IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederic Gardner of Worship Street, Finsbury,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES" communicated to
him from abroad by Gordon MoKaj, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederic Gardner at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th September 1883
CHARLES FREDERIC GARDNER, of Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR LASTING BOOTS
AND SHOES" [a communication to him from abroad by Gordon M°Kaj, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America]
My invention relates to machinery or apparatus for use in the manufacture of
boots and shoes, and comprises various improvements as hereinafter set forth.
My said invention is more particularly intended to improve the construction
and increase the efficiency of lasting machines similar to that described in the
specification of former Letters Patent dated 20th July A.D 1880 N° 2987.
The improved machine has a main frame at the upper part of which are formed
horizontal guide-ways. A head or frame is capable of being moved backwards and
forwards in or upon these guideways, that is to say, away from and towards the
operative as hereinafter described. The lower part of the main frame carries the
main shaft which is kept constantly in motion, transmitted from any suitable
motor by means of a band and pulley; and in the front of the machine at a
convenient height for manipulation is placed the last-carrying apparatus
The said head or frame is carried by four wheels or rollers which are free to
travel in or on the guideways above mentioned between two stops which are
preferably elastic and which limit the extent of movement of the said head. This
head carries the "Hold Down' "
or device which holds down the last, and the
pincers for drawing the leather over the last. The said head is made to travel in
the said guideways so that after the operation of lasting is completed the said head
may move away and leave the surface of the inner sole free, to be operated upon
by the "Tacker."
The "Hold down" consists essentially of a crosshead furnished with three pads
or blocks one to press down the upper at the heel if it should be too high, one to
press upon the last at the waist, and one to press on the fore part of the last. The
block for the waist is pivotted near its centre, and that for the fore part of the last
TD SAT

page_text: is pivotted at its inner end. The latter block and the other two blocks are
adjustable to and from the centre of the last-carrying apparatus by means of a
right and left handed screw in the crosshead. The two latter blocks are fixed
relatively to each other. The block for the fore part of the last is provided with
a roller which bears upon a wedge fixed to the cross-head so that when the said
screw is rotated in one direction or the other the said block is turned upon its
pivot and will press the last more or less into the last-carrying apparatus. The
said roller is caused to constantly bear upon the said wedge by a spring
The said cross-head is fixed on the end of a rod which slides up and down in a
long passage or bearing formed in the movable frame or head. Between the top
of this rod and a fixed cross-bar directly over it on the said head there is a toggle
joint which is operated by means of a pulley on a second shaft arranged above the
main-shaft, through the medium of mechanism hereinafter described. This second
shaft is connected by suitable gear-wheels with the main shaft and is constantly
rotated. I provide a strap, one end of which is fastened to the short arm of a
lever, the long arm of which is formed into a handle, the said arms being fixed to
a shaft carried in bearings in the main frame. The said strap is passed down-
ward under the pulley and then upward in a vertical direction so that the pulley
is in the bight of the strap, and the other end thereof is connected to a rod and
chain, which chain, after passing around a segment which deflects it at right angles,
or nearly so, is connected to the centre pin of the said toggle joint. Whenever it
is desired to actuate the toggle, the operator presses the said handle and tightens
the band against the revolving pulley, which acts upon the band by reason of the
friction produced, and pulls the toggle straight.
As above explained, the head is carried on rollers by means of which it can be
moved forward over the last or made to recede so as to leave the last clear. It is
necessary that the head, when it is over the last and the "hold down" is about to
be actuated, should be restrained from moving and be held rigidly. To effect this
I provide a horizontal lever the fulcrum of which is carried underneath the head
frame. This lever has four arms, two of which point towards the rear and two to
the front of the machine. One of the rearward arms is formed into a stop so as to
abut against a catch or stop piece on the main-frame. The said lever is acted upon
by a spring, in such a manner that when the head is drawn forward over the last
by the operative, exactly into its right position, and against the elastic limiting.
stop, the said arm slips over the catch, and the head is rigidly held and retained
until the said arm is lifted out of engagement with the stop piece.
The said limiting stop consists of two springs fixed to the main frame and curved
at their front ends so as to engage with a triangular projection on the movable
head or frame, when the same is moved forward.
The action of the said strap and pulley upon the toggle being impulsive and
acting only so long as the strap continues to be pressed against the pulley, a
retaining catch is needful to keep the toggles in an upright position, especially-as
there is a strong spring connecting the cross head and the movable head or frame,
and acting upon the toggle so as to tend to lift the "hold down" off the last. A
catch for this purpose is formed on the lower member or link of the toggle and a
bell crank lever is pivotted under the said head or frame; one of the arms of this
lever is horizontal, and engages with, or is coupled to, one of the forward pointing
arms of the aforesaid lever; the other arm of the bell crank lever is vertical and
carries a hook or pin which engages with the catch formed on the toggle. The
operation of these parts is as follows, that is to say, when the toggle is straightened
its catch falls under the hook or pin on the bell crank lever and is retained, but
whenever the four armed lever is tripped so as to release the stop, the bell crank is
moved and the toggle catch is tripped, and the "hold down" is allowed to spring
up from the last by means of the spring above mentioned, at the same time that
the head is released and free to move back, which movement is affected auto-
matically by means of a light spring connecting it with the main frame, which
spring always tends to draw the said head backwards. The limiting stop at the
=

page_text: rear is sometimes made of a ring or tube of india-rubber or other suitable material
fitted upon a cross-bar fixed to the main frame
The tripping of the four armed lever involving the actions above described as:
dependent on it, as well as another action hereinafter mentioned, is automatically
effected by means of the following mechanism, that is to say:-The main shaft is
geared with another shaft below it through the intervention of a spur-wheel and
pinion. The said pinion runs loosely on the main shaft and can be connected.
therewith by a clutch. This lower shaft carries a cam, which at every revolution
lifts a long upright rod, that, striking against one of the rearward. arms of the
four armed lever releases the other of the said arms from the catch.
