Improvements in Machines for Burnishing the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application; 15th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1895--Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
Improvements in Machines for Burnishing the Heels of Boots
and Shoes.
I WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford, in
the County of Stafford, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in machines used for burnishing
the heels of boots and shoes.
Hitherto it has been usual to give to the burnishing iron a reciprocating
movement through a portion of a circle by carrying the iron by means of a hinged
arm upon a partly rotating shaft and to keep it in contact with the oval surface of
the heel by the pressure of a spring.
By my improvement I construct the burnishing mechanism in such a way that it
imparts to the burnishing iron and its arm an elliptical instead of a circular
movement and I provide an adjustment so that the amount of ellipticity may be
varied at will to suit different styles of boot heel.
This improvement may be carried out in the following manner.
Upon the front end of the horizontal shaft which carries the burnishing
mechanism I provide a radial slide which has a turned stud formed upon it carrying
a die free to turn upon the stud. The stud can be adjusted eccentrically to the
shaft by means of a screw. The die. engages a horizontal cross slide formed
preferably in a piece with a vertical slide carried in the machine head and also
provided with a turned stud. Upon this second stud is mounted a crosshead to
which is pivotted the buruishing arm which extends forward to the heel of the boot
and carries at its extremity the burnishing iron. The boot is conveniently carried
upon a "jack" arranged for the purpose. To balance the forward extension of the
arm another extension may be made backward behind the crosshead and for the
purpose of producing pressure of the iron upon the boot heel a weight may be
applied to the backward extension which when the machine is in motion will
generate centrifugal force so as to press the iron inwards upon the heel. If desired
instead of or in addition to the backward extension of the burnishing arm a lever
may be pivotted upon the shaft and connected to the arm in such a way that its
centrifugal force shall be available to press inwards the burnishing iron upon the
boot heel (see Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated
20th Oct. 1891 and numbered 17,950) or a spring may be applied for the same
purpose or if desired a combination of the spring, and lever or weight may be
employed. The arm is conveniently driven by a stud and die carried upon the
radial slide and engaging a slot formed in the crosshead so as to operate the
burnishing iron about the boot heel.
"
I also improve the construction of the machine in the following manner.
The boot when in the machine is carried in a frame generally known as a "jack
and this "jack
at the time when a boot is to be withdrawn or inserted must, be
moved by the operator away from the burnishing iron.
"
"
In order that this may be done with the least labour to the operator I mount the
"jack upon rollers or balls which are arranged in horizontal races, or ways
prepared for them in a bracket or table carried by the pillar or frame of the
machine. The height of the bracket and consequently of the jack and boot may

page_text: be adjusted by a screw and hand wheel to suit the nature of the work in hand and
any convenient number of "jacks" may be carried upon the one bracket or if
desired upon separate brackets.
Dated this 12th day of May 1904
Improvements in Machines for Burnishing the Heels of Boots
and Shoes.
I WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford, in
the County of Stafford, Engineer, 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 has for its object improvements in machines used for burnishing
the heels of boots and shoes.
Hitherto it has been usual to give to the burnishing iron a reciprocating
movement through a portion of a circle by carrying the iron by means of an arm
upon a shaft to which an alternating turning movement is given in opposite
directions through a portion of a revolution. The boot is supported in a frame
known as a "jack" with the heel in line with the shaft and the "iron" is caused to
follow the elliptical or oval contour of the heel by being held thereto by the
pressure of a spring to allow of the action of which the arm which carries the
burnishing iron is hinged to the shaft.
In some cases a guide or dummy has been used suitably placed so as to impart to
the burnishing lever and "iron" a 'movement niore in conformity with the shape of
the 'heel on the boot. This arrangement possesses the disadvantage of requiring a
special guide or dummy for each variation of the form of heel, that is to say, if the
shape of the heel is to be followed with exactitude by the "iron."
By my invention instead of fixing the burnishing arm or lever so that it must
travel about the axis, of the shaft that carries it around 1 cause it to move on an
axis of its own which may be set concentric with the axis of the shaft, in which
case the path of the "iron" will be circular, or it may be set so that it travels
across the axis of the shaft, in which case the path described by the "iron" will be.
oval, and as I provide mechanism for adjusting the amount of this travel the "irou "
be made to travel in a path elliptical to any desired extent within limits.
also improve the construction of that part of the machine which carries the
boot and which is commonly known as the "jack" by mounting it upon rollers or
balls upon a table which can be adjusted in height by means of a screw and hand
wheel. This improvement enables the operator to move the "jack" and boot heel
to and from the burnishing iron with much greater ease than formerly.
My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1. is a side view of the machine.
Fig. 2. is a front view of the same.
Fig. 3. is an enlarged side view of the burnishing mechanism partly in section.
Fig. 4. is an enlarged front view of the same partly in section and shewing the
burnishing mechanism in a position inclined to the vertical such as it assumes in
passing round the boot heel.
The drawings (Figs. 1 and 2; shew a double machine that is a machine having.
two "jacks and two burnishing arrangements and therefore capable of operating
upon two 'boot heels at once.
A is the machine frame. B. B¹ are the driving nulleys and the arankushaft.

