Patent GB-467669-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to shoe upper conforming machines
IPC: A43D113/00
Filed: 1935-11-21
Abstract: 467,669. Boot - making machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd., RICKS, F., and JAMES, C. H. Nov. 21,1935, No. 32257. [Class 17 (i)] Lasting and pulling-over.-A machine for shaping an end portion of an upper of a Veldtschoen or like shoe to its last and for pressing an outwardly extending flange around said end portion against a marginal portion of a sole which extends outwardly beyond the sides of the last, comprises a support for a last having a sole on its bottom and an upper thereon, upper gripping means arranged to move heightwise of the last and outwardly to tension the upper on the last, and wipers arranged to press the outwardly extending margin of the flange against the sole and to urge the upper into the angle between the last and the sole. Separate machine heads are provided for right and left shoes respectively. In each case, the shoe is held by means of a heel-end engaging fork 13. Fig. 1, with its sole resting against a detachable and adjustable sole supporting plate 3 and its toe abutting against an upstanding rib 9. A wiper carrying bracket 17 is arranged so that it may rise and fall along a slideway 15 provided on the arm 1 at the side remote from the operator. Along the upper face of bracket 17, and in a plane parallel to the plate 3, is a guideway for a wiper carrying slide 19 which at its forward end has formed in it arcuate guidedways 21, Fig. 2, for wiper carrying plates 23 carrying wipers 7. Rack teeth 25 are provided on the wiper carrying plates so that by means of pinions 27, said plates and the wipers thereon can be rotated about the centre of the arcuate guideways, which is situated opposite the toe end point of the shoe. To the pinion 27 are secured smaller pinions 31 which intermesh with rack-bars 33 fixed to an ear 41. By means of a screw 39, the ear is held in firm but adjustable relation to a lug 37 projecting from the upper end of the bracket 17 so that movement of the slide 19 relative to the bracket and towards the shoe causes the wipers to close. A spring 51 situated between the lug 37 and the end of a slot 49 in the slide 19 tends to hold the slide away from the shoe and hence to keep the wipers open. The bracket 17 is raised and lowered and the wipers are operated by a link 47, Fig. 1, secured to one end of a bell-crank lever 43 which is pivoted to the bracket at 45 and is provided at the other end with teeth engaging corresponding teeth on the underside of slide 19. As link 47, and hence the wipers are lowered the resistance encountered by the wipers is not sufficient to overcome the resistance of spring 51 and the bell-crank lever does not rotate. When, however, the margin of the upper is pressed against the sole, the resistance of the spring is overcome, the bell-crank lever rotates, the slide 19 moves forward and the wipers close, urging the upper into the angle between the last and the sole around the forepart. In order to tension the upper over the last two side grippers 55, and 57 and a toe gripper 53 are provided. Each gripper comprises an upper jaw 59 and a lower jaw 61, the latter being a projection from a link 63 which is supported by a pivot 65 under the sole-supporting plate 3. In each side gripper, the stem 69, the end of which forms the upper jaw, is pivoted at 71 to the link 63. A depending rod 75 which passes through a lug on the machine, is also pivoted to link 63 and is surrounded by a compression spring 77 which tends to keep the grippers in a raised position. A rod 83 is pivotally attached to the stem of the upper jaw so that when it is depressed the upper is first gripped tightly and then, as the resistance of the spring is overcome, the gripper is lowered to tension the upper. The rod 83 is pivotally connected at its lower end to a gripper-operating slide 87, Fig. 1, which is mounted for up and down movement on the machine head and is urged upwards by a spring. In the toe gripper, the depending rod and spring of the side grippers are replaced by a horizontal rod 79 and spring 81. The stem 69 and the link 63 are in this case pivotally connected at 73 and are further connected by links 88, and 89, the latter being pivoted at 91 and having attached an operating rod 93. When this rod is depressed, the upper is grasped and the gripper depressed as in the case of the side grippers. The lower end of rod 93 passes through a pivoted lug on the gripper-operating slide and the projecting portion is provided with nuts at the end and a compression spring 97 which tends to close the grippers. In order that the toe gripper may grip and pull the upper before the side grippers, a lever 129 pivoted at 131, Fig. 2, is swung away from beneath a collar 127 on rod 93 before the gripper-operating slide is moved, the spring functioning to commence the tensioning operation. When the gripper-operating slide is depressed, it is held in that position by a ratchet and pawl 105. When the wipers are raised from the shoe, a finger 109 pivoted to arm 107 or link 47, trips the pawl and allows the grippers to resume their inoperative position. In order to prevent the grippers from rising far enough to strike the wipers, arm 107 carries an adjustable stop screw 121 against which a link 123, pivoted at its rear end to the bracket 17 and at its forward end to a depending link 125 pivoted on slide 87, abuts. To operate the machine, the shoe is first positioned on the sole supporting plate and the edges of the upper are arranged between the jaws of the grippers. The lever 129 is then turned by the operator's knee, resulting in the upper being gripped and tensioned at the toe. Depression of a treadle attached to the gripperoperating slide completes the tensioning of the upper. Depression of a second treadle sets the wipers into automatic operation and, as they advance, an abutment 133 bears on the toe grippers and releases the upper. When the wipers recede, the grippers automatically return to the open position, as previously indicated, and the machine is ready to repeat the operation. The Provisional Specification describes a modification in which compression springs are placed between the jaws of the grippers and in which the toe gripper is similar in design to the side grippers in the above description.