Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 29th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
I. PROSPER ACHILLE DOHIS, of 10 Rue Elisa-Borey, Paris, France, Engineer
Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Table machines such as are used for sewing, knitting and the like or for turning,
drilling, sawing and such like operations are usually driven by treadles, the driving
gear being so arranged that operators must continue to move the treadles without
intermission so long as the machines are kept in action. My invention relates to a
construction and arrangement of driving gear for a machine of this kind in such a.
manner that the operator has only from time to time intermittently to apply his
muscular force, thereby winding up a spring and so storing up power which for some
time maintains the machine in action, which is not interrupted by the winding of
the spring. The spring is preferably made by coiling a band or strip of steel or
other elastic metal into a helix, which may be of uniform diameter throughout its
length, or may be tapered externally, each convolution overlapping to some extent
the next. This spring is mounted under the table with its axis horizontal, and its
central spindle to which one end of the spring is fixed, is connected by toothed or
chain multiplying gear to the shaft of a pulley which by a band drives the main shaft
of the machine to be moved. The other end of the spring is fixed to a toothed pinion
gearing with a pinion on a counter shaft mounted under the table parallel to the
spring. On this countershaft there is a ratchet wheel with which engages a pawl
jointed to a lever that extends vertically downwards and terminates in a pedal or
hook to which the foot can be applied. The operator applying his foot and swinging
the lever to and fro for a time winds up the spring more or less, and thereupon the

page_text: spring is ready to drive the machine for a period depending upon the amount of
winding and the proportions of the multiplying gear connecting the spring to the
machine. Instead of one swinging lever there may be two, side by side, so that both
feet or either foot can be used for winding, and instead of a pawl and ratchet a silent
feed may be worked by the lever or levers. At a convenient part of the driving
gear there is applied a friction brake which can be pressed more or less by the knee
of the operator so as to retard or stop the machine. There is also a stop brake, which
by moving a knob or handle and engaging it in a catch, stops the machine and keeps
it stopped until the knob or handle is released..
Dated this 30th day of March 1887.

page_text: Driving Gear for Table
Machines for sewing, Knitting, and
the like.
I, PROSPER ACHILLE DOHIS of 10 Rue Elisa, Borey, Paris, France, Engineer-
Contractor, 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 :-
Table machines such as are used for sewing knitting and the like, or for turning
drilling, sawing and such like operations are usually driven by treadles, the driving
gear being so arranged that operators must continue to move the treadles without
intermission as long as the machines are kept in action. My invention relates to a
construction and arrangement of driving gear for a machine of this kind in such
a manner that the operator has only from time to time intermittently to apply his
muscular force, thereby winding up a spring and so storing up power which for some
time maintains the machine in action which is not interrupted by the winding of the
spring. The spring is preferably made by coiling a band or strip of steel or other.
elastic metal into a helix, which may be of uniforin diameter throughout its length,
or may be tapered externally, each convolution overlapping to some extent the
next. This spring is mounted under the table with its axis horizontal, and its
central spindle to which one end of the spring is fixed, is connected by toothed
or chain multiplying gear to the shaft of a pulley which by a band drives the
main shaft of the machine to be moved. The other end of the spring is fixed
to a toothed pinion gearing with a pinion on a counter shaft mounted under
the table parallel to the spring. On this countershaft there is a ratchet wheel
with which engages a pawl jointed to a lever that extends vertically downwards
and terminates in a pedal or hook to which the foot can be applied.
operator, applying his foot and swinging the lever to and fro for a time, winds
up the spring more or less, and thereupon the spring is ready to drive the machine
for a period, depending upon the amount of winding and the proportions of the
multiplying gear connecting the spring to the machine. Instead of one swinging
lever there may be two, side by side, so that both feet or either foot can be used for
winding; and instead of a pawl and ratchet a silent feed "may be worked by the
lever or levers. At a convenient part of the driving gear there is applied a friction
brake which can be be pressed more or less by the knee of the operator so as to retard
or stop the machine.
There is also a stop or brake which, by moving a knob or
handle and engaging it in a catch stops the machine and keeps it stopped until the
knob or handle is released.
The
Fig. of the accompanying drawings is an end view and Fig. 2 is a front view
of the frame of a table machine with driving gear arranged according to my invention.
A A are two hooked pedals of which only one may be used. They are at the ends
of levers B, which are preferably made adjustable in length as shewn to suit different
lengths of limb. The levers B being swung to and fro act by pawl and ratchet,

page_text: which may be of the "silent feed" kind as shewn, to turn intermittently a spindle (
mounted under the table. This spindle is connected by gearing D to a parallel
spindle E surrounded by the helical spring F, one end of which is fixed to the
spindle E and the other end to the boss of a wheel G which is free to turn on
the spindle E. The wheel G is connected by any suitable intermediate gear, such as
toothed wheels and pinions or chain gear or both as shewn, to the spindle of the
pulley H which by a band drives the machine upon the table. As the spring F is
on the one hand wound up by the intermittent rotation of the spindle E resulting
from the oscillations of the pedals A, it acts as a store of force which it gives off
continuously by its unwinding, so turning the wheel G and the pulley H geared
thereto. K is a plate in a convenient position to be pressed on by the knee of the
operator when he desires to retard or stop the machine; this plate moving a brake
lever L in opposition to a spring M. A hand lever N is also provided to work a
brake or to introduce a stop in any suitable part of the gearing when desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Driving gear for a table machine, wherein an oscillating pedal lever or a pair
of these, by ratchet or equivalent gear, intermittently winds up a spring which as it
continuously unwinds drives the table machine, as herein described and illustrated.
2. In combination with driving gear such as is above referred to, a brake arranged
to be worked by the knee of the operator, substantially as described.
01.
at Danamaker 1997
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.