile element from an extracted position to a retracted position to bring the arm to the work position, a coupling device between the mobile element and the arm, suitable for operating during movement of the mobile element from the retracted to the extracted position to bring the arm from the work position to the away position, and a selection device associated with, and suitable for operating/disconnecting the coupling device.

There is described a machine (1) for regeneration of pneumatic tires (2) comprising a beading device (5) for axial locking of the pneumatic tire to be regenerated in the direction of the revolving axis of the pneumatic tire (2) which provides an untranslatable bead (6) and a translatable bead (7) in said direction, a work rasp (9) mounted on a spindle (25), inflation means (66) of the pneumatic tire and a discharge cochlea (77). Said machine further comprises a roughing miller (8) suitable to prepare the pneumatic tire to a subsequent finishing by means of the rasp (9), said miller (8) being mounted on the same spindle (25) of the rasp (9) and after it, and constituted of a monoblock (27) with discharge channels (28) for chips produced by inserts (29) with a curved profile (30) providing a plurality of planar blades (31) joined by discharge grooves (32) of the chips produced.

A machine for fitting and removing wheel tires for vehicles includes a bearing structure, at least an apparatus for fastening and rotating the rim of a wheel for vehicles, a tool-carrier unit associated mobile with the bearing structure and having a removal tool, at least an adjustment apparatus suitable for adjusting the position of the tool-carrier unit with respect to the bearing structure, to place the tool-carrier unit into a work configuration wherein the removal tool is arranged in proximity of the apparatus for fastening and rotating, at least a memorisation device for memorising the position of the tool-carrier unit in the work configuration and at least a positioning device for positioning the tool-carrier unit with respect to the bearing structure between the work configuration and a configuration of minimum overall dimensions, wherein the tool-carrier unit is arranged in proximity of the bearing structure.

The present invention relates to a device for demounting a tire (T) from a rim (W) including at least one support element;an articulation pin element borne by the at least one support element;a spring shackle element having a first end and a second end articulated on the articulation pin;a demounting lever;an actuator borne by the at least one support element and set to act on the demounting lever in order to make the demounting lever angularly move during use; andfriction or elastic loading means designed to slow the angular movement of the spring shackle element around the articulation pin with respect to its angular movement around the first axis (x-x).

A tire changer machine and tire demounting methodology includes a demount tool assembly having a demount tool selectively positionable relative to a support and configured to extract a bead of the tire from the wheel rim. A guide element is mounted to the support, and the guide element is operable to provide a limited degree of freedom of the distal end from a predetermined path of motion in a tire demount procedure, thereby allowing the distal end to reliably grip the tire bead while the support arm is maintained in a stationary position relative to the wheel rim.

Automated tire changer machines, control systems and methods therefor utilize positive contact and contact force generation between wheel rims and bead breaker devices to break tire bead seals. The bead breaker devices may accordingly follow different geometries of wheel rims without prior knowledge or identification of the specific rim configuration by the machine.

The present invention concerns a wheel-clamping device for wheels on wheel-service-machines with only one drive unit and further a method for clamping wheels on a wheel-clamping device of wheel-service-machines with only one drive unit. The innovative wheel-clamping device for a wheel-service-machine according to the present invention comprises a frame 20 having a through-opening 22, and a spindle 30 being rotatably supported in the through-opening 22. Further, the spindle 30 has a through-hole 32 with a mounting-side end 30b and a driving-side end 30a, which is connectable to a drive means which is provided for a rotary movement for the spindle 30, wherein the spindle 30 has an external thread 34 on an external circumferential portion. Moreover, the wheel-clamping device comprises a sleeve 50 with a turntable 58 for the wheel to be clamped, wherein the sleeve 50 has an internal thread portion 52 which is in threaded engagement with the external thread-portion 34 of the spindle 30. Furthermore, a stopping or holding means 70 is able to temporarily hold the sleeve 50, and a clamping means 60 for the temporarily fixation of a fixing element 40 which is inserted through the mounting-side end 30b, to the spindle 30 is also provided in the innovative wheel-clamping device.

