IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LASTS, AND IN MACHINERY CON- NECTED THEREWITH, PARTS OF WHICH MACHINERY ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES OF ECCENTRIC TURNING."
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Edward Irons, of Market Gate, in
Arbroath, North Britain, Last Maker, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LASTS, AND IN MACHINERY CON-
NECTED THEREWITH, PARTS OF WHICH MACHINERY ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES OF ECCENTRIC TURNING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Edward
Irons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th June 1853.
I, THOMAS EDWARD IRONS, of Market Gate, in Arbroath, North
Britain, Last Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LASTS, AND IN MACHINERY
CONNECTED THERE WITH, PARTS OF WHICH MACHINERY ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES OF ECCENTRIC TURNING," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, firstly, in a certain arrangement of
machinery for cutting lasts, and by means of which I can at the same
time, and from the same pattern, cut right and left lasts. Secondly, in

page_text: substituting a circular cut in the front of block lasts for the usual
straight or square cut, by which means the block of the last makes its
own fastening, without requiring a pin to hold it when in use. Thirdly,
in the peculiar arrangement for polishing the lasts by means of endless
bands of glass or emery; and, fourthly, in the arrangement of machinery
for eccentric turning generally.
But in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
Fig.1, is a front.elevation of a lathe made according to my-Inven-
ti n. A, A, A, is the frame; B, B, two headstocks; C, C, the chucks;
D, the centre spindle, carrying the cog wheel. E, working into the pinion
F, and operated on by the cog wheel G; H, the rocking bed; and I, I,
its pedestals, driven by the shaft J, carrying the cog wheel K, motion
being given thereto by-bands passing over the regulating cones L, L. M,
is a pattern last, and N, No. 1, & 2, two lasts cut therefrom; the dotted
lines N', showing the extreme of the previously rough-block of timber.
This lathe is supplied with a revolving guide and a screw carrying
two cutters, the screws being cut with an ordinary or right hand thread
for the one, and a left hand thread on the other, and which, when put
in motion, causes the cutters to slide towards each other and meet
midway. The revolving guide being connected to the second of these
cutters by a plate on the top of the chairs-of the guide and the cutter,
it traverses the same way, and consequently the last made by this
cutter will be, under these circumstances, a right foot last, and contrary-
wise with the first cutter; thus making from one piece of timber, and
from one pattern, a pair of lasts at one time.
When the lasts are thus completely cut to form, they next require
smoothing or polishing, which I recommend to be performed by provi-
-ding endless straps of any required width, passed over proper drums or
pulleys, and having their outer surface covered with glass or emery, as
customary in preparing paper or linen therewith; and the lasts being
gently pressed against such bands will be very speedily and effectually
polished.
i
The circular cut in front of block lasts has the effect of-strengthen-

page_text: ing the last, from being circular instead of square, consequently self-
fastening, and dispensing with the use of a pin to hold it..
I would observe, that supposing the pattern last which is placed
at the left-hand end of Fig. 1, to be a right foot last, the rough block
of timber is placed at the right-hand end, as also shown. The
revolving guide at the right-hand end being placed at the heel of
the pattern or the left-hand end, the second cutter will be at the
left end of the rough block, and the first cutter at the right-hand
end of the same rough block.
The same arrangement of. machinery, but which may be varied in
form and dimensions, may be used for many other kinds of-eccentric
turning..
Having thus described: the nature, construction, and adaptation of
my improvements applicable to eccentric wood turning and polisliing,
I hereby declare that I claim as my Invention, namely:-
First, the peculiar arrangement of a lathe for cutting lasts.
Second, the same arrangement for other eccentric wood turning.
Third, the revolving circular guide.
Fourth, the circular cut in the front of block lasts.
Fifth, the peculiar arrangement for cutting right and left lasts at
the same time; and,
Sixth, the polishing of wood by means of endless bands covered
with glass or emery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Edward Irons in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 29th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS EDWARD IRONS, of Market Gate, in Arbroath, North Britain,
Last Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand. eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-

