Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a multi-needle sewing machine equipped with multiple machine units arranged in parallel, each comprising a thread supply section, a thread take-up arm and a needle bar, in a machine head so as to be capable of making embroidery on cloth.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In a conventional multi-needle sewing machine (for example, the multi-needle sewing machine disclosed in Japanese published unexamined patent application No. 09-000765), the sewing machine shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5 (A) is configured that an upper frame  2  is disposed above a machine table  1  extending lengthwise in the horizontal direction (in the depth direction of the figure) as is well known. Multiple machine heads  3  are disposed at equal intervals in the lateral direction (in the depth direction of the figure) on the front face (on the right side in  FIG. 5 (A)) of this upper frame  2 . Each machine head  3  is equipped with a machine arm  5  secured to the front face of the upper fame  2  and a moving base frame  6  that is supported so as to be sidable in the lateral direction using a rail  4  provided on the front face of the machine arm  5 . A needle bar drive mechanism  8  and a thread take-up arm drive mechanism  10 , driven using a machine spindle  7  commonly passing through all the machine arms  5 , are installed inside the machine arm  5  as shown in  FIG. 5 (A). The needle bar drive mechanism  8  comprises a needle bar drive cam  12  fitted on the machine spindle  7 ; a rod  13 , the base portion of which is fitted on the needle bar drive cam  12 ; a drive arm  14 , one end portion of which is pivotally supported using the machine arm  5 , and the intermediate portion of which is connected to the rod  13 ; and a needle bar driver  16  connected to the end of the drive arm  14  and supported using a base needle bar  15  so as to be movable vertically, whereby the needle bar driver  16  is driven so as to be reciprocated vertically along the base needle bar  15  by the rotation of the machine spindle  7 .  
         [0003]     The thread take-up arm drive mechanism  10  comprises a thread take-up arm drive cam  17  fitted on the machine spindle  7 ; a thread take-up arm drive arm  18  that is pivotally supported using the machine arm  5  at its intermediate portion and rocked reciprocally using the thread take-up arm drive cam  17 ; and a drive gear  20  secured to the rocking-side end of the thread take-up arm drive arm  18 , whereby the drive gear  20  is reciprocated vertically by the rotation of the machine spindle  7 .  
         [0004]     Next, machine units  37 , each comprising a thread supply section (not shown), a thread take-up arm  22 , a needle bar  21 , etc. are disposed in the moving base frame  6  as shown in  FIG. 5 (A). The multiple sets of the machine units  37  are arranged in parallel as shown in  FIG. 1 . The machine units  37  are made selectable by providing the moving base frame  6  so as to be movable in the lateral direction with respect to the frame  2 .  
         [0005]     Next, the configuration of the machine unit will be described using  FIG. 5  (A) showing one machine unit  37 .  
         [0006]     Multiple needle bars  21  arranged in the depth direction in the figure are provided in the needle bar mechanism section  6   c  of the moving base frame  6  so as to be movable vertically.  
         [0007]     An engaging pin  23 , directed backward, is protruded at the vertically central portion of each needle bar  21  as shown in  FIG. 5 (A). The engaging pin  23  of the needle bar  21  selected by the needle bar selection operation associated with the sliding of the moving base frame  6  described later is fitted in the engaging groove  16   a  formed in the front face of the needle bar driver  16  in the machine arm  5 , whereby the needle bar  21  is reciprocated vertically via the needle bar driver  16  by the rotation of the spindle  7 . Numeral  19  designates a presser foot having a well-known configuration.  
         [0008]     In correspondence with each needle bar  21 , the thread take-up arm  22  is rockably provided above the needle bar  21  in the thread take-up arm mechanism section  6   b  of the moving base frame  6 .  
