Patent GB-583930-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to methods of and machines for operating upon shoe uppers
IPC: A43D21/12
Filed: 1944-07-13
Abstract: 583,930. Pre-welted footwear. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). July 13, 1944, No. 13373. [Class 17 (i)] The marginal portions of a pre-welted upper and welt at the toe or heel ends are urged inwardly, while the upper is unsupported by a last, to form an inturned flange, and the toe portion of the upper is stretched by movement of a device within the upper. While the inturned flange is supported on a form which at the forepart is of relatively shallow depth and the welt on members positioned in the crease, a sole member is applied to the welt. Stretching of the toe of the upper may be both lengthwise and heightwise of the upper. In the first of two machines which may be employed in carrying out the method, wipers engage the outer face of the welt and urge the marginal portions of the welt and upper inwardly over an expansible device within the toe portion of the upper which is caused to stretch the toe portion while the marginal portions are held between the device and the wipers. A second form of machine for supporting the welt during attachment of the sole after the end portions have been pre-shaped in the first machine has a form which supports the shoe upper and moves it into position to receive a plurality of wipers arranged to engage the crease between upper and welt. Figs. 1, 3, 11, show the first machine. The toe end of the upper in inverted position with the welt 136 horizontal is supported on the upper edge of a resilient plate 108 which engages the crease. An upper-positioning member 36 engages the welt on operation of a treadle 40 to move the toe downwardly to a pre-determined position heightwise against the top face of outer part 88 of upper gripping means. These comprise a plate-like inner form 86 and a pair of outer forms 88 adapted to grip the upper along a line parallel to the welt seam and establish a predetermined peripheral contour of the toe portion of the upper corresponding to that of the sole to be attached. The outer forms 88 carry welt lifting arms (not shown) which ensure the welt 136 being properly engaged by the leading edge of a welt conforming plate 138 which advances with and adjacent to the underface of a wiper plate 126 which has a generally V-shaped wiper surface and which wipes the margin of the upper inwardly over the margin of the form 86 on operation of a treadle 176. In its most advanced position the edge face of the plate 138 is spaced uniformly from the edge face of form 86. On arrest of the plate 138 by the welt, the wiper plate 126 continues almost to ball of shoe to complete the over-wiping of the margin of toe portion of the upper and to hold it under pressure against the inner form 86. After retraction of the outer forms 88, a toe shaping mould 236 positioned adjacent the inner face of raised position by a spring 56. The carrier 30 and upper positioning member 36 are operated by the treadle 40. The carrier 30 and the upper shaping mechanism mounted thereon are swung downwardly and rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 into the toe portion of the supported upper by linkage operated from the shaft 28, and is locked in position by a pawl, the treadle then being permitted to return to its elevated position, the spring 56 retracting the upper positioning member 36. Fig. 11 shows the toe end of the upper in its expanded bulged position with the margin extending inwards over the form 86. Figs. 19, 21 show the second form of machine described in which wipers 422, 424, 426, Fig. 19, capable of operating on a shoe of any size within the range dealt with by the machine, and a toe wiper 428, capable of operating on shoes of two consecutive sizes dealt with by the machine, wipe the welted margin of the upper over the exposed margin of an insole on a sole-shaped wooden form 420 corresthe form 86 moves downwardly on forward operation of a hand lever 252, by a distance which is adjustable, to expand the upper heightwise and toewards to create a bulge in the toe end. The forms 88 are held in their retracted position by a hand-operated latch. Heel shaping mechanism similar to the toe shaping mechanism but without the shaping mould 236 is also provided in the machine on an extension of the head 20 in which the toe shaping mechanism is mounted; the heel of' one shoe being shaped while the toe portion of another is setting in the toe end shaping mechanism. The operating parts are electrically heated by a unit mounted in the machine head, in order that the shoe parts may retain the shape imparted to them in the machine. The wiper plate 126 and other toe shaping mechanism is mounted between vertical walls 24 of the head 20. An inner form carrier 30 which carries the upper shaping mechanism which operates within the toe is secured to a shaft 28 and is held normally in ponding in size to the upper to be operated on, the welted margin being shaped or arranged so that the welt lies in sole attaching position. The form 420 has bevelled marginal portions on both sides so as to be reversible to permit operating on both right and left shoes, and does not fill the upper. The side wipers 422 are secured to a cross-head forming part of a T- shaped side wiper bar 436, Fig. 21, secured to a lever the lower portion of which is pivoted on a shaft 440 supported on a table 444 carried by a standard 446. Each shank wiper 424 is angularly shaped and is secured to a shank-wiper bar 450 operatively connected to the shaft 440 so that wipers 422 and 424 may be advanced in arcuate path centre of which coincides with axis of shaft 440 to engage the crease. In this position the wiper bars 436, 450 are substantially vertical so that overwipe is in the horizontal direction. Forepart wipers 426 are carried on a T-shaped wiper bar 462 and are capable of swivelling about the rounded corners 456 at their heelward ends during inward movement against a spring (not shown). The wiper 428 is removably mounted in a groove in a holder 478 carried by a wiper arm 488 and may be turned 180‹ so as to operate on both right and left uppers. The form 420 is carried by a form bar 532 so as to be both removable and reversible, the form bar being slidably mounted in a channelled rail projecting from the table 444. Depression of a treadle 564 causes a rod 576 to move upwards to bring the toe wiper 428 into engagement with the outer surfaces of a pre-welted upper on the form 420 at a point just below the welt, and slight further depression urges the wiper under light pressure through a spring 584 against the upper. The treadle is held in this position by engagement of a latch bar 590 with a pin. Depression by the operator of a second treadle 598 first brings the side wipers 422, shank wipers 424 and forepart wipers 426 into engagement with the upper under light pressure of springs 610 then imparts downward movement to the form bar 532 to bring the upper into position to receive the wipers in the crease, and finally imparts heavy pressure through springs 616 to all the wipers to cause them to wipe the welted margin of the upper in over the edge of the form 420. The wipers 422, 424 and 426 are actuated by six vertical wiper rods 606 which carry the springs 610, 616 and which extend upwardly through holes in a horizontal plate 602 carried by a rod 600 connected to the treadle 598. The treadle 598 is retained against return movement by a second latch 644 and pin. A sole may then be cement attached to the welt and the latch bars 590, 644 released by a hand lever 646. An alternative form of work support for the second form of machine comprises a toeward form for the forepart and shank of the pre-welt upper and a heel form which has substantially the contour of the heel-end portion of a last, these two parts being separable to tension the upper lengthwise.