THE PARTS OF A SINGLE NEEDLE
LOCKSTITCH MACHINE
Cotton stand:
The cotton stand holds the cones of thread that feed the needle and the
bobbin winder.
Bench:
This is the industry name for the table that the head of the machine sits
into; the part of the bench to your left is for your fabric to sit on as you
sew.
Bed:
The part of the machine that sits level with the bench. Your fabric will sit
on the bed of the machine as you sew.
Thread guides:
The thread guides are there to hold the thread in place and to stop the
thread from getting to needle too fast.
Oil gauge window:
When you sew fast, you can see the oil moving in the window, this can help
you to check out the amount of oil in the machine.
handouts- single needle parts
20 February, 2011
1
Cut-off thread tension:
The cut-off thread tension controls the length of thread left on the needle
after you use the thread cutters.
Pressure screw:
This controls the amount of pressure on the machine foot; you may need to
adjust this if your fabric is very heavy or very light.
Pressure foot:
This is the part of the machine that holds the fabric in place as you sew.
You can change the amount of pressure on the foot by adjusting the
pressure screw.
Top thread tension:
The thread goes between the tension disks, which sit at the back of the
upper tension.
The thread should sit in the middle of the disks.
This is the main control on the thread so it is important that you know how
to thread it correctly.
Take up lever:
This moves the thread up and down in line with the needle; this helps to keep
the correct amount of tension on the thread before it gets to the needle.
handouts- single needle parts
20 February, 2011
2
Needle:
The
The
The
The
last part of the machine to be threaded is the eye of the needle.
needle has a long groove and a scarf.
long groove is on the left.
thread must lay in the long groove before threading.
Feed dog:
A set of steel teeth that helps to pull or feed the fabric under the pressure
foot when the machine is sewing.
Throat plate:
The part of the machine that covers the feed dog and bobbin area.
Stitch length regulator:
Is at the right of the machine just above the backtack lever. It makes the
stitch length.
The numbers on the stitch length regulator indicate the size of the stitch.
A small number will make a small stitch and the larger number will make a
bigger stitch.
Backtack lever:
When you hold this lever down the machine will sew backwards, much like the
reverse gear in your car.
handouts- single needle parts
20 February, 2011
3
Hand-wheel or fly wheel
This wheel turns in a clockwise direction when the machine is sewing.
You can use it to position the needle for threading or sewing.
Bobbin winder:
The bobbin winder winds the thread onto the bobbin; it has a tension disk to
control the amount of thread going onto the bobbin.
You need to check that you have threaded the tension disk correctly.
Power switch:
The power switch box is at the front of the machine, just under the machine
bench. It can be mounted on the right or left hand side of the bench.
The power switch has two buttons, the green button is the on button and the
red is the off button.
For safety reasons, the machine needs to be turned off when you are
threading or cleaning.
Knee lifter:
The knee lifter is used to lift the foot when you need to remove your work
from the machine or to turn a corner when you are sewing. Some modern
machines do not have a knee lift; in this case, you need to use the treadle to
lift the foot.
Treadle:
Located close to the floor in front of the machine, the treadle is like an
accelerator in a car. The more pressure that you apply the faster the
machine will go. If your machine is an automatic, then you can use the
treadle to activate the thread cutters, which will cut the top and bottom
thread automatically for you.
handouts- single needle parts
20 February, 2011
4