A fluid screen for a washing machine, and a washing machine including a fluid screen, is provided. The fluid screen includes a generally planar member including a first end and a second end extending from the first end. The first end is mounted within the wash tank of the washing machine at a location generally in proximity to an operating fluid level within the wash tank. During operation of the washing machine, fluid circulates within the wash tank to create a rolling wash action and the second end of the fluid screen extends from the first end generally in the direction of fluid flow across the surface of the wash tank.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include cleaning processes, closed loop cleaning machines, and methods of cleaning an article. The cleaning process includes contacting a surface of an article with a cleaning composition in a cleaning chamber, where the cleaning composition includes at least about 85 percent by weight organic solvents, based on total weight of the cleaning composition, and where at least about 5 percent by weight of the organic solvents is propylene glycol, based on total weight of the organic solvents, to clean the surface of the article, collecting the cleaning composition including contaminants, and recovering the cleaning composition via distillation, where a distillation apparatus removes the contaminants from the cleaning composition and is connected to the cleaning chamber by a process stream.

A dishwasher having a washing compartment; an air-guiding channel to generate an airflow; and a sorption drying system to dry items to be washed. The sorption drying system has a sorption compartment with reversibly dehydratable sorption material and the sorption compartment is connected to the washing compartment by the air-guiding channel. The reversibly dehydratable sorption material in the sorption compartment is layered in form of a sorption unit that has an inlet cross-sectional area such that the substantially identical respective air volume flow value that is applied to each entry point of the inlet cross-sectional area.

A cleaning machine for containers, containing a housing in which various treatment stations, including a feed station and a discharge station, are accommodated, whereby the housing has two side walls located opposite each other. In order to simplify the installation of the cleaning machine, a modular construction is used, whereby at least the discharge station is formed as a module.

The invention relates to a cleaning system for coffee machines, comprising a cleaning device for periodically cleaning the coffee- and/or milk-carrying components using a cleaning liquid, which contains cleaning agent in the form of balls or tablets dissolved therein, wherein the cleaning device is provided with a time- and/or product-cycle-dependent controller and a metering apparatus (1) for the cleaning agent (10) that interacts with the controller. Thus, it is possible to program the cleaning process in a customized manner according to the mode of operation and to carry out the cleaning process fully automatically according to the program. The metering of the cleaning agent (10) according to the program ensures an always optimal cleaning effect together with sparing use of cleaning agents. Simple and safe handling is achieved by using ball- or tablet-shaped cleaning agents.

Provided is a gear grinding machine the maintainability of which can be improved and which is capable of being miniaturized. More specifically, provided is a gear grinding machine wherein a threaded grinding stone (17) and a workpiece (W) are engaged with each other and are rotated in this state, resulting in the workpiece (W) being ground, and wherein between a dressing position (P2) where the threaded grinding stone (17) can be dressed and a retreat position (P1) to which a retreat is made from the dressing position (P2) during grinding, a disk dresser (66) which, by being driven into rotation, dresses the threaded grinding stone (17) is swung about an axis (C2) which is parallel to an axis (C1) that is the rotational axis for the workpiece (W) and which intersects, at right angles, the direction in which the threaded grinding stone (17) is fed toward the workpiece (W).

The core sand filling device includes the core box, a blow head which is placed below the core box so as to move up and down in a relative manner to the core box and divided into a sand blowing chamber and a sand storage chamber that are communicatively connected to each other, a compressed air supply unit which is communicatively connected to the sand storage chamber and supplies compressed air into the sand storage chamber, an aeration air supply unit which is communicatively connected to the sand blowing chamber and supplies into the sand blowing chamber aeration air for suspending and fluidizing core sand inside the sand blowing chamber, and an exhaust valve which is communicatively connected to the sand blowing chamber and exhausts compressed air remaining in the sand blowing chamber.

A dial of a circular hosiery knitting machine of the type with a cylinder and dial with yarn cutting device. The dial comprises a dial body which is substantially disk-shaped. The dial is provided with a cutting device, which comprises a plurality of cutting sectors which are distributed around the axis of the dial body and have cutting edges. The cutting sectors are arranged at sectors of the dial body which are intended to be free from needles. The cutting device comprises a cutter which is adapted to abut against the cutting edges of the cutting sectors to cut at least one yarn engaged by one of the cutting sectors in its rotary motion about the axis of the dial body with respect to the cutter.

