What are the parts of an industrial coverstitch machine called?

1Machine head

This is the coverstitch machine itself: the body that houses all the mechanisms. There are flatbed, cylinder bed (for closing sleeves and legs already assembled) and raised bed models, the latter widely used for binding.

2Handwheel

The wheel on the right-hand side. Always turn it in the direction shown by the arrow on the machine. On many coverstitch machines the stitch length is changed by pressing a button and turning the handwheel to the number you want.

3Thread stand

It sits behind the machine and holds one cone per thread: one per needle, one for the looper and another for the spreader if the machine also covers on top. In total, three to five cones.

4Thread guide

The eyelets and bar each thread passes through from the thread stand to its tension unit. If a thread misses a guide, the stitch comes out loose or skips.

5Tension units

One tension unit per thread: one for each needle, one for the looper and one for the spreader. The needle tensions are almost the same; the looper tension sets how tight the chainstitch underneath is.

8Presser foot pressure adjustment

The screw on top of the presser bar. It is tightened or loosened according to the thickness and stretch of the fabric. With too much pressure, fine knits get marked and stretched.

15Oil reservoir

Also called: sump

Industrial coverstitch machines lubricate themselves with a pump that takes oil from the reservoir in the base. It has a level indicator that is worth checking before starting.

6Needles

Two or three needles in parallel, depending on the machine. The distance between them is called the gauge (for example 4.0, 4.8 or 6.4 mm). Coverstitch machines usually use the UY 128 GAS system, different from flatbed lockstitch machines and overlockers.

7Presser foot

Also called: foot, presser

Presses the material against the feed dogs. It has a slot for each needle and matches the machine’s gauge: if you change the needle spacing, you also change the presser foot.

9Needle plate

The plate the needles go down through, with a hole for each one. It is part of the gauge set together with the presser foot, feed dogs and needle clamp.

10Feed dogs

Also called: feed, feeder

As on the overlocker, there are two sets: the main feed and the differential feed. Together they move the fabric on each stitch.

11Differential regulator

It changes how far the differential feed moves compared with the main feed. On knits and lycra, this is what stops the hem from coming out wavy or stretched.

12Spreader

Also called: top cover thread spreader, top cover

It sits above the presser foot and spreads a thread from side to side over the needles. It is what covers the seam on the top side in stitches 602 and 605. Coverstitch machines that only cover underneath don’t have one.

13Looper

Also called: looper

It sits under the plate. It picks up the loops of all the needles at once and forms the chainstitch that covers the seam underneath. It does the job of the hook on a lockstitch machine.

14Automatic thread trimmer

Many industrial coverstitch machines have one. At the end of the seam it cuts the threads using the pedal, without scissors. On machines with a vacuum, it also takes away the thread ends.

16Binder

An accessory fitted in front of the presser foot to fold a strip of fabric and sew it to the edge in a single pass. It is the typical coverstitch job on collars, armholes and necklines of T-shirts.