Sewing machine for forming running-stitch seams

A sewing machine for forming running-stitch seams with a thread on an item supported on a supporting surface of the machine, comprising:

• a needle which has a tip and an open eye proximate thereto, said needle being orientated with a longitudinal axis thereof substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface and being actuatable with a reciprocating motion along said needle axis to pass cyclically along a path through the item and said supporting surface, carrying in each instance below and above said supporting surface a loop of thread of a thread draw;
• clamping means, for clamping one end of the thread draw, arranged above said supporting surface, with said one end being clamped at a beginning of a seam by said clamping means, while a further end of the thread draw is left free;
• a thread take-up wheel provided below said supporting surface, arranged on a plane that is substantially parallel to the needle axis, and having a wheel axis orientated substantially perpendicular to the needle axis, said wheel being composed of a fixed part, including a magazine for taken-up thread, and of a rotatable part, which is rotationally actuatable about the wheel axis;
• an actuation shaft, that is rotationally actuatable about a shaft axis, synchronously with the movement of said needle, said rotatable part of the wheel being mounted coaxially on said actuation shaft;
• a lower looper supported on said actuation shaft to engage the loop of thread carried below said supporting surface by said needle to take up, below said supporting surface, a portion of thread draw that lies between said needle and the free end of the thread draw and load said draw portion into said magazine formed in the fixed part of the thread take-up wheel;
• handling means for handling thread being provided below said supporting surface;
• first moving means for moving a portion of thread that lies between said item and said thread magazine away from the path of the needle;
• second moving means for moving said portion of thread between the item and the magazine toward the path of the needle;
• and separating means for separating two parts of the loop of thread engaged by said lower looper,
• wherein said second moving means for moving the thread toward the path of the needle comprises a fork element, said separator means comprises a separator element that is arranged proximate to said fork element and is movable so as to open the fork of said fork element in order to allow entry in the fork of a segment, located below said supporting surface, of a part of the loop of thread that lies, in each instance, between said lower looper and said end of the thread draw clamped at the beginning of the seam and close the fork of said fork element to retain inside the fork said segment of the part of the loop of thread.