         [0009]     A boss  22   a  secured to the base portion of each thread take-up arm  22  is rotatably fitted on a thread take-up arm shaft  24  that is supported on the moving base frame  6  along the sliding direction of the case. A driven gear  25  that can be meshed with the drive gear  20  provided at the rocking end of the thread take-up arm drive arm  18  is formed around the outer circumference of the boss  22   a . In addition, a fitting groove  26  ( FIG. 5 (A)) that faces downward when the thread take-up arm  22  has a predetermined posture (a posture obtained when the thread take-up arm is located near the top dead center) is formed in each boss  22   a , and this fitting groove  26  is slidably fitted on a thread take-up arm rail  27  that is secured to the upper face of the end of the machine arm  5  and extends in the sliding direction of the moving base frame  6 . In other words, each thread take-up arm  22  is held in the posture obtained near the top dead center by fitting the fitting groove  26  on the thread take-up arm rail  27 . Because this thread take-up arm rail  27  does not have a portion that acts on the front portion of the drive gear  20  of the thread take-up lever aim  18 , the fitting groove  26  of the thread take-up arm  22  that acts on the front portion of the drive gear  20  so that the driven gear  25  is engaged with the drive gear  20  is away from the thread take-up arm rail  27 , whereby the thread take-up arm  22  is reciprocated between the top dead center  22   e  and the bottom dead center  22   f  thereof by the reciprocating movement of the thread take-up lever drive arm  18  under the engagement between the drive gear  20  and the driven gear  25 .  
         [0010]     Next, numerals  31 ,  32 ,  34  and  35  indicated on the right side of the machine head  3  in  FIG. 5 (A) respectively designate thread guide eyes having through holes configured to facilitate thread passing as is well known, and the thread guide eyes are used to guide the thread ( 41  to  46 ). Numeral  41  designates the thread that goes from a spool (not shown) positioned above to the thread guide eye  31  as is well known, numeral  42  designates a first thread element going from the thread guide eye  31  to the thread guide eye  32  positioned below, numeral  43  designates a second thread element that makes a U-turn at the thread guide eye  32  and goes to the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm  22  positioned above, numeral  44  designates a third thread element that makes a U-turn at the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm  22  and goes to the thread guide eye  34  positioned below, numeral  45  designates a thread element going downward from the thread guide eye  34  to the thread guide eye  35 , and numeral  46  designates a thread element that is supplied to a needle and goes from the thread guide eye  35  to the through hole of a needle  21   a.    
         [0011]     Recently, for the purpose of raising the efficiency of sewing, the rotation speed of the machine spindle  7  is increased, and the vertical reciprocation speeds of the needle bar  21  and the thread take-up arm  22  are increased significantly. However, when the speed of the reciprocating operation of the thread take-up arm  22  is increased significantly, the following problems occur.  
         [0012]     First, the sewing operation for cloth  29  will be described using the machine unit  37  of the above-mentioned conventional multi-needle sewing machine. As is well known, by the high-speed rotation of the spindle  7 , the needle bar  21  is moved toward a thread-supplying hook  28 , and the thread take-up arm  22  is reciprocated vigorously in the vertical direction between the top dead center position  22   e  and the bottom dead center position  22   f  at the timing shown in  FIG. 6 , whereby sewing is carried out while the thread  41  is drawn out to the cloth. During this sewing operation, when the thread take-up arm  22  is moved from the top dead center position  22   e  to the bottom dead center position  22   f  shown in the figure, the thread take-up arm  22  abruptly lowers in almost synchronization with but slightly behind the operation of the needle bar  21  (refer to the timing chart of  FIG. 6 ).  
         [0013]     The thread element in the upper portion of the thread (the second thread element  43 ) located between the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm  22  located at the top dead center position  22   e  and the thread guide eye  32  positioned below and having a predetermined length is abruptly pulled downward along a lowering locus  33   a  by the abrupt lowering of the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm  22  to the bottom dead center position  22   f ; hence oversupply occurs at the space  33   b  between the through hole  33  located at the bottom dead center  22   f  and the thread guide eye  32 , thereby causing a phenomenon in which the second thread element becomes uncontrollable in the wide space  33   b  near the thread guide eye  32  while instantaneously making a small loop.  
         [0014]     In that case, when sewing is carried out using an ordinary thread, the thread take-up arm  22  immediately rises toward the top dead center position  22   e , thereby dissolving the problem of the above-mentioned oversupply.  
         [0015]     However, various kinds of threads have been provided because of the development of chemical fibers, and various types of thread twisting, such as left twisting, right twisting, strong twisting and weak twisting, have become available; hence, the end of the loop is formed to have an acute angle owing to thread twisting (twining) at the moment of the “oversupply state” in the space  33   b  between the through hole  33  and the thread guide eye  32  depending on the property of the thread, and the end of the loop is twined narrowly. For example, the end of the loop is twined to have the state indicated by numeral  43   b  in  FIG. 5  (B). When the thread take-up arm  22  immediately rises toward the top dead center  22   e  while this twined state remains, the twined (twisted) portion  43   b  of the thread is pulled and cut off, thereby causing a problem.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     An object of the present application is to provide a multi-needle sewing machine capable of making embroidery by selectively using multiple machine units arranged in parallel.  
         [0017]     Another object of the present application is to provide a multi-needle sewing machine having a thread twining (twisting) preventing unit that can be configured in a narrow width space even when the width of a machine head in which the multiple machine units arranged in parallel are installed is small.  
         [0018]     Still another object of the present application is to provide a multi-needle sewing machine capable of effectively preventing the twisting (twining) of the second thread element that becomes an “oversupply state” owing to abrupt lowering, by disposing a receiving member or the like having a very simple configuration at a position deeper than the bottom dead center position of the thread take-up arm even when the vertical reciprocation speeds of the needle bar and the thread take-up arm are increased to raise the efficiency of sewing.  
         [0019]     The other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear easily from the drawings and the following descriptions related thereto.  
         [0020]     A multi-needle sewing machine being configured:  
         [0021]     a moving base frame  6  is provided on the front side of a machine head  3  so as to be able to reciprocate in the lateral direction, and multiple machine units  37  are arranged in parallel on the moving base frame  6 , each machine unit  37  comprising a thread supply section  6   a , a thread take-up arm  22  and a needle bar  21  in this order from above,  
         [0022]     said moving base frame  6  is reciprocated in a lateral direction  65  so that any one of said multiple machine units  37  can be selected and used,  
         [0023]     at an upper position of a thread passage  51  on one side of said thread take-up arm  22  in each machine unit  37 , a first thread guide eye  31  for guiding a first thread element  42  supplied from said thread supply section  6   a  to a second thread guide eye  32  provided below via said thread passage  51  is provided, and  
         [0024]     a position of said second thread guide eye  32  is determined at a lower position below said thread passage  51  and below the position of a through hole  33  of said thread take-up arm  22  located at the bottom dead center  22   f  while having a predetermined space  59 , said second thread guide eye  32  is configured so as to be able to return said first thread element  42  and to guide said thread element serving as a second thread element  43  toward said through hole  33  of said thread take-up arm, and a third thread guide eye  34  is provided in the vicinity said second thread guide eye  32  so as to be able to guide a third thread element  44  going to a needle  21   a  after passing through said through hole  33  of said take-up arm, when sewing is carried out by vertically moving said thread take-up arm  22  and said needle bar  21  of said machine unit  37 , said first thread element  42 , said second thread element  43  and said third thread element  44  are sequentially guided using said first thread guide eye  31 , said second thread guide eye  32 , said through hole  33  of said thread take-up arm and said third thread guide eye  34 , thereby advancing toward said needle, wherein  
         [0025]     in said thread passage  51  of each machine unit  37 , in an upper half zone  60  at least in said space  59  between the position of said through hole  33  of said thread take-up arm located at the bottom dead center  22   f  and the position of said second thread guide eye  32  provided therebelow, when said through hole of said thread take-up arm lowers abruptly from a top dead center to the bottom dead center, said second thread element  43   a  that is pulled using said through hole  33  of said thread take-up arm and abruptly lowered, and said second thread element being in an oversupply state is deflected; in a depth direction to which said second thread element is deflected and at a position near a place in which a beaten portion of said second thread element being deflected can be received, a beaten thread receiving face  53   a  is provided, and jump preventing faces  54   a  are provided to make the beaten portion  43   a  of said second thread element come into contact with positions on both sides of said receiving face  53   a  and enclosing a front space of said receiving face so as to prevent the oversupply portion  43   a  of said second thread element  43  from jumping.  
