improvements in eelming matures.
Year: 1885

page_text: improvements in eelming matures.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, of 52 Chancery
Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the
nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEEL TRIMMING MACHINES"
(a communication to me from abroad by Aaron Frederick Smith, of Lynn, in the
County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Engineer),
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to machines for trimming boot and shoe heels in which
a rotary cutter is employed, which is moulded to impart the desired form to the
heel, and the heel is pressed to the cutter by the hands of the operator.
The invention consists first in a rotary moulded cutter, having a rest or guard
which I call the rand guide, formed to enter the rand crease between the rand or
heel seat and the counter of the boot or shoe to guide the heel and prevent the
knives from cutting the counter, combined with a non-rotating guard or rest for
the edge of the top lift of the heel, which guard prevents the cutter from acting
on the top lift and enables the latter to act as a guide or template by which the
quantity of material removed from the heel by the cutter is determined, and
preferably has a yielding movement across the cutter toward and from the rand
guide, so that it will accomodate itself to the variations in the width of the.
moulded surface of the heel from top to bottom, such width being greater at the
rear than at the sides of many heels, particularly those of ladies boots.
The invention also consists in making the rand guide and top lift guard non-
rotary, so that they will not burn the parts of the upper and heel pressed against
them. The invention also consists in certain details of construction, all of which
I will now proceed to describe and claim.
Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1
represents a perspective view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 represents a hori-
zontal section of the same through the centre of the cutter. Fig. 3 represents a
perspective view of the top lift guard. Fig. 4 represents an end section showing

page_text: the portion of the top lift guard when the back of the heel is being trimmed; and
Fig. 5 represents a similar section showing the position of said guard when the side
of the heel is being trimmed.
The saine letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings, a represents the supporting standard or frame, having
bearings b, b', in which is journalled the cutter operating arbor c. d represents
the cutter which is composed of the head 2, and the knives 3, 3, secured thereto.
The head 2 has a central hub, which receives the arbor c and is secured thereto by
means of a shoulder on the arbor, and a circular nut e, screwed on to the threaded
end of the arbor and holding the hub against the shoulder, on the arbor c. The
knives 3 are preferably made of sufficient width to trim entirely across the heel,
and are clamped at their edges between a bevelled shoulder 4, formed on the.
head 2, and a flange 5, on the nut e, which bears against the edges of the knives
at the outer end of the cutter and presses their opposite edges against the
shoulder 4.
The knives are additionally secured by pins or studs f, projecting outwardly from
the head into slots in the rear ends of the knives. Each knifo bas a rand trim-
ming portion g¹ at its outer end, which portion I call for convenience a rand knife.
h represents the rand guide which is a disc of metal having a thin edge located
close to the rand knives and formed to enter the groove between the rand or heel
seat and the counter of a boot or shoe, to prevent the knives from cutting said
counter, the disc being chambered at its inner side to receive the nut c. The rand
guide is attached by screws i, i, to an arm j, which is rigidly attached by a clamp l,
and a clamping screw k, to the fixed frame, back of the arbor c, the rand guide
being therefore fixed and incapable of rotating, so that it will guide the heel
during the trimming operation, without burning or injuring it or the counter by
friction.
m represents the top lift guard which is composed of a curved plate having two
curved surfaces 7, 8, formed at an angle to each other, the surface 7 bearing against
the edge, and the surface 8 against the tread surface of the top lift of a heel
presented to the cutter. The guard m is supported by means hereinafter described
so that the surfaces 7 and 8 are substantially concentric with the surface of the
cutter and as close thereto as possible without actual contact with the cutting edges
of the knives. Said guard is attached to a shank n, which is capable of oscillating
horizontally and reciprocating lengthwise on a pivot o, and between two guides
or parallel ears p, p, affixed to the frame, said pivot passing through said ears and
through a slot q, on the shank n. A spring r, (Fig. 2) interposed between the
pivot o, and one end of the slot q, tends to move the shank n, and the top lift
guard m, toward the rand guide, while a spring 8, (Fig. 2) affixed to the frame and
pressing outwardly on the shank n, tends to move the top lift guard outwardly
from the cutter, so that the operator can place the top lift of the heel to be
trimmed against the guard m, while the latter is moved away from the cutter, and
then move the guard inwardly with the heel toward the cutter. This inward
movement is limited by a moulded collar or guide t, (Fig. 2) affixed to the bearing b,
and having the same curvature as that part of the cutter over which the top lift
guard is movable, and a screw u, inserted in the shank n, and bearing against the
moulded collar of guide t. It will be seen therefore that when the shank is moved
lengthwise the moulded collar t, will cause the top lift guard to move in a curved
path parallel with the transverse or horizontal curvature of that part of the cutter
over which it projects, the guard being thus kept uniformly near the surface of the
cutter.
'
In trimming a heel the operator presents the heel to the cutter so that the raised
guide enters the groove between the rand or heel seat and the counter, and the top
lift hears against the top lift guard, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the spring r
holding the top lift guard with a yielding pressure against the tread surface of the
heel. The operator now turns the heel to present all parts of the surface to be

page_text: trimmed to the cutter, the rand guide being kept in the groove between the heel
seat and counter during the entire operation.
When the wider rear portion of the heel is being trimmed the heel seat guard
yields to the increased width of the heel and is moved away from the rand
guide, and when the narrower side portions are being trimmed the top lift guard
being kept in contact with the heel by its spring, moves toward the range guide,
the difference in the position of the top lift guard caused by the said variations in
the width of the trimmed surface being shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
The operator is thus enabled by a single presentation of the heel to the cutter,
to effect the entire trimming operation, only one cut being required instead of two
cuts, as usually required in trimming machines having rotary cutters. The top
lift guard prevents the cutter from trimming the top lift and causes the latter to
act as a guide or template in determining the depth of the cut into the heel. Said
guard being non-rotating does not burn or injure the top lift by *friction.
My invention is not limited to the details of construction described and shown.
The rand guide may if preferred be mounted loosely on the arbor, so that it will
be prevented from rotating by the pressure of the work against it instead of being
positively held, as shown. The top lift guard may be attached to an armn which is
pivoted to swing in the arc of a circle parallel with the portion of the cutter over
which it moves. Nor is my invention limited to a top lift guard having a yielding
movement, for if desired the non-rotating guard may be held stationary by rigidly
affixing its shank n, to the ears p, p. This may be done by clamping said ears or
guides tightly against said shank by the pivot o, on which the shank oscillates
when it has the yielding movement. Said pivot is formed as a screw, its threaded
end entering a threaded orifice in one of the lugs p, while its head bears on the
other lug, hence it is capable of being loosened to permit the shank n, to move
freely as described, or to make said shank immovable. To aid the operator
in presenting the heel to the cutter I provide a rest w, affixed to the
frame and projecting forward of the cutter, and preferably below its axis, so
that it will support the surface of the heel below the point where it is being
trimmed.
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
1st A rotary moulded heel trimming cutter combined with a non-rotating top
lift guard, as set forth.
2nd The combination of a rotary moulded heel trimming cutter, a rand guide
and a non-rotating top lift guard, as set forth.
3rd A rotary moulded heel trimming cutter combined with a rand guide and a
top lift guard having a yielding movement, as set forth.
4th A rotary moulded heel trimming cutter having a rand guide combined with
a non-rotating top lift guard having a yielding movement, as set forth.
5th The combination of a rotary moulded heel trimming cutter, a rand guide
a top lift guard and means substantially as described for giving a yielding move-
ment to said guard in a path parallel with the transverse curvature of the cutter,
as set forth.
6th The combination of the rotary moulded cutter, the rand guide, the top lift
guard, the longitudinally movable and oscillating shank supporting said guard, the
springs whereby said guard is pressed toward the rand guide and outwardly
from the cutter, and the fixed moulded guide or collar whereby the top lift guard
is guided in a curved path parallel with the moulded surface of the cutter, as set
forth.
7th The combination of the moulded cutter, the rand guide, the arm j to which
said guide is rigidly attached and means as described for detachably securing said
guide to the supporting frame.

page_text: 8th The combination of the shouldered arbor c, the cutter head having the
bevelled shoulder 4, the cutting knives bearing against said shoulder and the nut e,
screwed upon the arbor to hold the cutter head thereon, and having a flange bearing
against the knives and holding them in engagement with the bevelled shoulder on
the head, as set forth.