USRE4233E - Improvement in treadles for sewing-machines - Google Patents

Description

74. MACHINE ELFMENTS AND MECHAMSMS.

74. MACH'NE ELEMENTS AND MECHAMSMS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. BRADSHAVV, WILLIAM H. BROWN, AND DARIUS IVHITHED, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREADLES FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Spccitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 92,786, dated July 20, 1869; Reissue No. 4,233. (lated January 17, 1781.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. BRADSIIAW, WILLIAM H. BROWN, and DARrUs WHITHED, all of Lowell, in the county ot' Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beingI had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon.

The nature ot' our invention consists in providing for sewing-machines a device whereby a rotary motion is transmitted to the same by means of segment gears, pawls, and ratchets, without the aid ot' a crank and pitman.

lt also relates to the arrangement and cornbination of the adj ust-able casters, whereby the same may be applied and adjusted, and by which, when to be removed, the machine is rendered portable, and when in use rendered ixed or stationary.v

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a sewing-machine frame or stand with our improvements attached. Fig. 2 represents a plan of. the same with the top of the machine removed. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the same, showing the working parts on the opposite side from the driving-pulley. Fig. 4 represents a vertical section ofthe same, showing the working parts on the driving side ot' the machine.

Similar letters in the different figures indicate corresponding parts.

a 'a represent the top of the sewing-machine fra-me, which is provided with legs a and b, they being secured to the same and located on each side. Secured to these legs a and b are the girts b', c, c', and d, which are parallel with the top a of the sewing-machine. Formed in the top girts, b' and c, are bearings for the reception of the driving-shaft d' and stud-shaft e, which is located back ot' the same, and on which shaft e are the segment-gears e and f, they being held in position by means ot' the requisite collars, allowing them to turn freely on the shaft e. Attached to these segmentgears e' and f are the treadle-rods f' and g,

their lower ends being pivoted together and connect with the treadle g', this treadle g being provided with a shaft or stud, which is mounted in bearings formed in the girts c and d. The trendle-rod g is pivoted to an offset in the treadle-rcd j", on one side thereof, and the two rods are then crossed and pivoted, the rod g to a short arm extending out from the segmentf, in rear ofthe fnlcrum-shaft'e, and the rod f to the middle portion of the segment Q-, in front ot' the fulcrumshaft.

h and h are loose pinions, to which are ccnnected the collars i and t', which play freely on the shaft d' and gear into the segmentgears e and f. Secured to the outside ot' these collars t' and t" are the requisite pawlsj and j', which work in their respective ratchets k and k', they being firmly secured to the shaft d'.

l and l are friction-springs, which furnish the ratchets k and k with the requisite friction, preventing the same from turning backward.

m is a saddle which sits on the shafts d and e, connecting with the foot stop-motion m' by means of the connecting rod or strap n.

n and o are the caster plates or rods, which are pivoted at each end to thc adjustable slides o' o" andp p. On the top of these plates n' and o, near each end, are pivoted the casters p', q q', and r, these slides o o and pp operating on the plates r Y r r', which are firmly' secured to the bottom of the legs a' and b.

s and t are toggle-joints which connect with the caster-plates a and o and legs a' and b.

u is a balance-wheel, which is secured to the shaft d', it being located on the outside of the legs b b, which acts as a balance and driving wheel to the sewing machine, transmitting power to the same.

rIhe machine being thus constructed and its several parts adjusted in position, and the other devices which constitute the entire sewing-machine being located as required, is then ready for use, motion being transmitted from the driving-pulley or balance wheel u to the driven pulley on the machine. The operator, by giving the treadle g an alternate motion, produces corresponding motion to the segment-gears e and f by the aid of the treadlestraps f and g. These segment-gears e and f,

gearing into the loose pinions h and h', produce the same alternate mot-ion in them, which, by the aid of the collars i and i', with their pawls j and j attached, operates the ratchets k and k inverselywith each other-that is, when the pawlj is engaged in the ratchetkthepawl j is disengaged from the ratchet k', and vice versa-and the springs l and l', actingin concert with their respective ratchets k and k', give the required friction to the same, preventing any backward movement ot' them under any circumstances. This alternate operation of the pawlsj and j upon the ratchets k and 7c gives acontinual, continuous, and uniform rotary motion to the driving-shaft d as long as power is applied to the treadle g by the operator.

When the machine is required to be stopped for any purpose, the operator, by the aid ot' the saddle m, acting upon the shaft d by means of the stop-motion m and connecting-rod n, depressing the saine, is enabled so to do easily and suddenly, andthe machine, when stopped in any position, is in condition to be started by the operator without being obliged to start the saine With the assistance of the hand, as there are no dead-points to overcome, as there a1- ways is with the use of the crank and pitman; and, further, the machineis rendered portable at a moments notice by aid of the caster-plates n and o, with casters p, q g', and r, operated -upon by the toggle-joints s and t, which raise the machine from the doorand rest it upon the casters p', q g', and i', and the machine is made stationary byelevating the caster-plates n and o, with casters p', q g', and r, by aid ofthe toggle-joints s and t, thus allowing the machine to rests firmly on the door. A

Thus it will be seen that with our improvements attached to sewing-machines the operator is enabled to produce a steady, easy, uniform motion of any required speed, superseding the necessity of the use of the crank and pitman, having no dead-points to overcome, and the machine, under all and any circumstances, can be started by the foot Without being obliged to remove the hands from the work to assist, making a compact, reliable, durable, portable or stationary machine.

What we claim as onr invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the treadleg and the rods g and f', when attached to the segmentgearf and e', respectively, the one in rear and the other in front of the fulcrum-shaft, substantially as specified.

2. The arrangement of the segment-gears e and j, ratchets k and k,'pawlsj and j', substantially as herein described and specified.

3. The caster plates or rods'r ando, with casters p', g q", and r, when arranged in rel'erence with each other and operated substantially as herein described and spccilied.

4. The adjustable slide o o and pp, in combination with the caster plates n and o, for the purposes as specified.

JOHN A. BRADSHAW. WM. H. BROWN. DARIUS WHITHED. Wil messes FRANK O. BUTTERFIELD, CHAs. A. F. SWAN.

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