Improvements in Machines for Lasting Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 1st July, 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES B. LANCASTER, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America.]
Improvements in Machines for Lasting Boots and Shoes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to machines for lasting boots and shoes, and particularly to
the machines of the character described in the specification of Letters Patent of the
United States of America granted November 11th, 1884, No. 307,763 and it has for
its object to simplify and improve the construction of such machines.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a machine in which my present
improvements are embodied.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same, omitting the gripping device and the
apparatus by which the securing strip is applied.
Figure 3 is a view of the machine in horizontal section on the line x, x, of
Figure 1, and
Figure 4 is a view in vertical section on the line y, y of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is the same view, with the addition of a device for applying the securing
strip.
Figures 6 to 9 are detail views upon an enlarged scale of specific portions of the
machine as will be hereinafter more fully described.
The frame A of the machine is troughsshaped, and within it is supported a four-
square system of shafts and bevelled gears B, operated by a driving gear C, (best
shown in Figure 4) which is adapted by means of a pinion and an ordinary clutch to
be driven when desired by any suitable source of power. Each of these shafts
3

page_text: carries a cam D operating within a sliding box E to move the same toward and away
from the centre of the trough where the work to be lasted is placed. One of these
boxes E is provided for each of the side lasting devices and one for the toe and heel
lasting devices respectively. The bearing of each box against its operating cam is
made adjustable (to regulate the time and extent of throw of the cain) by means of
adjusting screws e, e, as shown.
The side lasting plates or slides F are preferably formed each in two sections, and
are removably secured to the tops of the sliding boxes; these slides are formed in the
ordinary manner to correspond substantially in curve to the contour of the side of
the sole of the shoe to be lasted.
The heel and toe lasting quadrants G, G (best shown on an enlarged scale at
Figures 7 and 9) are mounted upon and carried by sliding boxes in the same
manner, a plate H being interposed between the quadrants and the boxes, upon which
plate the quadrants are pivotted as shown at h, Figures 1, 7 and 9. The rear
portions g of the quadrants extended beyond this pivot form one portion of a lazy-
tongs device, to the other portion of which g¹ is attached an operating rod I which
passes through a slot in an extension of the frame of the machine. Stop nuts i, i¹,
limit the motion of the rod I, which thus is made to operate the lazy-tongs to open
and close the quadrants..
The last and upper are supported in the usual manner at the heel and toe and
suitable devices are prepared for carrying the last and lasted shoe upward at the
proper time in the operation of the machine, as will be hereinafter explained.
The gripping device for seizing and drawing up the edges of upper is supported in
any convenient manner, as for example by a swinging arm J, so that it may be
brought to or away from its place of working. The device consists of a pair of
plates K, L, in the lower of which L, are mounted hollow depending shells I, one for
each gripper. The grippers themselves consist of a pair of jaws M, M, pivotted upon
a common pivot at the lower extremity of the shell 1. To each of these jaws back of
the pivot, is pivotted a short link m, which in turn is pivotted to the extremity of the
rod N by which the grippers are opened and closed. This construction, which is
again of the lazy-tongs order, is shown in detail at Figure 8. The upper end of the
rod N bears against the other of the two plates K, which can be moved toward or
away from the plate L by turning the screw rod O having a shoulder bearing against
the plate K, through which it passes, and threaded at its lower extremity in the
plate L. A coiled spring n surrounding the upper part of each rod N bears at one
end against the enlarged end of the rod (which for purposes of adjustment may be in
the form of a nut threaded upon the rod) and the lower end of the spring rests upon
a suitable bearing n², surrounding the rod N where it passes through the plate K.
From this construction it is obvious that raising the plate K away from the plate L
will cause the pinchers to open by action of the springs lifting the heads of the rods,
while lowering the plate K toward the plate L by means of the screw will force the
rods down compressing their surrounding springs and closing the pinchers.
The entire gripping device is raised and lowered relatively to the last by means of
the screw rods P, P, socketed at their lower ends in a down-hold, and threaded in the
plate L. These rods P, P, are connected by suitable gearing with a common
operating wheel p substantially as shown in the said former specification.
The last is supported as in the former patent at the heel and toe by vertical
posts Q, Q, and in order to obtain the upward motion of the last and upper, after it
has been lasted over the inner sole to hold it in place for the application of the securing
strip, these posts are made vertically movable and are supported at their lower ends
by means of adjustable stop-nuts q, upon a transverse bar R. A stirrup piece S
passes through the bar R and holds the same up by means of a screw-nut, the said
stirrup piece in turn is carried upon the short arm of the lever T, fulcrummed upon
a suitable projection from the bed of the machine. The long arm of this lever bears
against a cam U operated by the main shaft of the machine, and so timed that after
the lasting plates have closed over the work the cam U depresses the long arm of the

page_text: lever T, thus raising the short arm, the stirrup piece S, the transverse bar R, and the
posts Q, Q, thereby carrying the lasted upper upon the last firmly against the under
side of the lasting plates.
The machine also contains a device for adjusting the position of the upper at the toe
so as to be engaged by the grippers, which is constructed substantially as described in
the prior patent. This device, shown at V Figures 1 and 2 is supported upon wings v
extending horizontally from the posts ¹ on either side of the moving carriage which
carries the toe quadrants. It bears at the rear against springs which permit it to
yield when the last and upper are introduced into the machine as in the former patent,
and is provided with a retracting lever operated by the advancing toe carriage to move
the device away before the toe quadrants move over the upper at the toe to
last it.
To attach the retaining or securing strip by which the lasted upper is held in place
over the inner sole, 1 employ a presser block W whose acting face w (best seen in
section at Figure 5) corresponds in general contour with the shape of the sole of the
shoe to be lasted. This face w I make of a strip of cork as I thereby obtain a more
even and accurate pressure than has been given by rubber or any of the other
substances heretofore employed. The upper part of the presser block W, I mount
adjustably upon a swinging arm w¹ pivotted at one end upon a suitable post X, so that
it may be raised and lowered radially as shewn in Figure 5, and adapted at its other
end to engage with a rod w² operated by a treadle w by means of which the presser
block can be forced down upon the adhesive strip after it has been laid over the inner
sole and the edges of the lasted upper thus uniting the two together. I further
provide a slotted post or guide X' into the slot of which the arm w¹ enters when
brought down as previously described, thereby centreing the presser block W over
its work.
The series of operations performed by the machine is the same as was set
forth in the prior patent and a description of them therefore need not be repeated
here.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a lasting machine, the combination of the four-square system_of_shafts
and bevelled gearing B, B, B, B herein described, the four_cams D, D, D, D one
mounted upon each of said shafts, and the four sliding boxes E, E, E, E for carrying
and operating the heel, toe, and side lasting plates respectively, all substantially as
herein set forth.
Second. In a lasting machine the combination of the four-square system of shafts
and bevelled gearing B, B, B, B herein described, the four cams D, D, D, D one
mounted upon each of said shafts, and the four sliding boxes E, E, E, E for
carrying and operating the heel, toe, and side lasting plates respectively each
of said boxes being provided with adjustable bearings e, e for the purpose herein set
forth.
Third. In a lasting machine, the combination with the pivotted heel and toe lasting
quadrants G G of the lazy-tongs device g, g g¹, g¹ and its operating rod I, provided
with stop-nuts i, for opening and closing said quadrants, all substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
Fourth. In a lasting machine the improved gripping and releasing device herein
described, consisting of the pivotted jaws M, M the links m, m, and the operating
rod N, all substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In a gripping device for lasting machines, the combination with the plate L
of the hollow shell 1, the pivotted jaws M, M, links m, m, and operating rod N, all
substantially as set forth.
Sixth. In the gripping device of a lasting machine, the combination of the
plates K and L, the screw rod O passing through and bearing against the said

page_text: plate K and threaded in the plate L, the hollow shell 1, pivotted jaws m, links m, m
operating rod N, and springs n, surrounding the upper part of said rod.
Seventh. In a lasting machine the combination with the vertical rods which support
and raise the heel and toe of the last, of the transverse bar R, stirrup piece S,
lever T, and a cam U, operated from the principal source of power in the machine to
raise and lower the said posts, all substantially as set forth.
Eighth. In a lasting machine the combination with the presser block W of the
supporting post X, the slotted guiding post X¹, rod w², and treadle w³, all substantially
as herein set forth and for the purposes herein specified.