Heels, Uppers, and other Materials and Fabrics.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 20th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1888
Heels, Uppers, and other Materials and Fabrics.
I, DAVID YOUNG Bootmaker 5 Hanover Street Edinburgh do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The press has a solid bottom plate of metal, or other strong material, square or
oblong shape preferred-To which are affixed four elongated sockets, one at each
corner-It has also a top movable plate, to which are affixed 4 bars fitting and
working into the aforesaid sockets, which are affixed to the corners of the bottom
plate It is also fitted with cams, levers, & screws -The top & bottom plates may both
have an unbroken surface, or each or either of them may have a hole or aperture
about the centre, for the purpose of allowing the cut material to pass freely through-
If both plates have an unbroken surface, the cutting knife is fixed preferably to the
top plate, said knife being constructed as follows. A piece of wood, metal, or other
suitable material is cut or moulded to the desired shape of the sole, heel, or other
article which it is desired to cut, a portion of the edge of said shape being cut away
if desired, into which the steel or cutting blade is fitted, to give additional strength.
The steel or other suitable material which forms the cutting blade, or edge, may be
fixed permanently by screws or otherwise, to the aforesaid shape or pattern: or the
blade being made thin & flexible, and perforated at intervales near the upper edge,
with holes, may be taken off one shape or pattern, and fastened at pleasure and in
succession to as many shapes as the operater pleases, or the whole of the knife or each
separate part thereof, may be cast in steel, or other suitable material, and after being
properly fastened together, tempered and sharpened-The whole knife forms what may
be called a box without a bottom, the cutting edge forming the bottom-To the inside
of the top or other part of the knife is now fixed a strong spring or springs, to
which in turn may be attached a movable bottom, projecting outside, beyond the
Price Bal

page_text: edge of the knife-The use of said springs and movable bottom being that they
yield inwards while the knife is passing through the material, and allow the cut
substance to go inside the knife, shape, or pattern.-But whenever, the press rises
or is opened, the springs and movable bottoin (the press being released) throw out
the substance which has been cut, thus leaving the knife free for each successive
stroke.
The aforesaid knives may be used affixed to either the top or the bottom of the
press, or they may be used loose, whichever is preferred-If one or both of the plates
has a hole or aperture through which the cut material passes; then the knives are
constructed without the top, or lid, so that the substance cut may pass freely through
the knives, and through the top or bottom plates of the press whichever is desired;
since the knives can be fixed at will, either to the top plate, or the bottom plate, said
slip through knives being constructed also of thin, pliable, interchangeable, perforated,
blades and frames, or of cast steel or other suitable material.

page_text: Heels, Uppers, and other Materials and Fabrics.
I DAVID YOUNG Bootmaker No. 5 Hanover Street Edinburgh 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 press fig. 1 has a solid bottom plate of metal, square or oblong in shape
preferred, upon which are cast or affixed four elongated sockets one at each corner.-
It has also a top movable plate B with four holes one at each corner, corresponding to
the sockets in the bottom plate.
:
Strong bolts C are fitted into each hole, passing down through the sockets in the
bottom plate, and passing under the bottom plate to a distance of about six inches, as
shewn in end view fig. 2.-To the lower ends of bolts C are attached four strong steel
bars 1 fig. 2, extending from the one bolt to the other at the ends of the press, two of
the bars D, are affixed to the lower extremities of the two bolts C, at each end of press
and the other two are fastened about four inches higher up D D fig. 2.-A strong
spindle or shaft E fig. 1, having eccentric cams at each end-said cams projecting
nearly their whole diameter from the centre of spindle or shaft as shewn F fig. 2-is
now fitted across the whole length of the press, the two eccentric cams fitting the
space between the two steel bars D, at each end, and resting upon said steel bars
while the ends of spindle which project beyond the eccentric cams at each end; pass
through sockets G in the bottom plate, and project a little at each end for the purpose
of having lever handles H attached one at each end.-To said lever handles a curved
cross bar I, (having sockets in the two turned down ends) is fitted, the sockets being
slipped over the ends of lever handles at J the object being to give greater power by
increasing the length of the lever handles at pleasure, by using a cross bar or bent
tube with longer or shorter drooping ends.-Strong nuts K, are screwed on both the
top and the bottom ends of bolts C, and as the holes at each corner of top plate B, are
smaller than the sockets in bottom plate A, and the bolts C, left all the diameter of
bottom plate sockets, until they reach the top plate and are fitted into it, the top plate
cannot fall down.-By drawing-the levers forward the spindle is turned in sockets G;
the eccentric cams F are turned along with it, and move downwards carrying with
them the steel bars D, and by means of the bolts C, pulling the top plate B, down
towards the stationary bottom plate A, so that a knife resting under said top plate
would have its cutting edge driven through leather or other soft material.
The knives for use with said press are various.-The ordinary knife made preferably
of cast chilled steel is about one and three quarter inches deep, about half an inch
thick at its upper edge, tapering gradually to its cutting edge A fig. 3.-It is laid
with its thick edge, resting on a plate B, having a deep groove in the centre C, into
which springs D can be slipped, (spiral or otherwise) a bar E, of metal is affixed at

