IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR NAILING OR PEGGING THE SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES TO THEIR VAMPS OR UPPERS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR NAILING OR PEGGING
THE SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES TO THEIR VAMPS OR UPPERS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Lyman Reed Blake, of Fort Wayne,
Indiana, United States of America.
Scaled the 12th March 1872, and dated the 26th January 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 26th January 1872, pursuant to the 9th'
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR NAILING OR PEGGING THE SOLES OF BOOTS AND SHOES TO THEIR

page_text: VAMPS OR UPPERS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has
been communicated to, me from abroad by Lyman Reed Blake, of
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming
a part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates particularly to improvements in that class of
machinery for nailing or pegging the soles of boots and shoes to their
vamps or uppers described in the Specification of an Invention for
which Letters Patent have been granted bearing date the 20th day of
January, A.D. 1868, No. 198. In the said Specification there is shown
a work-supporting horn consisting of an arm inclined vertically and
having a horizontal top face or bed upon which the under side of the
sole or inner sole is supported, the said bed serving as a support and an
anvil against which the blow or thrust of the driver is received, the
points of the nails or pins being clinched against the anvil.
In the present Invention the organization of the machine is in many
respects similar or equivalent to the organization of the machine shown
in the aforesaid Specification. In the said machine the nails or pins
are cut off from a long strip of wire, and before each is driven it is bent
over into a vertically inclined position and is driven into the sole with
an inclined driver, the successive or adjacent nails being driven in
alternately opposite directions.
In the present Invention each nail when driven is inclined, and the
nails of the row are alternately inclined, the inclinations being in the
line of the seam, but instead of holding each nail in an inclined position
(in the direction of the seam) to drive it, it is held in a vertical position
(as regards the seam or plane of the fastenings) and is driven by a
driver positioned and moving in the line of each nail so held. The
inclination is obtained by so cutting or forming the point of each nail
that it assumes the requisite inclination as it enters the sole, and the
points of alternate nails are preferably so formed that one enters and.

page_text: then slants in one direction, and the next enters and then slants in the
opposite direction in the line or plane of the series of fastenings, and
one part of this Invention consists in thus pointing and driving the
nails so that although driven straight as regards the seam they
assume inclined positions with either parallel or alternately opposite
inclinations.
Another part of the said Invention consists in the construction and
method of operation of the cutters that cut the nails from the wire and
thus form their points.
In this Invention as in the formerly patented machine there is a
swinging nail tube plate, pivotted on a stud pin and swinging from
position where the wire enters it, and the nail is cut off to position
under the driver, the pivot pin being near the lower end of the swinging
nail tube plate, so that while the nail receiving end of the plate has a
very considerable motion to carry it from the wire receiving and nail
cutting line into the line of the driver, the lower point of the nail tube'
foot has but a slight movement. The mechanism or arrangement of
mechanism by which the movements of the nail tube plate are effected,
and other details of construction and arrangement of the mechanism
constitute the other features of this Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed according to
this Invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a
sectional plan on the line x, x, Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional plan on
the line z, z, Figure 2; Figure 5 is a plan of the cutters, and the toggle
arms by which they are actuated.; Figures 6, 7, and 8 show the cutters
(enlarged).
A is a view of the wire; B and C show two oppositely pointed nails
cut therefrom; a denotes the frame in and upon which the mechanism
is mounted; b is the driving shaft. that directly and indirectly imparts
all the motions to the mechanism; c is the horn or inclined work
support, d being the anvil top thereof. Only the upper end of the
horn is shown (and this only in Figure 2), there being nothing new in
the horn or its movements; e denotes the presser foot consisting of two
shanks or jaws f, f, extending down from a tube shaft g, the shaft
sliding vertically through the plate h, and having at its upper end a

