IMPROVEMENTS IN TREADLES FOR BICYCLES, LATHES, SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Harris Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th April 1883. Communicated to
him from abroad by Franklin Schermerhorn Wilson, of Vicuna, in the Empire
of Austria.
En
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREADLES FOR BICYCLES,
LATHES, SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.” [A communication to him from abroad
by Franklin Schermerhorn Wilson, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria.]
The object of the present invention is to effect the rotation of a shaft by means
of a treadle-lever without the employment of a crank.
The said invention affords many advantages over the ordinary treadles in which
a crank is employed, particularly the following vis;-the dead points in the
motion of the crank are avoided; the effect of the varying radial length of the
crauk as it advances and retires is obviated; and a great increase of useful effect
is obtained without increase of time or power.
According to the said invention the shaft is rotated by the means hereinafter
described, that is to say;-two hollow loose pulleys are arranged upon the said
shaft each of which pulleys contains a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, and carries
a pawl gearing with the said ratchet wheel. The power is applied to each pulloy
in turn by a chain or a steel or leather strap, or a cord or rope attached to a treadle-
lever having as its fulcrum or axis an independent shaft. Each pulley is wide
enough to admit two widths of chain strap, rope, or cord, which is wound once
about it, having the ends depending on opposite sides of the shaft so that a weight
being applied to one end would, in falling, wind up the other. The chain strap,
band, or rope, or cord, may be either in one piece or divided and made fast at
diametrically opposite points of the pulley so that the two parts work in opposite
directious
One end of the first chain, strap, rope, or cord on the first pulley is attached to
the first lever; the end of the second chain, strap, rope or cord on the first pulley
is attached to an arm on the second lever, whilst the end of the first chain or the
like on the second pulley is attached to the second lever, and the end of the
second chain or the like on the second pulley is attached to an arm on the first

page_text: lever, so that when either lever is pressed down the other lever rises and both
pulleys revolve, the one to which it is directly attached turning in a forward
direction and the other in a backward direction.
The teeth of the ratchet wheels are inclined backwards so that the pawls which
are attached to the rims of the pulleys (when the pulleys revolve in a forward
direction) falling into the teeth turn the ratchet wheels forward and with them the
shaft upon which they are keyed.
While the first pulley, together with its ratchet wheel, is moving forward, tho
second chain or the like on the same pulley is being wound up and lifts the second
lever because it is attached to the arm on the said lever; whereas the arm on the
first lever descending, draws after it the second chain on the second pulley to
which it is attached, which reverses the second pulley and re-winds the first chain
on the said pulley, thus making the second lever and second pulley ready for action
the instant power is applied to them.
This contrivanco adimits of several variations; for example the two pulleys may
either work in mutual or independent relations. The above description applies to
a conjoint mutual action.
The same effect may be produced by an automatic re-winding attachment such
as a compensating weight, a spiral or other spring, or an india-rubber band, when
each pulley and its respective treadle will become independent of the other pulley
and treadle; moreover only one pulley and treadle may be used.
By the above described arrangement a retrieving pulley action is created whether
it be accomplished with cam, ratchet, clutch or other gearing which may permit
the one pulley and shaft to rotate forward whilst the retrieving wheel or pulley
rotates backward and is being wound up or otherwise prepared for action
The contrivance may be applied to all machines now worked by cranks, and
driven by human power such as bicycles, tricycles, lathes, sewing machines, and
the like,