Patent ID: 7918169

Claim:
A fabric retaining device for holding an article to be embroidered to a pantograph of an embroidery machine selected from a variety of different embroidery machines, said device comprising: a first hooping member defining a first opening; a second hooping member defining a second opening; wherein one of said first and said second hooping members comprises a plurality of individual spaced apart magnets; wherein the other of said first and said second hooping members comprises a material to attract the magnets of the other of said hooping members, whereby said article to be embroidered is retained between the first hooping member and the second hooping member by the magnetic attraction between said first and said second hooping members; a first mounting arm adapted to receive one of said first and second hooping members and said selected embroidery machine pantograph; said first mounting arm being interchangeable with a second mounting arm for attachment to a pantograph of another embroidery machine selected from said variety of different embroidery machines; one of said first and said second hooping members being releasably attached to a first end of said first mounting arm; a second end of said first mounting arm configured for releasably attaching with the pantograph of the selected embroidery machine; and wherein the other of said first and second hooping members is attached to said hooping member with at least one mounting arm solely by magnetic attraction.