IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM AND LUBRICATING APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINERY
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 AND LUBRICATING APPARATUS FOR
SEWING MACHINES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINERY." A com-
munication from abroad by Robert Whitehill, of the City and State of 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 4th February 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM AND
LUBRICATING APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER
MACHINERY." [A communication from abroad by Robert Whitehill, of the City
and State of New York, United States of America.]
These improvements are chiefly designed to provide mechanism for driving a
number of sewing machines from one shaft (each of the said machines being con-
nected with said shaft), the said driving mechanism being so arranged that it may
be adjusted to stop and start the machine at the will of the operator.
The chief object of the said Invention is to provide driving mechanism which
may be cheaply manufactured, easily taken apart for shipment or for cleaning, and
is so simple in construction that the several parts may be put together and adjusted
by an unskilled person.
The said Invention comprises the combination with a friction driving disc or
wheel on a driving shaft and a brake of a countershaft carrying a friction-pulley
and capable of a lateral movement, by which said pulley may be brought out of
contact with the brake and into gear with the said driving disc or wheel, or
brought out of gear with said disc or wheel and into contact with the said brake.
It also comprises the combination with a driving shaft and a disc or wheel
carried thereby of a laterally movable counter-shaft, arranged transversely to said
driving shaft, and carrying a friction pulley and a treadle, so connected with the
said counter-shaft that the said friction pulley may be brought into or out of
contact with said disc or wheel.

page_text: It also comprises the combination with such a driving shaft, disc, countershaft,
friction pulley, and treadle of laterally movable bearings for said counter-shaft, and
a stationary brake, whereby the tilting of the treadle in one direction brings the
said friction pulley in contact with said disc or wheel, and the tilting of said treadle
in the other direction brings said friction pulley in contact with said brake.
It also comprises various details and combinations of parts whereby the efficiency,
simplicity, and cheapness of said driving mechanism is increased.
And it further comprises an oil-cup or lubricator of novel construction, adapted
to the bearing blocks or journal-boxes of such mechanism; which oil cup or
lubricator is also applicable to the bearing-blocks or journal-boxes or other
machinery.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the driving shaft is made of sufficient
length to drive a number of sewing machines, and is generally arranged below a
table on which the machines are placed; motion may be imparted to it by a pulley.
A disc or wheel is secured upon said shaft in proper position to drive a sewing
machine. A countershaft is arranged transversely to the driving shaft and carries
a friction pulley, which is preferably formed of several thicknesses of sole leather
arranged upon the shaft, and bolted between metal flanges. A pulley is mounted
on the said countershaft, by which motion may be imparted through a belt to the
shaft of the sewing machine. When it is desired to vary the speed a set screw
may be loosened and the said friction pulley adjusted towards or from the driving
shaft.
The counter shaft is held in bearings which are capable of lateral adjustment so
as to move the friction-pulley into or out of contact with the side of the aforesaid
disc or wheel. In order to effect such adjustment bearing blocks are held in sockets
or recesses in a framework which is pivoted so as to permit of its free oscillation.
As the frame is pivoted below the centre of the countershaft its oscillation will
adjust the friction pulley towards and from the disc or wheel. As the bearing-
blocks are fitted in the sockets or recesses the countershaft is held against longi-
tudinal movement by the walls of such sockets, and hence the countershaft may be
made without shoulders or collars. The bearing blocks are held against vertical
displacement by pins inserted across the sockets.
The bearing-blocks are furnished with a grease or oil cup, herein before mentioned,
of novel construction, which is also applicable to the bearings of other mechanism
or machinery, and which I will now describe.
I provide a cup for containing grease which requires to be warmed to render it
fluid. The cap or cover of such cup is fitted quite loosely thereto, and has attached
to it a metal pin which passes down through the cup, through the oil-hole
at the bottom thereof, and rests on the journal of the countershaft. As the
journal becomes warm its heat is imparted to the pin which warms and melts
the grease. The pin has extending from it a wire, which as the cup or cover is
turned stirs the grease and loosens it from the sides of the cup. When so con-
structed the cap or cover constitutes a weight acting on the pin to press it down
with certainty into contact with the journal.
I also provide a brake, attached to and extending from a standard, and arranged
in such a position that the friction pulley when moved away from the aforesaid
disc may be forced against it to stop its rotation.
A spring fastened at one end to an arm extending from the frame, and at the
other to a projection extending from the brake, serves to draw the friction pulley
when not otherwise actuated out of contact with the aforesaid disc or wheel.
There is a base plate to which the standards are secured, and which serves to secure
the apparatus to the floor, and a treadle is pivoted at about its centre in a hanger
or bracket which is bolted to a piece extending from one of the standards.
A lever is pivoted loosely on a pin extending from the brake and forked at both
ends. One end engages with the aforesaid arm, and the other end with the treadle,
which has two lugs for preventing displacement of the end of the lever sidewise.
It is desirable that the treadle should at all times be about central below the

page_text: needle of the machine, while the pulley is in line with the pulley on the needle
of ting shaft of the machine.
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In case the apparatus is to be used with a machine in which the pulley on the
needle operating shaft is nearer the needle the hanger may be reversed and it and
the treadle shifted into another position.
In order to permit the ready removal of the treadle from the hanger the latter is
made considerably longer than the said treadle so as to permit the treadle to be
slipped endwise sufficiently to disengage its fulcrum from one bearing, and another
bearing is made slightly conical for this purpose. When in operation accidental
displacement of the treadle is prevented by a pin extending from said treadle
impinging against a projection on the hanger, and said pin and projection are so
arranged that they act in either position of the treadle. By the oscillation of the
treadle the friction pulley may be adjusted into contact with the disc or plate for
driving the machine, or forced against the brake for stopping the same.
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
4th August 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING MECHANISM AND
LUBRICATING APPARATUS FOR SEWING-MACHINES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by Robert Whitehill, of the City
and State of New York, United States of America.
These improvements are chiefly designed to provide mechanism for driving a
number of sewing machines from one shaft (each of the said machines being
connected with the said shaft), the said driving mechanism being so arranged that
it may be adjusted to stop and start the machine at the will of the operator.
The chief object of the said Invention is to provide driving mechanism which
may be cheaply manufactured, easily taken apart for shipment or for cleaning, and
is so simple in construction that the several parts may be put together and
adjusted by an unskilled person.
The said Invention comprises the combination with a friction driving disc or
wheel on a driving shaft and a brake of a counter-shaft carrying a friction pulley,
and capable of a lateral movement by which the said pulley may be brought out of
contact with the brake and into gear with the said driving disc or wheel, and
into contact with the said brake.
It also comprises the combination with a driving shaft and a disc or wheel
carried thereby of a laterally movable counter-shaft arranged transversly to the
said driving shaft, and carrying a friction pulley and a treadle so connected with
the said counter-shaft that the said friction pulley may be brought into or out of
contact with the said disc or wheel.

page_text: It also comprises the combination with such a driving shaft, disc, counter-shaft,
friction-pulley, and treadle of laterally movable bearings for the said counter-shaft,
and a stationary brake, whereby the tilting of the treadle in one direction brings
the said friction pulley in contact with the said disc or wheel, and the tilting of the
said treadle in the other direction brings the said friction pulley in contact with
the said brake.
It also comprises various details and combinations of parts whereby the
efficiency, simplicity, and cheapness of the said driving mechanism is increased.
And it further comprises an oil cup or lubricator of novel construction adapted
to the bearing blocks or journal-boxes of such mechanism, which oil-cup or
lubricator is also applicable to the bearing-blocks or journal-boxes of other
machinery.
In the accompanying Drawing,—
Figure 1 represents a transverse section of the driving shaft and a side view of
the remaining parts of my improved mechanism, and
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 1, and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section drawn to an enlarged scale of one of the
bearings of the counter-shaft.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A represents a driving shaft, which is of sufficient length to drive a number of
sewing machines, and which is generally arranged below a table on which the
machines are placed. Motion may be imparted to this shaft by a pulley A¹;
B represents a disc or wheel secured upon the said shaft in the proper position to
drive a sewing machine; C designates a counter-shaft arranged transversly to the
driving shaft A, and carrying a friction pulley D, which is preferably formed of
several thicknesses of sole leather arranged upon the shaft and bolted between
metal flanges; D' is a pulley mounted on the shaft C, by which motion may be
imparted through a belt to the shaft of the sewing machine. When it is desired to
vary the speed the set screws may be loosened and the said pulley D adjusted
towards or from the shaft A.
The shaft C is held in bearings which are capable of lateral adjustment to move
the friction pulley D into or out of contact with the side of the disc or wheel B.
To effect such adjustment the bearing blocks C¹ are represented as held in sockets
or recesses a in a framework E, which is pivoted at b and c so as to permit of its
free oscillation. As the frame E is pivoted below the centre of the shaft C its
oscillation will adjust the pulley D towards and from the disc or wheel B. As the
bearing blocks C are fitted in the sockets or recesses a the shaft C is held against
longitudinal movement by the walls of such sockets, and hence the shaft C may be
made without shoulders or collars. The bearing blocks C¹ are held against vertical
displacement by pins d inserted across the sockets a.
The bearing blocks Care furnished with a grease cup of novel construction,
which is also applicable to the bearings of other mechanism or machinery, and
which I will now describe.
F represents a cup for containing grease, which requires to be warmed to render
it fluid; F is the cap or cover of the said cup, fitted quite loosely thereto, and
having attached to it a metal pin F, which passes down through the cup and the
oil hole at the bottom thereof, and rests on the journal of the shaft C. As the
journal becomes warm its heat is imparted to the pin which warms and melts the
grease. The pin F2 has extending from it a wire u, which as the cap or cover F' is
turned stirs the grease and loosens it from the sides of the cup.
When so
constructed the cap or cover constitutes a weight acting on the pin to press it down
with certainty into contact with the journal.
G designates a brake, which is represented as stationary, being attached to and
extending from a standard E, and arranged in such a position that the pulley D
when moved away from the disc B may be forced against it to stop its rotation.
A spring e fastened at one end to an arm f extending from the frame E, and at