         [0026]     When embroidery is made on cloth in the present invention, the multiple machine units arranged in parallel are moved laterally and used selectively, thereby being capable of making beautiful embroidery on the face of the cloth.  
         [0027]     Even when thread take-up arms  22 , needle bars  21 , etc., to be arranged in parallel on a moving base frame  6  in a machine head, are arranged in parallel at narrower intervals therebetween to downsize the machine head, a beaten thread receiving face  53   a  according to the present invention can be provided at the narrower intervals.  
         [0028]     In other words, because each beaten thread receiving member  53  provided in a twisting (twining) preventing member  50  is disposed at a recessed position at the bottom dead center of the thread take-up arm to receive a second thread element  43  that is deflected thereto when the thread take-up arm lowers, its area occupied in the width direction can be made very small.  
         [0029]     This is applicable to a situation in which the needle bars  21  are arranged in parallel at narrower intervals to downsize the width of the machine head as described above.  
         [0030]     Furthermore, in the present invention, even when the rotation speed of the spindle is increased and the vertical reciprocation speeds of the needle bar and the thread take-up arm are increased to raise the efficiency of sewing, the second thread element  43  that is deflected downward in an “oversupply state” as the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm is lowered abruptly toward the bottom dead center is received using the beaten thread receiving member  53 . Because the second thread element  43  is received in this way, the second thread element  43  spreads in a dispersed state along the receiving member  53  and the respective “wall faces” of the jump preventing members  54  positioned on both sides of the receiving member in a state of being pressed against the respective “wall faces,” and is pulled up as the thread take-up arm is then raised abruptly toward the top dead center, without having a chance of twisting (twining).  
         [0031]     In the present invention, the second thread element  43  being in the “oversupply state” owing to abrupt lowering toward the bottom dead center can be attached to the “wall face” of the receiving member  53  having a very simple configuration in a free space, without having a time of causing an uncontrollable phenomenon, whereby the present invention has an outstanding effect capable of effectively preventing twisting (twining). 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0032]      FIG. 1  is a front view showing the moving base frame  6  of a machine head;  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a partially magnified front view showing the thread take-up arm mechanism section of the moving base frame and illustrating the positional relationship among the through hole of a thread take-up arm, a second thread element, a first thread element and a beaten thread receiving face so as to be understood easily;  
         [0034]      FIG. 3 (A) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the positional relationship among the through hole of the thread take-up arm, the second thread element, the first thread element and the beaten thread receiving face at the A-A position of  FIG. 2  so as to be understood easily;  FIG. 3 (B) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the positional relationship among the through hole of the thread take-up arm, the second thread element, the first thread element and the beaten thread receiving face at the B-B position of  FIG. 2  so as to be understood easily; and  FIG. 3 (C) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the positional relationship among the through hole of the thread take-up arm, the second thread element, the first thread element and the beaten thread receiving face at the C-C position of  FIG. 2  so as to be understood easily;  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the positional relationship among the through hole of the thread take-up arm, the second thread element, the first thread element and the beaten thread receiving face at the D-D position of  FIG. 2  so as to be understood easily;  
         [0036]      FIG. 5 (A) is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the related operations in one of multiple machine units arranged in parallel, comprising a thread take-up arm, a needle bar, thread and thread guide eyes, according to the conventional multi-needle sewing machine; and  FIG. 5 (B) is a fragmentary view showing the twining state of the end  43   b  of a loop formed at the space  33   b  between the position of the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm in the lowering state thereof and the thread guide eye  32 ; and  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a timing chart illustrating the related operations of the take-up arm, needle, etc. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0038]     An embodiment of the present application will be described below using FIGS.  1  to  6 . Generally speaking, in the case that multiple machine units  37 , each comprising a supply section  3   a  for supplying thread  41 , a thread take-up arm  22  and a needle bar  21 , are arranged in parallel on a machine head  3 , and that embroidery is made on cloth  29 , a configuration in which one of the multiple machine units is selected and used is widely known as a well-known matter. In addition, embroidery using the selected machine unit has been described in detail as common technical knowledge using  FIG. 5 (A), a known figure, as described above.  
         [0039]     Hence, for understanding the embodiment of the present application shown in FIGS.  1  to  4 , the understanding should be done on the premise of the technical matters including the above-mentioned known matter.  
         [0040]     In the case that the configuration and the operation regarding the machine head  3 , the moving base frame  6 , the thread supplied from the thread supply section  3   a  to the needle  21   a , the thread take-up arm  22 , the needle bar  21 , etc. shown in FIGS.  1  to  4  are easier to understand when they are described in relation to the technical matters shown in  FIG. 5 (A), refer to the technical matters shown in  FIG. 5 (A) because the same numerals as those used in  FIG. 5 (A) are used.  
         [0041]     Next, numeral  3  designates the machine head provided on the front side of the frame, and numeral  6  designates the moving base frame that moves laterally under the guidance of a rail  4  provided on the front side of a machine arm. In the moving base frame  6 , the multiple machine units, each comprising the thread supply section  6   a , the thread take-up arm  22  and the needle bar  21  as is well known, are provided as shown in the figure.  
         [0042]     In the moving base frame  6 , numeral  6   a  indicated above designates the thread supply section, and the thread supply section comprises multiple tension mechanisms  39   a , multiple thread breakage detectors  39   b , etc., the number of which corresponds to the number of the needles, as is well known, and the thread supply section is configured so as to be able to supply the thread  41  (including thread elements designated by numerals  42 ,  43 ,  44 ,  45  and  46 ) from each of multiple spools (not shown) disposed above to the needle  21   a  corresponding thereto. In the figure, the thread is shown partially, and the other most portions thereof are not shown in the figure because they are well known.  
         [0043]     In the moving base frame  6 , numeral  6   b  indicated in the intermediate portion of  FIG. 1  designates a thread take-up arm mechanism section; as described using  FIG. 5 (A), a thread take-up arm mechanism including a mechanism section selectively operated in relation to the operation of the thread take-up arm drive mechanism  8  is incorporated inside the section, and is configured so that multiple take-up arms  22 ,  22 , . . . ,  22  arranged in parallel as shown in  FIG. 2  can be selectively driven vertically.  
         [0044]     In this thread take-up arm mechanism section  6   b , a plate-like cover (a cover integrally molded using a synthetic resin)  50  exemplified as a thread twining preventing member is removably installed using appropriate fasteners, such as screws, while having an appropriate clearance  6   f  from the surface  6   e  of the thread take-up arm mechanism section.  
         [0045]     The thread twisting preventing member  50  is configured to have a size capable of covering the surface  6   e  of the thread take-up arm mechanism section. On the surface of the preventing member  50 , thread take-up arm passing slits  52  are arranged in parallel, the number of which corresponds to the number of the thread take-up arms  22 , and each of the thread take-up arm passing slits  52  is required to vertically move the through hole  33  of each of the multiple thread take-up arms arranged in parallel between the top dead center  22   e  and the bottom dead center  22   f  (for example, approximately 60 mm) using a thread take-up arm shaft  24  as a pivot shaft. In addition, on one side (the side through which the first thread element  42  corresponding to each thread take-up arm is passed) of each of the multiple slits  52 , a thread passage  51  formed in a recess shape so as to cause the first thread element  42  to pass through between the first thread guide eye  31  and the second thread guide eye  32  is provided as shown in  FIG. 2 . Furthermore, in each machine unit  37 , a jump preventing member  54  is provided in the thread passage  51  on the side of the adjacent machine unit. The jump preventing member  54  is formed in parallel with the passing locus ( 42 ) of the first thread element  42  so as to become a jump preventing face  54   a  that makes the first thread element  42  come into contact with the wall face and reduces the lateral wobbling when the first thread element  42  wobbles laterally owing to the wind pressure caused at the time of the lowering of the thread take-up arm. The height (the dimension extending in the left direction of  FIG. 3 ) of the jump preventing member  54  is made larger than the passing locus  42  of the first thread element and smaller than the reciprocating locus  33   a  of the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm; the jump preventing member is thus positioned at an intermediate position between the two.  
