[Peripherals] Alternitive Power for Developing Countries

Mon May 5 20:49:31 EDT 2008

Hello Caryl,

This is the sewing machine that you talk about.  The feet goes in the 
"green" lines that I have draw.  This machines exist in Peru.  They cost 
around US$100 new.  They are out of the reach of the poor people.  Low 
probabilities to find used ones (they are so good for the task that they 
are kept during generations... my mother gave me her old one... all the 
metal parts work as new, but the wood parts are destroyed due to lack of 
care by more than 20 years (that the machines was stored in a garage).  
My ex wife got in love to the machine and she has kept it, fix it and 
use it for many things (well... she got the car and the house too! :-D )

My idea is that we can develop the "pedaling" or "treadling" machine 
with "spinning wheel" technology.  In the spinning wheels typically the 
foot (just one is good enough) goes over the "red line" that I have 
draw.  It is a simpler mechanism.   It is efficient and it has been used 
by human beens from very old times.  At the end some paintings that 
reflects how they were used normally by old people and children (just to 
comment that you don't need to spend huge energy for moving these 
spinning wheels, the spinning wheel of the girl is a "mini" spinning 
wheel.. in both cases they need to sit down and move one foot.. not the 
whole leg... every kid can do it... no damage involved... I speak from 
first hand experience because I have managed a group of ladies that spin 
natural yarns using spinning wheels... I imported models from India and 
USA and then I have found the ones that exist in Peru... from all that 
experience I order to some artisans to manufacture them, they build them 
with amazing results.  Lucky we are that I have some spinning wheels in 
the garage yet, so we can do pilots and testing.  Other advantage is 
that they are manufactured here in Peru, with wood.

More on next message.

Javier Rodriguez
Lima, Peru

Caryl Bigenho wrote:
> Hello Javier Rodriguez and, all the other folks on the peripherals list,
>
> After seeing the creative things Arjun Sarwal is doing with cow-power 
> in India, I started thinking of other possibilities. I remembered my 
> grandmother's old treadle sewing machine and how excited she was to 
> have it electrified.  Later, I saw many being used 35 years ago in 
> regions in the Yucatan where there was no electricity.
>
> Here is a link to a picture of what they look like.  It is the one on 
> the left.
>
> http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade%2DLiterature/Sewing%2DMachines/
>
> Many of these machines still exist.  i see them at estate auctions 
> every summer in Montana.  There must be thousands throughout the 
> world.  I have twice tried bidding on just the treadle mechanism of 
> one on ebay. I lost out on the bidding for both, but have hopes of 
> finding one in Montana this summer.
>
> When I get one, I intend to try to set it up as a combination 
> desk/power source to run an XO.  If it works and doesn't cost too much 
> to set up, it might be something that could be replicated all over the 
> world where these old machines still exist...some probably still being 
> used without electricity.
>
> Javier, have you seen any of these machines in rural Peru?  Are they 
> still being used to sew?  Would there be a need to try to design it to 
> continue to be used as a sewing machine but to generate power at the 
> same time?
>
> It might also be possible to manufacture a similar mechanism, at a 
> modest cost.  But, the idea of recycling the old ones has a lot of 
> appeal. I was also wondering if an old automobile generator could be 
> adapted to work with it.  Perhaps it would require too much torque to 
> work.
>
> It may be just a crazy idea, but if cow-power works, maybe this will 
> too. If and when I do this project, I will probably need some advice 
> from you folks.  Any suggestions for starters?
>
> Caryl
>
> BTW, Could AJ's Cow-power generator be adapted to run on Llama power?  
> How about donkey power?  Goat power?
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