Patent GB-621276-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to shoe-bottom pressing machines
IPC: A43D25/06
Filed: 1947-02-14
Abstract: 621,276. Sole presses. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd. (United Shoe , Machinery Corporation). Feb. 14, No. 4290. [Class 17 (i)] A sole press wherein a sole and shoe are pressed together by an inflatable pad engaging the sole and abutments engaging the forepart of the shoe and the cone of the last is provided with a solesimulating form whereby various parts of the machine can be set automatically to operate on different sizes of sole. The form comprises sections for right and left soles and is movable to bring either section into operative position, and is engaged by toe and ball line gauges the movements of which control (a) the setting of sole and shoe toe gauges and sole ball line gauges, (b) the setting of a mask plate which determines the operative area of the inflatable pad and (c) the position of the abutment which engages the forepart of the shoe. In the turret machine described, a single set of form, sole and shoe gauges is provided at a loading station and is moved to an out-of-the-way position while the turret is rotated through each step, and each pad is provided with a pair of pivoted bails carrying the forepart and cone-engaging abutments. The machine comprises a fixed pillar 10, Fig. 2, on which a sleeve 1.2, rotatable step-by-step by gearing 14, 'carries eight frames 21 each of which supports an inflatable pad and bails 470, 482 carrying the forepart and cone abutments 472, 506. A frame 106 on the pillar 10 supports the set of shoe-locating gauges. Each pad comprises an inflatable bag and an upper, rubber cover, and rests on forepart, shank and heel pad-box sections 26, 28, 32 which are relatively adjustable. The mask plate is slidable longitudinally between the bag and cover at the forepart portion. The solesimulating form 86, Figs. 12 and 14, which is mounted in the frame 106 for movement at right angles to its inclined front face comprises right and left plates 88, 881, corresponding to the largest sole to be dealt with, which are united in slightly-spaced. relationship with their ball lines in register, and right and left plates 90, 901 for the smallest sole which are connected to the larger plates by ball line struts 92, 96, and 92<SP>1</SP> 961 and toe struts 98, 100 and 98<SP>1</SP>, 1001. Each strut has a straight outer edge. The form co-operates, inter alia, with a form toe gauge 144 and, in the operation of the machine, is moved up and down, to present the larger plates alternately to the gauge for dealing alternately with right and left shoes, by a lever 141, Fig. 2, operated by a fluid motor. After such movement, the form is moved at will further up or down by a wedge cam 145 and treadle A, so that the gauge engages some point on the struts corresponding to the particular size of sole being dealt with. The gauge 144 and sole and shoe toe gauges 148, 150, Fig. 12, are adjustably mounted on a carrier 152 which can move longitudinally and transversely on bars 164, the sole-and shoe gauges being on a pivoted arm 184 so that they rest by gravity on the pad at the loading station. The carrier 152 is moved longitudinally by gearing and a fluid motor until the form toe gauge 144 engages the form, after which it is moved transversely by pressure of the diverging arms of the gauge on the form. These movements position the sole and shoe toe gauges over the pad. Each arm of the sole gauge consists of plates 220, 224, Fig. 18, held apart by a series of wire loops which are engaged by their short sides 228 by the sole edge and which can pivot about their upper sides 240 to allow the upper plate to be collapsed by a shoe when it is placed on the sole. Each time the carrier 152 is retracted, it is centralised by a roll on it engaging cam surfaces 248 or 250, Fig. 12. Ball line form gauges 344, 346 are alternately moved up and down, to register them with the ball line of the right and left sections of the form, by bars 316 operated by a rocking lever, gearing and fluid motor, and are moved in to engage the form at the ball line by cam slots 398 in the bars 164, which are operated at the appropriate times. Ball line sole gauges 260, 262, on pivoted arms 264, are advanced over the pad by a fluid motor and a crosshead 286 acting through rods 292, springs and bars 272 and are moved in to engage the sole at the ball line by connections between the bars 316 and 272. The settings of the form ball line gauges for rights and lefts and for size of sole are translated to the sole ball line gauges. Sole and shoe breast line gauges 475 are mounted so that they can be swung over the pad, from an out-ofthe-way position, to engage the sole and shoe towards the rear end. The mask plate 80, one for each pad, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 12, is slid forwardly of the forepart of the pad, to control the degree of " wrap of the sole on the shoe, in accordance with the size of the sole. To this end, it is held rearwardly by springs and is advanced by rods 444, 446 connected adjustably to the carrier 152. The abutment-carrying bails 470, 482, Fig. 21, are pivoted to the ends of an equalising lever 476 which is movable upwardly and downwardly along slots 578 in the frame 21, are interconnected by a slotted link 488, and are urged to a rearward, inoperative position by a spring 484, Fig. 2. The bail 482 carries pivotally a semi-circular cone-engaging member 506 which is slidable transversely of the shoe by a handle 502 and has a pivoted finger 510 which just clears the forepart of the last when the member is properly positioned over the cone. The bail 470 carries a forepart pad 472 and, when the bail 482 is moved forwardly by hand over the cone of the last, falls forwardly until arrested by a stop pin 516. The latter is positioned automatically by rods 554 connected adjustably to the carrier 152, so that the pad 472 is always positioned correctly for shoes of different sizes. The bail 470 is locked in operative position by a pawl 548 and rack 546 and the pin 516 by a pawl and rack 536, 534. The lever 476, and with it the abutments 472, 506, are pulled downwardly to press the shoe against the inflatable pad, by a lever 586 operated by a fluid motor 590. When a shoe and sole have been so pressed against the pad, pressure fluid is admitted to the pad by depression of a treadle before the turret receives its next indexing movement. The primary drive of the machine is an electric motor. In use of the machine, the turret stops with a pad at the loading station and the right or left section of the form in operative position. The various gauges are then moved into position over the pad and the treadle A is operated to adjust the form to the particular size of sole, so that the appropriate right or left sole placed on the pad is properly located by the gauges. At the same time, the mask plate and the pin 516 are adjusted. A shoe is then placed on the sole, the bails are operated to engage and press the shoe, the gauges are withdrawn, and fluid pressure is admitted to the pad. The turret then moves, and the loaded pad is carried away from the loading station and another pad is presented. The Provisional Specification refers to Specification 408,953.