page_text: screw threaded tube i. On this tube is a frame k (working loosely on
the screw thread of the tube but kept in place thereon by a nut), and
this frame has in its two opposite sides slots into which enter stud
pins m extending from two forks or arms n at the end of a rocker
lever m¹, at whose other end is a stud pin n¹ entering a cam groove o on
the side of a cam wheel p on the driving shaft b. The vertical motion of
the presser foot to cause it first to press down upon and gripe the sole
for the action of the driver and entrance of the nail, and next to rise
from and release the sole to enable the shoe to be fed, is effected by
this connection of the presser foot shank or sleeve with the cam o.
Through the tube i and shaft g the nail forming wire passes, the said
wire after leaving the bottom of the presser foot shaft 9 passing
through a feeder or carrier s, thence through a projection or throat
piece extending from the rear of the presser foot shank, and thence
between the cutter blades, the nail length being at this point severed
from the bottom of the wire and dropping into the nail tube foot q.
The wire feeder or carrier s is a plate or block (at the foot of a slide u
having a guide groove in which is a spring pawl or griper w, the tooth
of which bites upon the wire as the pawl descends, holds it against the
guide wall at the end of the groove, and carries it down with it when
the slide descends, the wire drawing freely through the bore of the
shaft g and tube i. The pawl may be held up to the wire by a pin a
actuated by a suitable spring. The pawl yields and slips over the
wire as the slide and carrier rise, and when the wire is not to be fed
the pawl is released from the action of the spring-pressed pin, and then
swings back from the wire. The carrier feeds the wire down when the
presser foot is up, and its motion is effected as follows:-The slide
moves in a guide slot at the back of the shaft g and is connected by a
link with one end a² of a lever 62, which lever is fulcrumed at its
opposite end, as seen at c². The lever is jointed as seen at få to a
vertical rod g² which slides through the plate h and has above this
plate an arm h³ carrying a roll 22, upon which acts a peripheral cam
or cam wheel k² on the driving shaft. As the shaft rotates during the
rest of the presser foot and after its rise, the cam in its rotation strikes
the roll and forces down the lever 62, thus actuating the slide u and
carriers and feeding down the wire. When the acting face of the cam
has passed the roll a spring & draws up the lever and brings the carrier
to its normal position ready to again feed the wire. The point to which
the carrier descends is constant, being determined by the cam and the

page_text: positive action thereof upon the lever ³, but the rise of the carrier may
be variable, being effected only by the spring. The extent of this
upward movement depends upon the position of the presser foot.
mechanism, the carrier being arrested by the shaft g or a projection
5 therefrom. As the position of the presser foot (at each upward rest·|
thereof) depends upon and is regulated by the height of the upper
surface of the work which has been grasped between it and the top of
the horn (as will be herein-after referred to), the point at which the
carrier stops in its upward movement is correspondingly determined
and regulated, therefore if by a set screw m² or other device, the carrier-
is brought to a stop at such a point as will leave the end of the wire
projecting beyond the cutters for a length equal to the thickness of
material into which the nail is to enter, it will be obvious that a nail
will be cut every time of a length corresponding to the varying
thickness of such material if the position of the presser foot be
regulated by such varying thickness. And if the set screw is set
to cause the nail to be cut a little longer or a little shorter than such
thickness so will all the nails be cut correspondingly long or corre-
spondingly short (in accordance with the varying thickness) if the
movement of the presser foot be controlled and regulated by such
varying thickness. The roll arm h² is made adjustable upon the rod,
and by this provision for adjustment the length of nail cut relative to
the thickness of sole may be at first determined, while by the set
screw,m² small changes may be made in such length without starting
the arm h². The end of the nail wire passes down through the pro-
jection at the rear of the presser foot bar or shank into a slot j³, and
thence into the nail tube in the nail tube foot q, and into this slot enters
the cutting mechanism that severs the nail length fed down into the
nail tube, this cutting mechanism being as follows:-o², p², denote two
horizontal cutter blades, each shewn as fastened by a pin q² to a
cutter lever or ²; each lever r², s², is pivotted as scen at t in a
bearing u², which is secured to a plate v² fixed to the bottom of a
vertical sleeve 10%, which slides on a stationary rod x² depending from
the under side of the plate. The rear ends of the cutter levers ³, 8², are
jointed to two toggle links y², the other ends of which links are jointed
together and to one end of a slide 2², whose other end is jointed to a con-
necting rod a³ which connects the slide to the lower arm 63 of a vertical
rocker lever e³ fulcrumed at d³, the upper arm of the lever having a
.
•
'

