Connected there
Year: 1885

page_text: Machinery Connected therewith.
I, JOHN BLAKEY of Lady Lane, Leeds Yorkshire, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
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MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY CONNECTED THEREWITH
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The primary object of this Invention which has reference to the manufacture of
boots and shoes is to economize leather, and reduce the waste when cutting out
soles from a range or width of leather.
According to the present system and means of cutting out soles there is always a
large percentage of wasted material both at the edges of the range and also between
the outlines of the soles, but under my invention the waste of leather in cutting
out soles is brought to a minimum.
According to my method of manufacture I employ when making a full sized
boot, a range of leather about three inches narrower than that required for a
complete sole as ordinary formed so that when the sole is cut out, it is short both
at the heel and toe and when building up the heel the missing part is filled in by
an inferior piece of leather as shewn at fin Fig. 1 sheet 1, but the missing part of
the toe is filled in by a good piece of wearing leather which if necessary may be
compressed, or a metal tip may be used instead, as shewn at g in Figs 1 and 2.
In cutting out the soles according to my Invention I dispense with the ordinary
entting die or block as shewn on the drawing Fig. 7 and use instead thereof a
single bladed knife of such a shape and size as that each sole shall be cut off the
range without waste of leather, the soles cut fitting into each other; and being
alternately right and left.
The machinery I employ for cutting the soles consists of any ordinary punching
machine, but I prefer to use in connection there with a rocking or yielding table
provided with suitable stop pieces and gauges, so as to adjust the table to the
knife for different sized soles.
In order to carry out my invention I shape the soles so that they fit each other-
that is to say I so shape. them that the concave part of one fits into the convex
part of the other as shown in Fig. 8 of the accompanying drawings which illustrates
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page_text: a series of soles arranged side by side, but in order to make them fit as nicely as
the drawings represent, the points of the toes and heels are not lineable, but are
placed in and out in a slightly zigzag form. I then draw vertical lines A and B
and call that the width of the range of leather, I also make the knife for cutting
them of the shape C to D so that when cutting out the soles, the only waste of
leather is in the first and last cut and small bits at the corners as indicated in
black.
It must of course be understood that after each cut is performed, and a sole made
that the edge of the range is left with a curve forming one side or edge of another
sole, the range must therefore be reversed, or turned over for the next cut and so
on after each cut by which means the waste of leather is greatly reduced, and the
process of cutting is easy to perform. Fig. 9 shews a range of leather marked with
lines to indicate the forms of soles cut by the knife E.
The machine I employ for cutting may comprise any ordinary punching machine
as is illustrated in Fig. 3 which is side elevation, and Fig. 4 end elevation and
Fig. 5 plan view of same. F is standard and G the punch having an upward and
downward motion given to it by any ordinary means. E is the knife made secure
in the plate H see section Fig. 6 and I is a guide plate or table on which the range
of leather is placed.
This table is carried by a shaft J upon which it is capable of rocking as herein
after explained by the pressure of the punch each time a sole is cut, whilst a spiral
spring a is employed to lift the table back again into a horizontal position, and an
adjusting screw K is used for the purpose of adjusting the level of the said table as
the cutting edge of the knife wears away.
The action of the machine is as follows-
When commencing to cut out soles from a range of leather the cutting table is
placed in proper position with the knife according to the size of sole to be cut and
for that purpose an adjustable stop piece 4 is employed in which is a gauge M marked
so as to represent the width of different sizes of soles, whilst a gauge N is employed
to determine the length of sole, if therefore soles for boots sizes tens were to be cut
the gauge M would be set to regulate the width whilst the edge 6 of the cutting
table I would be set to the gauge N which is effected by turning the hand wheel Ō
of the shaft J which has a screw thread formed on it working in a nut c projecting
from the underside of the table, by which means the table can be worked backward
and forward according to the length of sole to be cut. After the table I and stop
piece Mare adjusted in relation to each other, a range of leather is then placed
upon the said table, the front edge of which is pushed against the stop piece M,
whilst the right hand side of the said range is pushed against a ridge d projecting
up from the cutting table I, by this means the range of leather is kept in proper
position for cutting.
The punch then descends and forces the leather through the knife, the table I
rocking upon the shaft J, so as to allow the knife to penetrate through the leather
as will be easily understood. The range of leather which is perfectly parallel is
then turned over or reversed and another sole cut off and so on, until the leather
is used up, each time the leather is severed a sole for the right and left foot
is alternately cut, whilst in addition to the sole cut off, the range of leather is left
with a proper formed edge of the next succeeding sole.
Instead of the table I rocking it may be made to yield or sink at right angles
to its plane.
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
Firstly. The method of manufacturing boots and shoes where the soles which are
short at the heel and toe are cut with a single bladed knife whereby each cutting
operation forms one side or edge of the next succeeding boot sole substantially as
herein described.

page_text: Secondly. The method of preparing boot and shoe soles which are short at the
heel and toe, by the use of a single bladed knife in the manner and for the purpose
herein described.
Thirdly. The arrangement of a machine for cutting out the soles of boots and
shoes, constructed and operating substantially as herein described.
Fourthly. The employment in a sole cutting machine of an adjustable stop
piece 4 or M and adjustable ridge d substantially as described.