Foot or knee controlled reverse for Consew?

[RWL2]

What's the purpose of the extension of the connecting link for the reverse mechanism?  It's much longer than it needs to be.  The screw driver points to the extension on the bottom of the machine in the photo below.  Was this for a knee or foot controlled reverse mechanism from the table?  The main reason I ask is that I don't have a dedicated sewing table for this head yet and when I push down the reverse lever, the extension of the connecting bar/rod hits the table top so that I can't fully reverse the stitch.  I was thinking of cutting it off, but don't want to alter the machine if this is going to remove some feature that I don't know about.

[Handstitched]

Can the table be modified in anyway to accommodate ? I think that cutting it off is a bit extreme.  You may even decide to use it at some point in the future, and who knows, you may even find a dedicated table one day    

HS

[Constabulary]

I guess you are planing to make / buy a sewing machine table top for this machine, right? Then why cutting is off? Or do you want to use is in a different way like on top of a table... we don´t know what your intention is.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

That's not correct.  By chance is there a part number on the part?  This is a Consew 226, or 226R, the 1st version.  Overall they have three different castings.  This is the very original reverse mechanism they put out for this model, and it was only out for a  number of years before they changed it.

After some thought, when setup well, this could be great if someone actually was using it as a foot pedal operated reverse or back tack.  The benefit is that you can use two hands to hold the goods without reaching for the reverse lever.  

I'll have a parts book later for your specific model.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Gregg From Keystone Sewing

[RWL2]

1 hour ago, Constabulary said:

I guess you are planing to make / buy a sewing machine table top for this machine, right? Then why cutting is off? Or do you want to use is in a different way like on top of a table... we don´t know what your intention is.

In the short term I'll use it on a table top like a portable machine.  I'm in the process of completing a small hand crank for it so I can use it as is.  In theory I could put the machine up on blocks another inch higher, but then the machine is that much higher off the table and even less convenient to use.  If / when I run across an industrial machine table I may buy it.  I'm running out of space in my shop and most of my sewing is handled by my domestic machines although the Consew will make sewing tie down straps, canvas and denim much easier.  This was an inexpensive completely frozen machine I acquired at a yard sale as an interesting project because it would make a couple of sewing tasks easier.  Is there a known reason for the bar being that long and having an extra hole at the bottom in the Consews (and possibly Singers and Jukis since they're all pretty similar).  I'm trying to figure out why it's there.  If there's no good reason for it, it can be altered.  

[RWL2]

10 minutes ago, Gregg From Keystone Sewing said:

By chance is there a part number on the part?  This is a Consew 226, or 226R, the 1st version.  Overall they have three different castings.  This is the very original reverse mechanism they put out for this model, and it was only out for a  number of years before they changed it.

I'll have a parts book later for your specific model.

I went down in the shop and looked with a flashlight.  I cannot see a part number on it although the side closer to the casting isn't as well seen.  It is indeed an old model 226.  There is no R after the model number on the badge.  This bar is symmetric end to end.  The little hole at the upper end is connected to the return spring that holds the reverse in the up position.  The protruding bottom end of the bar has the same hole at its distal end.  It looks like the bar could be flipped end for end and used no matter which end was installed up.  Is there some purpose for the extension with the hole on the bottom end, or was this just how the manufacturer made it for assembly convenience?  A fuzzy parts diagram I found suggests that this is part number 10841 - Bell crank connecting rod. 

[dikman]

One of two things, as Gregg said it's an early design to enable the fitting of a foot lever for reverse or a previous owner fitted it for that precise reason. It shouldn't be hard to fabricate a shortened lever to replace it.