Improvements in Portable Treadle or Foot Driving Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Treadle or Foot Driving Apparatus.
I, MATTS WIKSTRÖM, of Kramfors, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Inspector, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:.
The driving apparatus to which this invention relates has for its special object
the driving of hand-instruments or tools in which the working part is required
to have a rapid to and fro motion, as for instance, is the case with shearing
machines, borers, engraving chisels and the like.
The apparatus is put in motion by means of a treadle. The most characteristic
feature of the invention is just the manner in which the treadle arrangement is
situated both in relation to the worker and to the apparatus whereby the greatest
possible working power is produced by the apparatus with the least possible effort
of the worker. The arrangement is namely such that the bodily weight of the
worker during the treading plays the greatest part, by which all tiresome foot
and leg motion is nearly avoided. In order to make the apparatus easily portable,
all its parts are made as light as possible and connected with each other in the
simplest way. More especially to adapt it for use in combination with shears,
the apparatus has been constructed in such way, that the same without trouble can
be carried fastened on the back of the-worker.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing this last mentioned use of the apparatus;
Figure 2 shows one part of the apparatus on a larger scale in sectional elevation;
and
Figures 3 and
show details.
The transmission of force from the driving apparatus to, in this case, the
shearer A, takes place in the ordinary manner by means of a flexible shaft B.
The revoluble parts of the driving apparatus are mounted in two bearing arms
or brackets C, which extend from the frame or sole plate D, fastened on the back
of the workman.
One of these revoluble parts is a pulley G (see Figure 2) to which is secured
and around which is wound one end of a driving belt L. The other or lower end
of the belt is secured to the back part of the treadle S, the front part of the
treadle being, as shown in the drawing, secured to the foot, so that the treadle is
turned backwards therefrom. During the movement of the treadle the worker
thus always has his toe on the ground, while the heel is raised and lowered. In
the last mentioned case or at the treading down, the worker has only to throw
his weight onto the heel, whereupon the treadle will consequently yield and thereby,
as will be easily understood great force will be produced without as good as any
effort being made by the worker. The belt is thereby unwound from the pulley G,
which is thus set in rotation, which rotation by suitable friction gearing is trans-
mitted first to the shaft E carrying the flywheel F and thence to the flexible shaft.
The raising of the treadle takes place without any effort by the recoil of a spiral

page_text: spring T connected with the pulley G and placed in a springbox U, said spring
being stretched during the treading down so that it is able on the pressure of
the foot being relaxed to draw back the pulley, thereby again winding up the
belt and raising the treadle. Thus the ankle of the worker is never exerted, as
is the case by commonly used treadle arrangements and this is naturally of great
importance in order that the treading may constantly go on without becoming
tiresome.
In order that the pulley G may rotate backwards when the treadle rises as
above described, the same must clearly be put out of communication with the
shaft E which continually rotates in the one direction with unchanged rapidity
in consequence of the flywheel.
This takes place by means of the above named friction gearing which is arranged
in such a way as to automatically disengage the pulley and the shaft. There are
many such gearings which can be used in this case. The gearing shown in the
drawing consists however of a cylindrical casing M secured to the hub of the fly-
wheel into the open end of which casing there extends a flange I of the pulley G.
On the inner side of this flange there is arranged a ring N bearing on the circum-
ference of the flange, which ring rotates freely relative to the flange and is main-
tained on the latter by means of two screw. bolts O arranged in the way shown in the
drawing, the heads of which screw bolts clasp the inner edge of the ring. On the
inside of the ring two clutch clamps Q are pivoted by means of screw bolts P,
the outer ends of which clamps are bent at an angle to the cylindrical inside of
the casing M, while their inner ends are forked to each clasp, a pin R projecting
from the flange I. From the drawing and the above description, it will be clearly
understood that if the flange I, that is to say the pulley G, be turned in the direc-
tion shown by the arrow a in Figure 3 which corresponds to the treading down,
the friction clamps will be turned around the screw bolts P and pressed against
the casing M, so that said casing and thereby also the shaft E and the flywheel,
take part in the rotation of the pulley G. On the following return movement of
the pulley, the clamps Q move out of gear with the casing M.
In order to render it readily portable, the treadle is provided with a joint at the
centre, so that the same may be folded together. The treadle in this way consists
of three parts, of which the rear part S is pivotally arranged between the two
other front parts V. Secured to the rear part and bearing against the two front
parts is a cross piece which keeps the parts in line with each other when the
treadle is used. The front parts are formed to fit the sides of the foot and there
is arranged on the fore part a strap or band X that can be fastened over the toe.
When the strap is tightened, the fore ends of the treadle lie closely against the
foot.
The gearing is naturally greater the greater the distance between the foot and
the point where the strap is fastened to the treadle.
In order that the apparatus may be used in the way it has been described, it is
not absolutely necessary that it be carried on the back. The same can instead,
for instance, be secured to a movable stand arranged in such a way that it can be
put down into, or be moved freely on the ground. The height of the stand ought
only to be so adjusted, that the apparatus is almost on a level with the shoulders
of the worker.
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 portable driving-apparatus, worked by a treadle, characterised by the
treadle (S) being adapted and arranged to rest with one end on the ground in such
a position relative to the foot, that the toe is situated directly towards or almost
just opposite the point of support, while the swinging part of the treadle is directed
backwards from the heel and has attached to it between the heel and the swinging
end, the one end of a belt (L), cord, or the like, the other end of which is secured

page_text: to and wound upon a pulley (G) which by means of a friction-gearing is so con-
nected with the shaft (E) of the driving apparatus that when the pulley (G) is
put in rotation in one direction by the treading down of the treadle (S) it will
take with it the shaft (E), but not when rotating in the other direction, the pulley
being connected with a spring (T), which stretched by the treading down and
adapted by its recoil to effect the return movement of the pulley, substantially as
herein before described.
2. In a portable treadle or foot driving-apparatus, such as described, the arrange-
ment of the revoluble parts such as the pulley (G) the shaft (E) and the like in
suitable bearings (C) fastened to a frame, or the like, adapted to be carried on
the back of the workman, or secured to a stand which can be placed on or put
into the ground, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole, forming
the improved portable treadle or foot driving apparatus substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
... 100
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.