In addition to the "hold down" the head carries, hanging from it, the pincers by
which the upper is drawn up at the sides of the last. When the lasting operation
is completed and the "hold down" and head are about to be released to permit the
tacker to fix the upper to the inner sole, the pincers must also relinquish their hold
of the upper. To effect this result the tails of the segmental racks, which serve to
retain the grip of the pincers upon the upper, are turned upward. A horizontal
slide is carried on the head in such a position that stops upon it may be brought
in contact with the tails of the said racks The end of this slide is coupled to the
vertical arm of a bell crank pivotted on the head, the horizontal arm of which
lever engages with one of the forward pointing arms of the aforesaid lever. The
same movement of this lever that trips the other catches above described, draws
the slide and its stops against the tails of the said racks, and disengages them,
thereby releasing the grip of the pincers upon the upper.
The mechanism for drawing the upper over the last is operated by a rod, which
sliding vertically in the main frame.at its front part, and rising and falling at
proper times, actuates, by means of wedges carried by it, the connections to the
various pads and pressers, and other parts
There is a cross-head low.down upon this wedge rod, and a cross-piece at the
lower part of the main frame; there is a toggle joint, the operation of which,
alternately raises and lowers the wedge rod. The spur-wheel upon the lower shaft
(already mentioned as geared to the main shaft) is furnished with a pin at a
suitable distance from the centre. There is a rod coupled to the centre pin of the
said toggle, long enough to rest upon the lower shaft, and furnished with a hook
at the end. The said hook is so adjusted that the pin in the spur wheel, as it
revolves, will engage therewith, and pull the toggle joint just past the position
which it occupies when its arms or links are in line with each other. On the front
side of the lower arm or link of the toggle joint is a treadle, by means of which
when the pin in the spur-wheel has in the course of its revolution left the hook,
the operator can trip the toggle joint, and allow the wedge rod to fall. I provide
a device somewhat similar to that described in the said former specification, for
preventing the release of the pads by this operation, that is to say:-At the foot
of the machine and below the wedge-rod there is pivotted a bell-crank lever, the
horizontal arm of which is formed into a treadle and projects in front of the
machine in close proximity to the toggle treadle. The vertical arm of this bell
crank lever is furnished with a spring which tends always to draw it into a
vertical position but is prevented from doing so as long as the wedge rod is down
because it occupies the space which the bell-crank arm should occupy, but directly
the wedge rod is lifted by means of the toggle joint the bell-crank arm assumes a
vertical position and although the toggle joint is tripped the wedge rod can no
longer descend to its former position until the bell crank arm is removed. The
length of this arm is so adjusted that when the operative trips the toggle he allows
the wedge rod to descend far enough to uncover the last, but not far enough to
release it from the side_pads. He can then examine the work and complete the
nailing if necessary. He then presses down the bell crank treadle and the wedge
rods falls to its lowest position and releases all the lasting devices.
The lasting devices proper consist mainly of two pairs of jaws working one within
the other. The outer jaws are considerably longer than the longest last usually

page_text: made. The said jaws form the upper ends of two vertical levers pivotted on the
main frame and having their lower ends furnished with rollers which rest against
the opposite sides of one of the wedges, so that when the wedge rod is lifted, the
wedges move the lower ends of the levers apart and close the jaws and vice versa.
There being two sets of jaws there is a wedge on the wedge rod for each set
respectively. Of these two sets of jaws, the outer and larger pair carry a pair of
strong springs or fingers, pointing inwards, turned up slightly at the ends and
serrated on their underside. The function of these fingers is to draw the upper
over the waist. Towards each end of the outer jaws are formed inclined surfaces,
which impart motion to the crimping plates, by which the upper is drawn over at
the heel and toe. Between these inclined surfaces, and the waist fingers, are fixed
other fingers, smooth on their underside, which fingers slide over the crimping
plates and assist in holding them down
The inner and smaller pair of jaws press in the pads for the waist, the fore part,
and the heel.
The main frame is formed with a transverse slide in front of the machine so
placed as to lie between the jaws above described. Upon this slide are arranged
two blocks, carrying the heel and toe crimping devices. The said slide is provided
with a right and left hand screw, by means of which the said crimping devices can
be adjusted to suit any length of last.
The crimping devices are made in the following manner, that is to say:-The
top of each of the blocks, above mentioned is slightly inclined or curved upwards
towards the end last and is formed into a short slide upon which a sliding piece
carrying the crimping plates can be adjusted to and from the last. This piece is
secured in the desired position by a set screw. The crimping plates are made to
fit and slide over the heel and toe of the last and to turn over and smooth down
beneath them the edges of the upper. They are pierced with holes to allow the
tacks to be driven for attaching the upper to the insole. The two crimping plates
at each end of the last are both connected to the said sliding piece by one pivot on
the centre line of the apparatus so that their movement towards each other
resembles that of a pair of jaws or scissor-blades. Each block carries a short
lever on each side pivotted to it and moving horizontally just underneath the sliding
plate. The ends of these levers are furnished with rollers that bear against the
inclined surfaces above described as situated at the ends of the larger pair of jaws,
so that as the said jaws close the levers are made to close in at the same time with
a graduated movement dependent upon the form or angle of the inclined surface.
These levers are also furnished with rollers on their upper sides which enter
grooves formed in the sliding plates lying just above them. The rollers are so
placed on the said levers that as they close towards each other the rollers cause the
sliding plates to advance towards the last. From the ends of the levers nearest to
the inclined surfaces there are links extending to the extremities of the crimping
plates, the operation of the whole device being that as the jaws carrying the side
pads move inward the crimping plates also move inward over the last and move
towards the centre of the last at the same time. The heel and fore part side pads
consist of upright levers which are pivotted to the lower part of the blocks on each
side just clear of the slide. The block that carries the heel device carries also a
thin guard or bent plate that surrounds the heel of the last The heel pads are
carried by plates loosely jointed to the tops of the upright levers; these plates bed
against the said guard. The levers are each furnished with a pin provided with a
collar and an India rubber cushion about midway between the pivot and the pad,
against which pins the inner jaws bear as they move inward. The fore-part side
pad plates are made of a hollow shape so as to fit to a last and are covered with a
leather flap. They are attached to the upright levers with a universal joint so as
to be free to bed themselves against the last. The levers are furnished with a
spring cushion to receive the pressure of the jaws.
The waist side pads consist of long bars or levers, similar to those above
described, but instead of being pivotted at their lower ends these two ends are
1

page_text: linked together and they are carried upon pins provided with collars and cushions,
which pins are fixed in jaws, instead of merely abutting against them as in the
case of the other side pads The bearing surface is formed of a leather flap which
is attached at the upper end to a universally jointed pad plate and is connected to
the lever by a spring at the lower end thus forming a strong but very adaptive
bearing surface
The heel support consists of a suitably hollowed plate freely fitted on the top of
a long rod guided in the frame. At its lower part this rod is pivotted to another
rod capable of sliding up and down upon studs fixed in the main frame so as to be
very free to adapt itself to any size of last. The said rod is made hollow and
furnished with a spring inside, tending to elevate it. There is also a light plate-
spring on the said rod that tends to make it incline towards the toe support. There
is a bracket below the sliding part on the frame furnished with an India Rubber
cushion against which a roller in the bottom toggle bears and lifts it slightly when
the toggle joint is straightened
The toe rest is somewhat similar but rather more rigid. The bearing plate is in
two pieces fitted so as to yield in any direction, and so bed to the last on the top of
the rod. The upper part of the rod is a sleeve working over a rod and carried by
a light spring. The latter rod in turn works in a long socket at its lower end in
which socket there is a strong spring. One side of this rod is made with ratchet
teeth and the said socket carries a pawl that engages with the said teeth so that
when the said rod is pressed down the pawl and ratchet teeth retain it from rising
again until the pawl is tripped. There is a lever engaged with the pawl which
extends upwards and backwards in such a manner that a short arm fixed on the end
of the shaft that carries the hand lever, above described as used to tighten the band
against the pulley, can abut against it. When the said lever is moved it trips the
pawl and releases the toe rest. The lower end of the socket is fitted with a roller
which rests on a segmental cam pivotted at the foot of the main frame. This cam
is fitted with a latch, and a projection on the lower member or link of the toggle
joint, is so arranged relatively to the latch, that as the toggle falls when tripped it
moves the cam slightly and permits the toe rest to descend a short distance but
immediately returns and allows the toe rest to spring upward to throw the last out
of the lasting devices
As above mentioned the pinion on the main shaft gearing with the spur wheel
on the lower shaft runs loosely and is connected with the main shaft by a clutch
so that it only imparts motion to the spur wheel and lower shaft at intervals.
This clutch is controlled by a separate hand lever carried loosely on the shaft of
the hand lever above described. This clutch is made with internal ratchet teeth,
and a spring pawl is pivotted to the said pinion, so that it engages with one of the
said teeth, except when held out of engagement therewith by moving the said
lever, which withdraws a lever mounted loosely on the lower shaft and bearing
upon the said paw). Another lever is acted upon by a cam on the said shaft, and
by a spring, in such a manner as to disengage the said pawl from the ratchet tooth
and throw the clutch out of gear. Although pressure on the said hand lever will
engage the clutch at any time and set in motion the train of mechanism, the clutch
will be disengaged automatically and always at one point, that is to say, after the
train of movements has been accomplished, and the mechanism has returned to its
starting point.
The said invention moreover comprises apparatus for notehing the upper leather
all round the toe so that when it is turned over and pressed down under the
crimping plates of the machine above described it may lie smoothly and not in
Lunches. This apparatus has a frame in front of which is an adjustable upright
piece carrying a knife with its edge upwards. This knife is of a shape approxi-
mating to that of the toe of the upper and formed so as to cut out the desired
notches. The said frame carries a bell-crank lever, the horizontal arm of which
extends over the knife and terminates in a flat part which is covered with leather
and which presses the upper down upon the knife. The vertical arm of the bell-

page_text: crank lever hangs down, and between it and a fixed point in the frame is arranged
a horizontal toggle joint connected to a treadle pivotted to a bracket fixed to the
floor, so that when the treadle is pressed down the toggle joint is straightened and
the said flat part is brought down upon the knife
These
For nailing. the upper. to the inner sole the so-called string tacks are used.
tacks are made from wire but are not detached from one another till in the act of
being driven in they are automatically cut off by a "hand tacker." This hand
· tacker consists of a light frame which can be readily held in the hand and which
carries a reel upon which the string of unseparated tacks is wound. The wire is
led off the reel over a guard and is guided in a groove formed in the side of the
-frame down to a steel nose-piece which is pivotted to the frame but is embraced by
a stirrup with a set screw to keep it up to its work. The said groove extends
down the nose-piece nearly to the end thereof when it suddenly terminates and a
small bar of hardened steel is provided at this point for abruptly cutting off the
nail as it is driven into the leather. This bar which has a sharp edge is flush with
the face of the nose-piece. Beyond the bar the face of the nose-piece falls back a
little, so as to distinctly mark the termination of the groove. Through a hole in
the upper part of the frame a plunger is free to slide and extends up out of the
frame far enough to be struck with a hammer. It is furnished with a spring which
draws it up against a stop bringing its lower end a distance rather, greater than
the length of the longest rivet required, from the end of the nose-piece. The
plunger is inclined towards the frame-side and nose-piece so that they meet at
their lower ends. The lower part of the hole through which the plunger passes
guides it sidewise but it has freedom in the direction to and from the nose piece.
A spring on the frame presses it against the nose piece. There is a flat spring fixed
to the frame, which bears upon the face of the nose piece, lying between it and the
plunger. This spring extends down nearly as far as the end of the plunger. The
end of the plunger is armed with. a hard steel piece flattened at one side, to lie
against the face of the nose piece. The end of the nose piece is roughened to prevent
it slipping on the leather.
The string of tacks is led from the reel down the groove in the frame and the
nose piece, under the flat spring till the head of the tack, which is on one side of
the wire only, and lies out of the groove, has passed the spring, which prevents its
returning. The point of the tack is then very near the end of the nose-piece. If
the end of the plunger is struck it is driven down and the edge of the plunger
end catching the head of the tack carries it down with it, and detaches the tack
from the string as it passes over the small steel bar at the end of the groove
If pegs are to be used for fixing the upper to, the insole, a hand pegger herein-
after described is used. This apparatus consists of a light frame formed of two
tubes inclined relatively to each other, and terminating in a nose piece, which.
tubes contain two plungers one of which carries an awl to make the hole in the
leather, and the other the peg-driving punch. The centre lines of these tubes
meet at the nose. Extending from the nose piece is a guide trough in which lies a
strip of peg-wood drawn continually towards the peg driver by a spring. The
two plungers are connected at the top by a lever pivotted centrally on the frame
between them so that as the one plunger is pressed downward the other plunger is
moved upward,
The plunger that drives the peg is provided with a knife, which, sliding with it,
cuts off at every stroke a peg to be driven by the next stroke of the plunger. The
operative in using this apparatus strikes first the one plunger, thereby making a
hole for the peg, and then the other plunger, thereby driving a peg. He then
moves the apparatus to the next hole. A spring is provided to continually
press the strip of peg-wood towards the tubes thus ensuring a constant supply
of pegs.

page_text: When it is moved back to the stop c, as shewn in Figure 2, it is out of the
way, and the whole surface of the inner sole is free to be operated upon by the
tacker...
The "hold down" consists essentially of a cross-head e furnished with three
pads or blocks e¹, e, es, the pad or block e¹ to press down the upper at the heel if
it should be too high, e to press upon the last at the waist, and e³ to press on the
fore part of the last. The block eis pivotted at, or near, its centre, and the block e³
is pivotted at its inner end. The latter block and the blocks e¹, e* are adjustable
to and from the centre of the cross-heade by means of a right and left handed
screw e passing through the said cross-head. The blocks e¹, e are secured to the
piece or nut es, and the block is pivotted to the piece or nut eo, which nuts are
fitted on the screw e. The block e is provided with a roller e which bears upon
a wedge or inclined plane e in the cross-head e, so that, when the screw´e* is
rotated in one direction or the other, the said block is turned upon its pivot-it may
thus be adjusted to suit lasts of different size and shape. The said roller e' is
caused to constantly bear upon the said wedge or inclined plane e by a suitable
spring. The cross-head e is carried on the end of a rod j, which is capable of
sliding up
and down in the long guide e formed on the head C. Between the top
of the rod j and a pin f carried in the head C is a toggle-joint h, h¹ arranged to be
operated by a pulley k on the shaft G (which shaft is geared with the main shaft B)
by means of the following mechanism, that is to say:-The main frame A carries
in suitable bearings a lever g consisting of a short shaft to which is fixed a long
arm terminating in a handle and a short arm 1. To this arm 1, a strap m is
attached, which strap is passed downwards under the pulley k and then upwards,
so that the said pulley lies in the bight of the said strap. One end of the said
strap is connected to the centre pin of the toggle-joint h, h¹ by the rods n and
chain n', which chain passes around a segment o.
When it is desired to actuate
the toggle, the operator pulls forward the handle g and thereby tightens the
band m against the pulley k, which is continuously rotated and acts upon the said
strap or band by reason of the friction produced between them, and thus
straightens the said toggle-joint.
Whenever the "hold-down "
E is to be operated and the head C has been
advanced to the stop d, the said head must be held rigidly in this position. This
is accomplished in the following manner, that is to say:-A four-armed lever H is
pivotted to the head C so that two of the arms p, p' of the said lever extend a
towards the rear, and the other two arms q, q¹ thereof extend towards the front of
the frame A. The arm p is arranged to abut against a catch or stop r on the main.
frame A when the head C is in the position shewn in Figure 5. The lever H is
acted upon indirectly by the spring & attached at one end to the head C and at the
other end to the bell-crank-lever pivotted to the head C, one arm of which lever 4
extends below the arm q as shewn in Figure 5 so that when the head is drawn
forward over the last by the operator exactly into its right position, and against
the limiting stop d, the arm p slips over the catch or stop and the head is
rigidly held and retained until the arm p is lifted out of engagement with the said
stop r. The limiting stop & consists of two springs fixed to the main frame A, as
shown in Figure 8, and curved at their forward ends, so as to engage with the
triangular projection t on the movable head or frame C, when the same is moved
forward. The springs are prevented by means of the pins d* from being moved
too far apart. The limiting stop c consists of a cross-bar carried by the frame A
and surrounded by a ring or tube of india-rubber or other suitable elastic 5
material.
The action of the strap m upon the toggle h, h¹ being impulsive, and acting only
so long as the said strap continues to be held against the pulley k, a retaining
catch is necessary to keep the toggle extended, especially as the strong spring v
connecting the cross-head e with the movable head C acts upon the toggle and 5
tends to lift the "hold down" off the last. The catch W is formed for this
purpose on the lower member or link ¹ of the toggle, and the said catch is

page_text: J
.
:
arranged to be held as follows, vis;-the horizontal arm of the bell-crank-leverió
which is pivotted to the Head O engages with the forwardly pointing arm'q of
the lever H. The vertical arm of the said bell-crank-lever carries a hook or pin
which engages with the catch W. The operation of these parts is as follows, that
is to say, when the toggle is straightened, the catch W falls under the book or
pin and sustains the toggle h, h¹ in the position shown in Figure 5. But when
the four-armed lever His tripped as hereinafter described so as to be released from
the stop r, the bell-crank-lever is also moved so as to trip the toggle-catch W and
permit the "hold down" to spring up from the last under the action of the spring v
above described. At the same time the head C, being released from the restraint
of the stop r, moves backward automatically by the action of a 'light spring u
connecting it with the main frame A.
:
The tripping of the four-armed lever H and the above described actions
dependent thereon, as well as another action hereinafter described are automatically
effected by the following mechanism, vis;-The main shaft B is geared with
another shaft I by means of a spur-wheel I and a pinion B¹. The pinion B¹ runs
loosely on the main shaft B and is arranged to be connected therewith, or
disconnected therefrom, by the clutch O shewn in Figures 22 and 23 and herein-
after described.
The shaft I carries a cam I', which, at every revolution, lifts a vertical rod 1*
so that the said rod will strike against the rearward arm p¹ of the four-armed
lever H and thereby release or disengage the arm from the catch or stop r.
In addition to the "hold down" E, the head carries dependent from it the
pincers F. which are applied to the edge of the upper of a boot or shoe' by 'the
operator.
When the lasting operation is completed and the "hold-down "Erand head O
.are to be released to permit the upper to be secured to the inner sole by tacks or
pegs as hereinafter described, the pincers F must relinquish their hold of the upper.
To effect this result the tails y of the segmental racks-y (which serve to retain the
grip of the pincers upon the upper) are turned upward as shewn in Figure 5. and
a horizontal alide J carried by the head O is provided with stops. The rear
end of this slide J is coupled to the vertical arm of a bell-crank-lever-Z pivotted
to the head C; and the horizontal arm of this bell-crank-lever engages with the
arm q¹ of the lever H, so that, when the said lever tis tripped, in addition to the
other operations above described, it draws the slide J'and its stops against the
tails y of the segmental racks y and disengages them from the levers Fl; thereby
releasing the grip of the pincers upon the upper.
The mechanism for causing the upper to conform to the last is operated by
a rod A¹ which, sliding vertically in the main frame A, at its front part, and rising
and falling at the proper times, actuates by means of wedges, the levers carrying
the various side-pads and. pressers, and other parts in a similar manner to that
described in the said former specification.
But I provide a cross-head a low down upon the rod A¹, and between this
cross-head and a cross-piece a³ at the lower part of the main frame, there is a
toggle-joint b³, b³, the operation of which alternately raises and lowers the wedge-
rod A¹.
A rod N is coupled to the centre pin of the toggle-joint 6,6, which rod -is long
enough to rest upon the lower shaft I and is furnished with a hook N¹. This hook
is so arranged that the pin It in the spur-wheel I', will, as it revolves, engage with
the said hook and pull the toggle-joint 62, 63, just past the position which it
occupies when its arms or links are in line with each other. On the front side
of the lower member or link & of the toggle-joint is a treadle 6', whereby, when
the pin in the spur-wheel I-bas, in the course of its revolution, left the book N,
the operator can trip the toggle-joint 63, 6 and allow the wedge-rod A¹ to fall.
"
I provide a device somewhat similar to that described in the said former
specification for preventing the complete release of the lasting devices by this
operation, that is to say-At the foot of the machine, and below the wedge-rod A!

page_text: "
is pivotted a bell-crank-lever cl, o, the horizontal arm of which is formed into
a treadle and projects in front of the machine in close proximity to the treadle b*,
The vertical arm cof this bell-crank-lever is furnished with a spring go, which
tends always to draw it into a vertical position, but is prevented from doing so
as long as the wedge-rod is down, because the said rod then occupies the space:
which the bell-crank-arm c should occupy, but, directly the wedge-rod is lifted
by means of the toggle-joint, the bell-crank-arm c³ assumes a vertical position, and,
although the toggle-joint be tripped, the wedge-rod cannot descend to its former
position until the said bell-crank-arm.is removed. The length of the arm c³ is such
that, when the operator trips the toggle 62, 68, the wedge-rod A! will descend far. 1
enough to uncover the last, but not far enough to release it from the side-pads
hereinafter described. He can then examine the work and complete the nailing
if necessary. He then presses down the bell-crank-treadle c¹ and the wedge-rod A¹
falls to its lowest position, and entirely releases the lasting devices.
The said lasting devices consist mainly of two pairs of jaws d', d, f, ƒ³, working¨ 1
one within the other.. The outer jaws d', d³, are considerably longer than the
longest last usually made. These jaws form the upper ends of the vertical levers
d', da pivotted at de, d, to the main frame A, and having their lower ends furnished
with rollers d³, which rest against the opposite sides of the wedges a' so that,
when the wedge-rod A' is lifted, the wedges a move the lower ends of the levers 2
d, d³ apart, thereby closing the jaws d', do and when the rod A¹ falls, the said
jaws are opened.
The jaws d, d carry a pair of strong springs or fingers d³ pointing inwards.
These fingers are turned up slightly at their ends as shewn in Figure 12, and are
serrated on their undersides. The function of these fingers is to draw the upperi
over the waist of the last.
;
Near each end of the jaws d', d³ are inclined surfaces do which assist in drawing
the upper over the last at the heel and toe as hereinafter specified. Between
these inclined surfaces do and the waist-fingers d' are fixed the fingers d (shewn
in detail in Figure 18) which are smooth on their undersides, and which slide 3
over the crimping plates of and assist in holding them down. The inner and
smaller jaws f, f press inward the side pads w³, v³, for the waist, the fore
part, and the heel, which pads are shewn in detail in Figures 14, 14ª, 14b and 15
and are hereinafter described.
The main frame A carries a transverse slide A' at the front of the machine, $
which slide is so placed as to lie between the jaws above described. Upon this
alide are arranged two blocks m² carrying the heel and toe crimping devices.
The slide A' is provided with a right and left handed screw and a hand-wheel Z*,
whereby the blocks m³ carrying the crimping devices can be adjusted to suit any
.length of last.
The crimping devices are shewn in detail in Figures 17 18 and 19, and are made
in the following manner, that is to say;-The top of each of the blocks m³ is
curved as shewn in Figures 10 and 19, the curve being struck from a centre near
the extremity of the inner sole when the latter is upon the last in the machine.
Another block m³ is fitted upon the curved surface of each of the blocks m². The 4
upper face of each block m³ can be inclined at pleasure within certain limits by
adjusting its position on the curved face of the block m³ and securing it by the
nut m®.
In the upper part of each of the blocks m³ is fitted a sliding piece m carrying
the pair of crimping plates o³.
5
The crimping plates o³ are made to fit and slide over the heel and toe portions
of the last, and to turn over and smooth down beneath them the edges of the
upper. The said plates are pierced with holes as shewn to allow the tacks or pegs
for attaching the upper to the inner sole to be driven through them. The two
crimping plates of each pair are both connected to the sliding piece m by a single 5
pivot of fixed in the plate o¹ which is secured to the sliding piece m* as shewn in
Figure 1. The pivots o³ are on the longitudinal centre line of the lasting

page_text: apparatus, and the movement of the said plates in relation to each other, resembles
that of a pair of hinged jaws or scissor-blades. Each block m³ carries a short
lever o pivotted on each side thereof at of and capable of moving horizontally
beneath the sliding piece or plate m' as shown in Figures 17 and 18. The ends of
these levers are furnished with rollers of which, when they are moved towards the
I waist of the last, roll upon the inclined surfaces dº of the jaws d', do, so that, as
the said jaws close, the levers o are caused to move inward, at the same time,
with a graduated movement, dependent upon the form or angle of the inclined
surfaces do. A spring o¹ tends to hold the rollers o against the inclined faces d¹º.
The levers o' are also furnished with rollers o' on their upper sides, which rollers
enter grooves formed in the sliding plates m above them. The rollers o' are
placed in such a position on the levers o' that, as the said levers move towards each
other, the rollers cause the sliding plates m¹ to advance towards the last. The
outer arms of the levers o' are connected by the links o' to the extremities o' of
the crimping plates o. The links o are made in two parts provided with teeth as
shewn so that they can be adjusted lengthwise and connected by a screw. It will
therefore be obvious that, as the jaws carrying the side-pads move inward, the
crimping plates will move laterally over the last and advance towards the waist
thereof, at the same time. The heel side-pad and fore part side-pad v³, shown in
detail in Figures 14, 14 and 15, are pivotted to the lower part of the blocks m³
on each side at vas shewn in Figure 10, so as to be clear of the slide A'. The
block m³ that carries the heel-crimping device, carries also a thin guard or bent
plate o which surrounds the heel of the last. The heel side-pads * have each
a plate loosely jointed to the top of the lever v*; these plates bear against the
guard o¹¹
The levers v* are each furnished with a pin v provided with a screw-collar or
nut and an india-rubber cushion, the inner jaws ƒ", f* as they move
inward bear against these pins. The plates 7 of the fore part side-pads are
alightly curved so as to fit the fore part of a last and are covered with a leather
flap. They are attached to the levers v with a universal joint as shewn in
Figure 14 and 14b; 1 and being pivots. The said plates are therefore free to
bed themselves against the last. The levers * are each furnished with a spring
cushion to receive the pressure of the jaws ƒ³, ƒ³.
The waist side-pads w³ consist of long bars or levers w* similar to those above
described, but instead of being pivotted at their lower ends, these two ends w³ are
connected by the link and the said levers are carried and pivotted upon
pins w provided with collars and cushions was shewn in Figure 16. The pins w
are fixed in the jaws f' instead of merely abutting against them as in the case of
the other side-pads.
The bearing surface of each of the waist side-pads is formed of a leather flap w
attached at its upper end to a universally jointed pad-plate w and connected at
its lower end to the link w by a spring w thus forming a strong but very
adaptive bearing surface.
The heel-support X' (Figure 20) has a plate and pin
long compound rod a³, At its lower part, the rod a
which is capable of sliding up and down upon a stud at
the joint is loosely fitted so as to allow the pin ³ to be
any size of last.
is
pivotted to the top of a
jointed to another rod *
fixed in the main frame,
very free to adapt itself to
The rod is made tubular and fits over a solid rod sliding within it, and is
furnished with a spring tending to extend it. There is also a light plate spring
x², on the rod x³, that bears against the rod and tends to make it incline towards
the toe-support.
There is a sliding bracket
with an india-rubber cushion
link of the toggle b³, 6ª
is straightened.
below the sliding rod on the frame A, furnished
; against which bracket a roller b on the bottom
bears and lifts it slightly when the toggle joint

page_text: The toe-rest or support Y (Figure 21) is somewhat similar to the heel-support
but rather stiffer or more rigid. The bearing plate y is in two parts which are
fitted on the top of the rod y³ so as to yield in any direction. These two parts are
adjustable so as to bear properly against the last.
On the rod y³ is a collar y¹, between which and the long socket y is placed a
spring yº. The rod y' works in the socket 3 and one side of the said rod is made
with ratchet-teeth y'. The socket y carries a pawl y which engages with the
teeth y', when the rod y is pressed down, and prevents the toe rest or support from
rising again until the pawl y8 is tripped. A lever n³ is pivotted at ne to the frame
A and connected to the pawl y and extends upwards and backwards, in such a
manner that a short arm 910 fixed on the end of the shaft of the lever g (above
described for tightening the band m against the pulley k) can press against the
lever n³ and impart movement thereto. When the lever g is moved forward the
short arm g¹º trips the pawl ys and releases the toe rest or support.
The lower end of the socket y is fitted with a roller y which rests on a
segmental cam 10 pivotted to the foot of the main frame. This cam y¹º is fitted
with a spring latch y¹¹, and a projection 6e on the upper link 6s of the toggle-joint
63, 63, is so arranged relatively to the latch y¹¹ that, as the said toggle-joint falls, it
slightly moves the cam 31° and permits the toe-rest Y' to descend a short distance
but when the projection 6 has passed the latch y" the cam y¹º immediately returns
by the action of the spring 13 and allows the toe-rest to spring upwards and
throw the last out of the lasting devices.
As above mentioned, the pinion B¹ on the main shaft B, gearing with the spur-
wheel I on the lower shaft I, runs loosely and can be connected with the shaft B
or disconnected therefrom by a clutch O, so that it only imparts motion to the
spur-wheel I' and lower shaft I at intervals. This clutch O is controlled by a
separate hand-lever 2 mounted loosely on the shaft of the hand-lever g above
described.
This clutch is fitted upon the shaft B and surrounds the hub of the pinion B'.
The said clutch is made with internal ratchet-teeth a* and a spring pawl b* is
pivotted to the pinion B¹ in a recess in the hub of the same, so that the said pawl
will engage with one of the said teeth except when held out of engagement
therewith by the pressure of the lever 0. The lever 3 is connected by a rod s to
the link of a toggle-joint 7, 8, which link is acted upon by a spring 2¹ tending
to pull it downward. This toggle-joint is pivotted to the frame A at 21 and to the
lever, which lever carries a brake-lever s acted upon by a spring 215. By
pulling forward the lever 2, the toggle-joint 27, 8 is tripped and the lever so is
withdrawn from the pawl b* which then engages with the nearest ratchet-tooth a*,
thereby setting in motion the pinion B¹ and toothed wheel I. When the lever
is withdrawn the pawl & engages with the pin 10 which is fixed to the frame A.
But as the wheel 1 revolves the dog g¹¹ comes into contact with the tail of the
pawl and releases it from the pin 10. The spring ¹ then straightens the toggle
and thereby brings the lever 2º into its original position and disengages the clutch.
The brake-lever 21, when the pawl b* is disengaged, assists in bringing the pinion
B¹ to rest.
Although pressure upon the band-lever will cause the engagement of the
clutch O at any time and set in motion the train of mechanism, the clutch will be
disengaged automatically and always at one point, that is to say, after the train
of movements has been accomplished and the mechanism has returned to its
starting point.
I provide an apparatus for notching the upper leather all around the toe or heel
as required so that, when it is turned over and pressed down under the crimping
plates above described, it may lie smoothly and not in bunches This apparatus is
shewn in Figures 24 and 25, and has a frame A, in front of which is an adjustable
upright piece B carrying a knife C with its edge upwards. This knife is of at
shape approximating to that of the toe or heel of the upper and is so formed as to

page_text: cut out the desired notches. The frame A carries a bent lever D pivotted at D'.
The horizontal arm of this lever extends over the knife and terminates in a flat
part E which is covered with a piece F of leather and which presses the upper
down upon the knife. a is a guard fixed to the part E so as to encircle the knife and
prevent the upper from being pushed too far over the same.
The other arm of the
lever D extends downward, and between the said arm and a fixed point A¹ in the
frame A is arranged a horizontal toggle-joint G connected by a rod H to a treadle
pivotted to a bracket fixed to the floor, which treadle and bracket are not shown
in the drawing. When the treadle is pressed down, the toggle-joint is straightened
and the said flat part E is brought down upon the knife C.
For securing the upper to the inner sole the so called "string tacks" are sometimes
used. These tacks are made from wire which is cut as shewn at H in Figure 26 so
as to form heads at the points where it is to be subsequently divided or cut off
automatically in the act of being driven into the leather by a device or tool called a
hand tacker" hereinafter described. This "hand.tacker" is shown in Figures 26
to 28, and is made with a light frame A so that it can be readily held in the hand
This frame carries reel B upon which the string of unseparated tacks is wound.
This string is conducted from the reel B over a guard B' and is guided in a groove b
formed in the side of the frame A down to a steel nose-piece O, which is pivotted to
the frame but is embraced by a stirrup D with a set-screw E, to guide it properly
when the tool is used. The groove b extends down the nose-piece C nearly to the
end thereof, where it. terminates abruptly and a small piece e of hardened steel is
inserted at this point. This steel piece e has a sharp edge and is flush with the
face of the nose-piece. Below the piece e the face of the nose-piece is slightly
inclined backward so as to distinctly mark the termination of the groove b and
form a kind of knife-edge. Through a hole or passage in the frame A a plunger F
is free to slide and extends up out of the frame A far enough to be struck with a
mallet G, Figure 28. A spring g acts upon the plunger F and tends to draw the
same up against a stop, thereby bringing its lower end a distance rather greater
than the length of the longest tack required, from the end of the nose-piece C.
The plunger F is inclined as shewn so that the said plunger and the nose-piece
meet at their lower ends. The lower parts of the said hole or passage through
which the plunger passes guides it sidewise, but it has freedom in the direction to
and from the nose-piece. A spring on the frame A presses the said plunger
against the nose-piece C. There is also a flat spring a fixed to the frame A, which
spring bears upon the face of the nose-piece, the said spring being located between
the latter and the plunger. This spring extends down nearly as far as the
end of the plunger F, the end of which is provided with a piece of hard steel
flattened at one side to lie closely against the face of the nose-piece. The end v of
the nose-piece is roughened to prevent it slipping on the leather. The string of
tacks passes from the reel B down the groove b in the frame A and nose-pices C
under the flat spring a till the head of the tack, which is on one side of the wire
only, and projects out of the groove, has passed the spring a which prevents its
returning. The point of the tack is then very near the end of the nose-piece.
When the upper end of the plunger is struck with the mallet, the said plunger is
driven down, and the lower end thereof impinging against the head of the tack,
forces the said tack down into the leather, at the same time detaching the said
tack from the string as it passes over the small steel piece e at the end of the
groove b.
In some cases wood pegs are used for securing the upper to the inner sole; what
I term a hand-pegger is then employed. This apparatus is shown in Figures 29
to 34, and is made with a light frame A having two tubes or passages inclined
relatively to each other, and terminating in a nose-piece B. These tubes contain
two plungers a, a', one of which a¹ carries an awl to make the hole in the leather,
and the other plunger a carries the peg-driving punch. The centre lines of these
tubes meet at the nose-piece B. Extending from the said nose-piece is a guide-

page_text: trough O in which is placed a strip of peg-wood. This strip is drawn continually
towards the peg-driver by a spring or elastic cord D. The two plungers a, a¹, are
made with slots at their upper ends in which slots fit the ends of a lever & pivotted
to the frame A between the said plungers, so that as one plunger is forced down-
ward by a mallet, the other plunger is moved upward. The plunger a that drives
the peg is provided with a knife e which, at every downward stroke of the said
plunger, cuts off a peg to be driven by the next stroke of the said plunger. The
operator, in using this apparatus, strikes first the plunger a¹ thereby making a hole
for the peg, and then the plunger a thereby driving a peg into the said hole. The
strip of peg-wood being continually pressed or drawn towards the tubes by the
spring or elastic cord, a constant supply of pegs to the plunger a is ensured.
Amongst the advantages gained by my present invention may be mentioned the
following vis;-In the machine above described the operations of unlocking
the hold-down, the pincers, the movable head and the toe-rest are performed
automatically, all in due time and relation to each other, instead of the corre-
sponding movements being caused by means of the treadle in the machine described
in the said former specification.
Moreover in the machine described in the said former specification, the movable
head or frame was held in position by a hooked catch, but I hold it firmly locked
between two stops. In my present machine the hand lever is in a more convenient
and practically useable situation than in the former machine. In the former
machine the unlocking devices were actuated by the treadle but the lasting devices
came into action by the aid of the friction of a strap on a pulley, these movements
were therefore liable to be out of time with each other; but in my present
machine they are all produced by the motion of the machine, and their proper
working is thus ensured. In the former machine the lasting devices had to be
held closed by the operator; but by my present invention the machine automatically
holds the devices closed until the operator voluntarily releases them.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim :-
"
First. The head or frame carrying the hold down" and the pincers and
arranged to be moved forward by hand when necessary and to move backward
automatically, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
"
Second. The hold-down " having the three adjustable pads or blocks for
pressing down the upper at the heel and for pressing down the last at the waist
and fore part thereof, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Tbird. The pad or block for pressing down the last at the fore part thereof,
provided with the roller arranged to bear upon the wedge or inclined plane,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. The improved means comprising the pulley k, the lever g, the strap m
the rods n and chain n' and the segment o, substantially as above described, for
actuating the "hold-down."
Fifth. The four-armed lever constructed and arranged to operate substantially
as above described for the purposes specified.
Sixth. The means comprising the lever H and stop 7, substantially as described,
for rigidly retaining the movable head or frame in position over the last as above
specified.
Seventh. The combination, with the movable head or frame, of the elastic
limiting: stops constructed and arranged substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Eighth. The means comprising the catch W and the bell-crank-lever a, substan-
tially as described, for keeping the toggles h, h¹ extended, as above specified.
Ninth. The means comprising the cam 1' and the vertical rod.I, substantially
as described, for releasing or disengaging the lever H from the stop as above
specified..

page_text: Tenth. The combination, with the lever H, of the bell-crank-lever Z and
the sliding bar J provided with the projections, substantially as described, for
automatically releasing the devices that hold the pincers in their closed position.
Eleventh. The means comprising the toggles 62, 63, the treadle 64, the hooked
rod N and pin I (with or without the bell-crank lever c¹, c³), substantially as
described, for operating the lasting devices as above specified
Twelfth. The combination, with the sliding blocks m³, of the adjustable blocks m³
carrying the sliding plates m' and the crimping plates, substantially as, and for the
purposes, set forth.
Thirteenth. The combination, with the jaws d', d³ having the inclined faces d¹º,
of the sliding plate m*, levers o*, adjustable links o³ and the crimping plates o³,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourteenth. The improved construction of the fore part, waist and heel side-
pads, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Fifteenth. The heel-support constructed with the yielding rod and arranged
in combination with the roller b, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Sixteenth. The toe-support constructed with the adjustable bearing plate and
the yielding rod having the pawl and ratchet device, and arranged to be operated
by the cam y and the lever n³, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Seventeenth. The improved clutch-gearing, substantially as shown and described,
for controlling the operation of the lasting devices as above specified.
Eighteenth The improved lasting machine consisting of the parts constructed.
and combined substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 23 of the
drawings, and operating as, and for the purpose, specified.
Nineteenth. The improved apparatus for notching the upper leather, substantially
as, and for the purpose, set forth
Twentieth. The improved tool or device for driving the string tacks into the
leather and simultaneously cutting off the same, substantially as set forth.
Twenty first. The improved hand-pegger, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Charles Frederic Gardner have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Seventeenth day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
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