Improvements in Burnishing Machines and Tools used in the Finishing of Boots or other Coverings for the Feet, and in the Method of Heating Burnishing Tools.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov.,
1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Burnishing Machines and Tools used in the
Finishing of Boots or other Coverings for the Feet, and in the
Method of Heating Burnishing Tools.
I, THOMAS GARE, of the Gare Machine Co. Ltd., of Carrs Ironworks,
Stockport, in the County of Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in burnishing machines and tools used in
the finishing of boots or other coverings for the feet and has for its object to
provide means whereby the burnishing round the heel and edge setting of the top
piece thereof, can be performed in one operation and in a better and quicker
manner than heretofore and the seat wheeling round the heel and burnishing of the
top thereof and the sole, if desired, can be performed in one machine.
Heretofore the working surface of the tools for burnishing round the heel have
been made comparatively very narrow and moved round and gradually across the
same, while the heel itself remained stationary, which is very defective owing to
the narrowness of the burnishing tool, causing indents where the leather is
comparatively soft and in moving round the heel the flame heating the burnishing
tool very often gets extinguished.
To overcome these defects and to perform the burnishing round the heel better
and quicker than heretofore I form the working surface of the burnishing tool
comparatively wider and employ the same stationary while I cause to partially
rotate the heel between centres on a suitable frame.
The heel of the boot or other covering for the feet to be burnished I fix between
two centres, i.e. two suitable shaped blocks which may be covered with serrated
rubber to cause adhesion and prevent the boot or other covering for the feet from
getting damaged. The said blocks are arranged to be partially rotated, one of
them bearing against the top of the heel and the other against the inside of the
boot or other covering for the feet to be operated upon. The last named block
and the shaft carrying it, by means of a lever is arranged to be slid to and fro and
to be locked in position, so as to permit of fixing the heel in position between the
said centre blocks under the burnishing tool. A lever or handle is attached to the
free end of the said shaft by means of which the heel to be burnished is partially
rotated.
The said burnishing tool which may either act stationary, or rotary as described
in an invention for which Provisional Protection has been granted to me bearing
date August 30th 1890, numbered 13662, I fix into a holder suspended from a lever
pivoted to the said frame, which is under the influence of a spring or weight and
can be raised or lowered by means of another lever jointed thereto so as to lift or
drop the burnishing tool and thus bring it in or out of action.
If desirable the lever from which the burnisher holder is suspended may be
dispensed with and the latter brought direct under the influence of a weight or
spring.
The position of the burnishing tool relative to the heel may be crosswise altered
at will, by either a lever and connecting rod or by a screwed spindle connected
therewith, so as to ensure of the burnishing tool coming into contact with the
whole of the curvature of the heel.
To set the edge of the top of the heel and to burnish round the same
simultaneously, I form the block which bears against the top of the heel in size
less than the latter so as to expose its edge and permit of bringing a top iron
under the influence of a spring or weight in contact therewith.
To effect the seat wheeling and burnishing round the heel simultaneously I

page_text: employ the seat wheel at the end of the said burnishing tool in such a manner as
to be raised when not in use.
The machine described may be worked by motive or hand power.
When worked by motive power the machine may be duplicated and through
suitable connections between the respective moving parts operated alternately, so
as to permit of fixing a boot or other covering for the feet in position in the one
machine while the other is operated upon in the other machine.
When operating the described machine by hand I form the frame thereof with
projecting surfaces suitably shaped and heated by any suitable means for the
purpose of effecting the burnishing of the top of the heel and the sole by rubbing
the same against it by hand. A number of the aforesaid projecting surfaces may
be formed on a stand for burnishing by hand the various parts of the boot or other
covering for the feet, independently from the machine described.
Another part of my invention relates to an improved method of heating burnishing
tools in general and consists in heating the same by the application of steam or
hot water in lieu of a flame.
The steam or hot water may he circulated through the burnishing tool or other-
wise provided to give off the required amount of heat.
Dated this 20th day of November 1890.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Burnishing Machines and Tools used in the
Finishing of Boots or other Coverings for the Feet, and in the
Method of Heating Burnishing Tools.
I, THOMAS GARE, of the Gare Machine Co., Ltd., of Carrs Ironworks,
Stockport, in the County of Chester, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in burnishing machines and tools used
in the finishing of boots or other coverings for the feet and has for its object to
provide means whereby the burnishing round the heel and edge setting of the top
piece, can be performed in one operation and in a better and quicker manner than
heretofore and the seat wheeling round the heel and burnishing of the top thereof
and the sole, if desired, performed in one machine.
