Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes,
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes,
We, GEORGE HENRY FAIRE, and ARTHUR WILLIAM FAIRE, trading in co-
partnership under the style of Smith, Faire & Co., of St. Saviour's Road, Leicester,
Boot & Shoe Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and has particular
reference to those made upon what is known in the trade as the "Veldtschoen"
principle.
The distinguishing characteristic of this principle is that the marginal edge
of the upper is turned outwardly at a right angle to the body of the
stitched either with or without the addition of an overlaid welt or strip to the
and
upper
sole.
When the overlaid welt or strip is employed the marginal edge of the upper
is sandwiched or interposed between the latter and the edge of the sole.
to the bottom of the last by one or two tacks and then the upper is pulled over the
In preparing these different parts for the sole stitcher the sole is first secured
last and the edge of the upper is then temporarily secured to the sole by a series
of tacks inserted at intervals apart and driven one at a time by the hand of the
operator through the edge of the upper into the edge representing the thickness
of the sole.
The boot or shoe thus partly prepared is then ready to be submitted to the
action of the stitching machine to have the sole and the upper connected together
as herein before described and which is well understood.
Now the object of this invention is to effect automatically by machinery and
thus more expeditiously and efficiently what has heretofore been done by the
hand of the operator, viz. to temporarily connect by a series of tacks the marginal
edge of the upper to the edge or thickness of the sole, preparatory to the stitching
operation. Our invention therefore consists in the provision of means or the
application, for this purpose, of mechanism to tack-driving machines of which
the "Boston" and "Barrett' are well known types; these said machines being
at present inapplicable for the said purpose, as in consequence of the narrow
edge of the sole to be operated upon and the absence of any guard or guide or
equivalent provision on the machine the jar of the latter at the moment of driving
a tack jerks the arms of the operator so that he therefore finds it impossible to
hold the boot or shoe steadily in position to insure the tack being driven in the
edge of the sole.
The present invention consists in the application to a tack driving machine
of the type herein before referred to of mechanism or a device whereby the operator
is enabled to present the sole edge and upper thereover of a boot or shoe to the
nozzle or driver in such a manner that the said sole and upper are maintained
in proper position to receive the driven tack.
It is obvious that the device or mechanism may be constructed in various
ways and we desire it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the

page_text: constructive details of any device when applied to a tack driving machine for this
purpose.
After a series of experiments we have discovered that a device of the following
construction gives excellent results.
The said device which may be termed a guard or guide consists of a tube or
sleeve adapted to be placed or slipped over the nozzle of a tack driving machine
and to be maintained detachably in position thereover by a spring pressing there-
against or into a notch therein.
The said sleeve may have in its lower or acting end a groove or gutter having
a lip or downwardly depending and preferably integral wall on each side, into
which groove or gutter, the edge of the sole having the upper thereover is inserted
and when slight upward pressure is applied to the device it will in the case of the
⚫ Boston tacker set the machine in motion and cause it to automatically drive
a tack.
23
By moving the edge of the upper covered sole along under the said device a
series of tacks will be driven at intervals through the edge of the upper into the
sole and the two latter thereby temporarily connected together preparatory to
being stitched.
The groove or gutter in the device serves to press or bed the upper on to the
edge and against each side of the sole and holds the two parts in the proper
position so that each succeeding tack is driven into the centre of the edge of
the sole.
While however the construction of the device herein before described is the one
preferred for use by us we consider that any other construction of guard or guide
which enables the edge of the sole and upper of a boot or shoe to be presented to
the tack driving machine so that automatic driving of the tack is effected, comes
within the scope of the present invention...
It is obvious that in some cases the device may have only a single lip or the
guard or guide may consist of one or more downwardly depending arms or
equivalent devices against which the boot or shoe could be held as hereinbefore
mentioned during the tack driving operation.
An essential feature of the present invention is making, the said device detach-
able so that it can be readily removed when the tack driving machine is required
to be used for other well known purposes than that of the present invention.
If however it were desired to keep a machine solely for the purpose of the
present invention it is obvious that the said device need not necessarily be
detachable and if necessary the nozzle of the machine might have a similar pro-
vision formed integrally therewith.
