Improvements in Sole Levelling or Beating Out Machinery Used in Boot and Shoe Manufacture.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sole Levelling or Beating Out Machinery Used in
Boot and Shoe Manufacture.
A communication from abroad by the INTERNATIONAL GOODYEAR SHOE MACHINERY
COMPANY, of 100 to 104, Bedford Street, Boston, State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 present invention relates to sole leveling or beating out machines of that
type known as automatic in which the shoe mounted upon a jack is passed beneath
the sole leveling instrumentalities in a longitudinal direction from toe to heel
and during such movement the leveling instrumentalities are automatically
operated to subject the sole of the shoe to the leveling operation, and wherein.
automatic mechanism is employed to change the relative longitudinal and lateral
position of the shoe, and sole leveling devices, whereby the action of such devices
are progressively transferred over the shoe sole and the relative lateral position
of the bottom of the sole and the leveling devices changed to conform to the
lateral curvature of the sole.
The most common form of sole leveling machine of the automatic type embodies
a sole leveling roller which is by suitable mechanism rapidly vibrated and by
other mechanism rocked laterally as the shoe mounted on the jack is rocked or
oscillated longitudinally beneath the roller, whereby the bottom of the shoe sole
is subjected to a rolling action which by reason of the longitudinal movement of
the shoe sole beneath the roller is gradually transferred along the sole from toe
to heel and by the lateral rocking of the roller such rolling action conforms
accurately to the lateral curvature of the bottom of the sole.
This roller type of machine has been found generally satisfactory in use, but
in some classes of work it is deemed desirable to subject the sole to a hammering
or beating out action, and it is therefore the object of the present invention to
produce a machine of the automatic type herein before referred to which shall
embody a sole leveling hammer arranged to deliver rapid, sharp blows to the sole
to level the same and conform it to the contour of the bottom of the last, and to
so actuate the jack and hammer that the blows delivered by the hammer shall be
at all times in a line substantially perpendicular to that part of the irregular sur-
face of the sole at which it shall at any given time be operating.
To the above end the present invention consists of the devices and combinations
of devices which will be hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the present invention as being
embodied in a machine of the type described, in which is disclosed two separate
sole leveling mechanisms actuated by connected mechanism to properly actuate
one jack and its co-operating sole leveling instrumentalities to level a left shoe

page_text: and the other to level a right shoe, and such is the preferred form of the presen
invention, but it is in no way limited to such a construction.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 shows in side elevation a sole leveling machine embodying the present
invention, a portion of the frame being broken out to show underlying parts.
Figure 2 shows a top plan view with the jacks and their operating mechanism
removed.
Figure 3 shows a front view of one of the sole leveling hammers and parts of
its actuating meclianismi.
.
Figure 4 shows a section on line - Fig. 3.
Figure 5 shows a broken side elevation of the rear end of the hammer support-
ing frame, and parts of the hammer actuating mechanism.
Figure 6 shows a plan view of the same mechanism.
Figure 7 shows a section on line y-y Fig. 6.
Figure 8 shows a rear elevation of the machine, with parts removed, but illus-
trating the mechanism for securing the simultaneous lateral tilting movement of
the hammers.
Figure 9 shows a fragmentary plan view of the same mechanism, and
Figure 10 shows details of the same mechanism.
Similar reference characters will be employed throughout the specification and
drawings to designate corresponding parts.
In the drawings 1 represents the main frame, of suitable size and shape to sup-
port the working parts. The jacks may be of any usual or preferred construc-
tion, and they are fulcrumed upon a shatt 3 mounted in suitable bearings in the
frame 1. Each jack is oscillated about its fulcrum by means of a lever 4, which
is fulcrumed on a shaft 5, and pivotally connected to a link 6, which in turn is
pivotally connected to an arm 7 extending from the shaft 3, the lever 4 carrying
a cam roll, not shown, which engages a cam path 8 on the side of the disk or
wheel 9.
The disk or wheel 9 is mounted upon a shaft 10 having suitable bearings in the
frame 1 and is rotated by means of a worm 11 carried by a shaft 12 mounted in
bearings in the frame 1, which worm engages a worm gear (not shown) on the
disk or wheel. The shaft 12 is driven from the power shaft 13 by means of a
gear 14 mounted on said shaft engaging a gear 15 on the power shaft, the power
shaft carrying suitable pulleys 10 driven by a belt from any suitable source of
power.
