TreadmillIn 1822, a treadmill was completed to grind corn at the New York City Prison employing the labour of 8 to 16 prisoners at a time walking on what looked like a very wide, 5-ft diam. paddle wheel. Prisoners held on to a bar and climbed the paddle boards, like endlessly walking up stairs. On each revolution, a bell rang. This was the first of its kind in the U.S., but it was based on a penal idea that had been previously used successfully in Britain. When production began on 23 Sep 1822, it ground 40 to 50 bushels of corn per day. The project was suggested by Stephen Greelet and Isaac Collins, a manager of the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism, and adopted by the mayor. It was abandoned after a few years trial.*«[Image: English prison treadmill design.] |