Dated this 13th day of December 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
We, GEORGE HENRY FAIRE, and ARTHUR WILLIAM FAIRE, trading in co-
partnership under the style of Smith, Faire & Co., of St. Saviour's Road, Leicester,
Boot and Shoe Manufacturers, 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:-
1
This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and has particular
reference to those made upon what is known in the trade as the "Veldtschoen"
principle.

page_text: The distinguishing characteristic of this principle is that the marginal edge
of the upper is turned outwardly at a right angle to the body of the upper and
stitched either with or without the addition of an overlaid welt or strip to the
sole.
!
When the overlaid welt or strip is employed the marginal edge of the upper
is sandwiched or interposed between the latter and the edge of the sole.
In preparing these different parts for the sole stitcher the sole is first secured
to the bottom of the last by one or two tacks in the usual manner, and then the
upper is pulled over the last and the edge of the upper is next temporarily
secured to the sole by a series of tacks inserted at intervals apart and driven one at
a time by the hand of the operator through the edge of the upper into the edge
representing the thickness of the sole.
The boot or shoe thus partly prepared is then ready to be submitted to the
action of the stitching machine to have the sole and the upper connected together
as hereinbefore described and which is well understood.
Now the object of this invention is to effect automatically by machinery and
thus more expeditiously and efficiently what has heretofore been done by the
hand of the operator riz.: to temporarily connect by a series of tacks the marginal
edge of the upper to the edge or thickness of the sole, preparatory to the stitching
operation. Our invention therefore consists in the provision of means or the
application for this purpose of mechanism to tack-driving machines of which
the "Boston" and Barrett" are well known types; these said machines being
at present inapplicable for the said purpose, as in consequence of the narrow
edge of the sole to be operated upon and the absence of any guard or guide or
equivalent provision on the machine the jar of the latter at the moment of driving
a tack jerks the arms of the operator so that he therefore finds it impossible to
hold the boot or shoe steadily in proper position to insure the tack being driven
into the edge of the sole.
The present invention consists in the application to a tack driving machine
of the type herein before referred to of means whereby the operator is enabled to
present the sole edge and upper thereover of a boot or shoe to the nozzle or driver
of the said machine in such a manner that the said sole and upper are maintained
in the proper position to receive the driven tack.
It it obvious that the invention may be carried out in various ways and we
desire it to be understood that it is not limited to the constructive details of any
device when applied to a tack driving machine for this purpose.
After a series of experiments we have discovered that a device of the following
construction gives excellent results.
The said device which may be termed a guard or guide consists of a tube or
sleeve adapted to be placed or slipped over the nozzle of a tack driving machine
and to be maintained detachably in position thereover by a spring pressing there-
against or into a notch. therein.
The said sleeve may have in its lower or acting end a groove or gutter having
a lip or downwardly depending and preferably integral wall on each side, into
which groove or gutter the edge of the sole having the upper thereover is inserted
and when slight upward pressure is applied to the device it will in the case of the
"
Boston tacker set the machine in motion and cause it to automatically drive
a tack.
66
By moving the edge of the upper covered sole along under the said device a
series of tacks will be driven at intervals through the edge of the upper into the
sole and the two latter thereby temporarily connected together preparatory to
being stitched.
The groove or gutter in the device serves to press or bed the upper on to the
edge and against each side of the sole and holds the two parts in the proper
position so that each succeeding tack is driven into the centre of the edge of
the sole.
While however the construction of the device hereinbefore described is the one

page_text: preferred for use by us we consider that any other construction of guard or guide
which enables the edge of the sole and upper of a boot or shoe to be presented to
the tack driving machine so that automatic driving of the tack is effected, comes
within the scope of the present invention.
It is obvious that in some cases the device may have only a single lip or the
guard or guide may consist of one or more downwardly depending arms or
equivalent devices against which the boot or shoe could be held as herein before
mentioned during the tack driving operation.
An essential feature of the present invention is making the said device detach-
able so that it can be readily removed when the tack driving machine is required
to be used for other well known purposes than that of the present invention.
