Improvements in Welt-seam Trimming Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Welt-seam Trimming Machines.
We, ZACHARY TAYLOR FRENCH, of Waban Street, Superintendent, and
WILLIAM CRISTIAN MEYER, of Péter Parley Road, Draughtsman, both of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 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. :-
In the manufacture of welted boots and shoes the welt is sewed through the
upper to a channelled inner sole, and then it becomes necessary.to trim the welt-
seam, or to trim off the "between substance" as it is usually called, i.e., the inner
edge of the welt and the edge of the upper at the welt-seam thus formed so as to
present a smooth flat surface for the outer sole.
This invention relates to machines for thus trimming the welt-seam of welted
boots and shoes, and has for its object to improve the construction of the
machine in many respects, tending to increase its capacity as well as its
efficiency.
In accordance with this invention intermittent clamp feeding jaws are provided,
and means for operating them to grip the work and feed it along, such form of
feeding mechanism enabling the work to be fed along without injury to the welt,
and without straining the seam, although so.far as some features of the invention
are concerned, any other form or construction of feeding mechanism may be
employed.
A crown knife is used as the welt-seam trimming knife, it being continuously
rotated by means provided for the purpose, and said crown knife is located close to
the feeding jaws, and in such relation thereto that said jaws lie substantially tangent
to the knife.
Any form of knife which travels in the arc of a circle may be used, but a crown
knife arranged to be continuously rotated possesses many advantages.
The crown knife is made adjustable laterally, and also in and out, and means
are provided for moving said knife in and out while it is revolving.
To assist the operator and enable him to better hold and guide the work, a work-
support is provided against which the work may be pressed.
A grinding attachment is provided for the knife, which is constructed and
arranged in such manner that the grinding wheel may be moved back and forth
across the moving knife, while the machine is in operation.
Figure 1, shows in front elevation a welt-seam trimming machine embodying this
invention.
Figure 2, a side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1, a portion of the
main framework being broken away to expose the parts, and
Figure 3, a horizontal section of the machine showing in plan view the work-
support and adjustable frame supporting it, the crown knife and adjustable frame
supporting it, and gears for driving said crown knife.
The main framework comprises essentially a base A mounted upon a column A¹,
and side pieces B erected upon said base.
The main shaft a is journalled in said side pieces B, and has secured to it a
toothed gear a¹ which engages a pinion a', which in turn engages a pinion a³,
formed integrally with or secured to a sleeve a', upon or to which a crown knife a
is secured.

page_text: The pinion a revolves on a stub shaft a, see dotted line Figure 3, secured to
and projecting from a frame C, mounted upon and contained in a guideway in the
base A.
The sleeve a carrying the pinion a³ and crown knife, is mounted upon a rod or
shaft a supported by said frame C, as for instance it has a screw threaded
portion as which is embraced by an interiorly screw threaded clamp-like box a
on the frame C, and has one end squared as at a to receive a suitable wrench, by
means of which said rod or shaft may be turned to adjust it longitudinally, and
hence adjusting the parts carried by it.
The crown knife a is clamped to the sleeve a by means of the nut a¹, and
therefore revolves with said sleeve.
The crown knife consists of a single piece of sheet metal struck up to form a
flat central portion a¹³, and a flaring flange a", bent angularly, as best shown in
Fig. 3, and sharpened at the edge.
Such a knife is light, strong and durable, may be easily sharpened, and by
adjustment of the rod or shaft upon which it is placed, and also of the frame
supporting it, may be used until it is well worn away.
The frame C which carries the crown knife, and driving gearing, is adapted to
slide in and out to a limited. extent in the guideway provided for it, to thereby
positively move the crown knife in and out, and as a means of accomplishing this
result we have provided a rock shaft m which has its bearings in the main frame,
and has at its inner end a crank pin m' which enters a recess m² formed in the side
of the frame C, and said rock shaft m has an arm m³ projecting from it at its outer
end which is attached to the upper end of a treadle rod m*.
