IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND IN
MACHINERY THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Willard Comey,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th December 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BOOTS OR SHOES AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR." [A communication from abroad
by Willard Comey of Westboro' Massachusetts United States of America.]
One feature of this Invention consists in a turned shoe having its sole channelled
from or near the edge inwards and united to the upper by a line of stitches passing
through the upper and through that part of the sole under the channel flap.
Another feature of this Invention is a novel shoe or boot which possesses every
advantage of the well known hand made article and yet can be sewed by machinery,
as more fully hereinafter described.
Other features of this Invention relate to improvements in machinery for sewing
boots and shoes.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, the sole is channelled on the grain
side, by cutting in from the edge or from near the edge, and the lip or flap thus
formed is folded back so as to be out of the way of the needle of the sewing
machine; the shoe is then lasted as usual in making turned shoes, with the grain
side of the sole next the last; the last is then drawn and the shoe sewed and
turned; the flap of the channel is then put back in place and the shoe finished
outside and in, as will be well understood without further description.
Another shoe made according to my Invention is manufactured as follows; the
inner sole is first channelled on the side which comes next the foot in the finished
shoe; this channelled inner sole is then placed upon the last with the channel next
[Price 6d1

page_text: the sole of the last, and the upper then lasted in the usual way. The welt is then
sewed to the upper and inner sole by the licrein described sewing machine; care
being taken to lay the threads in the channel of the inner sole so that they can be
covered by the lip of that channel.
In practice it is convenient to channel the inner sole and to fold back the lip of
that channel close upon the inner surface of the inner sole; this being readily done
without puckering the lip when the channel does not extend around the toe or
heel.
It is not customary to sew around the heel part of the inner sole, as the nails
which attach the heel to the shoe make sewing unnecessary at that part of the
inner sole.
Having thus attached together the upper inner-sole, and welt, the outer sole is
applied and secured by sewing to the welt, the outer sole being preferably
channelled in the well known way.
One of the objects of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of sewing the
welt to the upper and inner sole of boots and shoes, and at the same time to keep
the edges of the welt along its entire length at the proper distance from the vamp
or upper, thus insuring perfect work and avoiding the necessity for close attention
_on the part of the operator in guiding the welt as would be required if it were laid
by hand. To this end part-of-the-said-Invention-consists_in_a_sliding bar or
pressure-device the lower end of which is brought down into contact with the welt
and then moved in such a manner as to press the welt outward from the solo
against a guide placed opposite thereto, and provided with two flanges between
which the welt passes, and by means of which it is kept in its proper position, the
periphery of the lower flange serving as a gauge or rest against which the upper
bears as the shoe is fed along over the needle plate, while that portion of the guide
located between the flanges serves as a gauge or rest for the edge of the welt,
which, by being pressed constantly against it by the sliding bar, is thus kept
throughout its entire length at a uniform distance from the upper resting against
the edge of the adjacent flange.
This Invention also consists in certain details of construction as hereinafter set
forth..
The machine is applicable to other work than sewing on welts, for example
sewing the upper to the sole in turned shoes, sewing the outsole to the upper and
inner sole, and the like; and one feature of the said Invention relates to a new
mode of feeding the work; another feature relates to the use of an outer and inner
guiding surface between which the upper of the shoe is forced to pass as the shoe
is sewed, and these features are desirable whether the machine be constructed for
sewing on welts only, or for turned work, or for making shoes in which the out
sole is sewed to both the upper and insole.
The framework of the machine is supported as usual on a column or standard
having a suitable base. I provide a movable work-supporting horn which is
provided with the usual rotating whirl for laying the waxed thread in the hook of
the needle. The needle, its bar or stock, the cast-off and its bar or stock, together
with the presser-foot and its bar and their respective operative devices, are all
constructed in the usual manner common to inachines of this description and as
they form no part of this present Invention will not be further described except
so far as concerns the new motions of the insole to adapt it to feed without the
need of a slot in the needle-plate..
To the oscillating frame which carries the needle-bar and cast-off bar is screwed
a vertical bar which slides in the direction of its length in guides on the frame and
is held within a bifurcated guide by means of a screw passing through a slot, there
being sufficient friction between the guide and the bar to hold the latter in any
position in which it may be left. The lower end of this bar which is bent to bring
it over the edge of the tip of the horn is preferably provided with a removable
sharp pointed projection adapted to penetrate a short distance into the surface of
the welt on the descent of the bar, but the lower end of this bar may be serrated or
J

page_text: roughened or otherwise constructed to prevent it from slipping upon the welt
when pressed down firmly thereon.
