A sewing machine needle includes a blade extending substantially in the needle's longitudinal direction, an eye, which passes through the needle substantially in its elevational direction, and a scarf, which extends along the needle behind the eye. Compared with the contour of the blade, the scarf contour is recessed in the needle's elevational direction. At least in part of the scarf s extension along the needle, the scarf contour in a sectional plane perpendicular to the needle's longitudinal direction is substantially an arc of a circle. The circular-arc-shaped area covers a first angular portion of the needle's circumference. In this part of the scarfs extension along the needle, the radius of the substantially circular-arc-shaped contour in this first angular portion of the needle's circumference is between 35% and 100% of the needle's maximum lateral reach. The needle's lateral direction is perpendicular to its longitudinal and elevational directions.

A spar for an airfoil comprises a core, e.g. a foam core, a central structural member extending through the core, an outer structural layer surrounding the core and central structural member and a plurality of yarns extending through the central structural member.

A needle assembly for a stitching machine comprises a stitching jig comprising a needle holder, a needle clamp hoop and a fixing jig. The needle holder has needle sockets to hold a plurality of needles. The needle clamp hoop is connected to the needle holder to retain needles in the sockets. The fixing jig is connected to the needle clamp hoop to couple with a reciprocating bar of the stitching machine. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear upper comprises laying out a first sheet of material; positioning a second sheet of material to overlap with the first sheet of material at an overlap; positioning a felt material adjacent the overlap so that the second sheet of material is between the first sheet of material and the felt material; and felting the felt material to draw fibers of the felt material through the first and second sheets of material.

A needle assembly for a stitching machine comprises a stitching jig comprising a needle holder, a needle clamp hoop and a fixing jig. The needle holder has needle sockets to hold a plurality of needles. The needle clamp hoop is connected to the needle holder to retain needles in the sockets. The fixing jig is connected to the needle clamp hoop to couple with a reciprocating bar of the stitching machine. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear upper comprises laying out a first sheet of material; positioning a second sheet of material to overlap with the first sheet of material at an overlap; positioning a felt material adjacent the overlap so that the second sheet of material is between the first sheet of material and the felt material; and felting the felt material to draw fibers of the felt material through the first and second sheets of material.

The invention relates to an arrangement comprising a visible seam, which is arranged in a sheet material part. The arrangement also includes a lighting apparatus, which is arranged beneath an underside of the sheet material part. The visible seam has an upper thread and a lower thread. The lower thread extends along the underside of the sheet material part in a direction (R). The upper thread has first thread portions along the upper side of the sheet material part and is guided, at stitch holes formed during the sewing process, through said stitch holes via second thread portions. By means of the lighting apparatus, emitted light passes into the second thread portions, into the stitch holes, and from there into the first thread portions. Some of the light propagates along the first thread portions, starting from an adjacent second thread portion, whereas another portion of the light exits from the first thread portion. In this way, the upper thread of the visible seam is illuminated.

The invention relates to an arrangement comprising a visible seam, which is arranged in a sheet material part. The arrangement also includes a lighting apparatus, which is arranged beneath an underside of the sheet material part. The visible seam has an upper thread and a lower thread. The lower thread extends along the underside of the sheet material part in a direction (R). The upper thread has first thread portions along the upper side of the sheet material part and is guided, at stitch holes formed during the sewing process, through said stitch holes via second thread portions. By means of the lighting apparatus, emitted light passes into the second thread portions, into the stitch holes, and from there into the first thread portions. Some of the light propagates along the first thread portions, starting from an adjacent second thread portion, whereas another portion of the light exits from the first thread portion. In this way, the upper thread of the visible seam is illuminated.

A floral sewing needle assembly for sewing flower petals into a garland includes a sewing needle that has a diameter being no greater than 0.81 mm. In this way the sewing needle can pierce a flower petal without damaging the flower petal. The sewing needle has a length of at least 233.0 mm to facilitate a plurality of flower petals to be positioned on the sewing needle.

A floral sewing needle assembly for sewing flower petals into a garland includes a sewing needle that has a diameter being no greater than 0.81 mm. In this way the sewing needle can pierce a flower petal without damaging the flower petal. The sewing needle has a length of at least 233.0 mm to facilitate a plurality of flower petals to be positioned on the sewing needle.

Provided is a sewing machine including: a cylinder unit 3 configured to support two materials Fi and Fo having annular edges by being inserted therethrough while they are stacked, with one being located on the inner wheel side and the other being located on the outer wheel side; a stitch plate 12 configured to support the material Fi on the inner wheel side supported by the cylinder unit 3 by abutting it from below; a material presser 13 configured to press the material Fo on the outer wheel side supported by the cylinder unit 3 above the stitch plate 12; and a material sandwiching unit 41 provided on the near side of the stitch plate 12 and the material presser 13 and configured to sandwich, from above and below, the two materials Fi and Fo stacked, with the material Fi on the inner wheel side being located on the lower side and the material Fo on the outer wheel side being located on the upper side.

A needle assembly for a stitching machine comprises a stitching jig comprising a needle holder, a needle clamp hoop and a fixing jig. The needle holder has needle sockets to hold a plurality of needles. The needle clamp hoop is connected to the needle holder to retain needles in the sockets. The fixing jig is connected to the needle clamp hoop to couple with a reciprocating bar of the stitching machine. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear upper comprises laying out a first sheet of material; positioning a second sheet of material to overlap with the first sheet of material at an overlap; positioning a felt material adjacent the overlap so that the second sheet of material is between the first sheet of material and the felt material; and felting the felt material to draw fibers of the felt material through the first and second sheets of material.