Year: 1899

page_text: Communicated by MICHAEL MITCHELL, of Portland, in the County of Cumberland,
State of Maine, United States of America, Shoemaker.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., Agent for Foreign Patent"
Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 relates to improvements in lasts and is designed to form a last
which will be easily and readily taken out from the shoe. It belongs to that class
of lasts particularly known as divided lasts and the invention consists in the
novel and peculiar way of dividing the fore and heel parts and in certain other
details of construction which will be hereinafter more fully set forth and
described.
In the drawings herewith accompanying and forming a part of this application.
the figure is an elevation of the improved last, a portion being broken away to
show the manner of attaching the fore part to the heel part, the dotted lines
showing the position of the heel part when the same has been moved upward
over the fore part.
In said drawings A represents the fore part of a last, B the heel part and Ca
tongue pivotally mounted at a point as D in the fore part and at a point as E in
the heel part. The line of division between the two parts begins at the point F
which is just before the rise or crown of the instep. The cut then takes the
direction of a perfect curve starting from said point to the bottom of the last.
The advantage of this cut being that the heel portion when moved upon the fore
part begins to retreat or in other words to lessen the length of the base line of
the last at once. In lasts as previously constructed when the heel part is moved
on the fore part the base line of the last is at first increased. This must neces-
sarily be so from the direction of the cut and position of the hinges. This makes
it much harder to withdraw the last from the shoe and subjects the counter of
the shoe to unnecessary strain and very often causes the same to be drawn out of
shape. In this last, as the heel part travels over the fore part the instep portion,
instead of being forced upwardly as it would were the last divided on a diagonal
line, is caused to travel forwardly and downwardly towards the front of the last,
causing in such journey very little increase in the vertical distance between the
top of the instep and the base of the last. In order to keep the two parts together
a tongue, pivoted in each portion, is employed. The pivot point in the fore
part is placed on one of the radii of the circle forming the divisional cut between
the fore and heel parts of the last, the pivot E in the heel part being without
and below said line when continued into the heel part and when the two parts
are in their normal position. To more exactly indicate the point in the fore part,
the pivot is placed at a point above the centre of the fore part considering as
the altitude the vertical distance from the top or the highest point of the fore
part to the bottom of said fore part. By placing the pivot as described the

page_text: sliding, movement of up and over the fore part without increasing the base line
is accomplished. Should the pivot in the tore part be placed below the centre a
movement to allow a sufficient shortening of the base line could not be accom-
plished and furthermore the heel part would' tend, when forced back into its
normal position, to fall below the base line of the last. If the pivot in the fore
part was placed higher up, the heel would swing too far forward and would not
return sufficiently to make the base line symmetrical, and further the pivot E in
the heel part is placed in line with the pivot D but above the same. By placing
the pivot in the heel part at a point as above indicated when the heel part is
moved on the fore part the tongue will not tend to cause the last to lengthen
as regards its base line but causes the same to be shortened. By making the
curve a long gradual one the heel part moves more easily on the fore part
and prevents the excessive tipping up of the heel part and furthermore
allows the instep portion 2 to move forwardly and downwardly over the fore
part, an important essential. By this immediate retreating of the heel part
from its retaining counter it is evident that the last may be withdrawn from
the shoe with less effort than when the heel part increases. By making the last
cut as shown it obviates and does away with the sharp angle which must neces-
sarily be on the heel portion when a cut is made either vertically or diagonally.
These sharp edges when the last is drawn from the shoe tend to catch in the
lining and tear the same. Also when the last is being used on the jack or other-
wise no strain comes upon the tongue as it would in the case of lasts divided
transversely or vertically, the cut on the last being so arranged as to distribute
the whole force of the blow throughout the whole last with the same effect as if
the last were not divided.
The advantages of this improved last are that it is simple, easy to construct
and presents the advantage of a uniform last with the addition that the same
may easily and readily be removed or placed in the shoe.
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;
-
1. In a divided last, a fore part, a heel part, said parts being divided on a
curved line, the line of division beginning at a point in front of the rise of the
instep and continuing therefrom to the base of the last substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
2. In a last divided on a curved line, the line of division beginning at a point
in front of the rise of the instep and continuing therefrom to the base of the
last and a tongue pivotally mounted in the fore and heel parts respectively whereby
said heel portion is allowed to move over said fore part shortening, at the moment
movement begins, the base line of the last, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. In a last divided on a curved line, a fore part, a heel part, the line of
division beginning at a point in front of the rise of the instep and continuing
therefrom to the base of the last, a tongue pivotally mounted in the fore and heel
parts respectively, the pivot in the fore part being placed at a point above the
centre of the fore part, the pivot in the heel part being above the pivot in the
fore part, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a divided last, a fore part, a heel part, the line of division between said
parts beginning at a point in front of the rise of the instep portion extending
therefrom in curved line to the base of the last, a tongue pivotally mounted in
the fore and heel parts respectively the pivot in the fore part being on one of
the radii of the curved line dividing the fore and heel parts, the pivot in the
heel part, when the said fore and heel parts are in their normal positions, being
without and below said radial line when continued into the heel part, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In a last divided on a curved line, the line of division beginning at a point

page_text: in front of the rise of the instep and continuing therefrom to the base of the last
and means for connecting the fore and heel portions, whereby said heel portion is
allowed to move over said fore part shortening, at the moment movement begins,
the base line of the last, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 11th day of December 1899.