Mattress label sewing clamp

A sewing machine for sewing first and second materials together comprising:

• a base;
• a base plate movably mounted with respect to the base and having a base plate opening therethrough;
• a frame having a frame opening, the frame being mounted on the base plate with the frame opening over the base plate opening, the frame opening adapted to receive the first material therein;
• a plurality of clamps, each of the plurality of clamps comprising
• a stationary member,
• a movable member, and
• an actuator connected to the movable member and operable to move the movable member in a clamping relationship with the stationary member, the movable and stationary members adapted to clamp the first material in the frame opening;
• a panel clamp movably mounted with respect to the base and adapted to clamp the second material over the first material;
• a sewing machine for sewing the first and the second materials together;
• and
• a controller for controlling an operation of the sewing machine.

A method of sewing a first material to a second material in a sewing machine having a frame and an opening in the frame for receiving the first material, the method comprising:

• locating an edge of the first material in the opening between a movable member and a fixed member of a clamp mounted adjacent the opening;
• moving the movable member toward the stationary member to clamp the edge of the first material between the movable and the stationary members;
• locating the second material over the first material to orient the first material at a desired position with respect to the second material;
• securing the second material against the frame with a panel clamp;
• and
• sewing the first and the second materials together.

A clamping system for a sewing machine having a frame and an opening in the frame for receiving a first material to be sewn with the sewing machine to a second material, the clamping system comprising:

• a plurality of clamps mounted adjacent the opening in the frame, each of the clamps comprising
• a stationary member having a forward end extending into the opening and a rearward end mounted on the frame,
• a movable member having a forward end extending into the opening opposite the forward end of the stationary member and a rearward end,
• an actuator mounted on the frame and having a reciprocable actuator rod with a distal end,
• a driving member having a rearward end connected to the distal end of the actuator rod and an inclined planar surface on a forward end, the inclined planar surface receiving the rearward end of the movable member, the actuator being operable to translate the actuator rod and the driving member forward and pivot the forward end of the movable member toward the forward end of the stationary member, thereby clamping the first material therebetween.