         [0046]     The height of the jump preventing member  54  is made lower than the passing locus  42  of the first thread element as shown in the figure to avoid disturbance at the beaten portion  43   a  of the second thread element  43  owing to the wind pressure from the thread take-up arm lowering abruptly near the bottom dead center of the thread take-up arm.  
         [0047]     In the thread passage  51  of each machine unit  37 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , at least in the space  59  between the position of the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm  22  located at the bottom dead center  22   f  and the position of the second thread guide eye  32  provided therebelow, a “beaten thread receiving face  53   a ” is provided in the upper half zone  60  thereof (for example, approximately 6 to 8 mm). When the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm lowers abruptly in the direction of the curved passing locus  33   a  from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the second thread element  43  that is pulled using the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm and abruptly lowered is deflected to the “beaten thread receiving face  53   a  in the depth direction (the right direction in  FIG. 2 ) of the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm in an “oversupply state.” In the depth direction to which the second thread element  43  being in this “oversupply state” is deflected and at a position near the place in which the beaten portion  43   a  of the second thread element  43  being deflected as described above can be received (the portion with which the “oversupply portion” of the second thread element  43  from the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm makes contact, that is, a deflecting dimension  62 , for example, approximately 10 mm (approximately 6 mm to 16 mm)), the “beaten thread receiving face  53   a ” formed of the surface of the beaten thread receiving member  53  is provided. Hence, the portion  43   a  of the second thread element  43  being formed into a loop shape in the deflected “oversupply state” becomes a “state of clinging” to the “face” of the “beaten thread receiving face  53   a ”, and the loop portion is pulled up as the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm is raised abruptly without having a time of making an acute angle and forming twining.  
         [0048]     Furthermore, at the positions on both sides of the receiving face  53   a  and enclosing the front space  51  of the receiving face  53   a , the jump preventing faces  54   a  and  54   a  are provided to make the beaten portion  43   a  of the second thread element  43  come into contact with and cling to the “face”, thereby preventing the second thread element  43  from jumping. The depth dimension  61  of the thread passing groove and the width dimension  63  of the thread passing groove cannot be determined uniformly because the deflecting inertia of the thread  41  is different depending on the rotation speed of the spindle (the lowering speed of the thread take-up arm), the kind, the thickness and the type of twisting of the thread, as in the case of the deflecting dimension  62 ; however, the depth dimension of the thread passing groove should only be approximately 2 mm to 6 mm, and the width dimension of thread passing groove should only be approximately 4 mm to 8 mm, for example. The receiving face  53   a  and the jump preventing faces  54   a  and  54   a  should only be extended upward as shown in the figure beyond the space  59  between the position of the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm located at the bottom dead center  22   f  and the position of the second thread guide eye  32  provided therebelow.  
         [0049]     Next, in each of the machine units  37 ,  37 , . . . ,  37  arranged in parallel, at the upper position of the thread passage  51  through which the first thread element  42  passes and on one side (the right side in  FIG. 2 ) of each thread take-up arm  22 , the first thread guide eye  31  for guiding the first thread element  42  supplied from the thread supply section  6   a  to the second thread guide eye  32  provided below via the thread passage  51  is provided (in  FIG. 2 , nine pieces are arranged in parallel so as to correspond to the number of the thread take-up arms).  
