A needle bar 4 is supported by a needle bar supporter in a manner freely movable up and down relative to a frame. A crank 2 is fixed to an upper shaft 1, rotates with the upper shaft 1, and an output end thereof moves circularly. A crank rod 3 is connected to the crank 2 in a freely rotatable manner. A connection rod 8 is connected to an intermediate portion of the crank rod 3 in a freely rotatable manner, and is connected to the needle bar 4 in a freely rotatable manner. A length of the needle bar 4 and a length from a connecting position of the connection rod 8 and the crank rod 3 to a slider 7 differ. When the crank 2 circularly moves, the connecting position of the connection rod 8 and the crank rod 3 draws a trajectory of an ellipse.

A sewing system serves for sewing seams which the multi-dimensionally in space. A needle-bar upper part of a sewing head is mounted so as to be pivotable in a driven manner about a needle-bar longitudinal axis. A gripper lower part is mounted so as to be pivotable in a driven manner, and in a manner synchronous with the needle-bar upper part, about the needle-bar longitudinal axis, in the sewing-head lower part. Motor components for driving the movement of a needle bar, for pivoting the needle-bar upper part, for driving a gripper in a manner synchronous with the needle bar and for pivoting the gripper lower part are disposed outside the needle-bar upper part and outside the gripper lower part. Parts to be sewn that are topographically non-uniform are also rendered accessible.

A sewing system serves for sewing seams which the multi-dimensionally in space. A needle-bar upper part of a sewing head is mounted so as to be pivotable in a driven manner about a needle-bar longitudinal axis. A gripper lower part is mounted so as to be pivotable in a driven manner, and in a manner synchronous with the needle-bar upper part, about the needle-bar longitudinal axis, in the sewing-head lower part. Motor components for driving the movement of a needle bar, for pivoting the needle-bar upper part, for driving a gripper in a manner synchronous with the needle bar and for pivoting the gripper lower part are disposed outside the needle-bar upper part and outside the gripper lower part. Parts to be sewn that are topographically non-uniform are also rendered accessible.

A presser foot vertical drive device includes an upper shaft configured to vertically drive a needle, a presser foot drive cam fixed to the upper shaft, a presser foot urged downward over a needle plate, a cam follower configured to be vertically driven in contact with the presser foot drive cam, and a link configured to transmit the vertical drive of the cam follower to the presser foot. The presser foot drive cam includes a plurality of drive cams having cam surfaces for different presser foot vertical drive patterns. The cam follower includes a switching unit for selection of one drive cam from the presser foot drive cam.

A sewing machine for sewing a stitch into an article is provided. The sewing machine includes a support structure, a first head and a second head. The first head is coupled to the support structure and includes a coupler contained within a second actuator assembly and 360 rotatable relative to the support structure and a first stitching element rotatable with the coupler and translatable via a first actuator assembly relative to the coupler. The second head is coupled to the support structure and includes a coupler contained within the second actuator assembly and 360 degree rotatable relative to the support structure and a second stitching element rotatable with the coupler via the first actuator assembly.

A kit for adding or replacing an automated upper walking foot stepping height adjustment to a sewing machine, the kit includes a mounting assembly including an actuator bracket, an actuator coupled to the actuator bracket, a drive assembly, and a needle drive assembly. The actuator includes an actuator shaft that extends and retracts. The drive assembly includes a drive shaft, a drive arm coupled to the drive shaft and the actuator shaft, and a guide coupled to the drive shaft. The needle drive assembly includes a variable drive crank coupled to the guide and configured to couple to a needle drive shaft of a sewing machine. Selectively extending and retracting the actuator shaft selectively adjusts a stepping height of an upper walking foot.

A kit for adding or replacing an automated upper walking foot stepping height adjustment to a sewing machine, the kit includes a mounting assembly including an actuator bracket, an actuator coupled to the actuator bracket, a drive assembly, and a needle drive assembly. The actuator includes an actuator shaft that extends and retracts. The drive assembly includes a drive shaft, a drive arm coupled to the drive shaft and the actuator shaft, and a guide coupled to the drive shaft. The needle drive assembly includes a variable drive crank coupled to the guide and configured to couple to a needle drive shaft of a sewing machine. Selectively extending and retracting the actuator shaft selectively adjusts a stepping height of an upper walking foot.

A sewing system comprises a sewing machine, a camera that captures an image of a reference position for sewing, a robot arm that holds the sewing machine and the camera, and a controller. The controller controls operations of forming a first stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine, and forming a second stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine after rotating the sewing machine at a prescribed angle about a rotation axis that passes through a needle center position stored by the controller. The controller further performs calibration processing that calibrates the needle center position stored by the controller, based on each position of the first stitch position and the second stitch position within image capture ranges of capture images that are obtained by capturing images of the first stitch position and the second stitch position using the camera.

A sewing system comprises a sewing machine, a camera that captures an image of a reference position for sewing, a robot arm that holds the sewing machine and the camera, and a controller. The controller controls operations of forming a first stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine, and forming a second stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine after rotating the sewing machine at a prescribed angle about a rotation axis that passes through a needle center position stored by the controller. The controller further performs calibration processing that calibrates the needle center position stored by the controller, based on each position of the first stitch position and the second stitch position within image capture ranges of capture images that are obtained by capturing images of the first stitch position and the second stitch position using the camera.

A kit for adding or replacing an automated upper walking foot stepping height adjustment to a sewing machine, the kit includes a mounting assembly including an actuator bracket, an actuator coupled to the actuator bracket, a drive assembly, and a needle drive assembly. The actuator includes an actuator shaft that extends and retracts. The drive assembly includes a drive shaft, a drive arm coupled to the drive shaft and the actuator shaft, and a guide coupled to the drive shaft. The needle drive assembly includes a variable drive crank coupled to the guide and configured to couple to a needle drive shaft of a sewing machine. Selectively extending and retracting the actuator shaft selectively adjusts a stepping height of an upper walking foot.