Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Compressing, Pre- paring for Nailing, and Nailing Heels in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Compressing, Pre-
paring for Nailing, and Nailing Heels in the Manufacture of
Boots and Shoes.
A communication from abroad by JAMES WILLSON BROOKS, of Petersham,
County of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman.
I Alfred George BROOKES of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London Chartered Patent Agent, 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 production of an organized machine
whereby a heel blank may be compressed, and loaded with loose nails, the said
nails being automatically assorted and presented to the nail box or templet from
which they are driven into the heel blank, the construction and assemblage of
the parts being preferably such as to enable several heel blanks to be acted upon
simultaneously.
The machine to be herein described as illustrating one practical form of this
invention is shewn as so devised as to first compress the blank, then prick it,
and afterwards drive the nails from a nail box into the holes pricked in the
blank, the nails being assorted and presented to one nail box while the nails are
driven from another nail box into a heel, and while another heel blank is being
compressed, but the pricking preceding the driving may be omitted.
The nail presenting mechanism herein shewn is composed of two sets of
roadways, one to receive the nails from the nail assorting mechanism, and the
other to conduct the nails to the nail box, the first set of roadways referred to
being fixed, while the second set is removable or detachable therefrom, so that
by substituting between the fixed set of roadways and the nail box a removable set
of roadways of the proper shape and number, nail boxes having holes arranged
in any desired shape may be supplied with nails, the nail boxes differing in the
arrangement and number of holes according to the particular heel blank to receive
the nails.
The nail boxes, one, or it may be two or more, and mounted upon a movable
carrier, are, when filled with nails, moved automatically into operative relation to
a heel blank independently supported below or in the line of movement of suitable
drivers.
The jaws for compressing the heel blank are peculiar as to their shape and form,
and as to their resultant motions and action on the heel blank, the aim being to
compress the heel as a whole against a breast plate, and at the same time provide
against any tendency of the said dies to be moved outwardly or laterally away
from the heel blank during said operation.
This invention consists in the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the
following instrumentalities, viz. :-a nail box; suitable mechanism to automatically
assort loose nails, deposit them in guideways, and feed them into the nail box;
beel blank compressing mechanism consisting of jaws to compress the heel blank
from edge to edge; a vertically movable heel seat die and yielding abutment
co-operating with said jaws to compress the said blank vertically; devices to
position a loaded nail box opposite one end of a compressed heel blank, and a series
of drivers and suitable actuating mechanism to drive the nails from the nail box
into the compressed heel blank, all these operations being performed in proper
succession during one cycle of operation of the machine, substantially as will be
described.
Also in the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following

page_text: instrumentalities, viz. ;-a nail box; suitable mechanism to automatically assort loose
nails, deposit them in guideways and feed them into the nail box; heel blank
compressing mechanism consisting of jaws to compress the heel blank from edge to
edge, a vertically movable heel seat die and yielding abutment co-operating with
said jaws to compress the said blank vertically; a device to automatically feed a
heel blank into position between the jaws of the blank compressing mechanism;
devices to position a loaded nail box opposite one end of a compressed heel blank,
and a series of drivers and suitable actuating mechanism to drive the nails from the
nail box into the compressed heel blank, all these operations being performed
in proper succession during one cycle of operation of the machine, as will be
described.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, ri; a gang of drivers; operating devices therefor; a circularly
movable table having a series of heel seat dies and a circularly movable table
having a series of nail boxes, the centres of motions of said tables being at opposite
sides the path in which the said drivers reciprocate, the said tables being also
arranged in different horizontal planes or one above the other, whereby a loaded
nail box may be interposed between the heel seat die containing a beel blank
and the lower ends of the drivers, as will be described.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, viz. a gang of drivers; operating devices therefor; a circularly
movable table having a series of heel seat dies and a circularly movable table
having a series of nail boxes, the centres of motions of said tables being at opposite
sides the path in which said drivers reciprocate, the said tables being also arranged
in different horizontal planes or one above the other, and heel compressing
mechanism, as will be described.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, i.; a separable mould to receive a heel blank to be compressed from
side edge to side edge; devices to open and close said separable mould; a series of
heel seat dies; and an intermittingly movable revolving carrier therefor to place
one heel seat die after another in co-operative position with the said mould, as will
be described.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, ris.; a series of vertically movable heel seat dies and. a yielding
abutment between which the heel blank is compressed vertically; edge compressing
jaws with which said dies co-operate in succession and actuating means to impart
to the series of heel seat dies a step-by-step movement to bring one die after
another into position to have the heel blank laid upon it and then to place said
blank within the said compressing mould, as will be described.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, viz.;-a heel support; a breast plate, a two-part compressing die, each
part adapted to act on the heel from its rear part substantially to its breast corner,
and actuating devices therefor, whereby movement is imparted to the side com-
pressors in a direction diagonal to a vertical plane drawn centrally through the
heel from its rear part to the centre of its breast, as will be described.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, riz. ;-a series of vertically movable heel seat dies, and a yielding
abutment between which the heel is compressed vertically, and an edge compressing
mould with which the heel seat dies co-operate in succession; and devices for
actuating the die carrier or plate and closing the compressing mould in time and
order, substantially as will be described, whereby the heel seat die is first operated
to effect the placing of the blank in the open compressing mould, the compressing
mould is then closed, the continued vertical movement of said die carrier or plate
resulting in the completion of the compression of the heel blank.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, ei. a driver-bar: a co-operating driver-plate having a series of
drivers; a nail box actuator consisting of a pointed stud or post; and a nail box
"

page_text: having a hole to be entered by the said actuator; and a carrier for the said nail
box; the nail box actuator effecting the registration of the holes in the nail box
with the holes in the nail box carrier and with the path of movement of the drivers,
as will be described.
