Patent GB-1139341-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to shoe upper conforming machines
Inventor: BARTON GEORGE CLIFFORD
IPC: A43D21/02
Filed: 1964-12-05
Abstract: 1,139,341. Boots &c. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. 4 March, 1966 [5 Dec., 1964], No. 49576/64. Heading A3B. A toe lasting machine of the type in which a shoe is supported bottom up at an operating locality of the machine where it is operated on by a wiping head including a toe band and wiper plates includes a shoe support which is movable from a loading position to the operating locality where the shoe is positioned with respect to the wiper head by a positioning mechanism and contacts a toe gauge which causes a hold down to descend to clamp the shoe against a toe rest and the wiping head to perform its wiping operation. The shoe support 2 is movable lengthwise of the shoe from a loading position to the operating locality and can also move heightwise, rotate about a longitudinal axis and about an axis extending vertically through the operating locality so that the shoe can be positioned by the positioning mechanism. The shoe is placed in a support 80 (Fig. 3) which can rotate about a longitudinal axis in a cradle 83 supported on arms 74. One end of each arm 74 is pivoted to an upright bar 60 and the other end can slide in a slot 78. The bar 60 is pivoted at a mid point 58 to an arm 54 and at its lower end to the piston rod 64 of pneumatic cylinder 66. When the cylinder 66 is connected to a source of compressed air the cradle 83 can be moved heightwise, the arms 74 and 54 acting as a parallelogram linkage and is held in its uppermost position by a tension spring 99. When the cylinder 66 is exhausted a tension spring 96 can swing the arm 60 about its pivot 58 so that the shoe support moves toewardly into the operating locality, the arms 74 sliding along the slots 78. This supporting mechanism is mounted on castings 40, 44 which are pivoted to a vertical shaft 38 on the machine frame, thus allowing the shoe support to rotate about a vertical axis. When the shoe has attained its correct position the shoe support is locked against movement by a piston and cylinder C3 which (a) operates a pawl 126 on the casting 40 which engages a ratchet on the machine frame to prevent rotation about the shaft 38, (b) turns a binding member 114 on a shaft 116 connected to the arms 74 to prevent longitudinal movement of the arms 74 and (c) turns a binding member on a shaft 162 to prevent heightwise movement of the arms 74. The toe rest 4 consists of a pad adjustably mounted on the end of a shaft which can slide heightwise in the machine frame against the action of a tension spring and which can be locked in position by rotation of binding member which surrounds the shaft. The positioning mechanism (Figs. 11, 15) consists of two arms 8, 10 which are urged towards each other by springs 270, 272 and which are interconnected by gear segments 230, 232 so that they move symmetrically. The shoe is contacted by curved plates 242, 246 which are pivoted to the arms 8, 10 and which are urged inwardly by a spring 254 acting through links 256, 250. The links 252, 254 are interconnected by gear segments 266, 268 so that the curved plates 242, 246 move symmetrically. As the shoe moves into the operating locality it is positioned symmetrically by the plates 242, 246. The positioning mechanism is mounted on a casting 220 pivoted to the machine frame at 222 so that the positioning mechanism can be swung to an out of the way position by pneumatic cylinder 308 acting through a bell crank 288, a link 312 and a lever 316. The toe gauge 6 is carried by an arm 248 which is supported by a link 280 and is also connected to the bell crank 288 so that operation of the cylinder 308 causes the toe gauge to move to an out of the way position. The hold down assembly (Figs. 11, 16, 18) consists of a main hold-down 477, an auxilliary hold down 512 which holds the toeward end of the insole and a spreader 656 which holds the upper against the toe band during upwiping to tension the upper. The main hold down 477 is carried by an upright bar 406 supported by levers 416, 386 which act as a parallelogram linkage to raise the main hold down when cylinder 342 is actuated via toggle link 344, 348 and lever 390. Further movement of the piston rod 340 causes a stop 402 to disengage a latch 398 so that the entire hold down assembly can rotate about shaft 322 to an out of the way position. The insole hold down 512 is carried by a bar 478 which is resiliently mounted on the arm 386 and the spreader 656 is mounted on an arm 660 carried by lever 666. Both the insole hold down and the spreader can be raised above the level of the insole by a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) when the wipers perform their wiping operation. The wiper head (not shown) is of the type described in Specification No. 976,625 and includes a toe band which is clamped about the toe end of the shoe and performs an upwiping movement to tension the upper and a pair of wiper plates which wipe the upper across the insole. The wiper plates may be heated. The machine has a pneumatic control circuit which operates as follows:-the operator places a shoe in the cradle 83 and depresses the shoe against spring 99 which actuates a valve to exhaust cylinder 66. This allows the shoe to move into the operating locality by the spring (96) where it is positioned by the plates 242, 246 and contacts the toe gauge 6. This causes the hold down assembly to descend to press the shoe against the toe rest until the insole reaches the correct level when the shoe support and toe rest are locked in positon. The positioning mechanism and toe gauge are then moved to an out of the way position and the toe gauge engages a catch on the spreaders so that spreaders are pulled over the edge of the insole and on to the toe band. The toe band is then closed about the shoe and performs its upwiping operation. The wipers then perform their overwiping operation with light bedding pressure and at the same time the insole hold down and spreaders are retracted. At the end of the overwiping operation the wipers exert heavy bedding pressure and the machine stops. The operator then actuates a manual valve which causes the toe band to open and the wipers to release their bedding pressure and retract and also unlocks the shoe support which moves to its loading position leaving the shoe clamped between the main hold down and the toe rest. The hold down assembly is then retracted, the shoe drops into a container (not shown) and the parts return to their original position.