Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by ELIJAH SHAW, Inventor, and JAMES B. ERWIN and
CURTIS T. BENEDICT, Lawyers, all of Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin,
United States of America.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6, Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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:-
The object of the invention is, to provide a machine that will automatically
shape and mold a heel stiffener, which machine operates rapidly, requires but little
attention, and is not liable to get out of repair or to quickly wear out. The peculiar
construction of the parts of the machine and its operation will be understood from
the following description with a reference to the accompanying drawing in which ;
Figure. 1, is a perspective of the complete machine.
Figure. 2, is a vertical central section longitudinally of the machine.
Figure. 3, is a plan of a portion of the forming mechanism.
Figure. 4, is an underside view of a part of the mechanism for operating the forming
mechanism.
Figure. 5, a vertical cross section of the machine on line, x, of figure 2, showing
also parts to the right of the line of cross section.
Figures. 6, 7, 8 & 10, are details.
Figure. 9, is a vertical cross section of the presser head.
The same letters refer to like parts in all the views and arrows indicate the direction
of the motion of the wheels.
A former I, is
The operative mechanism is all supported on a rigid frame A.
affixed rigidly to the top of the frame near one end, centrally, and projects inwardly
on the top of the frame. This former is vertically about the same thickness as the

page_text: height of the to-be-made heel stiffener, and its horizontal shape at the front or inner
end is about that of the heel of a small sized human foot, gradually narrowing some-
what horizontally in the rear of the front wider part, thus making it still farther to
correspond with the form of the human foot. The former is corrugated vertically whereby
it grasps and holds the stiffener firmly while being shaped. On the top of the frame in
front of the former I, are two molding or shaping jaws 2, 2, which are pivoted at their
rear ends on a slide 3, so as to have a horizontal movement of their front ends. The
front ends of these jaws 2, 2, are held together against each other yieldingly by inwardly
pressing springs 4, 4, affixed to the rear end of the jaws and bearing against a pin in
the slide.
The front end of the jaws 2, 2, are cui ont or recessed forming a mold or shape 5,
adapted to receive and fit closely to the form I. This mold or shape is cut equally
from each of the two jaws 2, 2, and is preferably lined with a sheet metal spring lining 6,
affixed at its outer ends to the outer front ends of the jaws, and fits snugly to the
inside of the mold when the jaws are held together, and has sufficient elasticity to
permit the jaws to separate slightly so that the narrower front end of the shape 5 may
pass the wider front end of the former, when the jaws are pressed up to and against
the former, as will be hereinafter described. The slide 3 carrying the jaws 2, 2, has a
reciprocating movement forward and back on the frame and is operated as follows;
the driving shaft 7, on which is the power receiving band wheel 8, is provided with a
pinion 9, meshing with the gear wheel, 10, supported on and rotating with an arbor
having bearings in the frame. A pitman 11, connects the gear wheel 10 with the
sector gear 14. The pitman 11, has a slot (figure 8) in which a sliding block
receiving wrist pin 13, cocentric on gear wheel 10 fits and slides carrying the pitman;
but by the slot 12 a certain amount of lost motion between the gear wheel 10, and
sector gear 14 is provided for. The sector gear 14 oscillating on a shaft 15 supported
in the frame, meshes with pinion 16 supported and rotating on an axle 17 having its
bearings in lugs 18, 18 projecting inwardly one on each side of the pinion from the
under side of the slide 3. The pinion 16 meshes with straight rack 19 which rack is
supported on the frame A, and is adapted to be alternately connected rigidly to and
movable in the frame. This rack 19 is supported in dove failed ways 20 on each side,
rigid to the under side of the top of the frame and in these ways the rack has a recipro-
cating endwise movement. Rigid on its front end this rack 19 has a head piece 21
to which the connecting rods 22, 22, one on each side are pivoted which rods at their
rear ends are pivoted in one end respectively to the short lever arms 23, 23, which
arms at their other ends are each rigid to a pivoted bolt 24, which bolts pass up through
and turn in the top of the frame and carry rigidly on their respective upper ends the
lever arms 25, 25, the free ends of which extend inwardly and are adapted to bear
against the outer sides of the jaws 2, 2, near their front ends and close these jaws
tightly against the former I. To obviate binding, the arms 25, 25, are provided with
anti-friction wheels 26, 26, in their free inner ends which impinge against the jaws 2, 2.
