Improvements in Sewing Machines for Lasting Boot and Shoe Uppers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Lasting Boot and Shoe
Uppers.
I, SAMUEL HEY of 56 Tow Street Keighley in the County of York, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention as communicated to me from
abroad by Edward Baylies Slaver of 122 South Street, Boston, Mass., United
States of America, Gentleman, 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 simple and efficient machine for
securing uppers to the soles of boots and shoes during the operation of lasting, by
means of stitches connecting the upper to the sole; and the invention consists in
the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.
On the accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a sewing machine embodying my
improvements.
Figure 1 represents a plan view of a part of the machine.
Figure 2 represents a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in
Figure 1, showing the needle and the parts co-operating therewith in different
positions from those shown in Figure 1, parts of the mechanism being shown in
section.
Figure 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figures 4 and 5 represent side and end views of a different arrangement of the
channel-guide hereinafter referred to.
Figure 6 represents a section on line 6-6 of Figure 4.
Figures 7 and 8 represent enlarged sectional views of parts of the mechanism,
illustrating different stages of the operation.
Figure 9 represents a sectional view of a portion of a boot or shoe, showing a
strip attached to the inner sole to constitute a lip.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings-
a represents a curved oscillating needle, b represents a looper, c represents a
channel-guide which is fixed or rigidly supported when in operation, and
d represents an automatically adjustable rest against which the lasted upper is
held by the operator, as in many boot and shoe sewing machines now in use, said
rest being yieldingly pressed outwardly toward the space occupied by the lasted
upper by a spring d¹ and provided with automatic locking mechanism whereby it is
locked in any position to which it may be forced by the inward pressure of the
upper against it. The said locking mechanism acts to lock the rest d against
inward movement before the needle in moving forward reaches the parts which it
is to penetrate, and to unlock the rest after the withdrawal of the needle, so that
the upper and the between-substance of the sole are securely grasped or clamped
between the channel-guide and rest during the stitch-forming operation, and are
released so that the operator can freely move the work when the needle is with-
drawn. As here shown, the rest d is alternately locked and released by the
following mechanism: d' represents an arm or bar to which the rest d is fixed, said
bar sliding in fixed guides on the frame. The spring d' is connected at one end
with a stud d on the bar d, and at the other end with a fixed support. repre-
sents a dog pivoted at d to a fixed support and held normally by a spring din
position to engage one of a series of ratchet-teeth d upon the bar d. Said dog
In

page_text: has an arm d which projects upwardly into the path of a stud to which a
horizontal reciprocating motion is imparted, as hereinafter described, said stud
being at the forward end of its movement away from the arm do, so that it permits
the dog to engage the bar d². When said stud is at the rear end of its movement,
as shown in Figure 1, it comes in contact with the arm №³ and disengages the dog
from the bar. The stud is affixed to a plate 10 mounted upon a slide
which is movable in guides on the supporting frame and is reciprocated by means of
a connection with the driving-shaft (not shown). The slide g operates the needle,
as hereinafter described, and the arrangement is such that when the needle is
retracted, as shown in Figure 1, the slide g is in position to hold the stud & against
the arm and disengage the dog from the bar d', so that the rest d is released.
When the slide 9 moves forward to advance the needle, the stud d leaves the
arm d and permits the dog d to engage the bar and thus lock the rest d against
inward movement.
The needle and looper may be operated by any suitable mechanism, and as they
co-operate in the usual way in making stitches, I do not describe their operation,
nor the mechanism that operates them, further than to state that the looper is
located at the opposite side of the channel-guide from the needle when the latter is
retracted, and that the preferred means for oscillating the needle comprise the
slide g above mentioned, and a link g' connecting the said slide with an extension a¹
on the needle-carrying arm.
