Nothing is ever truely new....

From Sci Am in 1875. Made by Strange's Cylinder Tooth Machine Co. of Taunton,MA

I'd like to see that in action!

I am crazy about seeing it
  But I wish to be excused from treadling, thank you.
I have treadled a lathe with a 1/2 heavy flywheel, and it was no fun pretty quick.
This one looks to have a feather weight flywheel. So, no way.

I know  a guy named Larry who has a lathe with a 4'+ cast cement flywheel. Its right at the bottom edge of genuine functionality. A guy needs mass to even up the force if the power source is uh, unreliable.

The French had the right idea. They used 8' diameter flywheels.
They had 8' grindstones too. 
     And a slave or at least an apprentice to turn 'em :)  heehehe
      yours Scott   

That one had to be a pure beotch to tip up and use the drill press function.

Craftsman's 1952 answer: