Embroidery sewing machine

Abstract

In a head group comprising two or more machine heads ( 3, 4 ) provided in proximity to each other so that each of the machine heads can perform embroidery sewing on an embroidering area of an embroidery frame on which a cylindrically-shaped embroidering workpiece is set, at least one of the machine heads is a multi-needle machine head ( 3 ). There are also provided a color change mechanism ( 20 ) for selectively positioning a desired needle at a predetermined operating position in the multi-needle machine head, a rotary hook bed ( 5 ) provided for each of the head group for shared use between the machine heads. There is provided a horizontal movement mechanism ( 30 ) for disposing the individual machine heads and the color change mechanism for horizontal movement relative to the rotary hook beds and horizontally moving the individual machine heads and the color change mechanism together to place any one of the machine heads in each of the head groups in positional correspondence to the rotary hook bed.

1 . An embroidery sewing machine for a cylindrically-shaped embroidering workpiece, said embroidery sewing machine comprising:
 a head group comprising two or more machine heads disposed in proximity to each other so that each of the machine heads can perform embroidery sewing on an embroidering area of an embroidery frame on which the cylindrically-shaped embroidering workpiece is set, at least one of the two or more machine heads being a multi-needle machine head having a plurality of needles;   a color change mechanism for selectively positioning a desired one of the needles at a predetermined operating position in the multi-needle machine head;   a rotary hook bed provided for each of the head group for shared use between the machine heads in the head group and corresponding to one said embroidering workpiece; and   a horizontal movement mechanism for disposing individual ones of the machine heads and said color change mechanism for horizontal movement relative to the rotary hook beds and horizontally moving the individual machine heads and said color change mechanism together to place any one of the machine heads in each of the head groups in positional correspondence to said rotary hook bed.   
   
   
       2 . An embroidery sewing machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a plurality of the head groups are arranged horizontally at predetermined intervals and a plurality of the rotary hook beds are arranged horizontally at predetermined intervals in corresponding relation to the plurality of the head groups, and wherein said horizontal mechanism moves the plurality of the head groups and said color change mechanism together horizontally relative to the rotary hook beds. 
   
   
       3 . An embroidery sewing machine as claimed in either  claim 1  or  2  wherein each of the multi-needle machine heads in each of the heads groups includes a slidable needle bar case having a plurality of sewing needles arranged horizontally,
 said color change mechanism includes a slide drive member connected to the needle bar case of each of the multi-needle machine heads, a drive section for selectively positioning a desired one of the needles of each of the needle bar cases at a predetermined operating position by driving said slide drive member to slide by a predetermined amount, and a base having said drive section fixed thereto,   the machine heads in each of the head groups are interconnected via a mounting plate, the mounting plate being mounted for horizontal movement relative to a machine frame so that each of the machine heads is movable horizontally relative to the machine frame, and   said horizontal movement mechanism includes an interlocking member interconnecting the mounting plate and the base of said color change mechanism and a drive mechanism for horizontally moving the interlocking member, the interlocking member being horizontally moved by the drive mechanism so that each of the machine heads and said color change mechanism are horizontally moved together.