A rotary sinker enabling stitch formation by a knitting machine using a rotor for forming a stitch, a knitting machine including the rotary sinker, and a stitch forming method are provided. The ring sinkers as rotating bodies are capable of rotating about a rotation axis independently of each other. The rotation times of the ring sinkers are set to be different from each other. Thus, the rotation times are adjusted to be different between the ring sinker that holds an old loop and the ring sinker that holds a new loop. Adjustment of the rotation times prevents application of a large tension to the knitting yarn made of low stretch fiber, and a stitch can be formed even with a knitting yarn made of non-stretch or low-stretch fiber.

A double-cylinder circular machine, particularly for knitting hosiery items, with simplified actuation mechanism, comprising a supporting structure which comprises a footing, which supports a lower needle cylinder, and a column which extends substantially vertically, protrudes upwardly from the footing and supports an upper needle cylinder, which is arranged above and coaxially with respect to the lower needle cylinder, and further comprising elements for the actuation of the lower needle cylinder and of the upper needle cylinder with a rotary motion about a common axis, the actuation elements comprising an electric motor which is connected kinematically to the lower needle cylinder and to the upper needle cylinder and is accommodated inside the column.

A knitting machine comprising a needle holder, which supports a plurality of needles which can be actuated with an alternating motion along their axis and means for guiding the needles on the needle holder which comprise channels for forming knitting which are defined proximate to the end of the needle holder and sliding channels which are defined on the needle holder in a region that is spaced from the end of the needle holder, each one of the channels for forming knitting being engageable by a needle and defining with its inlet, which is directed toward the outside of the needle holder, resting contact regions for the knitting during the retracting motion of the needles, the number of the sliding channels being smaller than the number of the channels for forming knitting.

A knitting head of a knitting machine for manufacturing flexible hoses (1) with a knitted reinforcement layer, which comprises a guide body (14) with a central tubular conduit (15) for the passage of the bearing layer (2) and having a outlet end portion (16) with a first outer peripheral surface (17) having a first predetermined radius (r1), a plurality of knitting needles (18) arranged along the periphery of said end portion (16) of said conduit (15) and having first longitudinal end sections (18') arranged along the circumference of said outer peripheral surface (17) and second longitudinal end sections (18″) arranged over a second cylindrical surface (19) having a second radius (r2) greater than said first radius (r1), at least one disk-shaped cam element (22), which is adapted to rotate at a first rotation speed and has a third predetermined radius (r3). The third radius (r3) is greater than said second radius (r2), connection means (23) being provided for connecting said disk-shaped element (22) to said second end sections (18″) of said needles (18), said connection means (23) having at least one longitudinal portion (24) with a radial dimension decreasing from said third radius (r3) to said second radius (r2).

A knitting machine includes a take-down assembly that includes a first take-down roller and a second take-down roller. The first take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a first portion of a knit component. The second take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a second portion of the knit component. The knitting machine further includes a first actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the first take-down roller on the first portion of the knit component. Furthermore, the knitting machine includes a second actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the second take-down roller on the second portion of the knit component. Additionally, the knitting machine includes a controller that is operably coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator to selectively and independently control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator.

Sinker cam segments in a circular knitting machine are located with respect to the generally radial direction by a generally radially inwardly facing location surface disposed radially outward of the segments. Each segment's radially outer end defines a contact region that abuts the locating surface. The contact region can be complementary surface contour to that of the locating surface, or a pair of discrete, spaced contact points protruding out from the radially outer end of the segment. The contact region is a reference for positioning the sinker cam segment with respect to the generally radial direction.

A knitting machine having needles which are mounted to be longitudinally moveable and having needle cams (14) with a needle control curve (13) for moving the needles, the needle control curves (13), at least in the latch closure region (Z), having a withdrawal angle (α)≦35°.

A knitting machine includes a take-down assembly that includes a first take-down roller and a second take-down roller. The first take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a first portion of a knit component. The second take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a second portion of the knit component. The knitting machine further includes a first actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the first take-down roller on the first portion of the knit component. Furthermore, the knitting machine includes a second actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the second take-down roller on the second portion of the knit component. Additionally, the knitting machine includes a controller that is operably coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator to selectively and independently control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator.