The channel-guide c is located close to the path of the needle, and is formed so
that it bears on one side of the channel-lip e³ and holds the same across the path of
the needle, as shown in Figure 2.
represents a reciprocating clamp or presser which is located at the same side
of the channel-guide as the looper, and above the rest d. Said clamp is adapted to
hold the edge of the upper against the outer side of the sole while the upper is
being perforated by the needle, and is also adapted to slide toward and from the
channel-guide, the clamp being reciprocated by suitable automatic means, as
hereinafter described. When the needle is retracted, the clamp is also retracted,
as shown in Figure 7, so that the work is free to be moved by the operator, the
rest d being at the same time unlocked so that it does not interfere with the
movement of the work. Just before the needle advances, the clamp h moves
forward and presses the interposed edge of the upper inwardly against the sole, as
shown in Figures 2 and 8, the upper being thus firmly held by the clamp while the
needle is advancing, and thus prevented from being pushed by the needle toward
the looper b, so that the upper cannot interfere with the return of the looper.
The clamp moves forward in such direction that it exerts a wiping-over action
on the upper while moving forward, so that it not only holds the upper against the
sole after reaching its outer position, but acts to continuously stretch the upper
while moving to said position. This result is due to the fact that the clamp moves
in a path which is above the lower end of the channel-guide and substantially
parallel with the face of the sole when the latter is held in the position shown, the
location of the clamp above the lower end of the channel-guide enabling it to slide
over upon the face of the sole. Moreover, the clamp has an upper supporting
end face above its upper-pressing or bottom face arranged to support the
channel lip and upper against the pressure of the needle. The wiping or stretching
action and the upper-supporting action distinguish the clamp from an oscillating
toe or finger which has heretofore been used to press the upper against the corner
of the sole, said toe being oscillated in a curved path, so that it descends upon the
work and acts abruptly in confining the upper instead of acting gradually or
progressively. Moreover, the toe referred to is pointed, having no upper-supporting
end face, and is arranged so that when moved forward its bottom surface is on a
level with the lower end of the channel-guide; hence it is not adapted to move
over the face of the sole, but necessarily stops at the corner of the sole.
The mechanism here shown for actuating the clamp his as follows: represents
a slide or bar to which the clamp / is adjustably secured by a screw, said bar

page_text: being adapted to slide in guides on the supporting frame. represents a spring
attached at to the bar h¹ and at the other end to the supporting fraine, said
spring normally drawing the clamp away from the channel-guide. * represents
a lever pivoted at to the supporting frame and connected at its upper end by a
stud with a lever which is pivoted at 10 to the supporting frame. The lower
end of the lever bears against the rear end of the bar h', and the upper end of
the lever has a roll 4" which is arranged in the path of the block on the
slide J. When the slide gis in the position it occupies when the needle is
retracted, as shown in Figure 1, the block 10 is out of contact with the roll /¹² and
the levers h h stand vertically, as shown in Figure 1, the levers being held in said
position by the spring which presses the bar backwardly against the lever /*
and thus holds the clamp h in a retracted position. When the slide 9 moves
forward to advance the needle, as shown in Figure 2, the block do moves over the
roll and acts on the levers in such manner as to cause the lower end of the
lever to move the bar and clamp h forward. 13 represents a dog pivoted at h¹
to the supporting frame. Said dog is normally held by a spring his in position to
engage one of a series of ratchet-teeth in the bar h. The dog is provided with
an arm which projects backwardly into the path of a stud 18 on the slide g.
When the slide is in the position shown in Figure 1, the stud 18 bears against the
arm and raises the dog from the bar '; but when the slide gmoves
forward, the stud 418 leaves the arm 4, the dog being thus released and caused by
the spring to bear upon the bar and thus engage one of the ratchet-teeth
thereof and lock the clamp in the position to which it was moved forward by the
lever /*.
k represents the thread, which passes over a tension wheel m and is acted on by
suitable take-up devices between the tension-wheel and the looper.
