IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORMING HEEL COUNTERS OR STIFFENERS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORMING HEEL
COUNTERS OR STIFFENERS." -A communication from abroad by Louis
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 31st August 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORMING
HEEL COUNTERS OR STIFFENERS," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine which has a rotary head of a
spherical, spheroidal, or sphero-cylindrical shape fixed upon and con-
centrically with a rotary shaft in combination with a stationary mould

page_text: correspondingly or approximately so concaved, whereby through the
revolution of the said rotary head within the mould a piece of leather of
suitable form introduced between them may be drawn into and through
the concavity of the mould and receive a curved form lengthwise and
withdrawn, and thereby be adapted for use as a stiffening for boot or
shoe heels.
The said Invention also relates to such a rotary head, and a sta-
tionary mould, and an elastic cushion or springs arranged underneath
the mould, and for it to rest on, in order that the said mould, while the
leather or blank is passing through it, may yield and accomodate itself
to the said leather or blank as it may vary in thickness.
The said Invention further relates to the combination of such a
rotary head, stationary mould, and elastic cushion or bed with a support
plate and adjusting screws applied thereto, and a bed plate or bar.
The said Invention also relates to further improving the said machine
by the following modifications, which add materially to its efficiency,
namely, a rotary counter-body turner, or approximately so, conoidal in
shape, and a case extending entirely around it and provided with
receiving and discharging mouths arranged with the counter-body and
lip turners; also, the combination of an adjusting gauge or plate and
adjusting screw with the case and the counter and lip turners.
The said Invention may be also modified, though with less advantage,
by having the rotary head placed in close contact with a rotary mould
provided with an elastic periphery, nearly corresponding in shape with
the aforesaid rotary counter-body turner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her
special licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORMING HEEL COUNTERS OR
STIFFENERS," a communication to me from abroad by Louis Côté, of
St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, Manufacturer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-.
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
The first part of this Invention relates mainly to a rotary head of a
spherical, spheroidal, or sphero-cylindrical shape fixed upon and con-
centrically with a rotary shaft in combination with a stationary mould
correspondingly or approximately so concaved, whereby through the
revolution of the said rotary head within the mould a piece of leather of
suitable form introduced between them may be drawn into and through
the concavity of the mould and receive a curved form lengthwise and
be withdrawn, and thereby adapted for use as a stiffening for a boot or
shoc.
The said Invention also relates to such a rotary head and stationary
mould, and an elastic cushion or springs arranged underneath the mould,
in order that the said mould, while the leather or blank may be passing

page_text: through it, may yield and accommodate itself to the leather or blank as
it may vary in thickness.
The said Invention further relates to the combination of such a rotary
head, stationary mould, and elastic cushion or bed with a support plate
and adjusting screws applied thereto, and a bed plate or bar.
I modify my Invention by making the rotary head or counter-body
turner conoidal in shape, and with a case extending entirely around
it, and provided with a receiving and discharging mouth and a counter-
lip turner, all being arranged as herein-after described. The said case
is provided with a counter-body and lip receiving mouth, arranged with
the counter-body and lip turners; and I combine an adjustible gauge
or plate and adjusting screw with the case and the counter and lip
turners.
I also modify the said Invention, if desired, by fixing upon a rotating
shaft a mandrel of a spheroid or spheroido-cylindrical shape, and render it
an annular rotating and elastic matrix, so that by being strongly pressed
together and turning in inverse directions they may by their joint action
shape, bind, and permanently form pieces of leather or composition to
be used as stiffeners for boots or shoes.

page_text: Figure 12 is a perspective view of the stiffener in a finished state, with
a plaited lip and curved longitudinally.
Figure 13 is a further modification of the machine seen in side
elevation.
Figure 14 is a front perpendicular section of the mandrel and matrix
through their periphery.
A denotes the frame supporting the operative parts, especially the
shaft B, carrying the rotary head 62, arranged on it as represented. The
shaft is provided with a pulley b¹, or other suitable means for revolving
it. The mould shown at C is a metallic block formed with a concavity,
the arc of a circle in its transverse section, and in other respects the
counterpart of that portion of the head which is within it, or nearly so,
as shown. This mould, placed underneath the head, rests on a cushion
plate or block D of india-rubber, supported on a metallic plate x. The
plate rests on screws a², a³, screwed into and through the bar a¹ of the
frame A.
In Figure 2 the direction of revolution of the head is denoted by an
arrow, the mould where it is first to receive the leather being rounded or
made with a mouth, as shown at c². Those parts of the mould and the
head by which the plaited lip or flange is produced are shown at b³ in
Figure 3.
In using the machine the sheet or piece of leather is to be introduced
endwise into the mouth c¹, when it will be at once seized by the rotary
head and drawn through the mould, and the piece will be bent, flanged,
and plaited, as seen at Figure 12.
In Figures 5 to 10 E denotes the counter-body turner, the same boing
a conoidal frustum, notched, grooved, or toothed on its outer surface;
it is fitted concentrically upon a rotary arbor B, and with the latter
arranged concentrically within a case F, which extends entirely around
the said part E transversely, except at its mouth, and it is provided with
a cap or circular head G, as represented. The cap is a disc fastened to
the case body by screws e, e, there being projected from the inner
surface of the cap the counter-lip turner H, which is cylindrical in form,
and constructed with a cam-shaped notch or recess f, that opens out of
it at its periphery and into a cavity 9, extending around in the inner
surface of the part H. At the centre of the part H is a conical bearing h

page_text: to receive a pivot i projecting from the inner end of the arbor B, which
also takes a bearing in the case, as shown at j. The counter turner E,
keyed to the arbor, revolves with and is revolved by it while being
turned. Between the inner curved surface of the part E is a space & for
the counter blank to pass through and be bent in going through the
machine. The mouth of the case F, shaped as shown, opens into an
auxiliary mouth, notch, or lip-receiving mouth %, formed as represented
in the case.
The flange of the case is also notched, as seen at m, and
supported by a screw J, which passes through the head G, and is so fitted
to the gauge as to revolve therein. By turning the screw the said gauge
may be adjusted to cause the lip of the counter to have the requisite.
width. While the machine is in use the case F is to be duly held sta-
tionary, and the arbor is to be revolved by any suitable means or devices.
The operation of this machine is substantially the same as that of the
modification herein-before described. Should the base of the rotary
turner E be scored or grooved radially or provided with teeth, the
machine may be used for turning or shaping "heel bands."
Another modification of my Invention consists in the apparatus shown
in Figures 13 and 14. A is the frame bearing the working parts; n', n¹,
are cross pieces to join the end parts of the frame; n³ is an adjustable
cushion bearing upon the mandrel shaft to press as required the mandrel
against the rotating matrix; n³ is a screw to regulate the pressure of the
mandrel or head against the matrix; L is a rotating matrix wheel; it
consists of a metal or wooden wheel of a larger diameter than the
mandrel, and with a periphery somewhat broader than the length of the
said mandrel; it has around its periphery an annular recess o filled with
india-rubber or other elastic substance; o¹ is a shaft upon which the
matrix wheel is fixed; it bears a geared or toothed wheel o² of the same
diameter as the matrix wheel, or nearly so. The shaft rotates in bearings
fixed to the frame A. M is the mandrel; it is a spheroidal, or sphero-
cylindrical, or conoidal piece of metal fixed upon the shaft p; q is a
pinion fixed upon the same shaft, and which receives its motion from the
belt pulley or otherwise; * is a loose pulley to stop the machine
when required. The pinion 9 gears into the wheel o³, and gives it and
through it to the matrix wheel a rotary motion, so that the surface of the
mandrel and matrix will be moved at an equal velocity, or nearly so, and
in contrary directions. In the operation of this device any one familiar
with the art will understand how a suitable piece of leather or other sub-

page_text: stance of like nature when placed near the mandrel and matrix in proper
position will be drawn between them, and during its passage will receive
a double curve corresponding to that of the end of the mandrel, and
produce a stiffener such as seen at Figure 12.
Having thus fully described the nature of 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 combination of the rotary shaft B, the head b³, and the
mould C, Figures 1 to 4.
Second. The combination of the shaft B, the rotary head 6%, the
mould C, and the elastic cushion D, supported on a bed or plate x.
Third. The combination of the rotary shaft B, head 6º, the mould C
the elastic cushion, the support plate x, bar a¹, and adjusting screws a³,
as above specified.
Fourth. The combination of the conoidal rotary head or counter-body
turner E with the conoidal case F extending around it, and provided with
a receiving and discharging mouth and with the counter-lip turner H
fixed to the head or cap G of the case, as above specified.
Fifth. The case F provided with the counter body and lip turner and
lip-receiving mouths, arranged as above described.
Sixth. The adjustable gauge I and its screw J in combination with
the case F and the counter body and lip turners, as shown in Figures 5
to 10.
Seventh. The combination of the matrix wheel L provided with an
elastic periphery o with the mandrel M, as shown in Figures 13 and 14.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
Hx. Ja'. NOONE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.s.)