If however it were desired to keep a machine solely for the purpose of the
present invention it is obvious that the said device need not necessarily be
detachable and if necessary the nozzle of the machine might have a similar pro-
vision formed integrally therewith.
The invention will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the nozzle attachment removed from a
tack driving machine, and having our invention applied thereto.
"Boston"
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with the lower part thereof in section.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the nozzle with the upper part broken away and
with the guide detached.
Figure is a plan of the underside of the nozzle and guide.
Figure 5 is a view of the guide and a last with upper and sole thereon being
presented to the tack driving machine.
Figure 6 is a section of a last with upper and sole thereon showing
tacks driven by the tack driving machine through the upper and into the edge
of the sole.
A represents the nozzle and A' a vertical arm connected thereto and by which
the former is attached to a Boston "tack driving machine in the well known
manner.
"
B represents a device or attachment which may be termed a guide shown
detached in Figure 3. It is in the form of a sleeve or tube having a central bore
or opening by which it is adapted to fit snugly and detachably over the nozzle.
A flat friction spring C fixed by a screw C₁ to the foot of the arm, enters a notch
or recess B in the external face of the guide B and prevents the latter dropping
off the nozzle A. by the jerking of the machine incidental to each tack driving
operation.
The said guide has a gutter or groove 12 in its underside adapted to receive
the edge of the sole of a boot or shoe as hereinafter described and the said gutter
or groove has on each side a downwardly depending lip B³.
In actual practice the toothed lower end of the nozzle A projects slightly below
the top or roof of the groove Be as indicated most clearly in Figure 1.
In order to prepare a boot ready for the sole sewing machine the sole D
Figures 5 and 6 is tacked on to the bottom of the last E and the upper D¹ pulled
over the latter in the well known manner.
The last, upper and sole thus arranged are then presented to the tack driving
machine, with the edge of the sole D covered by the edge of the upper D¹ pressed
upwards into the groove B2 in the attachment.
One lip B3 of the attachment B beds the upper D₁ against the upper marginal
edge D³ of the sole D and the other lip presses the lower edge 12 of the upper D¹
against the underside or tread surface of the sole D and when held in this position
the upper is drawn somewhat tightly over the edge representing the thickness
of the sole as illustrated in Figure 5 and a slight upward pressure of the boot
against the nozzle A will set the machine in motion in the well known manner
and drive a tack F through the upper D¹ into the sole edge.
By moving the upper covered edge of the sole along under the nozzle A, a series

page_text: of tacks will be driven through the upper D' and into the sole D at intervals
apart thus automatically connecting the upper to the sole in readiness for the
stitching machine.
It will be observed that the two lips B3 of the attachment stretch the upper
leather over the edge of the sole Figure 5 during the driving of the tack F and
thus the best results are obtained yet a single lip would answer the purpose but is
not so preferable.
It is obvious that if so desired the nozzle itself could be constructed with a
gutter in its under face so as to dispense with the attachment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
:-
1. The application to a tack driving machine of means whereby an operator
is enabled to hold the upper covered sole edge of a boot or shoe under the tack
driver while a tack is driven as and for the purpose described.
2. In a tack driving machine of the character described the provision of means
to facilitate the driving of tacks automatically through the upper and into the
edge of the sole of a boot or shoe when presented thereto in the manner described.
3. In a tack driving machine of the character described the combination of a
guide against which the upper covered sole edge of a boot or shoe may be steadily
held under the tack driver as and for the purpose described.
4. In a tack driving machine of the character described the combination with
the tack driver of a guide adapted to receive the upper covered edge of the sole
and to press the edge of the upper onto the edge of the sole and also against each
side of the latter while a tack is being driven through the upper into the edge
of the sole for the purpose described.
.5 In a tack driving machine of the character described the combination with
the nozzle of the latter and a detachable guard or guide for the purpose
described.
6. In a tack driving machine of the character described the combination with
the tack driver of a guard or guide having a groove or gutter in its lower end to
receive the upper covered edge of the sole of a boot or shoe and a lip on one or.
cach side of the said guard or guide for the purpose described.
7. In a tack driving machine of the character described the combination with
the nozzle of a detachable guard or guide constructed substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. The improvements in tack driving machines of the character described
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
n
101