A pin 27, having endwise movement passes through one of the flanges forming the
rigid way 20 and enters an aperture therefor in the rack 19. The pin at its outer
end is supported in a lug 28 rigid on the frame. About this pin 27, and rigid thereto
just outside of the way 20, is a collar 29, and around the pin between collar 29, and
lug 28, is a coiled spring 30 bearing against the collar and lug at its respective ends
whereby the pin is pushed forward so that its inner end enters the rack as provided
for and holds the rack in position. An arm 31, affixed at its rear end to the under
side of the slide 3, extends forwardly and is provided at its front end with beveled
fingers adapted to impinge against the inside of collar 29 and force the pin 27 out of
the rack 19. It will be seen that as the wheel 10 rotates (from the position shown in
figure 2) it will force the sector-gear 14 forward and will thereby carry slide 3 forward,
so that the jaws 2, 2, will enclose the former 1, in the recess 5, and just at the moment
that the jaws come to this position, the arm 31 will withdraw the pin 27 from the
rack 19, and the rack being then free to move end wise will by the slightly continued
motion of the sector-gear 14 be moved to the rear. throwing the arms 25, 25, around
against the ends of the jaws 2, 2, and pressing them firmly against the former I, and

page_text: by the continued rotation of the wheel 10 after the lost motion, provided for by slot 12
in pitman 11, has been had the rack 19 will, by the reverse motion of the sector-gear,
be first carried forward until the head 21 (figure, 2) strikes the frame when the
slide 3 will be forced back, the pin 27 re-entering the rack as soon as the fingers
on arm 31 are withdrawn from beneath the collar 29. To form the inwardly
extending flange at the bottom of the heel-stiffener a reciprocating presser is provided.
This presser is constructed of a bar or beam 32 extending horizontally across the
machine above the jaws 2, 2 and former I, and at each of its ends it has an arm 33,
aflixed centrally and rigidly thereto, which arm 33 is pivoted at each end to down-
wardly extending supporting rods 34, 34, which rods at their lower ends are pivoted
to a horizontal arm 35, which arm 35 is centrally supported on a shaft or arbor sup-
ported on the frame A. By thus supporting the beam 32 it may be oscillated to the
front and rear, and the bottom face of the beam remains constantly in a horizontal
plane or parallel with the top of frame A. Just beneath the beam 32 centrally is
a presser foot 36 (figure 10) which foot has an inwardly curved front end and is
also provided with a latterally extending horizontal roller 37, in a recess therefor
in the presser foot. This roller 37 has journals at each end having their bearings
in the walls of the presser foot 36. Extending upwardly rigidly from the presser foot
is a stem 38 which is provided with a rigid collar or shoulder 39 about it at, and
just above the presser foot, which collar 39 enters and fits in the lower end of a
chamber 10 formed in and above the beam 32 in the top of the walls of which
chamber a screw threaded tension nut 41 is fitted and turns. The stem 38 extends
upwardly through and is guided by the tension nut 41, and a spring 42 coiled
around stem 38 is inserted between the collar 39 and tension nut 41. The roller 37
travels on and bears against the top of the jaws 2, 2, and is held steadily down
to its work by the spring 42. Two guide pins 43, 43, extending rigidly upward
from the top of the presser foot 36 enter apertures therefor in the beam 32 and
keep the presser foot in position relative to the beam permitting only a slight
vertical movement as the beam 32 oscillates forward and back on the rods 34. The
presser beam 32 is pivoted to one end of the connecting rod 44 which rod at its
other extremity is pivoted eccentrically to the rotating friction disk 45, which friction
disk is provided with a rigid arbor 46 figure, 5 extending rearward and having
bearings and rotating in the frame A. This disk and its arbor 46 have no lateral
motion they being confined to a rotary motion by a nut on the arbor on the out-
side of the frame, and a collar rigid on the arbor just inside of the frame. A
friction wheel 47, and a pinion 48, affixed thereto are supported and rotate on the
arbor 46. The rim of the wheel 47, projects outwardly over and about the periphery
of the disk 45, the inside of the rim and the periphery of the disk being corre-
spondingly beveled so as to fit against and clutch each other when brought into
contact by mechanism hereinafter described. The friction whee! 47, and pinion 48
have a
slight lateral movement on the arbor 46 which is produced by and through an
