Improvements in Machines for Moulding the Stiffeners of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Moulding the Stiffeners of Boots
and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the improvement of machines used for moulding
the stiffeners of boots and shoes, and consists in the application of hydraulic
pressure for the purpose.
The centre mould, upon which the stiffener is moulded is shaped somewhat like
the heel of a last, and is partially surrounded with an outer mould made in two or
more pieces upon which hydraulic pressure is brought to bear. This pressure may
be applied by means of one or more cylinders and rams which act preferably upon
the outer mould and press it towards the centre mould so as to mould the stiffener
previously placed between.
The edges of the stiffener which have to be turned inwards stand up above the
surface of the centre mould and are acted upon by sliding plates which move in
over the centre mould and press down upon it the edges of the stiffener. These
plates may be actuated by other cylinders and rams or by the continued movement
of the ram or rams which close the outer mould above referred to, by interposing a
spring between the outer moulds and the rams. This spring will yield after the
mould is closed while the continued movement of the rams will close over the plates
until the spring being compressed and the plates closed, the full water pressure is
brought to bear upon the mould and consequently upon the stiffener.
The machines may be made double or triple, etc., so that stiffeners may remain
under pressure, while others are being taken out or inserted.
The moulds may either be opened by weights or by the recoil of springs or the
rams may be so made as to allow the water pressure to be reversed so as to withdraw
the rams.
Dated this 7th day of May 1806
W. H. DORMAN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Moulding the Stiffeners of Boots.
and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Green Hall, Stafford, formerly of The
Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford, aforesaid, 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 the improvement of machines used for moulding
the stiffeners of boots and shoes, and consists in the application of hydraulic pressure
for the purpose.
The centre mould, upon which the stiffener is moulded is shaped somewhat like
the heel of a last, and is partially surrounded with an outer mould made in two or
more pieces upon which hydraulic pressure is brought to bear. This pressure may
be applied by means of one or more cylinders and rams which act preferably upon

page_text: the outer mould and press it towards the centre mould so as to mould the stiffener
previously placed between.
The edges.of the stiffener which have to be turned inwards stand up above the
surface of the centre mould and are acted upon by crimping plates which move in
over the centre mould and press down upon it the edges of the stiffener. These
plates may be actunted by other cylinders and rams or by the continued movement
of the ram or rams which close the outer mould above referred to by interposing a
spring between the outer moulds and the rams. This spring will yield after the
mould is closed while the continued movement of the rams will close over the
plates until the spring being compressed and the plates closed the full water
pressure is brought to bear upon the mould and consequently upon the stiffener.
The machines may be made double or triple &c. so that stiffeners may remain
under pressure while others are being taken out or inserted.
The moulds may either be opened by weights or by the recoil of springs or the
rams may be so made as to allow the water pressure to be reversed so as to
withdraw the rams.
My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal section of a machine.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same partly in section and shewing the crimping plates.
Fig. 3. is also a plan of the same with the crimping plates removed.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew cross sections of the moulds.
Figs. 6 and 7 are an elevation partly in section and a plan respectively shewing a
different construction of machine.
Fig. 8. is a detail of the same.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5. The centre mould a which is somewhat of the
same shape as the heel of a last is supported upon the level surface of the plate a¹
and is provided with notches a² a³ which engage the arms a a of the bell
cranks a a' mounted on pivots a' a' in the fixed block a" which is carried in the
bed all.
The outer moulds b. 61 lie upon the same surface of the plate a¹ as does the
centre mould a and they are provided each with a half pivot which half pivots
enter a hole prepared for them in the said plate a'. The block is formed in
one with the plate a' and is free to slide in the bed a". It is provided with the
inclined surfaces & which take a bearing upon the circularly curved surfaces
of the moulds b. 6' so that these latter are free to open from and close in upon the
centre mould a. The spring 610 attached to the moulds b. b tends to hold them
open as shewn in Fig. 3.1
The forward ends 6" 612 of the moulds b. b take upon the arms 618 614 of the before
mentioned bell cranks a" a'.
By the foregoing arrangement any forward pressure movement of the block
toward the block al tends to close the moulds 6. 61 upon the centre mould a while
at the same time the latter is borne back by the bell cranks as a' into the moulds 661
so that a boot stiffener (Fig. 4.) placed within the space y would be pressed and
moulded between the inner mould a and outer moulds b. b. This pressure
movement I obtain by means of a hydraulic press C.
When a stiffener a is cramped within the before mentioned moulds its edge al
stands up somewhat above the surface a (see Fig. 4) and in order to turn down
this edge upon the mould a the crimping plates d. d are employed the under
surfaces of which lie just clear of the surface a". These plates are hinged
together like a pair of scissors upon the pin d' and are extended backward in the
form of cam slots d³ d which engage a stud or roll d³ carried upon the block 6.
A forward movement being imparted to the pin d2 carries the plates d. d' forward
over the mould a and the cam slots dad and stud d' cause them to close in side-
ways the combined movement turning down the edge al of the stiffener (see
Fig. 5) over the mould a. This movement of the crimping plates I also obtain
from the aforesaid press C.
To press down the stiffener edge a¹ upon the surface a pressure is applied to

page_text: a plate e which has an open centre e', to allow of inserting and withdrawing the
stiffener, and rests upon the crimping plates d. d'. This pressure I apply by means
of hydraulic press F.
Except for the application of hydraulic pressure the foregoing description of
the moulds a. . and crimping plates d. d' is very similar to that contained in a
former Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 17089 A.D. 1895.
The before mentioned hydraulic presses C and F are of usual construction having
double acting rams c and f to which water under pressure is admitted, or discharged
as the case may be, at the back ends of the rains c and f by the double valve g and
pipe gl and at the front ends of the rams c and f by the similar double valve g³ and
pipe 93.
Between the ram head c and the block 6 a spring 61 is placed which, when the
ram c moves forward, bears forward the block until the moulds b. b₁ are closed
upon the stiffener x and it closely embraced between the moulds b. b' and a. After
this the spring 1 yields so as to allow the onward moving ram e by means of its
arm c² and the aforesaid pin d to bear forward and close the crimping plates d. d
but as soon as this latter operation is accomplished the solid projection c³ comes in
contact with the block 6 and the full pressure of the water behind the ram c
is brought to bear upon the stiffener within the moulds b. and upon the
mould a.
At the same time that water pressure is admitted behind the ram c so as to
press it forward water is also admitted behind the ram to press it downward and
this downward pressure is, through the crosshead f¹ tension rods f' to f' and
beforementioned plate e, applied to the plates d d and to the stiffener edge
beneath them so that the action of the plates d. d' takes place under the application
of the pressure derived from the press F.
Although in the drawing the valves g and g2 are shewn as admitting the water
first to the press F they may be arranged to admit first to the press C. or may be
placed in the pipes g' and g³ and if it is desired to obtain a greater or less pressure
in either press its ram may he made of larger or of smaller diameter than the
other, or reducing valves may be placed in the pipes gl 93 between the presses.
Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line w. w (see Fig. 2.) shewing a stiffener
gripped between the outer moulds b. b' and the inner mould a and Fig. 5. shews
the same stiffener a with its edge a' turned down inwards beneath the plates d. d¹
and upon the inner mould a.
Referring to Figures 6. 7 and 8-h is the inner mould supported upon the table i
and may be retained by the dovetail . The outer moulds jj are hinged to the
rams k. k of the presses K. K' upon pins l. 1 so that the rams and moulds advance
and retire together.
The rams k. k are pressed forward by admitting water behind them to the
cylinders which latter are secured to the table and the rams k. k' are with-
drawn into their respective cylinders by weights m. m³ acting, through chains m³ m³
over pulleys m m³ upon tail rods me m' (see Fig. 7.) connected to the rams k. k¹
and passing through suitable leathers provided in the rear ends of the
cylinders kk.
The crimping plates n. n' lie upon the moulds j. j¹ and are hinged together by
the pin o. They are extended backwards and outwards and are provided with
cam slots n² n³ which are engaged by pins p. pl carried in the head p² of the ram på
which is operated in its cylinder p in a precisely similar manner to the rams k. k¹
already described.
The pressure plate q, which has an open centre q' to allow of inserting and
withdrawing the stiffener, lies upon the crimping plates n. n' and is supported on
tension rods to q which are connected to the press R below in the same manner
as already described in reference to Figs. 1. 2 and 3. Springs 9° to 9° are provided
to raise the plate 9 and ram r when the water is released from the cylinder r¹
from above the ram (if preferred levers and counterweights may be used instead
of the springs).

page_text: The rear ends of all the four cylinders k² k pr¹ are connected together with
plain open pipes s and a double inlet and outlet valve s¹ (or if desired two single
valves) serves for admitting and discharging the water.
The weight m8 of the press P. is made heavier than the weights m. m' of the
presses K K so that when water is admitted simultaneously to all four of the
presses K. K' P. and R. the rams k and k¹ act first to close the outer moulds j.j
and the ram p³ then acts to close the crimping plates n. n'. By regulating the
springs q to q and suitably proportioning the diameter of the cylinder a suitable
pressure is obtained upon the plate 9 which is maintained while the plates n. n¹
are closing. A stop t may be provided to limit the forward movement of the
ram p³.
If desired the press P. may be dispensed with in which case springs are
introduced between the rams k. k and moulds j. j and the crimping plates n. n' are
carried forward each by its own ram in a somewhat similar manner to that already
described in reference to Figs. 1. 2 and 3.
Double or triple etc., machines may if desired be arranged side by side upon onc
bed or table.
It will be understood that either the double or the single acting presses may be
employed in either of the machines or that springs may be substituted for weights
or vice versa to return the rams into the cylinders.
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 :-
1. The use of hydraulic pressure in a machine for moulding the stiffeners of
boots and shoes.
2. The machine herein described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 for moulding
the stiffeners of boots and shoes.
3. The machine herein described and illustrated in Figures 6. 7 and 8 for moulding
the stiffeners of boots and shoes.
Dated this 6th day of February 1897.
W. H. DORMAN.