An Improved Last.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Last.
I, WILLIAM WHYTE CABENA, of No 405, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Wholesale Boot Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
Hitherto it has been necessary for boot and shoe manufacturers to carry a
large stock of lasts owing mainly to the many variations in the shapes of the
toes, so that in cases where any pronounced fashion dies out, a number of lasts
are rendered useless thus resulting in considerable loss to the manufacturer.
Now the object of this invention is to provide a last which can be used for
the manufacture of boots having any desired shape of toe.
It consists essentially in lasts having removable toe-pieces which can be
exchanged at will for others of a different shape as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings wherein,-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and,
Fig. 2 a plan of a last constructed according to this invention,
Figs. 3 and 4 are plans shewing differently shaped toe-pieces, which can be
fitted upon the last in lieu of the one shewn thereon.
Figs. 5 and 6 are plans of the underside of the toe-pieces and front part of
the last shewn separately from each other.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation, and,
Fig. 8 a plan of the underside of the front portion of a last constructed accord-
ing to this invention illustrating a slight modification of the toe-piece.
Fig. 9 is a transverse section on line 9-9 Fig. 5.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures.
A represents the main portion or body of the last, and B the removable block,
both of which may be constructed in the ordinary way except that said main
portion or body has provision for the attachment of the removable interchange-
able toe-pieces C. For this purpose its front is cut away as indicated at D, and
is formed with a rabbet E adapted to receive the corresponding flanges F of the
toe-pieces C, said flanges serving, in conjunction with a dowel pin G, to support
the front ends of said toe-pieces, whilst their rear ends are secured to the last
by means of screws H in addition to which the rear ends of the flanges F may
be fitted into undercut recesses I at the ends of the rabbets E.
The modification shewn in Figures 7 and 8 consists in making the toe-piece C
so that it entirely covers the front part of the main portion or body of the last
instead of forming it with narrow flanges as at F.
It will be evident to boot manufacturers that with the above described con-
struction of last any desired shape of toe-piece can be fitted to suit requirements
and thus it will not be necessary to provide separate lasts for each shape of boot,
but merely to provide the requisite number of removable interchangeable toe-
pieces the cost of which is comparatively insignificant. The can be made of gun-

page_text: metal or any other preferred material, and can be used on either wooden or iron
lasts as required.
said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
Lasts having removable toe-pieces which can be exchanged at will for others of
a different shape substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of March One thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight.