IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER IN THE Manu- FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Blakey, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER IN THE Manu-
FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 6th June 1871, and dated the 9th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Blakey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th December 1870.
I, JOHN BLAKEY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Boot and. Shoe
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED Means and AppaRATUS FOR UTILIZING SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES" (to be as follows) :-
-
This Invention relates to a prior Invention for which Letters Patent
were granted to me dated the 19th day of August 1869, Number 2481,
and consists of the following further improvements thereon :-
Firstly. Of an apparatus for moulding rolls or blocks of the scraps

page_text: •
or bits of leather to the form of boot or shoe heels, comprising a mould
or box in two parts hinged together longitudinally of any desirable or
convenient length and suitable sectional form. This box is placed
vertically in a table or stand, the top for convenience being even with
the surface. A lever is hinged on a pillar fixed upon the table, to one
end of which lever is attached a rammer of the same form as the box,
and in such manner as to enter into it when pressed downwards. A
spring is applied to the other end of the said lever, and a treadle is
attached so that the attendant can operate the same. A plug is inserted
into the top of this box, which by means of a spring is held sufficiently
tight therein, yet capable of being driven through the said box by the
rammer. The attendant places a layer of scraps of leather within this
box upon the plug, and upon them a coating of cement and another
layer of scraps, then by means of the treddle operates the rammer
which forces them down the box. Another layer of cement and scraps
is then introduced and the rammer used to force them forward as before,
and so on until the box is filled, when it is opened and the roll or block
of scraps thus placed and cemented together is removed thence and
placed in the press to be operated upon thereby as shewn and described
in the Specification of Patent referred to. The press for solidifying the
rolls is now constructed to be capable of being expanded and contracted
laterally by screws or equivalent means, thereby to adapt it to various
sizes of heels as required, which is an improvement upon the one shewn
and described in the Specification referred to.
Secondly. When the rolls or blocks as aforesaid become sufficiently dry
I then cut them into slices to any thickness required for lifts or layers
of boot or shoe heels by means of a circular saw or saws of peculiar
construction, namely, having each alternate tooth forming a knife and
the others as usual. A fence is used herewith in the usual manner
to regulate the thickness of the slices or lifts as required.
Thirdly. An apparatus for pricking a series of holes in the said lifts
for the nailing or pegging of the same together, which consists of a box
of the form of a lift, and a lever or slide rod with block operated by
eccentric or cam having the prickers suitably arranged thereon, and the
box perforated for the prickers to pass through. This lever or rod and
pricker block may be worked by hand, foot, or power, and as each of the
lifts are pricked they are pushed out of the box by the action of a
spring and another is introduced to be operated upon. The apparatus

page_text: for moulding the scraps into rolls can be adapted for pricking by applying
the prickers and the box thereto.
Fourthly. The Invention consists in the introduction of wood into the
middle of the roll or block in the building up of it in the apparatus
explained in the first part of this Invention, which is effected by placing
the said wood in a hole formed in the plug, and held by being fixed to
the bottom of the box, so that the leather scraps, as built up around
it pass over the wood until the box is filled, when all are taken out
together and when pressed and dry are cut by the saw, as explained,
into slices.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Blakoy in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BLAKEY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Blakey, Her special licence
that I, the said John Blakey, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Blakey, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BOOTS AND SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Blakey, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW. KNOW YE, that I, the said John Blakey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is'
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and ɛ
by the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that
is to say):
This Invention relates to a prior Invention for which Letters Patent
were granted to me, dated the 19th day of August 1869, No. 2481 and
consists of the following further improvements thereon :-
-
1
Firstly. Of an apparatus for moulding rolls or blocks of the scraps
or bits of leather to the form of boot or shoe heels, comprising a mould
or box in two parts (hinged together longitudinally) of any desirable or
convenient length and suitable sectional form. This box is placed
vertically in a table or stand, the top (for convenience) being even with 1
the surface. A lever is hinged on a pillar fixed upon the table, to one
end of which lever is attached a rammer of the same form as the box,
and in such manner as to enter into it when pressed downwards. A
spring is applied to the other end of said lever and a treddle is attached
so that the attendant can operate the same. A plug is inserted into 2
the top of this box, which by means of a spring is held sufficiently tight
therein yet capable of being driven through the said box by the rammer.
The attendant places a layer of scraps of leather within this box upon
the plug and upon them a coating of cement and another layer of
scraps, then by means of the treddle operates the rammer which forces 2
them down the box. Another layer of cement and scraps is then intro-
duced, and the rammer used to force them forward as before, and so on
until the box is filled, when it is opened and the roll or block of scraps
thus placed and cemented together is removed thence and placed in the
press to be operated on thereby as shewn and described in the Specifi- 3
cation of Patent referred to. The press for solidifying the rolls is now
constructed to be capable of being expanded and contracted laterally.
by screws or equivalent means, thereby to adapt it to various sizes of
heels as required, which is an improvement upon the one shewn and
described in the Specification referred to.
3
Secondly. When the rolls or blocks as aforesaid become sufficiently dry
I then cut them into slices to any thickness required for lifts or layers
of boot or shoc heels, by means of a circular saw or saws of peculiar

