Improvements in Mechanism for Driving Sewing and other Machines by Foot Power.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th May, 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Driving Sewing and other
Machines by Foot Power.
I GASTON HERVIEU of 47 Mall Road Hammersmith in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and I, NICOLAS ALPHONSE AUBERTIN of 10 Mornington Crescent,
Hampstead Road N.W. in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our apparatus consists in a kind of frame or parallelogram which is fixed-under
the table of a sewing machine or on the standards, or under the bench bed or on the
standards of a lathe.
This frame or parallelogram is fixed whether by an axle or by mean of two
pivots or bolts at its superior part so as it can swings between the two supports of
the sewing machine or lathe, in the direction of the throw of the feet.
:
At a suitable high on the vertical side of the frame or parallelogram, nearer the
fly wheel, is an arm which makes part with the frame or parallelogram: At the
end of the said arm is connected by mean of a pivot or bolt, another arm or lever
which is, at its other end, connected to the crank of the wheel by mean of the motion
hereafter described to avoid dead point; so as by the swinging action of the lower
part of the frame or parallelogram, it produces the same alternative motion of a rod
connected to a treadle and thus producing the rotary motion of the fly wheel.
The lower part of the frame or parallelogram is parallel with the floor at a very
little high so as the foot or feet may rest on it without fatigue for the legs, and,
the swinging of the lower part of the leg or legs without moving the upper part,
motion which allows to apply power in both motion of the substitute for the treadle
in throwing or pulling the leg back; motion which suppresses totally the dangers of
hysteric and other exciting nervousnesses, etc., etc., from which women are so subject
to, when working on those actual machines of which the treadle is so unhealthy for
them.
The suppression of the dead point which is so inconvenient in starting the fly
wheel, is produced by the adjunction in between the lever and the crank of a square
or A piece of which the middle part is jointed and placed above the lever to which
it is fixed on a small arm making part of the said lever. One end is connected with
the crank and the other one is placed between two adjustable springs which keep
the piece in position so as the pivot of the crank is always in a straight line
with the lever or rod; but in case of the fly wheel stopping with the crank at
the dead point, by applying a little extra power on; the spring holding the ▲ piece
in position, will give way, and thus displace the lever or rod above or under
the straight line between the center of the fly wheel, the crank pivot, and the other
end of the lever or rod to which the power is transmited by the swinging frame or
parallelogram.
The chief feature of our invention, being the application of the above described
motion and the suppression of dead point in starting, and the swinging motion for
actuating the sewing machine or lathe allows the upper portion of the leg or legs to
remain quite steady and thus, in the case of a woman working on a sewing machine,
makes the working motion much easier and does away with the dangers of the
treaddle system. Although allowing to start the machine at any position of the fly
wheel and allowing it to stop nearly instantly and without any jerk.
Dated this Ninth day of February 1892.
GASTON HERVIEU.
NICOLAS ALPHONSE AUBERTIN.

page_text: '
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Driving Sewing and other
Machines by Foot Power.
We GASTON HERVIEU of 47 Mall Road Hammersmith Engineer and NICOLAS
ALPHONSE AUBERTIN of 10 Mornington Crescent Hampstead Road, N.W. in the
County of Middlesex, Chemist 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 objects of this invention are to overcome the dead points of the crank or the
like in all kinds of machines worked by foot power and by working sewing-machines
and the like by a swinging action from the knee instead of by the unhealthy action
(for women) as at present. And in order that our said invention may be better
understood we will how proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying sheets of drawings in which-
Figs. 1 and 2 shew front and side elevation respectively of our invention as
applied to sewing machines lathes or other like machines worked by the foot.
Fig. 3 shews view drawn to an enlarged scale of our improved mechanism detached
shewing the pitman and crank of the mechanism to be driven.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the views.
at c.
a. a. shews two arms or angle piece the arms of which may be at any suitable'
angle but we have found the angle shewn on the drawing at Fig. 3 to answer well
in practice b. shews fork piece in which the arms or angle piece a. a. are pivotted
The arm d. of the fork piece b. has a hole e. therein for the bar f. of the
oscillating-pendulous frame g. (hereafter described) to pass through (shewn at Fig. 2).
h. h. are two springs kept in position by-the-pin-i. passing through hole. in the
arms k. of the fork piece b. g. (Figs. 1 and 2.) shews an oscillating frame or
treadle.
One end of the angle piece a. is connected to the crank n. at m. as shewn in the
drawings.
The action is as follows.
Supposing the mechanism to be fitted to a sewing machine or the like as
at Figs. 1 and 2.
Upon rocking the frame g. about the centres x. x. in the direction of the arrows
flight motion will be imparted to the crank n. in the direction of the arrows flight
through our mechanism the springs h. h. "giving" so that the dead, points are
overcome thereby and the bar may thus be rocked with ease simply by swinging the
leg from the knee.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what 'we.
' claim is :-
I. In mechanism for driving sewing and other machines worked by foot power
the angle piece a. regulated by a spring or springs in combination with a rocking
frame all substantially as described and shewn in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.
II. In mechanism for driving sewing and other machines by foot power the angle
piece or arms a. a. regulated by a spring or springs substantially as set forth.
III. The improved mechanism for driving sewing and other machines by foot
power substantially as set forth.
Dated bis on day of May 1
BROWNE & Co.,
9, Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, W.C., Agents for Applicants.