Improvements in Means and Apparatus employed in the "Buffing " of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 10th Sept.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means and Apparatus employed in the "Buffing "
of Boots and Shoes.
A communication from abroad by THOMAS EDWARD KEAVY, of Boston, in the
County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of
America, Engineer.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 ;-
The present invention relates to machines for sand papering or buffing the
soles and other parts of boots and shoes, and for other purposes.
The object of the present invention is to produce a machine in which the
abrasive material instead of being formed in the shape of disks as heretofore,
comprises narrow strips so arranged in the chuck or buffing head of the machine
that each and every part of said strips may be used, and therefore secures great
economy in producing the abrasive surfaces or pads for such machines.
Another object of the present invention is to produce in compact form a roll
of abrasive material which is adapted to be quickly and rapidly placed in the
machine, and the free ends thereof drawn across the face of the pad on the chuck,
conformed to the periphery of the chuck and clamped in position thereon, ready
for use.
The present invention therefore consists of a buffing machine and a roll of abra-
sive material therefor, which will be hereinafter described and then particularly
pointed out in the claims.
12 :
The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 shows in side elevation a broken view of the chuck or spindle carrying
the buffing pad, a portion of the lower end of the chuck being broken out: to show
the underlying construction.
Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the upper end of the chuck spindle,
showing one manner of supporting the abrasive material thereon.
Figure 3 shows a section taken through the spindle of the chuck.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the roll of abrasive material in which both
strips of the abrasive material are coiled or wound into a single compact roll.
Similar letters of reference will be used to designate corresponding parts
throughout the specification and drawings.
In the drawing, A represents a goose-neck or over-hanging arm which projects
from a suitable standard or frame (not shown), but which may be of any usual
and ordinary construction, of suitable size and shape to support the spindle of
the chuck in proper position for the presentation of the boot or shoe to be buffed
to the abrasive surface on the chuck.
As indicated by the bearings in Fig. 1, the goose-neck A preferably has two

page_text: forwardly extending arms a which are provided with semi-cylindrical bearings a¹,
and secured in such bearings by means of complementary, semi-cylindrical bearing
pieces a², which are secured to the bearings a¹ by means of suitable bolts a³, is
the chuck spindle B.
of
The chuck spindle B carries at its lower end the disk or chuck b, across the
face of which are drawn the strips of abrasive material, and said spindle is arranged
to be rapidly revolved in the bearings a¹ and a² in order to impart a rapid rotation
to the chuck b, and for this purpose the spindle B between the bearings is provided
with a pulley b¹, or with collars 62, between which a belt from any suitable source
power is arranged to engage the surface of the spindle B to rotate said spindle.
As illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and 2, and by the sectional view, of Fig. 3,
the chuck spindle B is preferably hollow, and is provided with a longitudinally
extending partition 63, which extends longitudinally through the spindle B from
a point at or near its upper end, to a point near the disk or chuck b thereof, forming
within the spindle two longitudinally extending chambers 64 which extend through-
out the spindle clear to the lower end thereof as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.
In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the spindle B is preferably made
about three feet long, in order to accommodate strips of abrasive material (when
not rolled or coiled) of some length, but where the strips of abrasive material are
rolled or coiled, as will be hereinafter described, the spindle B will be considerably
shorter. As shown in Fig. 1, the disk or chuck b is formed integrally with the
lower end of the spindle B, and said spindle immediately adjacent to the back of
the disk or chuck b is cut away upon two sides, as clearly shown at 65.
The disk or chuck b is provided with a slot 66 (see dotted lines Fig. 1), which
communicates with the chambers in the spindle B, and upon the front face of
the chuck or disk bare arranged suitable pads 7, the inner ends of which are
adjacent to the slot 6 and form a continuation thereof, said pads are preferably
of less width than the diameter of the disk or chuck b, and are held thereon by
suitable ribs or flanges 68, (two of which are shown), which ribs or flanges engage
the opposite parallel edges of the pads 67. Said pads are beveled at each end
as shown at 6 and extend to the periphery of the chuck or disk b.
In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the strips of abrasive material C are received
within the chambers in the spindle B and are arranged therein with their
abrasive surfaces turned towards each other. The lower ends of the strips of
abrasive material C are passed through the slot 66 in the disk or chuck b, and
between the inner ends of the pads 67, and are thence drawn across the lower
face of said pads thereon, exposing the abrasive surfaces to act upon the boot
or shoe sole or heel presented thereto, and the strips C are then turned over the
periphery of the chuck or disk b and conformed to said periphery, folding the ends
of said strips which lie above the periphery and thereby taking up the fulness
thereof; or, as shown in Fig. 4, the free ends of the strips C may be slit or
stripped, whereby said stripped ends may be over-lapped and thus conformed to
the periphery of the disk or chuck b. The ends of the strips C are clamped in
order to hold them in position, and as shown in the drawing, the chuck is provided
with suitable clamping members D, which are hinged at one end at d to swing
towards and away from the cut out portion 65 of the spindle B, and at their opposite
ends the clamps D are notched as shown at 1, whereby they are arranged to
be engaged by suitable sliding bolts, which are arranged to slide in suitable
bearings formed in the walls of the lower end of the spindle B. The bolts d³
are provided with pins d³, whereby said bolts & are arranged to be raised and
lowered and the pins are arranged to be turned to engage the notches + to
hold the bolts in locking engagement with the notches of the clamps D.
:
5 represents suitable spring plates which are secured to the sides of the lower
end of the spindle B by means of screws , and between the lower ends of the
springs d and the clamps D, the free ends of the strips C are clamped.
Some suitable clamping devices will be arranged to engage the strips C in the
chamber 4, whereby the slack abrasive strips may be taken up and the exposed

