Improvements in Stitch Separating and Indenting Machines for Use in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 8th June, 1895
[Communicated from abroad by GOODYEAR SHOE MACHINERY CO., of
Portland, in the County of Cumberland and State of Maine, United States, of
America, Manufacturers of Shoe Machinery.]
Improvements in Stitch Separating and Indenting Machines for Use
in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
+
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention relates to stitch separating and indenting machines and it consists
in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts
which will be readily understood by reference to the following description.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a plan of a machine embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation looking at the left hand side of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 2, 2 on Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a plan and a front elevation of the reciprocating
slide which carries the stitch separating and indenting tool and its lever.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of said slide looking at the right hand end of
Figure 6.
Figures 8 and 9 are respectively an elevation and plan of the cam lever for
operating the tool carrying stock and segment.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 are respectively a plan, a side elevation and a front
elevation of the tool stock carrying segment.
Figures 13, 14 and 15 are respectively a sectional plan, a side elevation and a
front elevation of the main body of the tool stock,
Figures 16 and 17 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of the binding
plate for clamping the tool to the tool stock.
Figure 18 is a development of the periphery of the cylinder cam for operating
the feed slide projected on a flat plane.
Figure 19 is a side elevation of portions of the upper and lower supports, the
separating tool, and a portion of the tool carrying, lever, with a portion of a shoe
shown in dotted lines in position for being operated upon by said tool.
Figure 20 is a front elevation of the same parts with the shoe sole. cut in
longitudinal section through the line of stitching, and
Figures 21 and 22 are respectively a side elevation and a front elevation of the
separating tool removed from the machine and drawn to an enlarged scale.
The object of my invention is the production of a machine for separating the
stitches ou a boot or shoe sole, and to indent said, sole after the, sewing has been
completed and that will automatically locate the spaces between said stitches
whether of uniform or varying lengths, and that will prevent the possibility of
skipping stitches when the variation in the length of the stitches in any given
sample of work is excessive, and to this end I construct the machine as illustrated
in the accompanying drawings in which A is the bed of the machine, provided
with the legs AA' and the upwardly projecting stand A' A' in bearings in which

page_text: is mounted the shaft B having mounted upon the end thereof, the hand wheel C,
upon its other end the grooved driving wheel D and between its two bearings the
side path cams E and F and the cylinder path cam G.
The bed A has formed in one piece therewith the upwardly projecting blocks A³
and A connected together at their upper ends by the plate A as shown in
Figures 2, 3 and 4.
I Figs. 2 and 4. is a vertically movable bar fitted to a T-shaped groove formed
in the front face of the block A and provided with the lug I in which is secured
the pendant rod J provided with the threaded sleeve J₁ adjustably set in the
ear A, and with the collar a, the rubber cushion b, the check nute and the "coiled
spring d, and constructed and arranged to be connected to a treadle.not shown.
The upper end of the bar I has. secured thereto by means of the stud or
clamping bolt and the steady-pin f¹ the work support K so as to be movable
vertically therewith said bar and work support being pressed upward with a
yielding pressure by the spring d, and said bar has set in its back side the hardened
steel ratchet plate the teeth of which are engaged by the pawl or pawls h¹ carried
by the lever M, pivoted to the block A and carrying at its rear end the roll ³,
fitted to and acted upon by the cam path, of the cam F, shown in dotted lines in
Figure 3, to vibrate said lever about its fulcrum pin and cause the pawls to
engage, or be disengaged from, the teeth of the ratchet plate h, the block A³
having a slot cut through its back to permit access of the pawls to the plate h,
and said block A has set therein the pin i with which the shoulders ¹ on the pawls
engage when the front end of the lever M is moved downward.
The plate A has formed in its upper surface a rectangular T-shaped groove in
which is fitted so as to be movable endwise therein the feed slide O as shown in
Figures 1; 3 and 4.
The lower work support K is secured to the bar I in a fixed position and may
be constructed of a single piece of metal with its upper surface: inclined towards
the front or it may be provided with a detachable plate having two downwardly
projecting pins or lugs k; k which fit into slots formed in the opposite sides of the
main body K of the support with a cushion j of rubber or other elastic material
interposed between said parts as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
...
The feed plate or slide O has formed in its upper side the transverse groove k
and has also formed in one piece therewith the upwardly projecting ear and the
horizontally projecting extension, O2 as shown in Figures 56 and 7.
