Im- PROVEMENTS IN LEATHER, AND IN MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 58; Chancery Lane, in the County.
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN LEATHER, AND IN MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME."
_ A communication from abroad by George Valentine Sheffield and
James Fitch Coburn, both of Hopkinton, in the County of Middlesex,.
Sealed the 5th February 1867, and dated the 8th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
September 1866.
I, WILLIAM Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inveu-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEATHER, AND IN MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING THE
GAME," to be as follows:-
The principal object of this Invention is to prevent the rapid wear of
leather, and is more especially applicable to soles of boots and shoes, and for
this purpose it consists in piercing the leather or soles with a series of steel or

page_text: other suitable metal wire or pins arranged at any desired distance apart,
according as the case may require.
This Invention also relates to a machine to be used for the piercing of
leather and inserting steel or other wires, as above stated, which machine
consists in a novel arrangement of devices, whereby the leather, while being
fed through the machine, is first acted upon by a suitable piercing awl or
tool, and then by a die suitable for forcing the wire therein, which awl and
die are brought to bear at the proper times against the leather. The bod of
the machine has at each end an upright pillar across from one to the other,
of which extends an arch beam or bar secured to them at each end in any
proper manner. A driving or main shaft turns at one ond in bearings of ono
of the upright posts, and extending horizontally under the arch beam for
about one-half of its length and turning in bearings of a banger secured to the
under side of the said beam, a pulley is secured on which to pass an endless
belt for driving the same; this shaft has two cams secured to it, one between
the pulley and end upright and the other at the inner end of the shaft; a
horizontal platform or table secured in and between the two uprights,
under which table, in the direction of its length, extends a horizontal shaft
turning in bearings at each end of the uprights and with a ratchet wheel
secured to one of its ends upon the outside of the upright, between which and
the pulley of the main shaft the first cam is placed. An upright lever arm
hangs and turns by its forked end upon the shaft under the table as a fulcrum,
on which lever is hung a spring pawl engaging with the teeth of the ratchet,
through which pawl, as the lever is swung forward by the abutment against
and travel of the first cam, the ratchet wheel and consequently its shaft are
revolved, when the cam releases itself from the lever it is drawn or swung
back to its original position by means of a spiral spring hung at one end
to it and at the other connected with a fixed staple, the spring pawl hung
upon and engaging with the ratchet wheel prevents it from being turned in the
opposite or wrong direction. At a point half way, or nearly so, between
the two end uprights a feed wheel is secured to the shaft below the table, the
edge or periphery of which is roughened and projects slightly above and
through the central opening in the table; a bar is placed just above the
table and parallel with it extending from one upright to the other. A slido
moves in and between the upright brackets upon the upper side of the
horizontal bar, the upper end of which slide is hung upon a lever bar
extending towards one of the posts under the main shaft and turning upon a
fulcrum of such post; in the lower end of this slide a tool for piercing the

page_text: leather and the bammer rod for forcing the wire into the hole pierced by the
tool are secured, the latter to the rear of the former, but in the same line
therewith, both of which tools play through suitable apertures made in a
block secured to the under side of the horizontal bar before mentioned; a bent
spring is secured to the upper side of the bar, and so bent around that the
lever bar before mentioned rests upon it. A second lever bar is similarly
bung to the same post with the first lever bar and extending therefrom in a
line parallel with the said first lever bar, but to the rear of it, with a slide
hung upon its outer end and moving in and between the upright guides of
the horizontal bar; on this slide is a spring pawl that as the slide is depressed
engages with the teeth of the ratchet feed rollers or wheels placed with their
peripheries in contact, or nearly so, with each other; these rollers are hung
within the horizontal bar, so as to move towards or away from each other,
and are held so as to tightly bind the wire which passes in and between them
by means of rollers or wheels, one to each wheel upon their outside edges,
hung on the lower end of lever armis turning upon fulcrums of the horizontal
bar, the upper ends of which arms are connected together by a spiral spring,
a bent spring being secured to the upper side of the horizontal bar, on which
spring the second lever bar rests. A knife or chisel is secured in the inner
end of the horizontal slide arranged in the under side of the horizontal bar; the
outer end of this slide is connected to an arm of a shaft turning at each end
in bearings of the projecting pieces upon the rear side of the horizontal bar,
which shaft has a long projecting arm extending upwards toward the central
cam on the inner end of the main shaft, against which the cam acts as it is
revolved, moving in the said slide with its chisel, which is drawn out when
the cam has become free of the long projecting arm by the action of the spiral
spring coiled around the shaft on which it is mounted.
The pins, as inserted in the leather by the machine as described, are
arranged in parallel and straight rows extending in the direction of the length
of the shoe sole, but may be inserted in concentric rows or in any other
suitable manner, and at any distances apart according as may be deemed
most desirable or necessary; the wear of the leather by means of these pins
being greatly increased, thus rendering it much more lasting and serviceable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARE, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEATHER, AND IN
MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad
by George Valentine Sheffield and James Fitch Coburn, both of Hopkinton,
in the County of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Ietters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being bad to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The principal object of this Invention is to prevent the rapid wear of
leather, and is more especially applicable to soles of boots and shoes, and for
this purpose it consists in piercing the leather or soles with a series of steel or
other suitable metal wire or pins arranged at any desired distance apart
according as the case may require.

