Treadle
A foot pedal on the loom that raises or lowers the shafts of heddles, freeing the weaver's hands for the shuttle and reed.
Also: pedal, foot pedal
A treadle is a pedal linked by cords to the heddle shafts. Pressing it with a foot lifts one set of shafts and lowers another, which opens the shed. Because the feet change the shed, both hands are free to throw the shuttle and to swing the reed. A plain-weave loom needs two treadles, one for each shed. Looms woven in twill or with more complex repeats have more, and the weaver steps on them in a fixed order that is learned by repetition. On a pit loom the treadles hang in the pit.