Thread holding and releasing system in change-color embroidery machines

Claim 1

IN AN EMBROIDERING APPARATUS, OF THE CLASS IN WHICH THERE ARE A PLURALITY OF SETS OF THREAD-CARRYING NEEDLES RECIPROCATINGLY MOVABLE BETWEEN RETRACTED AND PROJECTED POSITIONS, A SHEET OF FABRIC POSITIONED IN OPERATIVE EMBROIDERING RELATION TO SAID NEEDLES, AND THREAD SECTIONS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FABRIC AND THE NEEDLES WHEN THE LATTER ARE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE RETRACTED POSITIONS, THE COMBINATION OF SHIFTING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID NEEDLES LATERALLY TO AND FROM PREDETERMINED SELECTED OPERATIVE EMBROIDERING POSITIONS, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATINGLY ACTUATING OPERATIVELY POSITIONED NEEDLES TO PERFORM STICHING OPERATIONS, SEPARATE THREAD HOLDING MEANS IN COACTIVE RELATION WITH SAID RESPECTIVE SETS OF NEEDLES, THE THREAD-HOLDING MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID SETS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF THREAD-ENGAGING MEMBERS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF NEEDLES IN THE SET AND IN ADJACENT RELATION TO THE RESPECTIVE THREAD SECTIONS THEREOF, SAID MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN OPERATIVE AND INOPERATIVE LIMITING POSITIONS, SAID MEMBERS WHEN IN THEIR SAID OPERATIVE POSITIONS HAVING PORTIONS THEREOF IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING THREAD SECTIONS AND WHEN IN THEIR SAID INOPERATIVE LIMITING POSITIONS HAVING SAID PORTIONS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, ANVIL MEANS IN COACTIVE RELATION WITH SAID RESPECTIVE MEMBERS AND POSITIONED FOR SUPPORTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE THREAD SECTIONS OPERATIVE ENGAGED BY SAID MEMBERS WHEN DISPOSED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE OPERATIVE LIMITING POSITIONS, MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID HOLDING MEANS LATERALLY COACTIVELY WITH SAID NEEDLE SHIFTING MEANS, AND SIMILTANEOUS ACTUATING MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING ALL THE THREAD-ENAGING MEMBERS OF A SELECTED SET BETWEEN THEIR SAID LIMITING POSITIONS, SAID ANVIL MEANS BEING POSITIONED BELOW SAID RESPECTIVE THREAD-ENGAGING MEMBERS, SAID SIMULTANEOUS ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A SET OF MOVABLE ELEMENTS FOR EACH OF SAID SETS OF THREAD-HOLDING MEANS, SAID ELEMENTS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ALL THE THREAD-ENGAGING MEMBERS OF THE CORRESPONDING SET OF THREAD-HOLDING MEANS, AND SELECTIVE MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUATING THE SAID MOVABLE ELEMENTS FOR A SELECTED SET OF SAID ELEMENTS BETWEEN PREDETERMINED LIMITING POSITIONS THEREBY TO SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVE SAID COACTIVE THREADENGAGING MEMBERS BETWEEN THEIR RESPECTIVE LIMITING POSITIONS, SAID MOVABLE ELEMENTS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BELLCRANKS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO SAID THREAD-ENGAGING MEMBERS, A SHAFT SUPPORTING SAID BELLCRANKS, EACH OF SAID BELLCRANKS HAVING TWO ARMS, ONE ARM BEING CONNECTED TO THE CORRESPONDING THREAD-ENGAGING MEMBER AND THE OTHER ARM HAVING A CAM FOLLOWER THEREON, AND CAM MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGING THE CAM FOLLOWERS OF THE BELLCRANKS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE THREAD-ENGAGING MEMBERS OF SELECTED SET.