Patent GB-747717-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to shoe upper conforming machines
IPC: A43D21/12
Filed: 1952-06-17
Abstract: 747,717. Shoe-upper-conforming machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). June 16, 1953 [June 17, 1952], No. 15177/52. Class 17 (1). A shoe-upper-conforming machine for lasting side portions of a shoe upper extending heelwardly from the tow into the shank portion, has wiping means comprising, for each side of the shoe, a pair of wipers 162, 178 extending continuously one beyond the other along the side of the shoe, to suit the length of the shoe, with one, 162, movable lengthwise of the shoe relatively to the other, 178, while maintaining continuity therewith, and including flexible portions conformable to the heightwise curvature of the shoe bottom. Means are provided for automatically bending portions of the wipers towards the shoe bottom after the inner edges of the wipers have crossed the edge of the shoe bottom, but before inwiping is completed. In some respects the machine is generally similar to those disclosed in Specifications 608,176 and 746,823. The shoe is supported and positioned by a toothed member 2 engaging the shoe bottom forepart, a toe rest 46, a toothed shoe rest member 6 pivoted at 10 to a forwardly movable slide 14, and additional support means 238. A member 26 on the member 6 is engaged and moved by the toe end face of the shoe as the latter is presented and positioned in relation to the grippers 28, the position of member 6 being thus adjusted. Member 6 is urged upwardly by spring 30 against spring-pressed pins 32 in a block 34 on links 38, which forms part of the means for controlling member 6 as in Specification 746,823. Initially and during the greater part of the operation links 38 are held against upward movement. When the shoe is pressed upwardly teeth on member 6 engage teeth on block 34 to lock member 6 against rearward movement, and rod 39 is lifted, causing clamps 40 to be moved inwards by pistons 45 to position the shoe. The rest 46 is convex lengthwise and concave widthwise and tips limitedly about a lengthwise axis on rolls 54 in block 52, the latter being movable widthwise on guide 64 which is adjustable lengthwise on an extension 68 of piston 70. Piston 70 is moved by fluid-pressure in cylinder 77 and returned by springs 78. Grippers 28, comprising jaws 80, 82, and holddowns 84 are constructed and operated substantially as in Specifications 608,176 and 746,823, being moved automatically at the end of each cycle for operation on right and left hand shoes alternately, or operable normally. The toe rest 46 is automatically moved widthwise, for supporting right or left hand shoes, by a cable 138 secured at one end to block 52 and at the other to a pin 146 on lever 96, which rocks to change the gripper positions. The wipers are carried by levers 150 and actuated &c. as Specification 746,823, the wiper carrying plates 158 being guided on plates 156 beneath levers 150. Wiper 162 has a straight wiping edge and an inner offset portion forming a recess 166 which is bridged by a slotted flexible plate 168, the inner edge of which is slightly outwardly spaced from the inner edge of wiper 162. Wipers 162 are positioned by links 174 connected to plates 158 and slide 14, springs 176 tending to urge plates 158, wipers 162, and slide 14 forwardly, but the size of the shoe determining the position of slide 14. When no shoe is present, movement of slide 14 is limited by pin 22. The distance of the wipers from the end of the toe is adjusted by adjustment of the distance of member 26 from member 6. Links 174 diverge towards the heel end so as to tend to give to wipers 162, during wiping, a lengthwise component towards the heel, to counteract the lengthwise component towards the toe imparted by levers 150. Links 174 are not displaced since slide 14 is locked by the engagement of the teeth on members 6 and 34. Wiper 178, in the form of a resilient plate, more flexible than plate 168, has a portion a between the shoe and plate 168 with its edge in contact with plate 168, but spaced elsewhere, and a portion b extending heelwards with a normal curvature heightwise of the shoe less than the curvature of the corresponding portion of the shoe bottom, to ensure that it clears the insole edge. Portions b are automatically bent downwardly to conform with the curvature of the shoe bottom by members provided by bars 218 actuated by mechanisms movable with the wipers. These mechanisms each include a casting 182 on lever 150 with a cylinder 184 housing piston 186. A spring 192 urges the piston outwardly, and a pin 188 on the piston extending through slots in the cylinder limits the movement. A rod 196 connected to pin 188 extends from the cylinder through a trunnion block 198 pivoted on bellcrank 202, the other arm 216 of which is connected to bar 218 engaging block 220 secured to portion b. Thus movement of piston 186 bends portion b downwardly. Piston 186 is operated by fluid passing through pipe 222 and controlled by the valve which also controls the fluid to operate the grippers. This fluid operation of piston 186 is restrained by a latch 226 to which rod 228 is pivoted. Latch 226 is engaged with pin 188 by spring 232, but released, when lever 150 has moved a desired distance inwards, by engagement of an adjustable nut 234 with bracket 230 when rod 228 swings the latch. Spring 212 yields in response to resistance of the shoe to the downward movement of bar 218, rod 196 sliding in block 198. Portion b overlaps to some extent the previously lasted shank portion. The wipers are heated by units 236 in plates 156. The additional support plate 238 has a convex upper surface lengthwise of the shoe and is secured to pin 240 rotatable in pivoted arms 242 and held, as in Fig. 1, by springs 244. Compression spring 254 and comparatively light compression spring 258 on a rod 248, which is pivoted to one arm 242 and passes through a fixed member 250, hold arms 242 so that they may be moved downwardly against the resistance of spring 258 when the last engages plate 238, the latter swinging about pin 240 to seat against the last. Plate 238 is then supported by a hollow plunger 260 vertically slidable on a stationary piston 262, urged downwardly by spring 264, and actuated by fluid through bore 268 in piston 262, under control of the valve controlling the fluid for the upper pulling movement of the grippers. Plunger 260 is locked by pawls 272, 276 engaging teeth 270. Pawl 272 is fast and pawls 276 loose on pin 274, and spring 278 connected to pawl 272 controls pawls 276. A spring-pressed pin 282 on pawl 272 tends to swing the pawls to engage teeth 270, but the pawls are disengaged by rod 284, pivoted to pin 286 on piston 70, a collar 288 on the rod engaging arm 290 fast on pin 274. When piston 70 moves to engage the toe rest 46 arm 284 moves, arm 290 is disengaged, and pin 282 moves the pawls to engage teeth 270.