Patent GB-634015-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines capable of breasting shoe heels
IPC: A43D87/00
Filed: 1948-03-04
Abstract: 634.015. Heel-breasting machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd., WHITE, P., and KEALL, F. B. March 4, 1948, No. 6740. [Class 17 (i)] A power-operated machine for breasting unattached heels comprises a rotary carrier having two stations each provided with heel supporting and clamping means, at one of which stations a heel is located tread-face down, in correct position on a cutting- block, by breast and side-face engaging gauges, and, on operation of a treadle, is clamped thereon. The treadle is then further depressed to close a clutch to drive the machine by power to move the heel from loading station at the front of the machine to breasting station at the rear, where it is breasted by a reciprocating knife and the clutch is then automatically thrown out of engagement. During the next half revolution of the carrier, on a further depression of the treadle, the heel supporting and clamping means are moved from the breasting station to the loading station for reloading. During this movement the clamping means are released and the heel is removed by ejector mechanism, the heel which has been loaded at the front being moved simultaneously to breasting position. Heel-breasting operations are thus speeded up and, the cutting knife, being at the rear of the machine away from the operator, safety is increased. Means are provided to permit the machine to be operated idly by a handwheel for purposes of adjustment or trial. The machine comprises a base 1, Fig. 1, in a head 3 of which is rotatably mounted a horizontal driving shaft 5 carrying a hand-wheel 7 by which the driving shaft may be rotated. A pulley 9 driven from any source of power is rotatably mounted on shaft 5 and is driven through a clutch operable by depression of a treadle 23, through sun and planet mechanism so as to be rotated once while the pulley turns four times. When the treadle 23 is released, the clutch is withdrawn and a brake stops the machine. The breasting knife 129, Figs. 1, 2, 3, is clamped by a member 139, Fig. 3, and knife-clamping lever 143 against the front faces of segmental blocks 131 which slide in grooves 130 in a knife slide 127 which slides in guideways in a bracket 125. The slide 127 is reciprocated up and down twice in each machine cycle by a rod 167 from shaft 5 by crank 117 and connecting rod 169. A countershaft 123 carries a cam 47 (not shown which prevents clutch from being opened until the end of the machine cycle, i.e. until the shaft 5 has made two revolutions and the countershaft 123 one. By means of a hand lever 197 pivoted on a horizontal pivot on the bracket 125, a pawl 171, which by engagement with a notch 181 in the knife-actuating rod 167 at alternate strokes, enables the knife to be actuated only during each second descent of the rod 167, may be held out of engagement with such rod to enable the turret to be turned without operating the knife or to stop the descent of the knife if required e.g. to adjust the position of a heel on the carrier. The carrier 233, has two heel-supporting and clamping arrangements, and without operating the knife or to stop the descent of the knife if required e.g. to adjust the position of a heel on the carrier. The carrier 233, has two heel-supporting and clamping arrangements, and is keyed to the upper end of a hollow shaft 221, Fig. 4. It is driven, from the countershaft 123, gear segment 215 and pawl 227 and teeth 229 on collar 231 (not shown) secured to shaft 221, through half a revolution between successive descents of the knife 129. The heel supporting means comprise a cutting block 237, Figs. 2, 3, 7, adjustable in arcuate guideways 241 so that the position at which the knife engages it remains constant. A scale and an indicator 261 on the turret member and block indicate the amount of adjustment in degrees. A breast gauge 269, Fig. 7, is mounted by pins and slots to slide on the block 237 and, by the action of an adjustable cam face 281 the breast face is positioned on the block 237 as it moves to loading position. A gauge 289 set to suit the width of heel top-lift locates the left-hand side of the heel. The heel is clamped on block 237, on initial operation of clutch treadle 23 by levers 305, which are adjustable up and down to suit the heel height by turning an exteriorly threaded tube 315. The levers 305 are operated by cam 339 on a non-rotatable rod 341 slidable in hollow shaft 221 under action of treadle and carry blocks 321 on their outer ends, pins 333 on which are engaged with the upper face of the heel. The blocks are held in position by the cam as the heel moves to breasting station and until heel has been carried away from the latter after the breasting operation, when it is released until it reaches loading station. The gauge 269 is free to move away from heel after it has been clamped to leave a space into which material trimmed from heel breast may fall away. A heel-ejecting mechanism comprising a shaft 363 parallel to axis of turret and to which is attached a rod 365 which retains heel which has been breasted after it has been unclamped, and to which is given a quick movement about the shaft axis, is provided.