By depressing said treadle rod the shaft m will be rocked, and the knife-carrying
frame C moved rearwardly.
A restoring spring m is provided for the treadle and rock-shaft.
A strong flat spring o is attached to the frame, which bears against a stud o¹
rising from the knife-carrying frame, the action of said spring being to thrust the
kuife-carrying frame forward, and it is against the action of this spring that the
treadle moves said frame.
A screw a is screwed into or attached to the rear end of the knife-carrying
frame C, and said screw lies and is free to slide between blocks a30 secured to the
frame, or if said blocks a30 are made in a single piece a suitable recess will be
provided in which said screw slides.
Nuts 8, 9, are provided on the screw a", and are located at opposite sides of the
blocks a, and by striking against said blocks serve as limiting stops to limit the
in and out movement of the knife-carrying frame.
The lasted boot or shoe to which the welt has been sewed is held up against a
suitable work-support c, herein shown as a loop secured to a yoke or frame c¹
attached to the base A in an adjustable manner, as by screws 4 passing through
slots and entering the base Figure 3.
The yoke or frame c¹ has at the rear end an adjusting screw, which by
turning in or bearing against the frame permits adjustment of said yoke or frame
in and out.
The lower end of the loop c is made quite thin and more or less tapering so as
to enter the in-seam or crease, or bear against the upper drawn taut over the last
at a point adjacent the welt..
The acting end of the loop c is made quite wide, so as to over-lie several stitches,
to equalize the pressure.
Instead of making the work-support c as a loop-like structure, it may be made
in many different ways to present a thin acting end.
As a feeding mechanism we have herein shown a clamp feeding device,
constructed and arranged to intermittingly feed along the boot or shoe.
The clamp feeding device shown consists of a pair of jaws d, e, Figure 2 the
lower ends of which are made thin and tapering so that the front jaw may work

page_text: close in the in-seam or crease, and the rear jaw may keep out of the way of the
knife, and said jaws are adapted to close together and grip and hold between them
the welt, and then carry the boot or shoe along a short distance, and then open,
releasing the welt and then return to their starting point.
Such form of clamp feeding device is frequently called a four-motion feeding
device.
The jaw d is located within the loop-like work-support c, and works back and
forth between the vertical arms or sides thereof.
This jaw d is attached by screws 5, 5, to an armn d' depending from a sleeve d²
mounted on the rod d³, being free to rock and also slide longitudinally on
said rod.
The screws 5, 5, pass through slots in said arm d¹ to enable the jaw d to be
adjusted in and out, and a limiting stop 6 is provided at the front side, bearing
against said jaw.
Two arms project radially from the sleeve d², one as d bearing the pin d³ which
enters a cam groove formed in the side of the disk D, secured to the main shaft a,
said groove being so shaped that as the disk revolves the sleeve d will be rocked
axially on the rod d.
The other radially projecting arm de Figure 2 enters a peripheral cam groove
Figure 1 in said disk D, said groove being so shaped as to cause the sleeve d³ to
reciprocate longitudinally on the rod d³.
The parts are so timed that the sleeve d³ will be first rocked in one direction,
moving out the jaw d, then moved on the rod d³ in a direction toward the right,
carrying the jaw d with it, then rocked in the opposite direction moving the jaw d
inward that it may engage the welt, then moved on the rod d in a direction toward
the left, thereby giving to the jaw d four motions.
The jaw e is attached by screws 7 to an arm el depending from a sleeve e
mounted on a reduced portion of the sleeve d³.
One end of the sleeve e bears against a shoulder formed on the sleeve d³, and
the other end bears against a collar secured to the projecting end of the
sleeve d².
By this construction the sleeve e² is caused to reciprocate longitudinally with
the sleeve d, yet the sleeve d is permitted to rock or turn on its axis on its
supporting rod independently.
An arm e projects radially from the sleeve e bearing a pin e Figure 1
which enters a hole in the side piece B, thereby serving as a steadying device for
the rear jaw.