In the operation of sewing the welt to the inner sole as the needle-bar is carried
down by the connecting rod attached to the crank, an adjustable projection on the
rod strikes against the free end of a stiff flat spring secured to the bar which is
thus carried down during the latter part of the descent of the needle until its
projection is brought into contact with, and penetrates, the welt, and as soon as the
needle has ascended so that its point is above the surface of the tip of the horn
and the presser-foot is raised from off the surface of the work, the fraine is oscillated
with the needle in the usual manner to produce the feed, carrying with it the lower
end of the bar, the lateral movement of which causes its bevelled edge to travel in
contact with the wedge shaped or inclined face of an adjustable piece attached to
the stationary block through which the presser foot bar slides, and thus, as the
lower end of the bar is moved laterally by the frame it is carried inward against
its own tendency to spring outward by the wedge or inclined face in an oblique
direction which causes it to press the welt outward from the sole and keep its edgo
constantly in contact with the central portion of a guide which is supported on a
stud projecting down vertically from a bar or arm pivoted to the framework and
made adjustable by means of a screw passing through a slot. The guide is provided
with two flanges between which the welt passes; the periphery of the lower flange
serving as a gauge or rest against which the upper of the shoo is pressed as the
upper passes between it and the tip of the horn and consequently as the upper is
kept against the edge of the flange and the outer edge of the welt is kept
constantly against the smaller central portion of the roll by the oblique pushing
movement of the bar, the outer edge of the welt is always maintained at a
uniform or unvarying distance from the vamp or upper as desired, and all liability
of imperfect work being produced is thus avoided.
After the feed has taken place, the presser-foot is again brought down onto the
work, and as the needle continues to rise, an adjustable block or projection on the
cast-off bar is brought into contact with an adjustable projection on the inner sido
of the bar which is thus raised during the latter part of the ascent of the needle
bar; and simultaneously with this upward movement the frame is oscillated back
to its original position which allows the bar to spring out and follow the inclined
face of the piece which brings it back to the position from which it started ready
to again descend onto the welt, and push it outward as before.
By causing the projection on the rod to strike against a stiff spring instead of
against a rigid projection on the bar the latter is enabled to accommodate itself to
stock of varying thicknesses.
By adjusting the supporting bar toward or from the tip of the horn, the distance
of the row of stitches from the edge of the welt may be varied as desired and as
the distance to which the edge of the welt projects beyond the upper, depends
upon the distance between the central portion of the roll and the outer edge of the
lower flange, different guide-rolls are used for different kinds of work, in which case
the bar is adjusted to bring each roll into the exact position required with respect
to the tip of the horn; the lower arm of the bar springing slightly as required to
allow the thicker parts of the upper to pass between the guide and the tip of the
horn. The bar and guide thus form a simple automatic device by means of which
the welt is held while being sewed in the exact position required without any
especial attention on the part of the operator; and the guide in connection with
the tip of the horn also guides the shoe.
The said Invention is applicable to boots as well as to shoes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th June 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BOOTS AND SHOES AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by Willard Comey of Westboro', Massachusetts, United States of America.
One part of this Invention relates to a turned shoe having its sole channelled
from, or near, the edge inwards, and united to the upper by a line of stitches
passing through the upper and through that part of the sole under the channel-
flap. Another part of the said Invention relates to a novel shoe or boot which
possesses every advantage of the well known hand-made article, and yet can be
sewed by machinery as hereinafter described.-Other-parts.of_the_said Invention
relate to improvements in machinery for sewing boots and shoes.
In the accompanying Drawing:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of my improved turned shoe.
Figure 2 is a plan of the sole ready for lasting.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the lasted shoe ready for sewing.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the foot part of a shoe embodying another
feature of the said Invention.
Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections of inner soles, such as are used in the
manufacture of this shoe, and,
Figure 7 is a plan of that kind of inner sole shown in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of a boot and shoe sewing machine having the
improvements hereinafter described applied thereto.
Figure 9 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the front of the machine.
Figure 11 is a horizontal section on the line x x Figure 9.
Figure 12 is a sectional detail view.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the sole A is channelled on the
grain side by cutting in from the edge or from near the edges as shown at a, and
the lip or flap a¹ thus formed is folded back so as to be out of the way of the
needle of the sewing machine; the shoe is then lasted as usual in making turned
shoes, with the grain side of the sole next the last; the last is then drawn, and
the shoe sewed and turned; the flap a¹ of the channel is then put back in place
and the shoe finished outside and in, as will be well understood without further
description.
The shoe shewn in Figure 4 is manufactured as follows:-the inner sole A is
first channelled (preferably as shewn in Figures 6 and 7) on the side which comes
next the foot in the finished shoe; this channelled inner sole is then placed upon
the last with the channel next the sole of the last and the upper B then lasted in
the usual manner. The welt D is then sewed to the upper B and inner sole A
by the herein described sewing machine; care being taken to lay the threads in
the channel of the inner sole so that they can be covered by the lip a of that
channel.
