Improvements in and relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Finishing Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machinery or Apparatus for
Finishing Boots and Shoes.
I, JOHN BRANCH of 43 Bethnal Green Road, London E.C. Boot Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for performing
the finishing operations known as "bunking" and "stitch wheeling" upon the soles
of boots and shoes; such machinery or apparatus generally consists of two discs or
drums, known respectively as the "bunking wheel" and the "stitch wheel," which
revolve in planes inclined in regard to one another, and which by means of suitable
projections upon their peripheries produce the ornamental indentations required
upon the edges of the sole passed between them.
Now the object of the present invention is to render machinery or apparatus of
the above described type more handy and effective, and for this purpose I so
construct and arrange the machine as to permit of the distance or space between
the "bunking wheel" and the "stitch wheel" being readily varied as required so
as to accomodate soles of different thickness. I also provide means for ensuring
and regulating the required grip or pressure of the wheels upon the sole under
operation.
According to one mode of carrying out my invention I mount the shaft of the
"stitch wheel" within bearings carried by a swing frame which pivots on the first
motion shaft of the machine. Bevel or other suitable gear connects the first motion
shaft and the "stitch wheel" shaft. The "bunking wheel" which is preferably
situated beneath the "feed wheel" may either be a "traveller" and rotate freely
upon its shaft, or it may be if desired also rotated from the first motion shaft, in
the latter case its surface speed must of course be the same as that of the "stitch
wheel."
I may effect the required grip or pressure of the "bunking wheel" and "stitch
wheel" upon the sole passed between them by means of a rod which connects the
swing frame above mentioned with a foot lever, and may provide convenient springs
for raising the "stich wheel" from off the sole when the pressure on the foot lever
is-released.
I
According to another mode of carrying out my invention, in lieu of mounting
the "stitch wheel" shaft in bearings carried by a swing frame, as above described,
may mount the said shaft in sliding bearings at one end, and rotate it by suitable
gearing from the "bunking wheel" shaft, which may be rotated from a first motion
shaft, or otherwise, in any convenient manner. The teeth of the gear wheels by
which the two shafts are connected must in this case be of such pitch and so shaped
as that the slight amount of play of the shafts towards or from one another, rendered
necessary by the varying thickness of the soles operated upon, will not cause the
said gear wheels to lock.
In this arrangement also the "stitch" and "bunking" wheels would be caused
to grip the soles passed between them by suitable connections with a foot lever.
Dated this 26th day of January 1893.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machinery or Apparatus for
Finishing Boots and Shoes.
I JOHN BRANCH of 43 Bethnal Green Road, London E.C. Boot Manufacturer
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 improvements in that class of machinery or apparatus
for performing the finishing operations known as "bunking" and "stitch-wheeling
upon boot and shoe soles, wherein two indenting wheels or discs having suitably
shaped teeth or projections around their peripheries and known respectively as the
"bunking wheel" and the "stitch wheel" produce ornamental indentations upon
the welt and under edge of the sole passed between their opposed peripheries.
The object of my present invention is to render such machines more handy and
effective by so constructing and arranging them that the distance or space between
the opposed acting surfaces of the bunking and stitch wheels may be readily varied,
and that the said wheels may also be caused to grip between them with the needful
pressure the sole under operation. Soles of varying thickness may thus be operated
upon successively without necessitating the change of either indenting wheel for one
of another size.
I effect this object by mounting one of the indenting wheels (preferably the stitch
wheel) on the free end of a pivotted arm or lever with which I connect a suitable
device, such as a spring and foot lever as hereinafter described, whereby the free
end of said pivotted arm and the indenting wheel carried thereby may be moved
towards or from the other indenting wheel as required.
I will now proceed to describe a machine constructed in accordance with my
invention having reference to the annexed drawings in which similar letters refer to
corresponding parts in both figures.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.
a is the main frame of the machine. bb are arms formed at the upper part
thereof between which pivots on centres c c the arm or lever d. e is an inclined
tubular bearing at the free end of arm d, which carries a shaft to the forward
end of which the stitch wheel g is detacheably secured by the screw g'; mounted
on the other end of shaft is the bevel pinion wheel. Beneath the stitch wheel
is the bunking wheel i detacheably secured by the nut upon the shaft k carried in
the bearing on frame a, and having lateral adjustment on said shaft as hereinafter
described. The bunking and stitch wheels 9 and i are intended to be rotated in
opposite directions and at equal surface or peripheral speed, and this is represented
in the drawings as effected by the hand wheel m (or driving pulley if a power
machine) which is mounted on the shaft carried in the bearings o o on frame a.
p is a bevel pinion on shaft n which engages with the bevel wheel q on the bunking
wheel shaft k. r is a spur wheel also mounted upon said shaft k which engages
with the pinion s rotating upon the pin s' carried by the pivotted arm or lever d.