Also the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, viz. ;-a compressing mould composed of edge compressors made
movable one toward the other, and having a co-operating stationary breast plate
beveled at the entering end of the mould, a movable heel seat die adapted to force
the heel blank into the mould, and devices to close the side edge compressing
mould, as will be described.
Also in the use with a series of nail lifters, and a series of nail discharging
devices, of a series of fixed tubes into which the said nails are delivered, an
independent detachable series of tubes located below the fixed tubes, and a stand
for supporting the detachable tubes independently of the fixed tubes and the part
holding them, as will be described.
Also in the use with a heel blank compressing mould, and a sidewise movable
heel-support, of one or more impaling pins, carried by said heel support, and
actuating mechanism for said support and pins, as will be described.
Also in the use in a machine for treating heel blanks, of the following instru-
mentalities, .;-a two-part side edge compressing-mould; a heel blank support;
heel blank pricking awls, and a heel blank feeder to feed a heel blank into position
to be put into the said mould, as will be described.
Fig. 1, in side elevation, represents a machine embodying my invention, one-half
of the tubes g' and the devices holding them being removed.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lever which serves as a yielding abutment for the
nail box located at the end of the compressing mould.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation and section of the machine shown in Fig. 1, behind
the line, the nail assorting mechanism being omitted.
Fig. 4, a sectional detail of the nail box carrier shaft and its attached gear in
the line, Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional detail in the line, Fig. 3.
Fig. 54, shows the locking plate of the clutch, and part of its holding pawl.
Fig. 6 is a vertical partial longitudinal section through the centre of the nail box
carrier shaft and some parts of the rear, most of the nail assorting mechanism being
omitted.
Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the irregular line ³ Figs. 1 and 6.
Fig. 7 is a detail in plan view of part of the heel blank feeding mechanism.
Fig. 7, shows the lever E³ detached.
Fig. 7, shows an underside view of the arm 47 and its toothed plate 46.
Fig. 8 in elevation, shows the heel seat die removed, it forming part of the heel
compressing mould.
Figs. 9 to 16 inclusive, on a larger scale however, show in detail the different
pieces shown assembled in Fig. 8.
Fig. 17 shows the shape of the upper end of the rod E¹.
Fig. 18 is a horizontal section taken through the nail box and its carrier.
Fig. 19, a left-hand end view of the nail box shown in Fig. 18.
Fig. 194, in elevation, shows the tread block detached.
Fig. 195, shows the breast plate detached.
Fig. 20, an enlarged detail of the clutch gear supposed to be on the shaft A*.
Fig. 21, a detail of the cam N.
Fig. 22, a development of the cam B.
Fig. 23 is a vertical transverse section of the nail assorting and delivery
apparatus on a large scale.
Fig. 24, an enlarged top or plan view of the nail assorting mechanism and its
actuating shaft, the figure being broken out to save space on the drawing.
Fig. 25 shows one series of lifters and discharging devices.
Fig. 26 shows one of the elevators c¹ detached.

page_text: 27 800ws one of the top plates 60.
Fig. 28 shows one of the detachable mouths.
Fig. 29 shows an underside view of the spider.
Fig. 30 shows a modified form of my invention in which the awls for pricking the
heel blank are omitted, the machine having but one beel seat die.
Fig. 31 a detail in vertical section through the centre of the nail driver bar,
and
Fig. 32 a detail of the driver guiding plate removed from Figs. 30 and 31.
The frame-work A, of any suitable shape to sustain the working parts, has a
power shaft A which may be driven in any usual or suitable manner from any usual
or suitable source of power.
This shaft has a pinion A which engages a gear A³ running loose on a cam
shaft A, said gear having coöperating with it some suitable sort of clutch baving a
lug, as A, with which co-operates a releasing lever A7, shown best in Figs. 1 and 20,
said gear running loose on the said shaft so long as the releasing lever acts as a stop
for the lug A, and whenever the releasing lever is turned to free the lug the
clutch operates and effects the coupling of the gear A³ to and so as to rotate
the cam shaft in unison with it for one rotation, when the lug will be again
arrested by the said lever controlled by a spring A' and the cam shaft be
stopped.
have not herein shown the construction in detail of this clutch as it is of
common form, and in practice it will be understood that this clutch may be
of any usual or suitable construction so long as it will operate in the manner
described.
The clutch preferred to use is of the kind having rolls located in cam-shaped
pockets so as to make a quick acting friction clutch pulley.
The releasing lever A is moved to release the lug by a link A³ attached to it
and connected to one end of a lever A pivoted at A, the forward end of the said
lever being extended to the front of the machine where it is shewn in Figs. 1 and 3,
as forked to constitute not only a hand piece but also a locking device as A" for
the nail box carrier shaft A18, so that the said shaft cannot be rotated while the
main cam shaft is rotating, the said locking device at such time entering as
herein shown, one of the holes A¼, see Fig. 5, in the locking plate A fast on
the shaft A13
The shaft A' has a cam B, see Figs. 1 and 22, the groove of which receives a
roller or other stud of a lever r, pivoted at r', the lower end of said lever as shown
best in Figs. 1 and 7, being jointed by a pin 4 to a link 3, in turn jointed to two
links,, in turn jointed at their opposite ends to two like mould carriers or
compressing devices shown as levers, having their fulcra at 8, said devices
carrying like mould parts or side pieces which contact with and compress the
edges of the heel blanks.
The cam shaft A' has a cam N, the shape of which is best shown in Fig. 21,
and the particular action of which in moving the heel seat mould will be hereinafter
described.
