IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION TO SEWING MACHINES, SUCH APPARATUS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING OR VARYING THE SPEED Of the same
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barran, the younger, of Leeds, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
TRANSMITTING MOTION TO SEWING MACHINES, SUCH APPARATUS BEING ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING OR VARYING THE SPEED Of the same.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barran at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th July 1878.
"
"IMPROVEMENTS
JOHN BARRAN, the younger, of Leeds, in the County of York.
IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION TO SEWING MACHINES,
SUCH APPARATUS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING OR VARYING THE SPEED
OF THE SAME."
My Invention consists in an arrangement as hereafter described, whereby the
driving band or strap slackened for the purpose of retarding or varying the
motion of the sewing machine, or bringing it to a standstill, or the speed thereof
may be increased by tightening the driving band or strap.
Whilst the band or strap is being slackened I bring into operation a brake block
which is arranged so as to act simultaneously with the slackening operation upon
the driving or intermediate pulley.
The arrangement is as hereafter described :-
--
I by preference place the main driving shaft below and at a convenient distance
from the table, and on or between the framework which carries the table I mount
in suitable bearings an intermediate driving pulley, and from this intermediate
driving pulley motion is transmitted to the sewing machine, either direct or through
another intermediate pulley.
In order to vary the movement or speed of the machine and for the purpose of
stopping it I provide a driving belt, which may be slackened or tightened at
pleasure, and arrange a brake block in connection with, or mounted on, a bell-crank
D

page_text: lever, and actuated by a treadle which moves simultaneously with slackening or
tightening operation, and presses upon a pulley or wheel on the machine or other
intermediate pulley, thus arresting or regulating, and when required, completely
stopping the motion of the machine.
For the purpose of tightening or slackening the belt I mount the loose roller on
the same lever or when requisite on another lever, which acts simultaneously with
the brake block as follows:-
When the brake block is brought to bear upon the pulley the loose roller is
relieved of its pressure on the band or strap, thus reducing the friction on the
driving pulley in accordance with its slackness; or when required the belt is ren-
dered so slack as not to impart any motion to the machine.
Further, when the loose roller is made to press against the driving band or strap
thereby giving it the required tightness for driving the machine, the brake is
relieved from the driving pulley simultaneously therewith.
Instead of using a treadle the above-described operations may be performed by
means of hand levers. Springs or their equivalents may be attached to the levers
to assist in the operations above described.
The whole apparatus is by preference fixed under the table and hidden from
view, but when most convenient the main driving shaft may be overhead.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Barran in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th January
1879.
JOHN BARRAN, the younger, of Leeds, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION TO SEWING MACHINES,
SUCH APPARATUS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING OR VARYING THE SPEED
OF THE SAME
"
My Invention consists in an arrangement as hereafter described, whereby the
driving band or strap is slackened for the purpose of retarding or varying the motion
of the sewing machine or bringing it to a standstill, or the speed thereof may be
increased by tightening the driving band or strap.
Whilst the band or strap is being slackened I bring into operation a brake block,
which is arranged so as to act simultaneously with the slackening operation upon
the driving or intermediate pulley.
The arrangement is as hereafter described:
:-
I by preference place the main driving shaft below and at a convenient distanco
from the table, and on or between the framework which carries the table I nount
in suitable bearings an intermediate driving pulley, and from this intermediate
driving pulley motion is transmitted to the sewing machine either direct or through
another intermediate pulley.
In order to vary the movement or speed of the machine and for the purpose of
stopping it, I provide a driving belt which may be slackened or tightened at
pleasure, and arrange a brake block in connection with or mounted on a bell-crank
lever, and actuated by a treadle which moves simultaneously with the slackening
or tightening operation, and presses upon a pulley or wheel on the machine or
other intermediate pulley, thus arresting or regulating, and when required, com-
pletely stopping the motion of the machine.
For the purpose of tightening or slackening the belt I mount the loose roller on
the same lever, or when requisite on another lever, which acts simultaneously with
the brake block as follows:-
When the brake block is brought to bear upon the pulley the looso roller is
relieved of its pressure on the band or strap, thus reducing the friction on the
driving pulley in accordance with its slackness or when required the belt is
rendered so slack as not to impart any motion to the machine.
Further, when the loose roller is made to press against the driving band or strap
thereby giving it the required tightness for driving the machine, the brake is
relieved froin the driving pulley simultaneously therewith.
Instead of using a treadle the above-described operation may be performed by
means of hand levers, springs, or their equivalents may be attached to this lever to
assist in the operation above described.
The whole apparatus is by preference fixed under the table and hidden from
view, but when most convenient the main driving shaft may be overhead.
And in order that my Invention may be more completely understood, reference
is given to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and marks
thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a front elevation; and Fig. 3, a plan through
A, B, Fig. 1.
a is the main driving shaft which is placed below and at a convenient distance
from the table b and c, the standard and framework carrying the table b. An
intermediate driving pulley d is provided and mounted in the stud e within the
framework c, and from it motion is transmitted to the sewing machine at f, either
on to the driving pulley g through strap or band h, or through another inter-
mediate pulley.

page_text: In order to vary the speed or movement of the machine or for the purpose of
stopping it I provide the following arrangement:-For the purpose of tightening
or slackening the belt h I mount a loose roller i on the lever j, which lever j is
actuated by the treadle k through connecting rod l. It will be readily understood
by pressing down the treadle k that the roller i is brought in contact with the
band or strap h, thereby causing the band or strap h to tighten on the pulleys g
and d; this tightening of the band or strap h enables it to transmit the required
rotary motion from the pulley d to the pulley g, and the gradual tightening or
Blackening of the band or strap h varies the speed of the sewing machine.
In combination with this arrangement I employ a brake block m on the hinged
piece n; this is arranged so that it is released from the balance wheel o of the
machine simultaneously with the band or strap h being tightened, and is brought
into operation immediately as the band or strap h is allowed to become slack, this
movement being conveyed to the brake block m through rod p from treadle k, to
which it is attached at q.
The position of the brake block m may also be adjusted by means of the nuts r
on the screwed end at q of the rod p.
The lift of the treadle k may be adjusted by the set screws 8 on the guide t, and
on the foot being relieved from the treadle k, the pulley i is withdrawn from the
band or strap h by means of the spring u or its equivalent acting upon the lever
j, and arranged as shewn.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and described with the
aid of Drawings how the same may be carried into practice, I would have it under-
stood that I do not limit myself to the precise details or configuration of the parts
I have described and shewn, as the same may be varied or modified without
departing from the nature of my said Invention, but what I claim and desire to be
secured to me by Letters Patent is,-
The arrangement and combination of the various parts forming the apparatus
whereby the driving bands or straps of sewing machines may be slackened or
tightened for the purpose of retarding or increasing the motion thereof, and also
the application in combination therewith of the brake block to the balance wheel
for bringing the machine to a standstill, substantially as and for purposes herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barran, the younger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of
Ann Land One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine