Patent GB-1080391-A (GB)
Title: Sole abrading machine
IPC: A43D95/20
Filed: 1966-01-27
Abstract: 1,080,391. Abrading shoe soles. WOLVERINE WORLD WIDE Inc. Jan. 27, 1966 [Jan. 28, 1965], No. 3781/66. Heading B3D. [Also in Division B8] A shoe sole abrading machine comprises (i) A sole supporting surface; (ii) A clamp movable relative to the surface to clamp a sole thereon: (iii) Sole abrading means; (iv) Means movable towards the clamp for feeding soles thereto; (v) Means for producing relative movement between the abrading means and the clamp to abrade a clamped sole; and (vi) Means movable away from the clamp for discharging abraded soles therefrom. A machine for abrading a shoe sole, moulded from polymeric material such as synthetic rubber, to remove three-dimensional pattern from the heel area to which a heel is subsequently stuck comprises a table 36 slanted at about 45 degrees so that a sole supported thereon slides down until its heel area edge abuts a stop flange 50. Soles are fed individually to the table 36 from a feed hopper (14) comprising panels (54, 56) converging downwardly and backwardly into abutment with a back panel (58) against which the heel areas abut. The panels are secured in adjusted position by clamps (55, 57). The back panel (58) is faced with a plastic having a low coefficient of friction, and makes an obtuse angle with the table 36 so that there is only slight line contact between the heel area and the panel. Small rollers (62) are mounted below the hopper to facilitate the discharge of big soles. The bottom sole in the hopper is discharged through an opening (60) in the bottom of the panel (56), fitted with a restraining spring (59), by feed fingers (70, 72). The finger (70) is L- shaped or dogleg shaped and projects above the upper surface of the table 36 adjacent its front edge. The finger (72) projects above the surface of the table through a slot (46) in the table. The fingers (70, 72) have bevelled forward upper edges (71, 73) and the thickness of the fingers is greater than that of the soles, so that the bevelled edges protrude above the sole to be discharged whereby the overlying soles in the stack are lifted off the discharged sole to minimize frictional drag. The fingers (70, 72) feed the sole along the table 36 from the hopper (14) to a clamping station, and simultaneously an abraded sole is fed along the table 36 from the clamping station to a discharge shoot (24) by fingers 86, 88. The fingers (70, 72) are carried by brackets (76) secured to a shaft (80) rotatable in a sleeve (82) and the fingers 86, 88 are carried by brackets 90, 92 secured to a shaft 96 rotatable in a sleeve 98. The sleeves (82), 98 are carried by a plate 100 forming part of a carriage 19. The shafts (80), 96 are rotated, to retract the fingers (70, 72), 86, 88 below the surface of the table 36, by a fluid pressure jack (116) mounted on the carriage 19. The carriage 19 is moved on fixed guide rods 134, 136 by a fluid pressure jack (160) the speed being controlled by valves (290, 292). Protective bellows (137, 139) are provided. A motor 140 is mounted on the carriage 19 and on its output shaft is fixed an abrading cylinder 144 provided with a housing 146 having a flexible exhaust hose (147). A sole is clamped, while being abraded, by a pad 190 carried by a pivoted arm 184 operated by a fluid pressure jack 194. A sole retaining hook (200) is secured to the front edge of the table 36 adjacent the clamp; its upper hooking edge (204) projects above the surface of the table and forms a stop for a sole which has been pushed up over the adjacent surface (206). An observation mirror (210) is provided. Knobs (220, 222, 224) control the machine through a pneumatic circuit partially controlled by cams (272, 282) mounted on the carriage (19). Operation.-When the motor 140 for the abrading cylinder 144 is operating, a solenoid (268) is energized to actuate a pilot valve (266) so that the pneumatic circuit is operative. When the operator pushes knobs (222, 224) the jacks (116), 194 are actuated to lower the feed fingers and to clamp a sole. A sequence valve (300) then opens to shift a valve (296) to its first position in which the jack (160) is actuated to move the carriage 19 to the left; the abrading cylinder 144 is thus traversed over the heel area of the clamped sole, the lowered feed fingers (70, 72) are moved to a position left of the bottom sole in the hopper, and the lowered feed fingers 86, 88 are moved to a position left of the clamped sole. When the carriage 19 reaches its extreme left position the cam (282) actuates a pilot valve (280) whereupon the jacks (116), 194 are reversely actuated to raise the feed fingers and to release the clamp. A sequence valve (298) then opens to shift the valve (296) to its second position, in which the jack (160) is reversely actuated to move the carriage 19 to the right ; the abrading cylinder 144 is thus returned to its starting position, the raised feed fingers (70, 72) carry the bottom sole from the hopper along the table over the stop edge (204) to the clamping position, and the raised feed fingers 86, 88 carry the abraded sole to the discharge shoot. At the end of the stroke the cam (272) actuates a pilot valve (276) whereupon the cycle repeats until pressing the knob (220) actuates a cycle stop valve (264)..