IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cowburn, of the City of Gloucester, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 23rd September 1879, and dated the 8th July 1879.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Cowburn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1879.
"
THOMAS COWBURN, of the City of Gloucester. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
My Invention relating to improvements in machinery or apparatus for the manu-
facture of boots and shoes has reference to that portion of such machinery or
apparatus by which the operation of shaping or paring the heels is effected, and in
particular to the apparatus for that purpose described in the Provisional Specifica-
tion filed by me accompanying my application for Letters Patent, dated the 23rd
April 1879, No. 1593.
In the arrangement described in my said former Provisional Specification the
knife for shaping or paring the heel was carried on a lever or arm mounted on
horizontal pivots in a rocking frame, the axis of which was also horizontal, but at
right angles to that of the knife lever. The bearing in which the axis of the
rocking frame worked, together with the knife lever and knife, were carried bodily
upon a plate, having a pin and roller fitted in a groove or guide of the same shape
as the bottom of the heel. The plate was also provided with a pin or stud passing
through a curved slot or guide, with which engaged a lever or arm having a reci-
procating motion imparted to it in such a manner as to carry the plate, and with it
the knife round three sides of the heel, the latter being secured to a stationary rest
or support. The slot or guide was made of such a shape that the knife should be
guided at the required relative angle with the heel all round, and an additional or
upper guide was provided for guiding the knife at its outer end.
Now according to my present Invention I mount the knife lever upon an axis
in a pivotted rocking frame carried bodily upon a plate or disc as before, to which
plate or disc a reciprocating rotary motion is imparted, but in lieu of employing
special guides, as in the said former arrangement, I direct the motion of the knife
in the following manner, viz.:-The plate or disc carrying the rocking frame with
the knife lever and knife is formed with a circular aperture, within which is
Prins 871

page_text: arranged an eccentric mounted loose upon a stationary vertical shaft or axis in such
a manner that the eccentric may be secured to the plate or disc at the requisite
periods, so that such plate or disc shall turn-bodily-upon-the-shaft-or-axis,.and.that
at other periods the eccentric may be disconnected from the plate or disc, and held
stationary, so that the plate or disc shall turn round the eccentric. The shaft or
axis is concentric with the back part of the heel, and the radius of the eccentric
and its degree of eccentricity are so arranged that when the plate or disc with the
- eccentric move bodily round the shaft or axis the knife is caused to shape or pare
the back of the heel, whilst when the plate or disc is disengaged from the eccentric
so as to turn round the same the knife will shape or pare one or other of the sides
of the heel. The required engagement and disengagement of the eccentric may be
obtained by means of sliding bolts operated by inclines, or by any other convenient
means. When the heels are shaped in this manner the two sides and the back of
the heel forin together three arcs of circles. By employing two or more eccentrics,
the one around the other, cuts corresponding to an increased number of united arcs
of circles are produced, and thus any required variation in the shape of the heel
may be obtained.
In order to direct the upper portion of the knife its lever or arm is provided
with a roller, which is so arranged as to be free to turn upon its own axis, and is
maintained by. means of a spring in contact with the upper part of the heel portion
of the boot or shoe, so that as the plate or disc is operated the roller by being con-
ducted round the heel will guide the motion of the upper part of the knife in
accordance with the required configuration of the heel. The axis of the roller is
by preference so arranged and guided in a slot in an overhanging portion of the
knife lever as to allow a certain amount of play to the knife independently of the
roller.
The cutting edge of the knife is moved (by the means described in my said
former Provisional Specification) backwards and forwards from a vertical line, or
so that such cutting edge may be maintained in the desired position relatively to
the varying configuration of the heel, and the front of the heel is cut by another
knife, as described in my said former Provisional Specification.
The seat of the heel may be pared true and level simultaneously with the shaping
of the other portion of the heel without the aid of an auxiliary knife, the edge of
the roller before mentioned being caused to act upon the surface above the upper
edge of the heel, and thus press down or level the same in readiness for the
operation upon the upper part of the side surface of the knife used for shaping
the other portion of the heel, and which pares the said upper part perfectly true and
smooth.
When this arrangement is adopted the roller may be formed with a groove or
recess for the reception of the upper edge of the knife, so as to enable it to be
brought into sufficiently close proximity to the heel to operate thereupon, whilst
admitting of the required directing and smoothing action of the roller:
An auxiliary knife may however be employed for paring the seat of the heel, in
which case I prefer to attach it to a lever with the fulcrum attached to the plate
or disc, and below the main knife lever, or the upper end is connected to a disc
mounted upon the same centre as the roller in a recess within the same, and also
to connect it to the main knife lever in such a manner that as the cutting edge of
the main knife is moved backwards and forwards from a vertical line, as before
mentioned, the auxiliary knife will be moved in order to maintain it at the requisite
distance in front of the main knife.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Cowburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
December 1879.
.
THOMAS COWBURN, of the City of Gloucester.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
My said Invention, relating to improvements in machinery or apparatus for the
manufacture of boots and shoes, has reference to that portion of such machinery or
apparatus by which the operation of shaping or paring the heels is effected, and in
particular to the apparatus for that purpose described in the Specification to Letters
Patent granted to me, dated the twenty third April, one thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine, No. 1593.
