Patent GB-892465-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines suitable for moulding soles of rubber-like material to the bottoms of shoes
IPC: B29D35/00
Filed: 1958-01-08
Abstract: 892,465. Moulding rubber-like soles to footwear uppers. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd., ELDRED, R. D. E., and FRAMPTON, S. E. Jan. 7, 1959 [Jan. 8, 1958], No. 693/58. Class 87(2). In a machine for moulding soles of rubberlike material to the bottoms of shoes, a pair of lasts 20 are arranged side by side on crossheads 42 beneath which are pairs of side moulds 22, 24 and beneath them sole moulds 26, fluid pressure operated means moving the side moulds of each pair inwardly and then the sole moulds upwardly, in unison, to the moulding position, further fluid pressure operated means moving the carriers downwardly to bring the lasts into operative relation with the side moulds. The side moulds 22, 24 are mounted in carriers 82, 84, the outer side mould carrier 84 at the left hand side of the machine being connected by front and rear tie bars 102 to the inner side mould carrier 82 at the right hand side, similarly the outer carrier 84 at the right hand side is connected by tie bars 104 to the inner carrier 82 at the left hand side. The inner mould carriers 82 are moved outwards from the position they occupy in Fig. 6 by the toggle links 120 being swung towards their straightened condition by the sleeve member 124, slidably mounted in an outer sleeve member 126, being raised. This outer sleeve member is raised by means of a piston 130 slidable in cylinder 132. Further upward movement of the sleeve member is arranged, after bringing about the closing of the side moulds of each pair to cause upward movement of the sole moulds 26 by means of a lost-motion arrangement. Formed in the outer portion of the sleeve member 126 is a recess 164 terminating in a lower face 166 which engages a block 168 pivoted on one arm 172 of a bell crank lever having another arm 174. The bell crank lever is pivoted on a pin 176 carried in lugs in the main framework 32 and the arm 174 is pivotally connected via link 180 to a pair of parallel bars 184. The opposite ends of bars 184 are connected by pins 186, Fig. 8, to the knees of toggles formed by pairs of upper and lower links 188, 190. Links 188 are pivotally connected to lower end portions of hollow stem portions 200 extending downwards from sole mould supports 202, the stem portions being slidable in cylinders 197 formed in the frame work 32. Links 190 are pivotally carried by piston like members 194 received within cylinders 196 coaxial with cylinders 197 so that the heightwise positions of the sole mould supports may be adjusted by means of wedge faces formed on pins 210 extending forwardly and rearwardly in the cylinders 196. Each last 20 is supported from a crosshead 42 pivotally mounted on bosses 38 on the upper ends of parallel rods 30 slidable heightwise in aligned bores in the main framework 32 and in brackets 34 secured to this framework. To bring the lasts down into operative relation with the side moulds, crosspieces 36 at the lower ends of the rods 30 are connected by means of composite links 48 to arms 52 of two-arm levers 52, 54, the arms 54 of which are pivotally connected via links 66 to a piston rod 70 extending downwardly from a piston movable heightwise in a cylinder 72. A timing device is provided, action of which is initiated by movement of the lasts into operative relation with the side moulds, the side moulds being moved outwardly and the sole moulds downwardly after a predetermined period of time. The apparatus is particularly suitable for moulding soles of sponge rubber, a rubber sole 'skin' first being placed in each sole mould, the side moulds moved inwardly towards each other and the sole moulds moved upwardly in relation to the side moulds thus trapping marginal portions of the sole 'skin' beneath edge portions of the side moulds. Unvulcanised sponge-rubber blanks are then placed in the sole forming cavities after which the lasts are moved down. After moulding, the lasts are raised and swung by means of the pivoted crosshead 42 to a position convenient for the unloading of the finished shoes and the loading of further shoe uppers. This loading and unloading may be facilitated by the last having a removable heel portion.