Heretofore the working surface of the tools for burnishing round the heel have
been made comparatively very narrow and moved round and gradually across the
same, while the heel itself remained stationary, which method of burnishing is very
defective owing to the narrowness of the burnishing tool, causing indents where
the leather is comparatively soft and in moving round the heel the flame heating
the burnishing tool very often getting extinguished.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto two sheets of drawing marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1, Sheet I, is a side view, Fig. 2 a front view of a complete burnishing or
finishing machine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional
front view through line A-B of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 & 5 are side views of the
burnishing, edge setting and seat wheeling tools enlarged.
Fig. 6, Sheet II, is a sectional elevation, Fig. 7 an end view and Figs. 8 & 9
cross sections of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 a plan and Fig. 11 a sectional end view through
C-D of Fig. 10, of stands or apparatus for burnishing or other finishing purposes
for coverings for the feet.
In carrying out my invention and referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, Sheet I, I
form the working surface of the burnishing tool a comparatively wider and
stationary, relatively to the heel b, to be operated upon, whilst I partially rotato
'

page_text: the latter against the same, by fixing it between two centres, i.e. two suitably
shaped blocks c & d, both, or one of which, may be covered with serrated rubber e
to cause adhesion and prevent the boot or other covering for the feet from getting
damaged. The blocks c, d, are carried respectively by the shafts c³, d², mounted
in bearings c, d, formed on the frame of the machine and arranged to be partially
rotated therein, the blocks c hearing against the top of the heel b and the other
block against the inside of the boot or other covering for the feet to be operated
upon. By preference I arrange the block to slide on the shaft d' and the end of
the latter I form with pins which grip the heel b more securely. The sliding
block d is under the action of a spring which causes it to grip the heel b and
on the latter being removed, covers the pins so as to prevent damage to the boot
or other covering for the feet which otherwise inay occur when placing it between
the blocks &d, or removing it therefrom. If desirable, a last may be used in
the boot or shoe and the pins adapted to enter holes formed therein. The
block e I render longitudinally adjustable, by means of a screwed spindle g bearing
against the end thereof and a set screw y', so as to accommodate the various heights
of heels and bring the same in proper position underneath the burnishing tool a.
The block and the shaft d' are made longitudinally adjustable, for the purpose
of permitting the heel 6 of being fixed between and removed from the blocks c & d
by means of a lever h, connected to the shaft and hinged at e' to the frame f,
which lever can be locked in position by means of the pawl. A lever or
handle i is attached to the free end of the shaft d', by means of which the heel b
to be burnished or otherwise finished, is partially rotated.
C
The burnishing tool a, which may be a stationary or rotary one (concentric or
eccentric to its axis) I pivot to a holder k, guided in a slot f formed in the frame f
and suspended from a lever k³, having its fulcrum on the frame f, which lever k¹
is under the influence of a weight, or preferably, a spring 1, adapted to raise the
holder and tool a.
The lever k¹ is operated by means of a foot lever 1 having its fulcrum at the
foot of the frame and by a spring 1, rod 1, and lever which latter has its
fulcrum also at the foot of the frame f. The springs 1 & 1 conjointly form a
cushion in a vertical sense, for the tools a &q and cause the same to follow, under
pressure, the varying curvature of the heel b.
If desirable the lever may be dispensed with and the burnisher holder k
brought direct under influence of a weight or spring, (not shown) as will be readily
understood.
The relative position of the burnishing tool a, to the heel b can be altered cross-
wise, periodically, by either a lever m, pivoted to the frame f, and a connecting
rod m², or by a screwed spindle (not shown) connected therewith, so as to ensure of
the burnishing tool a coming into contact with the whole of the curvature of the
heel b.
To set the edge on the top of the heel b and to burnish round the same
simultaneously, I form the block c in size less than the top of the heel b, so as to
expose its edge and permit of bringing a top iron under the influence of a weight
or preferably a spring in contact therewith. The said top iron may consist of a
flange n, formed on the respective end of the burnishing tool a, placed under the
influence of a spring n' attached to the lever and a plate or rod n² guided in the
holder k, which spring a' can be brought in and out of action by means of an
eccentric lever n³ bearing against the lever and pivoted to a link o connected
thereto.
The spring n', when in action together with the pull exerted by hand on the
lever m, presses the flange n firmly against the edge of the heel b and thus effects
a thorough setting and top ironing of the same.
In lieu of forming the flange n part of the burnishing tool a, the same may be
made self adjusting thereon, see Fig. 4, by attaching it, to a bracket p_carried by
a shank p¹ formed on the burnishing tool a and brought under the influence of a
spring n'.