In the arrangement described in my said former Specification the knife for
shaping or paring the heel was carried on a lever or arm mounted on horizontal
pivots in a rocking frame, the axis of which was also horizontal but at right angles
to that of the knife lever, the bearing in which the axis of the rocking frame
worked, together with the knife lever and knife, were carried bodily upon a plate
or disc having a pin and roller fitted in a groove or guide of the same shape as the
bottom of the heel. The plate or disc was also provided with a pin or stud passing
through a curved slot or guide with which engaged a lever or arm having a recipro-
cating motion imparted to it in such a manner as to carry the plate, and with it
the knife round three sides of the heel, the latter being secured to a stationary rest
or support. The slot or guide was made of such a shape that the knife should be
guided at the required relative angle with the heel all round, and an additional or
upper guide was provided for guiding the knife at its outer end.
Now according to my present Invention I mount the knife lever upon an axis in
a pivotted rocking frame carried bodily upon a plate or disc as before, to which
plate or disc a reciprocating rotary motion is imparted, but in lieu of employing
special guides, as in the said former arrangement, I direct the motion of the knife
in the following manner, videlicet:-The plate or disc carrying the rocking frame
with the knife lever and knife is formed with a circular aperture within which is
arranged an eccentric mounted loose upon a stationary vertical shaft or axis in such
a manner that the eccentric may be secured to the plate or disc at the requisite
periods, so that such plate or disc shall turn bodily upon the shaft or axis, and that
at other periods the eccentric may be disconnected from the plate or disc, and held
stationary, so that the plate or disc shall turn round the eccentric. The shaft or axis
is concentric with the back part of the heel, and the radius of the eccentric and its
degree of eccentricity are so arranged that when the plate or disc with the eccentric
move bodily round the shaft or axis the knife is caused to shape or pare the back.
of the heel, whilst when the plate or disc is disengaged from the eccentric so as to
turn round the same the knife will shape or pare one or other of the sides of the
heel. The required locking and releasing and engagement and disengagement of
the eccentric may be obtained by means of bolts operated by inclines or by any
other convenient means. When the heels are shaped in this manner the two sides
and the back of the heel form together three arcs of circles. By employing two or
more eccentrics, the one around the other, cuts corresponding to an increased number
of united arcs of circles are produced, and thus any required variation in the shape
of the heel may be obtained.
In order to direct the upper portion of the knife a guide roller is employed, which
is so arranged as to bear against the upper of the boot or shoe as the plate or disc
carrying the knife moves round the heel, the knife being thereby guided at its
upper part according to the required configuration of the heel, whilst at the same
time the roller presses down the edge of the seating of the heel in readiness for the
operation of the knife acting in conjunction with it. The roller is hollowed out on
its underside for the reception of the upper portion of the knife in the manner
hereinafter more fully explained. The cutting edge of the knife is moved (by the

page_text: means described in my said former Specification) backwards and forwards from an
imaginary vertical line, or so that such cutting edge may be maintained in the
desired position.relatively to-the-varying-configuration-of-the-heel,-and-the-front-of
the heel is cut by another knife, is described in my said former Specification.
And in order that my said Invention-may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly. to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the-several Figures on-the annexed-Sheet-of-Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding part in all the Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, represents a side elevation of
a machine with the improvements applied thereto which form the subject of my
present Invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; Figure 3 (Sheet 2)
is an enlarged longitudinal section of a portion of the upper part of the machine;
Figure 4 is a sectional plan corresponding to Figure 3; Figure 5, Sheet 3, is a
transverse section of a portion of the upper part of the machine; Figure 6 is a plan
of the same (partly in section) with the disc or plate herein before referred to
removed; Figure 7, Sheet 4, is a transverse section of the disc and rocking frame;
Figure 8 is a plan of the disc and knife carrying apparatus; Figure 9 is a longi-
tudinal section of the disc and knife carrying apparatus; and Figure 10 is an
enlarged section of the guide roller.
In the several views the capital letters and the Figures of reference correspond
to those used in my said former Specification for denoting the parts of the machine
as constructed in accordance with my said former Letters Patent. It will only be
necessary therefore to describe in detail the new parts, namely, to those relating to
the cutting or paring apparatus, and in particular to the guiding operation, and
which are distinguished by small letters of reference in the Drawings.
