COMBINED HAND AND FOOT DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES, AND OTHER LIGHT MACHINERY
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, of 52 Chancery Lane,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for "COMBINED HAND AND FOOT DRIVING MECHANISM FOR
SEWING MACHINES, AND OTHER LIGHT MACHINERY" and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine table having my improved
foot power applied to it.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the hand and foot mechanism drawn on an enlarged
scale showing the bearing frame therefor secured to a table leg in horizontal
section.
Figure 3 is a detail of the bifurcated locking device for disengaging the hand
power gearing when it is desired to operate the foot
power alone.
Figure 4 shows in elevation and in detail a sewing machine table having my
modified form of bearing frame and hand and foot power applied to it.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the modified form of bearing frame and its hand and
foot power enlarged.
Figures 6, 7, and 8, are sectional details of the spring and strap actuated ratchet
drum used in the modification, Figures 4 and 5.
The first part of my Invention relates to a bearing frame which is rigidly
secured to the leg or frame of a sewing machine in a horizontal plane at right
angles to said leg or frame, and provided with hand and foot driving mechanism.
The second part of my Invention relates to a hand power of peculiar construction
in combination with a foot power gearing whereby the former can be conveniently
engaged with or disengaged from the latter at the will of the attendant or
operator,
Other features together with those generally referred to in the first and second
parts of my Invention will be fully understood from the following description when
taken in connection with the annexed Drawings.

page_text: The object of my Invention is to practically combine a foot power and a hand
power with a sewing machine frame so that either power can be conveniently used
for driving a sewing machine, at the will of the operator.
I will first describe the mechanism represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, of the
Drawings, and afterwards describe the modification represented by Figures 4, 5,
6, 7, and 8, of the Drawings.
A designates a rectangular bearing frame which is cast with journal bearings a, a,
and b, b, for two shafts which are at certain times geared together at right angles
to each other. This frame A is also cast with lugs h, h, through which bolts h¹, h¹,
are passed that secure the bearing frame rigidly to the legs or frame B, of a sewing
machine table.at right angles thereto..
The journal boxes b, b, are on the transverse bars of the frame A, and they
afford bearings for an endwise movable shaft D, on one end of which is keyed a
bevel spur wheel G, and on the other end is applied a hand crank F, which latter
is located in a convenient position to a person sitting at the machine.
The bevel gear G, engages at times with a bevel pinion H, which is keyed on a
transverse shaft I, which has two bearings in the boxes a, a. This shaft I, has
keyed on one end, outside of the bearing frame A, a belt wheel J, to a wrist pin c,
on the face of which is applied the pitman rod K, of a treadle L, by means of
which the operator can drive the sewing machine with the foot. E, designates
a double bevelled collar which is keyed on the endwise' movable shaft D, near the
front journal box b, and E', designates a locking catch which has its fulcrum on a
pin f, on the bearing frame A. This catch E¹, is constructed with a bifurcated
end e, adapted to straddle the shaft D, between the front journal box b, and the
said collar E, and to hold the wheel G, in gear with the wheel H as shown in
Figure 2. A pin or handle g, is fixed to the locking catch-E¹, and extends through
a segmental slot made through the front door of the case N, as shown in Figure 1.
The arm c, of the locking catch E¹, is arranged so that by swinging this catch on
its pivot its bifurcated end can be lifted from shaft D, and its arm el, can be caused
to strike the back bevelled side of the collar E, and press the shaft D, outward so
as to disengage wheel G, from wheel H. By reversing the movement of the
catch E, the said wheels can be geared together. It will be observed that when
the wheels G, H, are in gear the sewing machine can be conveniently driven by
turning the crank F, with the right hand, while with the left hand the work can
be guided. By disengaging the gear wheels the machine can be driven by the
foot of the operator without involving the extra labor which would be required'
if the crank revolved.
I will now describe the modification represented by Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The
bearing frame A, is constructed with recesses A¹, A¹, to receive the legs of the sewing
machine table and this frame is bowed to form the inner bearing and to receive
the belt wheel J and also ratchet drum P, hereinafter described. The endwise
movable shaft D, with its bevel wheel G, has its bearings in the front and rear
ends of the bearing frame A, and it has a hand crank F, on its front extended
end. R designates a collar keyed on the endwise movable shaft D, inside of the
front bearing b, and S designates an arm or catch which is pivotted to the bearing
frame A, and adapted to lie between the said collar and front bearing as shown,
for keeping the wheel G, in gear with the bevel pinion H, on the transverse
shaft I, of the belt wheel and ratchet drum. When the said pivoted arm or catch
is thrown back the wheel G, can be quickly disengaged from the bevel pinion H,
and the machine driven by the foot without actuating the hand power.
The drum P, is constructed with flanges and is connected by strap or chain T,
to a foot treadle as shown in Figure 4. This drum is composed of two parts both
of which turn freely on the shaft I. A ratchet wheel r is keyed to the shaft I.
A. dog or pawl is attached by the pin p², to that part of the drum designated, by
the letter p¹. The fulcrum pin p³, is rigidly secured to that part of the drum
designated by the letter p. W designates a convolute spring one end of which
is secured to the hub of that part of the drum designated by the letter p². The

page_text: other end of the spring is connected by a pin p¹ to a lug formed on the bearing
frame A.
It will be seen that by giving the foot treadle a vibrating motion a continuous
rotary motion in one direction will be imparted to the shaft I, and from thence
transmitted to the sewing machine and that when the foot is released from the
treadle the pawl or dog will be released from the ratchet wheel and the machine
can be operated by the hand power alone without actuating the foot power.
If desired the ratchet drum described may be omitted and the wrist pin and
pitman shown in Figures 1 and 2 substituted. In practice I shall enclose the hand
and foot power mechanism in a case as represented in Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A combined hand and foot power for sewing machines consisting of driving
shafts provided with gears, a shifting locking catch therefor, a hand crank, a belt
wheel, and a treadle all constructed and adapted to operate substantially in the
manner and for the purposes described.
2. In a combined hand and foot power for sewing machines-the combination of
the bearing frame, the shafts provided with gears, the bevelled collar on the
endwise movable shaft, the crank thereon, and the shifting catch therefor,
substantially as described.
3. In a combined hand and foot power for sewing machines, the combination
with a sewing machine frame, or table, of the frame A, bearing two shafts, the
gears on these shafts, a hand crank thereon, a belt wheel, and a treadle, and
pitman connected therewith, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. In a combined hand and foot power for sewing machines, a frame provided
with two transverse bearings for the belt wheel shaft, and two bearings for the
hand crank shaft, and also provided with lugs for securing the frame to a sewing
machine, in combination with, and adapted to receive the hand and the foot power,
substantially as described.
5. In a combined hand and foot power for a sewing machine, an enclosing case
or housing below the table top, a frame secured thereto, adapted to afford bearings
for a hand crank shaft, and a belt wheel shaft provided with gears, and a foot
power substantially as described.
6. A sewing machine table having a bearing frame rigidly secured at right
angles to its legs and provided with a foot and hand power mechanism substantially
as described.
7. In a combined hand and foot power for sewing machines the combination
of a sewing machine table, a bearing frame, its hand and foot power mechanism
and a ratchet drum and strap for the latter substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of August 1884.