Improvements in Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ANDREW HARDY BAKER, of Brockton,
Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States of America.]
Improvements in Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 lasts in which the upper end of the block is secured by
a spring bolt supported by the last and normally projecting above the seat for the
block, and entering an orifice in the under side of the block.
The invention has for its object to enable the combined length of the bolt and
its impelling spring to be reduced to the minimum, so that the bolt can be inserted
in a last in the desired position without interfering with the socket usually formed
in the rear portion of the last for the reception of the spindle of the jack by
which the last is held during parts of the operation of making a boot or shoe.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter
described and claimed.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this Specification,
Figure 1 represents a plan view of a last having my improved block fastener, the
block being removed.
Fig. 2, represents a longitudinal section of the same, the block being in place.
Fig. 3, represents an enlarged sectional view of the bolt and its socket.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings:
d represents the body of the last, and the usual removable_block, the under
surface of which fits a block seat formed on the last, as usual. The lower end of
the block is engaged with the last by any suitable means, such as a pin or dowel d²
affixed to the last near the lower end of the block seat, and engaging in a recess
formed in the lower portion of the block.
i represents the jack spindle socket which is formed in the rear portion of the
last, behind the block, said socket extending downwardly from the upper surface of
the last.
b represents a metallic bushing or tube inserted in a hole formed for its reception
in the last immediately in front of the socket i, said tube being arranged at the
centre of the width of the last, and extending diagonally, as shown in Fig. 2, its
upper end being flush with the block seat. The lower end of the socket bis
preferably closed, and forms a bottom or end to support the spring r, hereinafter
referred to, the outer end of the socket being open.
a represents a hollow bolt which is formed to enter the mouth of the socket b,
and to slide lengthwise in said socket, said bolt being of the same general form as
the socket; that is to say, one end is open while the other end is closed, the closed
end being at the outer end of the bolt, and serving to support the outer end of the
spring c. I prefer to permanently engage the bolt a with the socket b, so that
while the bolt is free to slide in the socket, it cannot be entirely withdrawn
therefrom, and to this end I form an outwardly projecting flange or shoulder a' on
the inner end of the bolt, and an inwardly projecting flange or shoulder 6' on the
open end of the socket, said shoulder being preferably formed by upsetting or
turning inwardly the outer end of the socket, and engaging the flange a¹ of the
bolt so that it cannot be withdrawn from the socket.
It will be seen that the spring c bearing at one end against the inner end of the

page_text: socket, and at the other end against the outer end of the bolt, normally holds the
bolt projected above the block seat and in position to enter the orifice
formed in
the block, so that the bolt, when engaged with said orifice securely holds the block
in position on the last. The last may be released by pushing the bolt a inwardly
by means of a suitable tool inserted in the orifice h.
It will be seen that the hollow form of the bolt enables it to contain.a portion
of the spring when the bolt is projected, and substantially the entire spring when
the bolt is pushed in, hence the socket is enabled to be made of much less depth
than would be the case if the bolt were solid so that it could not contain the spring.
I am enabled by thus reducing the combined length of the bolt and spring to
locate the bolt immediately in front of the socket i, which is the most convenient
position, because a bolt so located can be conveniently reached by the operator who
inserts the tool in the orifice for the purpose of displacing the bolt. It is necessary
that the socket i be located so far forward that there is but little room for the play
of the bolt and its spring in front of said socket. Owing to this fact, the only
form of spring-bolt fastener that is now in general use is arranged at one side of
the last, and extends diagonally into the last, so that the operator in displacing the
bolt has to insert the tool into the last at one side of the instep, instead of at a
point directly in the centre of the instep, as in the present case.
It will be seen that by using a hollow bolt I am enabled to locate a bolt in the
limited space directly in front of the socket i without encroachment of the spring
and bolt receiving socket b upon the socket i.
My invention is not limited to the employment of the socket b, as the spring c
and bolt a may enter a hole formed in the last and not provided with a bushing or
socket such as the socket b. I prefer to employ said socket, however, because it is
adapted to be engaged with the bolt in the manner described before its insertion into
the last, and enables the bolt and spring to be secured to the last merely by the
operation of driving the socket into the hole prepared for it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent it is declared that what is claimed is:
A last, having a spindle socket i, and an orifice located in front of said socket,
and extending to the top of the last, combined with a socket or bushing b inserted
in said orifice, a hollow bolt a fitted to slide in the socket b, and having a closed
outer end, and an open inner en 1, and a spring located in the chamber formed by
said socket and bolt a, one end of said spring bearing on the closed outer end of
the bolt a, said bolt and socket being engaged to prevent the separation of the bolt
from the socket, as set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of Februar 1805
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.