MACHINE FOR OPERATING PROGRESSIVELY ON A LASTED SHOE ALONG A DESIRED PATH

Abstract: A shoe bottom roughing machine comprises a shoe support (10) and tool supporting means (12) including a tool support member (50) between which and the shoe support relative movement is effected lengthwise, widthwise and heightwise of the bottom of a shoe supported by the shoe support. The tool support member (50) supports a single roughing tool (698) in the form of a rotary radial wire brush and the brush is mounted for swivelling movement about a verrtical axis. The various motors (34, 66, 84, 148) for effecting these movements are n.c. motors and a computer control, using programmed instructions, is used for determining the path of the tool along the shoe bottom. For supporting the tool support member (50) for its various movements, a double parallel linkage arrangement (44, 46, 50; 42, 46, 50, 58) is provided which is effective to maintain the tool in its heightwise orientation in relation to the shoe bottom while providing lightness and rigidity for the tool mounting. For effecting rotation of the brush, a single drive belt (122) is provided, driven by a motor (110) which itself is movable to maintain the tension in the belt during widthwise and heightwise movement of the tool support member (50) relative to the shoe support (10).

Description: MACHINE FOR OPERATING PROGRESSIVELY ON A LASTED SHOE ALONG A DESIRED PATH TECHNICAL FIELD This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to a machine for operating progressively on a lasted shoe along a desired path, more particularly such a machine comprising a shoe support for supporting a lasted shoe with a portion thereof to be operated upon exposed, tool supporting means, including a tool support member, for supporting a tool for operating on such portion of the shoe, first drive means for effecting relative movement between the shoe support and the tool support member in a direction extending lengthwise of the portion of the shoe to be operated upon, and second and third drive means for effecting movement of the tool support member relating to the shoe support in directions extending respectively widthwise and heightwise of the portion of the shoe to be operated upon. BACKGROUND ART One such machine is described in US- A-3,077,098, in which machine the tool support member is secured to a parallel linkage arrangement through which the tool is connected to the third drive means whereby the tool support member is moved heightwise relative to the shoe support when the machine is in operation. Moreover, a further parallel linkage arrangement is provided, having a mounting plate on which the first- mentioned parallel linkage arrangement is itself mounted. This further parallel linkage arrangement is operatively connected to the second drive means, in the form of a tension spring, for urging the mounting plate, and thus the tool supported on the tool support member, in a direction widthwise relative to the shoe support. In this machine, moreover, the heightwise position of the tool is determined by its contact with the shoe bottom. the third drive means providing a source of constant pressure, while the widthwise movement of the tool is controlled by a shoe-engaging member connected with the mounted plate, the tool thus being caused to follow a path determined by the contour of the shoe in the region of its featherline. The machine further comprises tool driving means in the form of a motor mounted on a frame portion of the machine and connected by a flexible splined drive shaft to the tool which is a rotary roughing brush of the "end mill" type (i.e. a "cup" brush) . While mounting the motor of the tool driving means on the frame of the machine is beneficial in terms of inertia, as is also the use of two parallel linkage arrangements, which in addition to lightness also retains a desired level of rigidity, nevertheless the machine remains bulky, especially by reason of one of said arrangements supporting the other in a tower-like construction. Moreover, because of the reliance of contact with the shoe in determining the heightwise position of the tool (rather than providing a drive which positively moves the tool heightwise) and also because of the reliance placed on sensing the shoe contour in order to position the tool widthwise of the shoe bottom (rather than again providing a positive drive for positioning the tool widthwise) the machine is rendered less than accurate, especially where it is required to operate on high-heeled shoes which, particularly in the inside waist region, have an ill-defined contour. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is thus one of the various objects of the present invention to provide an improved machine for operating progressively on a lasted shoe along a desired path wherein a compact construction is provided which affords close control of the operating path. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION There is hereinafter described, to illustrate the present invention by way of example, one machine for performing a roughing operation progressively along marginal portions of shoe bottoms, this illustrative machine comprising a shoe support for supporting, bottom up, a lasted shoe with the marginal portions thereof to be operated upon exposed. In addition, the illustrative machine comprises tool supporting means, including a tool support member, for supporting a tool for operating on the marginal portions of such shoe bottom, said tool thus being mounted with an operating surface portion thereof above the shoe bottom to be roughed. For guiding the tool along a desired path relative to the shoe bottom, the illustrative machine further comprises first, second and third drive means, whereby relative movement is effected between the shoe support and the tool support member in directions extending respectively lengthwise, widthwise and heightwise of the shoe bottom. More particularly, in the illustrative machine the shoe support is mounted for movement, in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe bottom, to carry the shoe in said direction beneath the tool, and the tool support member is moved in directions extending both widthwise and heightwise of the shoe bottom, while such lengthwise movement is being effected by the shoe support, in order that the tool is guided along a desired path corresponding to the contour of the marginal portions of the shoe bottom. The first, second and third drive means preferably comprise n.c. motors, e.g. stepping motors, and the operation of each such motor is under computer control, in accordance with a programmed instruction which includes digitised coordinate axis values corresponding to the style (and, if desired, size) of the shoe bottom to be roughed. (So far as concerns the control aspects of the illustrative machine, reference is made to EP-A-0 043 645.) The tool supporting means of the illustrative machine comprises first and second parallel linkage arrangements by each of which the tool support member is supported and through which the tool support member is operatively connected with respectively the second and the third drive means, whereby said member is moved respectively widthwise and heightwise relative to the shoe support, and thus whereby the tool is moved widthwise and heightwise in relation to the shoe bottom. By providing the two parallel linkage arrangements, the tool support means has sufficient rigidity to enable the tool to track progressively along marginal portions of the shoe bottom, but at the same time the construction of the tool support means is light and thus the inertia in the system is relatively low. More particularly, in the illustrative machine the two parallel linkage arrangements are mechanically integrated to the extent that the tool support member forms part of both parallel linkage arrangements and the second parallel linkage arrangement comprises two sets of parallel linkages, arranged one at each side of the tool support member and also forming part of the first parallel linkage. More particularly, the two sets of parallel linkages each comprise two parallel links each of which is pivotally connected at one end to the tool support member which is thus supported between the two sets, and further the first parallel linkage arrangement comprises the tool support member, a parallel cross- member mounted for pivotal movement on two supports therefor forming part of, and arranged one at each side of the tool supporting means, at least one of the parallel links of each set, moreover, connecting the tool support member with the cross-member by pivotal connections. By using such an arrangement, it will be appreciated, the tool support member is movable in a widthwise direction by the pivotal connection of the parallel links on the cross-member, and at the same time is movable heightwise by the parallel links pivoting heightwise together with the cross-member. The machine described in US-A-3,077,098 is equipped to operate along one side only of a shoe bottom, a similar, mirror-opposite, machine being required for operating on the opposite side of the shoe bottom. Consequently, in this machine the tool is mounted in a fixed angular position on the tool support member. It may be desirable, however, especially when operating upon high-heeled shoes, to vary the angle of inclination of the tool, but no provision is made in this machine for any such facility. In the case of the illustrative machine, on the other hand, the tool, which is a rotary radial wire roughing brush, is arranged to operate along a path around the whole of the shoe bottom and, in order that it always "wipes" inwardly over the lasting margin of the shoe bottom as it rotates in carrying out the roughing operation, it is supported by the tool support member for swivelling movement about an axis extending heightwise of the shoe bottom. For effecting such swivelling movement, furthermore, fourth drive means of the machine is provided, said fourth driving means also being supported by the tool support member so that as the tool support member is moved relative to the shoe support in directions extending widthwise and heightwise of the shoe bottom, it carries not only the tool but also the fourth drive means with it. The fourth drive means of the illustrative machine also comprises an n.c. motor, e.g. a stepping motor, operable under computer control in accordance with a programmed instruction. It will be appreciated that by reason of the particular construction of the tool supporting means, the axis about which the tool swivels will be maintained constant in relation to the shoe bottom regardless of any widthwise and/or heightwise movement thereof. For effecting rotation of the tool (radial roughing brush) the illustrative machine comprises tool driving means, including a motor which is operatively connected to the tool through a continuous belt arrangement. In the illustrative machine, moreover, in order to maintain the continuous belt arrangement in tension, as heightwise movement of the tool support member is effected relative to the shoe support, the motor is so mounted as to be held suspended by the continuous belt arrangement. More particularly, a motor support member is pivotally mounted on the tool supporting means, for heightwise movement of the motor, the arrangement being such that as the tool is moved upwardly the motor moves downwardly and vice versa. In order to maintain a constant, or substantially constant, tension in the continuous belt arrangement, additional means, in the form of a pneumatic cylinder, is provided for applying a constant downward pressure to the motor support member, and thus to the motor itself. One advantage of such an arrangement over conventional tensioning pulleys is that, bearing in mind that the motor is a reversible motor (since the direction of rotation of the roughing brush must be reversed during grinding or re-grinding) , which would usually require a tensioning pulley on each "reach" of the belt, in the case of the illustrative machine the mode of mounting the motor is sufficient to maintain tension regardless