In the case of a single circular knitting machine consisting of a central rotatable needle cylinder (Z), around which a sinker ring (PR) comprising sinkers (P) as well as stationary cam systems (S) are arranged, which act on the needles (1), which are in each case assigned to the sinkers (P) and which can be moved vertically up and down, so as to replace the pitches, which hit one another rigidly, with a sinker grid system, which is flexible per se, which is automatically oriented in the needle gaps, a rocker (44) comprising an upper and a lower control bump (45) being provided in each case on the end of the sinkers (P), which is spaced apart from the needle, the sinker ring (PR), at the end below the sinkers (P), which is spaced apart from the needle, is embodied as a pivot point projection (40) comprising pivot point slits (41), in which the sinkers (P) are accommodated with their pivot inlet (43) so that they are capable of being tilted and the sinkers (P) being are laterally fixed in the needle gaps with sliding noses (47) at the end, which is spaced apart from the needle, transport the last knitting loops to the needle shaft (1) behind the needle latches in response to the knitting loop formation.

A machine for the homogenization and thermal treatment of liquid and semi-liquid food products, for example ice creams, whipped cream, creams, chocolate, yogurt and the like, comprises a containment tank for the mixture and a centrifugal pump put in fluid communication with the bottom of the containment tank for drawing mixture from the tank and putting it back into the tank, heating and cooling means acting at the pump for heating and cooling the mixture in transit in the pump. The heating and cooling means comprise a thermal machine with reversible thermodynamic cycle and using carbon dioxide as refrigerant.

Machine (1) for extracting puree, or fruit juice starting from vegetable or animal food, such as a rough extractor or a fine extractor. The machine (1) comprises essentially a cylindrical body (2) having an inlet (3) for the product to treat, an outlet (4) for a part of the product that can be used and an outlet (5) for another part of product to dispose of. The rotor (6) is wheeled to a motor (80) by a shaft (15). The product that is put in the cylindrical body (2) of the machine (1) is pushed by centrifugal force by a plurality of blades (20) of the rotor (6) to pass through a sieve (7) having holes (8) and a cylindrical or conical shape. The blades (20) of the rotor (6) comprise, in particular a first portion (21) having a first concavity and a second portion (22) having a second concavity opposite to the first.

The present invention relates to a device to regulate the level of a liquid inside a boiler of a coffee machine, having a transparent duct connected to the boiler and designed to visibly display the level of the liquid inside the boiler, a capacitive sensor that can be positioned outside the transparent duct in determined positions and designed to generate electric signals representing the presence or absence of liquid in correspondence to the position of the sensor along the transparent duct. The sensor of the device has first measuring elements and second measuring elements, both of capacitive type; the second measuring elements are positioned at a predetermined distance from the first measuring elements, and a measuring device designed to measure the impedance between the first and second measuring elements and to generate signals indicating the presence or absence of liquid in correspondence to the position of the sensor. The invention also relates to the machine that includes this device.

A coffee machine comprises a frothing device, wherein an internal milk channel leading to a frothing chamber is provided into which opens a bypass air inlet for operable air supply to the frothing device. A flexible milk suction line connects the frothing device with a milk supply container. Means are provided for cleaning the frothing device and the milk suction line with rinsing water from a continuous-flow water heater of the coffee machine. A controlled valve arrangement is provided which feeds rinsing water from the continuous-flow water heater to the bypass air inlet of the frothing device. A milk suction end of the milk suction line is directly or indirectly, fluid-conductively connectable with a residual water pan of the coffee machine prior to feeding rinsing water to the bypass air inlet.

A button and pin assembly machine for producing badges and the like comprising buttons having rearwardly extending rims adapted to receive and retain respective pin structures therein, in which the buttons are sequentially supplied to a pin-forming head and supported thereat with the button rim encircling the end of such head, straight pin blanks being sequentially supplied to said head, with a portion of a pin blank being inserted into the head and rotated thereby with respect to a stationary abutment to curl an end of such blank sufficiently to enable its insertion in the rim of a button disposed thereat, said head having means for forming a bend in the portion of the pin blank inserted in such head to resiliently bias the pointed end of the pin blank toward the button.

A machine for the manufacture of buckles, buttons or the like which comprises an upper tool and a lower tool. The lower tool has an outer, spring-mounted frame and an inner core piece displaceable vertically with respect to the surrounding frame. The lower tool is adapted to support the assembled button after the opening stroke of the upper tool. A device is provided for lifting the core piece of the lower tool relative to the surrounding frame up to about the height of a transversely directed stream of blast air serving for discharging the product from the lower tool.

A machine for automatically joining front and back parts of buttons employs a turntable with nests that are rotated through a series of stations at which the parts are placed in the nests in a desired orientation, joined, and checked for defects. Orientation of the parts is achieved by video imaging of a first part as it is randomly placed in a nest, and computer-controlled placement of the second part based on the ascertained position of the first part.

A method and apparatus for substantially automatically joining front and back parts of buttons employs a turntable with retaining means that are rotated through a series of stations at which the parts are placed in the retaining means in a desired orientation, joined, and checked for defects. A human operator places button front parts at a first station, and the remaining stations carry out the assembly and quality control steps automatically. Placement at the first station determines the alignment and orientation of the two buttons.

A universal assembly machine manufactures conventional buttons with formed backs. The machine comprises a rotatably indexable die table to which are mounted pickup and crimp dies. The die table indexes about a center column of the machine frame. A ram die is advancable and retractable in a pickup stroke and a crimp stroke by means of a handle. The ram die includes a ram outer ring that is rotatable by means of a shifter post joined to the die table. Indexing the die table causes the shifter post to rotate the ram outer ring into a pickup mode or a crimp mode to suit the ram pickup and crimp strokes, respectively. The universal assembly machine also manufactures buttons with flat backs by using a different crimp die pedestal than is used with the formed backs. An adapter on the crimp die pedestal used with formed backs allows that crimp die pedestal to also be used for manufacturing buttons with flat backs. The invention also embraces button medallions. A flat back button is loaded into the pickup die, and the die table is indexed. The ram die is advanced in a third press stroke to bend the shell frusto-conical wall of the flat back button inwardly to be flat and parallel to the flat back.

An adapter enables a universal assembly machine to manufacture buttons with either flat backs or formed backs. The machine comprises a rotatably indexable die table to which are mounted pickup and crimp dies. A ram die is advancable and retractable in a pickup stroke and a crimp stroke. Indexing the die table causes a shifter post to rotate a ram outer ring into a pickup mode or a crimp mode to suit the ram pickup and crimp strokes, respectively. The universal assembly machine manufactures buttons with flat backs by using the adapter on the same crimp die pedestal as is used for manufacturing buttons with formed backs. The adapter has a top surface that is in the location relative to the ram die that suits flat back buttons. The adapter enables the same crimp die pedestal to be used for manufacturing both flat back and formed back buttons.

A machine manufactures buttons having coplanar shell flanges in a two-stroke operation. The machine comprises a crimp die having different resistances to advancement of a ram. The first resistance enables a metal shell margin to partially bend under a flat back that is placed on a first surface of the crimp die. The second resistance enables the shell wall to completely bend against a second surface of the crimp die so as to form flanges that lie in a single plane. Both round and rectangular buttons are manufacturable using the same basic machine. The rectangular machine uses a shifter cage on the ram that rotates in response to indexing a die table on which the crimp die and a pickup die are attached. The round machine uses a rotatable frame on the ram. With the rectangular machine, the shell is initially bent during a pickup stroke of the ram.

This disclosure describes a simple, low cost method to produce a modular dry mix that can easily be modified and customized to produce a wide range of easy to aerate, no ice cream machine needed, ice cream and frozen dairy and non-dairy desserts and products made by this process. The method relies on successive simultaneous particle size reduction and blending steps without the use of traditional mix drying operations. The formulations produced by this process are modular and allow quick and simple ingredient substitutions to create distinct finished products. The process yields mixes that produce stronger, more stable foams that don't leave an oily mouth feel. The disclosure also includes a formulation and process used to make ice cream, and related frozen dairy and non-dairy desserts at room temperature in one step where the ingredients do not need to be aged, or homogenized, and aeration occurs without the need for simultaneous cooling or freezing. The process allows the end-user to control and vary the texture, freezing rate, melting point and eating qualities of the product without the use of traditional, home or industrial ice cream machines and a product made by this process. A product produced from this mix consists of a (protein-concentrate and emulsifier)—stabilized, protein-based foam created by combining a powder mix with one or a combination of a large range of above freezing temp liquids then immediately whisking the mixture at room temp to a target overrun without pre-aging, and then freezing that product statically till desired hardness is achieved. The main execution of this process involves the use of dry powders that are transported and sold dry and then reconstituted by the end user before they are combined without pre-treatment, freezing homogenization or aging. The manufacturing process offers significant advantages over current dry mix production methods which require significant upfront investment and produce hard to customize mixes. The formulation and finished product making portions of the invention offer significant improvement over existing manufacturing methods for frozen desserts and dessert mixes that require simultaneous freezing and aeration in terms of cost, convenience, customizability, shelf-stability and environmental impact.

A power tool, in particular a hand-held power tool, preferably embodied as a cordless screwdriver, is equipped with a torque limiting unit in which the release torque is settable by way of a locking brace that is equipped with a spring brace for locking elements that abut axially against parts of a planetary drive, in particular the ring gear thereof or the planet carrier thereof as a last gear stage, the spring elements of the spring brace and the locking elements being located with a radial offset from one another.

Pressurized gas for carrying looper thread by gas is generated by gas supply pump operated by changing over a sewing-machine motor, which drives stitch forming device, looper threading is performed through loopers by one-touch operation. Gas carrying threading device of sewing machine, comprising: looper thread introduction mechanism inserts looper thread guided to loopers; hollow looper thread guide extends from looper thread introduction mechanism to looper thread inlets and has looper thread guide outlets; gas supply pump for performing looper threading by carrying looper thread by gas from looper thread introduction area through hollow looper thread guide to looper thread loop-taker point outlets; clutch for transmitting power from sewing machine motor M to drive shaft which drives stitch forming device including loopers at time of stitch formation or to gas supply pump at time of looper threading.

A method and a device for cutting at least an upper thread of a sewing machine provided with a fabric clamping member (20), wherein a length of the thread consumed for a cut can be set within a predetermined interval. The method for cutting at least the upper thread (4) of a sewing machine (1) includes the steps: feeding a predetermined length x of said upper thread (4) utilizing a thread feeder (15), pulling out the upper thread (4) said predetermined length utilizing a displacement of said fabric clamping member (20) from a current position to a second position executing by means of a sewing machine processor (C) program sequences stored in a memory (M) for controlling a thread cutter (10) to perform a cut of at least said upper thread (4).

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a machine for sewing, embroidering, quilting and/or the like. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for sewing, embroidering, quilting and/or the like. In one example, the present invention may be applied (e.g., as a machine and/or method) to a multi-needle machine or method. In another example, the present invention may provide for automatic lower (or bottom) thread cutting. In another example, the present invention may provide for automatic lower (or bottom) thread cutting by utilizing the phase (that is, movement phase) of a return of a looper (or hook) to cut the lower (or bottom) thread.

An apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes including acquiring pattern data, specifying an outline of the embroidery pattern based on the pattern data, creating hole data for causing the sewing machine to form a plurality of holes including one or more first holes and one or more second holes, creating first stitch data for causing the sewing machine to sew one or more stitches for the one or more first holes, and creating embroidery data for causing the sewing machine to form one or more first holes, and sew the one or more stitches for the one or more first holes, and causing the sewing machine to form the one or more second holes, before causing the sewing machine to sew an outline pattern.

A threading device for a sewing machine lower looper is disclosed that can thread a lower looper safely and reliably by reliably preventing a main shaft from rotating when an operation of threading the lower looper is carried out.

A sewing machine accessory includes a plate for attaching to a sewing machine workbed and to be located below a needle, the plate includes an opening and a guiding track, and a positioning device includes a sliding member slidably engaged with the guiding track of the accessory plate, and a pointed member extended from the sliding member for engaging with a cloth material to be stitched and for forming of an arced stitch on the cloth material, and the pointed member is movable close to the needle for stitching or forming a circular or arced stitch that includes a relatively decreased or smaller outer diameter.

A sewing machine includes an imaging device, a processor, and a memory configured to store sewing data and computer-readable instructions. The sewing data includes at least first stitch data to form first stitches that indicate a contour of a pattern on a first work cloth, and second stitch data to form second stitches that attach the pattern cut out along the first stitches onto a second work cloth. The computer-readable instructions cause the processor to perform processes comprising causing the imaging device to capture a first image, identifying a position and an angle of a marker in relation to the contour, causing the imaging device to capture a second image, identifying a position and an angle of the contour in relation to the second work cloth, and correcting the second stitch data in accordance with the identified position and angle of the contour in relation to the second work cloth.