Fully rotating hook for a lock stitch sewing machine

In a [vertically oriented] fully rotating hook assembly for a lock stitch sewing machine and being of the type including an inner bobbin case for supporting a thread bobbin, said bobbin case having formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof a track projection extending circumferentially of said bobbin case over a portion of the circumference thereof, an outer loop taker mounted about said bobbin case[,] said loop taker having formed in an inner peripheral surface thereof a track groove extending circumferentially of said loop taker over a portion of the circumference thereof, means for rotating said loop taker about [a vertical] an axis such that relative rotation occurs between said loop taker and said bobbin case, with such rotation being guided by said projection fitting within said groove, and means for reducing friction during such rotation between adjacent surfaces of said projection and groove, the improvement wherein said friction reducing means comprises:

• means for injecting compressed air into a clearance between said adjacent surfaces and thereby for forming an air [films] film between [upper, lower and radially outermost] said adjacent surfaces of said projection and [adjacent complementary said surfaces of] said groove;
• said injecting means comprising at least one air passage formed in said loop taker, a plurality of air holes opening into said groove and connected to said air passage, and means for supplying compressed air to said air passage and thereby injecting the compressed air through said air holes into said clearance;
• said supplying means comprising said rotating means being in the form of a hollow rotatable shaft fixed to [the bottom of] said loop taker, said shaft having therethrough a passage connected to said air passage in said loop taker, said shaft having therethrough a hole connected to said passage in said shaft, and means for introducing compressed air through said hole into said passage in said shaft;
• and
• said introducing means comprising a pipe fixed in position surrounding a portion of said shaft having therein said hole, said shaft being rotatable within said pipe, means defining a sealed clearance between said shaft and said pipe, said sealed clearance being connected to said hole, and an air feed pipe connected to said pipe for supplying compressed air therethrough and into said sealed clearance.