Turned Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Turned Boots and Shoes.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which
has been communicated to me from abroad by Augustus Seaver and Edward
Bayliss Seaver, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, and Charles
Denny Wood, of Lincoln, Rhode Island, United States of America, Gentlemen, 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 to provide a machine whereby the uppers and
outer soles of turned shoes may be connected by loops of thread drawn inwardly
through the edge of the upper, and the edge of the sole, and engaged or locked on
tongues cut on the upper surface of the sole.
The invention consists in a curved needle having knives formed to make incisions
in a surface penetrated by the needle, and thereby form said tongues, and in the
combination with said needle of a looper, cast off, take up, and awl, which parts
co-operate with the needle, as I will now proceed to describe and claim.
Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1,
represents a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Figure 2,
represents a front elevation of the same. Figure 3 represents an elevation of a
part of the side opposite to that shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 represents a section
on line x, x, Figure 3. Figure 5 represents a section on line y, y, Figure 2.
Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively end and side views of the needle and needle
arm, showing a part of the last and the shoe thereon. Figure 8 represents a section
on line 2, 2, Figure 7. Figure 9 represents a top view of the matter shown in
Figure 7. Figure 1a, represents a section on line x¹, a¹, Figure 1. Figure 1b,
represents a modification.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings, a represents the supporting frame having bearings in which is
journalled the shaft b, to which are affixed the operating cams hereinafter described.

page_text: c represents the curved needle which is provided on its concave side with the
curved blades or wings c¹, c', which terminate a short distance back of the needle
and are sharpened at their ends to form cutting edges, which enter the sole of a
boot or shoe after the needle has penetrated it, and by making two parallel
incisions, form a tongue t, of leather over the inner end of the hole through which
the needle passes, as hereinafter described.
The needle is secured to an arm d, which is mounted to oscillate on a stud e,
affixed to the swinging head or plate h, hereinafter described, and is connected by a
rod f, with a slide 9, (Figure 5) which is reciprocated vertically in a guide or way
formed for it in a head h, and thus through the rod f, oscillates the needle arm d,
and its needle, the latter being so arranged that when it is moved forward it will
enter the upper surface of the sole 8, of a lasted boot or shoe presented to the needle
in the manner shown in Figure 1, and pass out through the edge of the sole and
the portion of the upper u, that bears against the edge of the sole c', c¹, following
the needle point and cutting into the upper portion of the sole from the point where
the needle entered the sole, part way but not entirely to the edge of the sole, thus
forming a tongue t, of leather connected to the sole at a point near the outer edge
of the latter, and having a free end projecting inwardly over the hole through
which the needle passed in entering the sole. When the needle is moved back-
wardly its barb draws a loop of thread through the edge of the upper and the
portion of the sole penetrated by the needle, and above the upper surface of the
sole and the tongue t, formed by the forward movement of the needle. After
the loop is thus drawn out, the needle moves slightly forward to release the loop
and then pauses while the loop is being drawn in and guided over the upper
surface of the tongue of leather by the devices hereinafter described the loop being
drawn in until it closely surrounds the base of the leather tongue and is thus
secured to the sole.
The slide g is reciprocated to oscillate the needle as described by a cam groove i,
in a cam j, affixed to the driving shaft b, the slide having a stud or roller k,
projecting into said cam groove. The arm d, has a curved rib or seat formed to fit
between the knives c¹, c, of the curved needle as shown in Figure 8, the needle
being clamped against said rib or seat by a curved clamping plate d¹ formed to
receive the body of the needle and secured to the arm d by a screw 1. This
construction permits the needle to be adjusted end wise to compensate for the wear
of the knives c¹ the clamping plate being loosened before and tightened after said
adjustment.
The head which supports the needle and its operating slide is connected to the
frame a, by a pivot m, which permits the head to oscillate so as to move the needle
laterally and cause it to feed the work as hereinafter described. The swinging
head has an arm h¹ provided with a roller n, which is pressed by a spring o, against
the perimeter of the cam j, said cam being formed to oscillate the head as required
to cause the feeding movements of the needle.
The thread is presented to the barb of the needle when the latter is projected, by
a looper p, which is an offset arm having a thread guiding orifice, and affixed to a
stud p¹, which is journalled in a tube or casing q, affixed to the frame a. Within
said casing is a sleeve r, which partially contains the stud p¹, and is adapted to
move longitudinally in the casing q. Said sleeve has a short oblique groove v,
which receives a pin w, on the stud p¹ (see Figure 3). The sleever does not
rotate, and when reciprocated lengthwise said groove and pin cause the stud p' and
looper p, to oscillate or rotate alternately in opposite directions, thus giving the
looper the movements required to present the thread to the projected needle. The
sleeve r, is reciprocated by means of a lever al pivoted at 6' to the frame a, and
engaged at one end by means of a slot e¹ and pin f¹ with the sleeve r, a cam f³, on
the alafu b and a spring g¹ which presses the opposite end of the lever a¹ against
said cam.
¹ represents a cast off or curved finger attached to an arm ¿¹ which is pivoted
àt to the head h, and is pressed by a spring k¹ so that its upper end bears against

