yes, that is how it was supposed to work. This specific mechanism and it's issues is what lead to the marketing term (for companies not using this anymore) "Light Running" The effort required to use this original Howe design is significantly more than later drive methods.
BTW, this drive method is also used in the Patchers (29-4,etc) and any other place where solid drive force is needed. In the early days, a sewing machine had to be able to sew silk AND leather (really sew it) so these designs worked well. Once machines became more specialized (for home vs industrial/shop) this design was no longer optimal