page_text: This Invention also relates to a machine to be used for the piercing of
leather and inserting steel or other wires, as above stated, which machine
consists in a novel arrangement of devices whereby the leather while being
fed through the machine is first acted upon by a suitable piercing awl or tool
and then by a die suitable for forcing the wire therein, which awl and die are
brought to bear at the proper times against the leather, as will be apparent
from the following detail description of the machine, and also of the leather
produced by it, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine; Figure 2, an end
elevation; Figure 3, a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the
line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 4, a detail view, to be herein-after referred to; and
Figure 5, a view of a boot or shoe pierced with wires or pins by the machine,
shown in the preceding Figures.
A in the Drawings represents the bed of the machine, having at each end
an upright post B, across from one to the other of which extends an arch,
beam, or bar C secured to them at each end in any proper manner; D, the
driving shaft turuing at one end in bearings of one of the upright posts B, and
extending horizontally under the arch beam C for about one-half of its length,
and turning in bearings of the hanger E secured to the under side of the
beam C; F, a pulley secured to driving or main shaft D, around which it
is intended to pass an endless belt or band for the driving of the same. The
shaft D has two arms G and H secured to it, one G between the pulley and
the end post, and the other H at the inner end of the shaft; I, a horizontal
platform or table secured in and between the two uprights B, B, under which
table in the direction of its length extends a horizontal shaft J turning in
bearings at each end of the post B, and with a ratchet wheel K secured to
one of its ends upon the outside of the post between which and the pulley of
the main shaft the cam G is placed; L, an upright lever arm hanging and
turning by its forked end M upon the shaft J as a fulcrum, in which lever is
bung a spring pawl N engaging with the teeth of the ratchet K, through
which pawl as the lever is swung forward by the abutment against and travel
of the cam G over its upper cord, the ratchet wheel and consequently its
shaft J are revolved, when the cam releasing itself from the lever it is drawn
or swung back to its original position by means of a spiral spring O hung at
one end to it and at the other connected with a fixed staple P of the end
post B, the spring pawl O hung upon the post, and engaging with the ratchet
wheel K, preventing it from being turned in the opposite or wrong direction.
At a point half way or nearly so between the two end posts B, B, a feed

page_text: wheel R is secured to the shaft J, the cage or periphery of which is roughened
and projects slightly above and through the central opening S in the platform
or table. T, a bar placed just above the table I and parallel with it, extend-
ing from one post B to the other; U, a slide moving in and between the
uprights V, V, upon the upper side of the horizontal bar T, the upper end of
which slide is bung upon the lever bar W extending toward one of the posts B
under the main shaft D, and turning upon a fulcrum a of such post. In the
lower end of this slide the tool X for piercing the leather and the hammer
rod Y for forcing the wire into the hole pierced by the tool X are secured,
the latter to the rear of the former, but in the same line therewith, as plainly
shown in the Drawings, see Figure 3, both of which tools play through
suitable apertures made in the block Z secured to the under side of the bar T.
A, a bent spring secured to the upper side of bar T, and so bent around that
the lever W rests upon it; B is another lever bar similarly hung to the same
post with the lever W, and extending therefrom in a line parallel with said
lever but to the rear of it, with a slide C hung upon its outer end and
moving in and between the guide uprights D' of the bar T. On this slide is
a spring pawl E that as the slide is depressed engages with the teeth of the
ratchet feed rollers or wheels F placed with their peripheries in contact or
nearly so with each other; these rollers are hung within the bar T so as to
move toward or away from each other, and are held so as to tightly bind the
wire which passes in and between them by means of rollers or wheels G² one
to each wheel F upon their outside edges, hung in the lower end of lever
arms H turning upon fulcrums of the bar T, the upper ends of which armis
are connected together by a spiral spring 13. J2, a bent spring secured. to
the upper side of bar T, on which spring the lever B³ rests. K³, a knife or
chisel secured in the inner end of a horizontal slide L arranged in the under
side of bar T, the outer end of which slide is connected to the arm M² of a
shaft No, turning at each end in bearings of the projecting pieces upon the
rear side of the bar T, which shaft has a long projecting arm Ps extending
upward toward the cam H, against which the cam acts as it is revolved,
moving in the said slide with its chisel which is drawn out when the cam has
become free of the said arm P2 by the action of the spiral spring of coiled
around the said shaft N.
Having thus in detail described the various parts composing the machine
embraced in the present Invention, I will now proceed to explain the manner
in which they operate. The leather which is to be pierced with wire is placed
upon
the platform I over the feed roller R, against which it is held in closo

page_text: contact by the projecting block Z of the bar T when turning the main or
driving shaft D in any proper manner and in the right direction the leather is
caused to be fed along through the action of the pawl N upon the ratchet
wheel K of the feed shaft J, when the cam H, then acting upon the lover W,
the slide U with the piercing tool and hammer is forced down and toward
the leather, causing the piercing tool to pierce the same and the hammer to
force into the hole previously pierced the wire which it is intended to insert
therein that by the action of the cam spon the next lever B³ is fed down-
ward and broken or cut off by the chisel or knife K, and at the same timo
thrown into proper position for the hammer to act upon and force it into tho
leather, the above-described operation of the machine continuing so long as
the driving or main shaft is turned. The feed rollers F for the wire aro
grooved so as to guide the wire between them and cause a better and firmier
hold upon it. To enable the feed roller R to be adjusted in height, with
reference to the platform S, I arrange the journals or boxes of its shaft J
in ways or guides G of the framework uprights B, B, in the lower side of
each of which boxes Fs screws a spindle H, having a bevil gear wheel 12 upon
their lower ends, which are connected together through a bevil gear wheel J'
upon the horizontal shaft K, having a milled flange or wheel L³ for con-
venience in turning it, whereby, as is obvious if the said shaft K be turned,
the feed roller shaft can be either raised or lowered as the case may be, and in
an even manner throughout its whole length.
In Figure 5 of the Drawings, as before stated, a leather boot or shoo sole
is shown, this sole being marked A' in said Drawings, and the pins or
wires C, which pins or wires are inserted in and through the thickness of tho
leather A, and then made flush or even with the surface or faces of the same;
these pins in the present instance are arranged in parallel and straight rows
extending in the direction of the length of the sole, but may be inserted in
concentric rows, or in any other suitable manner, and at any distances apart,
according as may be deemed most desirable or necessary, the wear of the
leather by means of these pins being greatly increased, thus rendering it much
more lasting and serviceable.
Having described the naturo of this Invention, and the mauner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, a machine for the piercing of and the insertion of wires in leather, in
which are combined a feeding device for the leather, a tool for piercing, and a
tool or hammer for inserting the wires in the same, together with a device for

page_text: feeding the wire to the haminer, and a device for cutting the same at the
proper points or lengths when arranged so as to operate together, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose described.
Secondly, the combined arrangement of the feed wheel R, piercing tool X,
hammer Y, feed rollers F, sliding chisel K³ or its equivalent, herein described,
and as and for the purpose specified.
Thirdly, the improvement in the manufacture of leather, herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Winess,
JMS. DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.B.)