There is,
however, no novelty in the take-up devices, and as their operation is well known,
I will not describe the same. The tension-wheel is automatically released when
the needle has withdrawn from the work, in order that the operator may feed the
work along any desired distance, thus making the stitches longer or shorter as he
may desire, the tension-wheel being made operative to put tension on the thread
during the stitch-forming operation. I have here shown as. the means for making
the tension device alternately operative and inoperative, a stud m³ passing through
the tension-wheel m and having a head m² (Figure 3) which is normally held
pressed by a spring m' against frictional washers or disks m interposed between
said head and the side of the tension-wheel, said spring being interposed between
the frame of the machine and a ant m on the stud m¹. m² is a lever pivoted at m
to the supporting frame and bearing at its upper end against the stud m', its lower
end being arranged to be acted on by a wedge-shaped projection m³ on the slide
When the slide g is in the position shown in Figure I, the wedge is interposed
between the supporting frame and the lower end of the lever m² and causes the
upper end of said lever to displace the stud m', thus separating the head m³ from -
the disks me, as shown in Figure 3, and releasing the tension-wheel so that there is
practically no tension on the thread, and the operator is enabled to move, the work
and pull out as much thread as he may desire. When the slide g moves forward
from the position shown in Figure 1, the wedge m leaves the lever m', whereupon
the spring m presses the head m² against the disks m³ and retards the rotation of
the wheel m sufficiently to put the desired tension upon the thread.
The operation of the machine as above described is as follows: The needle being
retracted and the rest d released and yieldingly held forward by the spring d', and
the clamp retracted by the spring, the operator taking the lasted shoe in his
hands engages the channel with the channel-guide c, the rest d yielding to
accommodate the distance between the channel-guide and the portion of the upper
against which the rest bears. There is at this time nothing to prevent the free
movement of the shoe in any direction to adjust it to the channel-guide. The
upper is lightly attached to the last, say at the toe and heel, by tacks, its edge
projecting upwardly from the sole at other points. The engagement of the

page_text: channel-guide with the channel raises the lip, as already described, and holds it in
the path of the needle. The machine being set in motion, the rest d is locked, the
clamp h advances, pressing the edge of the upper inwardly upon the face of the
sole. The needle then advances, and as it commences to advance, friction is applied
to the tension-wheel m. The needle passes through the portions of the lip and
upper that are held by the clamp and channel-guide, receives the thread from the
looper, and returns while the parts are held as described. The stitches are formed
after the usual mode of operation of machines of this class. After the needle has
withdrawn from the work, friction is removed from the tension-wheel, the rest
and clamp are released, and the shoe, which is then free to move in any desired
direction on the channel-guide, is moved by the operator to form a stitch of the
desired length. The cycle of operations above described is then repeated for the
next stitch, and so on.
In Figures 4, 5, and 6 I show means for adjustably supporting the channel-
guide, it being desirable in some cases to change the vertical position of the
channel-guide, particularly in lasting the upper of a shoe having a toe-cap. This
cap and the necessary folds of the upper at the toe raise the surface of the upper
on which the clamp h bears, so that it is desirable to depress the channel-guide
while stitching around the toe. The channel-guide c is in this case formed on a
shank which has a slot c³, mounted on a stud or bolt c3 which is affixed to a
slide c' on a fixed arm or guide, the slide being movable horizontally and provided
with a slot c through which pass bolts c'e' which secure the slide to the guide c³,
this construction permitting the channel-guide to be adjusted horizontally in and
out. For the quick vertical adjustment of the channel-guide, I employ a lever cd,
which is pivoted to an ear on the slide ct and has a cam-shaped slot el receiving
a pin or stud c¹2 on the upper end of the shank c' of the channel-guide. A movement
of the lever c on its pivot will raise or lower the channel-guide, as the case may be.
ce represent stops on the ear c which co-operate with a stud c on the lever c
in limiting the movements of the lever co.
'
It will be seen that the machine organized to operate as above described
provides a simple and efficient means for lasting boot and shoe uppers, obviating
the use of lasting tacks, excepting the relatively small number of tacks that may
be required to retain the upper on the last. while the stitches are being formed.
The presence of these lasting tacks is rendered unobjectionable by the absence of
tension on the thread when the needle is out of the work, the operator being
thereby enabled to locate the work so as to keep the lasting tacks out of the path
of the needle. This is an important advantage, it being obvious that when the work
is positively fed there is more or less liability of injurious contact between the
needle and the lasting tacks.
