Patent GB-860916-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for use in the manufacture of vulcanised footwear
Inventor: KEITH JOHN PATRICK BUCHANAN
IPC: B29C35/00
Filed: 1956-03-09
Abstract: 860,916. Moulding rubber soles on to footwear uppers. C. I. C. ENGINEERING Ltd. June 7, 1957 [March 9, 1956], No. 7407/56. Class 87(2). Apparatus for moulding and vulcanising elastomeric soles on to the undersides of prelasted shoe uppers comprises a plurality of lasts mounted for movement between a loading and unloading station and at least one moulding and vulcanising station, means for sequentially translating the lasts between the stations, and means responsive to arrival of each last at a moulding and vulcanising station to initiate automatically a moulding and vulcanising operation at that station. The main frame 1 surmounts a base 2 which extends towards the position occupied by the operator and supports a sectional rack 3 on which are slidably mounted four lasts 4, 5, 6 and 7. The rack 3 comprises a central and two outer fixed platforms 37, 39 and 41 between which are two movable platforms 38 and 40 interconnected for simultaneous last traversing movement by endless roller chain 27, Fig. 6. The chain is oscillated backwards and forwards by means of a toothed pinion 26 in constant mesh with a toothed rack 25 cut in a gap formed in a floating piston 24 slidably housed in cylinder 23. Fluid is admitted under pressure to one end of the cylinder and removed from the other end. Lasts 4, 6 firmly secured to slidable carriers 4A, 6A are mounted on the movable platforms 38, 40 and are thus conveyed by the endless chain to the moulding and vulcanising station where, by hydraulic pressure the carriers 4A, 6A are moved laterally one toward the other to align the uppers carried by lasts 4, 6 vertically beneath sole moulding rams 16, 17 depending from fluid cylinders 18, 19 respectively and to bring them into close contact with fixed open-side mould members 10, 11 respectively. Complementary movable open-side mould members 12, 13 are then given a follow-up movement, so that the last-supported uppers are embraced within the closed side moulds, by means of cylinders 14, 15 having plungers slidable therein to which blocks 62 are attached and adapted to actuate micro-switches 66, 67 to signify arrival of the side mould members in the fully closed and fully open positions respectively. Sole moulding rams 16, 17 depend one into each of the mould cavities and are simultaneously operated by admission of presure fluid into cylinders 18, 19. Micro-switches 66, 67 together with others are included in electrical circuitry to control sequential operation of various fluid motors which operate the movable components of the machine in association with last changing and sole moulding operations. For instance, there are switches which signify, when operated, the arrival of the lasts at the sole mounting stations and their return to the last changing station, whilst other switches signify, when operated, the arrival of the lasts vertically beneath the sole moulding rams 16, 17 and their return to positions wherefrom traverse to the last changing station may be made. Upon the return of a last bearing a soled upper to the last changing station, the last is disengaged from its translating means and an adjacent last engaged therewith prior to the repetition of the operating cycle. Control of this cycle is effected by the co-operative actions of a bank of fluid valves which are operated by a rotary electrical sequence switch.