Skipped-stitch mechanism on a sewing machine

A skipped-stitch mechanism for a sewing machine comprising:

• a needle bar connected to a needle bar driver and containing a radial aperture therein, said needle bar being adapted to oscillate in a longitudinal direction,
• a first control device for producing lateral swing-out motions of the needle bar in order to make different zigzag stitches,
• a coupling device coacting with the needle bar, and
• a second control device for operating the coupling device so as to intermittently separate the needle bar from its driving member under the control of a program device, in order to skip the stitching,
• said coupling device including a radially movable spring-biased bolt positioned on the needle bar driver and engaging the radial aperture in the needle bar,
• a disengaging lever operatively associated with said radially movable spring-biased bolt and operated independently of the lateral position of the needle bar in the upper section of its path of motion by a program-controlled control lever in a direction of disengagement of the needle bar, and
• a pawl member provided for the disengaged needle bar and placed on the housing of the sewing machine so as to positively hold the needle bar in its upper final position, said control lever acting simultaneously in its position of disengagement on said pawl member.