IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-FEEDING EYELET MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM DOUGLAS, of Kingswood Hill, in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention, for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF-FEEDING EYELET MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to eyeletting machines such as are used for securing
eyelets in boots, shoes, and other articles and consists, firstly, in connecting the
spindle of the lower or female die to the front end of the lever whereby it is
actuated. The spindle is thus lowered and raised by the lever.
The joint connecting the lever with the spindle is of such nature as to readily
permit the passage of the front end of the lever through the arc traversed thereby.
Under one form the joint consists of a collar loosely situated on a pin and
contained in a horizontal slot in the lever.
This invention consists, secondly, in arresting the descent of the shoot to
prevent contact between it and the plunger of the female die as it is lowered.
A stop connected to the frame of the machine bears, as the shoot descends, against
the front of the lever which supports the upper end of the shoot and the eyelet box.
The stop is caused to bear against the said lever by a link or arm extending
from the stop, the lower end of which link or arm comes into contact with the
upper face of the rear end of the main actuating lever as this end thereof is tilted
upwards to cause the spindle and shoot to descend.
The downward motion of the shoot is thus temporarily arrested by the stop.
The lower end of the shoot is supported by an arm extending upwards from the
main actuating lever.
This arm is slotted at its upper end to receive a pin connected to the shoot.
Whilst the descent of the latter is being arrested or retarded by the stop, as
aforesaid, the alot in the upper end of the arm of the actuating lever permits
the continued descent of the lower die holder.
As the rear end of the actuating spindle continues to rise the stop is moved
through a distance which allows the descent of the shoot to be resumed and the
forward end of the latter assumes and is retained by the stop in the proper position
to receive the plunger of the die without having been in its descent brought into
contact therewith.
When the main actuating lever is operated to raise the shoot the stop is released
and the link or arm thereof falls into the position for contact with the upper face

page_text: of the rear end of the main actuating lever when the latter is operated to raise the
lower die and the shoot.
The stop is maintained in the proper position for the said contact by a pin or
stud on the frame. A spring may be employed to withdraw the stop from contact
with the lever which supports the upper end of the shoot.
Instead of being constructed as described the stop or break may consist of an
eccentric pivotted on the frame and having a rod or arm extending downwards
therefrom for contact with the rear end of the main actuating lever.
Or it may consist of a wedge designed to intervene between the lever supporting
the upper end of the shoot and a block attached to the frame, the wedge being
actuated by the main lever in a manner similar to that in which the stop
herein before described is actuated.
Under another modification the descent of the shoot may be arrested by a spring
fitted to exert a continual pressure on the lever which supports the upper end of
the shoot and the eyelet box.
By the said spring the shoot is maintained when lowered in the position to
receive the lower die and when the latter has entered an eyelet the pressure of
the spring is overcome by the upward movement of the slotted arm of the main
actuating lever. Similarly, as the lower die descends the shoot remains stationary
until by the contact of the upper end of the slot of the slotted arm with the pin
therein the resistance of the spring is overcome and the shoot allowed to descend.
The tension of the spring may be varied by means of nuts or set screws.
To assist in the action of the spring a washer of leather or other suitable
substance may be inserted between the head of the pivot pin of the lever on
which it acts and the boss of the said lever.
As the spindle of the lower die rises to receive an eyelet the slotted arm of the
main lever does not exert pressure to raise the shoot until the plunger of the die
bas entered the eyelet. The lower end of the slot in the arm then comes into
contact with the pin embraced by the slot and the shoot is raised. This arrange-
ment constitutes a third improvement effected by this invention and simplifies the
construction of self-feeding eyelet machines.
A fourth improvement embraced by this invention consists in the employment in
the eyelet box of a notched gauge or comb adjustable over a slot in the side of the
box at which the eyelets are fed into the shoot.
The comb may be raised or lowered to permit the passage of eyelets of different
lengths.

page_text: I, WILLIAM DOUGLAS, of Kingswood Hill, in the county of Gloucester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to eyeletting machines such as are used for securing
eyelets in boots, shoes, and other articles and consists, firstly, in an improved means
or joint for connecting the spindle of the lower or female die to the front end of
the lever whereby it is actuated. The spindle is thus lowered and raised by the
lever.
The joint connecting the lever with the spindle is of such a nature as to readily
permit the passage of the front end of the lever through the arc traversed thereby.
Under one form the joint consists of a collar loosely situated on a pin and
contained in a horizontal slot in the lever.
This invention consists, secondly, in temporarily arresting the descent of the
shoot to prevent contact between it and the plunger of the female die as it is
lowered. A stop or eccentric connected to the frame of the machine bears, as the
shoot descends, against the front of the lever which supports the upper end of
the shoot and the eyelet box.
The stop is caused to bear against the said lever by a spring and is moved so as
to allow the shoot to further descend by a link or arm extending from the stop,
the other end of which link or arm is connected with the main actunting lever and
is operated as the latter is tilted upwards to cause the spindle and shoot to
descend.
The lower end of the shoot is supported by an arm extending upwards from the
main actuating lever.
This arm is slotted at its upper end to receive a pin connected to the shoot.
Whilst the descent of the latter is being arrested or retarded by the stop, as
aforesaid, the slot in the upper end of the arm of the actuating lever permits the
continued descent of the lower die holder.
As the rear end of the actuating lever continues to rise, the stop is moved
through a distance which allows the descent of the shoot to be resumed and the
forward end of the latter assumes and is retained by the stop in the proper position
to receive the plunger of the die without having been in its descent brought into
contact therewith.
When the main actuating lever is operated to raise the shoot the stop is released
from contact with the lever of the shoot.
The stop is maintained in the proper position for the said contact by a pin or
stud on the frame. A spring is employed to bring the stop into contact with the
lever which supports the upper end of the shoot.
As the spindle of the lower die rises to receive an eyelet the slotted arm of the
main lever does not exert pressure to raise the shoot until the plunger of the die
bas entered the eyelet. The lower end of the slot in the arm then comes into

page_text: contact with the pin embraced by the slot and the shoot is raised. This arrange-
ment constitutes a third improvement effected by this invention and simplifies the
construction of self-feeding eyelet machines.
A fourth improvement embraced by this invention consists in the employment in
the eyelet box of a notched gauge or comb adjustable over a slot in the side of the
box at which the eyelets are fed into the shoot.
The comb may be raised or lowered to permit the passage of eyelets of different
lengths.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a side
elevation and figure 2 a front elevation of an eyeletting machine constructed
according to my invention, the parts of the machine being in their normal position;
figure 3 is a similar view to figure 1, but shewing the positions of the parts of the
machine when the main operating lever has been depressed; figure 4 is a detached
plan view of the eyelet box and shoot; figure 5 is a vertical section of the eyelet
box, the section being taken through the line A. B of figure 4. Similar letters in
all the figures represent similar parts.
a represents the spindle of the lower or female die b, and c, is the main lever
working on a centre at a', and to the front end of which the spindle a, is connected,
and whereby it is raised and lowered; d, is the collar of the joint connecting the
lever c, with the spindle a; e, is the pin on which the collar d, is loosely situated;
the pin passes through the spindle a, and is fixed by a nut f; g, is the horizontal
slot in the lever c, in which slot the collar d, works loosely and it is squared as
shewn to prevent it turning in the slot and is formed with two projections h, on its
inner side to keep it in position on the pin e; this joint allows of the passage of
the front end of the lever c, through the arc which it has to traverse in operating
the machine; i, is the shoot for conducting the eyelets to the die b; j, j¹, is the stop
or eccentric pivoted at k, to the frame A of the machine; is the eyelet box
constructed as hereinafter described; m, is the lever or arm supporting the upper
end of the shoot i, and the eyelet box 1, the lower end of the said lever, being
jointed at c', to the frame A of the machine and the upper end at d', to the shoot i;
n is the spring connecting the lever m, and stop j, and whereby the cam shaped
part j, of the stop is caused to bear against the lever m, so as to temporarily arrest
the forward movement of the lever and descent of the shoot when the main lever c,
is being raised; o, is the link or arm whereby the stop is moved so as to bring its
flat part j, against the lever m, to allow the shoot i, to further descend into position
over the lower or female die b; the link or arm o, is pivoted to the stop at p, and
its other end is formed with a slot q, in which works a pin r, on the arm 8, of the
main lever c; the said slot q, allows the rear end of the lever c, to move upwards
to the required extent when it has been depressed as shewn in figure 3 and the
spindle a, to be lowered sufficiently before commencing to move the link o, and
rotate the stop j,; t, is the slot in the upper end of the arm 8, and u, is the pin
on the shoot i, the said pin working in the slot t which allows the main lever c, to
effect the continued descent of the lower die holder a, whilst the descent of the
shoot i, is being arrested or retarded by the cam shaped part j, of the stop as afore-
said and which also allows the lower die b, (when the same is at its lowest point as
shewn in figure 1,) to be raised by the lever c, and enter the eyelet before the arm s
commences to exert pressure to raise the shoot; the lower end of the slot t, then
comes into contact with the pin u, and the shoot is raised so as to allow of the
upward passage of the die b with the eyelet; v, is the pin or stud on the frame A
for maintaining the stop j, j¹, in the proper position as shewn in figure 3, for contact
with the lever m, on the descent of the shoot i, the spring n, also, being provided
with this object; w, is a spring for automatically raising the rear end of the main
lever c when pressure is removed therefrom; the main lever c, is operated by any
suitable means such as by a connecting rod attached thereto at x, and to a treadle
or the like; y, is the notched gauge or comb in the eyelet box l, at the side at which
the eyelets are fed into the shoot i, this gauge or comb is clearly shewn in figures 4

page_text: and 5 and its teeth or notches z, are formed of a shape that they will allow the eyelets
to pass through the slot (shewn in dotted lines at l¹, figures 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the
drawing) in the side of the box 1, only in the proper position to enter the shoot i;
e', e', are the slots in the gauge or comb y, and f¹, fi, are set screws by means of
which the position of the comb over the slot in the box 1, can be adjusted to allow
of the passage of eyelets of different lengths; gl, is a spring which serves to keep the
eyelets from falling out of the shoot i; the said spring however yields when the
shoot is moved back to allow an eyelet to pass out when the plunger of the die b,
has entered the eyelet; the eyelets in the box l, are kept in constant agitation
during the action of the machine by means of a circular brush h¹, to which a
reciprocating rotary motion is communicated by means of a crank under the box l,
and shewn in dotted lines at ; the crank i, is operated by a rod k¹, attached to
the frame A of the machine.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
A supply of eyelets is placed in the box l, and as the shoot moves backwards and
forwards during the eyeletting operation the brush will rotate as herein before
described and will cause the eyelets to pass between the teeth z, of the gauge or
comb y, into the shoot i. The parts of the machine being in the position shewn in
figures 1 and 2 as the rear end of the lever c, is depressed to operate the machine
the front end thereof will carry the spindle a, upwards so as to cause the die b, to
enter the lowest eyelet in the shoot i; during this movement of the lever c, the
slot t, in the arm 8, will have passed over the pin u, on the shoot and by this
arrangement the shoot will meanwhile have remained stationary, the pin r, will
have moved along the slot q, in the rod o, and the parts of the machine will have
assumed the position shewn in dotted lines in figure 1; as the depression of the
rear end of the lever c, is continued, the front end of the slot t, by hearing against
the pin u, will allow the arın 8, to carry backwards the shoot i, and lever m, and
the spring g', will yield and allow the end-èyelet to pass out from the shoot, and
the die b, will at the same time carry it to the upper die b¹, and complete the
eyeletting operation as shewn in figure 3, in which B represents a piece of leather
or other material and C the eyelet being rivetted or upset in a hole therein; as the
lever m, moves back its spring n, carries the stop or eccentric j, j, from the position
shewn in figure 1, to that shewn in figure 3. Pressure being now removed from the
rear end of the lever c, it will be carried upwards by means of its spring w, and
during the first portion of its upward movement it will lower the spindle a, and
the shoot, will move forward until the lever m, comes against the stop j, j¹, which
will arrest its further movement until the die b, has been lowered clear of the front
end of the shoot i, the slot t, allowing the arm 8, to move the required distance ;
the rear end of the slot t, will then have reached the pin u, and the pin r, will have
reached the end of the slot q, in the link o, and the shoot will therefore be carried
further forward and the stop j, j¹, will be rotated until its flat part j¹, comes against
the lever m, and stops the further movement of the shoot i; the die b will have
again assumed its position of rest and the parts will be in the position shewn in
figure 1, ready for the next operation and so on.
Instead of the link o, being attached to the arm 8, it can be arranged to operate
the stop, by coming in contact with the upper face of the rear end of the main
lever c, when the same is raised; when the rear end of the lever c, is lowered the
said link falls and moves the stop into position to be again operated by the lever c
in its upward movement.
Instead of employing an eccentrically shaped stop as herein before described and
shewn in the drawing, the stop may consist of a wedge designed to intervene
between the lever supporting the upper end of the shoot and a block attached to
the frame, the wedge being actuated by the main lever in a similar manner to that
last herein before described for the stop.
Under another modification the descent of the shoot may be arrested by a spring
fitted to exert a continual pressure on the lever which supports the upper end of
the shoot and the eyelet box.

page_text: By the said spring the shoot is maintained when lowered in the position to
receive the lower die and when the latter has entered an eyelet the pressure of the
spring is overcome by the upward movement of the slotted arm of the main
actuating lever-Similarly, as the lower die descends the shoot remains stationary
until by the contact of the upper end of the slot of the slotted arm with the pin
therein the resistance of the spring is overcome and the shoot allowed to descend.
The tension of the spring may be varied by means of nuts or set screws.
To assist in the action of the spring a washer of leather or other suitable
substance may be inserted between the head of the pivot pin of the lever on which
it acts and the boss of the said lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a self feeding eyelet machine the herein described construction of joint for
connecting the spindle of the lower or female die to the front end of the lever by
which it is actuated substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
2. In a self feeding eyelet machine the use of a pivotted stop or other equivalent
means such as are herein described for temporarily arresting the descent of the
shoot substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying drawing.
3. In a self feeding eyelet machine the combination of a pivotted stop or eccentric
or other equivalent means such as are herein described with a slot formed in an arm
on the actuating lever and a pin or stud on the shoot for allowing the continued
descent of the lower die holder whilst the descent of the shoot is arrested substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
4. In a self feeding eyelet machine the combination of the pivotted stop or
eccentric j, ³, spring n, pin or stud v, lever m, link o, adapted to be operated by
the arm 8, on the main lever c, slot t, and pin or stud 8, on the shoot all arranged
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
5. The herein described arrangement whereby the main lever is prevented from
raising the shoot until the plunger of the lower or female die has entered the eye-
let substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
6. In a self feeding eyelet machine the employment of a notched gauge or comb
adjustable over a slot in the side of the eyelet box substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and represented in figures 4 and 5 of the accom-
panying drawing.
7. The improved self feeding eyelet machine herein before described and repre-
sented in the accompanying drawing.
D100-1
1005