Improvements in Treadle Driving Mechanism.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Treadle Driving Mechanism.
I, JAMES HENRY WHITNEY, Manufacturer, of 181, Madison Street, in the City of
Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The objects of this invention are to provide swivel-chambers for the suspending
springs; to make the treadles adjustable to the table-frames of different machines
at will, by varying the height of the treadle, or foot-piece, from the floor, and the
distance of the suspending springs and spring-chambers from the sides of the
frame; to give the foot-piece of the treadle a considerable amount of free horizontal
movement at will and a vibratory or up and down movement at any and all points
of that horizontal movement, without disturbing its operative relations to the
associated parts; to make the suspending springs of the foot-piece automatically
adjustable in the enclosing chambers; to accommodate these various motions to
the pitman and its necessary action by means of a ball and socket joint as a con-
nection between the two; and also to provide means for relieving dead-centres in
the driving-wheel, or pulley.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a front view of the stand, having a treadle, a balance-wheel
and a pitman connecting the two; Figure 2 is a side view of a sewing-machine
stand, counterbalanced driving-wheel and treadle; Figure 3 is a front view,
Figure 4 a back view, and Figure 5 a bottom view of the chamber and its
immediate connections; Figure 6 is one side view, Figure 7 is another side view,
and Figure 8 is a bottom view of an intermediate connection-plate between the
chamber and the stand-frame; Figure 9 is an end view and Figure 10 is a side
view of the adjustable screw pin that makes the connection with the frame;
Figure 11 is a part sectional and part perspective view of the treadle, the lower
part of the frame and their connections; Figures 12 and 13 are views in part
sectional, of the ball and socket connections between the treadle and the pitman ;
Figure 14 is an enlarged view of the counterbalance and part of the driving-
wheel, with the counterbalance in position on the driving-wheel; Figure 15 is an
under, or outside, view of the improved counterbalance; Figure 16 is a view of
the opposite side of the same, and Figure 17 is a sectional view of the same.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In a previous invention the chambers enclosing the suspending springs were
connected to the frame so as to be held rigidly in one fixed position, and the springs
were secured by and to a pin passing through the top of the chamber and holding
the upper end of the spring rigidly in one position so as to be incapable of self-adjust-
ment; whereas in the present invention the spring-chamber are swivelled and made
movable or automatically adjustable on radial lines either vertical or on one or both
sides of the vertical, permitting the vibrations of the springs on any of these radial
lines, and the springs are secured, or suspended, to a pin passing vertically through
and held by the cap or cover of the chamber, the pin having free rotary motion, and
the cap being secured in position by a screw passing through the chamber into it.
C, C, are the swivel-spring-chambers, each provided with a cap K, a swivel-pin P,
to which the spring is secured, and a spring S. The back or outside of each swivel-
chamber C, has secured thereto a swivel-plate L, by means of a screw R, loosely,
so that the plate will turn freely on the screw, which is countersunk in the plate, as
shown, to avoid contact with the connecting plate. The upper part of the plate L,
s provided with and receives a binding screw R', the threaded end of which is to
Pl

page_text: be fixed in the plate L, being inserted therein through the slot D, in the connecting-
plate E, for the purpose of securing them rigidly together at any desired point or
part of the slot. The plate L is made to fit easily between the gibs G of the con-
necting plate E, and may be moved up and down therein and secured at any desired
point by loosening and again tightening the screw R. The lower end of the plate E
is provided with the perforated extension or boss B, which receives the adjusting
pin A, and is secured thereto at any desired point by the screw R. The adjusting
pin A is shouldered and provided with a nut № so as to be firmly fixed in the frame
by screwing up the nut, and removed, or made removable, by unscrewing it. The
pin F is provided at one end with the hall H, which is held in the socket M in the
lower end of the pitman Q by the plate O, while the other end is made sufficiently
long to be adjustable and capable of being secured in the eye J of the arm U of the
treadle T by the screw R. The centres of the treadle-rods of different sewing
machines, particularly, vary in different machines, both in their relations to the
centre, as of a perfectly balanced treadle, and also in the distances from the floor. It
is therefore necessary to make provision to meet these differences of distance in an
apparatus intended to be applied to the different sewing machine stands already in
the market and in the hands of purchasers. By means of the adjustable features
heretofore mentioned I am able to attach the treadle and associated mechanism
described, to any machine, the pins A being arranged to be adjusted and secured in
the holes already made in the frame to receive the ordinary treadle-rod and brace,
thereby placing the entire treadle mechanism in proper relations to the machine,
through the pitman. In my previous invention the trunnions of the threadle have
vertical motion in the vertical slots of the chamber. In some positions of the pitman
in that case, there will be a tendency to pull the trunnions against the sides of the
slots, and in that way cause friction; and in other positions of the pitman the trunnions
will be thrust against the opposite sides of the slois, thereby again causing friction and
wasting power and strength. In both these instances the foot of the operator is, or
may be, more or less frequently, called upon to overcome this friction; thus increasing
the fatigue of the operator when long continued. In this invention the chambers C, C,
are provided with such attachments and so connected and secured as to freely vibrate,
within certain limits, to one or either side of a vertical line, under a slight thrust or
pull, thereby relieving the friction and the foot of the operator. Another result of
this arrangement is, that if the upper end of the pitman gets on a dead-centre, slight
extra pressure of the foot of the operator thrusting forward the treadle and the
lower end of the pitman, causes the dead-centre to be relieved almost unconsciously
to the operator, perhaps, but still greatly to her eventual benefit. It is further to be
noticed that the drive-wheel, being provided with a weight or counterbalance Z, its
momentum acquired by the running of the machine, will not only perform the duties
of an ordinary counterbalanced wheel in that position, but will also, through the
pitman on the treadle, take effect upon the vibrating, or swivel, chamber and its spring,
and also on the foot, ankle and limb of the operator, and this in such a way as to assist
in moving the vibrating spring-chambers C, C, one or both of them, into positions to
relieve friction and also relieve strain upon the operator, at one and the same time.
Furthermore: Where the counterbalance on the driving-wheel is used in connection
with a fixed treadle-rod bearing, a considerable proportion of the momentum due
thereto takes effect and first meets with rigid resistance at and upon the treadle-rod,
which being the fulcrum of the lever and located between the two other points of the
lever, transmit the shock to the foot of the operator as well as throughout the machine,
and even to the floor; but in this invention the momentum takes effect readily and
easily in any position of the spring- and swivel-chambers, upon the springs themselves
in such a way as to largely prevent shock or concussion to the foot of the operator
and elsewhere, and a portion of this momentum at each revolution taken up by the
springs and therefrom transmitted either to and through the moving parts of the
machine, or to the foot of the operator in such a way as to relieve the latter and
assist the operation of the machine. I do not, however, wish to limit my invention
by requiring the use of the counterbalance, since the mechanism is effective without

page_text: it; but I find, by actual experiment, that when the counterbalance is used a sewing
machine will make seventy-five or more stitches after the foot of the operator is
removed, and that while the foot of the operator is upon the treadle the machine may
be run with less tiresome effects.
The counterbalance is preferably so located upon the driving-wheel as to auto-
matically throw the pitman off a dead-centre, as shown in Fig. 2. I prefer the form
and construction of counterbalance shown in Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 17, but do not
desire to limit my invention in that part of it to a counterbalance of the con-
struction shown. The counterbalance, as shown, consists of two parts and C²,
both preferably of lead, and the former has, on the side adjacent to the inner side of
the rim of the wheel a groove preferably of a rounded form approximately conforming
to the shape of the inner side of the rim, but too large to fit the same. The part 2
is of a shape and size to slide within the groove and between the part and the inner
side of the rim as much or as little as may be necessary to permit the forks at one
end of each part of the counterbalance to embrace adjacent arms of the driving-wheel,
as shown in Figs 2 and 14. So placed, with the two parts secured together by a
screw S¹, these two adjacent arms become the supports of an arch formed by the
junction of these two parts, and will prevent the counterbalance from either breaking
down in the centre or being otherwise displaced. One reason for making the counter-
balance of lead is, that being so made-particularly C²-the screw S', being pointed,
and passed through a hole in the part prepared in advance, may be easily caused
to penetrate the part 0 at any point at which it may be brought in contact, when the
opposite ends of the part are brought into complete contact and engagement with the
two adjacent arms and the inside of the rim of the wheel between them. So also with
the screw S'; passing through the hole prepared in one side of the part C¹, it may be
screwed into the other part readily without previous perforation of the sam.
constructed the counterbalance Z may be adjusted and attached to the driving-wheels
of any size or kind ordinarily used, by persons of only ordinary mechanical skill;
and the lead parts will readily yield to slight force, so as to become moulded to the
adjacent parts of the wheel in the form of an arch of sufficient strength for its
retention in place. The chambers C, C, are provided with slots D', D', in which the
trunnions X, X, move with a reasonably close fit. As a convenient means of engaging
the trunnions X, X, with the lower eye of the springs S, S, I give the trunnions a
slightly hooked form, or provide a shoulder, as shown, which will prevent the dis-
engagement of the parts. Of course a variety of other methods and forms may be
adopted for the same purpose. The stop-lug W on the lower part of the swivel-spring
chamber C, is so placed that it will limit the vibration of the chamber either by
contact with the bottom-edge of the swivel-plate L, or with stops on the connecting-
plate E at opposite sides, as for instance with the bottoms of the gibs G, G, and
will thus control within well defined limits the direction of the vibrations of the
springs S, S.
Thus
In using the term balanced-treadle, I have not intended to indicate that the treadle
to be a balanced-treadle must be accurately poised, or balanced on the trunnions and
in the eyes of the springs, but only that the fulcrum is located as in the third form
of lever, between the power and the weight, at any point desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. A balanced-treadle suspended from spring-bearings suspended in swivel-
chambers.
2. The balanced-treadle T suspended from and in combination with the springs S, S,
and the swivel-chambers C, C.
3. The treadle T suspended from the springs S, S, and the slotted swivel-
chambers (, C, all in combination.
4. In combination, a balance-wheel, a pitman operating the same, a balanced-

page_text: treadle connected with the pitman through a ball and socket joint, substantially as
shown and described, and suspended from spring-bearings held in swivel-chambers.
5. In combination, a balance-wheel provided with a counterweight, a pitman
operating the same, a balanced-treadle connected with the pitman through a ball and
socket joint, substantially as shown and described, and suspended from spring-bearings
held in swivel-chambers.
6. A balanced-treadle provided with trunnions X, X, arranged to vibrate in the
slots D1, D1, of the swivel-chambers C, C, in combination with the springs S, S.
7. In treadles, the combination of the following elements: The swiveled spring-
chamber C, the swivel-plate L and the connecting-plate E.
8. In treadles, the swivel-chamber C, the spring S, swivel-pin P, the cap K and
swivel-plate L.
9. In treadles, and in combination, the following elements: The spring-chamber C,
stop-lug W, and the swivel-plate L.
10. In treadles, the following elements in combination: The connecting-plate E
provided with the gibs G, G, the slot D and the adjustable pin A.
11. The connecting-plate E provided with the slot D and the gibs G, G, the
adjusting-pin A, the swivel-chamber C, swivel-plate L, and the pins R and R¹, all in
combination.
12. The treadle T suspended on each side in spring-bearings, and provided
with a ball and socket connection with the pitman as shown and described, and in
combination.
13. The drivewheel Y provided with a counterbalance or weight Z, and a treadle T
suspended in spring-bearings enclosed in swivel-chambers, substantially as shown and
described.
14. The drivewheel Y provided with a counterbalance or weight Z, a treadle T
suspended in spring-bearings enclosed in swivel-chambers, and having the ball
and socket connection between the treadle and the pitman, substantially as shown and
described.
Dated this 30th day of July 1889.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.