page_text: each side of plate, through which screws work F, said bars being about three quarters
of an inch deep. The screws F being tightened hold the knife A, securely in position,
when the plate B is slipped under the top plate of press fig. 1 and held there by
means of two projecting slides L fig. 1.-A cutting block made of wood, paper, or
lead, having been laid on the bottom plate A fig. 1, two sliding gauges fig. 4 are
fixed, so as to rest on said cutting block.-The back gauge slides on a steel bar which
runs the whole length of the press, so that, the gauge may be moved along and
checked by a screw at any point, and the side gauge may slide on the same bar, or
have a separate bar for itself at either side.
Before the leather to be cut is pushed in upon the cutting block, the levers are
pulled forward which brings the edge of the knife down upon the cutting block, the
back gauge is slipped along the bar at the back until opposite the most prominent or
broadest part of the knife, the point of the gauge is then pushed forward until it
touches the knife at said broadest part; when it is screwed tight in its slide, and the
slide itself screwed tight on the bar on which it slides.-The side gauge is adjusted in
the same way to the most prominent or broadest part of the knife at the saine side.-
The side gauge is pointed if the edge of the leather next it is uneven; but if the edge
of the leather is straight the side gauge can also be straight; but it is preferable to
have the back gauge pointed; as after the first cut an irregular edge is almost always
presented to it, and the pointed gauge allows the irregularities to pass it until the
point meets and stops the part which has been cut by the broadest part of the knife.
The gauges must have a spring, as the knives having all their slope on the outside,
it follows that when the edge passes the gauge and sinks into the leather, the thick
part of the knife forces back the gauges, and would prevent them from being a true
guide for the next cut, unless they were provided with spring enough to regain their
origonal position, on the levers being thrown back and the knife lifted.-Said spring
is provided by the bars on which they slide being made of spring steel, or by small
spiral or otherwise being inserted at each end of said bars, or the gauges themselves
can be made to spring. The gauges being fixed in position, the cutting block being
fixed to prevent it shifting; and the knife plate fig. 3, being pinched in its slides on
the top movable plate of press fig. 1, to prevent it moving, the levers are pushed back,
which raises the knife, the range of leather is inserted until it touches the point of
back gauge, at the same time touching the side gauge, the levers are now drawn
forward when the knife descends, its edge passes through the leather to the cutting
block, the levers are pushed back again, when the knife again rises, the springs D
fig. 3, at same time throwing out the cut or shaped material, and the spring gauges
coming back to their origonal position, so that the operation of cutting can go on
without waste, as, if the range happens to be broader than the length of the knife, the
whole of the scrap pieces being left at the side to which no gauge is affixed, are larger
than if they were divided between the two ends and are better utillised.-Another
knife is used being very useful for lighter sole and insole leather, and also for upper
leather and cloth. It can be adjusted to any shape in a very short space of time.-lt
is constructed of wedge shaped pieces of metal-cast chilled steel preferred-fig. 5, and
are made of various widths.-The most useful width being from a quarter of an inch
to an inch, they are made both straight in the cutting edge and also with various
degrees of curve, so as to form a knife of any desired shape with curves and angles.
The cutting type or wedge shaped block X fig. 5 has a flange projecting preferably
at the back or portion which forms the outside of the knife, and on which side it is
preferred that the slope should be, leaving the front part straight which goes to form
the inside of the knife.-A plate of metal or other material can be used to fix the type
cutter or wedge shaped blocks upon; but in this case it is preferable to use a board
of hard wood said board being made to fit into the slides L fig. 1.-The shape
to which any material is desired to be cut is now drawn upon said hard wood board
fig. 6, and the wedge shaped cutters arranged along the lines, being set close together
until they form a complete knife, the flanges being preferably kept outwards as shewn
fig. 6, and they are screwed to the board through holes left in the flanges for that
purpose. Springs are fixed inside the knife-spiral or otherwise-by fixing them to