This cam, as represented, has a flanged periphery of irregular contour, said
flange receiving upon its inner side a roller or other stud n connected by a slide
bar adapted to slide in a guide-way N', represented by dotted lines Fig. 1, said
slide having also a second roller or other stud n³, against which rolls the periphery
of the cam N, the lower end of said slide bar being pivoted by a pin eor other-
wise to a link et in turn pivoted at eto two other links c, c', the link having as
herein shown its fulcrum on the stud A before described, the end of the link c
being represented as jointed to a link e, in turu jointed at its other end to a pin e
which constitutes the joint pin of the toggle d, d, one end of link d being on a fixed
pivot d² while one end of the other link is jointed to the movable bed C³, best
shown enlarged in Fig. 6.
The slide bar n', and the links c, c, c7, c³, constitute one form of actuating
mechanism for the toggle d, d, referred to, and instead of the particular parts

page_text: shown and referred to I may employ any other usual or suitable devices to break
and straighten the said toggle d, d', 'at the proper times with relation to the
operation of the other parts of the machine.
The bed C³ is provided with a vertical opening so that it serves as a bearing for
the bollow shank D of a rotating die carrier D'.
This die carrier, shown as made circular, is toothed to be engaged by a spur
gear D2 feather-keyed, see Figs. 3 and 4, on the shaft A13 so as to be slid
vertically on said shaft by or through the action of a notched flange or forked
plate D carried by or fastened to the bed C³.
The die carrier D' serves as a support for the base D5 of the heel seat die shown
best in Figs. 8 to 16, and in section Fig. 6, said base being represented as provided,
see Fig. 14, with holes d to receive suitable screws shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 6,
which attach the base to the die carrier or plate so as to partake of its sliding and
rotative movements.
This base D has like uprights Do notched as at D', see Fig. 14 to receive a
bridge-block D adapted to be attached to the base by suitable screws D³, one of
which is shown by full lines Fig. 7.
The bridge-block has two mortices do, do, which receive respectively like
bolts 3, 4, shown in section in Fig. 6 one of said bolts being shown separately
in Fig. 10.
These bolts have each a suitable slot or pocket 6 to receive one end of a screw 5,
see Figs 6 and 11, which serves to limit the extent of vertical movement of the
bolt which it enters, one each of said bolts normally resting against the levers 8, 9,
mounted on suitable fulcra 10, each lever in turn being acted upon by a suitable
spring 12 of a strength sufficient to serve substantially as a counter balance for the
lever.
Each lever, one shown in plan view Fig. 15 is forked or suitably shaped at its
end, as at 13, to receive and carry a block provided with impaling pius 15
adapted to be thrust up through the heel seat die E, see Figs. 6 and 13 to enter
and hold a heel blank in position while being compressed, etcetera, as will be
described.
P
This block has a stud 16 at each side which enters slot 17 in the lever 8, see
Fig. 15 and also dotted lines Fig. 6.
The hollow stem D of the die carrier or plate slides up and down on a post El
fixed in suitable manner to the frame A, the upper end of the said post, see
Figs. 6 and 17, being cut away as at E to leave a prong, represented as semi-
circular in cross section.
In the drawing Fig. 6, the bed C³ is shown in its most elevated or highest
position, as when the heel blank has been compressed, and when coming into this
position the bolt 4 extended above the bridge D, but the bolt as shewn is abutted
against the underside of the side pieces before referred to, and the further
elevation of the die carrier or plate acted to move the lever 9 in a direction to cause
the impaling pins to enter the heel blank at its seat end as represented in Fig. 6.
It will be understood, however, that at the previous descent of the die bed the
lever 9 was at the left-hand side of the centre of rotation of the die carrier or plate,
viewing Fig. 6 and that during said descent the said lever struck the upper end of
the post E, thus moving the lever to withdraw the impaling pins from a heel blank
after it had been loaded, and release the same.
While the die carrier or plate is in its elevated position and the heel seat die
is elevated as at the right in Fig. 6, the blank is pricked by awls operated as
will be described provided the blank is to be pricked, and thereafter the said die
carrier or plate will be lowered, and when lowered will be rotated or moved side
wise from below the compressing dies, the operator for such purpose moving
the trip Epivoted at E and having a dog 20, see Fig. I thus removing
said dog from one of the notches 21 of the locking plate A fast on
the shaft As and at the same time the said dog releases a projection w
forming part of a clutch So that the continuously rotating part E'

page_text: thereof may be fixed with relation to and rotate the shaft A13 half-way
around, for in Fig. 5 it will be seen that the plate w having the shoulder w
referred to has a second stop shoulder opposite, each striking in succession
the dog 20.
The part E' is shown as a grooved pulley adapted to receive a belt E extended
over suitable idle pulleys E8 and over a pulley E fast on the said shaft A' said
belt being moved continuously from the power shaft A'.
The semi-rotation of the shaft A3 by or through the gear D' in engagement
with the die carrier or plate toothed at its periphery, see Fig. 1, rotates the same
for 180°, thus bringing the bolt 3 above the lever 8 in the position to strike the
side pieces at the next rise of the die carrier or plate.
With the parts in the position Fig. 6, the descent of the die carrier or plate by
breaking the toggle will bring the end of lever 8 in contact with the post E', but
the lever 9 will not strike the said post and the lever 8 will be turned to withdraw
the impaling pins carried by it from the compressed and loaded heel blank, but the
lever 9 not so actuated will remain in the position shown with the impaling pins
actuated by that lever in the compressed heel blank, thus holding said blank while
the said die carrier or plate is rotated for 180° as before described.
