MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBOSSING TRADE MARKS OR OTHER DEVICES ON THE SOJES OF BOOTS OR SHOES OR CUTTING LIFTS OR OTHER PARTS OF BOOTS OR SHOES, OR OTHER BLANKS OF LEATHER, OR OTHER KINDRED MATERIAL
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES BENNION, of Leicester, in the county of Leicester, Manufacturer of
Shoe Machinery, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBOSSING TRADE MARKS OR OTHER DEVICES ON THE
SOJES OF BOOTS OR SHOES OR CUTTING LIFTS OR OTHER PARTS OF BOOTS OR
SHOES, OR OTHER BLANKS OF LEATHER, OR OTHER KINDRED MATERIAL to be as
follows:-
In the machines hitherto employed for the purpose of cutting out lifts or blanks
of leather and other like material in the manufacture of boots and shoes, the
position of the plunger and mechanism for forcing the leather or other material
down onto the knife or cutter has been so arranged that it prevented the workinan
keeping the whole circumference of the cutter in view when placing the leather.
Hence it has been necessary to allow a margin all round the piece cut out
sufficiently wide to avoid the risk of cutting an imperfect blank. The altering of
the machine when it is requisite to vary the size or shape of the lifts or blanks is a
troublesome and tedious operation with the ordinary machines and also costly as
each knife has special plates to hold it.
Now my invention is designed to obviate these drawbacks and afford the
workman an unobstructed view of the whole of the fixed knife at each stroke,
thereby enabling him to adjust the leather or other material so as to obtain a
perfect lift or blank with the minimum of waste, while it admits of the changing
of the fixed knife with the greatest ease and expedition.
The machine which is the subject of this specification is constructed as follows:
a suitable frame of cast metal or other material carries the cutter or knife fixed
and adjusted upon it by mechanism hereafter to be described; upon an axis in this
frame works a counteweighted treadle.
On an eccentric round this axis but forming a part of the treadle lever is pivoted
a second bell crank lever of which one arm rises nearly vertically and carries the
plunger or circular compressor or die, and the other arm at right angles thereto
carries a counterweight just sufficient to overbalance the other arm, and which

page_text: when the machine is not working rests on the treadle arm. When at rest the
eccentric throw is in the direction of this counterweight and the treadle, and a
trifle above the horizontal.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The treadle being depressed, the counterweight (of the plunger arm) resting on
it sinks with it till the plunger arm comes in contact with a stop. The plunger
is then vertically over the knife. The treadle descending turns round the eccentric
which causes the plunger to descend, cutting the leather. The treadle is now
released, the heavy counter weight brings it back to its original position carrying
with it in the latter part of its stroke the counterweight of the plunger lever.
While this is going on the blank formed falls down a tube, the plunger rises clear
of the knife, and falls back exposing the knife fully to view.
The adjustment of the cutter or knife is effected by means of two jaws or grips
attached to the frame of the machine, and consisting of a straight or curved fixed
jaw and a V shaped or horseshoe shaped sliding jaw so adjusted as to hold the
cylindrical or similarly shaped cutter in a triangular grip, and centreing it exactly;
the sliding jaw can be worked and held by screw, bolts, wedges, or other convenient
mechanism. To replace a cutter, the screw, screws, wedges, eccentric, or nuts of the
bolts, as the case may be, employed to hold the V shaped jaw, are slackened, and
the jaw alid back sufficiently to allow of the cutter being lifted out, and replaced
when the jaw is pushed up again into position and secured as before mentioned.
In this manner the cutter is always properly centred as the V-shaped jaw slides on
-a-gantree or its equivalent bolding it perfectly parallel.
This invention is equally applicable-for-embossing, as in place of the knife and
compressor, dies can be inserted and it at once becomes a very useful embossing-|
machine.
I, CHARLES BENNION, Leicester, Leicestershire Manufacturer of Shoe Machinery,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR EMBOSSING TRADE MARKS OR OTHER DEVICES ON THE SOLES OF
BOOTS OR SHOES, OR CUTTING LIFTS OR OTHER PARTS OF BOOTS OR SHOES OR
OTHER BLANKS OF LEATHER OR OTHER KINDRED MATERIAL " and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
In the machines hitherto employed for the purpose of cutting out lifts or blanks
of leather and other like material in the manufacture of boots and of shoes, the
position of the plunger and mechanism for forcing the leather or other material
down onto the knife or cutter, has been so arranged that it prevented the workman
keeping the whole circumference of the cutter in view when placing the leather.