of its direction of rotation. Referring more particularly to the arrangement for effecting rotation of the roughing tool of the illustrative machine, the motor of the tool driving means has an output shaft supporting a first drive pulley and the tool driving means comprises also a second drive pulley which is connected with a tool support shaft, forming part of the tool supporting means, on which the rotary tool is supported, such connection being through a gear arrangement. The first and second drive pulleys, moreover, are operatively connected by a single continuous drive belt (constituting the continuous belt arrangement of the tool driving means). It will be appreciated that as the tool support member is caused to pivot to move the tool support member heightwise and widthwise in relation to the shoe bottom, the relationship between the two drive pulleys will vary accordingly, since the motor of the tool driving means is not mounted for movement with the tool support member. In order to ensure that the portions of the belt adjacent each of the pulleys lies in a plane extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the particular pulley, regardless of the heightwise position of the tool support member relative to the frame, each drive pulley has associated therewith belt aligning means. In the case of the first drive pulley, moreover, the belt aligning means comprises two further pulleys over which the belt is entrained "upstream" and "downstream" of the drive pulley, the two further pulleys being mounted for independent pivotal movement each about an axis perpendicular to its axis of rotation, thus to accommodate widthwise movement of the tool support member relative to the shoe support. In the case of the second drive pulley, on the other hand, the belt aligning means comprises two rollers on a common axis of rotation extending transversely of the belt, said rollers being supported by a carrier mounted for pivotal movement on the tool support member thus to accommodate the rollers to widthwise movement of the tool supporting means. In the illustrative machine the motor of the tool driving means is so mounted that a tangent to the belt-engaging surface of each of the further pulleys passes tangentially to the belt-engaging surface of the second drive pulley, this latter surface being dimensioned so as to accommodate movement of the belt in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe support in response to heightwise movement of the tool support member relative to the shoe support. More particularly the axis of the output shaft of the motor of the tool driving means extends horizontally lengthwise of the shoe bottom and projects rearwardly of the tool supporting means, i.e. away from the shoe support. The second drive pulley, on the other hand, is accommodated at the front of the tool supporting means and the axis of rotation thereof extends vertically or substantially so. In order to effect the operative connection between the two drive pulleys, therefore, the belt is directed through 90°, and indeed such change of direction is effected by the two further pulleys. Moreover, because of the geometry of the various pulleys, the belt is twisted through 90° between the first drive pulley and its associated belt aligning means, i.e. the two further pulleys, and also through a further 90° between the second drive pulley and its associated belt aligning means, i.e. the two rollers. It has also been found desirable to provide a link which extends between and is pivotally connected to each of the carrier for the rollers and the tool supporting means whereby as widthwise movement of the tool support member is effected corresponding pivotal movement of the carrier takes place thus to re-align the rollers to maintain them with their axis of rotation normal, or substantially normal, to the portions of the belt. Whereas the illustrative machine is a machine for performing a progressive roughing operation along marginal portions of shoe bottoms, other machines in accordance with the present invention may include e.g. machines for applying adhesive to marginal portions of shoe bottoms, machines for applying adhesive to side wall portions of shoes and machines for performing a progressive roughing operation along side wall portions of shoes, or indeed machines which combine one or more of such operations, e.g. a combined shoe bottom marginal portion and side wall portion roughing operation. The several aspects of the present invention will be found set out as appended Claims 1, 12 and 13. The above and other of the various objects and the several aspects of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of the illustrative machine. It will of course be appreciated that this machine has been selected merely by way of exemplification of the invention and not by way of limitation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:- Fig. 1 is a side view of the illustrative machine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the illustrative machine; Fig. 3 is a section view taken on the line III- III of Fig. 1, showing various motors and other features of drive means of the illustrative machine; Fig 4. is a fragmentary front view of the illustrative machine, showing details of a roughing tool and its mounting; and Fig. 5. is a fragmentary side view of part of the machine shown in Fig. 4, but with the tool and its mounting turned through 90 , and showing part of a dust extraction system of the illustrative machine. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The illustrative machine now to be described is a machine for performing a progressive roughing operation along marginal portions of shoe bottoms and comprises a shoe support generally designated 10 and tool supporting means generally designated 12, the shoe support being mounted for rectilinear movement, in a direction extending lengthwise of the bottom of a shoe supported thereby, in a frame 14 of the machine, and the tool supporting means being carried on said frame, as will be hereinafter described. The shoe support 10 of the illustrative machine is generally similar to the shoe support described in GB-A-2,077,090 and is thus arranged to support a shoe, bottom up, with marginal portions of the shoe bottom to be operated upon exposed. In the illustrative machine the shoe support 10 is mounted for sliding movement, along a rectilinear path, along two shafts 16 supported by the frame 14. More particularly, a frame 18 of the shoe support is mounted on blocks 20 for such sliding movement. The left-hand block 20 (viewing Fig. 3), moreover, has depending therefrom a clamp 22 which clampingly engages a belt 24 entrained about two pulleys 26, at opposite ends of the path of travel of the shoe support 10. A forward (i.e. right-hand viewing Fig. 1) one of the pulleys 26 is driven by a belt 28 (Fig. 3) which is entrained about a drive pulley 30 supported on an output shaft 32 of a stepping motor 34 mounted on the machine frame 14. The stepping motor 34 constitutes first drive means of the illustrative machine, for effecting movement of the shoe support 10 relative to the tool supporting means 12 in a direction extending lengthwise of the bottom of a shoe supported by the shoe support . The tool supporting means 12 comprises a base 40 (Fig. 1) which is fixedly mounted on a frame 14. Upstanding from the base 40 are two support members 42, arranged one at each side of the path of movement of the shoe support. Mounted at 54 for pivotal movement on and extending between the support members 42 is a cross- member 44 (Fig. 3) at each end of which, adjacent the appropriate support member 42, a forwardly extending arm 46 is mounted at 52 (Fig. 2) for pivotal movement in a direction extending widthwise of the path of movement of the shoe support 10. Interconnecting the forward ends of the two arms 46 by ball joints 48 is a tool support member 50, in the form of a casting having a generally planar top surface. The cross-member 44, arms 46 and tool support member 50 constitute a first parallel linkage arrangement of the illustrative machine, facilitating movement of the tool support member 50 in a direction extending widthwise of the path of movement of the shoe support 10, and thus of the bottom of a shoe supported thereby. At the base of each support member 42, and extending inwardly therefrom, is a flange 56 (Fig. 3) on which is supported, by means of a ball joint a rearward end of a second forwardly extending arm 58. Each arm 58 extends parallel to its associated arm 46, and the forward end of each of the arms 56 is connected, again by ball joint, to a depending lug portion 60 (Fig. 1) on the tool support member 50. Each support member 42, together with the arms 46, 58 and depending lug portion 60 thus constitutes a set of parallel linkages for supporting the tool support member 50, the two sets (i.e. one on each side of the tool support member 50) constituting a second parallel linkage arrangement of the illustrative machine whereby heightwise movement of the tool support member 50 can be effected relative to the path movement of the shoe support 10, and thus of the bottom of a shoe supported thereby. For effecting widthwise movement of the tool support member 50 relative to the shoe support 10 the illustrative machine comprises a stepping motor 66 (Fig. 3), constituting second drive means of the illustrative machine, said motor being mounted between two brackets 68 secured to the cross-member 44. On the output shaft of the motor 66 is a nut (not shown) captive in a housing 70 secured to a rearward portion of the left-hand (viewing Fig. 3) arm 46 by means of a pin 72 (Fig. 2). The nut engages with a ball screw 74 whereby rotation of the output shaft is effective to pivot the arm 46, and thus the first parallel linkage arrangement, about the pivot 52 by which the arms 46 are secured to the cross-member 44. On an end of the ball screw, moreover, is mounted a sleeve 76, an end portion of which describes a spiral. This sleeve cooperates with a proximity switch 78 and serves as a homing device whereby, in a setting-up operation of the machine, the first parallel linkage arrangement is centralised by operation of the motor 66 to bring the sleeve 76 to a desired position in relation to the proximity switch 78. Mounted on the base 40 of the tool supporting means 12 is a further stepping motor 84 (constituting third drive means of the illustrative machine) by which the cross-member 44 is caused to pivot about the pivots 54 by which it is mounted on the support arms 42, whereby through the second linkage arrangement to effect heightwise movement of the tool support member 50 in relation to the shoe support 10. To this end, an output shaft of the motor 84 is constituted by a ball screw 86 with which a nut (not shown) engages, the nut being captive in a housing 88 secured between two brackets 90 extending forwardly of the cross-member 44. Rotation of the motor 84 is thus effective to move the housing 88 heightwise, thus to pivot the cross-member. As in the case of the second drive means, moreover, at the end of the ball screw 86 is arranged a sleeve 92 having a spiral end, said sleeve cooperating with a proximity switch 94 (fig. 2) whereby, in a setting-up operation, to return the second parallel linkage arrangement to a "home" position. In order to counterbalance the weight carried by the arms 46 and support member 50, compensating springs 98 are secured to further brackets 100 carried on the cross-member and also to the base 40 of the tool supporting means 12. Mounted on the tool support member 50 of the illustrative machine is a rotary roughing tool 698 (Fig. 4) in the form of a radial wire brush, tool driving means being provided for effecting rotation of the brush as will now be described. The tool driving means of the illustrative machine comprises a motor 110 (Fig. 3) carried by a motor support member 112 which is pivotally mounted on a rod 114 supported at opposite ends on brackets 116 carried on the left-hand (viewing Fig. 3) flange 56 of the support member 42. The motor is thus capable of heightwise pivotal movement about the axis of