         [0050]     Next, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the position of each of the multiple second thread guide eyes  32  arranged in parallel, with respect to an extending member  56  provided below the thread twining preventing member  50 , is determined at a lower position below each of the thread passages  51 , and also below the position of the through hole  33  of each thread take-up arm  22  located at the bottom dead center  22   f , while having the space  59  (for example, approximately 12 to 17 mm) determined usually.  
         [0051]     The second thread guide eye  32  is configured so as to be able to return the first thread element  42  going down along each thread passage  51  and to guide the thread element serving as the second thread element  43  toward the through hole  33  of each thread take-up arm  22 .  
         [0052]     Next, each of the multiple third thread guide eyes  34  arranged in parallel, with respect to the extending member  56  provided below the thread twisting preventing member  50  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , is provided in the vicinity (refer to  FIG. 2 ) of the left side of each second thread guide eye  32  so as to be able to guide the third thread element  44  going to the corresponding needle  21   a  after passing through the through hole  33  of each take-up arm  22 .  
         [0053]     In the moving base frame  6 , numeral  6   c  indicated in the lower portion designates a needle bar mechanism section, and a needle bar drive mechanism for vertically driving the needle bar  21  and the needle  21   a  of the selected machine unit  37  in synchronization (as shown in  FIG. 6 ) with the selected thread take-up arm  22  as is well known, in synchronization with the rotation of the machine spindle as described above using  FIG. 5 (A) is incorporated inside.  
         [0054]     In this kind of configuration, when sewing is carried out by moving the moving base frame  6  in the lateral direction (indicated by arrow  65 ), by selecting one of the multiple machine units  37  arranged in parallel and by vertically moving the thread take-up arm  22  and the needle bar  21  of the selected machine unit  37 , the elements of the thread  41 , such as the first thread element  42 , the second thread element  43  and the third thread element  44 , are sequentially guided using the first thread guide eye  31 , the second thread guide eye  32 , the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm  22  and the third thread guide eye  34 , thereby advancing toward the needle  21   a.    
         [0055]     The usage state of the sewing machine shown in FIGS.  1  to  4  (also refer to  FIG. 5 (A)) will be described. It is assumed that one of the multiple machine units  37  is selected as shown in the figure (for example, the fifth unit from the left in  FIG. 2  is selected) and that sewing starts as is usually known. In this case, as the spindle  7  rotates at high speed, both the take-up arm  22  and the needle bar  21  vigorously move vertically (for example, vertical movement of 600 to 1200 times per minute), whereby embroidery is made on the cloth  29  stretched around an embroidery frame. The operation is done at the timing shown in  FIG. 6 . As the embroidery proceeds, the thread  41  supplied from the thread supply section  6   a  is supplied to the needle  21   a  sequentially. In this thread supplying process, when the thread take-up arm  22  lowers abruptly from the top dead center  22   e  to the bottom dead center  22   f , the second thread element  43  located between the two points and having a length corresponding to the length between the two points becomes an “oversupply state” at the space ( 59 ) between the thread guide eye  32  and the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm having been lowered to the bottom dead center  22   f  as shown in  FIGS. 2, 3  and  4 .  
         [0056]     However, in the configuration shown in  FIGS. 2, 3  and  4 , the “oversupply portion  43   a ” of the second thread element  43  having been abruptly lowered together with the through hole  33  of the thread take-up arm is beaten to the “beaten thread receiving member  53   a ” provided in the depth of the thread guide eye  32  as shown in the figure and cannot rotate on its axis. Furthermore, the “oversupply portion  43   a ” of the second thread element  43 , having gained momentum, is attached to the jump preventing faces  54   a  provided on both sides of the “beaten thread receiving member  53   a ” as shown in the figure, and cannot perform twisting (twining) by itself.  
         [0057]     At the next moment, the thread take-up arm rises, and the second thread element  43  is pulled up. In this way, the “oversupply portion  43   a ” of the second threat element  43  can be used for continuous sewing without being twisted (twined).

Technology Category: d