page_text: the board, or by slipping them into a groove as shewn in fig. 3. The board can now
be slipped into slides L fig. 1 and the cutting go on as before, the springs throwing the
cut material from the inside of the knife.
For very soft material a thin plate or loose bottom can be attached to the top of the
springs to throw the soft material clearly out.-The wedge shaped stud or cutter. Y
fig. 5 is used in the same manner, only slipped into a groove which forms the outline
of the shape to be cut, and held firmly on the board or plate by being screwed up or
wedged.
When it is desired that the springs which throw the cut material out of the inside
of the knives should not be used, then the top plate B, of press fig. 1 is taken off and
the
open top plate fig. 7 is put on in its place, the nuts K at top being unscrewed for
the purpose, and an ordinary knife such as A shewn in fig. 3 is firmly fixed to the top
plate by means of short strong slotted and lipped bars and screws fig. 8, said bars
being arranged in a row of about six on each side of the open top plate. The side of
the open top plate passing through slot A fig. 8, and the screw B fig. 8, passes
through hole at end of bar fig. 8, also through holes E fig. 7 which holes are screwed
and the point of the screw presses against O fig. 8.-The knife is now laid on the
cutting block, and the open top plate with the row of bars and screws attached on
each side, is brought down to its upper or broad edge, the lower part of the lip or
angle D fig. 8, slips past the upper or broad edge of the knife, but the top part of the
lip or angle rests upon the knife; the lip or angle being about three quarters of an
inch deep, and three eights of an inch broad; so as to take a good hold of the knife
at side without projecting over the inside part of the knife in the least degree.—The
screws B are now all tightened up, so as to press all the bars fig. 8 against the knife
from both sides of open top plate, and the knife is thus held firmly in position for
cutting any material, said cut material all passing upwards through the knife, and
through the top of the open top plate.
The bottom can be treated in the same manner instead of the top, when of course
the cut material would fall through and downwards.
The pieces of scrap leather which are left over after cutting soles, insoles, heels, and
other shapes, are now placed in a vice, or other suitable implement, and cut at the
edges with V shaped knives or gouges fig. 9, or double ✓ shaped knives or gouges
fig. 10, said knives or gouges having curved or other guards, to rest on the edges of
the vice, or other implement used in holding the scrap pieces; so that the knives may
run true without slipping sideways and cut the leather in the centre; so that the piece
of leather cut by A fig. 9 or 10, may fit properly into the edge of piece cut by B
fig. 9 or 10.
A knife with a cutting edge of any curve can be used; but these are preferred for
joining, or dovetailing, the scraps to the sides of top pieces, and lifts, or to the ends of
soles.
The cut edges are covered with an adhesive waterproof solution, after which the
pieces are joined or dovetailed together, and cut in the press in the usual manner,
either for soles, insoles, or heels. The joinings are shewn in figs. 11.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The use of eccentric cams attached to a spindle or shaft and working between
bars or plates and moved or revolved by a lever for the purposes as herein set
forth.
2. The use of slides on top plate of press to hold knife in position for cutting.-For
the purposes as herein set forth.
3. The use of sliding or screwed spring gauges in cutting press, for the purposes as
herein set forth.
4. The use of cast knives preferably of chilled steel, for the purposes as herein set
forth.

page_text: 5. The use of springs for the purpose of throwing cut material from the knives, for
the purposes as herein set forth.
6. The use of knife plates with side bars and screws to hold the knife in position for
the purposes as herein set forth.
7. The use of wedge shaped metal teeth studs or cutters with straight and curved
edges, with and without flanges, for the purposes as herein set forth.
8. The use of open top or bottom plates for cutting presses, said top or bottom
plates being furnished with bars and screws, for the purposes as herein set forth.
9. The use of V shaped and curved knives for cutting the edges of leather, said
knives being provided with guards, for the purposes as herein set forth.
Dated this 18th dow of Jonna 1000