This pinion s gears into another pinion t mounted on one end of a shaft t¹ carried
in a bearing in said arm d. When the arm d is moved on, its centres c c the 'teeth
of pinions will slide in those of the wheel r. At the front end of shaft t' is the
bevel pinion u which engages with the bevel pinion on the stitch wheel shaft.
The various gear wheels are so arranged and their teeth so proportioned as will be
readily understood as to cause the bunking and stitch wheels to revolve in opposite.
directions with equal peripheral surface speed.
The pivotted arm or lever d is caused to move the stitch wheel y towards the
bunking wheel and thus to apply the needful grip or pressure to the sole under
operation by the following arrangement :-
:-
c is a rod jointed at one end to the armd by the pin - is a powerful spring

page_text: surrounding rod w and contined between the frame a and the adjusting wheel w
screwed on to the other end of the rod.
The spring consequently exerts its force to draw the stitch wheel down
towards the bunking wheel the pressure being regulated as found necessary by the
adjusting wheel w.
In order to raise the arm or lever d and thus to release the sole under operation
from between the indenting wheels, I provide a foot movement which may consist
of a treadle (not shewn in the drawings) connected to the lower end of the rod
the other extremity of which is jointed to the rocking levere pivotted at 2 to the
frame a.
The forward end of the lever c¹ is connected by the link with the
arm to which the link ³, as well as rod w, is jointed by the before mentioned
pin wo¹.
yy are stops upon the arm d and frame a respectively which prevent the
indenting wheels g and from coming into contact when the machine is running
empty.
are washers of varying thickness on shaft k by changing which the
bunking wheel i may be set in or out upon its shaft k and adjusted laterally into
the desired relative position to the stitch wheel; or the lateral adjustment of the
bunking wheel may be effected by providing the same with a feather and set
screw, or with lock nuts upon each side.
In finishing boot and shoe soles by the machine the indenting wheels g and i are
preferably first heated by gas or otherwise in the usual manner, they are then
moved apart by the treadle action and the edge of the sole A inserted welt
uppermost. The treadle is then released, when the spring to draws down the
arm d and causes the indenting wheels to grip the sole with the needful pressure,
said pressure being regulated by adjusting wheel 10%. The machine is then put into
action the sole being guided by hand as the indenting wheels rotate so that the
entire welt and corresponding under portion thereof are properly stitch wheeled
and bunked when the sole may be removed by pressing on the treadle.
It is obvious that if desired the hereinbefore described arrangement of spring
and treadle may be reversed i.e. the treadle may be caused to effect the grip on
the sole and the spring employed to move the indenting wheels apart when the
treadle is released.
It is also obvious that if desired I may substitute a plain edged wheel for one
of the indenting wheels and thus perform either the bunking or stitch wheeling
operation separately the plain edged wheel serving simply to hold the sole against
the indenting wheel. In practice a plain edged wheel would often be substituted
for the bunking wheel.
In conclusion I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise constructional details of the machine illustrated in the drawings, since for
example instead of actually driving both the bunking wheel and the stitch wheel,
only one of such wheels might be driven and the other might be simply a traveller ;
also for example the particular arrangement of the driving gear illustrated might
be somewhat varied in detail without in any way departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In machinery or apparatus of the class set forth in combination, an indenting
(or a smooth edged) wheel mounted on the main frame of the machine, an arm or
lever pivotted to said frame and carrying at its free end the other indenting (or a
smooth edged) wheel and means substantially as specified connected with said arm
or lever whereby the latter may be caused to move the wheel which it carries
towards or away from the opposed wheel mounted on the main frame substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
2. In machinery or apparatus of the class set forth in combination, the bunking
wheel (or a smooth edged wheel) i adjustably mounted on a shaft carried by the

page_text: main frame a, the arm or lever d pivotted to said frame and carrying at its free
extremity the stitch wheel (or a smooth edged wheel) 9, the spring and foot lever
devices connected with said arm d, and suitable gearing for rotating both the
wheels and g (or for rotating one of such wheels only) substantially as and for
the purpose specified and illustrated.
I
3. The general construction arrangement and combination of parts constituting
machinery or apparatus for finishing boots and shoes substantially as described and
illustrated in the annexed drawings.
51
1000
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
For the Applicant.