I have a New Automatic treadle machine that belonged to my grandmother. My husband serviced it for me a couple of years ago and I have just now undertaken to learn to use it. (I found this post as I sought info and joined the Quilting Board in order to participate, even though the conversation is now a year old.) The last patent pending date on my machine is 1913. I don't know how my grandmother obtained the machine, but she used it until the '50s. (A farmer's wife, she never had electricity in her home.) I can tell she used it a lot. I have a manual and a box of attachments that I think is out of this world. Yesterday I threaded the machine for the first time and struggled until the realized that I had to pull the thread firmly between the tension discs. Now I'm off and treadling (I hope!).