Patent GB-981958-A (GB)
Title: An assembly line for the continuous manufacture of rubber footwear
IPC: A43D117/00
Filed: 1962-09-14
Abstract: 981,958. Plant for continuous making of boots &c. SEMPERIT OSTERREICHISCHAMERIKANISCH GUMMIWERKE A.G. Sept, 14, 1962 [Sept. 14, 1961], No. 35155/62. Heading A3B. A plant for the continuous manufacture of mass-produced rubber footwear on an assembly line comprises two self-contained, closed, automatically controlled conveyer apparatuses 1, 11. The first conveyer band 2 moves forwards stepwise in a cycle and carries lasts detachably inserted in movable supports and on which component parts of the footwear are assembled. Adjacent the conveyer band is situated an operating press 4 for pressing the outer sole firmly into position, followed by an apparatus for automatically immersing the footwear in a bath of lacquer 5. The second conveyer apparatus 11 is constructed so as to suspend a number of swingable supporting frames 10, for the lasts removed from the first conveyer band, which can be automatically collected together in groups and which are passed through a vulcanization tank 14 which can be opened automatically at both ends, and a cooling chamber 15. The footwear is removed from the lasts at a point 16 where a support for the collecting frames is provided, and placed on a third conveyer 41 leading to a stamping die 42 where the shoe uppers are trimmed and thence to a control table 43, packing bench 46 and a lowering apparatus which transfers the packed footwear on to a fourth conveyer band 49 on a lower floor, leading to a stock room. The automatic press 4 is provided with arms, one of which presses by means of an elastically yielding soft cushion against the rubber sole while the other presses against the upper border of the shaft of the last, so that the forces applied do not effect the holder or the conveyer band. The lasts are guided into the immersion bath 5, provided with a rotary pump and a weir to keep the level of the liquid constant, by guide rails 6 and afterwards are allowed to drip and dry. The dry shoe is removed from the conveyer band at 9 and placed on a collecting framework 10 in the second conveyer plant 11. The first collecting frame 28 has no locking part to connect it to any other frame, but the following four 10 are each provided with pawls so that only groups of five will collect at the collecting stations. The rails R and B on which the frames run, by pass the vulcanization tank 14 and are replaced by the folding rails 17 and 18. The lids 20 of the vulcanization tank are raised and the folding rails are swung upwards and locked in position. A push rod 27 is moved to grip the frames 28, 10 and pull them into the tank and as they move forward they push the group already there out of the tank on to the chain 13 which conveys them to the cooling chamber 15. The folding rails are then unlocked and lowered, the lid of the vulcanization chamber closed and vulcanization takes place. After passing through the cooling chamber, the lasts pass to the point 16 where the shoes are removed. Various locks 29-36 to arrest the movement of the suspension are provided on the rails of the conveyer plant.