Patent GB-903707-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of shoes
IPC: A43D111/00
Filed: 1957-10-25
Abstract: 903,707. Shoe-making machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). Oct. 24, 1958 [Oct. 25, 1957], No. 33339/57. Class 17 (1). A machine having means for performing automatically a shoe-making operation on a shoe on a geometric last has means for presenting the shoe to the operating means, means for registering the size of the last, and means acting to determine the position of the operating means in accordance with the registered size. As shown, pallets 12 each carrying a geometrically graded last are carried on an endless conveyer 10 from a loading station to a transfer station, then carried one at a time by mechanism 14 into the machine 16, e.g. for welt trimming and tacking, shank attaching, or bottom fitting, and, after operation on the shoe, returned to the conveyer and then carried to the unloading station. The conveyer comprises rails 20, 22 in which rolls on the pallets engage, and a driven chain 26 with lugs 32 which engage spring-pressed hooks 70 on the pallets. The last is received on a pin 48 on the pallet and positioned for operation on the heel or the toe by engagement of a member 62, slidable on the pallet, with respective positioning surfaces 52 (not shown), 54 (not shown) on the last. A pallet may be disconnected from chain 26 by means of solenoid-operated stops 88, 96, 98, 372, and 374 located respectively at loading, transfer hold-back, transfer, unloading, and loading hold-back stations, which deflect the arm 74 of the pallet, and so disengage hook 70, and succeeding pallets are disengaged as their arms 74 are deflected by the slopes 94 of preceding halted pallets. When a last is fully seated on a pallet at the loading station it depresses a detent 68, actuating solenoid S1 which retracts stop 88 so that the pallet is advanced. The detent then operates switch MS2 to de-energize solenoid S1 so that stop 88 returns and stops the next pallet at the loading station, the first pallet passing the normally retracted stop 96 and being arrested at the transfer station by stop 98. There a slide 100 on the pallet moves into a coupling member 102 on a vertically slidable post 104, and the member 62 is located, thus positioning the shoe for a toe or heel operation, by engagement of a roll 106 thereon in a recess 108 and then a groove 112 in a plate 110 arranged accordingly on member 102. The pallet also deflects a lever 118 to release switch MS5 and energize a solenoid S4 (not shown) which sets a valve in a fluid-pressure system so that the piston of cylinder 144 (not shown) is operated to move slide 132 into engagement with slide 100 and thus clamp and centre the pallet. Post 104 slides in a carriage 166 which is moved, to transfer the pallet to machine 16, by means of a cylinder 180, acting via lever 174. The fluid circuit to cylinder 180 includes a valve 184 (not shown) operated by solenoids S5 (not shown) or S7 (not shown), and the transfer movement is initiated when solenoid S5 is energized by operation of a switch MS6 by slide 132 towards the end of its movement Movement of carriage 166 operates a further stop 206 at the transfer hold-back station. At about the middle of the transfer movement a member 207 on carriage 166 actuates switch MS11, de-energizing solenoid S6 (not shown), whereupon # Duffer valve 188 (not shown), becomes operative to reduce the flow of fluid and hence the speed of the transfer movement, and during this time the size of the shoe is registered and the tools of machine 16 adjusted accordingly. As the slide 166 moves, the shoe is moved downwardly to a predetermined position, post 104 moving against spring 209 to an extent determined by the height of the heel part of the last; by a size-registering arm 208 which is moved downwardly by a lever 218 pivoted on the slide and controlled by a ca m 224 (not shown), 226. Post 104 is then locked by engagement of a serrated plate 230 and pawl 228, the latter being operated by a cam 246. The machine 16 shown is for welt butting and tacking, and includes tacker nozzles, butting knives, anvils 248 and crease-finders 250 associated with tool heads 252 which are geared together for equal movements about shafts 214. The heads are moved into and out of operative position by a cam-controlled lever 260 acting via lever 268, rod 298, and sleeve 294 connected to the left-hand head 252. Post 104, depressed in accordance with the size of the last, acts via roll 306, and cam 310 to position a pivoted lever 312 which in turn positions a cam block 292 which adjusts sleeve 294 along rod 298, and so positions the heads 252 according to the size of the shoe. The heel end of the shoe is then carried beneath heads 252, with crease fingers 250 seated in the welt crease, and anvils 248 between the shoe bottom and the welt ends. Cams 246, 226 then act to release pawl 228 and arm 208, and spring 209 presses the shoe upwardly against the tool heads, sharpened lobes 328 on anvils 250 severing the inseam stitching up to the point where the butting cut is made on the welt. The advance of the shoe is terminated and variably limited according to the size of the shoe by engagement of a serrated block 330 on post 104 with a serrated stop 332 on the machine frame, the slopes of block 330 and stop 332 corresponding to the grading ratio of the last, so that positioning of the block according to the height of the last results in the required lengthwise movement of the last into the machine. Just before the work arrives at the operating station a shoulder 334 operates trip-rod 336 to actuate a onerevolution clutch 338. Machine 16 operates normally. Reciprocating slides 364 act via roll 362 and cam slots 360 in levers 356, humps 366 and adjacent hollows in the cam slots causing the anvils to move quickly towards and then away from each other, ensuring completion of the cutting of the inseam stitching. A fluidoperated abutment 367 is moved upwardly to engage post 104, the welt cuts are made, and the welt attached by tacks. Near the beginning of the cycle cam 368 on drive-shaft 350 releases switch MS7 to prepare the control mechanism for the return of the transfer mechanism, and near the end of the cycle depresses the switch which de-energizes solenoid S5 and energizes solenoid S7, so that valve 184 is actuated to return the transfer mechanism. As the pallet approaches the transfer station switch MS5 is depressed, resulting in the retraction of slide 132 from the pallet, so that the latter is unclamped from member 102. Also solenoid 59 is energized, retracting stop 98, and the pallet is connected to chain 26 and removed from the transfer station. The pallet actuates switch MS8 which energizes solenoid S3 to retract stop 96 and permit passage of the next pallet to the transfer station, and resets the control mechanism of the transfer mechanism. The pallet is stopped at the unloading station by stop 372, operations, e.g. attaching a shank-piece or applying filling material, performed, if necessary, and the shoe removed. Detent 68 then retracts, so that solenoid S10 is energized, retracting stop 372, and permitting the pallet to pass to the loading hold-back station. As the pallet leaves the unloading station, switch MS10 is operated, de-energizing solenoid S10, so that stop 372 returns and arrests the next pallet. The hydraulic and electrical circuits are illustrated, the latter including switches for starting and stopping individually the pump motor, the motor of machine 16, and the conveyer motor, and a switch for retracting slide 132 from the pallet if it is desired to remove the pallet from the transfer mechanism. Specification 863,464 and U.S.A. Specifications 1,839,852 and 1,948,547 are referred to.