0 a part of a machine that, when operated by the foot, gives the power to turn a wheel in the machine:
My grandmother still uses her old treadle sewing machine.
Starin (1989) found that pigeons preferred a terminal link requiring pecking over a terminal link requiring treadle pressing with the same programmed delay to reinforcement.
The experimenter found that those brain-damaged rabbits still learnt to press a treadle to obtain food.
I tried to participate in irrigation by using a treadle pump.
He put his foot on the treadle and his hand under the press, and his fingers were cut off.
When we go abroad we all see wonderful schemes involving treadle pumps—water pumps operated by children running round roundabouts—and other examples of small technology, as opposed to huge hydroelectric schemes.
Household sewing machines were powered with a foot treadle; however, factory sewing machines were steam powered from a line shaft.
About that time, the spindle method of spinning was replaced by the great wheel and soon after the treadle-driven spinning wheel.
The tie-up consists of cords or similar mechanical linkages tying the treadles to the lams that actually lift or lower the shaft.
