Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1897-Accepted, 28th Aug., 1897
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 and 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:—
The present invention relates generally to pressing forms for sole laying machines
and more particularly to such types of said forms as embody a continuous elastic
pressing pad, whereby after the cemented sole is placed upon the bottom of the
unfinished shoe upon its last, it is pressed to bring it to the proper contour to be
stitched to the welt, and to set the cement to temporarily hold the sole in the required
position.
twist
"
As many styles of lasts are made, there is what is commonly termed a
therein, which brings the plane of the bottom of the fore part laterally oblique to
the plane of the bottom of the heel, in other words, as the shoe is commonly jacked
with the sole up, one edge of the fore part is lower than the other. When the usual
form of continuous pad is applied to a last of the shape above designed, in order that
the lower edge of the fore part may be brought under pressure, the upper edge must
be embedded in the material of the pad, and for the above reason, before sufficient
pressure can be brought upon the lower edge of the sole to properly lay the same, too
great pressure is brought to bear on the upper edge, bringing it too far down over the
edge of the last.
Attempt has been made in the prior state of the art to remedy the objections above
noted by the use of a relatively thin pad, or pressing sheet, supporting upon indepen-
dently yielding sections, commonly spring supported as shewn, but it is evident that
since the spring supported sections hold the pad in a substantially horizontal position,
before the pad can be brought in contact with the lower edge of the sole, the springs
supporting the pad supporting sections along the opposite edge must be sufficiently
compressed to tip said sections to allow the pad to conform to the twist in the last,
and if the springs are stiff enough to properly support the sections during the sole
laying operation, owing to the additional compression of the springs along the high:
side of the last, a substantial increase of pressure will be obtained thereon.
The object of the present invention is to do away with the independently yielding
supporting sections of the prior state of the art, and to provide a continuons pad, the
heel and fore part portions of which shall have a relatively twisting or torsional move-
ment to enable the pad to conform to the twist in the last without a substantial
difference in the pressure obtained upon opposite sides of the last, and to the above end
the present invention consists of the devices and combinations of devices hereinafter
set forth and claimed.

page_text: A preferred formn of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central vertical section through a form embodying the
same, and
Figure 2 is a transverse section on line x-x Figure 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.
In the drawing A represents the supporting bed, which is rigid and preferably has
the general contour of the bottom of the last, the bed A conveniently carries a boss a,
having a bearing a¹ for the trunnion which secures the form in position upon the
machine.
The pressing pad is shown at B, and is made of rubber or other suitable material,
and may be a continuous pad of any suitable form and construction, as shown in the
drawing the pad B is of substantially the form of a shoe sole in general outline and
has a reinforcing strip b, and the projecting shank portion b'.
In accordance with the present invention the heel portion of the pad B is fixedly
secured to the bed A, and the fore part is secured to said bed in such manner that it is
free to twist or move torsionally with reference to the fore part to conform to the twist
in the last.
As shown in the drawing I secure the above suggested results as follows:
From the heel portion of the bed A is projected the downwardly extending
flange a², which preferably surrounds the heel portion of the pad B, and to which the
pad B is secured conveniently by means of the bolts a³, extending through the
flange a² and the reinforcing strip b.
The fore part of the pad B is not secured directly to the bed A, but is mounted
upon what I have herein termed the forepart rest D, which is mounted upon the
bed A.
As shown in the drawings the fore part rest D is provided upon its upper face with
a hemispherical boss d, which is fitted to a circular bearing a' in the bed A. In the
boss d is formed a threaded bearing for a bolt d', which passes through a block of
rubber, or other suitable elastic material E, the head of the bolt d¹ resting upon the
upper surface of the block E.
The block E spans the aperture in the bed A formed by the circular bearing a', and
overlaps and is supported by the bed A.
:
and
The function of the block E is to hold the boss d up to its fit in its bearings a*,
at the same time to allow it to move freely in the bearing a', to allow the fore part
rest to tip as hereinafter described.
The block E also acts to return the fore part rest D to its normal position after it
has been tipped to enable the pad to conform to a twist in the last. While I find the
block E to be a simple and effective means for securing the desired result I by no
means consider the present invention limited to such arrangement, but I consider
that my present invention includes any means of supporting the boss d in its
bearings *, which will permit a movement of said boss to allow the fore part rest D
to move as required.
I may further say in this connection that it is not essential that the boss & be
connected with the bed A by an elastic connection, since the elasticity of the pad B
itself, since the heel portion is fixed as before stated will act to restore the fore part
rest D, to its normal position after pressure has been removed from the pad.
"
The boss d and its bearings a form an unyielding support for the fore part rest D
at any inclination.
The fore part rest D is preferably provided with the downwardly projecting
flanges d, through which pass bolts d³, or other suitable fastenings, whereby the pad B
is secured to the fore part rest D, the reinforcing strip 6 bearing against the lower face
thereof.
The form may be provided with the usual shank block F, but no further description
thereof is necessary herein, as such devices are well known in the art, and form no
part of the present invention.