page_text: and on taking off the pressure the spring raises the rammer. A plug
is formed to fit the box, having a spring to hold it tight therein, yet so
that the rammer may force it down. As previously stated the attendant
in using this machine places scraps of leather on the top of the plug in
the box and forces the rammer upon them. He then applies a coating of
paste or cement of strong adhesive quality, then another layer of scraps,
and again forces the rammer down upon them, and so on until the
box is filled, when it is removed from this machine and placed in a press
shewn at Figs. 3 and 4 where A is the box, I and J aro a pair of rams
made to enter the box and carried upon moveable brackets K and L 1
which are operated by the screw spindle M by means of the hand wheel N
so as to compress the scraps of leather in the box until they become
sufficiently solidified, when the roll is removed to be dried and treated
as herein-after explained.
The second part of the Invention will be readily understood without 1
reference to Drawings, as for this purpose I have found that by means
of a circular saw made thinner in the central part than the periphery,
with the teeth cut and sharpened square across it, and by aid of an
ordinary fence or guide plate, rolls of leather scraps, formed as previously
explained, when dry, can be cut into slices to any desirable thickness to 2
form lifts for heels of boots and shoes.
The third part is shewn at Figs. 5 and 6 whero Fig. 5 is the sido
elevation and Fig. 6 is the end or front elevation of a machine for
pricking holes in the said lifts. P is a stem carrying a series of prickers
fixed in a block Q fitting in a dovetail slot of the stem. This stem is 2
caused to move up and down or rise and fall by means of an eccentric
or crank shaft R to which it is attached, and which shaft has rotary
motion given to it by gear wheels 8 and 8' from the driving pullies T
and T', the whole being supported in suitable framing. Under the
prickers is a plate U fixed in the frame and perforated for the prickers 3
to pass through it, and under this plate is space or recess to introduce
a lift V to be pricked; W is a bell-crank lever hinged to the framework,
and on one arm is a bowl which bears against the edge of a circular
plate W, fixed on the shaft R, and the other arm is acted upon by a
spring W², and to this arm is attached a pusher or catch W for pushing 3
the lifts out of the recess after being pricked; X is a lever hinged to
the frame and clips a pin on a slideable bar X' which is acted upon
by a cam or an incline Y fixed on the face of the wheel S. This lever

page_text: also clips a pin projecting from another' slideable bar Z to one end of
which is attached a pusher 7 for pushing the lifts under the prickers,
and to the other end is applied a spring Z for returning the pusher.
It will be observed there is a notch in the edge of the plate W³, which
admits the bowl on the lever. W to enter and allow the spring W' to
act on the pusher W' to push out a pricked lift and immediately after is
withdrawn ready for the next lift which is supplied by the attendant
to the pusher which by the action of the cam or incline Y pushes.it
under the prickers to be operated upon as previously explained, when
on the withdrawal of the prickers the incline Y has ceased to act and
the spring Z³ returns the pusher ready for another supply: "
The fourth part of this my Invention will also be understood without
the aid of Drawings: In the building up of the rolls of scraps of leather
explained in the second part I introduce a piece of wood into the centre
of the mould or. box and place the scraps around it, the wood being
fixed at the bottom of the box and passing through a hole formed for
it in the plug, the scraps are forced forward over, or along the sides of
the wood until the mould is filled, when the whole roll thus formed
of scraps and wood in the centre thereof is taken out to dry as previously
explained.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention and
shown by Drawings in what manner the same is or may be performed or
carried into practical operation, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to any precise details of construction or arrangement
of the apparatus shewn and described, but what I claim as my Invention.
'is,—
Firstly. The process and manner of making sections of leather into
rolls and the peculiar construction and combination of machinery for
that purpose, substantially as shewn and described.
). Secondly. The peculiar construction and use of a circular saw for.
cutting the said rolls into slices as herein described.
Thirdly. The method or process and machine for squeezing or solidifying.
the said rolls and the means or apparatus for pushing the said rolls
out of the moulds, substantially as shewn and described.
5 Fourthly. The construction and use of the machine for pricking the
holes into the said lifts and the appliances attached for introducing
and throwing out the lifts when pricked in manner substantially as
'

page_text: }
shown and described. Also the introduction of wood into the rolls
when building them.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Blakey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our
'Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
JOHN BLAKEY. (L.S.).