P is the feed lever mounted upon the vertical fulcrum pin or stud P' set in the
plate A and provided at its rear end with the cam truck fitted to, and acted upon
by, the path m of the cylinder cam G to vibrate said lever about said fulcrum pin,
said lever having formed in its forward arm the longitudinal slot, in which is
fitted, so as to be adjustable thereof; the stud n, upon the lower end of which is
mounted the rectangular block n' fitted to and movable in the transverse groove ²
as shown in Figure 2.
"Q is a lever pivoted to the extension O of the feed plate O by means of the
fulcrum bolt o, with a disk o' of leather or other suitable frictional material
interposed between said lever and the head of said clamping bolt, and perforated
at or near the middle of its length for the passage of the stud n so that by moving
the free end of said lever the block n' may be adjusted in the slut and groove
to increase or diminish the travel of the feed slide or plate O without stopping the
operation of the machine, if desired.
The cylinder cam G is provided with the path m having the throws 1, 2 and
and the standstills 4, 5 and 6 as illustrated in Figure 18 where the periphery of
the cam is developed upon a flat plane.
The ear O¹ of the feed plate O has set therein the fulcrum pin o² upon which
are mounted so as to be movable about the axis thereof the lever R and the tool-
stock carrying segment R', said lever R carrying at its rear end the truck o' fitted
to and acted upon by the path of the cam E. The lever R has its front end
forked, one arm of the fork being extended forward and upward from the fulcrum

page_text: pin o³ to form a short arm thereof, the end of which has the offset or laterally
projecting lug of as shown in Figures 8 and 9.
1
The segment R¹ is provided with the two downwardly projecting ears p and pl
which bear the relation to the forked end of the lever R and the ear O₁ of the
feed plate indicated by dotted lines in Figure 9.
The segment R¹ is provided with the upwardly projecting arm q, the rearwardly
and upwardly projecting arm r and with the laterally projecting lugs r, ², r² and r
as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12. The segment R also has adjustably secured
thereto by means of the clamping bolt and the steady pin the segmental
block R2 as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12.
The inner or opposing faces of the lug ² and the block R2 have secured thereto
pieces of leather s and s, against which the end of the short arm of the lever R
alternately contacts to move the segment Rin opposite directions about its axis
of motion:
The segment R is normally drawn forward by the tension of the spring s
connecting the lug and the short arm of the lever R, so that the leather s
attached to the adjustable block R2 will be in contact with the back side of the
end portion of the short arm of the lever R until a resistance is presented to the
downward movement of the front portion of the segment R when the downward
or forward movement of the segment will be arrested until the front side of the
short arm of the lever R comes in contact with the leather s¹ on the lug r³, the
spring yielding to permit such movement.
S is the tool-stock made of the form shown in Figures 14 and 15 and pivoted
by its upper end to the upper end of the arm q of the segment R' with its central
portion between the two lugs 1 1 as shown.
A long stud S¹ is set in a fixed position in the segment R' below the arm g and
projects laterally therefrom passing freely through the holes formed in the tool-
stock S, and has fitted to its outer end the thumb nut 84 and is surrounded between
said nut and the tool-stock with the spring S2 the tension of which tends to press
said tool-stock into contact with the segment R' as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The tool-stock S has clamped thereto by means of the lipped plate Ș³ and the
clamping bolts the indenting tool t as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
T is a stand bolted to plate A at its left hand end, to the upper end of which
is adjustably secured the upper work support or table U provided in its front end
with the slot u for the passage of the indenting tool as shown.
The tension of the spring & may be regulated by means of the thumb nut vand
the threaded rod vl set in the lug as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4.
The operation of my invention is as follows:-
The several parts of the machine being in the positions shown in the drawings,
that is, with the indenting tool depressed and the feed slide at the extreme of its
movement towards the right of Figure 1, the operator first turns the hand wheels C
in the direction indicated by the arrow on Figure 3 a distance equal to one hundred
and fifty degrees when the feed slide carrying the separating and indenting tool
will have been moved to the extreme of their movement towards the left of said
figure and the separating tool will have been raised to its extreme height by an
upward movement of the front end of the lever R, and the work support will have
been unlocked by the downward movement of the front end of the lever M,
causing the shoulder on the pawl or pawls to come in contact with the pin i and
throw the pawl or pawls out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet plate /
on the bar I.
The operator then places his foot upon the treadle connected with the bar I (but
not shown) and depresses the lower work support K against the tension of the
spring d, to a sufficient distance to permit the insertion of the sole edge between
said lower work support and the table or upper work support U.
