Improvements in Machines for Forming Boot and Shoe Counter Stiffeners.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar,, 1891--Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Forming Boot and Shoe Counter
Stiffeners.
A communication from LOUIS COTE, of St. Hyacinth, Quebec, Canada.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 machines for forming heel stiffeners, is an improvement
upon the machine described in Letters Patent No. 13776 dated 2nd September 1890
and it consists in certain novel features of construction arrangement and combination
of parts which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the
drawing.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a front elevation of so much of a machine as is necessary
to illustrate the invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the mechanism for re-shaping the side portions of the stiffener
and turning the flange on said stiffener.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a portion of the same parts.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 11 on Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of same parts with the two parts of the divided former
in contact for the greater part of their lengths, the cutting plane being on line 22
on Figs. 4 and 5.
Fig. 7 is a similar sectional plan with the free ends of the divided former
separated and pressing the side portions of the stiffener between it and the moulds
and the reciprocating notched plate moved into the position to turn the rear portion
of the flange.
Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a side elevation and an inverted plan of the
divided former.
Fig. 10 is an elevation of the inner or working face of one of the moulds which
co-operate with the divided former to re-shape the sides of the counter stiffener,
and
Fig. 11 is a central vertical section of the notched plate for turning the rear
portion of the flange.
In the drawings A is the frame of the head of the machine constructed and
arranged to be supported upon a column B, only a small portion of the upper end
of which is shown said frame having mounted in suitable bearings formed thereon,
the horizontal shafts C, D, E and F.
G and G are the tight and loose pulleys on the driving shaft C; a b c and m
are gear wheels connecting said shafts; g and g¹ are fluted rolls for corrugating
that portion of the blank from which the flange or heel seat of the stiffener is to be
formed.
H and H are respectively the former and mould for performing the second
operation upon the blank, of imparting thereto curves both longitudinally and
transversely I and J are respectively a revoluble disc and an adjustable
mould for performing the third operation, or the re-shaping the centre or rear
portion of the partially formed or "clam shell counter stiffener."
i
So far the several parts of the machine are constructed, arranged and operated
substantially as in the before cited Patent.
In the machine described in the before cited Patent the table L was securely
bolted to the frame A and had formed in its upper surface a transverse groove in

page_text: .
which were fitted two sliding plates upon which were pivoted two moulds to
co-operate with a divided former pivoted to the table L to re-shape the side
portions of the stiffener without attempting to turn the flange.
In the present invention the moulds OO are formed with the inwardly projecting
lips e e which extend along those portions of their lengths which act upon the side
portions of the partially formed counter to re-shape the same, said lips e extending
under the two parts of the divided former P each of which is provided with the lip or
ribf extending along its bottom surface, said ribs being of a vertical height equal
to the width of the flange to be turned on the counter stiffener and serve to raise
the main body of the former above the surface of the table a sufficient distance to
permit the lips e of the moulds O to pass beneath the body of said former carrying
therewith those portions of the blank which are to form the flanges of the sides of
the counter stiffener.
The two parts of the former P are pivoted together and to the table L and the
moulds OO are pivoted to the sliding plates M in substantially the same manner
as in the before cited prior Patent.
In the prior Patent the slides M were pressed towards each other by means of a
heavy metal spring extending from the outer end of one slide around and beneath
the table L to the outer end of the other slide.
This has been found to be an expensive and cumbersome device and to overcome
these objections there has been formed in the table L a transverse cylindrical bore
in which are fitted so as to be movable endwise therein the two cylindrical hubs or
pistons N N to the upper sides of which are secured the slides M M, openings
being cut through the upper surface of said table into the said bore to receive said
slides as shown.
The outer ends of said bore are closed by the screw plugs N' N₁ and between
the inner ends of said plugs and the outer ends of the pistons N N are placed
circular discs of thick rubber Q which serve as springs to press said pistons, their
attached slides and the moulds O O toward each other.
The ribs on the under side of the two parts of the former P extend towards the
heel end of the former only to the outer side of the pivotal pin about which said
parts move so that the rear portion of the lower edge of the counter may be turned
under said former to form the flange or heel seat around the heel end of the counter
stiffener.
The front end of the table L has formed therein the open sloth in which is fitted
so as to be movable towards and from the front of said table therein the block or
arm R, upon the upper end of which is firmly secured the plate S the inner edge
of which has formed therein the curved notch i and recess j fitted to conform
substantially to the under side of that portion of the former under which the
blank is to be turned to form a flange around the heel end of the stiffener.
The lower end of the arm R is fitted upon the rod T by a sliding fit and is
arranged to be locked to said rod by means of the latch lever k pivoted to said arm
at k and arranged to engage with the notch formed in said rod T at the pleasure
of the operator.
This is accomplished by means of the link or rod m¹ pivoted at its upper end to
the free or movable end of the latch lever k and at its lower end to a treadle (not
shown) said latch lever rod and treadle being raised to disengage said latch lever
from the notch by the spring n all as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The rod T has formed in one piece therewith the yoke T in which is formed the
slot o extending at right angles to the axis of said bar with which slot the crank
pin p set in the disc U operates to impart to said rod a reciprocating motion at
each revolution of the shaft V upon which the disc U is mounted.
The shaft V is mounted in suitable bearings in the frame A and has secured
thereon the spur gear wheel W the teeth of which engage with and are acted
upon by the teeth of the gear m to impart to said shaft V a rotary motion.
X is the cam for moving the free ends of the two parts of the divided former
away from each other and Y is the spring for moving said parts towards each

