Improved Treadle-driving Gear.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Treadle-driving Gear.
I, WILLIAM ANYON, 41, Cedar Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
=
My improvements relate to a rotary propelling gear, and are especially applicable
to cycles sewing machines foot lathes and the like.
The object of my invention is to produce a more effective form of leverage than
heretofore by an arrangement of differentiated centres; whilst retaining or conserving
the rotary motion of the levers about their own respective centres.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I arrange two separate and distinct
centres on which the levers or wheels revolve and in such manner that one lever
engages with a second lever by means of a connecting link or by a suitable
slide.
One lever carries the other lever and forces it to follow and turn on its own
respective centre.
As the two centres are removed from each other the leverage becomes differentiated
and available to the action of the foot as an advantageous leverage power.
Thus the foot of the operator is permitted to move the quickest when the levers
reach their maximum of length in the down movement and the slowest when
they reach their minimum of length in the up-movement, where the levers
somewhat retire or return and thus free or relieve the foot from exerting any
adverse weight or thrust.
In this way and by these means this system of leverage becomes advantageous
and available where animal power is employed as the motive agent.
The power generated on the fixed centre or centres may be transmitted to the
machine to be driven by any of the approved methods in general use, such as
sprocket wheels and chains as in the case of cycles, or suitable connecting gear in
the case of sewing machines, foot lathes &c.
In the application of my invention to cycles the top portion of the cranks may
be bent or curved forward so as to bring the pedal into vertical line and as an
accommodation to the position of the operator.
Dated this 24th day of February 1807

page_text: Improved Treadle-driving Gear.
I, WILLIAM ANYON, of 41, Cedar Street, Hightown, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, 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 :-
My improvements relate to a rotary driving gear and are especially applicable
to cycles, sewing machines, foot lathes and the like.
Hitherto in treadle driving gears, say for instance in a cycle, the crank and
sprocket wheels have been worked from the same centre so that the actual
leverage presented to the foot is the same in the up as the down movement,
and it follows from this that should the same thrust be exercised on
one crank
as the other the conflicating forces will become balanced and no rotary motion will
ensue.
It is well known in practice that the adverse weight or thrust of the foot in the up
movement is very considerable even in the case of the best riders, and this adverse
thrust is a factor which detracts very seriously from the full motive value of the foot
on the down side.
The object of my invention is to overcome the said defects, i.e. to provide a
more effective form of leverage than hitherto by an arrangement of differentiated
centres whilst retaining or conserving the rotary motion of the levers about their
own respective centres, whereby the aforesaid loss of power is reduced to a minimum
and indeed to such an extent that if the rider chooses to exert his full muscular
power at the same time equally on both cranks when they are at their greatest
leverage, rotary motion and propulsion will still ensue, and the greater the muscular
power exerted the more determined will be the motion forward.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to be
appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference indicating
like parts in the various figures.
Figs. 1 & 2 are respectively a side view and an end view partly in section of my
improved treadle driving gear as used in a cycle. Fig. 3 is a plan of a modification
of my invention, and Figs. 4 & 5 show the same as applied to a sewing machine and
foot lathe respectively.
In carrying out my invention and referring to Figs. 1 & 2 I arrange two separate
and distinct centres a & b for the sprocket wheel axle a¹ and the pedal levers b¹ to
revolve on, in such a manner that each pedal lever 61 engages with a second lever c
by means of a connecting link d. One of the said levers carries and forces the other
to follow and turn on its own respective centre, the lever c being secured to the
axle a¹ of the sprocket wheel e whilst the pedal lever turns loosely on a disc f formed
eccentrically on the end of the bearing g of the sprocket wheel axle a¹, ball races h
being respectively interposed.
Figs. 1 & 2 show my improved treadle driving gear as applied to a chain or
indirect driven cycle, in which case the link d on the sprocket wheel side of the
cycle is pivoted to the sprocket wheel e instead of to a lever c secured to the axle of
the latter and sprocket wheel e whereas in a chainless or direct driven cycle the
arrangement of levers and links would be identical on each side.
According to a modification, see Fig. 3, and in double driving, the axle a¹ may
be formed at each end with a crank a² and arranged stationary in the bearing g,
whilst the pedal levers 6¹ are pivoted to the said cranks and by means of links d
connected to the sprocket wheels e.
When applying my invention to a sewing machine or foot lathe or other machine
operated by an oscillating treadle, see Figs. 4 & 5 the axle a¹ is arranged stationary

page_text: in its bearings and one end thereof formed with a crank a² to which the treadle
lever 61 is pivoted which latter is carried by the link d pivoted to the driving
pulley or wheel e, as shown in Fig. 3, whilst the treadle is connected to the
lever b¹ by a rod k¹.
It will thus be readily seen that as the two centres a & b are removed from
each other the levers 61 become differentiated and available to the action of the
foot as an advantageous leverage power.
Thus the foot of the operator is permitted to move the quickest when the levers 61
reach their maximum of length in the down movement and the slowest when they
reach their minimum of length in their up movement where the levers somewhat
retire or return and thus free or relieve the foot from exerting any adverse weight
or thrust.
The described system of leverage is also applicable to and is of great advantage in
many machines where hitherto animal power has been employed as the motive
agent.
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 :-
In treadle driving gears of the type herein before referred to, the crank axle a¹
furnished at each end with a lever c, in combination with two pedal levers 6¹ b¹
adapted to rotate upon the axle bearing g eccentrically to the crank axle a¹, each
pair of levers c & 61 being directly yoked together by a link d, all substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1907
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.