page_text: stud pin e extending into a cam groove f³ in the side of a cam wheel g³,
which is geared to and driven by a pinion h³ on the driving shaft.
. When the presser foot is raised from the work the inner
arms of the
cutter levers are open (having been previously thrown out instantly
after effecting the cut of the wire), and the cutter blades are in position
for the wire to be fed down between them. Just after the nail driver is.
raised and the presser foot has risen, the nail tube plate is swung into
position to receive the end of the wire. Then the wire is fed down
into the nail tube (the presser foot being still up) and then the toggle
links y² are thrown in or out to bring them into line, which bringing
into line forces the inner arms of the cutter levers inward, causing the
edges of the cutter blades to act upon and sever the wire. The cutting
edges are so formed that they not only sever the nail but they bevel
and point the end of the wire above (which end forms the point of the
next nail to be cut off), cutting off the top of the nail below however
with a square surface to form the head.
In the specific construction shewn in the aforesaid former Specification
the nails are driven in alternately opposite inclined directions, the nail
driver assuming alternately opposite inclined positions for this purpose.
In the present machine the nails are driven without thus inclining the
driver, but yet so that they assume such alternately inclined positions,
this being effected by a peculiar pointing of the nails as follows:-
Each cutter (as shewn enlarged in Figures 6, 7, and 8) is formed with a
cutting edge near its point or end, and while the face of one edge is
vertical or has but a slight inclination as seen at ³, the face of the
other is considerably inclined as seen at ³, and the action of these two
edges in severing the wire as they approach and meet forms a point like
that shewn at 13. At some distance back from the ends of the cutters
each blade has another cutting edge m³ or n³, the two edges being the
converse in inclination to the edges 23,³, the edge m³ being nearly
square or vertical, and the edge n³ considerably inclined, as seen at
Figure 8, which is a section of the cutting edges on the line y, y,
Figure 6, the two edges i³, k³, forming a point, as seen at o³. The
points of the two nails being thus formed on opposite sides of alternate
nails each point as it enters deflects from a vertical line, and assumes
the required angular position, the inclination being in opposite directions.
If the nails are all to be driven in the same inclined direction the

page_text: י
cutters may be made with only one set of edges or only one set may be
brought into action. But for the alternate inclinations, both sets of
edges are brought into action and preferably as follows:-The bearing
to which the cutter levers 7³, 83, are pivotted is so mounted in the
plate v² as to be capable of a slight forward and back movement
in a slot thereof, the length of the bearing and of the slot being the
same, and the width of the slot being greater than the width of the
bearing by an amount equal to the distance between the cutting points
of the cutting edges ³, ³, and those of the cutting edges m³, 18³, or such
distance as shall cover a movement of the bearing sufficient to bring the
two sets of cutters alternately into position to sever the wire. To effect
this movement or change of cutting position of the cutting edges the
toggle links are brought into line to close the cutters both at the
advance of the connecting rod a³ toward them and at its retreat, the
arms at each forward movement passing the centre or the direct line
between the three toggle pivots, cutting the nail as they come into line,
and being then drawn together by the action of the spring p³, the stress,
of which not only throws the cutters apart but moves the bearing u².
back so that the other set of cutters ³, ³, is brought into position to
next sever the wire. One nail being thus cut and properly pointed at
one side, and being driven, and the presser foot rising, and the nail
tube plate again coming into position to receive the end of the wire,
the action of the cam next draws back the connecting rod a³ and brings
the toggle links y into line, thereby actuating the cutters and cutting
off the nail and continuing the outward movement of the toggle arms,
which are then thrown out into their first inclined position by the
spring p³, the stress of which in throwing the bearing u² forward brings
the cutters m³, n³, into position to cut, the last action of the cutters
having effected the pointing of a nail upon the side opposite to that of
the point last made by the cutters. The nail-tube foot q is hung by a
stud pinto one of the jaws f of the presser foot, the plate filling the
space between the two jaws f, f, and swinging on said pin, first into
position to bring the top of the tube under the descending wire and.
next into position to bring the top of the tube under the driver s³..
Said driver is fixed in the bottom of a vertically reciprocating carrier,
or carrier bar & sliding in the presser foot bar, the carrier being con-
nected by a link u³ with a vertical .slide rod v³ jointed by a link w³ to
the front arm of a lever a pivotted at y³, the rear arm of said lever.
"

page_text: being jointed to an eccentric strap z³ driven by an eccentric a on the
driving shaft. As the end of the nail driver needs to descend cach
time just to the surface of the work or to a certain distance below
such surface, and as the position of this surface (or the thickness of
the work) constantly varies, a corresponding variation is automatically
èffected in the extent of descent of the driver, this change being
effected from the presser foot bar or rod as follows:-Fixed to the
presser foot rod or bar is a collar 64 having an arm ct, to which is
jointed by a link done arm of a lever et fulcrumed at f₁, the other
arm of said lever being jointed to a wedge or slide g* which has inclined
grooves h¹ fitting and sliding upon stationary inclines or guides . The
nail driver lever is fulcrumed on the top of a rod k*, and under the fulcrum
is a nut or collar fixed on the rod. The rod * passes through the
slide block g, and after each descent of the driver the movement of the
eccentric brings the nut or collar down upon the slide block. At each
descent of the presser foot the presser foot bar is locked in position in
accordance with the height of the presser foot resting upon the work.
The position of the collar is correspondingly fixed, and as the presser-
foot next rises a given distance or has a given extent of movement the
collar riscs with it, and in rising actuates the lever causing it to move
and raise the slide block, and the slide block to raise the lever fulcrum f',
so that as the motion of the eccentric and the rear end of the lever
jointed thereto is constant, and the position of the fulcrum is varied in
accordance with the position of the surface of the work (or the thick-
ness of the work) it follows that the motion of the nail driver jointed
to the end of the lever will be in accordance with the thickness of the
stock, or the position of the upper surface thereof.
As before remarked the rise of the presser foot is variable and
contingent upon the varying thickness of the stock, the top of the
horn or work support being always stationary or in one horizontal
plane. This rise is regulated by the position of the upper surface of
the stock, the foot ascending a constant distance above such surface
so as to leave the work in position to be freely fed, whether it be thick'
or thin, this varying rise of the presser foot also automatically and
correspondingly controlling the length of wire cut off to form each
nail and the throw or descent of the nail driver, each in accordance
with the varying thickness of the work. The change in position of the

page_text: presser foot so that its rise is always constant or to a fixed extent above
the surface of the sole or work is effected as follows: The presser foot
bar or shank i is formed with sharply pitched threads m*, with which
the threads of a nut n' engage. This nut is formed with ratchet teeth o',
with which engage two spring pawls or pawl levers p* pivotted to the
frame k, as seen in the Drawing. The ends of these pawl levers are
connected by rods q* with one end or arm of a lever pivotted at s',
and having at its opposite end a stud which projects into a peripheral
cam groove in the cam wheel p. The pawls are normally held in
engagement with the ratchet by the stress of springs t, and just after
the presser foot has been thrown down by the action of the cam pon
the lever m¹ the lever r draws back the pawls out of engagement with
the ratchet nut. The ratchet nut is then free to turn, and if the presser
foot has not descended to the surface of the work (by reason of the
decreased thickness of the work and by the presser foot bar being
locked in position by the nut) the presser foot will be thrown down
(as soon as the ratchet nut is released) by the action of the spring. As
soon as or just before the presser foot next begins to rise the cam ť
throws back the lever, permitting the springs to throw the pawls
back into engagement with the ratchet nut, thereby locking the presser
foot bar g, nut n', and frame k. together, the rise of the presser foot
being from this new position. If a greater thickness of work is under
the descending presser foot then the ratchet nut turns back upon the
screw as the presser bar descends and before the pawls are drawn
back..
.
The method of operation of the variable presser foot and the
regulation therefrom of the length of wire cut, and the throw of the
Mail Lities are in an the come
32
in the machine