page_text: other and towards the cam arranged to operate substantially as in the prior Patent
before cited.
The operation of this invention is as follows;-
The parts being in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the driving belt
being shipped upon the tight pulley so as to set the machine in motion the blank is
subjected to the first three operations by passing it endwise between the fluted
rolls g g' then between the former H and mould H¹ and then transversely between
the edge of the disc I and the mould J to re-shape the centre or heel portion of the
partially formed counter stiffener.
The counter stiffener is then slipped endwise upon the heel end of the former
with its sides between said former and the moulds O and its base edge resting on
the table and its heel end between said former and the flange turning plate S where
it is held until its sides have been subjected to a suitable number of blows in
succession to properly re-shape the upright portions of the sides and turn under
said former the side portions of the flange or heel seat and then the latch
lever k is pressed down so as to engage with the notch of the rod T when the
plate S will be moved forward beneath the heel end of the former and the front
ends of the moulds O as shown in Fig. 7 thus turning the flange of the heel
end of the counter stiffener and completing the shaping of the same.
By the use of this invention counter stiffeners of any style or size can be
made upon a single machine and have their flanges turned so that they are ready
for use in boots or shoes and require very little care or labour of the operator
in applying them.
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, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a machine for shaping counter stiffeners for boots and shoes the com-
bination of a former approximating to the shape of the heel portion of a last and
provided along the centre of its tread surface with a downwardly projecting rib
leaving a recess on each side a pair of moulds having their inner faces made to
conform to the shape of the sides of said former and each provided with a lip to
overlap or pass beneath a portion of the tread surface of said former arranged one
upon each side of said former and to be moved toward and from each other and
said former; and a notched plate constructed and arranged to be reciprocated in
the direction of the length of said former to turn the rear or heel portion of the
flange of the stiffener while the side portions of said flange are turned by the lips on
the moulds.
2. In a machine for shaping counter stiffeners for boots and shoes the combination
of a former made in two parts pivoted together and to the table or bed of the
machine at or near the centre of the heel end and provided with a downwardly
projecting rib extending from its pivotal connection towards its free or movable
end, a pair of moulds airanged one upon each side of said former and mounted upon
movable pivots with their inner faces made to conform to the forward side portions
of said former and each provided with a lip to project under the tread surface of
said former to turn the side portions of the flange of the stiffener; springs for
pressing said moulds towards the former, a reciprocating notched plate for turning
the rear portion of the flange of the stiffener, a revolving wedge like cam
constructed and arranged to act upon the free or movable ends of the two parts
of said former to separate them, and a spring to move said parts toward each other
and said cam.
3. In a machine for shaping counter stiffeners for boots and shoes the combination
with a divided former pivoted together and to a fixed part of the machine near one
end a cam and spring for vibrating the two parts of said former toward and from
each other and two moulds mounted upon movable fulcrums upon opposite sides of
said former, of a notched flange turning plate, a carrier for said flange turner fitted
to and movable in a suitable slide, a reciprocating rod passing through said carrier

page_text: and provided with a notch to receive a locking latch, a locking latch lever pivoted
to said carrier in position to engage with said notch when depressed, and a spring
constructed and arranged to disengage said latch lever from said notch when the
power that depresses it is removed.
4. The combination of the former P made in two parts pivoted together, the
moulds OO provided with the lips e e and mounted upon movable fulcrum pins on
opposite sides of said former, the movable pistons N N carrying said fulcrum pins,
the springs QQ enclosed between said pistons, the plugs N N and the cam X all
constructed arranged and operated substantially as described.
5. The combination of the divided and pivoted former P provided with the ribs f,
the pivoted and yielding moulds OO each provided with the lip e; the notched
flange turner S, the carrier R, the latch lever k pivoted to said carrier, the spring n
for raising said lever, the rod T provided near one end with the notch to receive
the latch lever k when depressed the yoke T' formed in or connected to said rod T
and provided with the slot o, the revolving shaft V and the crank pin p for
reciprocating said rod, the cam X for moving the free ends of the divided former
away from each other, and the spring Y all constructed arranged and operating
substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of March 1891
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.