the shaft 114. A rearwardly extending output shaft of the motor 110 carries a toothed drive pulley 120 (Fig. 1) about which a continuous belt 122 is entrained. It will thus be appreciated that the motor support member 112, and thus the motor 110 itself, is held suspended through the pulley 120 for pivotal movement about the axis of the rod 114; this thus maintains the drive belt 122 in tension. In order to damp any tendency of the motor and its support member to "bounce", moreover, and in order to maintain a constant tension in the belt 122, a piston- and-cylinder arrangement 118 (Fig. 3) is mounted on the cross-member 44 and acts on the member 112 to apply a constant downward pressure thereto. Mounted, above the drive pulley 120, on a rear portion of the cross-member 44 and centrally thereof are two further pulleys 124 over which the "downstream" and "upstream" portions of the belt 122 are entrained. Each further pulley 124 is mounted such that a tangent to the drive surface thereof coincides with a tangent to the drive surface of the drive pulley 120. It will be appreciated that, as the tool support member 50 is moved heightwise, a foreshortening effect of the further pulleys 124 will take place, because they are located behind the pivots 54. In order to accommodate for any such lengthwise variation in the position of the belt- engaging surface thereof in relation to the drive pulley 120, the latter is wide in relation to the width of the belt to accommodate for any lengthwise movement of the belt over its surface in response to any corresponding movement of the further pulleys 124. For accommodating widthwise movement of the tool support member 50, furthermore, each of the further pulleys 124 are each mounted on a bracket 126 (Fig. 2), and each bracket is mounted, independently of the other, for pivotal movement about a pivot 128 carried on a flange formed on the rear of the cross-member 44. The two further pulleys 124 thus constitute first belt- aligning means of the tool driving means. Pivotal movement of the brackets 126, furthermore, is effected in a self-compensating manner according to the direction in which the reaches of the belt 122 extend towards the tool support member 50, as it is moved widthwise of the path of the shoe support 10. The mounting of the tool 698 and the manner in which it is connected, via the belt 122, to the motor 110 will now be described with reference to Fig. 4. Mounted on the tool support member 50 is a bearing block 672 within which is accommodated, for rotation relative thereto, a hollow shaft 674 carrying pulleys 676, 678 at its top and bottom. The hollow shaft 674 itself also provides a bearing for a further shaft 680 which carries at its lower end a tool carrier 682 in the form of a metal block having generally the shape of an inverted L. The tool carrier 682 can pivot about the axis of the shaft 680, as will be described hereinafter. Mounted on a pivot 694 at a lower end of the tool carrier 682 is a lever 692 which supports at its remote end a tool supporting shaft 696 on which the roughing tool 698 is mounted for rotation. For effecting rotation of the brush 698 a pulley 700 is mounted on the shaft 696 and connected by a timing belt 702 to a further pulley 704 mounted for rotation about the axis of the pivot 694. The pulley 704 is a double pulley and a further timing belt 708 passes thereover and over two angled pulleys 710, 712 and finally about the lower pulley 678 on the shaft 674. The belt 122 driven by the motor 110 is entrained about the upper pulley 676 so that operation of the motor, in the operation of the illustrative machine, is effective, through the various pulleys and belts, to cause the tool 698 to be rotated about the axis of the shaft 686, thus to present a rotating operating surface portion to the bottom of a shoe supported by the shoe support 10. Referring to Fig. 2, second belt-aligning means is also provided adjacent the pulley 676 in order to accommodate to widthwise movement of the tool support member 50, said second belt-aligning means comprising two rollers 130 rotatable about a common axis, the rollers having smooth surfaces which run on the back of the timing belt 122. The rollers 130 are mounted on a common bracket 132 which is mounted for pivotal movement about a pin 134 carried by the tool support member 50. The rollers 130 serve to hold the forward end of the belt in alignment with the pulley 676 and are sufficiently wide to ensure that the belt is constantly in engagement therewith, regardless of the widthwise movement of the tool support member. Maintaining the belt in the same plane as the pulley 676 also maintains the belt aligned regardless of the heightwise position of the tool support member. It has been found desirable positively to cause pivotal movement of the rollers 130 to take place about the pivot 134 as widthwise movement of the tool support member 50 takes place and to this end a link 136 is pivotally connected at one end to the bracket 132 and at the other to a forward portion of the left-hand (viewing Fig. 3) arm 46. Thus, as the arm 46 pivots, the bracket 132 and thus the rollers 130 are pivoted also. As already mentioned above, the tool carrier 682 is mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of the shaft 680 (Fig. 4), and indeed the tool is thus mounted for swivelling movement about said axis. To this end a pulley 684 is mounted at the upper end of the shaft 680 and is connected by a timing belt 686 to a further pulley (not shown) supported on a stub shaft 140 (Fig. 2) on the tool support member 50. Also mounted on the stub shaft is a further pulley 142 connected by a timing belt 144 to a drive pulley 146 on the output shaft of a further stepping motor 148. This latter motor, which constitutes fourth driving means of the illustrative machine, is also carried by the tool support member 50. (The various belts in this drive sequence are all timing belts and the pulleys timing pulleys. ) It will thus be appreciated that by operation of the motor 148 the tool carrier 682, and thus the tool 698 