Patent ID: 7584708

Claim:
An embroidery machine, comprising: (a) a base; (b) a throat plate; (c) a head extending outwardly from the base; (d) a plurality of presser feet extending from the head toward the throat plate, each of the presser feet being movable relative to the head toward and away from the throat plate and being associated with a needle adapted to pass through an article to be embroidered, each of the presser feet being movable between a retracted position in which the presser feet are spaced from throat plate by a predetermined space and an extended position in which the presser feet are adapted to engage an article to be embroidered that is positioned in a sewing location between the presser feet and the throat plate; (e) a first clamping window, the first clamping window having a first embroidery opening; (f) a second clamping window having a second embroidery opening, the first and second damping windows being movable between first relative positions in which the second clamping window is spaced from the first clamping window and second relative positions in which the first and second openings are aligned with each other, the first and second clamping windows being cooperatively operative to clamp an article to be embroidered in the sewing location between the presser feet and the throat plate when the clamping windows are in their second relative positions; (g) a clamp for effectuating relative movement between the first and second clamping windows and applying a compressive force between the first and second windows when the clamping windows are in their second relative positions for securing an article to be embroidered therebetween, the clamp including at least one clamp arm interconnecting with the clamping windows and an actuator for applying a bending stress to be at least one clamp arm; (h) a panagraph, the clamp being secured to the panagraph, the panagraph being operative to effectuate two dimensional movement to the clamp and to move an article secured between the clamping windows relative to the needles in two-directional movement perpendicular to the predetermined space between the presser feet and the throat plate, the clamp, including the clamp arm and actuator, being dimensioned and configured to pass through the predetermined space between the presser feet and the throat plate so as to prevent damage if the panagraph positions the clamp in the space between the presser feet and the throat plate.