Each seat die E has at its lower side a dovetailed rib 25 which enters a
dovetailed slot 26 in the holder 27 attached to the uprights De by screws 28, see
dotted lines Fig. 8, in holes 29, see Fig. 12.
The heel seat die is kept in place in the holder 27 by the plate 30 having
slots 31 for the reception of suitable screws 32, the said plate having a lip 33 which
comes opposite the dovetailed rib 25, but to withdraw the heel seat die and
substitute another one for it of the desired size and shape, it is only necessary to
loosen the screws 32 and slide the plate 30 longitudinally thereon the slots 31
permitting this.
The frame work A, see Fig. 7, has guides 34 which receive the breast plate 35
of the mould, said breast plate being shewn in vertical section in Fig. 6, and in
detail in Fig. 19B, said breast plate being bevelled at 36 so that the breast of the
heel lying on the heel seat die, as the latter is lifted from its extreme lower
position, the position it occupies when the heel blank is laid on the die preparatory
to lifting the same to place the said blank between the side pieces 7, acts against
the said bevelled edge 36 to aid in squaring the heel blank in the die.
The upper member of the compressing die is represented as a templet G having
movable Hanges or projections to rest on the side pieces 6, the said templet being
shown in section Fig. 6, and separately in Fig. 194, but omitted from between the
side pieces in Fig. 7.
This templet G, see Fig. 6, has a series of holes 36* for the puncturing awls 37
attached to a plate 38 carried by a plunger 39, the plate having upright walls, see
Figs. and 19, to form a guide-way into which enters the awl plate and awl
carrier.
This templet, G, it will be obvious, for the best results, must be free to yield
rather than break under excessive strain due to an excess of leather in the mould,
and consequently it is arranged to sustain the said templet by a yielding abutment
composed, as herein shown, of a lever G having its pivot at G2 and acted upon by
a strong spring G³ which acts against a collar G of a rod G5, the lower end of
said spring resting on a washer G contained in a guide or socket which encloses
the said spring, the said washer being acted upon by an adjusting screw G' screwed
into a suitable plate G³.
The short end of the said lever G', see Fig. 2, is to form two arms to bear on
the templet G in such manner as not to interfere with the piercing awls.
The awl slide 39 for actuating the awls 37 has journaled to it by pin 40 a
link 41, said link at its upper end fitting over a crank pin 42 attached to the front
end of the cam shaft A¹.
This crank pin at a point beyond the link 41 has fast on it a secondary crauk 43,
it in practice having a pin 44 shewn by dotted lines Fig. 3, as entering a cam

page_text: slot 45 in a driver bar 46 the said slot being of such shape as to enable an irregular
stroke to be given to the driver bar in order that the action of the drivers e may
be correctly timed with relation to the times of movement and of rest of the nail
box carrier and other moving parts, or in other words, the driver bar in its move-
ment up has periods of slow speed or rest, and of fast speed but so distributed that
may perform its duties during one rotation of the cam shaft.
it
The driver bar at its lower end is provided with a driver plate el which is fitted
into a suitable guide way made vertically movable in unison with the driver bar.
If by accident any part should break and leave the drivers in the nail box there
is provided means whereby the drivers may be lifted independently of the driver
bar, and this is effected by making the driver bar really in two parts, one part,
as e, which is carried by the driver bar in its vertical movements and is with-
drawable laterally from the main body of the driver bar, and this may be done as
stated while the drivers are in the nail-box, and thereafter the driver plate with
the drivers may be lifted into the space left by removing the part e².
It will be seen that the part e, at its upper side has dovetailed flanges or lips to
enter suitable guide-ways, see Fig. 3, of the driver bar, the part e² being held in
its adjusted position by a suitable set screw e³.
I have shown the driver bar as provided with a positioning pin e, see Figs. 3
and 6, preferably spring-controlled and adapted to enter a hole in the part e² to
accurately register it with relation to the driver bar, and the part has a suitable
spring pin or latch see Figs. 1 and 3, which enters a hole in the driver plate.
This ensures accurate registration of the drivers with the holes in the nail-box f
to be described.
The driver plate has a nail-box actuator e shown as a pin having a conical or
pointed end to enter a hole e8 in the nail box.
It will be seen that the nail-box provided with a series of nail holes 91, as best
represented in Figs. 6 and 18, rests upon the bottom plate 92 of a box carrier f1,
said bottom plate having, see Fig. 6, a series of holes 93 and a spring, the latter
acting against the nail-box and serving normally to keep the holes therein (which
holes will contain the nails to be driven), out of line with the holes 93 in the said
bottom plate when the nail-box actuator is free from the nail-box, but as the drivers
approach and are about to enter the holes in the nail-box to act on and drive the
nails therefrom and out through the holes in the carrier into the heel blank, the
said actuator enters the holes and in so doing moves the nail box horizontally
until the holes 91 and 93 register or come in line with not only themselves, but
also with the drivers, and after this, the drivers enter the holes 91.
The plunger 39 in this instance of the invention has a rack 10 which in practice
moves the sector lever e¹ to be described forming part of the nail delivery
mechanism.
The nail box carrier has, it will be seen, two like nail boxes arranged as here
represented diametrically opposite one another, one being in position to have nails
supplied to it automatically as will be described, while the other is in position over
a heel blank, pierced if desired, to have driven out from the nail box and into
such blank the nails previously supplied to the nail box before the semi-rotation of
the carrier or table on which it is supported.
The lower lever E³ previously described, (see Figs. 1, 78 and 7°,) has at one side
near its upper end rack teeth which engage teeth of a toothed plate 460 provided
with an arm 47 constituting a heel ejector, and moves said arm and causes it to act
against the side of and eject a loaded heel from the heel seat die when the die
plate is in its depressed position.