supported thereby, can be rotated about the axis of the shaft 680. In this way, the plane of the radial roughing brush can be maintained at a desired angle to the marginal portion of the shoe bottom being operated upon at any given time. Bearing in mind that shoe bottoms may exhibit irregularities from time to time and indeed a given shoe bottom, though nominally the same as the shoe bottom which has been previously digitised, may in fact be different from it, the rotary brush 698 is mounted on the tool carrier for limited heightwise movement. For setting limits to the heightwise movement of the tool mounting, and indeed for varying the heightwise position of those limits according to e.g. the diameter of the brush, setting means is provided comprising a further shaft 716 accommodated within the shaft 680, which is hollow for the purpose. The shaft 716, which in the normal operation of the machine rotates with the shaft 680, carries at its lower end a block 718 supporting an abutment pin 720. The pin 720 projects from the block 718 and is accommodated in a slot 722 formed at the upper end of a link 724 pivotally carried at its lower end on the tool mounting 692. The slot 722 thus determines the limits of pivotal movement of the lever 692 and thus of the heightwise position of the brush 698 in relation to the pin 720, and thus to the tool carrier 682. It will of course be appreciated that, when the machine is in a rest condition, the link 724 will rest with the upper end of its slot abutting the pin 720, thereby determining the lowermost position of the brush, and in the operation of the machine, when the brush is operating on a shoe bottom, it will be able to "float" relative to the tool carrier 682 within the confines of the slot 722. The tool mounting 692 is urged downwards by a pneumatic cylinder 730 which is mounted on the tool carrier 682 and a piston rod of which is pivotally connected to a block 732 secured to the tool mounting 692. The cylinder 730 also is effective to apply a predetermined pressure to the mounting 692, and thus to the tool 698. For limiting "bounce" of the brush, furthermore, a damper arrangement 734 is also supported by the tool carrier 682 and acts against the block 732. For providing air to the cylinder 730, if desired the shaft 716 may also be hollow, carrying at its upper end and also at or adjacent its lower end suitable rotary couplings (only the upper one (736) of which is shown in Fig. 4), for connection by pipelines (not shown) , respectively to a source of air under pressure and to the cylinder 730. Alternatively, the connection to the cylinder 730 from the air source may be direct. For removing dust and other debris created during the roughing operation from the operating locality of the illustrative machine dust extraction means is provided, including a collector head 170 which is constituted by a cylindrical drum mounted on the underside of the tool support member 50 concentrically with the shaft 680. At a front (i.e. right-hand, viewing Fig. 5) the collector head is cut away in order to provide access to its interior, the cut-away portion being closed by a cover plate 172 hinged at the front end of the head. Within the collector head 170 the tool carrier 682 supports two semi-circular plates 174 each provided with an upstanding flange 176 for securement to the tool carrier. The flanges are so shaped as generally to provide a closure for the upper portion of the interior of the collector head 170, except that at their front end the plates are spaced from one another thus to provide an air flow aperture into such upper portion. Moreover, by mounting the semi-circular plate on the tool carrier, they rotate therewith so that the aperture rotates about the axis of the shaft 680 as the tool 698 is caused to swivel. The aperture is aligned with the roughing tool 698 so that the tendency will be for the tool, as it rotates, to direct dust and other debris away from the surface of the shoe towards the aperture. The upper portion of the interior of the head 170 is connected by ducts 178, one arranged at each side of the cut-away portion of the head, to a dust extraction system (not shown) so that said upper portion constitutes a suction chamber 180, the arrangement being such that air is thus drawn upwardly through the aperture (designated 182 in Fig. 5) into the suction chamber 180, thus to ensure that dust and other debris is removed from the operating locality of the machine. In the operation of the illustrative machine, a shoe is first mounted in the shoe support 10, bottom uppermost, with the heel end of the shoe rearwardly (i.e. facing away from the operator) , the shoe then being clamped both lengthwise and widthwise, and the heel end thereof being centralised, as described in detail in GB-A-2,077,090. At the same time the length of the shoe is "measured" and whether it is a left or a right is detected, again as described in the aforementioned GB specification. The illustrative machine is provided with a control panel generally designated 160 by which the operator can select a programmed instruction according to the style of shoe to be operated upon. With the style selected, the operator can initiate a cycle of operation of the machine and the roughing tool 698 is then caused to operate progressively around the marginal portion of the shoe bottom in order to rough it, the direction of rotation of the brush being such that it always "wipes" inwardly over the marginal portion of the shoe bottom being operated upon, and to this end the brush is caused to swivel about the axis 680 to maintain it in a desired angular relationship with the shoe bottom. The particular angle at which the brush is oriented in any particular position is again controlled by the programmed instruction, as is also the particular pressure applied at any particular position and indeed the speed of rotation of the brush, all of which are variable during the operating cycle. For creating a programmed instruction, the machine has a path-determining mode in which the tool is moved under operator