SPRING MOTOR FOR SEWING MACHINES, LATHES AND THE LIKE
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
CHARLES JOHN GRIFFITH of 13 Seal Street Shacklewell Lane in the county of
Middlesex, Horologist, do hereby declare the nature of such invention for
▲ SPRING MOTOR FOR SEWING MACHINES, LATHES AND THE LIKE, to be as
follows:-
To work in a suitably prepared frame I place a barrel or drum to receive coiled
springs one end of such springs being fastened to the said barrel or drum whilst
the other ends are attached in similar manner to an arbor on which the barrel or
drum rotates. Inside the barrel or drum I fix ledges or pins at such distances that
I may insert a washer between each spring for the purpose of keeping them
separate. I attach to said barrel or drum a large toothed wheel gearing with a
pinion and intervening wheels that the power of the springs may be conveyed to
the machine or object to be driven.
The winding of the springs I effect by a wheel gearing into a pinion connecting
the arbor of the barrel or drum with two levers and the usual ratchet work.
I attach to the barrel or drum a contrivance which will stop the machine before
the springs shall have become exhausted so as to have always equal driving power.
To obtain uniformity of action I furnish a flywheel, and to slacken speed or stop.
the machine altogether I provide a hand-brake, In addition to the foregoing I also
provide in connection with the second or third wheel a clutch and pedal arrange--
ment whereby the speed may be considerably augmented if desired, which I
arrange in the following manner: On the arbor carrying the wheel, or on the
wheel itself I fasten a ratchet wheel, or plant pins or ledges, that may serve the
same purpose, and provide a clutch or pawl that shall engage with the teeth of
such ratchet wheel, or pins or ledges in substitution thereof, and cause, when
pressure is put upon a pedal, suspended from such clutch or pawl, the acceleration
of the motion of the machine.
The Clutch may be suspended from the upper part of the framework of the
machine, but I prefer to place a lever, riding loosely upon the arbor of the
wheel, with the clutch or pawl fastened on the lever over the ratchet teeth.
On the pressure being removed from the pedal, I cause the clutch, or lever and
clutch to rise by means of rubber or metal spring (or other similar mode) ready for
the next downward movement.
Date: _Linnush dow of Win 1001

page_text: I, CHARLES JOHN GRIFFITH of 13 Seal Street, Shacklewell Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Horologist, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"A SPRING MOTOR FOR SEWING MACHINES, LATHES, AND THE LIKE," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to driving arrangements for sewing machines, lathes, and
the like, in substitution of continuous manual labour, and is as follows;-reference
being had to the drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is a general elevation of my improved motor placed in a suitable case,
and combined with any known sowing machine.
Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of my motor, with part of the case removed.
Between the frames A. A A, and carried therein by suitable bearings, I place one
or more barrels or drums B, within which are any suitable number of coiled.
springs, the outer end of such springs being fastened to the said barrel or drum,
whilst the other ends are attached to the arbor C. upon which the drum or drums B
are caused to revolve by the re-acting elasticity of the internal springs when
wound up.
The springs are kept separate from one another by washers inserted between
them, and to the said barrels or drums B is attached a large toothed wheel D,
gearing into a pinion upon an adjacent arbor or shaft D', the power being trans-
mitted from thence through suitable gearing, and by, conveniently, a grooved gut
wheel E, to the sewing machine F, or other machine or object to be driven.
The winding of the springs I effect by a pair of hand levers G G centred on the
arbor of the spring drum, and carrying pawls g g, one above, and the other below,
the ratchet wheel H, keyed to the said arbor C. A fixed safety pawl h fixed upon
the framing, prevents the said ratchet wheel from running back by the reaction of
the springs when wound up, the said reaction taking effect upon the said " going
barrel B.
"
I attach to the barrel or druin a contrivance such as the ordinary known
"Geneva stop," which would stop the machine before the spring shall have become
exhausted, so as to reduce the inequality of the driving power as the springs run
down.
:
I further provide upon the second or third counter shaft a pair of pedal
levers K K pivoted so as to swing freely upon the said counter shaft, each lever
being provided with a pawl k k, one above the centre of oscillation, and the other
below, and both gearing into a ratchet wheel L keyed to the said counter shaft
This is a speed accelerating device by which the foot power of the operator may be
applied to accelerate the speed of the machine when required, as for instance in the
case of a sewing machine, when sewing through an exceptionally heavy seam.
same effect may be produced by many obvious modifications of the pedal lever
action, as for instance, instead of a pendulum oscillation, the rise and fall of the
pedal lever, or levers, may be caused to produce the same effect upon the ratchet
wheel, as in the particular device described.
The
To obtain uniformity of action, I provide a fly wheel upon the sewing machine
or motor, and in addition, provide an eccentric roller-brake M of the following
description. A roller M is mounted on a centre, placed eccentrically to the vertical
shaft N, the said shaft being provided with a handle-pointer P, by which it may
be rotated through any desired are of a circle. The roller M, by the eccentricity of

page_text: its central pivot, is thus pressed more and more forcibly upon the face of the last
driving wheel E of the motor, which has a smoothly turned face for the purpose.
A variable resistance is thus offered to the rotation of the motor, according to the
angle at which the cccentric brake is placed, resulting in the absolute stoppage of
the machine, when the greatest pressure is brought to bear.
Suitable indications of the effect produced by the movement of the eccentric
brake are marked upon a quadrant or dial under the pointer P, for the information
of the user. The said brake may be locked in any required position by the fly
nut Qor any convenient means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, be it known that
what I claim is
1st In a spring motor for driving sewing or other machines, the combination
therewith of a speed accelerator, consisting of a ratchet or equivalent movement
upon one of the rotating shafts of the motor, and operated by a single or double
foot pedal, substantially as described.
2nd In a spring motor for driving sewing or other machines, the combination
therewith of a double lever winding device, operating by the usual pawls and
ratchet wheel, upon the spring arbor, substantially as describe.
3rd In a spring motor for driving sewing or other machinery; the combination
therewith of a brake thereby stopping or regulating the. motor as desired.
Dated this 17th day November 1884
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant.