Patent GB-1421644-A (GB)
Title: Semiautomatic footwear production line
IPC: A43D111/00
Filed: 1973-09-11
Abstract: 1421644 Boots etc LENINGRADSKOE SPETSIALNOE KONSTRUKTORSKOE BJURO PO PROEKTIROVANIJU KOZ HEVENNYKH I OBUVNYKH MASHIN 11 Sept 1973 42553/73 Heading A3B A semi-automatic line for producing footwear with the bottom attached by the cementing, direct-moulding or sole-casting method includes an intermittent action conveyor 1, drive means 2 for the conveyor 1, supports 3 detachably mounted on the conveyor 1, lasts 4 mounted on the supports, process machines 56 to 65 arranged according to the sequence of the flowsheet procedures and which perfom operations on the shoe components mounted on the lasts 4 on the conveyor 1, and individual control units 7 for each machine 56 to 65 which are mechanically interconnected with each other and with the conveyor drive means 2 to synchronise the operations of the machines 56 to 65 with the dwell of the conveyor; the line being divided into sections, each section incorporating one of the machines 56 to 65 with its control unit 7, a portion of the conveyor corresponding to the machine and rails 6 for mounting said conveyor portion. As described the conveyor 1 consists of a pair of chains carrying spring loaded jaws 17 (Fig. 5) which grip the edges 20 of supports 3. A last 4 (Fig. 6) is detachably mounted on each support 3 by pin and sockets 26 and a T shaped screw clamp 27, 24. One end of the conveyor passes around sprockets (not shown) at a tensioning station 29 (Fig 1) and the other end passes around sprockets at a drive station 30. The drive station (Fig. 10) includes a hydraulic cylinder 48 which reciprocates a rack 50 which engages a pinion connected to the sprocket drive shaft by a freewheel device. A pawl 47 engages teeth 46 in a disc 45 fixed to the sprocket drive shaft to stop the conveyor after a predetermined movement (corresponding to the length of one section of the line). Each section of the line includes a frame 51 (Fig. 3) carrying one of the machines, the control unit 7 for that machine and two pairs of rails 6 for the conveyor chains. Each section is detachably secured to its adjacent section to allow the sections and their corresponding machines to be interchanged or replaced.  Each control unit (Fig. 13) includes a shaft 66 on which is mounted a sleeve 67 carrying discs 68 with cams 69. The cams 69 operate hydraulic valves 71 by means of levers to control the machine. The sleeve 67 can be rotated relative to the shaft 66 to adjust the sequence of operation of the machine. The shafts 66 are mechanically interconnected with each other and with the conveyor drive to synchronise the operation of the machines with the dwell period of the conveyor. The line illustrated in Figure 1 is a lasting and bottom cementing line and includes a station 58 for mounting the uppers and insoles on the lasts, a pair of toe lasting stations 59, 60 (only one of which is used, the other being a stand-by), an automatic shank lasting station 61, an automatic heel lasting station 62, a drying and heating station 63, an automatic bottom roughing station 64 and a cement applying station 65. The lasted uppers then pass along the lower run of the conveyor, past heaters (not shown) to a sole laying station 56 and a dismounting station 57 where the completed shoes are removed from their lasts.