control to a succession of positions along the marginal portion of the shoe bottom and each position is then "taught" in terms of three coordinate axes (as described in detail in US-A-4,541,054) , brush rotational speed and brush pressure (as described in detail in EP-A-0 511 814) and swivel angle (as will now be described) . For effecting the path-determining operation, a succession of displays are exhibited on a display panel 162 of the control box 160, asking the operator in turn to indicate a value for each of the various settings; in addition cursor keys (which could otherwise be in the form of a joystick) are provided on the control box for effecting widthwise and heightwise movement of the tool under operator control, again as described in detail in US-A-4,541,054; these cursor and other keys are indicated generally at 164 in Fig. 2. In the case of setting the swivel angle, the operator utilises two directional keys 164 according to the direction of rotation selected for re-orienting the brush about the axis of the shaft 680. When the various settings have been made, the operator merely operates a "teach" key 164, whereupon the shoe support drive motor 34 is then actuated to move the shoe to a next position, as described in the aforementioned US-A-4,541,054. When the tool has thus been caused to progress under operator control along the whole of the periphery of the shoe bottom, the programmed instruction is then stored as a pattern data file in volatile memory and may if desired then be transferred to non-volatile memory. When the particular style of shoe to which the file relates is thereafter selected for treatment, the file is also selected and the tool automatically follows the "taught" path, which is determined by the various "taught" points with an interpolated line therebetween; the angle of swivel of the tool is also determined by an interpolation between the "taught" angles of orientation. As in the case of the machine described in e.g. EP-A-0 043 645, a grading programme may also be provided by which the data in the file is modified according to the length of the shoe as measured by the shoe support 10, and in addition the "Y-axis" values may be reversed so that the same data can be used for left and right shoes.

Claims: Claims : 1. Machine for operating progressively on a lasted shoe along a desired path comprising a shoe support (10) for supporting a lasted shoe with a portion thereof to be operated upon exposed, tool supporting means (12) , including a tool support member (50), for supporting a tool (698) for operating on such portion of the shoe, first drive means (34) for effecting relative movement between the shoe support (10) and the tool support member (50) in a direction extending lengthwise of the portion of the shoe to be operated upon, and second and third drive means (66,84) for effecting movement of the tool support member (50) relative to the shoe support (10) in directions extending respectively widthwise and heightwise of such shoe portion, characterised in that the tool support member (50) forms part of two parallel linkage arrangements (44,46,50;42,46,58,50/60) through a first (44,46,50) of which said member (50) is operatively connected to the second drive means (66), whereby said member, and thus a tool (698) supported thereby, can be moved widthwise relative to the shoe support, and a second (42,46,58,50/ 60) of which comprises two sets of parallel linkages (42,46,58,60), arranged one at each side of said member (50) and of the first parallel linkage arrangement (44,46,50), through which said member (50) is connected to the third drive means (84), whereby said member (50), and thus the tool (698) supported thereby, can be moved heightwise relative to the shoe support (10). 2. Machine according to Claim 1 characterised in that the two sets of parallel linkages (42,46,58,60) of the second parallel linkage arrangement (42,46,58, 50/ 60) each comprise two parallel links (46,58) each of which is pivotally connected at one end to the tool support member (50) which is thus supported between the two sets, and in that the first parallel linkage arrangement (44,46,50) comprises a cross-member (44) which is mounted for pivotal movement on two supports (42) therefor, forming part of, and arranged one at each side of, the tool supporting means (12), and to which the other end of at least one of the links (46) of each set (42,46,58,60) is pivotally connected. 3. Machine according to Claim 2 characterised in that the other end of the other of the links (58) of each set (42,46,58,60) is pivotally connected each to one of the supports (42) for the cross-member (44). 4. Machine according to Claim 1 characterised in that the second and third drive means (66,84) are effective to cause movement of the tool support member (50) in directions extending respectively widthwise and heightwise of the shoe support (10), and thus of the shoe portion to be operated upon. 5. Machine according to Claim 1 wherein the tool supporting means (12) is arranged to support a rotary tool (698) , and wherein tool driving means (110,120,122,124, 676,678,700,702,704,708,710,712), including a motor (110), is provided for effecting rotation of the rotary tool, characterised in that said motor (110) is operatively connected to the tool (698) through a continuous belt arrangement (122), and in that the motor (110) is held suspended by the continuous belt arrangement (122) , whereby said arrangement is held in tension as heightwise movement of the tool support member (50) is effected relative to the shoe support (10). 6. Machine according to Claim 5 characterised in that the motor (110) is supported, for heightwise movement, by a motor support member (112) which is pivotally mounted on the tool supporting means (12). 7. Machine according to Claim 6 characterised in that means (118) is provided for applying a constant pressure to the motor (110) whereby the tension in which the continuous belt arrangement (112) is held is substantially constant. 8. Machine according to Claim 5 characterised in that the motor (110) is a reversible motor. 