The foregoing arrangement is such that in operation the rotation of the disk
or wheel 9 will impart to the jacks 2 oscillating movements to carry the sole of
the shoe which may be on the jack longitudinally beneath the sole hammering
mechanism which will be hereinafter described.
Co-operating with each jack is a sole leveling hammer which is rapidly recipro-
cated toward and from the sole of the shoe to subject the sole to short, sharp and
quick blows as the shoe and jack pass beneath the same, and as it is necessary that
the blows of the hammer be delivered on the sole in a line substantially perpen-
dicular to the surface of the sole at all points of the irregular contour of the sole,
I have provided means for automatically adjusting the relative, lateral and longi-
tudinal inclination of the jack and hammer, and in the machine of the drawings
this relative adjustment is secured by mounting the hammer in a carrier which
is capable of being tipped both longitudinally and laterally about a point sub-
stantially at the face of the hammer.
Each hammer 16 is secured to a cross-head 17 mounted to reciprocate in
guides 18 formed in vertical uprights 19 carried by the oscillating head 20. The
cross-head 17 is connected to a block 21 (which also reciprocates in the guide 18)
by means of a bolt 22, which passes loosely through bearings 23 in the block 21
and cross-head 17, and said bolt is surrounded by a coiled spring $ interposed
between the cross-head 17 and block 21 whereby the blows of the hammer are
cushioned.

page_text: Any suitable means may be provided for actuating the hammer, that shown in
the drawings comprising a shaft 24 mounted in suitable bearings 25 carried by
the vertical uprights 19, which shaft carries eccentrics 251 engaged by eccentric
straps 26 carried by links 27 pivotally connected to the block 21.
"
Upon one end of the shaft 24 is a pulley 27, over which passes a belt or cord 28,
which is driven from a pulley 29 mounted to turn on a shaft 30 secured in suitable
bearings at the side of the head 20. The pulley 29 is formed integrally with or
connected with another pulley 301 which is driven by a belt or cord 31 which
passes around idle pulleys 32 mounted on a vertical shaft 33 at the side of the oscil-
lating head 20, thence under, and through an opening 34 in said head, and around
a pulley 35 mounted on a stud 36 in the head 20 (see dotted lines Fig. 2). Attached
to or formed integrally with the pulley 35 is a pulley 361, which is driven by a
belt or cord 37 which passes out of the opening 34 and beneath the head 20 and
thence around idle pulleys 38 carried by a vertical shait 39, secured in a bearing
carried by an arm 40 projected from the frame 41 and thence over a pulley 42
mounted on a stud 43, which pulley is formed integrally with or connected to a
belt pulley 44 driven by a belt 441 from the pulley 45 on the shaft 13.
The above arrangement is such that a rotation of shaft 13 will rotate pulley 45
and by means of the belt 441 rotate pulleys 44 and 42, which in turn through the
belt or cord 37 and pulleys 361 and 35 and belt or cord 31 and pulleys 301 and 29
and belt or cord 28 and pulley 27* rotates the shaft 24 which by means of the
eccentrics 25 and straps 26 imparts rapid reciprocations to the hammer 16, which
as the jack and shoe thereon is oscillated as herein before described will deliver
short, sharp, and quick blows to the sole of the shoe. The bottom of the shoe
sole is of an irregular curved contour, it being curved slightly at the shank and
forepart transversely, or laterally from side to side of the shoe and from toe to
heel the line is in the nature of a compound curve, it being convex at the forepart
and more or less concave at the shank, and some parts of the surface are higher
than others, and as the work progresses over the surface of the sole, the hammer
must be raised and lowered accordingly as a high or low part of the sole is beneath
the same, and tilted laterally to accommodate itself to the lateral curvature of the
sole, and longitudinally to accommodate itself to the longitudinal curvature of the
sole.
In the present machine suitable mechanism has been provided to automatically
raise and lower the hammer, and to tilt the same both laterally and longitudinally
in proper time relation to the movements of the jack and the particular portion
of the shoe sole which at any time may be under the hammer, the relative tilting
movements of the hammer and jack being for the purpose of causing the blows
of the hammer to be delivered in a line substantially perpendicular to the sur-
face of the sole as herein before described.
