Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Driving Nails into and Attaching Tips to the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Driving
Nails into and Attaching Tips to the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
We, ELLIS CROWTHER MIDGLEY, and ARTHUR WALTER MIDGLEY of the
firm of Messieurs S. T. Midgley and Sons, Crown Works, Swinegate, Leeds, in
the County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturers, and WILLIAM CLARK, of
17 Rillbank Road, Leeds aforesaid, Foreman in the employ of the said firm, do.
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for driving nails into the
heels of boots and shoes after the heel has been built in the usual manner, and its
object is to provide simple and ready means whereby one or more rows of "hobs"
or other large headed nails may be quickly arranged in position for being evenly
driven into the heel by an ordinary press or other convenient means.
According to this invention on the table of an ordinary press-such as is used in
the boot and shoe trades-is mounted in sliding or other bearings one or more
stands or pillars shaped to suit the contour of the heel operated upon. Each stand
or pillar is provided, around a portion of its upper edge, with a vertical projecting
flange or lip to form a recess. The thickness of this flange may be about equal to
the distance of the nails from the edge of the heel, and its depth about equal to the
thickness of the nail head.
On the top of the pillar is placed a removeable plate, smaller in size than the
top of the pillar to form a groove between the perimeter of the plate and the inner
edge of the herein before described flange. In this groove the outer row of nails
are placed with their points uppermost. The removable plates may also be suitably
notched, recessed, or grooved for receiving any desired number of inner rows, or
parts of rows, of nails.
Around the perimeter of the pillar or stand is placed so as to slide freely an
outer casing shaped to fit the top piece of the heel. This casing is mounted upon
any desired number of external and adjustable springs in such a manner that it is
capable of receding on pressure being applied to the heel for inserting the nails.
A spring or other lever may also be provided for raising the casing either before
or after each operation.
The herein before pillar, outer casing, and removeable plate may also be employed
for attaching tips or plates to the heels as well as for driving nails.
Dated this Seventeenth day of September 1890.
ELLIS CROWTHER MIDGLEY.
ARTHUR WALTER MIDGLEY.
WILLIAM CLARK.
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Driving
Nails into and Attaching Tips to the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
We, ELLIS CROWTHER MIDGLEY, and ARTHUR WALTER MIDGLEY, of the
firm of Messieurs S. T. Midgley and Sons, Crown Works, Swinegate, Leeds, in
the County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturers, and WILLIAM CLARK, of

page_text: 17 Rillbank Road, Leeds aforesaid, Foreman in the employ of the said firm 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for driving nails into the
heels of boots and shoes after the heel has been built by hand or power and com-
pressed in the usual manner, but preferably before it has been attached to the sole
or pared. Its object is to provide simple and ready means whereby one or more
rows of "hobs" or other headed nails may be quickly arranged in position for
being evenly driven into the heel by an ordinary press or other convenient
means.
In the drawings
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of heeling machine with our invention applied.
Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are respectively a side elevation, a front elevation, and a plan
of nailing stand constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 5, a sectional elevation of same.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are respectively an elevation and plans of removeable and
changeable plate.
Fig. 9, a perspective view of a complete heel nailed.
Like parts in all the views are marked with similar letters of reference.
A is a heeling machine of ordinary construction provided with a table a in which
is cast or cut a groove A¹ for the reception of a V slide piece fixed to the base
plate of the nailing stand which is constructed as follows:-
B is the base plate of the nailing stand C, and it is shaped as shown at Fig. 4.
To the underside of the base plate is fixed by screws or their equivalents the
V slide piece which slides in the groove A' thereby permitting of the nailing
stand being adjusted centrally under the plunger A2 of the heeling machine.
C
On the top of the base plate is cast or fixed the stand or pillar C (hereafter
termed the stand) shaped to suit the contour of the heel to be nailed. A flange
is formed around the greater portion of the top of the stand. The flange projects
upwards and forms a recess c' extending from the breast c² to within say about
(more or less) an eighth of an inch of the perimeter of the stand as shown at Figs. 4
and 5. The thickness of the flange c is regulated by the distance that the nails are
required to be driven from the edge of the heel, that is to say, if it requires an
eighth of an inch of material leaving for paring and finishing the heel, then the
flange c will be made an eighth of an inch in thickness in order to set the heads of
the nails one eighth of an inch back.
On the top of the staud C is mounted within the recess c¹ a removeable and
changeable plate D. The perimeter of the greater portion of these plates D are
made to fit the inner contour formed by the heads of the outer row of nails, that is
to say, when it is required to nail a heel with nails say such as are shown at Fig. 9,
a plate D such as is shown at Figs. 4 and 7 will be used the perimeter dx of which
is shaped to fit the inner contour Dx of the outer row of nails shown at Fig. 9.
By making the plate D smaller in size than the top of the stand C a groove dis
thereby formed between the perimeter of the plate and the inner edge of the
flange c. The thickness of the plate D and the depth of the flange care slightly
thinner than the heads of the nails. The removeable and changeable plates Ď
may also be recessed as shown at de Figs. 4 and 7, or notched as shown at d Fig. 8,
or grooved for receiving an inner row or part of a row of nails. In the groove d
are placed by hand, the nails (with their points uppermost as shown in dotted lines
at d Fig. 5) to form the outer rows, while the nails forming the inner row, or
portion thereof, are placed in the recesses or notched portion d'. The plate D is
arranged so that the edge d' fits level with the breast c² of the stand, and it is
provided with projections d2 d for filling up the ends of the groove d. The
plate D is retained in position on the stand C by means of pins d.
Around the perimeter of the stand C is placed so as to slide freely an outer

