IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES." A com-
munication from abroad by Charles Ludwig French, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th April 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR
SEWING MACHINES." [A communication from abroad by Charles Ludwig French,
of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to afford facility for driving a sewing machine
either by hand or foot power, as may best suit the wish or convenience of the
operator, and so that when tired of working it by the foot the operator may,
without changing the driving mechanism in any way, work it by the hand, or
vice versu.
To this end the said Invention consists in the combination with a sewing
machine and its supporting table of a hand-rod connected to the driving mechanism
below the table, extending up through the table, and provided above the table
with a handle, by which it may be operated.
The machine table is preferably provided with a guide for said rod, and the said
rod may be connected directly with the treadle, or may be otherwise connected
with the driving mechanism.
The driving mechanism with which the treadle and the hand-rod are connected
may consist of an ordinary crank shaft or crank carrying a driving pulley, from
which a band runs to a pulley on the main shaft of the sewing machine, but I
prefer generally to substitute for the crank a clutch of any known or suitable kind,
D

page_text: one part of which being constructed and applied to be turned back and forth by
the movements of the treadle and hand-rod may in turning in one direction engago
itself with the other part, which is fast to the driving pulley, and so turn the said
pulley with it, and in turning in the opposite direction may disengage itself and
leave the said pulley free to have its motion continued by the momentum of a fly-
wheel connected with said pulley, the motion of the driving pulley being thus
made continuous in one direction. A spring applied in connection with the treadle
and hand-rod to force them upward assists the operation, it being in such case only
necessary in using the hand rod to push it downward. Instead of the hand-rod
working through the table of the machine there may be a hand lever arranged at
the side or end of the said table, and connected to operate in a similar manner on
similar driving mechanism.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th October 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR
SEWING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Charles Ludwig French,
of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to afford facility for driving a sewing machine
either by hand or foot power, as may best suit the wish or convenience of the
operator, and so that when tired of working it by the foot the operator may,
without changing the driving mechanism in any way, work it by the hand, or
vice versa.
To this end the said Invention consists in the combination with a sewing
machine and its supporting table of a hand rod connected to the driving mechanism
below the table, extending up through the table, and provided above the table
with a handle, by which it may be operated.
The machine table is preferably provided with a guide for said rod, and the said
rod may be connected directly with the treadle, or may be otherwise connected
with the driving mechanism.
The driving mechanism with which the treadle and the hand rod are connected
may consist of an ordinary crank shaft or crank carrying a driving pulley, from
which a band runs to a pulley on the main shaft of the sowing machine, but I
prefer generally to substitute for the crank a clutch of any known or suitable kind,
one part of which being constructed and applied to be turned back and forth by
the movements of the treadle and hand rod may in turning in one direction engago
itself with the other part, which is fast to the driving pulley, and so turn the said
pulley with it, and in turning in the opposite direction may disengage itself and
leave the said pulley free to have its motion continued by the momentum of a fly
wheel connected with the said pulley, the motion of the driving pulley being thus
made continuous in one direction. A spring applied in connection with the treadlo
and hand rod to force them upward assists the operation, it being in such case only
necessary in using the hand rod to push it downward.
The said Invention is represented in the accompanying Drawing, in which,-
Figuro 1 represents a side elevation partly in section of a table and my improved
driving mechanism for a sewing machine.
Figure 2 represents a transverse section of the said table and an end view of said
driving mechanism.
Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both of these Figures.
A designates a sewing machine table, and B desiguates the outline of a sewing
machine frame mounted thereon. C designates a driving pulley, and D designates
a fly wheel for imparting motion to said driving pulley by means of a belt E.
F designates a treadle pivoted at a to the tie-rod or bar of the frame of the table,
and preferably provided with a spring G to effect its return movement after it has
been depressed by the foot or hand of the operator. H designates the hand rod
connected below the table to the driving mechanism, and extending upwards
through the table. I is the handle of this rod.
As represented in Figure 1 the hole b in the table A, through which the rod
works, fits the said rod closely, and constitutes a guide for the said rod in its
vertical movement, but the rod is sufficiently loose in the said guide to admit of its
vibration. The rod H may be, if desirable, connected by a crank or otherwise
with the fly wheel D, but proferably it is as represented connected with tho
treadle F. The treadle itself may be connected to the fly wheel in any suitable

page_text: manner, by a crank, for instance, but I prefer that this connection should, as shown
in the Drawing, consist of a cord J, one end of which is secured to the treadle, and
which is passed one or more times around a pulley K, and is secured at the other end to
the rod H by an arm c extending therefroin. The pulley K is alternately rotated
in opposite directions, and the fly wheel rotates continuously in one direction, and
hence the pulley K must have a clutch connection with said fly wheel, so that
when turned back and forth by the action of the hand rod it may, when turned in
one direction, engage with the fly wheel and carry it forward, and when turned in
the opposite direction it will be disengaged from said fly wheel and leave the latter
to continue its rotation by reason of its momentum.
As here represented the pulley K is permanently attached to the drum L, and
the fly wheel D fits loosely on the periphery of the said drum. Recesses M with
inclined surfaces & are formed in the inner periphery of the fly wheel, and in these
recesses are inserted spherical rollers N.
As the drum L is rotated in one direction the rollers N are clamped between the
drum and the inclined surfaces 8, and the fly wheel is caused to rotate. As the
drum turns in the other direction or backwards it is freed from the fly wheel, and
the latter is carried forward by its momentum until it receives further impulses
from the drum L. When the rod H is pushed down by hand it is returned or
* raised by the action of the spring G upon the treadle, and hence it is only necessary
to give said rod a succession of pushes downward, the hand being carried back or
upwards with the rod by the force of the spring.
Instead of the hand rod working through the table of the machine I may
arrange a hand lever at the side or end of the table, and connect the same with
similar driving mechanism, and thus attain the same results.
By my Invention I provide driving mechanism affording greater convenience
for operating the machine, either by hand or by foot power, than that hitherto in
use, and when tired of operating it by the foot the operator may use the hand,
bringing two sets of muscles into play alternately, thus preventing the fatigue
induced by working the machine either with the foot or the hand continuously.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. The combination of the table, the rod, the treadle, the spring, the cord, the
pulley, the drum, and the fly wheel connected to the drum by a clutch connection,
substantially as and for the purpose >pecified.
Second. The combination with a sewing machine and its supporting table of a
hand rod connected with the driving mechanism below the table, extending up
through a guide or otherwise arranged, and provided above the table with a
handle, by which it may be operated, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
Cina thousand sight hundred end eighty