The toothed plate 460 is attached to a stud 460*, see Fig. 7 which enters
loosely a hole in an ear 461, see Fig. 1, forming part of the stand or upright .
The frame-work has a suitable arm or brackety which supports the nail assorting
and presenting mechanism to be described.
In the present drawings the bearing A fixed to the frame-work has a stand g
which at its upper end supports in a detachable manner a guide tube foot g², it

page_text: receiving and bolding the lower ends of the movable set of roadways ³, the upper
ends of the said roadways being held in a second plate ', herein shewn as
connected to the foot g2 by a suitable bolt, such construction enabling the road-
ways g as a whole to be removed from below the plate holding the lower ends
of the stationary roadways according to the particular shape of the holes in the
nail-box to be filled.
The plate shewn as made in two sections, has rising from it the stationary
roadways of the nail directing mechanism, each roadway having a suitable
funnel, see Fig. 23.
Each plate forms part of a detachable frame, the other parts of which are
marked y
13, the parts g3 supporting the upper ends of the roadways while
the parts serve to receive through them bolts 4.
It will, however, be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular
construction of the means for supporting the roadways g so long as they are so
supported as to be stationary and enable the roadways ³ to be readily removed
from below them.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 24 I will describe the nail assorting mechanism
and in said figures n represents a shaft provided with two opposite cranks
embraced by connecting rods n' attached to sliding tables C, C₁, the said shaft
having suitable fast and loose pulleys n³, nº, adapted to receive a belt driven from
some suitable counter-shaft or source of motion.
3
The segment-lever referred to, see Fig. 6, has teeth at its inner end which
engage teeth 50 of a rod 51 fitted to slide in a stationary guiding sleeve 52
depending from the frame and mortised to receive the toothed end of the said
segment lever, said rod having at its upper end a spider 53 shown in section and
enlarged in Fig. 23 and separately in underside view Fig. 29, said spider having
several parallel bars 54 with spaces between.
The bars of the spider support loosely upon them a series of plates 55, see
Fig. 23, to which are secured a series of elevators c, c¹, one of said elevators being
shown detached in Fig. 26, which act to lift the nails from the wells and put them
into the pools 14.
Each pool has openings at its bottom which receive the lifters h, h¹, and
discharging devices i.
The present drawing shows an extra lifter 4 against which the discharging
device rests in its vertical movements, the lifter 40 affording an extra support to
be had for the nails near the discharging device.
The lifters h, ', are in this instance shown as carried by a bar 56, supported by
springs 57 resting on a bar 58, from which rises the discharging devices i bevelled
at their upper ends as shown in Figs. 23 and 25, the bevels being at the sides of
the said lifting devices, said lifters discharging the nails lifted singly by them into
the sources b.
The bars 58 have screwed into them screws 59 which serve not only as guides
and to also support the springs 57, but the heads of the screws serve as limiting
stops to limit the upward movement of the bar 56 carrying the lifters.
The two bars 56, 58 are thus normally kept apart by the force of the springs 57.
When the spider 53 is in its depressed or lowest position, all the lifters as well
as the discharging devices have their upper ends substantially flush with or below
the bottoms of the pools, and as the spider is lifted, the lifters and the discharging
devices rise in unison through the bottoms of the pools and elevate with them and
keep in substantially horizontal position a nail, the upper ends of the lifters being
preferably notched to better enable them to carry up a nail.
On the upper edges of the curbing 60 separating the pools from the sources
referred to, are vertical prongs 61, shown best in Figs. 23, 24 and 27, against the
rear side of which prongs the lifters leave the two ends of the nails about as the
lifters complete their ascent, said lifters being, it will be understood, stopped when
the bar 56, resting on the springs and being elevated by the spider, contacts with
the carriages C, C, and thereafter as the spider continues to rise with the

page_text: discharging devices i, the latter acting upwardly and laterally by reason of their
beveled ends against the nail supported at its ends as described, causes the lighter
end of the said nail to be lifted above one or the other of the said prongs 61,
according to which one of said prongs the lighter or point end of the said nail
was in contact with, and consequently the said nails are unerringly directed point
first into the sources, and by them conducted through the tubes described into the
templets head up.
Desiring to elucidate the action of the lifters and discharging devices, I have in
Fig. 23, shown at the extreme left as next the viewer, one of the discharging'
devices i, and I bave dotted behind it one of the lifters h, the discharging device
being shown as in its highest position, it having on reaching that position discharged
the nail, it will be supposed, carried up by the lifters over to the left into the source b
and that the said nail has gone down through the guide tube 6 into the mouth 98 of
the roadway g².
Next in order to the right and at the right-hand side of the first set 24 I have
shown as next the viewer one of the lifters h, and have omitted the discharging
device, the section showing this particular set being such as to remove the discharging
device.
The third, fourth and sixth sets in succession are the same as the first, except that
I have not shown the lifters in dotted lines, but in the fifth set I have shown only
that one of the lifters against which the discharging device acts in its sliding
movements.
In practice and as represented herein, it will be understood that the bars 56, 58,
carrying the lifting fingers grouped in sets of three and having a discharging
device co-operating with the central lifting finger of the set, are supposed to be all
alike, but they are put into the machine so that their ends alternate, those in one
longitudinal row of lifting and discharging devices locating the discharging device
say at the right, as represented in Fig. 25, whereas in the next row the discharging
device will be at the left of the lifting finger with which it co-operates; or in other
words, the discharging devices in alternate rows rise and fall on opposite sides of a
vertical line drawn across the assorting mechanism and intersecting the line of
junction of cach discharging device with the finger with which it co-operates.