arm 49 rigid at one end on the reciprocating rod 50, the forked end of which arm 49
rides in a groove 51 about the hub of the pinion and wheel (48, 47). The rod 50 is
supported and has reciprocal motion endwise in bearings in the frame A, and has a
coiled spring 52 about it inserted between the frame and a collar on the rod, which
spring by and through the arm 49 rigid on the rod forces the wheel 47 and pinion 48
back away from the disk 45. A lever 53 pivoted at its lower end to the frame, is
at its upper end attached to the rod 50. This lever 53 is provided centrally with a
bearing wheel 54 which impinges against a segmental guard or way-strip 55 affixed
to the side of the wheel 10 whereby when the wheel 54 is in contact with the
way strip 55, the rod 50 is forced forward overpowering spring 52 and the wheel 47
is brought into contact with the disk 45. The pinion 48 meshes with the gear wheel 56
rigid on the driving shaft 7. It will be seen that the friction wheel 47 rotates
constantly when the driving shaft 7 is in motion, and that while the lever 53 is in
contact with the way strip 55 the wheel 47 will be held up against the disk 45 whereby
a reciprocating motion will be imparted to the presser. A lug 57 on disk 45 is adapted

page_text: to impinge against and lie upon the outer free end of a coiled spring buffer 58 contained
in a case affixed to the reciprocating rod 50 which buffer is withdrawn from the line
of motion of the lug 57 as the wheel 47 is thrown into contact with the disk 45 and is
returned to position in front of the lug as the wheel 47 and disk 45 are separated. On
the top of the frame, just in front of the former 1, is provided a pair of holders adapted
to receive and hold the leather of which the stiffener is to be formed. These holders
are convenient for use with some kinds of leather but are not necessary for the perfect
working of the machine ordinarily. These holders consist each of an inwardly pro-
jecting bifurcate finger 59, adjustably attached at its rear end to the top of the frame,
jointed centrally, and having the free inner bifurcate ends flattened vertically so as to
be adapted to receive and hold upright the leather strip between the bifurcate ends.
These fingers are a little distance apart so that the strip of leather of which the stiffener
is to be formed may be set within them extending from one to the other in front of the
former I, and as the jaws 2, 2, are moved forward to and about the former, the front
ends of the jaws will strike against the leather and the inner ends of these fingers 59.
and will spring them back on their joints as indicated by dotted lines in figure 3, and
the leather by the forward movement of the jaws will be withdrawn from the fingers
as it is forced around the former. A small spring 60 in front of each of these fingers
forces it back to position as the jaws are drawn back. The motion of this machine is
such that when the wheel 10 comes to the position shown in figure 2 there is then lost
motion in the pitman-moved mechanism until the wrist pin therein moves to the inner
end of slot 12 in the pitman, and during this time the presser being at the rear end of
its travel and not over the former I, the leather for a stiffener is inserted in the
holders 59, 59, and when the wheel 10 has made a half revolution carrying the wrist
pin forward to the opposite or front side, the jaws 2, 2, have been forced forward about
the former I, and the guide 55 enters under the lever 53 throwing the friction wheel 47
into contact with the disk 45, whereby the presser is given its reciprocating motion
of which there are eight strokes while the lost motion between wheel 10 and the
pitman occurs as the wrist pin on the wheel passes from one end to the other of
the slot in the pitman. It will be understood that the strip of leather of which the
stiffener is formed is wider than the height of the former I, and that after it is placed
in the holders 59, it is first bent around the former by the jaws 2, 2, and the part
projecting above the former is, when the presser is set in motion, turned inwardly
by the curved front end of the presser foot 36, and as the presser foot passes and
repasses over it, is pressed down forming the inwardly projecting flange of the stiffener.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a machine for manufacturing heel stiffeners, a stationary former, in combination
with two swinging shaping jaws, closed yieldingly by springs, and pivoted on a
movable slide provided with mechanism whereby the jaws are moved up to, and with-
drawn from, the former, and a reciprocating presser, operated independently of the
slide-moving mechanism, all arranged and operating substantially as described.