In practice it is convenient to channel the inner sole as shewn in Figures 6
and 7 and to fold back the lip a of that channel close upon the inner surface of
the inner sole; this being readily done without puckering the lip when the channel
does not extend around the toe or heel.
It is not customary to sew around the heel part of the inner sole, as the nails

page_text: which attach the heel to the shoe make sewing unnecessary at that part of the
inner sole.
Having thus attached together the upper inner-sole and welt, the outer sole F
is applied and secured by sewing to the welt as shewn at d d in Figure 4, the
outer sole being preferably channelled in the well known manner.
One of the objects of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of sewing the
welt to the upper and inner sole of boots and shoes, and at the same time to keep
the edges of the welt along its entire length at the proper distance from the vamp
or upper, thus ensuring perfect work and avoiding the necessity for close attention
on the part of the operator in guiding the welt as would be required if it were laid
by hand. To this end part of the said Invention illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11
and 12 of the Drawing consists in a sliding bar or pressure device, the lower end
of which is brought down into contact with the welt and then moved in such a
manner as to press the welt outward from the sole against a guide placed opposite
thereto, and provided with two flanges between which the welt passes, and by
means of which it is kept in its proper position, the periphery of the lower flange
serving as a gauge or rest against which the upper bears as the shoe is fed along
over the needle plate, while that portion of the guide located between the flanges
serves as a gauge or rest for the edge of the welt, which, by being pressed
constantly against it by the sliding bar, is thus kept throughout its entire
length at a uniform distance from the upper resting against the edge of the
adjacent flange.
The said Invention also consists in certain details of construction as hereinafter
set forth.
The machine is applicable to other work than sewing on welts, for example
sewing the upper to the sole in turned shoes, sewing the out sole to the upper and
inner sole, and the like; and one feature of the said Invention relates to a new
mode of feeding the work; another feature relates to the use of an outer and inner
guiding surface, between which the upper of the shoe is forced to pass, as the shoe
is sewed, and these features are desirable whether the machine be constructed for
sewing on welts only, or for turned work, or for making shoes in which the out
sole is sewed to both the upper and insole.
In Figures 8, 9, 10 11 and 12 of the Drawing A represents the framework of
the machine which is supported as usual on a column or standard B having a
suitable base not shewn in the Drawing. D represents the movable work-supporting
horn which is provided with the usual rotating whirl for laying the waxed thread
in the hook of the needle. The needle a, its bar or stock b, the cast-off c, and its bar
or stock together with the presser-foot e and its bar f, and their respective
operative devices, are all constructed in the usual manner common to machines of
this description, and as they form no part of the present Invention, will not be
further described, except so far as concerns the new motions of the insole to
adapt it to feed without the necessity for a slot in the needle-plate.
To the oscillating frame G which carries the needle-bar b and cast-off bar d is
screwed a vertical bar H which slides in the direction of its length in guides g h
on the frame G and is held within the bifurcated guide h by means of a screw 10
passing through a slot k, there being sufficient friction between the guide h and the
bar to hold the latter in any position in which it may be placed.
The lower end of this bar H which is bent into the form seen in Figures 8 and 9
to bring it over the edge of the tip of the horn D, is preferably provided with a
removable sharp pointed projection i adapted to penetrate a short distance into the
surface of the welt I (Figures 10 and 12) on the descent of the bar, but the lower
end of this bar H may be serrated or roughened, or otherwise constructed to
prevent it from slipping upon the welt when pressed down firmly thereon.
In the operation of sewing the welt to the inner sole N, as the needle-bar bis
carried down by tlie connecting rod K attached to the crank 1, an adjustable
projection m on the rod K strikes against the free end of a stiff flat spring p secured
to the bar H which is thus carried down during the latter part of the descent of

page_text: the needle until its projection is brought into contact with, and penetrates, the
welt, and as soon as the needle has ascended, so that its point is above the surface
of the tip of the horn and the presser foot e is raised from off the surface of the
work, the frame G is oscillated with the needle in the usual manner to produce the
feed, carrying with it the lower end of the bar H, the lateral movement of which
causes its bevelled edge 15 to travel in contact with the wedge-shaped, or inclined
face 16 of an adjustable piece q attached to the stationary block through which the
presser-foot-barf slides, and thus, as the lower end of the bar H is moved laterally
by the frame G, it is carried inward against its own tendency to spring outward,
by the wedge or inclined face 16 in an oblique direction, which causes it to press
the welt I outward from the sole N and keep its edge 17 constantly in contact
with the central portion 18 of a guide M which is supported on a stud r projecting
down vertically from a bar or arm L pivoted to the frame-work at s and made
adjustable by means of a screw t passing through a slot u.