page_text: abrasive surface of the strips C be tightly drawn across and conformed to the
pads b.
As before stated as shown in Fig. 1, the spindle B is about three feet long
and will therefore receive and accommodate strips of abrasive material C of about
one yard in length, but where it is desired to make.the spindle shorter, the strips
of abrasive material C may be rolled or coiled upon spools C, which spools, as
shown in Fig. 2, will be mounted upon suitable shafts c supported in bearings c¹,
carried by upwardly extending arms 2, which are supported by the upper end
of the spindle B. While in Fig. 2 is shown only one side of the device, and there-
fore only two of the arms are shown, it will be clear that there will be a pair
of arms having bearings c¹ upon opposite sides of the rolls of abrasive material.
Any suitable clamping devices may be applied; such as, a pawl and ratchet
to prevent the unrolling of the rolls of abrasive material.
In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a form of roll of abrasive material comprising
two strips of abrasive material to be used in place of two rolls of material shown
in Fig. 2, and in constructions wherein the roll shown in Fig. 4 is employed, it
will be understood that there will be but a single shaft c which engages the aper-
ture in the spool C. These strips C may be of sand paper, emery cloth or the
like, and they are wound upon the spool C₁ in a close and compact form ready
for use, to be inserted upon the supporting shaft in the machine.
The spool C is provided with an aperture ³ to receive the shaft, spindle and
other supporting device.
The strips CC are first cut into suitable lengths, which can be conveniently
carried in the chuck, or supported on the chuck spindle, and are preferably placed
with their abrasive faces turned towards each other, and are rolled or coiled
upon the spool C₁. By this means, the abrasive surfaces of the strips C C will
be protected when not in use, and when the ends are drawn through the aperture
or slot in the chuck and drawn in opposite directions across the face of the chuck,
the abrasive surfaces of the ends of the strips CC will be exposed for use.
If desired, I may provide a protective strip E of non-abrasive material between
the strips C C in order to keep the abrasive surfaces of the strips C C out of
contact with each other, when wound or rolled upon the spool C', and thus remove
all possibility of the abrasive surfaces c becoming damaged by rubbing against
each other.
In use, the spool C¹ with the strips C C thereon is mounted on the spindle,
and the free ends of the strips CC (and the strip E if it be used) are drawn through
the slot or aperture of the chuck and the ends of the strips C C turned in opposite
directions across the face of the chuck or pads thereon, exposing the abrasive sur-
faces for use, in which position they will be clamped or otherwise held, as
hereinbefore described, the protective strip E being torn off or removed close to
the face of the chuck or pad thereon. When in the use of the pad or chuck,
and by the rapid revolution thereof, the exposed ends have become worn, new
sections of the abrasive strips may be unrolled and exposed for use, the worn
sections being torn off and removed, such operation being continued until the
entire roll has been exhausted.
It may be found desirable in some cases to place the abrasive strips one upon
the other with their abrasive surfaces outside and to coil, wind or roll them in this
manner, and such construction I consider to be within the scope of the present
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
In means or apparatus for the "buffing" of boots and shoes.
1. The combination with a hollow spindle and a chuck supported thereby, of
plurality of strins of abrasive material located within the spindle, and having

page_text: their free ends passing through the slot in the chuck and drawn in opposite direc-
tions across the face of said chuck, conformed to the periphery thereof, and
clamped, to secure the free ends of the abrasive strips, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a hollow spindle having a longitudinal partition
therein, of two strips of abrasive material placed within the chuck spindle upon
opposite sides of the partition with their abrasive surfaces turned towards each
other, a slotted disk or chuck carried by the lower end of the spindle, pads secured
to the face of the disk or chuck, and the free ends of the abrasive material passing
through the slot in said chuck, across the face of the pads and conformed to the
periphery of the chuck, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a hollow spindle carrying a suitable chuck upon its
lower end, of two rolls of abrasive material supported on said spindle with the
free ends of the strips of abrasive material passing through said spindle and
secured in position with their abrasive faces turned upwardly on the underside
of the chuck, substantially as described.
4. A roll of abrasive material, comprising two strips of abrasive material ar-
ranged with their abrasive surfaces turned towards each other, and rolled or coiled
into a compact roll; substantially as described.
5. A roll of abrasive material comprising two strips of abrasive material ar-
ranged with their abrasive surfaces turned towards each other, and a protective
strip of non-abrasive material placed between their abrasive surfaces, the whole
rolled or coiled into a compact roll, substantially as described.
6. A roll of abrasive material comprising a spool and two strips of abrasive
material arranged with their abrasive surfaces towards each other, and closely
rolled or coiled upon the spoòl, substantially as described.
7. A roll of abrasive material comprising a plurality of strips of abrasive
material, rolled or coiled into a compact roll, substantially as described.
Dated the 15th day of April 1898.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.