page_text: casing E shaped to fit the contour of the stand and top piece of the heel. To the
casing E is fixed preferably three lugs e, e, e, through which are passed adjusting
screws e e e (the heads of which regulate the upward traverse of the casing)
provided with lock nuts e², e², e², near the ends of the screws which are screwed
into the base plate B. Encircling the screws are helical springs e³ ³ ³ upon
which the lugs e e e rest in such a manner that when pressure is applied to the heel
for inserting the nails the casing E will at the same time be depressed but mean-
while acts as a guide for preventing the heel from being forced out of position
while the nails are being driven home.
In order to depress or move the casing E out of the way, as shown at Fig. 2, so
as to enable the operator to readily arrange the nails in the groove or recesses, a
bifurcated lever F is fulcrumed to an adjustable support which is screwed into
the base plate B. The ends of the bifurcated portion of the lever F are arranged
to operate upon the upper portions of two of the lugs ee; and in order to retain
the casing E in a depressed position, and allow the operator the free use of both
hands for arranging the nails, a prop f¹ is provided which is jointed to the
lever Fat 2. At Figs. 2 and 5 the prop is respectively shown in and out
of use.
The nails having been arranged in the groove d and recesses d³,
the prop
is
removed from under the lever F (see Fig. 5) which permits the casing E to rise
until the lugs e, e, e come in contact with the heads of the screws el e¹ e¹. The heel
is then placed within the casing E as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 5, and is forced
down onto the nails, by the plunger A2 of the machine, until the top lift is driven
down on to the nail heads. The nailed heel is then removed from the casing E by
hand.
When the heels are nailed after being attached to the sole, a recess requires to
be cut or formed in the breast of the sliding casing to prevent its upper edge
damaging the shank of the boot or shoe.
The herein before described stand C, sliding casing E, and removeable and
changeable plate D may be readily adapted for attaching tips or plates to the heels
of boots and shoes.
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 the manufacture of boots and shoes, the method of nailing the heel (after
it has been built and either before or after it has been attached to the sole) by first
arranging the nails with their heads in a groove or in recesses and their points
upperinost, and then forcing the heel on to the nails until the top lift of the heel
is driven down on to the nail heads, substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine for nailing the heels of boots and shoes, the combination with
the table a of a stand such as C capable of being adjusted on said table centrally
with the plunger of the machine substantially as described.
3. In a machine for nailing the heels of boots and shoes, the combination of a
sliding stand such as C, flange c, recess c¹, removeable and changeable plate D, and
casing E mounted upon adjustable spring supports el e³, said casing being capable of
being depressed by the plunger of the machine, or by a lever such as F, as and for
the purposes set forth.
4. In the nailing of the heels of boots and shoes, a removeable and changeable
plate such as D recessed, grooved, or notched substantially as described and for the
purposes set forth.
5. In the nailing of a boot or shoe heel, the combination therewith of a casing
such as E (capable of being depressed by the plunger of the machine or lever such
as F) for guiding the heel, when acted upon by the plunger A², on to one or more
rows of nails arranged with their points projecting upwards in one or more grooves

page_text: in the top of a stand such as C substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the Sixteenth day of June 1891.
ELLIS CROWTHER MIDGLEY.
ARTHUR WALTER MIDGLEY.
WILLIAM CLARK.
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.