2. In a heel-stiffener machine, the movable jaw-supporting slide 3, in combination
with, and operated by, a rack, pinion, sector-gear and pitman provided with a slot and
attached to the wrist pin of a wheel whereby a reciprocal movement with a certain
amount of lost motion is secured, substantially as described.
3. In a heel-stiffener machine, the stationary former I, in combination with the
movable jaws 2, 2, and adjustable jointed holders 59, substantially as described.
4. In a heel-stiffener machine, the rack 19, constructed to travel in ways in the
frame and operated by suitable mechanism in combination with the swinging arms 25,
connected to the rack by pivoted rods, and the movable jaws 2, 2, substantially as
described.
5. In a heel-stiffener machine, the rack 19, constructed to travel in ways on the frame,
with the thereto connected and thereby operated arms 25 and the spring-actuated

page_text: bolt 27 in combination with the movable slide 3 provided with arm 31, and the pinion 16,
supported and rotating in lugs rigid on the slide 3, which pinion meshes with, and is
operated by, an oscillating sector-gear, substantially as described.
6. In a heel-stiffener machine, the presser arm 32, provided with a chamber for the
reception of the stem of the presser foot, in combination with the presser foot 36, and
the therein rotating roller 37, substantially as described.
7. In a heel-stiffener machine, the presser arm 32 supported on rods 34, 34, to
which it is pivoted in their upper ends, which rods are pivoted and supported at their
Hower ends on the frame, substantially as described.
8. In a heel-stiffener machine, the arm 32, supported and oscillating on rods 34, 34,
in combination with tho presser foot 36 having stem 38, and the spring 42, substantially
as described.
9. In a heel-stiffener machine the gear wheel 56 rigid on the driving shaft, the
friction wheel 47 rigid to pinion 48 meshing with gear wheel 56 and friction disk 45
provided with a rigid arbor 46 which supports pinion 48 and wheel 47, in combination
with reciprocating rod 50 which carries the rigid finger 49, which rod is actuated by
a spiral spring 52 and a cam-actuated lover 53, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
10. In a heel-stiffener machine, the gear wheel 10 provided with a segmental guide
or waystrip 55, in combination with the lever 53 provided with a bearing 51, the
reciprocating rod 50 and the actuating spring 52, substantially as described.
11. In a heel-stiffener machine, the lug 57 rigid on the disk 45, in combination
with the buffer 58 attached to the reciprocating rod 50, substantially as described.
12. In a heel-stiffener machine, à presser, attached by a connecting rod 44,
eccentrically, to a friction disk 45, in combination with lever 53 bearing intermittingly
against a guide 55 on wheel 10, the thereby actuated reciprocating rod 50 provided
with spring 52 and finger 49 and the friction wheel 47 guided by finger 49, and geared
to the driving shaft of the machine whereby a reciprocating motion is obtained inter-
mittingly by the presser, substantially as described.
13. In a heel-stiffener machine, a reciprocating presser foot 36, provided with an
inwardly curved front end and a horizontally rotating roller 37, substantially as
described.
14. In a heel-stiffener machine, the presser arm 32, having a chamber 40, in com-
bination with the presser foot 36 provided with a stem adapted to enter chamber 40
and a spring 42 adjusted by nut 41 substantially as described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.