IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Lewis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
January 1873.
I, HENRY LEWIS, of Newington Causeway, in the County of Surrey,
Shoemaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES," to
be as follows:-
-
The novelty of this Invention consists in lasting, "soling," and
healing," in one process, the object being to "last" the upper over the
last, to place the inner sole against the bottom of the last, draw the
lower edge of the upper underneath the inner sole, and then secure the
inner sole and upper" together by means of pin points forced from
the interior of the last. The bottom stuff or sole leather head picces
are contained in a mould, which mould is moved up to the last and
upper," pin points being driven upwards from the mould. For this
purpose a suitable framework and bearings are provided, and centrally
therein in guides is mounted a shaft upon which the upper portion of a
last is secured, the said shaft being raised and lowered by screw and
bevel or other gearing.
"

page_text: The last of any required size and form is made in sections half an inch,
more or less of the bottom part of the last being cut away from the
upper part, the bottom section being perforated for the reception of a
number of pin points, and the upper part or section of the last being
provided on the inner side with a corresponding number of points or 5
punches. Pins or stops on the lower section of the last take into cor-
responding holes or sockets on the upper section for steadying the parts
of the last together. The lower section after being loaded with pin
points is fitted together with the other section ready for "lasting" the
upper.
For presenting and holding the inner sole to the bottom of the last a
support is provided which works in suitable guides and is advanced and
withdrawn by a rack and pinion gearing with the main driving wheel.
Around the shaft upon which the last is held and working through a
guide plate are a number of rods (set at a slight angle outward from the
top of the said shaft) having pincers or holders at their lower extremities,
which said rods and pincers are raised and lowered by means of levers
actuated by a cam on the main driving wheel, and in these pincers the
lower part of the upper is placed and held.
By the action of the main driving wheel acting through the cam
levers the pincers rods are lowered, carrying with them the upper, which
is drawn tightly over the last.
1
The guide plate through which the pincer rods work is raised and
lowered by the action of the central shaft, and as the gearing is arranged
so as to cause this shaft to descend when the cam levers have depressed 2
the pincers and stretched the "uppor" over the last, the guide plate
descends. with it, and upon the pincer rods pressing the pincers and the
" upper"
r" around the bottom of the last and beneath the inner sole.
The central shaft now completes its stroke which forces the pin points
through the inner sole and "upper; the pincers are then released by 3
the action of a disc and tappets or levers actuating spring bolts on the
pincer rods, which said rods are now raised by the command levers, and
the inner sole support is withdrawn.
The bottom stuff or sole leather and heal pieces are placed in a mould
arranged in guides beneath the central shaft, and raised and lowered by 3
a screw and toothed gearing.

page_text: The mould containing the bottom stuff and heal pieces being forced
up to the last, the pin points are then forced into the leather, securing
the bottom stuff to the uppers, the boot or shoe in this condition being
ready for sewing by a boot sewing machine.
If however a rivetted boot is required, the rivits are put in the bottom
mould, the one action of the machine effectively "lasting," soling,"
healing, and revetting the whole boot.