page_text: the other to a projection g extending from the brake G, serves to draw the pulley D
when not otherwise actuated out of contact with the disc or wheel B. H represents
a base plate to which the standards E¹, E³, are secured, and which serves for the
attachment of the apparatus to the floor; I is a treadle pivoted at about its
centre in a hanger or bracket I¹, which is bolted to a piece h extending from the
standard E².
J represents a lever pivoted loosely on a pin i, and extending from the brake G
and forked at both ends j, k. The end, engages with the arm f and the end k
with the treadle I, which has two lugs for preventing displacement of the end of
the lever sidewise.
It is desirable that the treadle should at all times be about central below the
needle of the machine, while the pulley D¹ is in line with the pulley on the needle
operating shaft of the machine.
As shewn in the Drawing, the treadle is adjusted for a machine in which the
pulley to which motion is imparted from the pulley D' is at some distance from
the needle.
In case the apparatus is to be used with a machine in which the pulley on the
needle operating shaft is nearer the needle the hanger I¹ may be reversed, and it
and the treadle shifted into the position shewn in dotted lines at I2, Figure 2.
To permit the ready removal of the treadle I from the hanger I¹ the latter is
made considerably longer than the said treadle, so as to permit the treadle to be
slipped endwise sufficiently to disengage its fulcrum from the bearing m, and the
bearing n is made slightly conical for this purpose. When in operation, accidental
displacement of the treadle is prevented by a pin o extending from the said treadle
and impinging against a projection p on the hanger I¹; the said pin and projection
are so arranged that they act in either position of the treadle I, as represented in
Figure 2. By the oscillation of the treadle the pulley D may be adjusted into
contact with the disc or plate B for driving the machine, or forced against the
brake for stopping the same.
When it is desired to take the apparatus apart for shipment or cleaning, the
pins & are first taken out to permit the removal of the shaft C. After this is done
the treadle may be tilted sufficiently to disengage it from the lever J, and the
pin o from the projection p. The treadle may be then removed by slipping it
longitudinally, and the said lever may be readily slipped off the pin i and
removed.
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 with a driving shaft and the disc or plate carried thereby
of the laterally movable counter shaft arranged transversely to the said driving
shaft and carrying the friction pulley, and the treadle so connected with the said
laterally movable counter-shaft that the said friction pulley may be brought into
or out of contact with the said disc or plate, substantially as above set forth and
for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination with the friction driving disc or wheel on the driving
shaft and the brake of the counter shaft carrying the friction pulley, and capable
of a lateral movement, by which the said pulley may be brought out of contact
with the brake and into gear with the said disc or wheel, or out of gear with the
said disc or wheel and into contact with the said brake, substantially as above set
forth and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination with a driving shaft and the disc or plate carried
thereby of a countershaft extending transversely to the said driving shaft, and
carrying the friction pulley, the laterally movable bearings for the said counter-
shaft, the brake, and the treadle, so connected with the said bearings that the
friction pulley may be brought into contact with the said disc or plate or the said
brake, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination with the driving shaft, the disc or plate B, and the

page_text: brake, of the shaft carrying the friction pulley D and mounted in bearings in an
oscillating frame, whereby the said pulley may be adjusted into contact either
with the disc or plate or with the said brake, substantially as above set forth and
for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The combination with the driving shaft and the disc or plate B of the
counter-shaft, the friction pulley, the oscillating frame, the lever J, and the treadle,
substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The combination with the counter shaft of the oscillating frame E
provided with sockets or cavities for the reception of the bearing blocks, whereby
longitudinal movement of the said shaft is prevented, substantially as above set.
forth.
Seventh. The combination with the oscillating frame E of the lever J mounted
loosely on the pin i, and having at one end a fork engaging with the arm f
extending from the said frame, and at the other end a fork engaging with the
treadle, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Eighth. The combination with the treadle of the reversible hanger or bracket,
substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Ninth. The combination with the hanger or bracket and the treadle adapted to
be removed therefrom by a longitudinal movement of the pin o extending from the
said treadle and engaging with the projection p upon the said hanger, whereby
such longitudinal movement is prevented, substantially as above set forth.
Tenth. The combination with the grease cup and the pin F2 of the cap or cover
resting upon the pin and constituting a weight to press the pin down upon the
journal to which the cup is applied, substantially as above set forth and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.