page_text: is preferably made with a correspondingly lozenge shaped tube. For
this purpose I make the foot (as seen at G, H, I,) of two plates e³, ƒ³,"
joined together by suitable pins, each plate having an obtuse angled".
groove g³ cut in one face, and the two grooves meeting and forming the
nail tube as seen at I. The nail tube foot q is swung into its respective
positions, first to receive the nail cut from the wire, and next to receive
the driver as follows:-A pin h³ extends into a slot in the top of the
foot, this pin being at the lower end of a lever / hung as seen at » to
the presser foot bar. On the inner side of this lever is a pin m³.
extending into a slot n in the driver stock 3, this slot being straight
except at or near its lower end where it is inclined, as seen at o³. As
the driver stock ascends after having driven a nail, and when the driver
has risen from the tube in the nail tube foot the incline o' strikes the
pin m³ and swings the lever inward, carrying the nail tube foot into
position to receive the nail to be cut. During the latter part of the
upward motion of the driver stock the pin m' travels in a straight part
of the slot n³, and the nail tube foot is stationary in relation to the
presser foot.
Just before or during the first part of the descent of the
presser foot the nail tube foot is thus stationary, and the lower end of
the wire having been fed down into the nail tube foot, and the nail
being severed from the wire the presser foot descends, and then thei
driver descends bringing the pin m³ again into the slot incline o, and
thereby swinging the nail tube foot outward, and bringing its nail
charged tube into position for the entrance and driving action of the
;

page_text: oppositely inclined or bevelled points to ensure the entrance of
adjacent nails into the sole at opposite inclinations in the line of the
fastenings.
Third. The cutters o³, p², formed with two pairs of cutting edges for
alternately severing the wire and forming nail points with opposite
inclinations, substantially as described.
Fourth. The nail cutter blades having an intermittent forward and
back movement for alternately bringing the two pairs of blades into
position to sever the wire, substantially as described.
Fifth. The toggle mechanism for imparting the inward or nail
severing movement to the cutters, substantially as described.
Sixth. The nail tube and presser foot bar or rod made as one piece,
or to be in the same vertical line, substantially as described.
Seventh. The nail tube foot placed between the presser foot cliceks f
and swinging on the pin 73, substantially as described.
Eighth. The relative arrangement and combination of the nail tube,
the swinging nail tube foot, the presser foot, and their actuating
mechanism, substantially as described.
Ninth. The specific construction and arrangement or combination of
the mechanism for variably cutting and feeding the wire, variably
moving the presser foot, and variably moving the nail driver all by and
in accordance with the varying thickness of the parts to be united.
Tenth. The nail tube foot formed of the two grooved plates, sub-
stantially as described.
Eleventh. The nail forming wire made lenticular in section and with a
the projecting spurs, substantially as described.
Twelfth. The nail driver formed from round steel wire having the
nail driving shank drawn to shape by rolling, substantially as described.
Thirteenth. Uniting the soles and vamps of boots and shoes by nails
pointed upon one side so that the nails assume an inclined position as 3
they are driven, substantially as described.

page_text: Fourteenth. Uniting the soles and vamps of boots and shoes by nails
pointed alternately at opposite sides, so that alternately driven nails
assume opposite inclinations as they enter the sole, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
1
0 Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)