An apparatus for stitching an interior component is disclosed herein. The component having an outer skin layer and the apparatus is a single needle chain stitch machine with a rotary looper and wherein a needle of the apparatus descends through the interior component and a hook of the rotary looper engages a thread loop formed during retraction of the needle after it has descended through the interior component; and wherein the apparatus further includes a mechanism for moving the interior component relative to the needle and looper to establish a stitch length.

A method of applying stitching to an interior component having an outer skin layer, a substrate layer and an intermediary layer located between the outer skin layer and the substrate layer is provided herein. The method including the steps of: a) penetrating the interior component to form a piercing therethrough; b) retracting the awl from the interior component; c) inserting a needle of a robotic sewing head through the piercing to grasp a thread; d) pulling the thread through the interior component; e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the component; f) advancing the robotic sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions; and g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component.

A method of applying stitching to an interior component having an outer skin layer, a substrate layer and an intermediary layer located between the outer skin layer and the substrate layer is provided herein. The method including the steps of: a) penetrating the interior component to form a piercing therethrough; b) retracting the awl from the interior component; c) inserting a needle of a robotic sewing head through the piercing to grasp a thread; d) pulling the thread through the interior component; e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the component; f) advancing the robotic sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions; and g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component.

An embroidery sewing machine including: a perforation head having a plurality of vertically reciprocating bars and punches where each punch includes a perforation head; a receiving base having a receiving member configured to receive the punch; a holder frame for supporting a workpiece in an expanded state between the punch and the receiving base, the holder frame being configured to be controlled to move in two-dimensional planar directions; and a tape feed mechanism feeding a tape-like cushioning material having a wider width than at least a processing area of the punch, wherein the material is fed from the front/rear direction and between the workpiece supported in the holder frame and an upper surface of the receiving member, and wherein an upstream portion of the material is shifted downstream to where the receiving member is located according to the vertically reciprocating motion of the punch.

An embroidery sewing machine including: a perforation head having a plurality of vertically reciprocating bars and punches where each punch includes a perforation head; a receiving base having a receiving member configured to receive the punch; a holder frame for supporting a workpiece in an expanded state between the punch and the receiving base, the holder frame being configured to be controlled to move in two-dimensional planar directions; and a tape feed mechanism feeding a tape-like cushioning material having a wider width than at least a processing area of the punch, wherein the material is fed from the front/rear direction and between the workpiece supported in the holder frame and an upper surface of the receiving member, and wherein an upstream portion of the material is shifted downstream to where the receiving member is located according to the vertically reciprocating motion of the punch.

A method of manufacturing a midsole for an article of footwear includes cutting a pattern of openings at least partway through a midsole with a cutting tool driven by an embroidery machine. An article of footwear includes a midsole defining a pattern of openings extending at least partway through the midsole. An inner surface of the midsole is contoured and the midsole includes upwardly-extending sidewalls. At least some of the openings extend relatively nonparallel with one another through the sidewalls and splay away from one another along longitudinal axes of the openings.

A manufacturing method of a trim cover surface material, includes: providing a jig including a first frame configured to hold an outer periphery of an outer material and a second frame configured to hold an outer periphery of a wadding material by overlapping the wadding material on the outer material which is held by the first frame; holding the outer periphery of the outer material with the first frame of the jig; forming through holes at the outer material which is held by the jig; holding the outer periphery of the wadding material with the second frame of the jig while the outer material is held by the first frame of the jig; and forming stitches at the outer material and the wadding material which are overlapped and held by the jig.

A manufacturing method of a trim cover surface material, includes: providing a jig including a first frame configured to hold an outer periphery of an outer material and a second frame configured to hold an outer periphery of a wadding material by overlapping the wadding material on the outer material which is held by the first frame; holding the outer periphery of the outer material with the first frame of the jig; forming through holes at the outer material which is held by the jig; holding the outer periphery of the wadding material with the second frame of the jig while the outer material is held by the first frame of the jig; and forming stitches at the outer material and the wadding material which are overlapped and held by the jig.

A punching device is provided with a punching head, a vacuum apparatus, a suction flow passage, and a suction switching apparatus. The punching head includes a plurality of hollow rods that move vertically, and punching tools each having an axially extending through hole provided at each front end of the hollow rods. The vacuum apparatus serves to suck punched chips generated during the punching process of the punching head. The suction flow passage selectively communicates the through holes of the punching tools with the vacuum apparatus. The suction switching apparatus changes a path of the suction flow passage so that the suction flow passage communicates only with a hollow rod performing a punching process, among the plurality of hollow rods.

An embroidery sewing machine including: a perforation head having a plurality of vertically reciprocating bars and punches where each punch includes a perforation head; a receiving base having a receiving member configured to receive the punch; a holder frame for supporting a workpiece in an expanded state between the punch and the receiving base, the holder frame being configured to be controlled to move in two-dimensional planar directions; and a tape feed mechanism feeding a tape-like cushioning material having a wider width than at least a processing area of the punch, wherein the material is fed from the front/rear direction and between the workpiece supported in the holder frame and an upper surface of the receiving member, and wherein an upstream portion of the material is shifted downstream to where the receiving member is located according to the vertically reciprocating motion of the punch.