Improvements in or relating to Boot and Shoe Finishing Machinery.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Boot and Shoe Finishing
Machinery.
We, CHARLES HENRY DALE and FREDERICK JAMES DALE trading as
H. & F. Dale of Newarke Street, Leicester, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to boot and shoe finishing machinery and embodies
improvements which are specially applicable to the finishing tool of such machines.
In some of the finishing processes of boots and shoes,-top-ironing for example-
wax in a liquefied form is supplied to the tool, known as the top-iron, and by it
transferred to the sole of a boot or shoe to form the narrow coloured marginal
border thereof.
With the top-iron as at present constructed it frequently occurs that the wax-
particularly if the least excess is supplied to the tool-runs also over that portion
of the tool which is in contact with the edge of the sole and becomes transferred
thereto, thereby disfiguring the said edge and necessitating additional labour to
remove the preparation therefrom.
The invention is mainly designed to remedy this disadvantage.
The present invention consists of a peculiar construction of finishing tool for use
with wax or other liquid preparation and the essential feature of which tool consists
of a duct or passage communicating with and through which the preparation passes
to the acting face of the tool.
By means of the said duct a more economical use of the preparation takes place
as the latter is supplied to that part only of the tool which is directly concerned in
transferring it to the sole of the boot or shoe.
The said tool may also be provided with or suitably constructed so as to form a
reservoir or receptacle for the preparation which is conveyed from thence to the
acting face of the tool by the duct before mentioned.
Although the said invention has been herein before described in reference to a
top-iron yet it is obvious that it may be applied to other finishing tools with which
a liquid stain or preparation is employed.
Dated this 7th day of June 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Boot and Shoe Finishing
⚫ Machinery.
We, CHARLES HENRY DALE and FREDERICK JAMES DALE trading as
H. & F. Dale of Newarke Street, Leicester, Engineers, 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 boot and shoe finishing machinery and embodies

page_text: improvements which are specially applicable to the finishing tool of such machines.
In some of the finishing processes of boots and shoes,-top-ironing for example
wax in a liquefied form is supplied to the tool, known as the top-iron, and by it
transferred to the sole of a boot or shoe to form the narrow coloured marginal
border thereof.
With the top-iron as at present constructed it frequently occurs that the wax-
particularly if the least excess is supplied to the tool-runs also over that portion of
the tool which is in contact with the edge. of the sole and becomes transferred
thereto thereby disfiguring the said edge and necessitating additional labour to
remove the preparation therefrom.
Our invention having for its object to obviate this disadvantage, consists of an
improved construction of finishing tool as hereinafter fully described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a central vertical section on the line 1. 1 of Figure 2 and,
Figure 2 is a plan of the underside of a finishing tool known as a top-iron
(and hereinafter referred to by this term) constructed in accordance with this
invention.
A represents a reservoir for the reception of the wax or finishing preparation,
the said reservoir being formed in the upper part of the top-iron; B is the acting
face of the latter and C a duct or passage opening into the said face and com-
municating with the reservoir.
In actual use the said top-iron is secured on the end of the usual rapidly
revolving spindle, the lower part of which is reduced in diameter to pass through
the opening D. The point at which the reduction in diameter of the spindle takes
place forms a shoulder ou the latter against which the part D' of the floor of the
reservoir abuts and is rigidly held by a countersunk headed screw passing into the
bottom of the spindle or by a nut and washer on the bottom of the latter as will be
well understood.
In actual practice the top-iron is heated by a very small gas jet, as is well
known, which in the present tool is allowed to play on the bevelled face E thereof.
The heat from the top-iron is also communicated to the spindle upon which it is
mounted so that when a piece of wax is held against the said spindle it melts and
runs down into the reservoir A, the heat maintaining the wax in a liquid condition
so that it can pass through the duct or passage C to the acting face B of the tool
and become transferred to the boot sole in the ordinary manner.
Our tool may be efficiently used in connection with the automatic wax feeding
mechanism shown and described in Patent No. 2634 of 1895, the end of the
wax rods being kept against the spindle so that the wax runs down the latter into
the reservoir.
It is obvious that the spindle should be smaller in diameter than the opening in
the upper part of the top-iron so that an annular space is left between it and the
sides or wall of the reservoir for the wax to enter the latter.
The use of the tool is the same as in ordinary cases, viz.: the marginal edge, of
the bottom of the boot or shoe sole is pressed upwards against the acting face B
of the top-iron, and becomes coated by the wax supplied thereto through the duct C,
the ordinary edge of the sole being at the same time held against the vertical
part F of the top-iron as is well understood.
For wide bordering or top-ironing the duct may be increased in diameter or more
than one duct employed so as to obtain a sufficiency of wax to maintain the highest
working capacity of the machine.
In top-irons for very narrow bordering the width of the acting face is decreased
and the reservoir may be made very much shallower but in every case we prefer to
make the sides A¹ of the reservoir incline towards the centre of the top-iron as
shown so as to prevent the liquid wax being thrown out by centrifugal action when
revolving at a very high speed.
By means of the duct hereinbefore mentioned a more economical use of the wax
or preparation takes place and the latter is supplied to that part only of the tool

page_text: which is directly concerned in transferring it to the bottom of the boot or
shoe sole.
The invention although specially applicable to top-irons may also be adapted to
the tools of other finishing machines with which a liquid stain or preparation
is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a boot and shoe finishing tool the combination of a reservoir and a duct or
ducts leading therefrom to the acting face of the tool substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. In a boot and shoe finishing tool the combination of a reservoir, the wall or
sides of which incline toward the centre of the tool and one or more ducts com-
municating therewith and with the acting face of the tool substantially as and for
the purpose described.
3. The improved construction of top-iron substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing.
1000
CHARLES HENRY DALE.
FREDERICK JAMES DALE.
Witness―
E. N. LEWIS,
Berridge Street Chambers,
Leicester.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.