page_text: The burnishing and edge setting tool a may be heated by a gas jet p³ brought
against the holder k thereof and suitable pipes p³, as shown in Figs. 1 & 3, or
otherwise as hereinafter described.
To effect the seat wheeling and burnishing round the heel in the same machine
simultaneously, or independently of each other, I employ a seat wheel 7 at the end
or front of the said burnishing tool a, carried by a rod or bar gl guided in the tool
holder . The rod or bar g', at its upper end is furnished with a pin 7 engaging
an inclined slot formed in a plate 7, arranged to be slid crosswise on the tool
holder k, by means of which the seat wheel 9 can be brought in and out of action.
The machine described may be worked by motive or hand power.
When worked by motive power the machine may be duplicated and through
suitable connections between the respective moving parts operated alternately, so
as to permit of fixing a boot or other covering for the feet in position in the one,
while the other is operated upon in the other part of the machine.
When operating the described machine in its single form by hand, I form the
frame thereof with projecting surface or surfaces r, see Figs. 1 & 2, suitably
shaped and heated by any suitable means for the purpose of effecting the burnishing
of the top of the heel and the sole or otherwise finishing the same by rubbing it
by hand against the said projecting surfaces r.
A number of the same may be
formed, independently of the machine described, on a stand of any convenient
shape, for instance, such as shown in Fig. 6, or on a straight or curved pipe, as
shown in Figs. 10 & 11. The projecting surfaces may be of any suitable sectious,
for instance, such as shown in Figs. 6, 8 & 9, with or without interchangeable
bits, bordering tools, stitch or other wheels, at the end thereof, or at any
other projecting or convenient part of the stand or pipe ³, for instance, such as
edge setting bits, see Fig. 6.
5²
In order to assist stitch or other wheels in their rotary movement, I form the
same with a pulleys, over which I place a band s', one end of which I connect to
a flexible band or spring suitably fixed, and the other end to a convenient form
of foot levers. On the latter being depressed the stitch or other wheel is
caused to rotate and the springs to expand, whilst on releasing the foot lever s
the spring is permitted to contract and reverse the rotation of the stitch or
other wheel 18.
Another part of my invention relates to an improved method of heating
burnishing tools in general and consists in heating the same by the application of
steam or hot water, or steam and water, in lieu of contact with a flame.
The steam or hot water may be circulated through the burnishing or finishing
tool, or otherwise provided, to give off the required amount of heat.
In every
case the burnishing or finishing tool, or the part to which it is attached, is formed
hollow for the reception or circulation of steam or hot water. The latter may be
produced, in a burnishing or finishing apparatus, for instance, such as shown
in Fig. 6, by means of a lamp or burner t, in connection with a chimney or flue t¹
passing through the water space 2, the steam arising therefrom being permitted to
escape through an opening t³, formed at the top of the stand 7, so as to be utilized
for damping, as sometimes is necessary in the process of burnishing or finishing.
The pipes show how the stand may be heated by steam, or steam and water.
A continuous circulation of hot water may be maintained through the burnishing
or finishing tools or their adjacent parts or apparatus described, by means of a
heating apparatus, for instance, such as shown in Fig. 1, Sheet I, consisting of a
water supply tank and pipe u, u², heating vessel ³, supply and return pipes u&u,
in principal similar to that of a hot water bath.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1st. In machines for burnishing or otherwise finishing the heels of boots or other

page_text: of being partially rotated, in combination with a burnishing tool a, suitably
Suspended and capable of being lowered crosswise onto and removed from the heel b
under operation, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The burnishing tool a pivoted to the holder k and having a fixed or movable
flangen under the influence of a spring n', adapted to set or top iron the edge of
the heel b, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. The burnishing tool a in combination with a seat wheel 7 carried by the
tool holder k and adapted to be lowered onto and raised from the heel 6 under
operation, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4th. The combination of the tool holder k, with a rod m' and lever m, or the
like, connected thereto, adapted to alter the cross position of the burnishing tool a
relative to the heel & under operation and assist the edge setting and top ironing
thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5th. The springs & attached to the lever ¹ having suspended from it the
tool holder and respectively adapted to raise and lower and conjointly form a
cushion, in a vertical sense, for the tools a & 7, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
6th. The formation of projections on the frame of a machine for burnishing
or otherwise finishing boots or other coverings for the feet, or on a stand or pipe
purposely designed for the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7th. In machines or apparatus for burnishing or otherwise finishing boots or
other coverings for the feet, the method of heating burnishing or other finishing
tools, consisting in the application of steam or hot water (or both,) circulated
through the same or adjacent parts thereof, or otherwise provided, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 20th day of August 1891
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.