page_text: Hence it has been necessary to allow a margin all round the piece cut out,
sufficiently wide to avoid the risk of cutting an imperfect blank. The altering of
the machine when it is requisite to vary the size or shape of the lifts or blanks is a
troublesome and tedious operation with the ordinary machines. Now my invention
is designed to obviate these drawbacks and afford the workman an unobstructed
view of the whole of the fixed knife at each stroke thereby enabling him to adjust
the leather or other material so as to obtain a perfect lift or blank with the
minimum of waste, whilst it admits of the changing of the fixed knife with the
greatest ease and expedition.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a lateral sectional elevation of the machine.
Figure 2. vertical section taken at right angles to Figure 1 on line x-x.
Figure 3. plan of machine.
Figure 4. section of main casting through bearings of main shaft. In Figs 2
and 3 the plunger is in readiness to descend. In Fig 1 it is shown back before
being drawn forward.
In these A is a framework of cast iron, it could be made of other material if
desired. B bearings carried thereon C main shaft of apparatus running in
bearings B. D treadle arm working thereon and carrying counterweight D¹.
E eccentric on shaft C and forming a part of counterweighted lever D. Fa bell
crank lever pivoted on eccentric E having two arms F¹, F. F' rises approximately
vertically, and carries a plunger G or circular compressor or die as the case may be.
F' is approximately horizontal and carries a counterweight F. This counterweight
is just sufficient to over balance arm F¹, and when the machine is not working, it
rests on treadle arm D by means of overhanging ledge F. When at rest the
throw of the eccentric is in the direction of this counterweight, and the treadle
pointing nearly horizontally, but with a slight upward direction. G a plunger or
upper die on F. H is the knife cutter or lower die. It is shown in the drawing
firmly bolted and fixed on the table I, but if desired it can be loose and set or
adjusted by means of two jaws or grips attached to the frame of the machine and
consisting of a straight or curved fixed jaw, and a V shaped or horse shoe shaped
sliding jaw so adjusted as to hold the cylindrical or similarly shaped cutter in a
triangular grip and centering it exactly. To replace a cutter the sliding jaw can be
worked and held by screw, bolts, wedges or other convenient mechanism The
screw, screws, wedges, eccentric or nuts of the bolts, as the case may be, employed
to hold the V-shaped jaw, are slackened, and the jaw slid back sufficiently to allow
of the cutter being lifted out, and replaced, when the jaw is pushed up again into
position, and the nuts tightened. In this manner the cutter can be always properly
centred as the V-shaped jaw slides on a gantree, or its equivalent, holding it
perfectly parallel.
The machine illustrated is designed for cutting heel blanks, and for this purpose
a fixed knife is best, and as this is the main purpose for which the invention was
designed, I have thought it unnecessary to go further than the above in describing
modes of fixing or adjusting the knife.
K is an opening for the blanks to fall into. They are delivered at K'. L is a
projecting piece on the frame to prevent the plunger falling before it has got into
position as here after described.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The treadle D being depressed with a steady pressure, the counterweight F³
simply resting on the treadle D sinks with it, and at the same time the arm F¹
advances forward till the plunger or die G comes directly over the knife or lower
die H, and the arm comes against a stop on the frame The treadle D being
independent of the counterweight F³ descending turns the eccentric which causes
the planger to descend, cutting the leather. The treadle is now released, the heavy
counterweight D' brings it back to its original position, carrying with it in the
latter part of its stroke the counter weight F³ of the plunger lever F; while this is

page_text: going on the blank formed falls down the tube K₁, the plunger G rises clear of the
knife, and falls back exposing the knife fully to view.
In my first machines it was found that a too eager workman was apt to press
the treadle down so rapidly as to leave counterweight F3 behind, consequently the
plunger began to descend before it got vertically over the knife. To remedy this
defect, I place projecting pieces L on the frame. If with these the head descends
too fast, it comes in contact with the projection (instead of the plunger coming
against the knife) and can descend no lower; the head is now allowed by the
operator to rise and pass into a position vertically over the knife, it being now
clear of the projection it can descend in due course.
This invention though designed mainly for cutting heel blanks is equally
applicable for embossing as in place of the knife and compressor, dies can be
inserted, and it at once becomes a very useful embossing machine.
One advantage of this machine is this, that while a very quick motion brings
the knife into position, a slow and much more powerful motion is employed to cut
the blank or do the work. The work can be done by power if required, an
engaging clutch serving to throw the machine into and out of gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The manufacture and use of a leather blank cutting or embossing machine,
in which the upper plunger or die is entirely clear of and away from the lower one
while the material is being put into position for being operated upon, but is brought
immediately over its work by a quick light motion, and caused to do the work by
-a-slow-powerful one, substantially as described.
2nd. In a leather blank cutting or embossing machine,-the-combination_of_an_
eccentric on the foot treadle or motive shaft, and a bell crank working on that
eccentric actuating the upper plunger or die and counterbalanced so as to revolve
through a limited arc when allowed to do so by a stop, rest, or abutment forming a
part of or fixed to the foot treadle or motion shaft.
3rd. In a leather blank cutting or embossing machine, an upper plunger or die
having a definite lateral or horizontal movement as well as and independent of the
vertical one, so that it can be thrown back out of the way while the leather is
being placed, and be then brought forward with a lateral motion, and placed
exactly in position for cutting before the vertical or cutting motion commences.
Tind this Olad daw of Navambon 1001
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.