For convenience, I have made the sources detachable so that in case it is
desired to fill a greater or less number of roadways or tubes or to fill some tubes
and not others, the sources may be readily grasped by their handles 65 and be
lifted from the bars a¹, a', and the holes left by the withdrawal of the tube be
thereafter plugged or stopped in some suitable manner so as to prevent the further
delivery of nails into the corresponding tubes 97.
As stated, the cam shaft is stopped at the end of each complete rotation thereof,
and the machine is stopped with the die plate nearly down and with the compressing
mould fully down.
After the machine has been started by the hand lever A', the toggle link,-the
device herein illustrated as operating the die carrier or plate, will be gradually.
straightened, thus lifting the heel seat die until the blank properly supplied above
it is lifted into position between the side pieces b, the upward movement of the
heel seat die and blank stopping momentarily.
At this point the levers, are made to move about their pivots and cause the
side dies to firmly clasp the heel between them, after which the die carrier or
plate carrying the heel seat die continues and completes its upward movement, thus
strongly and powerfully compressing the heel blank.
As the blank is thus compressed and consolidated, the awls, if used, are made
to descend through the templet and prick a series of holes in the blank.
As has before been stated, the upward movement of the die carrier or plate
during the compressing operation resulted in causing that one of the bolts 3 or 4
which was underneath the side pieces to be pushed in and against the end of one
of the levers 9 or 8, thus turning said lever and causing its impaling pins to be
thrust into the heel blank.

page_text: Fig. 6 shows both sets of impaling pins in and acting to hold the heel blank.
Immediately after the awls Itave penetrated the heel blank, the heel seat die is
slightly depressed, the side pieces being slightly open preparatory to withdrawing
the awls, thus relieving the pressure of the stock upon the awls.
The awls having been withdrawn, the die carrier or plate and heel seat dies
complete their descent, during which operation the lever, let it be supposed in this
instance, 8, strikes the projection at the upper end of the post E¹, as will be
apparent from Fig. 6, thus turning said lever and withdrawing the impaling pins
controlled by it from the heel blank at that time upon the heel seat dic at the left
in Fig. 6, but during this descent, the lever 9 will not be moved but will remain in
position to retain its impaling pins in the compressed and pricked heel blank, so
that as the die carrier or plate D¹ is given a semi-rotation the said impaling pins
may retain the compressed and pricked blank in proper position to have its pricked
holes come properly under the holes 93 referred to.
Just before imparting to the die carrier or plate its semi-rotation above referred
to, the die carrier or plate is elevated slightly, due to the shape of the cam N
sufficiently to free the end of the lever 9 from the projection at the top of the
post E', so that the said projection will not interfere with the said lever during the
semi-rotation of the die carrier or plate.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the compressed and pricked heel
blanks are brought in succession underneath the plate 92 and under the series of
drivers, and it is while the awls are being withdrawn from the heel blank that the
drivers are made to descend and act upon the heads of the nails in the nail boxes
and it will be understood that after the drivers have driven the nails from the nail
box into the pricked holes in the heel that the drivers continue to descend sufficiently
while the die-carrier or plate also descends to enable the nails to be driven by the
drivers entirely out of the nail-box and the carrier 92 upon which the nail box is
supported.
While the drivers are descending to drive a series of nails from the nail box as
described, another nail box will occupy a position immediately under the foot g²
with which the tubes 3 are connected, and the mouths of the tubes g³ will be in
line with the holes 91 in the nail box, and while in this position the spider will be
elevated to cause the lifters to raise and the discharging device to discharge from
them the nails which will be delivered point first into the mouths and pass thence
from the tubes into the holes in the nail-boxes.
·
In this way, while one nail-box is in position to have the nails in it driven out
by the drivers, another nail-box is in position to be loaded automatically and the
loaded nail-boxes are brought in succession in line with and vertically 'above the
pricked heel blanks which are brought in succession into position with relation to
the loaded nail-boxes to have nails put into the pricked heels.
It will be understood that after the die carrier or plate D¹ has been lifted, as
stated, and slightly elevated, the drivers having been lifted, the operator will
engage the lever E³ to let the belt E start the clutch E' and impart a semi-rotation
to the shaft A to thus partially rotate the nail box carrier and at the same time
partially rotate, as stated, the die carrier or plate, and it will be remembered that
this movement of the lever E³ will also actuate the arm 47 to eject the loaded heel
from the heel seat die, from which the impaling pins have just been withdrawn, and
this partial rotation of the shaft A13 having been effected, it will be stopped
automatically by or through the clutch referred to, thus leaving the machine in all
its parts in readiness to be again started by the lever A to go through another
cycle of operations.
The clutch E' is represented as a double clutch, and I will now describe the
double or under part, it being instrumental in feeding the heel blanks to the heel
seat dies.
The loose collar of the under part is marked t, see Figs. 3 and 54, and it has a
lug acted upon by a releasing lever t² fast on a shaft 3 in a bearing t, the said
shaft at its upper end having a second arm t, the outer end of which is normally

page_text: kept by spring in range of movement of two studs or pins shown by dotted.
lines Fig. 5 at the underside of the locking plate A, the said pins acting in
succession once during each half-revolution of said shaft A3 to release the locking
plate of the under clutch hereinafter designated as the heel blank feeding clutch,
and enable the toothed part 8, shown as a gear, to be started with the constantly
moving part of the clutch E', said gear engaging the gear on the shaft pro-
vided at its upper end with a crank or equivalent (12 connected as shown best in
Fig. 7, by a link to a heel blank feeder 4, shaped to slide in a guideway and
above a plate 6, the delivery end of which terminates in close proximity to the
heel seat die before described.
These parts, a heel blank having been laid on the table 6, act to feed the said
blank automatically into position on the heel seat die or support.
Referring to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the levers are pivoted near their ends
and with such relation to the breast block 35, and that the side dies are so
shaped that as they close upon the heel blank, they act to force the breast of
the heel against the breast plate, thus giving defiuite shape and form to the heel
breast.
In machines heretofore used for compressing heel blanks from side edge to sile
edge, the two-part dies acting against the sides of the heel as contradistinguished
to its rear part, have been moved in planes approximately at right angles to the
median line of the heel, or a central line from the breast to the rear of the heel;
and it has also been proposed to divide the compressing dies into several sections,
those acting on the rear of the heel near its centre moving radially, while the
sections which were to act on the sides of the heel blauk near the breast moved in
planes at right angles to said median line.
In this present invention, however, the dies , b, they contacting with the sides
of the heel substantially to the breast corner of the blank, are moved in planes
inclined to said median line, and this particular direction of movement given to the
dies with relation to the median line of the heel blank and the breast plate con-
stitutes one of the important features of this invention, as thereby the pressure
against the heel in compressing it is distributed therein in lines inclined to the
median line of the heel from the rear of the heel to the breast.
This particular movement of the side dies with relation to the breast in order to
effect the shaping of the breast and rear of the heel is one of the essential features
of this invention and bas not, so far as I am aware, been previously practised in
a heel compressing machine, such movement dispensing with a three-part movable
mould.
While it is preferred for power and simplicity to employ the toggle d, d', yet
this invention is not limited to the use of only such a device by which to raise and
lower the movable bed C³, and in the place of said toggle, I may use any other
usual or known substitute or equivalent for raising and lowering the said bed.
It will be observed that pricking can be dispensed with without materially
changing the function or operation of the other parts of the machine, and further-
more, it is also obvious that the invention so far as it relates to the nail assorting
and driving mechanism is not limited to a mechanism in which the heel is also
compressed.
It is obvious that the construction of the several parts of the machine can be
greatly varied without substantially changing or departing from the essential
character and mode of operation of the invention.
In this invention, the nail boxes are movable with relation to the roadways, not
fixed, and there are a series of said nail boxes.
Referring to Figs. 30 and 31, the nail assorting mechanism, the cam shaft, its
cams and the toggle joint, and the compressing jaws and their actuating devices
are supposed to be just the same as in the figs. referred to.
The toggle joint is connected with and so as to reciprocate vertically a
carriage C³, which, however, is of about half the size of that represented in the

page_text: other figs., the said carriage having but one heel seat die E and impaling pins, as
before described.
In this modification I have omitted the driver-bar 46 and its actuating devices
as shown in the other figs., and instead have applied directly to the bar 39 a
plate carrying the drivers e and the positioning device e'.
I have also moved the shaft A, upon which is mounted the rotating table/",
closer to the path of movement of the heel seat die, so that the said shaft in its
rotations may carry the nail boxes into the space immediately above the side
compressing jaws and between said jaws and the templet 304, shaped somewhat
differently however, from that represented in the other drawings, and marked by
the letter 304, said templet having grooves at its inner side, as represented in
Fig. 32, into which grooves enter projections from the driver-bar 39, so that the
said templet rises and falls with the driver-bar.
In the modification, as in the previous drawings, the heel seat die lifts the heel
blank into position between the side compressing jaws and puts the tread end of
the heel blank directly against the under side of tho table, while the templet 304
descends upon the top of the nail box carried by the table, the said templet aiding
in holding the nail box firmly in position during the time that the drivers e act to
drive the nails from the nail box directly into the compressed heel blank.
In the drawings Fig. 31, I have shown a block of india rubber, the same being
marked 500, it being applied to the spindle A, and serving to sustain the pin 501
put through the hub of the table, the said pin resting in a notch in the upper
end of the said spindle, the rubber block permitting the table to yield slightly as
may be required.
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 machinery or apparatus for compressing, preparing for nailing and nailing
heels in the manufacture of boots and shoes.
1. The combination, arrangements and use of parts, whereby a heel blank may
be compressed and loaded with loose nails, the said nails being automatically
assorted and presented to the nail box or templet from which they are driven into
the heel blank, one, or (preferably) several heel blanks being capable of being
operated upon at one time, all substantially as set forth and shown by the
drawings.
2. The combination arrangement and use of parts coöperating together to first
compress the blank, then prick it, and afterwards drive the nails from a nail
receptacle into the holes pricked into the blank, the nails being assorted and
presented to oue nail receptacle while the nails are driven from another nail
receptacle into a heel and while another heel blank is being compressed, (or the
pricking aforesaid may be omitted) all substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
3. The mail presenting mechanism having sets of roadways, one to receive the
nails from the assorting mechanism and the other to conduct them to their
receptacle the former set being fixed while the latter set is removable, so that
by substituting therefor, as required, another of suitable shape and number, nail
receptacles having holes arranged in any desired shape may be supplied with nails,
all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. The combination or arrangement and use of parts forming the receptacle, or
receptacles, or boxes mounted upon a carrier and capable when filled with nails of
being moved automatically into operative relation to a heel blank independently
supported below or in or about the line of movement of suitable drivers
substantially as set forth.
5. The combination or arrangement of the jaws for compressing the heel blank
and their use to compress the heel as a whole against a breast plate, and at the

page_text: same time provide against any tendency of the said dies to be moved outwardly or
laterally away from the heel blank during said operation, substantially as set
forth.
6. The mechanism for treating heel blanks, consisting of a nail box; suitable
mechanism to automatically assort loose nails, deposit them in guideways, and feed
them into the nail box; heel blank compressing mechanism consisting of jaws to
compress the heel blank from edge to edge; a vertically movable heel seat die
and yielding abutment co-operating with said jaws to compress the said blank
vertically; devices to position a loaded nail box opposite one end of a compressed
heel blank, and a series of drivers and suitable actuating mechanism to drive the
nails from the uail box into the compressed heel blank, all these operations being
performed in proper succession during one cycle of operation of the machine,
substantially as set forth.
7. The combination or arrangement and use of the following instrumentalities,
riz.; a nail box; suitable mechanism to automatically assort loose nails, deposit
them in guideways and feed them into the nail box; heel blank compressing
mechanism consisting of jaws to compress the heel blank from edge to edge, a
vertically movable heel seat die and yielding abutment coöperating with said jaws
to compress the said blank vertically; a device to automatically feed a heel blank
into position between the jaws of the blank compressing mechanism; devices to
position a loaded nail box opposite one end of a compressed heel blank, and a series
of drivers and suitable actuating mechanism to drive the nails from the nail box
into the compressed heel blank, all these operations being performed in proper
succession during the cycle of operation of the machine, substantially as set
forth.
8. The arrangement or combination and use in a machine for treating heel
blanks, of the following instrumentalities, viz.;-a gang of drivers; operating
devices therefor; a circularly movable table having a series of heel seat dies and
a circularly movable table having a series of nail boxes, the centres of motions of
said tables being at opposite sides the path in which the said drivers reciprocate,
the said tables being also arranged in different horizontal planes or one above the
other, whereby a loaded nail box may be interposed between the heel seat die
containing a heel blank and the lower ends of the drivers, substantially as
described.
9. The arrangement or combination and use of the following instrumentalities,
viz. a gang of drivers; operating devices therefor; a circularly movable table
having a series of heel seat dies and a circularly movable table having a series of
nail boxes, the centres of motions of said tables being at opposite sides the path
in which said drivers reciprocate, the said tables being also arranged in different
horizontal planes or one above the other, and heel compressing mechanism,
substantially as described.
10. The arrangement or combination and use of the following instrumentalities;
viz. a separable mould to receive a heel blank to be compressed from side edge to
side edge; devices to open and close said separable mould; a series of heel seat
dies; and an intermittingly movable revolving carrier therefor to place one heel
seat die after another in cooperative position with the said mould, substantially as
described.
11. The combination or arrangement and use of the following instrumentalities,
wa series of vertically movable heel seat dies and a yielding abutment between
which the heel blank is compressed vertically; edge compressing jaws with which
said dies co-operate in succession, and actuating means to impart to the series of
heel seat dies a step by step movement to bring one die after another into position
to have the heel blank laid upon it and then to place said blank within the said
compressing mould, substantially as described.
12. The combination or arrangement and use of the following instrumentalitics,
via heel support, a breast plate, a two-part compressing die, each part adapted
to act on the heel from its rear part substantially to its breast corner, and actuating

page_text: devices therefor, whereby movement is imparted to the side compressors in a
direction diagonal to a vertical plane drawn centrally through the heel from its
rear part to the centre of its breast substantially as described.
13. The combination or arrangement and use of the following.instrumentalities,
vis.; a series of vertically movable heel scat dies, and a yielding abutment between
which the heel is compressed vertically, and an edge compressing mould with which
the heel seat dies co-operate in succession; and devices for actuating the die
carrier or plate and closing the compressing mould in time and order, substantially
as described, whereby the heel seat die is first operated to effect the placing of the
blank in the open compressing mould, the compressing mould is then closed, the
-continued vertical movement of said die carrier or plate resulting in the completion
of the compression of the heel blank as set forth.
14. The combination or arrangement and use of the following instrumentalities,
i-a driver-bar; a coöperating driver-plate having a series of drivers; a nail
box actuator consisting of pointed stud or post; and a nail box having a hole
to be entered by the said actuator; and a carrier for the said nail box; the nail
box actuator effecting the registration of the holes in the nail box with the holes
in the nail box carrier and with the path of movement of the drivers, as
. described.
=
15. The combination and use of the following instrumentalities, viz.;a com-
pressing mould composed of edge compressors made movable one toward the other,
and having a coöperating stationary breast plate beveled at the entering end of
the mould, a movable heel seat die adapted to force the heel blank into the mould,
and devices to close the side edge compressing mould, as described.
16. The combination and use with a series of nail lifters, and a series of nail
discharging devices, of a series of fixed tubes into which the said nails are
delivered, an independent detachable series of tubes located below the fixed tubes,
and a stand for supporting the detachable tubes independently of the fixed tubes
and the part holding them, as described.
17. The combination and use with a heel blank compressing mould, and a sidewise
movable beel-support, of one or more impaling pins, carried by said heel support,
and actuating mechanism for said support and pins, as described.
18. The combination and use of the following instrumentalities, viz.;-a two-
part side edge compressing-mould; a heel blank support; heel blank pricking
awls, and a heel blank feeder to feed a heel blank into position to be put into
the said mould, as described.
19. The combination or arrangement and use of parts so as to enable them to
coöperate together substantially as and for the purposes set forth with reference to
Figs. 30, 31 and 32.
20. The use for the purposes respectively set forth of any two or more of the
several combinations or arrangements of parts herein before described and claimed,
combined so as to coöperate together substantially as set forth.
Dated the 29th Jo of July 1802
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.