page_text: mounted upon the ends of the burnishing shafts H. H'. By this means when the
crank shaft C is revolved the burnishing shafts H. H¹ are caused to make a
reciprocating turning movement in their bearings I. I' as more fully described in
the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me No. 6305 A.D. 1892.
The shaft H. (see also Figs. 3 and 4) carries the burnishing mechanism the
improved construction of which I will now proceed to describe.
Upon the front end of the shaft H. I provide a rectangular block a upon which
is mounted a radial slide a' which has a turned stud a² formed upon it carrying a
die a³ in which it is free to turn. The stud a can be adjusted to or from the centre
of the shaft H by means of a screw a which is screwed into the rectangular block a
and engages by means of collars as a the slide a'. The stud' a' is therefore a orank
pin with an adjustable throw. The die a engages a horizontal cross slide 6 formed
in the upper end of a vertical slide 61 which is carried in the machine head A'.and
is provided with a stud b. A turning movement given to the shaft H would cause
the stud a² to move the slide and stud 62 up and down in a vertical line. Upon
the stud 62 is mounted a crosshead to which is pivotted upon pins 64 the
burnishing arm which extends forward to the boot heel and carries at its
extremity the burnishing iron 7 all of which would therefore partake of the
vertical movement of the slide 6' which is in the same direction as the longer axis
of the oval of which the outline of the boot heel forms part.
In order that the turning movement of the shaft H may be communicated to the
arm and move the burnishing iron around the boot heel x the slide a¹ is.
provided with a driving stud e which extends forward and carries a die c' engaging.
a slot c² formed in the crosshead ³.
If the screw a be so adjusted as to set the stud a² concentric with the shaft H no
movement whatever will be imparted to the slide 6 or to the stud 6 when the
shaft His turned, and the arm 68 and burnishing iron will be reciprocated through
a portion of a circle but if the stud a* be set eccentrically to the shaft H as shewn
in the drawings so as to give vertical movement to the slide and stud b³ this.
movement will be imparted to the arm 6 and "iron "67 and will, combined with the
turning movement, cause the "iron" 6' to reciprocate in an oval path instead of a
circular one and the amount of the ellipticity of the movement of the "iron" ¿'
will depend upon the amount of eccentricity given to the stud a² by the adjustment
of the screw a. Thus rounder or more oval shaped heels may be accomodated as
they present themselves.
To balance the forward extension of the arm be another extension d is fixed to
it backwards and for the purpose of producing pressure of the "iron" upon the
boot heel a an excess of weight d' is added to the backward extension which when
the machine is in motion generates centrifugal force and presses the iron b' inwards
upon the heel.
A lever e is centrally pivotted upon a pin e¹ carried in the shaft H and is
connected by a ball jointed rod to the arm d.
This lever also generates
centrifugal force and assists to press the "iron" 6' inwards upon the heel (see
Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me No. 17,950 A.D. 1891).
When burnishing large boot heels the "iron" 6' moves in a path which is a portion
of a larger oval than when burnishing small heels and as this outward movement of
the "iron" from the centre of the shaft H when describing a larger oval causes
a corresponding inward movement of the weight d', so causing the latter to act
with less effect, 1 provide an adjustment consisting of a screw d² and slot d by
means of which the weight d' may be set outwards correspondingly with the
outward movement of the "iron" on the larger heel.
In order to afford a ready means of varying to an extent the pressure exercised
by the "iron" 67 upon the boot heel and to prevent the "iron "67 and other parts
from falling into extreme positions when the machine is started and stopped a
spring fis provided upon a tube f' aud with an adjusting nut f". The tube f' is
jointed to the arm 6 upon a pin and slides at the other end in a trunnion
guide which is carried by a supporting arm e from the crosshead b³.

page_text: The boot is carried in the "jack "g which is automatically moved to and fro
by the machine so as to bring every portion of the surface of the heel a under the
operation of the burnishing iron in the manner already described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 2811 A.D. 1889.
When a boot is to be withdrawn or inserted the "jack" g must be moved by
the operator away from the burnishing iron band in order that this may be done
with greater ease I mount the "jack" g upon balls g' which are arranged in
horizontal ways g formed partly in the "jack" g and partly in the table 9³ which
supports it. The table g is mounted in a slide 9 formed in the pillar or frame A
of the machine and its height is adjustable by means of a screw g' and hand wheel g
so that the height of the boot heel e may be set relatively to the iron b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots and shoes :-
1. Carrying the burnishing arm on a pivot independent of the burnishing shaft to
which pivot rectilinear movement is imparted in the direction of the major axis of
the ellipse it is desired the burnishing iron shall describe, substantially as
described.
2. The use of an adjustment by which the amount of rectilinear movement
imparted to the pivot which carries the burnishing arm may be varied at will,
substantially as described.
3. The use of a weight which can be set nearer to or further from the independent
pivot which carries the burnishing arm, substantially as described.
4. The herein described and illustrated mechanism for imparting to the burnishing
arm and its "iron " an elliptical movement capable of being varied at will to suit
different styles of boot heel.
"
5. Mounting the "jack or boot carrier upon balls or rollers which run in
horizontal ways formed in a supporting table, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of February 1895.
TY DODMAN
W.
H. DORMAN