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Technical Manual: Crochet and Crochet Shell
Crochet and Crochet
Shell Machines Troubleshooting
BREAKING LATCH HOOKS
Check the setting of the Hook versus the Needle. The Hook
should pass the NNeedle on its outward and inward strokes through the Scarf
Area of the Needle. Make sure the Needle Guard is set flush to the back edge of
the Needle. It helps to align the Needle or Needle Bar and Needle so that the
Scarf of the Needle when viewed from above would run from 8:00 to 2:00 as
opposed to dead flat (9:00 to 3:00). The Latch hook itself can be set with a
slight downward tilt from rear to front; this gains room between the Latch and
the Needle and aids in the Latch Hook’s shedding process. The Hook Carrier
Guide can be so tight that it is forcing the Hook into the Needle. Loosen the
Hook Carrier Guide Screw and tap the Hook Carrier Guide towards the rear of the
machine. Warning: too loose and the Hook will not engage the
Needle.
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LOOSE STITCHES
The stitch is loose on the fabric. Adjust Edge Guide to
allow more material to get into the stitch. Tighten Thread Tension(s). You may
have the wrong Crochet Machine for your particular application. The main Cams
fix the width of the stitch in these machines. You can’t make an 18-E
(1/2") produce a _" stitch by tightening the Thread Tension, or
changing a Finger Plate.
SKIPPED STITCHES
As a general rule, try replacing the Latch Hook and/or the
Needle when a skipping problem is present. Some times the Latch Hook or the
Needle has become bent or damaged slightly, and therefore not sewing correctly.
If you still have a skip, determine the nature and location of the stitch, and
it will help you correct the problem. Does the skip always occur at or near a
specific location, if so it probably has to do with handling or thickness of
the material. Handling cause a skip when the operator pulls the goods off the
Finger as the stitch is being formed. Thickness or a tight corner can cause a
skip as the stitch can only be formed at speed in a consistent smooth manner. A
single skip that is consistently a set distance apart on the goods shows a
disturbance in the flow of the thread to the machine. Check for proper
threading, check the Thread Guides for burrs, check the Thread Stand, and check
the spool of yarn itself. The thread can wrap around the Thread Stand and cause
extra drag. The Spool itself can have a consistent bad spot every so many
inches that are due to damage or tension during its winding process. A skip on
the top of the goods versus the bottom points you to the relationship between
the Needle and the Latch Hook. A skip on top of the goods means the Latch is
not picking off the Needle above the work, or the Latch is not shedding the
loop properly. A skip on the bottom of the goods means that the Hook is not
catching the thread off the Needle below the Needle Plate. Adjustment of Hook
Setting, (length and tilt) and adjustment of the Needle Timing in relation to
the Latch Hook should correct this problem. Skipping can also occur if the Feed
Dogs are dull or improperly set. Poor feeding doesn’t allow the natural
chaining of the stitch to occur, thus changing the timing of the interaction of
the loops. Note that fabric and Stitch Guards can also cause this poor
chaining. On some of the Crochet Machines the Presser Foot must be in place in
order for the machine to stitch. This again is because the foot holds the
thread in time and location to allow the interaction of the Hook and Needle.
The Supplemental Thread Carrier on some models also plays a key role, whether
it is carrying a thread or not. The Supplemental Thread Carrier actually pushes
the thread from the Needle above the Plate back into the Latch Hook; similar to
the way the Presser Foot on some models holds the same thread to be caught by
the Latch Hook. The Moving Cast Off Horn and the Fixed Cast Off Horn also can
cause a skip if improperly set, they must force the shedding of the loop down
the Latch Hook past the Latch. This allows the Latch to close around the next
loop and interlock the two loops thus forming a stitch.
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BREAKING NEEDLES
Check that Needle is set properly. Check the setting of
Needle Guard. Make sure you are using a suitable size Needle for the style of
machine, and the material you are sewing.
NEEDLE HOLES
Check the size of the Needle. Make sure you are using the
smallest possible for your application. Use Ball Points if available.
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