IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1854

page_text: application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Zephaniah Bell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
December 1854.
I, JOHN ZEPHANIAH BELL, of Sandfield Place, Lewisham Road, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES" to be as follows:-
The last, which is of metal, with the upper leather and insole upon it, is
placed in a frame, consisting of five pieces, as shewn in the accompanying
Drawings, Figures 1 and 2, and marked with the letter A. This frame is
pressed against the sides of the last by four springs, marked S, the whole being
contained in a box, marked B. The last is forced through this frame by a
screw press, herein-after described. The lower edge of the frame is bevelled
off, so that when the last is pushed through it, the springs pressing the frame
inwards force the upper leather down upon the insole.
In order that the last may be forced evenly through the frame, and also be
kept up against the bevilled edge of it, a bar, marked D, is employed, working
in guides in the bed plate of the press, and pressed upwards by a weighted
lever, marked L. After the last has been forced through this frame it enters
a second frame, shewn in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings, and is
forced through it till the toe of the last touches the point marked P. In this

page_text: second frame, at the end, corresponding to the toe of the last, is a sliding piece,
marked A, which, while the last is passing through, is kept up to the dotted line
(the length of the last covered with the upper leather) by a spring, marked S.
When the last has reached the level of the point marked P, this sliding piece
is pushed back in order to admit the sole, which is then placed on the last.
To fasten the sole and uppers together, metal brads are placed in holes pierced
in the sole and heel, which are driven firmly on to the last by means of a die,
of the shape of the bottom of the boot or shoe when finished, and in which
die are holes corresponding to those in the sole and heel. After this the brads
are driven by another die, similar to the previous one, but without holes, and
having small flat surfaces, to correspond with the heads of the brads, and to
drive them down in a fair vertical direction on to the metal last, which clinches
the ends of them. These several tools are fixed to the press head, and to
avoid the necessity of shifting the tools for each operation, separate presses for
each tool are employed, and ranged in a line upon one bed plate, the frames
containing the shoes passing under each successively till they are finished.
The presses are screw presses, driven by bevil wheels on a shaft above the
screw, as shown by Figure 4 in the accompanying Drawings. Two wheels
are required to drive each press, one for the upward and one for the downward
motion. These two wheels, which are marked A in Figure 4 of the Drawings,
have hollow cones, marked B, and are loose on the shaft, marked S. Between
them on the shaft is a double-coned clutch, marked C, which is kept revolving
with the shaft by means of a feather, marked F, and is put into gear with
either wheel by the lever, marked L, and so produces either upward or down-
ward motion.