N is the cutting or paring knife fixed to the lever or arm N' pivotted at N2 to
.the rocking frame N³, the axis N of which latter is at right angles to the axis N2
of the knife lever N¹. The whole of these pants are carried upon a plate or disc O
having a stud or projection O' which engages with the crank arm P, the latter
receiving or reciprocating motion from a pinion P¹ and rack in the manner described
in my said former Specification. The adjustment of the rocking frame N³ and its
appurtenances along the line of its axis is effected by the aid of the screws N5, and
the rocking motion of the said frame, by which the cutting edge of the knife is
constantly adjusted to the required vertical angle, is obtained by means of a
lever V, rod V³, stud and roller, and cam guide Win substantially a similar manner
to that described in my said former Specification. The disc O (which is held down
to the frame A by a ring a) is fitted so as to be capable of rotating upon an
eccentric b, which is itself capable of turning upon a bush a fitted on the central
annular boss of the disc U, and which forms the axis of the eccentric. The object
of the eccentric is to guide the cutting apparatus round the heel in a curvilinear
course corresponding to the shape of the heel. For this purpose it is necessary_
that the eccentric -should-be-secured-to-the-disc O on its connections at certain
periods, so that the eccentric and disc O may turn bodily round the axis, and that
at other periods the eccentric should be disconnected from the disc and held
stationary, so that the disc may turn round the eccentric. In the example illustrated
the centre of the axis coincides with the centre of the arc forming the back of the
heel, and the centre of the throw of the eccentric is the centre froin which the side
of the heel is struck. By securing therefore the eccentric to the disc or its con-
nections in passing round the back of the heel, and by disengaging the eccentric
from the disc and locking the former while passing round the sides, the heel will
be cut or pared to the desired shape. The required locking and releasing and
engagement and disengagement of the eccentric and disc are obtained in the
following manner :-In order to cause the eccentric to partake of the motion of the
disc a vertical bolt c is employed passing through the driving arm P, and which is
caused to rise under the action of a lifting guide d provided on the disc U and
enter an aperture e in the eccentric b, and thus secure the eccentric to the driving
arm P which imparts motion to the disc with the cutting apparatus.

page_text: In order to lock the eccentric b or hold it stationary while the disc ☐ carrying
the cutting apparatus turns upon it, swivel catches or bolts f, f¹, are employed
mounted upon centres or fulcra g, g³, in the frame A, and so arranged as to be
brought successively into action in the following manner, videlicet:-When one
side of the heel is being operated upon a portion of the periphery of the driving
arm P acts upon the extremity i of the catch f, and thereby maintains the other
extremity k of such catch in a notch or recess in the eccentric. When the other
side of the heel has to be operated upon the driving arm P is caused to act upon
the extremity of the catch fl, and thereby force the extremity k' of such catch
into a notch or recess in the eccentric. These catches are released when the
recesses h, h', (in different planes) are respectively brought opposite to their
extremities i, i¹. By so timing therefore the motions and arranging the parts that
when one side of the heel has been operated upon, the swivel catch corresponding
to that side is thrown out of action and the bolt c is actuated in order to enable
the back of the heel to be operated upon, and that when the back of the heel is
pared, the bolt c shall be released and the other swivel catch brought into action; to
enable the other side of the heel to be operated upon the required conditions will
be fulfilled.
I employ for directing the motion of the upper part of the knife a guide roller 18
which is carried on a lever or arm m mounted in bearings in fulcra n and connected
to the rocking frame at p, so as to partake of its longitudinal motion for adjustment,
and also connected to the said rocking frame by an inclined portion at o, so that as
the rocking frame rises and falls it acts on the incline at o and moves the lever or
arın m, and with it the roller 2, in a lateral direction, and maintains the roller
opposite the upper edge of the knife N as the latter is moved laterally by the
rocking frame Ns. The periphery of the guide roller is caused to press against the
upper of the boot or shoe, and as the knife moves round the heel the roller runs
round the upper, its edge smoothing down the seating of the heel in readiness for
the operation of the knife N which acts in conjunction with it. The roller is
hollowed out on its under side and a recessed ring q is inserted, so that a rim is left
at of a thickness equal to the distance which it is desired that the heel should
project from the upper; the upper portion of the knife passes up within the ring q
which receives its pressure, the knife holder being acted upon by a band spring at 8
or its equivalent, so as to cause the knife to press against the inside of the rim
and hold it against the upper of the boot or shoe. The roller is mounted loose
upon a bush t, through which passes a non-traversing screw a, by the act of
operating which the roller may be raised or lowered in order to adjust its position
to suit different thicknesses of heels. It is obvious that, if required, an auxiliary
knife may be used for shaping or paring the seating of the heel.
Under the present arrangement the striker Js for operating the nail or rivet
feeding devices of the upper rack J.may be conveniently actuated by means of an
incline w on an extension x of the axis of the lower rack M, the act of turning the
latter into position having thus the effect of releasing the supply of nails or rivets
from both the racks J and M simultaneously.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The employment of eccentrics for the purpose of guiding the motion of
cutting apparatus for shaping or paring the heels of boots and shoes, substantially
as herein before described.
Secondly. The combination of eccentrics for directing the motion of a knife or
knives round the heel of a roller for guiding the motion of the knife or knives at
the upper part of the heel, and of a guide and accessory devices for maintaining
the cutting edge of the knife or knives at the required vertical angle, substantially
as hereinbefore described.

page_text: Thirdly. A guide roller arranged in combination with a shaping or paring knife
in such a manner that the seat of the heel is pressed down or levelled and pared
simultaneously with the shaping or paring of the other portion of the heel, the
|_ roller being hollowed.or.recessed-for-the-reception of the upper portion of the knife,
substantially as hereinbefore.described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Cowburn, have to this my Specification-
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, One thousand eight.hundred
and seventy nine.