IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1879. A communication from
abroad by Francois Maurice Léger, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS
AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by Francois Maurice Léger, of Paris,
in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for nailing or securing the
heels to boots and shoes, whereby among other advantages the said heels are
enabled to be fixed in position with greater precision and facility, than heretofore.
In carrying out the said Invention the apparatus is constructed with a stand,
which may be placed on a table at a suitable elevation, the said stand having a
vertical projection provided with an overhanging arm, which carries a screwed
bearing or nut, in which a vertical screw works. This screw is capable of being
rotated by a hand wheel fast on its upper extremity, and is connected at its lower
extremity to a block which partakes of the ascending and descending motion of
the screw, but is prevented from rotating by a horizontal arm at one side, the said
arm being provided with a notch sliding on a fixed guide which is arranged on one side
of the vertical projection hereinbefore referred to. The block carries an adjustable
rest provided with a stop spring, and capable of moving laterally in a dove tailed
groove formed in the under side of the block, and of being secured in any required
position by a set screw. Underneath this rest a hollow pillar is provided upon the
base of the stand being closed at its upper extremity by a block secured in position
by screws, and provided with any suitable number of cylindrical holes corresponding
to the size of the heels to be operated on.
In the holes in the block are fitted so as to be free to slide rods or nail drivers,
which are fixed at their lower extremities to a plate resting on a piston which
works inside the hollow column. This piston has a reciprocating vertical motion
imparted to it by means of a rod or stem on its lower side, the lower extremity of
the said rod or stem being retained so as to be capable of rotating on its axis in a
socket formed in the upper extremity of a bar connected to a reciprocating frame
in the base of the stand of the machine. This frame is worked by an eccentric
carried on one end of a horizontal shaft, supported on suitable bearings in the base
of the stand, and to which shaft rotary motion may be imparted by means of a
handle on a fly wheel keyed on its other end.

page_text: According to a modification of the preceding arrangement a rack and pinion may
be employed in lieu of the eccentric and frame herein before described, and a crank
The
may be substituted for the fly wheel and handle for actuating the same.
eccentric arrangement may be employed when operating upon ordinary wooden
heels, as the force required is then comparatively inconsiderable.
In order to work the apparatus the vertical screw is screwed up to the extreme
upward limit of its travel, carrying with it the adjustable rest, and the eccentric
(for example) is depressed so as to draw down the nail drivers to the bottom of
their stroke. Nails of suitable size are then placed head downwards over the nail
drivers in the cylindrical holes in the block supported by the hollow pillar. The
boot (for example) to which it is required to affix a heel is then placed over the
said pillar with the sole upwards; the heel is next placed in position on the boot,
and the adjustable rest after being suitably adjusted is then brought down on to
the heel by turning the vertical screw, the spring upon the rest enabling the heel
to take its proper bearing immediately. By continuing to turn the vertical screw
the heel and part of the sole of the boot are then firmly pressed between the
adjustable rest and the block on the end of the hollow pillar. This being effected
motion is imparted to the horizontal shaft by means of the fly wheel and handle
(for example), and the nail drivers are caused to rise by the action of the eccentric
driving the nails before them with great precision into the stationary heel.
The rack and pinion arrangement may be employed when operating upon heels
made of hard wood, and especially upon leather heels, the operation being conducted
in precisely the same manner as herein before described with reference to the machine
working with an eccentric.
By driving the nails (which move) through a sole into a heel which is held
stationary the operation is performed with greater certainty than is attainable by
the ordinary methods, and the liability to distortion is obviated or greatly
diminished.