The guide M is provided with two flanges vw between which the welt passes;
the periphery of the lower flange w serving as a gauge or rest against which the
upper of the shoe is pressed as the upper passes between it and the tip of the horn
and consequently as the upper is kept against the edge of the flange w and the
outer edge 17 of the welt is kept constantly against the smaller central portion 18
of the roll M, as seen in Figure-12, by-the-oblique-pushing-movement-of-the-
bar H, the outer edge of the welt is always maintained at a uniformn or unvarying
distance from the vamp or upper as desired, and all liability of imperfect work
being produced is thus avoided.
After the feed has taken place, the presser-foot e is again brought down onto
the work and as the needle continues to rise, an adjustable block or projection 12
on the cast-off bar d is brought into contact with an adjustable projection 13
(Figure 8) on the inner side of the bar H which is thus raised during the latter
part of the ascent of the needle-bar; and simultaneously with this upward move-
ment, the frame G is oscillated back to its original position which allows the bar H
to spring out and follow the inclined face 16 of the piece q which brings it back
to the position from which it started, ready to again descend onto the welt and
push it outward as before.
P
By causing the projection on the rod K to strike against a stiff spring > instead
of against a rigid projection on the bar H, the latter is enabled to accommodate
itself to stock of varying, thicknesses.
By adjusting the supporting bar L toward or from the tip of the horn, the
distance of the row of stitches from the edge of the welt may be varied as desired,
and as the distance to which the edge of the welt projects beyond the upper,
depends upon the distance between the central portion 18 of the roll, and the outer
edge of the lower flange w, different guide-rolls are used for different kinds of work,
in which case the bar L is adjusted to bring each roll into the exact position
required with respect to the tip of the horn; the lower arm of the bar L springing
slightly as required to allow the thicker parts of the upper to pass between the
part w of the guide and the tip of the horn. The bar and guide M thus forin
a simple automatic device by means of which the welt is held while being sewed,
in the exact position required, without any especial attention on the part of the
operator; and the guide M in connection with the tip of the horn also guides the
shoe.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim, .
First-The improved turned shoe above described and shewn in Figure 1, having
its sole A channelled from or near the edge inwards, and united to the upper by a
line of stitches passing through the upper and through that part of the sole under
the channel-flap al as shown.
Second: The improved mode of manufacturing turned shoes, consisting in
channelling the sole from or near its edge inwards, then folding back the channel-

page_text: flap towards the middle of the sole, then lasting the shoe with the channel-flap of
the sole against the sole of the last, then drawing the last and sewing, turning,
and finishing the shoe, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third: The improved shoe above described and shewn in Figure 4, composed of
the inner sole A, channelled on the grain side, the upper B, the welt or middle
sole D, and the outer sole F, the welt or middle sole, upper and inner sole being
connected by stitches passing through the welt and upper, and through part only
of the inner sole, the lip of the channel on the grain surface of the inner sole
lying over the loops of the stitches which connect the welt, upper, and inner sole,
and the outer sole being connected with the welt by a second line of stitches
which pass through part only of the outer sole, the lip of the channel on the grain
surface of the outer sole lying on the loops of the stitches which connect the welt
and outer sole, all substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fourth In a boot and shoe sewing machine, the combination with a gauge or
rest for the edge of the welt and the upper of a boot or shoe, of a sliding bar H
adapted to be brought down upon the welt, and having a lateral movement,
substantially as described, for pushing or pressing the welt outward against the
gauge or rest, and keeping it constantly in contact therewith, as and for the purpose
set forth.
Fifth In a boot and shoe sewing machine, the combination with the work-
supporting horn D and stitch-forming devices, of the longitudinally and laterally
moving push-bar H and the flanged guide-roll M adapted to form separate gauges
for the outer edge of the welt and the contiguous edge of the upper or vamp,
whereby the welt is maintained at the proper distance from the vamp throughout
its entire length, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixth: The sliding push-bar H with its spring p adapted to be moved downward
in guides on the frame G by the contact of a projection with the spring, and
upward by the contact of the projection 12 with the projection 13 on the bar H,
in combination with the piece q having an inclined face 16, whereby the lower end
of the bar H is caused to move obliquely to push the welt outward from the sole,
and keep it constantly in contact with the inner portion 18 of the guide-roll M,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Seventh The combination with the horn D and the sliding push-bar H, of the
guide-roll M with its central portion 18 and upper and lower flanges vw mounted
upon a supporting arm L made adjustable on the framework, substantially as, and
for the purpose, set forth.
Eighth The guide M in combination with the tip of the horn as described, the
one forming an outer and the other an inner guide between which the upper of the
shoe passes.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Thirteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-twa
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)