A needle bar stud having a break away region to induce part failure in the needle bar stud and not in the reciprocating slide block in an embroidery machine. The improved needle bar stud with the break away region features a replaceable insert to allow quick and easy repair of the embroidery machine when a jam occurs and the needle bar stud is damaged.

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.

A needle inserter comprising an elongated handle having a first end portion and a second end portion, a releasable support at the first end portion and an elongated element extending perpendicularly from the first end portion and includes a perpendicular extending distal end. The needle inserter operates such that an embroidery needle is supported on the needle inserter by the releasable support and by the distal end. The needle inserter further operates to allow a user to hold the needle inserter to move the embroidery needle such that the embroidery needle engages with the retaining member such that the embroidery needle is retained in its proper orientation and alignment and to allow the user to move the needle inserter such that the embroidery needle disengages from the needle inserter.

A needle inserter comprising an elongated handle having a first end portion and a second end portion, a releasable support at the first end portion and an elongated element extending perpendicularly from the first end portion and includes a perpendicular extending distal end. The needle inserter operates such that an embroidery needle is supported on the needle inserter by the releasable support and by the distal end. The needle inserter further operates to allow a user to hold the needle inserter to move the embroidery needle such that the embroidery needle engages with the retaining member such that the embroidery needle is retained in its proper orientation and alignment and to allow the user to move the needle inserter such that the embroidery needle disengages from the needle inserter.

The present invention discloses a multi-needle bar module for sewing machines. Such a multi-needle bar module may be additionally mounted on the existing sewing machines, so that the existing sewing machines may be easily retrofitted into multi-needle bar sewing machines. The multi-needle bar module is not limited to a two-needle bar structure, and may be assembled with three, four or more needle bars according to actual requirements, solving the problem that both the single-needle bar sewing machines and the two-needle-bar sewing machines require manual change of threads in the process of sewing a pattern due to insufficient color varieties of the upper threads. The multi-needle-bar module guides each needle bar via the first horizontal guideway and the second horizontal guideway, and feeds a specific needle bar into the neck of the needle bar driving block via the driving mechanism. Such a multi-needle bar module has the advantages of simple structure and automatic control.

The present invention discloses a multi-needle bar module for sewing machines. Such a multi-needle bar module may be additionally mounted on the existing sewing machines, so that the existing sewing machines may be easily retrofitted into multi-needle bar sewing machines. The multi-needle bar module is not limited to a two-needle bar structure, and may be assembled with three, four or more needle bars according to actual requirements, solving the problem that both the single-needle bar sewing machines and the two-needle-bar sewing machines require manual change of threads in the process of sewing a pattern due to insufficient color varieties of the upper threads. The multi-needle-bar module guides each needle bar via the first horizontal guideway and the second horizontal guideway, and feeds a specific needle bar into the neck of the needle bar driving block via the driving mechanism. Such a multi-needle bar module has the advantages of simple structure and automatic control.

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.