IMPROVED BOOT AND SHOE STIFFENER AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY ROYALL MINNS of 1 St Lukes Villas Maidenhead in the County of
Berks Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED BOOT
AND SHOE STIFFENER AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF to be as
follows:-
In boot and shoe stiffeners as at present manufactured in order that they may be
formed into the proper curve to suit the contour of the heel they are crimped for
their entire length at the bottom edge. Now according to my Invention I only
crimp a sufficient portion near the middle to enable me to mould the stiffener into
form and this I effect as follows. The leather or leather board is first cut or
stamped out in the usual way to the required shape and this I then crimp at the
bottom edge for a short distance in the middle where the bending and flanging are
to be effected by means of apparatus constructed substantially as follows. In a
suitable press I fix a male die having serrations or small corrugations thereon
also a corresponding female die (such dies being the crimping dies of the length I
desire to crimp the stiffener also of the proper width). The female die should be
connected with a counterbalance weight so that when the male die is brought
down it may "give" slightly. I then place the piece of leather or leather board
between the dies and bring the male die down by means of a lever or otherwise
which forms the crimping along a portion only of the stiffener instead of the
entire length as heretofore which is useless and detrimental. The stiffener thus
crimped is then flanged by rolls or otherwise after which it is finished so as to
mould it into proper form by a machine constructed and operated substantially as
follows I will give an example of a machine for moulding say four stiffeners at
each revolution of the shaft.
On a suitable frame and bed plate preferably square I fix two metal sliding
pieces one above the other and at right angles to each other forming a +. These
pieces must be fixed so as to be capable of sliding backwards and forwards
independently of each other for a short distance as hereafter described. In the
centre of each of the said sliding pieces I form a slot; these slots also crossing one
another and to each of the ends of these sliding pieces I fix a die or dies of the form
of the heel of the last and to the bed plate or frame of the machine I fix a
corresponding matrice or matrices opposite to each of the aforesaid dies such
matrices have a spring behind them so that when the dies are forced therein they
[Prine B11

page_text: may yield. I fit a shaft in suitable bearings and so as to come under the centre
of the aforesaid slots in the sliding pieces and to the upper end of the said shaft
and coming immediately under the aforesaid sliding pieces I fit a disc having a
pin fixed eccentrically therein this pin passes through the said slots so that upon
the shaft being rotated the pin will force one of the sliding pieces forward during
one quarter of a revolution of the said shaft after which during the next quarter.
of a revolution it will push the other slide forward and during the next quarter
it will push the first named slide back in an opposite direction and in like manner
with the second named slide at the fourth quarter of the revolution so that each die
or dies may be forced into its matrice or their matrices consecutively thus causing
continuous and equal strain on the machine.
It is obvious that I may fix the matrices on the slide and the dies to the bed
plate or frame instead of the reverse as described.
In order to form or mould the stiffeners in a machine constructed as above they
are first slightly curved by any suitable method and then one is placed between
each of the dies and matrices aforesaid the shaft is then rotated by hand or power
and the stiffeners will be pressed into the proper form consecutively and without
any unequal strain on the machine.
In order to mould either two or more than four stiffeners at one revolution of
the shaft it is simply necessary to mount on the slides the required number of dies
together with the corresponding number of matrices of course making the machine
correspondingly strong.
Dated this Ninateanth daw of Tan

page_text: I. HENRY, ROYALL MINNS of 1 St Lukes Villas Maidenhead in the county of.
Berks Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for AN
IMPROVED BOOT AND SHOE STIFFENER AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
THEREOF and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In boot and shoe stiffeners as at present manufactured in order that they may
be formed into the proper curve to suit the contour of the heel they are crimped
for their entire length at the bottom edge.
Now according to my Invention I only crimp a sufficient portion near the
middle to enable me to mould the stiffener into form and this I effect as follows.
And in order that my said invention may be understood I will refer to the
drawings accompanying this specification and to the letters of reference marked
thereon.
Fig 1 shews an elevation of press for crimping the middle portion of leather or
leather board to form stiffeners as at Fig 2 This invention is (as will be seen)
shewn to be worked by hand or power. A shews a press in which is fixed the
serrated metal die B under which is fixed another corresponding die C in such a
way that when the die B is brought down the serrations shall fit into those on the
other die. It will be seen that the bottom die C is fixed on a ram D to which is
connected the counterbalance lever E so that it may "give" when the top die is
brought down The dies are made of the length it is desired to form the crimp on
the stiffener. The action is as follows:-
In order to partially crimp a stiffener I place the middle part of the piece of
leather or leather board between the dies and bring down the die B thus crimping
the leather or leather board as required in the middle.
The stiffener thus crimped is then flanged by rolls or otherwise after which it is
put into a moulding machine for moulding such machine being constructed and
operated substantially as follows:-
b is a
At Fig 3 shows plan of said moulding machine constructed to mould four
stiffeners at each revolution of the shaft a Fig 4 is an end view of same.
metal frame on which is cast or fitted the bed plate c carrying two sliding pieces d
one above the other and forming a + as shewn.
e are two slots one formed in each of the sliding pieces d shewn dotted at Fig 3
and arranged at right angles to each other as shown
fis a pin fitted eccentrically in a disc g mounted on the shaft a..
Each of the sliding pieces d is provided with a spring catch h so as to catch into
the mould (which carries the die k) shewn at Fig 4 as hereafter described.
shews springs against which the slides m butt these springs are fitted with a
tension bolt and nut to regulate the pressure the back of the mould k coming
against the pieces m.
n is the main shaft fitted with bevil gearing o in order to actuate the shaft a.
The action of a machine constructed as above is as follows:-
--
The stiffeners prepared as aforesaid are placed one in each of the moulds k upon
rotating the shaft a the pin f will force one of the sliding pieces (during one quarter
of a revolution of the said shaft) towards the mould when the spring / will catch
the said mould and force the die tightly into the mould thus finally moulding the
stiffener to the shape of the heel and during the next quarter of the revolution it
will push the next slide following forward in the same way and during the next
quarter of the revolution it draws the first named slide back and in like manner
;

page_text: with the second named at the fourth part of the revolution that is to say as one
mould is being forced in or on to the die, the opposite one on the same slide is
withdrawn in the same way thus each die is forced into its mould consecutively,
thereby causing a continuous and equal strain on the machine.
The stiffeners are then finished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
Firstly forming stiffeners for boots and shoes by only crimping a portion thereof
and in apparatus for that purpose substantially as set forth.
Secondly the apparatus for moulding stiffeners for boots and shoes substantially
as set forth.