Workpiece fabric holding device for use in sewing machine

A workpiece fabric holding device for holding a workpiece and relatively moving the workpiece to a needle location while continually holding the workpiece on a machine table, comprising;

• a lower plate movably supported for pressing the workpiece, and formed with an opening through which sewing portions including at least two sewing loci are exposed, the lower plate having a lower surface in contact with the workpiece;
• at least two upper plates supported movably in a horizontal direction on the lower plate, the upper plates provided with fabric clamping portions extendable into the opening and having lower surfaces, needle slits formed at the fabric clamping portions for allowing a sewing needle to pass therethrough, the needle slits having a configuration corresponding to the sewing loci, the lower surfaces of the fabric clamping portions flush with the lower surface of the lower plate when the fabric clamping portions clamp the workpiece, the upper plates movable in a vertical direction as well as in the horizontal direction to provide ascent positions and descent positions, the lower surfaces of the fabric clamping portions flush with the lower surface of the lower plate when the upper plates are in the descent positions, the workpiece being held by the lower plate and the fabric clamping portions at positions adjacent the needle location;
• horizontal motion driving means for moving the upper plates to first and second positions in the horizontal direction, one of the sewing loci defined by the combination of the needle slits when the upper plates are moved to the first horizontal positions and another sewing locus defined when the upper plates are moved to the second horizontal positions;
• a vertical motion driving means for moving the upper plates in a vertical direction, the vertical motion driving means supported on the lower plate and connected to the upper plates, the horizontal motion driving means driven during a state when the upper plates are in the ascent position spaced away from the workpiece;
• an auxiliary pressure plate movably positioned above the lower plate, the auxiliary pressure plate having an operable portion extendable into the opening and a non-operative position retracted therefrom, and
• means for moving the auxiliary pressure plate between the operative and non-operative positions, the auxiliary pressure plate providing pressure on a part of the workpiece when in its operative position, to ensure that the entire workpiece is held against the machine table.