A method for calibrating one or more optical sensors on a sewing machine, including collecting data of one or more features of one or more predefined regions associated with the sewing machine, processing the data through one or more neural networks, wherein the one or more neural networks detect and recognize the one or more features of the one or more predetermined regions from the data, calculating one or more accuracy indicators of the one or more features from the data as compared to one or more trained features from the one or more neural networks, comparing the value of the one or more accuracy indicators to one or more indicator thresholds and adjusting one or more parameters of one or more optical sensors based on the comparison between the one or more accuracy indicators and the one or more indicator thresholds.

A sewing machine able to gather one or more materials through a variable speed transfer disc or transfer cup. The gathering operation can assist in joining materials of different lengths without causing a warp or other unintended variation in the sewn article. The gathering operation may be used in connection with sewing of an article of footwear upper with an insole portion to form a foot-receiving cavity. During a sewing operation, a tension on the thread may be adjusted and confirmed with a display output. Similarly, an indication of pressure applied to decrease a rotational speed of the transfer disc or the transfer cup may be presented on a display output to achieve repeatability across operators and articles.

A sewing machine able to gather one or more materials through a variable speed transfer disc or transfer cup. The gathering operation can assist in joining materials of different lengths without causing a warp or other unintended variation in the sewn article. The gathering operation may be used in connection with sewing of an article of footwear upper with an insole portion to form a foot-receiving cavity. During a sewing operation, a tension on the thread may be adjusted and confirmed with a display output. Similarly, an indication of pressure applied to decrease a rotational speed of the transfer disc or the transfer cup may be presented on a display output to achieve repeatability across operators and articles.

Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for quilting webs without compressing the webs. A quilting machine includes a needle bar to which needles are attached, needle thread passing through each needle, a looper shaft to which loopers are attached, a looper corresponding to each needle and from which looper thread is provided to form stitches, and a retainer bar to which spreaders are attached to facilitate stitching. A drive pulley powered by a first servo motor rotates cranks to move the needles through a cycle and rotates a belt which rotates an indexer pulley. Rotation of the indexer pulley oscillates the looper shaft and reciprocates the retainer bar. Another drive pulley powered by a second servo motor operates to move an input web through the machine between chain stiches.

Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for quilting webs without compressing the webs. A quilting machine includes a needle bar to which needles are attached, needle thread passing through each needle, a looper shaft to which loopers are attached, a looper corresponding to each needle and from which looper thread is provided to form stitches, and a retainer bar to which spreaders are attached to facilitate stitching. A drive pulley powered by a first servo motor rotates cranks to move the needles through a cycle and rotates a belt which rotates an indexer pulley. Rotation of the indexer pulley oscillates the looper shaft and reciprocates the retainer bar. Another drive pulley powered by a second servo motor operates to move an input web through the machine between chain stiches.

A thread feeding device of a sewing machine includes a needle bar movable vertically to pull an upper thread through a fabric, and movable between left and right terminal positions. An imaginary plane to which the needle bar is normal is defined, and includes left and right boundary lines which pass through the left and right terminal positions. An inner rotary hook includes a thread tensing unit disposed on a hook surrounding wall. A lower thread passes through and abuts against the thread tensing unit to define at least one thread abutting point. A final abutting point where the lower thread passes through the thread tensing unit immediately before reaching the fabric is defined, and is projected on the imaginary plane at a point that is interposed between the boundary lines.

A thread feeding device of a sewing machine includes a needle bar movable vertically to pull an upper thread through a fabric, and movable between left and right terminal positions. An imaginary plane to which the needle bar is normal is defined, and includes left and right boundary lines which pass through the left and right terminal positions. An inner rotary hook includes a thread tensing unit disposed on a hook surrounding wall. A lower thread passes through and abuts against the thread tensing unit to define at least one thread abutting point. A final abutting point where the lower thread passes through the thread tensing unit immediately before reaching the fabric is defined, and is projected on the imaginary plane at a point that is interposed between the boundary lines.

A sewing machine and a method of operating a sewing machine able to gather one or more materials through a variable speed transfer disc or transfer cup. The gathering operation can assist in joining materials of different lengths without causing a warp or other unintended variation in the sewn article. The gathering operation may be used in connection with sewing of an article of footwear upper with an insole portion to form a foot-receiving cavity. During a sewing operation, a tension on the thread may be adjusted and confirmed with a display output. Similarly, an indication of pressure applied to decrease a rotational speed of the transfer disc or the transfer cup may be presented on a display output to achieve repeatability across operators and articles.

A sewing machine and a method of operating a sewing machine able to gather one or more materials through a variable speed transfer disc or transfer cup. The gathering operation can assist in joining materials of different lengths without causing a warp or other unintended variation in the sewn article. The gathering operation may be used in connection with sewing of an article of footwear upper with an insole portion to form a foot-receiving cavity. During a sewing operation, a tension on the thread may be adjusted and confirmed with a display output. Similarly, an indication of pressure applied to decrease a rotational speed of the transfer disc or the transfer cup may be presented on a display output to achieve repeatability across operators and articles.

Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for quilting webs without compressing the webs. A quilting machine includes a needle bar to which needles are attached, needle thread passing through each needle, a looper shaft to which loopers are attached, a looper corresponding to each needle and from which looper thread is provided to form stitches, and a retainer bar to which spreaders are attached to facilitate stitching. A drive pulley powered by a first servo motor rotates cranks to move the needles through a cycle and rotates a belt which rotates an indexer pulley. Rotation of the indexer pulley oscillates the looper shaft and reciprocates the retainer bar. Another drive pulley powered by a second servo motor operates to move an input web through the machine between chain stitches.