It will be seen that the front jaw d has four motions and the rear jaw e two
motions, and in practice we find such motions to be sufficient to enable the jaws
to perform the work that they are intended to do.
The rear jaw e is cut-away upon its rear side to form a guide-way or passage
for the crown knife as, in order that said knife may be brought close up to the
feeding jaws, and when the jaws and knife are so disposed with relation to each
other it will be seen that said jaws lie substantially tangential to the crown knife.
This form or construction of feeding mechanism works close to the in-seam or
crease and enables the operator to hold the work at the proper angle in order
that the welt-seam may be trimmed close to the stitches all around, and obviates
the necessity of tilting the shoe in such manner as is required when using a roller
feed.
The grinding mechanism or attachment consists of a grinding wheel n held
securely by means of clamping plates 2, 2, on a shaft n' having its bearings in a
box n, and in two blocks no, no, located one at each end of said box n³, and said
end blocks n0, each have two holes bored through them horizontally side by side,
the corresponding holes of each block being in alignment.
A frame 20, has two ears na, na, each formed with a horizontal hole through it,
and a rod or bar as n passes through the hole in each ear n³¹, and by means of a

page_text: set screw is fixedly held in place, said rods or bars n³ projecting in opposite ways.
from said ears n, or at about equal distances, and adapted to enter the holes in
the end blocks no, no, serving as bearings on which said end blocks and parts
connected thereto are free to slide back and forth.
The grinding wheel n is located beneath the crown knife a³, and is moved back
and forth with the shaft n' from one to the other side of said knife, engaging the
bevelled edge thereof as it passes in each direction, thereby repeatedly contacting
with or engaging it.
The frame 20 is provided with ears n³, n³, there being two pairs of ears, one
pair at each side of the frame, and said ears are bored with vertical holes which
receive vertical guide rods n, n', fixedly supported in like ears or projections no, no,
by means of set screws no, no, said ears or projections no, n", projecting from a
clamp-like ring n' which encircles or embraces the column A, and is secured
thereto by a detachable fastening.
The frame 20 has at its lower end a cross piece or connection 8 which receives
and furnishes a bearing for a hand screw n which passes up through it, and thence
up through an ear no also projecting from the clamp-like ring n', so that by
turning said hand screw n° said frame 20 and parts carried by it may be vertically
adjusted.
The shaft carrying the grinding wheel n has secured to it a belt-pulley
by means of which it is continuously rotated, as it travels back and forth across the
bevelled face or edge of the rotating knife a.
As a means for thus moving the shaft n' back and forth we have herein formed
on or secured to said shaft n¹ a worm-wheel n14, see dotted lines Figure 1, which
engages a worm-wheel secured to a shaft n25 mounted in suitable bearings in a
part of the frame connected with one of the end blocks, and to one side or face
of said worm-wheel 15 a crank pin n¹8, see dotted lines, is secured upon or to
which a link n is loosely connected, the opposite end of said link being loosely or
pivotally connected with the frame 20 or other fixed point, and as the shaft n' is
revolved by the belt pulley n¹ the worm n will be correspondingly rotated, driving
the worm-wheel n", and by means of its crank connection with the frame the
shaft n' and parts connected therewith will be moved back and forth or reciprocated
longitudinally.
Thus it will be seen that both the trimming knife and grinding wheel are con-
tinuously rotated, and that one of said parts is repeatedly moved into and out of
engagement with the other, as for instance the grinding wheel is moved back and
forth across the edge of, or into and out of engagement with the knife. Further-
more it will be seen that as means are provided for moving the grinding wheel as
shown, little or no attention on the part of the operator is required, and that the
grinding wheel will be kept in engagement with the knife but for short intervals
of time.
By making the welt-seam trimming knife movable in and out with relation to
the feeding mechanism, or work-support, we are enabled to vary the trimming of
the welt-seams at different parts of the shoe, and we do not desire to limit this
feature of our invention to any particular construction, or to its combination with
the particular construction of any other features of our invention.
A rest is secured to the main frame-work beneath the crown knife a³, which
projects forward and is curved to conform to the curvature of said knife, and the
front end of said rest lies in substantially vertical alignment with the feeding jaws,
aud substantially tangential to the knife, so that as the shoe is held with its welt
between the feeding jaws, the bottom of the sole, inside the welt, will bear against
said,rest.
This rest in conjunction with the work-support c, forms a firm bearing or
support for the work, and enables the operator to hold it at a certain definite
angle to the knife, and to thus precisely locate the work with relation to the
knife.

page_text: It will be seen that the curved acting portion of the knife enters or projects
into the space between the supports c and r, and the distance that it shall so enter
or project may be regulated by adjustment and also by means of the treadle.
This rest, located and shaped as shown, also serves as a guard for the knife.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we-
claim is:-
1. In a welt-seam trimming machine, a welt-seam trimming knife turning on
an axis, and means for holding the work tangentially to its curved face or edge-
with the welt-seam to be trimmed at the point of contact, said means having as a
co-operative part of it a feeding device which acts upon the underside of the welt
and projects inwardly and terminates close to said point of contact, thereby
entering the gradually contracted space between said knife and welt and holding
the work directly opposite where the cutting is being done, substantially as
described.
2. In a welt-seam trimming machine, a welt-seam trimming knife moving in the
arc of a circle transversely to the progress of the work, and a feeding device for
the work, one member of which acts upon the underside of the welt, and is located
between the knife and the welt, and has a recess in which said knife works,
substantially as described.
3. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a continuously rotating
crown knife, and a pair of intermittent clamp feeding jaws arranged substantially
tangential to said crown knife, and projecting laterally to a point in advance of
and also to a point back of the cutting edge of the knife, to thereby grip the work
at a point where the cutting is being done, also in front of and also back of said
point, substantially as described.
4. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of intermittent clamp
feeding jaws, and a continuously rotating crown knife, said jaws being substantially
tangential to said crown knife and arranged with the cutting edge of the knife-
between the sides of the rear jaw, that the jaws may grip the work in front of and
also back of said cutting edge, substantially as described.
5. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a work-support at the
face side of the welt, a continuously rotating crown knife at the opposite side
thereof, a pair of clamp feeding jaws arranged substantially tangential to said
crown knife, and means for operating them to grip the work and feed it along,.
substantially as described.
6. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the jaws d, e, means for operating them to
grip the work and feed it along, the rear jaw e having a guide-way upon its rear
side, and a continuously rotating crown knife which enters and works in said
guide-way, substantially as described.
7. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a pair of clamp feeding
jaws, means for operating them to grip the work and feed it along, a work-support
at the face side of the welt, and a crown knife at the opposite side thereof which
assists in holding the work while the feeding jaws return for a new grip, substan-
tially as described.
8. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a welt-seam trimming
knife, clamp feeding jaws and a work-support, and an adjusting device for adjusting
said work-support in and out, substantially as described.
9. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination with feeding mechanism,
of a continuously rotating crown knife, a sleeve to which it is secured, a longitudinally
adjustable rod or shaft upon which said sleeve is mounted, and means for rotating
said sleeve, substantially as described.
10. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination with a work-support, and
feeding mechanism for the work, of a welt-seam trimming knife, a movable knife-
carrying frame therefor, a spring for moving it toward the work-support, and a

page_text: treadle and suitable connections for moving it in the opposite direction, substantially
as described.
11. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination with a work-support, and
feeding mechanism for the work, of a welt-seam trimming knife, and a yielding
knife-carrying frame therefor, whereby the knife is free to move with relation to the
work-support, substantially as described..
12. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination with feeding mechanism
for the work, of a crown knife, a rotating shaft bearing it, driving gear thereon,
and a knife-carrying frame supporting said shaft, and means for moving said frame
freely in and out, substantially as described.
13. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of feeding mechanism for
the work, a work-support, a continuously rotating crown knife, its shaft, and means
for rotating it, a knife-carrying frame supporting said shaft, and means for moving
said frame freely in and out, substantially as described.
14. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination with feeding mechanism
for the work, of a continuously rotating crown knife, a knife-carrying frame, driving
mechanism for said crown knife, a co-operative part of which is borne by said
knife-carrying frame, and means for moving said knife-carrying frame in and out
while the knife is operating, substantially as described.
15. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a pair of clamp
feeding jaws, means for operating them to grip the work and feed it along, a
work-support at the face side of the welt, and a crown knife at the opposite
side thereof which assists in bolding the work while the feeding jaws return for a
new grip, and a spring pressed knife-carrying frame for said crown knife, substan-
tially as described.
16. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of feeding mechanism
for the work, two work-supports as c and r located a short distance apart to receive
the welt-seam between them, and a curved trimming knife crossing said
space and
means for moving it substantially at right angles to the progress of the work,
substantially as described.
17. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of feeding mechanism
for the work, two work-supports as c and r located a short distance apart to
receive the welt-seam between them, and a curved trimming knife crossing said
space, means for adjusting its position with relation to the work-supports, and
means for moving it substantially at right angles to the progress of the work,
substantially as described.
18. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of feeding mechanism
for the work, two work-supports as c and r located a short distance apart to
receive the welt-seam between them, and a curved trimming knife crossing said
space, means for moving it freely in and out with relation to the work-supports, and
means for moving it substantially at right angles to the progress of the work,
substantially as described.
19. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a continuously rotating
crown knife, feeding mechanism, a work-support adapted to enter the crease, and a
rest located beneath said knife and projecting forward to a point to bear upon
the sole inside the welt, substantially as described.
20. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a pair of clamp
feeding jaws, means for moving them to engage the welt and feed along the work,
a work-support at the face side of the welt, and a welt-seam trimming knife at the
opposite side thereof, substantially as described.
21. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a pair of clamp
feeding jaws, means for moving them to engage the welt and feed along the
work, a work-support at the face side of the welt, and a welt-seam trimming knife
at the opposite side thereof having a broad face substantially in parallelism
with said work-support, and co-operating therewith to clamp and hold the welt
between them while the feeding jaws are returning to grip the welt, substantially
as described.

page_text: 22. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a work-support, a pair
of feeding jaws, the front jaw terminating just above the work-support, and a
trimming knife, substantially as described.
23. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of the loop-like work-
support c, feeding jaws d, e, the front jaw working back and forth within said loop,
and a welt-seam trimming knife, substantially as described.
24. In a welt-seam trimming machine, the combination of a welt-seam trimming
knife having a cutting edge upon the side, and a pair of clamp feeding jaws, and
means for operating them to grip the welt, and feed along the work against the
cutting edge of the moving knife, substantially as described.
25. In a welt-seam trimming machine, a crown knife having a flaring rim with
a beveled edge, a grinding wheel located adjacent to said knife and bodily
movable back and forth across its beveled edge while the latter is rotated, a
sliding shaft carrying said grinding wheel, and means for sliding said shaft,
substantially as described.
26. In a welt-seam trimming machine, a crown knife having a flaring rim with
a beveled edge, a grinding wheel located adjacent to said knife and bodily movable
back and forth across its beveled edge while the latter is rotated, a sliding shaft
carrying said grinding wheel, and means for sliding said shaft, and a vertically
adjustable bearing for said shaft, substantially as described.
27. In a welt-seam trimming machine, a crown knife having a flaring rim with
a beveled edge, a grinding wheel located adjacent to said knife and bodily movable
back and forth across its beveled edge while the latter is rotated, a sliding shaft
carrying said grinding wheel, means for rotating it, a worm thereon, a worm wheel
engaged and driven by it, and a crank connection connecting said worm wheel with
the frame, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of April 1896
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.