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 machine includes a driving unit, a throat plate, a pressing unit, a detecting unit and a control unit. The detecting unit includes a housing mounted to a connecting module of the pressing unit, a track ball rotatably disposed on the housing, and adapted for contact with a fabric placed on the throat plate, and a plurality of Hall-effect sensors disposed in the housing such that, when the fabric is moved on the throat plate, the track ball rotates relative to the fabric and the housing, so that a rotational speed of the track ball is detected by the Hall-effect sensors. The control unit is disposed for controlling a moving speed of a needle bar of the driving unit corresponding to the rotational speed of the track ball.

A sewing machine includes a driving unit, a throat plate, a pressing unit, a detecting unit and a control unit. The detecting unit includes a housing mounted to a connecting module of the pressing unit, a track ball rotatably disposed on the housing, and adapted for contact with a fabric placed on the throat plate, and a plurality of Hall-effect sensors disposed in the housing such that, when the fabric is moved on the throat plate, the track ball rotates relative to the fabric and the housing, so that a rotational speed of the track ball is detected by the Hall-effect sensors. The control unit is disposed for controlling a moving speed of a needle bar of the driving unit corresponding to the rotational speed of the track ball.

A sewing machine includes a driving unit, a throat plate, a pressing unit, a detecting unit and a control unit. The detecting unit includes a housing mounted to a connecting module of the pressing unit, a track ball rotatably disposed on the housing, and adapted for contact with a fabric placed on the throat plate, and a plurality of Hall-effect sensors disposed in the housing such that, when the fabric is moved on the throat plate, the track ball rotates relative to the fabric and the housing, so that a rotational speed of the track ball is detected by the Hall-effect sensors. The control unit is disposed for controlling a moving speed of a needle bar of the driving unit corresponding to the rotational speed of the track ball.

A sewing machine includes a driving unit, a throat plate, a pressing unit, a detecting unit and a control unit. The detecting unit includes a housing mounted to a connecting module of the pressing unit, a track ball rotatably disposed on the housing, and adapted for contact with a fabric placed on the throat plate, and a plurality of Hall-effect sensors disposed in the housing such that, when the fabric is moved on the throat plate, the track ball rotates relative to the fabric and the housing, so that a rotational speed of the track ball is detected by the Hall-effect sensors. The control unit is disposed for controlling a moving speed of a needle bar of the driving unit corresponding to the rotational speed of the track ball.

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 controller of a sewing machine acquires sewing data for forming a utility pattern continuously in a first direction, acquires a condition for sewing a tapering pattern including a tapering portion, generates a projection image representing the tapering pattern based on the sewing data and the condition, controls a needle bar, a feed dog, and an actuator in accordance with the sewing data to sew the utility pattern continuously in the first direction, after starting sewing of the utility pattern, controls a projector to project the projection image at a planned sewing position of the tapering pattern in a planned sewing size, and performs a tapering pattern sewing operation of, after starting projection of the projection image, controlling the needle bar, the feed dog, and the actuator in accordance with the sewing data and the condition to sew the tapering pattern that is continuous with the utility pattern.

A controller of a sewing machine acquires sewing data for forming a utility pattern continuously in a first direction, acquires a condition for sewing a tapering pattern including a tapering portion, generates a projection image representing the tapering pattern based on the sewing data and the condition, controls a needle bar, a feed dog, and an actuator in accordance with the sewing data to sew the utility pattern continuously in the first direction, after starting sewing of the utility pattern, controls a projector to project the projection image at a planned sewing position of the tapering pattern in a planned sewing size, and performs a tapering pattern sewing operation of, after starting projection of the projection image, controlling the needle bar, the feed dog, and the actuator in accordance with the sewing data and the condition to sew the tapering pattern that is continuous with the utility pattern.

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.