The lateral tilting of the hammer in the machine of the drawing is obtained by
mounting the head 20 on a tubular shaft 46 which is mounted to turn in a tubular
bearing 47 of the frame 41 which frame is pivoted at 48 in suitable bearings to
the frame of the machine, to permit the hammer to be raised and lowered toward
and from the sole of the shoe, as will be hereinafter described.
To the rear end of each of the tubular shafts 46 is secured an arm 49 carrying
a segment 50 which engages a horizontally reciprocating rack bar, 501 (see
Fig. 9, & 10), there being two rack bars 501 each engaging its respective segment 50
said rack bars being reciprocated simultaneously in opposite directions to rock
the shafts 46 and thus simultaneously tilt the hammers laterally in opposite
directions, one for a right shoe and the other for a left shoe.
The rack bars 501 are arranged to be actuated by a link 91 which is connected
to one of the rack bars 501, and motion is communicated from said rack bar to
the other by the intermeshing racks 92 and pinion 93 (see Fig. 9).
The link 91 at its opposite end is adjustably connected with a slotted arm 94
of a lever 95 fulcrumed at 96, the arm 97 of said lever being connected to a rod 98
which at its lower end is connected to a lever 99 fulcrumed at 100 and which
carries a cam roll 101 which engages a cam path (not shown) on the cam 9.

page_text: The lateral tilting movement of the hammers is automatically varied to present
them at different inclinations according to the particular part of the shoe sole at
which they may be operating, and this is automatically accomplished in the
machine of the drawings by automatically shifting the connections between the
link 91 and the arm 94 of the lever 95 which is accomplished as follows:-
-
The
To the block 102, to which the link 91 is connected, and which is arranged to
slide along the slot in the arm 94, is connected a rod 103, the lower end of which
is adjustably connected to a sliding head 104 which moves along a guide 105'.in
the frame 106. The sliding head 104 is connected by a link 107 to a block 108
which is adjustable along a groove 109 in a lever 110 fulcrumed at 111.
rocking of the lever 110 causes the head 104 to slide up and down and thus by
means of the rod 103 moves the connection of the link 91 toward and from the
fulcrum 96 thus varying the range of movement of the rack bars 501 and the
degree of lateral inclination of the hammers. The lever 110 is automatically
rocked by means of a segment gear 112 on a lever 113 which engages a correspon-
ding gear 114 on the lever 110, the lever 113 being fulcrumed at 115 and carrying
a cam roll 116 which engages a suitably formed cam groove (not shown) in the
cam 9.
The rise and fall of the frame 41 is accomplished in the machine of the drawing
by means of a link 51 which is pivotally connected thereto, and to a block 52,
which is adjustably mounted in a slotted arm 53 of a bell lever 54 pivotted at 55
to the frame 1, and having an arm 56 engaging the periphery of a cam 57 mounted
on the shaft 10.
The longitudinal tilting movement of the hammer is secured in the machine
of the drawing by pivotally mounting the vertical uprights 19 on the studs 30
and 300 carried by the head 20, so that they may tip forward and back in a longi-
tudinal direction. This tilting of the uprights 19 is accomplished by means of a
link 58 which is pivotally connected at 59 to a cross girt 591 connecting the
uprights 19 at the back and to a horizontally reciprocating rod 60 movable in
bearings 61 carried by the head 20, which rod carries at its rear end suitable
stop nuts 62 between which is received a forked arm 63 carried by a rod 64 which
is reciprocated in suitable bearings 65 carried by the frame 41, the rear end of
said rod 64 being pivotally connected to the upper end of a lever 66 passing
through an aperture 67 in frame 41, and mounted on a rock shaft 68 journaled
in suitable bearings in the frame 1. An arm 66* is fixedly secured to the rock
shaft 68 and connected to a link 69 which in turn is pivotally connected to a
block 70, adjustable along the slotted arm 71 of a lever 72, fulcrumed at 55 to the
frame 1, the lower arm of which carries a cam roll 73 which engages a
path 74 formed in the cam 57.
cam
It is deemed desirable that the hammer 16 be formed with two hammering faces
such as a comparatively flat face 75 and a rounded face 76, the flat face being
employed when operating on the forepart of the shoe and the rounded face being
employed when operating upon the shank of the shoe, and in the machine of the
drawing, I have provided means for automatically bringing the faces of the
hammer into operative position at the proper times according to the part of the
shoe sole which may be under the hammer at any particular time.