page_text: cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Edward Irons, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Edward Irons, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Edward Irons, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LASTS, AND
IN MACHINERY CONNECTED THEREWITH, PARTS OF WHICH MACHINERY ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES OF ECCENTRIC TURNING," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Edward
Irons, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Thomas Edward Irons, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:
My said improvements consist, firstly, in a certain arrangement of
machinery for cutting or turning lasts, and by means of which I can
at the same time cut right and left foot lasts from the same pattern.
Secondly, in substituting a circular cut in the front of block lasts for
the usual straight or square cut, by which means the block of my
improved last makes its own fastening, without requiring a pin to hold
it when in use. Thirdly, in the peculiar arrangement for polishing the
lasts by means of endless bands covered in a suitable manner with
glass or emery; and, fourthly, in applying my improved arrangement
of machinery to the purposes of eccentric turning generally.
But in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed, in which the same letters indicate like parts
throughout.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a front elevation of a lathe made according to my In-
vention.
Figure 2, is a back elevation.
Figure 3, is an end elevation; and,
Figure 4, is an elevation of the opposite end.
A, A, A, is the frame; B, B, two headstocks; C, C, the chucks;
D, the centre spindle, carrying the cog wheel E, working into the
pinion F, and operated on by the cog wheel G; H, is the rocking bed;
and I, I, its pedestals, driven by the shaft J, carrying the cog wheel K,
motion being given thereto by the bands passing over the regulating
cones L, L. M, is a pattern last, and N, two lasts cut therefrom; the
dotted lines N', showing the extreme dimensions of the original rough
block of timber. This lathe is supplied with a revolving guide Q, and
a screw or coupled screws O, O', carrying two cutters P, P', operated
by the pulleys a, a, the drums a¹, a', and bands a", al; the main
driving pulleys being at R, R', on the shaft S, S; the screws are cut,
the one with an ordinary or right-hand thread, and the other with a
left-hand thread, which, when put in motion, causes the two cutters to
slide towards each other and meet midway at b. The revolving guide
being connected to the second of these cutters by a plate on the top of
the chairs c, of the guide and the cutter, it traverses the same way, and
consequently the last made by this cutter will be, under these circum-
stances, a right foot last, and contrarywise with the first cutter; thus
making from one piece of timber, and from one pattern, a pair of
lasts at the same time. The beds d, d, d, of the cutters P, P¹, and
guide Q, move on the slide bed T, T.
When lasts are thus completely cut to form, they next require
smoothing and polishing, which I recommend to be performed by pro-
viding endless straps or bands, passing over pulleys or drums, and such
bands having their outer surface covered with ground glass or emery,
as now practised in preparing paper or cloth therewith; and lasts
being pressed against such bands while rotating rapidly will thereby
be very speedily and effectually smoothed and polished.

page_text: +
I would here observe, that supposing the pattern last placed at the
left-hand end of Figure 1, to be a right foot last, the rough block of
timber is placed at the right-hand end, as also shown. Now, the
revolving guide at the right-hand end being placed at the heel of the
pattern or left-hand end, the second cutter will be at the left end of
the rough block, and the first cutter at the right hand end of the same
rough block. The pattern last, however, may be placed in various
other positions, above, below, behind, or before the cutters acting on
the rough timber; also, the two lasts may be cut from two pieces of
timber at one time, by placing a suitable headstock between two
pieces of wood, causing the two to be turned from one pattern at the
same time. The principle of turning a pair of lasts, clog solės, or
other like eccentric articles from one piece of timber I claim mainly on
account of its ensuring uniformity in size, colour, and shrinkage.
Figure 5, is a plan or top view; and,
Figure 6, a side view N¹¹, of a block last.
I make a circular cut in the front of these lasts, as shown at x, y, z,
which has the effect of strengthening the last, and from being circular
instead of a square cut, as w, a, z, is consequently self-fastening, and
enables the workman to dispense with the use of a pin to hold it in its
proper bed or place.
The same general arrangement of lathe, and of polishing machinery,
but which may be considerably modified in form and dimensions, may
also be used for many other kinds of work requiring eccentric turning,
and smoothing, and polishing.
Having thus described the construction and adaptation of my said
Invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to
materials, dimensions, or the number of parts, so long as the principle
of my said Invention is maintained; and I do declare that what I claim
as my improvements are, namely:-
First, the peculiar arrangement of a lathe for turning or cutting
lasts, singly or in pairs.
Second, the same arrangement of a lathe for other kinds of eccentric
wood turning.

page_text: Fourth, the circular cut in front of block lasts.
Fifth, the peculiar arrangement for cutting right and left foot lasts'
simultaneously; and,
Sixth, the smoothing and polishing endless bands, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Edward Irons, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of Decem-
ber, in the year of our Lord 1853.
THOMAS EDWARD IRONS. (L.S.)