page_text: one side of the cam ;, said cam having a recess or concavity in its edge, which at
intervals permits the lower end of the lever with the finger h¹ to swing toward the
needle. Said finger when thus moved enters the loop before it is driven back by
the take up, and catches and holds the loop above the tongue on the sole while the
loop is being tightened or drawn back, thus ensuring the proper engagement of the
loop with the tongue by preventing the loop from falling sufficiently to be drawn
back under the tongue through the hole in the sole through which it was drawn by
the needle.
The projection h¹ is pointed at its outer end so that it will readily enter the
loop, and has shoulders back of the pointed end which arrest the loop and prevent
it from slipping backwardly too far upon the finger. The take up is here shown
as an arm or lever m¹ pivoted at n¹ to the frame a, and provided at its lower end
with a roller o¹ over which the thread passes from a tension device q¹ located
between the lever m¹ and the supplying spool or bobbin 41. The thread passes
from the lever m¹ directly to the looper p. The upper end of the lever m¹ is
pressed by a spring s¹ against the cam j, which has a projection which co-operates
with the spring &¹ in oscillating the lever m¹.
t' represents a curved awl which is affixed to an arm u¹ mounted to oscillate
beside the needle arm d, and upon a stud y' affixed to an arm w¹ formed upon the
frame a, so that the awl does not move laterally like the needle. The awl
carrying arm u¹ is oscillated by a grooved cam a² on the shaft b, a lever b³, pivoted
at c², to the frame a, and engaged at one end with said cam, and a rod d' con-
necting the other end of said lever with an ear on the arm u¹.
The parts described are timed to operate as follows:-
The
The upper and sole of a boot or shoe placed on a last inside out as usual in
sewing turned shoes are presented to the machine in the position shown in Figure 1
the last being held by the operator against a gage e³, affixed to the frame u.
needle advances through a hole already formed in the sole and upper until its
point has emerged from the edge of the sole and its knives have cut a tongue t, as
described in the surface of the sole. While the ne-dle is in this position it is
moved laterally with the swinging head and is thus caused to feed the work along.
The looper then engages the thread with the barb of the needle, and the needle
then moves backwardly drawing a loop inwardly through the upper, the edge of
the sole, and upwardly over the upper surface of the sole, as shown in Figure 7.
The needle then moves forward slightly to loosen the loop, and the cast off h¹
advances into the loop, pushing it back from the needle. The take up lever m¹ is
then moved backwardly and pulls back the thread between it and the loop, thus
drawing the loop tightly over the leather tongue. The thread is passed around
the roll o¹ on the end of the lever m¹, said roll rotating and permitting the free
longitudinal movement of the thread to the looper, but acting to hold the thread
and prevent it from slipping when the lever m' is moved by the cam j. The cast
off remains in the loop until it is partially drawn in and thus keeps the loop
sufficiently raised to prevent it from being drawn under the tongue t, the bight of
the loop being caused to lie across the tongue when the loop is entirely drawn in or
taken up as shown in Figure 9. The awl is moved forward to make the hole for the
next loop and is withdrawn from said hole before the needle is moved laterally to
feed the work, so that when the needle is moved laterally to its starting position
it will enter the hole formed by the awl, and its knives will form another tongue t.
The needle is again moved to feed the work, and draw a loop through the upper
and sole, said loop being subsequently drawn in over the tongue last formel, and
so on, until the upper is connected to the sole by loops extending entirely around
the edge of the sole, each loop being engaged with a separate tongue t. The boot
or shoe is then taken from the last and turned and provided if desired with an
inner sole in the usual manner.
I do not limit myself to the details of construction shown, nor to the particular
looper and cast off devices, and the mechanism for operating the awl and needle, as
a curved needle having cutting wings or blades may be used with any suitable

page_text: co-operating devices. Nor do I, limit myself to the formation of the tongue
cutting blades on the needle, for if desired said blades may be formed on the awl,
or the awl may be dispensed with and a segmental blade c³, V shaped in cross
section may be secured to the arm u¹ in place of the awl, as shown in Figure 1b.
In this case each tongue t, will be formed while the needle is moved laterally to
feed the work and the needle when it returns will penetrate the sole under the
tongue, the result being as already described.
The gage or rest e³, is adapted to slide lengthwise in a guide f³, attached to the
frame and is pivoted at its lower end to a lever g". Said lever is pivoted at h³ to
the frame a, and has a movable pin i, at its swinging end adapted to enter either
of two or more orifices in the frame a, and thus hold the lever and gage in
different positions.
The movability of the gage e, enables it to be displaced at the end of the
operation to permit the removal of the work from either the awl or the needle, as
under any circumstances one of said parts is protected, and in the work, so that a
lateral movement is required to free it from the machine.
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
First. A curved needle having knives formed to make incisions in a surface
penetrated by the needle, as set forth.
Second. A curved needle having knives formed to cut into a surface penetrated
by the needle, combined with operating mechanism substantially as described
whereby said needle is oscillated, a looper, a take up, and mechanism substantially
as described for operating said looper and take up.
Third. A curved needle having cutting knives combined with mechanism
substantially as described for oscillating said needle in the direction of its length,
mechanism substantially as described for moving the needle laterally, and an awl
and operating mechanism therefor substantially as described whereby perforations
are made for the needle, as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the curved needle having knives or cutters,
mechanism substantially as described for operating said needle, a looper and
mechanism to operate it, the cast off and its operating mechanism, and the take up,
all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the awl, the winged needle and their operating
mechanism, of the movable gage e', and mechanism substantially as described for
holding it in different positions, as set forth.
Sixth. The combination of a cutter or cutters constructed to enter the surface of
a sole and form a tongue t therein, mechanism for operating said cutter or cutters,
and mechanism substantially as described whereby a loop of thread is drawn
through the edge of the sole and engaged with said tongue, as set forth.
Dated the 15th day of December 1885.