9. Machine according to Claim 5 wherein the tool supporting means (12) comprises a tool supporting shaft (674) on which the rotary tool (698) is supported, characterised in that said motor (110) has an output shaft supporting a first drive pulley (120), in that the tool driving means (110,120,122,124, 676,678,700,702,704,708,710,712) further comprises a second drive pulley (676) connected with the tool supporting shaft (674) through a bearing arrangement (672) and operatively connected to the first drive pulley (120) by the single continuous drive belt (122), in that each drive pulley (120;676) has associated therewith belt aligning means (124;130) by which the portions of the belt (122) extending between the pulley and its associated belt aligning means are caused to lie in a plane extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the pulley regardless of the heightwise position of the tool support member (50), and in that the belt aligning means (130) associated with the second drive pulley (676) comprises two rollers (130) on a common axis (134) of rotation extending transversely of the belt (122), said rollers (130) being supported by a carrier (132) mounted for pivotal movement on the tool support member (50) thus to accommodate the rollers (130) to widthwise movement of the tool supporting means (12). 10. Machine according to Claims 9 characterised in that a link (136) extends between and is pivotally connected to the carrier (132) for the rollers (130) and to the tool supporting means (12) whereby as widthwise movement of the tool support member (50) is effected corresponding pivotal movement of the carrier (132) takes place thus to re-align the rollers (130) to maintain them with their axis of rotation normal, or substantially normal, to the portions of the belt (122) entrained thereover. 11. Machine according to Claim 9 characterised in that the belt aligning means (124) associated with the first drive pulley (120) comprises two further pulleys (124) over which the belt (122) is entrained "upstream" and "downstream" of said first drive pulley (120), and in that the two further pulleys (124) are mounted for independent pivotal movement each about an axis (128) perpendicular to its axis of rotation, whereby to accommodate widthwise movement of the tool support member (50) relative to the shoe support (10). 12. Machine according to Claim 11 characterised in that the motor (110) of the tool driving means (110,120,122,124, 676,678,700,702,704,708,710,712), is so mounted that a tangent to the belt-engaging surface of each of the further pulleys (124) passes tangentially to the belt-engaging surface of the first drive pulley (120), this latter surface being dimensioned so as to accommodate movement of the belt (122) in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe support (10) in response to heightwise movement of the tool support member (50) relative to the shoe support (10). 13. Machine for operating progressively on a lasted shoe along a desired path comprising a shoe support (10) for supporting a lasted shoe with a portion thereof to be operated upon exposed, tool supporting means (12), including a tool support member (50), for supporting a tool (698) for operating on such portion of the shoe, and first, second and third drive means (34,66,84) for effecting relative movement between the shoe support (10) and the tool support member (50) in directions extending respectively lengthwise, widthwise and heightwise of the portion of the shoe to be operated upon, characterised in that the tool (698) is supported by the tool support member (50) for swivelling movement about an axis (680) extending heightwise of the portion of the shoe, fourth drive means (148) being provided for effecting such swivelling movement, in that the fourth drive means (148) is also supported by the tool support member (50), and further in that the tool supporting means (12) comprises a first parallel linkage arrangement (44,46,50) by which the tool support member (50) is supported and through which said member is operatively connected with the second drive means (66), whereby said member is moved widthwise relative to the shoe support (10), and a second parallel linkage arrangement (42,46,58,50/ 60) also by which the tool support member (50) is supported and through which said member is operatively connected to the third drive means (84), whereby said member is moved heightwise relative to the shoe support (10). 14. Machine for operating progressively on a lasted shoe along a desired path comprising a shoe support (10) for supporting a lasted shoe with a portion thereof to be operated upon exposed, tool supporting means (12) , including a tool support member (50), for supporting a rotary tool (698) for operating on such portion of the shoe, tool driving means, including a motor (110), for effecting rotation of the rotary tool, first drive means (34) for effecting relative movement between the shoe support (10) and the tool support member (50) in a direction extending lengthwise of the portion of the shoe to be operated upon, and second and third drive means (66,84) for effecting movement of the tool support member (50) relative to the shoe support (10) in directions extending respectively widthwise and heightwise of such shoe portion, in that the motor (110) of the tool driving means is operatively connected to the tool (698) through a continuous belt arrangement (122), and in that the motor (HO) is held suspended by the continuous belt arrangement (122), whereby said arrangement is held in tension as heightwise movement of the tool support member (50) is effected relative to the shoe support (10).

Inventors: BROWN TERENCE JOHN, DAVIES JOHN, BROWN, TERENCE, JOHN, DAVIES, JOHN
Applicants: BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY, BROWN TERENCE JOHN, DAVIES JOHN, USM ESPANA SA, BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY LIMITED, BROWN, TERENCE, JOHN, DAVIES, JOHN, USM ESPANA, S.L.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A43D37
IPC codes: A43D37