Thread spreading apparatus for use in overlock sewing machine

An apparatus for use in a sewing machine to form stitches in material with a looper thread and a needle thread, said apparatus comprising a base, a lower looper support connected with said base, said lower looper support being pivotal relative to said base about a first axis, said lower looper support being movable relative to said base along said first axis, a lower looper connected with said lower looper support and movable with said lower looper support relative to said base, a support member connected with said base, said support member being pivotal relative to said base about a second axis and about a third axis which extends transversely to said first and second axes, a thread positioner connected with said support member and movable with said support member relative to said base, and a drive assembly connected with said base and operable to pivot said support member about said second and third axes during movement of said lower looper support relative to said first axis.

An apparatus for use in a sewing machine having a plurality of movable needles to sew material with a plurality of needle threads and a looper thread as the material is moved along a feed path, said apparatus comprising a base, a lower looper connected with said base and movable relative to said base during operation of the sewing machine, and a thread positioner connected with said base and movable relative to said base along the material feed path and transversely to the material feed path during operation of the sewing machine, said thread positioner including first and second arms which extend transversely to said lower looper in a direction along the material feed path, said thread positioner being movable in a direction transverse to the material feed path from a first position to a second position, said first arm of said thread positioner being offset to a first side of paths of movement of first and second needles of said plurality of needles when said thread positioner is in the first position, said first arm of said thread positioner being disposed between paths of movement of the first and second needles of said plurality of needles and said second arm being offset to a second side of paths of movement of the first and second needles of said plurality of needles when said thread positioner is in the second position.

An apparatus for use in a sewing machine having a plurality of needles which are movable from a position above a needle plate to a position extending through a needle plate to sew material with a plurality of needle threads and a looper thread as the material is moved along the needle plate, said apparatus comprising a base, a lower looper connected with said base and movable relative to said base and needle plate during operation of the sewing machine, and a thread positioner connected with said base and movable relative to said base and needle plate during operation of the sewing machine, said thread positioner including first and second arms, said first arm of said thread positioner being disposed closer to the needle plate than said second arm of said thread positioner when the plurality of needles extend through the needle plate, said first arm of said thread positioner being engagable with the looper thread to position the looper thread relatively close to the needle plate.

An apparatus for use in a sewing machine having a plurality of needles which are movable to sew material with a plurality of needle threads and a looper thread as the material is moved along a needle plate, said apparatus comprising a base, a lower looper connected with said base and movable relative to said base and needle plate during operation of the sewing machine, and a thread positioner connected with said base and movable relative to said base and needle plate during operation of the sewing machine, said thread positioner including first and second arms, said first arm of said thread positioner having first and second edge portions, said first edge portion of said first arm of said thread positioner being disposed closer to said second arm of said thread positioner than said second edge portion of said first arm of said thread positioner, said first edge portion of said first arm of said thread positioner including a sloping portion which is engagable with one of the needle threads to deflect a portion of the one of the needle threads away from said lower looper, said sloping portion of said first arm of said thread positioner slopes away from an outer end portion of said first arm of said thread positioner and away from said second arm of said thread positioner.