He then takes the shoe in his left hand with the heel towards the left, places
the tread surface of the sole upon the lower work support at a point at the forward
part of the shank with the upper surface of the welt beneath the table and the

page_text: "
edge of the sole against the gauge V, which has previously been adjusted to a
position to bring the stitches to be operated upon directly beneath the bulge on
the lower end of the separating tool t; and then removes his foot from the treadle,
when the tension of the spring d will raise the lower work support, and cause the
sole edge to be clamped between it and the table U, and then the cam shaft is set 5
in motion..
The first effect produced by the revolution of the cam shaft is to cause the pawl
to engage the ratchet teeth on the bar I, by an upward movement of the front end
of the lever M, and thus lock the lower work support so that it cannot yield to
the pressure applied to the sole by the separating and indenting tool, and thus 1
clamp the sole to be operated upon in position.
The next effect produced by the revolution of the cam shaft is to cause the
front end of the lever P to move towards the right a sufficient distance to move
the feed slide O in the same direction a distance equal to about one-half of its
entire reciprocation said movement being caused by the throw 2 of the path of the 1
cylinder cam G.
The entire reciprocation of the feed slide O should be about one and one-third
times the length of the average of the stitches in the sample of work to be
operated upon, the stud in the slotted forward arm of the feed lever P having
previously been adjusted to the proper point to impart to said slide the desired
length of movement.
This movement of the slide to the right of about one-half its entire
reciprocation causes the lever R, segment R¹ and the tool-stock S, with the tool t
carried thereby, to be moved an equal distance say about two-thirds the length of
an average stitch, in the same direction which occurs while the tool t is raised above
the upper surface of the line of stitches.
When this first movement of the feed slide towards the right is completed the
throw 7 of the cam E Fig. 4. acting upon the truck o³ will cause the front end of
the lever K to be moved downward about one-half of its throw thereby allowing
the tension of the springs to cause the separating tool t to bear upon the upper
surface of a stitch with a yielding pressure, the tool-stock S being held in contact
with the segment R¹ by the tension of the spring S².
The continuation of the rotation of the cam shaft will cause the feed slide O
with the lever R and segment R¹, to be moved to the extreme limit of their
movement towards the right by the action of the throw 3 of the cylinder cam G
upon the truck carried by the rear end of the lever P.
The upper end of the tool stock 'S being pivoted to the arm g of the segment R¹
as a matter of course moves with said segment to the full limit of the movement
towards the right but the lower end of the tool t being pressed downward upon the
stitch with a slight pressure moves in the same direction only until it reaches the
depression between the stitch upon which it has been resting and the stitch next
to the right thereof when the end of said tool will drop into said depression and
its movement towards the right will be arrested and the continuation of the
movement of the feed slide and the segment R₁ towards the right will cause the
tool-stock S to move about its pivotal axis and assume a more or less: inclined
position, the spring S2 yielding to permit such movement, and the lower end of the
tool acting as a fulcrum about which the tool-stock moves in assuming such
position.
The next movement in order is the completion of the downward movement of
the front end of the lever R, caused by the throw 8 of the cam E Fig. 4. acting
upon the truck of carried by the rear end of the lever R, thereby causing the front
end of said lever R to come in contact with the lug of the segment and force
the end of the tool between the stitches and thus indent the welt and clearly
define the limits of the stitches.
A further rotation of the cam shaft causes the front end of the lever M with
the pawl or pawls carried thereby to be depressed, thus unlocking the lower work
support preparatory to feeding the work, which is now done by the throw 1 of the

page_text: cylinder cam G acting upon the truck 7 carried by the lever P, and moving the
feed slide to the extreme of its movement toward the left during the first part. of
which movement of said slide, the segment R' and the upper end of the tool stock
are moved toward the left without moving the work until the tool-stock and tool
have assumed their original upright positions and the central portion of the tool-
stock is pressed into contact with the segment R by the tension, of the spring S³,
and during the last part of the movement of said slide towards the left the lower
end of the tool t, still pressed into the space between the stitches, moves with said
slide and the segment R¹ toward the left, carrying with it the work a distance
equal to the length of the stitch against which it is acting and the tool is raised at
which time a revolution of the cam shaft has been completed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :--
1st. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot, and shoe soles the com-
bination of a work support; an automatically adjustable separator for locating the
intervals between the stitches whether of uniform or varying lengths; and means
for moving said tool in one direction to locate the interval between the stitches
and means for moving said tool in the opposite direction to feed the work.
:
2nd. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles the com-
bination of a work support; an automatically adjustable separator for locating the
intervals between the stitches whether of uniform or varying lengths; means for
moving said separator in one direction to locate the intervals between the stitches ;
means for pressing said separator between the stitches when the point of said
separator has located itself between two stitches; and means for moving said
separator in the opposite direction to feed the work.
荠
3rd. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles the com-
bination of a work support; a gauge to locate the work on said support; an
automatically adjustable separating tool for locating the intervals between the
stitches whether of uniform or varying lengths; means for moving said tool in one
direction to locate said intervals and means for moving said tool in the opposite
direction to feed the work.
4th. In a machine for separating the stitches on. boot and shoe soles, the.com-
bination of a work support; a gauge to locate the work on said support; an
automatically adjustable separating tool for locating the intervals between the
stitches whether of uniform or varying lengths; means for moving said tool in
one direction to locate said intervals; means for forcing said tool into the
depression between two stitches; and means for moving said tool in the opposite
direction to feed the work.
.
work
5th. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles, the com-
bination of a work support to receive the tread surface of the sole ; an upper
support or table to rest upon the upper surface of the welt; a gauge to determine
the position of the work on the support; an automatically adjustable separating
tool for locating the intervals between the stitches; means for moving said tool in
one direction to locate said intervals and means for moving said tool in the
opposite direction to feed the work; and mechanism for forcing said tool into said
intervals when it has located itself in the space between two stitches.
6th. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles, the com-
bination of a work support; a reciprocating feed slide; a cam and cam lever
for operating said slide; an adjustable fulcrum pin connecting said slide to
said cam lever; a hand lever fulcrumed on said slide and engaging said adjustable
fulcrum pin and adapted to adjust said fulcrum pin when the machine is in operation
or at rest.
7th. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles the com-
bination of a work support to receive the tread surface of the sole; an upper
work support or table to rest upon the upper surface of the welt; a gauge to

page_text: !
"
determine the position of the work on its support; a horizontally reciprocating
feed slide; a cam and cam lever for operating said slide; an adjustable block and
pin connecting said cam lever and slide; the segment. R' pivotally mounted upon
said slide and provided with the lug and the adjustable block R; the lever R
fulcrumed upon the same pin as said segment and arranged with the end of its
short arm between the lug and the block R'; a spring connecting the short
arm of said lever and said segment and arranged to normally hold the block R2 of
said segment in contact with the short arm of said lever; a cam for vibrating said
lever R in two steps in one direction and in a single step in the opposite direction;
the tool stock S pivoted by its upper end to an arm of said segment; the tool ț
carried by said stock; and the spring S².
8th. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles the com-
bination of a work support a reciprocating feed slide; a cam and cam lever for
operating said slide; an adjustable block carrying pin connecting said lever and
slide; a hand lever fulcrumed on said slide and embracing said pin for adjusting
said pin to vary the travel of said slide; a cam lever and a tool stock carrying
arm or segment both mounted upon a common horizontal fulcrum pin carried by
said slide, said arm or segment being provided with two lugs or abutments with
which the short arm of the cam lever alternately engages; a spring connecting
said cam lever and segment and tending to hold the short arm of said cam lever in
contact with one of said abutments; a tool stock pivoted by its upper end to said
segment a separating tool carried by said tool stock; a spring tension for
pressing said tool stock normally against said segment; and a cam for operating
said cam lever and segment constructed and arranged to move the front end of said
cam lever downward in two successive steps with a standstill between them.
:
9th. In a machine for separating the stitches of boot and shoe soles the com-
bination of a work support having a flat upper surface inclined toward the front
to receive the tread surface of the sole; an upper work support or table to rest
upon the welt; an automatically adjustable separating tool for locating the intervals
between the stitches whether of uniform or varying lengths; and means for
forcing said tool between the stitches when the point of said tool has located itself
in the space between two stitches.
10th. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles the
combination of a non-revoluble work support made in two parts with an elastic
cushion between said parts; an upper work support or table to rest upon the upper
surface of the welt; an automatically adjustable separating and' indenting tool
for locating the intervals between the stitches whether of uniform or varying
lengths; and' means for forcing said tool between the stitches when it has located
itself in the space between two stitches.
11th. In a machine for separating the stitches on boot and shoe soles the com-
bination of a non-revoluble work support made in two parts with an elastic cushion
between said parts and having a flat upper surface inclined toward the front; an
automatically adjustable separating tool for locating the intervals between the
stitches whether of uniform or varying lengths; means for moving said tool in one
direction to locate said intervals; means for moving said tool in the opposite
direction to feed the work; and means for forcing said tool between the stitches
when it has located itself in the space between two stitches.
Dated this 92nd den of Annil 1905
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W:C., Agents for the Applicant.