IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING SEWING AND OTHER MACHINES WORKED BY A TREADLE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM
FOR ACTUATING SEWING AND OTHER MACHINES WORKED BY A TREADLE."
-A communication from abroad by Charles Henry Willcox, of New
York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 16th August 1870, and dated the 25th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th February 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF
MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING SEWING AND OTHER MACHINES WORKED BY ▲
TREADLE," a communication from abroad by Charles Henry Willcox,
of New York, in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar arrangement of the connections
between the connecting rod and treadle at one end and the connecting
rod and driving wheel at the opposite end in sewing and other machines

page_text: driven by a foot treadle, whereby a more direct central action of the
driving force is obtained and uneven wear is prevented. It also
consists in the application of a shield or guard plate attached to or
formed on the crank pin end of the connecting rod, whereby the crank
pin and the entire boss of the wheel will always remain covered or
protected. The crank pin works in a socket or bearing so situate in
the wheel that the longitudinal centre of such socket or bearing shall
coincide or nearly so with a plane parallel to the face of the wheel, but
passing through the longitudinal centre or middle of the main boss or
bearing of the said wheel. The longitudinal centre or middle of the
pin which connects the opposite end of the said connecting rod with the
treadle is also made to coincide or nearly so with the said plane passing
through the middle of the crank pin and main bearing in the driving
wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING
SEWING AND OTHER MACHINES WORKED BY A TREADLE," a communication from
Charles Henry Willcox, of New York, in the United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors or administrators; by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained.
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is.
to say):
The said Invention relates to a peculiar mode of connecting the
treadle with the driving wheel for sewing and other like machinery
when the crank rod is directly attached to, the wheel, and consists,-
Firstly. In providing the upper end of the crank rod with a dise or
guard plate of sufficient size to. cover during the revolution of the wheel
and crank the hub of the wheel, the pin or stud upon which it turns, and
the crank connection between the crank rod and wheel, substantially as
and for the purposes herein-after set forth..
Secondly. In the combination with the crank rod and crank pin which
it carries of a hub for receiving said pin fixed to the driving wheel and
arranged about centrally between the two ends of the wheel hub or bear-
ing as herein-after described, thereby applying the power necessary to.
turn the wheel at about the centre of the wheel hub or bearing, which is
thus caused to wear evenly, instead of at the crank end as. has ordinarily
been the case.
Thirdly. In the arrangement of the joint pin which connects the
treadle and crank rod in relation to the crank pin connecting the crank
rod and driving wheel so that a plane parallel with the driving, wheel
and passing through the middle of the one shall pass through the middle.
or thereabout of the other, whereby the power is applied in a direct line
with the upper bearing, and so as to prevent uneven wear and to allow
the wheel to be more easily moved.
The nature of the Invention will be fully understood by reference to
the Drawing, in which Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a perspective
view of a treadle and crank connected together in accordance with my
Invention Figure 2. is a horizontal section of the same through the axis
of the wheel.

page_text: A represents the treadle; B, the pitman or connecting rod; and C, the
wheel. The latter is provided with a hub or bearing a which turns upon
a stud fixed to projection from the side of the frame D. Parallel with
and about midway between the ends of the wheel hub is the crank hub à
which is formed in one piece with or suitably fixed to the wheel. By
thus locating the crank bearing the power required to turn the wheel
is applied centrally between the two ends of the wheel bearing or hub,
which is thus eaused to wear evenly, that is to say, it wears evenly at each
end which it would not do were the crank bearing located at its front
end for instance, for in that case the front end receiving the direct
application of the power would wear much more rapidly than the other
and the wheel would thus soon have an uneven bearing. The pitman B
is provided with a crank pin e, which fits in the bearing 6 and is held
there in any ordinary or suitable manner. Upon the upper end of the
pitman I form a disc or guard plate d which is of such size as to amply
cover both the crank and the wheel hubs at any part of the revolution of
the wheel. The employment of this disc is advantageous in many
respects. It prevents the dress of the operator from ever coming in
contact with either of the hubs, both of which require to be oiled, and
also renders it impossible for any one to jam or cut his fingers by getting
them caught between the pitman and end of the stud upon which the
wheel revolves. This often happens to those endeavouring 'to start
ordinary machines, for they usually take hold of the pitman near its
upper end and commence to move it so as to revolve the wheel, but the
pitman is as close to the end of the wheel stud or journal as possible, so
that when it crosses the end of the stud in making the upper half of its
movement the fingers are caught and crushed or cut by the shearing
action of the pitman across the stud. The disc prevents this danger by
covering completely both hubs at every part of the revolution of the
wheel, and so far as this is concerned it would accomplish the same
result even if the crank pin where attached to the wheel and worked in
a socket formed in the disc or pitman in the usual manner instead of as
in the present instance being made fast to the pitman and working in
the hub b. I prefer, however, the arrangement described and shewn for
the reason that besides admitting of the bearing 6 being located as above
described it prevents any oil getting on the side of the disc next to the
operator, which could not be wholly guarded against were the pin to
work in a socket through the pitman or disc. The lower end of the pit-
man is jointed to the treadle by a pin which enters a socket at the

page_text: toe of the treadle and is so arranged that a plane parallel with the wheel
and passing through the middle of the crank pin or hub will pass
through the middle of the pin f or its socket so that the power is
communicated from the treadle to the crank in a direct line in such
manner as to avoid all, uneven pressure upon any part of the two
bearings, and to allow the power to be applied to the best advantage.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-hefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. Providing the upper end of the connecting rod or pitman with a
disc or guard plate of sufficient size to cover during the revolution of the
wheel and crank the hub of the wheel, the pin or stud upon which it
turns, and the crank connection between the pitman and wheel, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination with the connecting rod or pitman and
crank pin which it carries of a hub for receiving the said pin fixed to
the driving wheel and arranged about centrally between the two ends
of the wheel hub or bearing, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Third. The arrangement of the joint pin which connects the treadle
and connecting rod or pitman in relating to the crank pin connecting
the pitman or connecting rod and driving wheel so that a plane parallel
with the driving wheel and passing through the middle of the one shall
pass through the middle or thereabout of the other whereby the power
is applied in a direct line with the upper bearing and so as to prevent
uneven wear, and to allow the wheel to be more easily moved, as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)