Abstract: An embroidery frame for a sewing machine with an embroidering function to hold workpiece cloth for execution of the embroidering function is disclosed. The embroidery frame includes a lower frame receiving a lower side of the cloth, an upper frame clamping the cloth in cooperation with the lower frame therebetween, and a clamping mechanism pressing the upper frame against the lower frame, thereby holding the upper frame. The clamping mechanism includes a coupling member coupling the upper frame to the lower frame so that the upper frame is vertically swingable between a holding position and an opening position, a locking mechanism locking the upper frame at the holding position, an unlocking mechanism unlocking the upper frame, and a frame-opening biasing member biasing the upper frame so that the upper frame is displaced to the opening position when unlocked by the unlocking mechanism.

Abstract: An embroidery frame for a sewing machine with an embroidering function to hold workpiece cloth for execution of the embroidering function is disclosed. The embroidery frame includes a lower frame receiving a lower side of the cloth, an upper frame clamping the cloth in cooperation with the lower frame therebetween, and a clamping mechanism pressing the upper frame against the lower frame, thereby holding the upper frame. The clamping mechanism includes a coupling member coupling the upper frame to the lower frame so that the upper frame is vertically swingable between a holding position and an opening position, a locking mechanism locking the upper frame at the holding position, an unlocking mechanism unlocking the upper frame, and a frame-opening biasing member biasing the upper frame so that the upper frame is displaced to the opening position when unlocked by the unlocking mechanism.

Abstract: An electrically controlled sewing machine includes a needle bar, a needle plate, a feed dog, a feed dog vertical drive mechanism, a feed dog front/rear drive mechanism, an embroidery drive mechanism, and a feed dog retraction mechanism. The feed dog retraction mechanism includes a switching operation lever. The feed dog vertical drive mechanism includes a normal sewing drive cam and a retraction drive cam, which are switched between using the switching operation lever. The retraction drive cam drives the feed dog to rise upward by about 1 mm when the upper thread is being tightened, that is, at about 40.degree. to 90.degree. phase at the end of the thread tightening operation by the upper thread take-up lever. Because the feed dog moves upward only about 1 mm, it remains retracted below the level of the needle plate and will not interfere with movement of a workpiece cloth mounted in an embroidery frame.