Apparatus for changing color work in an embroidering process

Claim 1

IN AN EMBROIDERING APPARATUS OF THE CLASS IN WHICH THERE ARE A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED PARALLEL PATHWAYS FOR THE OPERATIVE MOVEMENT OF EMBROIDERY NEEDLES, A PLURALITY OF SETS OF PARALLEL EMBROIDERY NEEDLES, THE NEEDLES OF EACH SET BEING SPACED TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SPACING OF SAID PATHWAYS, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE FINGERS SUPPORTING SAID RESPECTIVE NEEDLES, A NEEDLE BED HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SLOTS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID PATHWAYS AND SLIDABLY SUPPORTING THEREIN SAID NEEDLE FINGERS, THE NEEDLES OF ONE OF SAID SETS BEING DISPOSED IN OPERATIVE POSITION IN LINE WITH SAID PATHWAYS, MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID BED TO A POSITION WHERE THE NEEDLES OF ANOTHER SET ARE IN OPERATIVE POSITION IN LINE WITH SAID PATHWAYS, AND ACTUATING MEANS FOR OPERATIVELY ACTUATING THE NEEDLE FINGERS OF THE OPERATIVELY POSITIONED NEEDLES, WHEREBY THEY WILL BE CAUSED TO PERFORM STITCHING OPERATIONS, SAID ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID PATHWAYS AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE-FINGER ENGAGING PORTIONS SPACED TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SPACING OF SAID PATHWAYS AND POSITIONED IN LINE THEREWITH, SAID PORTIONS BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FINGERS OF AN OPERATIVELY POSITIONED SET OF NEEDLES.