Patent GB-190628801-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Coin Freed Boot-cleaning Machines.
Inventor: STRATTON EDMOND FRANCIS
Filed: 1906-12-17
Granted: 1907-12-17
Abstract: 28,801. Stratton, E. F. Dec. 17. Boots, cleaning &c.-In a coin-freed boot cleaning and polishing machine, shown in elevation in Figs. 1 and 3, and in sectional plan in Fig. 2, an electromotor D, started by the insertion of a coin and the operation of a handle B, causes oscillations, along and over the boot, of three pivotally and resiliently mounted sets of brushes K, M, 0, each set comprising three brushes brought into action successively for cleaning, applying polish, and polishing, respectively. The brushes are driven from the shaft G, while the various subsidiary movements are derived from cams on a drum F rotated by the motor. The coin-freed mechanism is so devised that the sequence of operations may be repeated in order to treat the other boot without the insertion of another coin. The coin slides down a shoot a', provided with an aperture a' for small coins, into a pocket formed partly by a recess in a drum a<2> loosely mounted on a spindle b<2>, and partly in a surrounding sleeve a<3>. The spindle b<a> is then turned against the action of a spring b<5> through a quarter-revolution by means of the handle B, and the drum and consequently the sleeve, owing to the presence of the coin, are also rotated through a pawl b and ratchet-wheel a<5>. An arm d carried by the sleeve is thus moved along a rheostat d' to start the motor through leads d', d<3> and contacts d<4>, d<6>, which are temporarily bridged by a pair of spring arms carried by a pawl d' on a lever d<8>. The pawl engages with the teeth of a ratchetwheel d<10> secured to which is a second ratchet-wheel d<11> having smaller teeth engaged by a detent d<12>, and by a pawl d<9> also on the lever d<8>. When the necessary operations have been performed on one boot, a cam f<1> depresses the lever d<8>, thus withdrawing the spring arms from between the contacts d<4>, d<6>, while at the same time the pawl d<7>, riding along a tooth of the wheel d ‹, directs tue arms towards the interval between contacts d<6>, d<13.> The lever, on rising, pushes the arms between this pair of contacts and so prepares for the completion of an alternative motor circuit through a rheostat d<15>, and the sleeve a<3> is then turned through another 90 degrees by the operator. After the second boot has been polished, the lever d<8> is again depressed, and the spring arms are returned to their original position. In order to prevent the return of the sleeve and drum when the handle is first operated and released, a bell-crank lever a<9> actuated by a cam f<2> on the drum F engages with a recess a'‹ in the sleeve, which is thus held and, by means of the coin, also holds the drum a'. After the second operation of the handle, the coin falls, the drum a<2> is liberated, but the sleeve is locked by the engagement of the bell-crank lever with a recess a". When the entire process is complete, the disengagement of the bell-crank lever allows the sleeve and the contact-arm d to return to their initial positions under the influence of a spring a<6>. The boot-cleaning &c. contrivance is as follows. The rotation of the sleeve a<3> depresses a rod c<1> and levers c<2>, c<3> by means of a cam c, so as to open a pair of shutters C to allow the insertion of the foot which is then placed upon the platform Z. The similar sets of brushes K, M for operating on the sides, toe, and heel of the boot each comprise three brushes arranged on a spindle carried by a wrist link k<1>, Fig. 9, mounted on a pivoted lever k. The wrist link is pressed towards the boot by a coiled spring at its pivot which also carries a projecting lever k'. The two sets K, M are operated by eccentrics k<2>, m<2>, timed to give one set an advance on the other to prevent interference at the toe and heel. The eccentrics are mounted upon a sleeve h, Fig. 7, which is normally fixed to the shaft G by means of a spring clutch-lever h<1>, but is released therefrom at the end of the operation by the depression of the end of a rod h<2> into the path of the end of lever h<1> by a cam on the drum F. A similar sleeve and clutch N are provided for the set of brushes 0, which is also fitted with means, consisting of a lever o<5> operated by a cam-plate o<7>, for raising the set of brushes when the sets K, M are acting upon the toe parts. In a modified arrangment, the latter device is obviated by timing the motors so that the set 0 is at one side of the toe when the corresponding side set has receded therefrom. For rotating the spindle of each set through an angle of 120 degrees, e.g. in the case of the set K, a cam on the drum F depresses a rod t to rock the shaft T and so place a stop p' in the path of the projecting lever k<4>. This causes the set to be removed from contact with the boot, and to be rotated to bring the next brush into action by the engagement of a stop k<7> with a tooth k<6> on the common spindle of the brushes. The set is then locked in the correct position by means of a roller-carrying spring-pressed lever k<4>, which engages with a three-leaved cam on the spindle of the set. The lever is normally prevented from displacement by a locking-catch k<10>, but is released by the stop p<2> which engages the trigger k<11> just prior to coming into contact with the projecting arm k<4>. The mechanism for performing the same operation upon the other brushes is similar, For supplying blacking, a cylinder S having grooved sides is provided with a spring-controlled piston s<3>, which is raised by a cams' and then suddenly released. This forces a quantity of polishing -liquid, which has escaped along the grooves, to the space beneath the piston, through pipes s, s', s<2>, to the boot. The mechanism may be duplicated, to allow both boots to be cleaned simultaneously.