Patent GB-246582-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to shoe upper conforming machines
IPC: A43D21/12
Filed: 1924-10-31
Abstract: 246,582. British United Shoe Machinery Co., Ltd., (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). Oct. 31, 1924. Lasting.-A machine particularly intended for tennis shoes with uppers of textile fabric secured to the insole by cement, has end-lasting means and side-lasting means and mechanism causing the latter to operate successively at different positions lengthwise of the shoe, and to itself adjust its action to varying lengths of shoes. As described, the side lasters operate in two successive steps, the first step overlapping with the final position of the heel wipers so that the counter is first secured at its front end and later heel end lasting will not tip it, and the second step lasting the remainder of the side portion, so that these two steps overlap more or less according to the length of shoe. The last with an upper thereon is positioned on a heel post 2, Fig.. 8, supported by a light spring 16, the post having ratchet teeth 20 co-operating with a pawl 18. A treadle 56 is then depressed to position the last vertically, the treadle being connected by links 50, 44 to a cam 40 which swings a gauge arm 30 about its pivot 34. The pawl 18 having been released by a plunger 24, a roll 32, Fig. 9<a>, at the end of the arm 30 depresses the last to position. The end of the arm 30 also carries a guage 82 engaging the rear end of the upper, a slide 4, Fig. 8, carrying the post 2, being adjusted longitudinally, if necessary, by a hand wheel 76. The pawl 18 engages the teeth 20 with sufficient pressure to prevent the post rising when the arm 30 is allowed to return to normal position. The slide 4 is mounted in a vertical slide 6 supported by a powerful spring 8,. the upper position of this slide being determined by a stop 10. To prevent the starting treadle 48 being depressed before release of the treadle 56 the latter carries a stop 62 co-operating with a stop 64 on the treadle 48. The toe supporting and lasting means are mounted in a box 162, Fig. 1, adjustable longitudinally and angularly in a vertical plane. To guide these adjustments a gauge plate 240, Fig. 19, is secured over the wiper carriers. The toe rests on a rubber block 164 formed with a recess 166 smaller than but of similar shape to the toe. To clamp the shoe in position the operator then depresses a knee plunger 108, Fig. 8, connected by a bell-crank lever 110 and link 112 to a pawl 98, Fig. 6. This movement of the pawl allows a heel clamp arm 84 to swing a heel band 92, Fig. 11, about the heel end of the shoe. The insole is then applied to the last. Slight depression of the treadle 48, Fig. 8, then pulls a link 296 and causes a segment 298 to turn a pinion 300 on a shaft 282 also provided with pinions 284, 286, Fig. 1, actuating slides 246, 276 to depress toe and heel presser feet on to the last and force this downwards, giving an upwipe to the toe on the hollowed rubber pad 164, and compressing the spring 8. The heel clamp arm 84 is pivoted on the slide 6, so that the heel band moves downward with the last. The toe presser is carried by a shaft 274 having an inclined groove 278 engaing a pin 280 so that as the slide 276 descends the presser is swung into position over the shoe before coming into contact with it. The heel presser is mounted on an arm 138 pivoted at 244 and provided with a cam groove 248 engaging a fixed roller 250 so that this presser too is first swung over the shoe before contacting with it. The presser slides are normally raised by a counterweight 288, so that should' the insole require repositioning, release of the treadle 48 will raise the pressers to allow this. The heel presser comprises an insole engaging member 242, Fig. 14, and wiper depressing members 254. These members are self-adjusting for lateral tilt of heel seat and are centralized by leaf springs 546. The heel-end wipers 142, Fig. 11, are pivoted together at 144 to an operating slide 146. The wipers are guided by laterally adjustable rollers 156 engaging slots in theirtails, and are supported on spring plungers 148, 154 so that the pressing members 254 maintain the wipers at correct distance above the insole. The treadle 48 is then depressed fully to start the machine, a link 352, Fig. 5, depressing an arm 338 below a stop 350 on an arm 332 and allowing a spring 330 to move a clutch 326 splined to a driving shaft 318 away from a brake 328 and into engagement with a coned member 320 driven by an electric motor 324. The shaft 318 drives a main cam shaft 312 by worm gearing. The toe and heel pressers are then further depressed by a roll 310, Fig. 21, on the sector 298, this roll having previously engaged an enlarged part a of the cam to allow of the preliminary manual depression of the pressers. As the shaft 274 descends, a cam 374, Fig. 1, engages a roll 372 to move to box 162 away from the heel to further wipe the toe and tighten the. upper about the heel. During the downward movement of the shoe the side lasting mechanisms are swung inwardly. Each mechanism comprises a casing 442, Fig. 5, pivoted at 444 and housing an arm 446 carrying at its upper end a shaft 454 engaging spring plungers 456 each in a casing 458 carrying one end of a leather strap 448 the lower end of which is secured to the casing 442. There are, say, four of these straps, and each is backed by a rubber pad 464 pressed toward the shoe by a spring plunger 470. The arms are operated by toggle arms 490 resiliently connected to a cam operated link 480. The side lasters perform two cycles to each cycle of the machine, first lasting the shank portion and then being moved forwardly before lasting the remainder of the side portion. To produce this forward movement the pivot rods 444 are slid longitudinally. They are formed with rack teeth engaging a segment 498, Fig 1, urged counterclockwise by a spring but restrained from movement by a pivoted stop. This stop is released as the toe wipers near their final position 'and the casings 442 are moved forwardly until they contact with the toe pad box 162 when the side lasters repeat their operation. During the side lasting in the first position the toe wipers operate. These comprise toe-end wiper plates 170, Fig. 19, pivoted together and to an operating slide 168, and toe-side wipers 176 pivoted to laterally moving slides 178, operated by gear segments 186 adjustably actuated by arms 174 on the slide 168. The end wipers 170 are formed with tongues engaged by projections 184 on the slides 178 when the wipers near their final position. A rubber apron 196 is interposed between the wipers and the upper. The heel wipers advance as the side lasters move outwardly from their first operating position, an arm 380, Fig. 6, being moved about its pivot 382 to advance the slide 146. Near the end of this movement the arm 380 breaks a toggle 532, 534 releasing the heel presser foot allowing the spring 8 to force the shoe against the wipers to press the margin of the upper down upon the insole. For the same reason the toe presser foot is raised a short distance at the end of the inward movement of the toe wipers. The lasting mechanisms for the toe and heel are each operated by universally jointed telescopic shafts. The heel band 92 has an upward extension of thin leather so that the wipers do not act direct on the upper. The cam shaft 312 has one cam with three projections acting on the arm 338 to stop the machine, (1) when the shoe has been depressed to its lowest position, for depression of the margin of the insole, if necessary, by the operator; (2) when all the lasting mechanisms are in their final position, to allow the cement to set; and (3) at the conclusion of the cycle, when all the mechanisms return to their starting position and the lasted shoe may be removed.