Improved Boot Cleaning Machine.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
Improved Boot Cleaning Machine.
I, FRIEDRICH CARL ZIMMERMANN, Furrier, of 59, Chatam Street, Liverpool,
Great Britain, 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 a boot-cleaning machine, which differs from such
machines with rotating brushes in that the cleaning of the boots is effected by
means of an endless belt, having bruslies, which rapidly pass around the boots,
such belt being bent down by press rolls at a suitable part, so as to also clean
the upper of the boot.
This belt is inserted in a linked gearing chain, by means of which the motion
is effected by chain wheels or gearing. Toothed spring-actuated guide rolls con-
duct the belt in its path corresponding to the shape of the boot and by means
of several spring tension rolls, to be simultaneously inserted by drawing mechan-
isms, the endless band can be spread apart for the insertion and removal of the
boots.
In the accompanying drawings is shown, by way of example, a modification or
construction of the machine for one pair of boots.
Fig. 1 is the plan view of the open box with the brush mechanism partly
broken off on line - of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a middle section through the brush mechanism of the one boot
supporting plate and of the box with the contour of an inserted boot in order to
show its position.
Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections through the brush mechanism on the line y-y
and the line of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a detail or single section through the brush-belt and the linked gear-
ing chain of the same on an enlarged scale.
On the bottom of the box 1 are secured the supporting plates 2 by means of
supports 3, the heel part 4 being foldable, so that the chain wheels 5 can be
removed for exchanging or replacing the brush-belt, such chain wheels being
rotatably mounted on pivots 6 of the bearing 7 for the driving shaft 8. The chain
wheels 5 are driven by the shaft 8 by means of the conical pair of wheels 9, such
shaft itself being, put into rapid rotation by means of the toothed wheels 10
and 12.
The toothed wheel 12 can be driven by means of a crank 11 (as shown) or by
any suitably treadle mechanism, or by a moter. Over the chain wheels 5 passes
the linked gearing chain 13, in whose links, as shown in Fig. 5, engages the
brush belt 14 of soft two-fold leather and covered or provided in almost its whole
extent or height (Fig. 2) with brushes.
The brush-belt passes over the chain wheels 5 and also over the chain wheels 15
and 16 which are movably mounted in guide slots 17 and 18 under the action of
the pressure springs 19 and 20, so that the chain wheels 15 tend to draw the
endless belt lengthways as much as possible and the chain wheels 16 simulta-
neously press the belt from within against the boots located upon the plates 2.
Contrary to these actions, the tension rells 24 spread the belt apart, wirereupon
the are likewise under spring-action and thus form an elastic support.
position of the tension rolls is however determined by the drawing cords 21 (as
The

page_text: shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) which, on being suitably conducted over guide
pins 22, are combined into one cord and pass over a lateral roll 23 to the pivot 34
of a lever 25 (Fig. 2) arranged without against the wall of the box in such a
manner that on turning back this lever, all the tension rolls 24 are simultaneously
spread apart or are released or slackened in order to meet at, a certain opposite
position, whilst they follow the action of their springs. On the lid 28 foldable
by means of hinges 27 and which (lid) has two slots 35 for the boot-legs to pass
through, a pair of press rolls 29, 30 (Fig. 4) is secured over each supporting
plate 2, such rolls consisting of a vertical upper and an inclined lower one
(Fig. 2 and 4) and springing or yielding vertically under the action of the
springs 31, 32, the one roll 30 also moving laterally in a guide 36 and yielding
in consequence of the arrangement of the spring 33. The boots are placed on
the supporting plates 2,2 when the lid is open and the lever 25 is being turned
back in such a manner that the tension rolls 24 laterally spread apart the brush
belt, while the chain wheels 15, 16 yield under spring action. Then the lever 25
is turned back, the chain wheels 15, draw the endless band lengthways and the
chain wheels 16 press it laterally against. the boots, which is possible, since the
tension rolls 24 recede inwards on turning back the lever. The lid is now closed,
whilst the press rolls 29, 30 from above lie against the brush belt and press it
into the form of Fig. 4, which rearwardly gradually changes into the form of
Fig. 3 and at the back into the vertical form of Fig. 2. In Figs. 3 and 4, only
a part of the brushes is indicated which, as shown in Fig. 2, are provided in the
whole extent or height of the belt. After turning back the lever 25, the chain
wheels 5, 5 are by means of the driving mechanism, put into rapid rotation and
the brush belt cleans the surface of the boots.
After the cleaning of the boots is effected, the lever 24 is turned back, the lid
opened and another pair of boots inserted. It is obvious that the machine, on
extending the driving shaft, can consist of several of the hereinbefore described
boxes with the brush mechanism, such boxes being arranged together in pairs
or in a row.
On arranging the boxes in pairs, the first box is preferably used for the pre-
liminary cleaning i.e. for brushing off the dust and the like and the second box
for polishing the boots after the same have been provided with blaking.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An improved boot cleaning machine consisting of an endless belt 14 pro-
vided with brushes, which is positively driven and put in rapid rotation along
the periphery of interposed boots, whilst the brush belt, in order that the brushes
can also pass over the upper of the boots, is turned down and depressed laterally
against the upper of the boots by press rolls 29, 30.
2. In the boot cleaning machine as described in Claim 1 the arrangement
according to which the endless belt 14 is secured in a linked gearing chain 13
and passes over a fixed driving chain wheel 5 and spring-actuated chain
wheels 15, 16 tending to bring the belt close to the periphery of the boots, where-
upon several tension rolls 24 simultaneously tightening by means of drawing
cords 21 and a lever 25 permit, contrary to the action of the chain wheels 15, 16,
the spreading apart of the brush belt on the insertion and removal of the boot,
whilst the likwise spring-mounted upper press rolls 29, 30 are secured against
the foldable lid 28 of the box 1 with the brush mechanism.
Dated this 12th day of January 1899.
FRIEDRICH CARL ZIMMERMANN,
Applicant.