IMPROVEMENTS IN TREADLE MECHANISM
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREADLE MECHANISM."- A com-
munication from abroad by Henry Stella Stewart, of Newark,
New Jersey, United States of America.
-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 21st August 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREADLE MECHANISM," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent

page_text: for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been
communicated to me from abroad by Henry Stella Stewart, of Newark,
New Jersey, United States of America.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltino, do hereby
declare that the following Completo Specification, under my hand and 5
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates to treadles, and consists partly in so construct- 1
ing a treadle that the ankle joint of the operator may always be placed
in line with the centro of motion of the treadle. This object is accom-
plished by making that portion of the treadle on which the licel rests
adjustable to different heights relatively to the pivot, so as to accom-
modate the apparatus to different operators.
The said Invention consists further in an adjustable heel stop arranged
upon the foot board of the treadle to adjust the heel of the operator to
the proper position longitudinally thereon, and allow for the changes..
required by the various styles and sizes of shoe heels.
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1
The said Invention consists further in a moveable knce-brace or support 2
arranged in such a manner that it may be brought against the knees or
limbs to prevent their tendency to fall apart, and also to form a support
and point of resistance, so that the operator can use his strength to
greater advantage against the treadle. The said brace or support is made.
adjustable to suit different operators, and its form is adapted to the part 2
of the frame of the machinery to which it is attached.

page_text: A designates the table and frame of a sewing machine, and B its
driving shaft, provided with a crank O, which is connected to the treadle
by a rod D, whose lower end is jointed to the back part of the frame of
the treadle at E. The said treadle is provided with a bent axis F, whose
ends are supported in bearings G, G, in the frame of the machine in
which they are free to turn.
Where the frame of the machine is not adapted to allow the bearing
to be formed in the frame itself, socket pieces H, H, are provided, which
are rigidly secured to the sides of the machine in such a manner as
to bring the bearings G, G, in the proper position. The frame I of the
treadle is composed of bars a, b, which extend from the centre of the
bent part of the axis downward, and serve to connect the footboard to
the frame of the treadle.
The rear bar a is hinged to the rear edge of the footboard at c, and
the front bar 6 is curved, forming a segment of a circle having the
hinge point c for its centre; its lower end passes through the footboard
in a sleeve & provided therein, so that the outer end of the said foot-
board can be raised or lowered at pleasure on the curved bar b, and be
secured thereto at any desired height by means of a set screw or pin
working through the sleeve.
By this means the heel or outer part of the footboard can be raised or
lowered with reference to the centre of motion of the axis F of the
treadle, to bring the ankle joint of the foot of the operator to coincide
with such centre, thereby saving unnecessary motion of the legs in operat-
ing the treadle, and obtaining increased ease and facility in working it.
This result may be obtained in other ways, for instance, by arranging
the journals of the axis or shaft F in movable boxes made adjustable
about a central-point c, while the footboard itself is rigidly connected to
the treadle frame.
In order to adjust the foot longitudinally in position on the footboard,
and to prevent its slipping thercon while operating the treadle, an
adjustable heel stop J is provided, consisting of a slotted plate of metal
or other suitable material secured to the footboard by a set screw K,
which passes through the slot e in the heel plate J, and through the
footboard on whose under side is a fixed nut, which receives the end of
the screw K. The plate J is adjusted by loosening the set screw and
moving the plate along to the proper position when the screw is again

page_text: tightened. The plate Jis kept in a straight lino by means of a central
tongue on its under side, running in a corresponding groove in the foot--
board, and also by means of the sleeve d, which is embraced by the sides
of a slot f provided in a tongue L, that projects from the inner edge of
the plate J in such a manner that the sleeve aids in keeping the plate
straight on the footboard both during and after adjustment. It will bo
observed that the plate J has a place for each foot, and each place has
an inner ledge g which serves as a stop or rest for the inner edge of the
hccl.
In working a sewing or other machine by means of a treadle driven by
both feet, the knees of the operator have a tendency to fall apart, and
with some persons it requires considerable effort to keep the limbs
parallel; when the machine runs hard, the weight of the limbs is some-
times. insufficient to prevent the feet from becoming displaced or from
moving off the treadle. These difficulties are obviated or prevented by
means of a knee-brace or support, consisting of moveable bars M, M;
arranged to come on each side of the knces of the operator using the
treadle. These brace bars-M. have horizontal parts h, which are made..
cylindrical, and are secured in line with each other to the under side of
the table in sleeves i, i, wherein they can be not only turned but also
moved endwise, so as to bring them further apart or nearer to each
other.
The inner ends of the brace bars are flattened, and they extend down-
ward as shewn; their lower parts diverging from each other so as to allow
the knees to enter between them with ease. The said brace bars may be
fastened in their sleeves after adjustment by set screws, or other means,
but.ordinarily they can be kept sufficiently tight by friction.
The said brace bars are arranged apart about ten or twelve inches,
more or less, and when it is desired to use considerable force against the
treadle, they may be brought near enough to each other to come in
.contact with the knees, and hold the feet down upon the treadle, and, if
desired, they may be connected by a strap which shall go over the knees,
and form the resisting surface, against which the knees shall be pressed.
The brace bars may be pushed out of the way of the knees of the
operator by simply turning them back in their sleeves, as shewn by
dotted lines in Figure 2.
S

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. A foot treadle so constructed that the ankle joint of the operator
may be brought in line with the centre of motion or axis on which the
treadle vibrates, substantially as described.
Second. An adjustable footboard for treadles, so arranged that the
part thereof on which the heel rests may be raised or lowered with
respect to the centre of motion or axis of the treadle, substantially as
shewn.
Third. An adjustable heel stop, for one foot or both, arranged upon
the footboard of a treadle, so that the feet may be adjusted longi-
tudinally thereon, substantially as described.
Fourth. The adjustable heel stop on the footboard of a treadle, as
described, in combination with a footboard whose heel end may be
adjusted vertically to bring the ankles in line with the centre on which
the axis of the treadle turns, substantially as shewn.
Fifth. The adjustable knee-brace for bracing and supporting the knees
of the operator, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.s.)
Witness,
OHAS. J. GooƠ1.