page_text: The operation of my invention in so far as it need be described herein is as
follows:-
The usual seating of the form common in many types of sole layer machines, before
the motion of compression commences, causes the fore part support to tip in the
required direction, the block E being arranged to yield to a slight effort, and the
pad B is brought into conformity with the sole.
The motion of compression then commences and since the fore part rest D is
unyieldingly supported at any required inclination the pad, in whatever position it
may have been brought, exerts an even pressure upon both sides of the fore part. If
while pressure is being applied, one side of the fore part of the sole is brought down
below the other, the fore part rest will be immediately further tipped until the
pressure upon opposite sides of the sole has been equalized.
I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to mount the whole form upon a
hemispherical boss, but such arrangement, while permitting the whole form to tip in
any direction, permits no torsional movement of the fore part with reference to the
heel portion. I am also aware that it has been proposed to mount a continuous
elastic pad upon a series of transverse rigid ribs extending across the pad and supported
on a bed of rubber, but such bed of rubber so far as it permits any tipping of the ribs
to allow a torsional movement of the parts of the pad is clearly the equivalent of the
springs as herein before referred to, and the construction has all the disadvantages
herein before proposed.
It has also been heretofore proposed to provide a series of independent pad sections
free to tip in any direction, but in so far as I am advised of the state of the art I am
the first to provide in a form for sole laying machines a continuous elastic sole
pressing pad having a relatively fixed heel portion and a fore part capable of a
torsional movement relatively to the heel portion, and capable of applying a uniform
pressure to all parts of the sole.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a form for sole laying machines, a continuous elastic sole pressing pad having
a relatively fixed heel portion, and a fore part free to move torsionally with reference
to the heel portion, substantially as described.
2. In a form for sole laying machines, the combination, with a rigid supporting bed,
of a continuous elastic sole pressing pad, the heel portion of which is fixedly secured
to said form, and a fore part rest supporting the fore part of the form, and free to tip
laterally upon the bed, substantially as described.
3. In a form for sole laying machines, the combination, with a rigid supporting bed,
of a continuous elastic pressing pad, the heel portion of which is fixedly secured to
said bed, and a fore part rest supporting the fore part of the pad, and mounted to tip
in all directions on the bed, substantially as described.
4. In a form for sole laying machines, the combination with a rigid supporting
bed, of a continuous elastic pressing pad, the heel portion of which is fixedly secured
to the bed, and a fore part rest provided with a hemispherical boss free to move in all
directions in bearings in the bed, substantially as described.
5. In a form for sole laying machines, the combination, with a rigid supporting
bed, of a continuous elastic pressing pad, the heel portion of which is fixedly secured
to the bed, a fore part rest for the fore part of the pad, and suitable connections
between the fore part rest and bed arranged to permit a tipping movement of the
fore part to allow the fore part to adjust itself to a twist in the last, substantially as
described.
6. In a form for sole laying machines the combination, with a supporting bed, of a
continuous elastic pressing pad, the heel portion of which is fixedly secured to the
bed, a fore part rest, a ball and socket connection between the fore part. rest and bed.

page_text: and an elastic block or washer arranged to hold the ball to its bearing in the socket
and to permit it to turn therein, substantially as described.
Dated the 8th day of June 1897.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.