If desired, instead of cutting a channel in the sole e to form a lip for the
reception of the lasting stitches, I may attach a strips to the sole e by stitches s¹ or
otherwise, the inner edge of said strip being free and adapted to be raised by the
channel-guide and to serve as a lip in the same manner as the lip. This is
desirable when the sole is too thin to be channelled, the lasting stitches passing
between the sole and strip without entering the sole.
I do not limit myself to the employment of a lipe or its equivalent projection,
the strip 8, on the sole; for while such lip or projection is very desirable in most
kinds of work to enable the channel-guide to properly guide the work, it may be
dispensed with in some cases. The machine may be operated by using the channel-
guide e simply as a gage to determine the height at which the sole is held by the
operator, and as a dog to prevent the pressure of the clamp when it is moring
forward from displacing the sole outwardly. The guide c serves in any case as a
gage to determine the height of the sole relatively to the path of the needle and of
the clamp or presser h, and as a guide along which the sole may be freely moved
by the operator when the te sion is released.
The reciprocating movement of the clamp or presser his particularly desirable
in lasting uppers of McKay-sewed boots and shoes, where the folds of the upper.at

page_text: the toe and heel would render the manipulation of the work by the operator very
difficult if the clamp h were fixed in its forward or operating position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. In a sewing-machine for lasting boots and shoes, the combination of a fixed
sole-guide or gage, a curved oscillating needle, a looper located at the opposite side
of the said guide from the needle, a reciprocating upper-clamp or presser located
near the looper and having an upper-supporting end face opposing the pressure of
the needle against the upper, and means for guiding said clamp in a path
substantially parallel with the face of the sole when the latter is in its operative
position, the relative positions of the clamp aud channel-guide being such that the
clamp in moving forward wipes the upper over upon the face of the sole.
2nd. In a sewing-machine for lasting boots and shoes, the combination of a
fixed sole-guide or gage, a curved oscillating needle, a looper located at the opposite
side of the said guide from the needle, an upper-clamp or presser located near the
looper and movable toward and from the said guide or gage and having a lip-
supporting end face opposing the pressure of the needle, the bottom surface of said
clamp being above the lower end of the channel-guide and adapted to press the
edge of the upper over upon the face of the sole at the point where the needle
passes through the upper, and mechanism for reciprocating said clamp.
3rd. In a sewing-machine for lasting boots and shoes, the combination of a
curved oscillating needle, a fixed channel-guide or gage located close to the path of
the needle and adapted to guide the sole of a boot or shoe, a looper, a reciprocating
upper-clamp or presser, means for guiding said clamp in a plane substantially
parallel with the face of the sole when the latter is held in operative position, and
a yieldingly supported upper-rest located below the guide and clamp and provided
with automatic locking mechanism whereby it is locked when the clamp is
projected and unlocked or released when the clamp is retracted, the upper being
controlled only by the channel-guide when the clamp is retracted and the rest
released.
4th. In a sewing-machine for lasting boots and shoes, the combination of a
curved oscillating needle, a fixed sole-guide or gage arranged to bear on the work
close to the point where it is penetrated by the needle, devices opposite the said
needle and guide for supporting the work against the said guide and against the
pressure of the needle, stitch-forming devices co-operating with the needle, a tension
device which is operative when the needle is in the work, and means for releasing
the tension device and means for releasing the supporting devices, when the needle
is out of the work, whereby the operator is enabled to feed the work indefinitely
and avoid contact between the needle and the lasting tacks in the work.
5th. In a sewing-machine for lasting boots and shoes, the combination of a
curved oscillating needle, a fixed sole-guide or gage located close to the path of
the needle and adapted to serve as a support on which the sole may be moved by
the operator, alternately operative and inoperative means for supporting a boot or
shoe upper against the forward movement of the needle, suitable stitch-forming
devices co-operating with the needle, a tension device, and automatic means for
applying friction to said device when the needle is in the work and for releasing said
device when the needle is retracted, the said upper-supporting means being
inoperative when the tension device is released, whereby the work is left free to be
moved at the will of the operator upon the channel-guide.
SAMUEL HEY.