Quilting machines

Claim 1

A QUILTING MACHINE WHICH COMPRISES A STITCHING UNIT COMPRISING AT LEAST THREE SPACED PARALLEL NEEDLE BARS, EACH NEEDLE BAR HAVING NEEDLE MOUNTING ELEMENTS MOUNTING A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES, SAID NEEDLES BEING ARRANGED ON EACH OF SAID NEEDLE BARS IN PAIRS OF NEEDLES CLOSELY SPACED TO FORM A DOUBLE LINE OF STICHES, SAID PAIRS OF NEEDLES BEING WIDELY SPACED ALONG EACH NEEDLE BAR, A NEEDLE PLATE BELOW SAID NEEDLE BARS HAVING OPENINGS FOR THE PASSAGE OF SAID NEEDLES THERETHROUGH, SHUTTLE BARS BELOW SAID NEEDLE PLATE, ONE PAIR FOR EACH PAIR OF NEEDLES RECIPROCABLE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID NEEDLE BARS, A SHUTTLE BASKET FOR EACH NEEDLE BAR ON EACH SHUTTLE BAR, THE SHUTTLE BASKETS ON EACH SIDE OF EACH PAIR OF NEEDLES BEING POSITIONED TO PASS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE NEEDLES OF SAID PAIR, YOKES SUPPORTING SAID THREE NEEDLE BARS, A PAIR OF GUIDE BARS FOR EACH YOKE, EACH OF SAID GUIDE RODS BEING RIGIDLY SECURED TO ITS RESPECTIVE YOKE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID YOKE AND SPACED IN A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTH OF SAID NEEDLE BARS, PAIRS OF BRACKETS, ONE FOR EACH PAIR OF GUIDE RODS, POSITIONED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER TO GUIDE SAID GUIDE RODS, AND MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID YOKES UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TO RECIPROCATE THE NEEDLES AT SUCCESSIVE INTERVALS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID NEEDLE PLATE AND REVERSELY, A FABRIC FEED UNIT POSITIONED TO PASS AN ASSEMBLY OF QUILTING ELEMENTS OVER SAID NEEDLE PLATE, AND FABRIC FEED UNIT COMPRISING FABRIC SUPPLY ROLLS FOR SAID QUILTING ELEMENTS HAVING SHAFTS JOURNALED TO RELATE WITH SAID ROLLS, AN APRON BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY ROLLS AND SAID NEEDLE PLATE, DRAW-OFF ROLLS POSITIONED TO DRAW QUILTED FABRIC FROM SAID NEEDLE PLATE, MEANS TO DRIVE SAID DRAW-OFF ROLLS TO ADVANCE SAID QUILTING ASSEMBLY BETWEEN EACH RECIPROCATION OF SAID NEEDLES AND TO SHIFT SAID UNIT TO PASS SAID ASSEMBLY OF QUILTING ELEMENTS TRANSVERSELY OF ITS DIRECTION OF PASSAGE TO SAID NEEDLES BETWEEN RECIPROCATIONS OF SAID NEEDLES AND A COMMON DRIVE SHAFT FOR SAID MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID YOKES AND FOR SAID MEANS TO ADVANCE SAID QUILTING ASSEMBLY AND TO SHIFT SAID FABRIC FEED UNIT.