To accomplish this result the hammer 16 is fixedly secured to a shaft 77 which
is mounted to rock in bearings 78 in the cross-head 17, one end of said shaft being
projected laterally through an opening 79 formed in one of the uprights 19, and
carrying an arm 80 which is pivotally engaged by a link 81, which in turn is
pivoted to a reciprocating rod 82 passing through the tubular shaft 46 and being
pivotally connected at its rear end to a lever 821 which engages said rod through
openings 83 and 84 formed in the tubular bearing 47 of frame 41 and in the
tubular shaft 46, the said lever being fixedly secured to a rock shaft 85 which
carries an arm 851 pivotally connected to a link 86 which is pivotally connected
to a lever 87 fulerumed at 88 to the frame 1 and carrying a cam roll (see dotted
lines Fig. 1) engaging a cam path 89 formed in the cam 57.

page_text: The present machine may be provided with suitable stop and start mechanism,
and means for adjusting the extent of the various movement of the jack, and the
lateral and longitudinal inclination of the hammer; also it is preferably provided
with means under the control of the operator, such as the sliding clutch rod 161
actuated by a treadle 162 and controlling the clutch 163 which may be by such
clutch rod engaged with the clutch on the collar of the gear 14 to turn the
shaft 12, or disengaged therefrom to stop the turning of the shaft 12, whereby to
stop the relative longitudinal movements of the jack and hammer to cause the
action of the hammer to be prolonged at any point in the sole desired.
In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention I have represented the
same as being embodied in a duplex machine; that is, a machine comprising a
plurality of shoe supporting jacks and a sole leveling hammer co-operating with
each jack, and it will be necessary in the operation of this machine that one jack
and its co-operating hammer will be actuated to level a left shoe, and the other
jack and its co-operating hammer will be actuated to level a right shoe, the several
cams being formed and arranged to impart to the respective jacks and hammers
their relative movements timed and arranged to produce the desired operation of
the hammers at any particular point in the shoe sole which may be at any time
under the hammer. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention
is not in any sense limited to its embodiment in a duplex machine, nor to the
details of construction and arrangement which have been particularly illustrated
and described. The operation of the machine itself has been sufficiently described
in connection with the foregoing description of its construction and arrangement
and a further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.
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:-
1. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a sole leveling hammer,
of a shoe supporting jack and connected mechanisms operating automatically to
change the relative longitudinal position and lateral inclination of the hammer
and jack, substantially as described.
2. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a sole leveling hammer,
of a shoe supporting jack and connected mechanisms operating automatically to
change the relative longitudinal position and longitudinal inclination of the
hammer and jack, substantially as described.
3. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a sole leveling hammer,
of a shoe supporting jack and connected mechanisms operating automatically to
change the relative longitudinal position and lateral and longitudinal inclination
of the hammer and jack, substantially as described.
4. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a shoe supporting jack,
of a sole leveling hammer and mechanism for automatically tilting the hammer
both longitudinally and laterally, substantially as described.
5. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a shoe supporting jack
and a sole leveling hammer, of connected mechanisms. for changing the relative
longitudinal position of the jack and hammer, and mechanism for raising and
lowering the hammer to accommodate it to the variations in height of the shoe
sole, substantially as described.
6. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a plurality of shoe sup-
porting jacks, of a sole leveling hammer co operating with each jack and connected
mechanisms operating automatically to actuate one jack and hammer for leveling
a left shoe and to actuate the other jack and hammer for leveling a right shoe,
substantially as described.
7. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a shoe supporting jack,
of a sole leveling hammer provided with a hammering face to act upon the fore-
part of the sole, and a hammering face to act upon the shank of a shoe sole, and
connected mechanisms operating automatically to actuate the jack and hammer

page_text: to change their relative longitudinal positions and to bring into operative position
either of the operating faces of the hammer according as the forepart or shank
of the shoe is brought into position to receive the blows thereof, substantially as
described.
8. In a sole leveling machine, the combination with a sole leveling hammer,
of a shoe supporting jack, mechanism for automatically actuating the hammer
and jack, to impart to the jack and hammer relative longitudinal movements
and means under the control of the operator to stop the relative longitudinal
movements of the jack and hammer at any desired point, substantially as described.
Dated the 9th day of October 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.