IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTS AND SUPPORTS THEREFOR
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY STOCKMAN, of 1502 Brown Street, in the city of Philadelphia, and
state of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, Merchant do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTS AND SUPPORTS
THEREFOR," 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 shoemaker's lasts and to jacks for supporting the lasts,
and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangment and adaptation of parts
as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.
The object of the invention may be briefly stated to be the provision of various
adjustabilities and interchangabilities in the parts, whereby, first-the article upon
the last may be readily thrown into various positions for convenience to the
operator, second, that the jack by certain simple changes may be quickly adapted
to either a reversable iron last, or a wooden last, at will, and that the last may be
adjusted to adapt it to shoes of different sizes.
I provide in connection a base which is secured to the table or bench, a hinged
sub-base which supports the last holding jack and means for conveniently adjusting
and locking said sub-base at any desired point; the sub-base turning on its hinge
pivot.
In addition to this adjustment, I provide that the jack body shall be loosely
secured to this sub-base so as to turn freely upon a central pivot, the latter plane of
motion being at right angles to that of the sub-base whatever be the relation of
said sub-base to the horizontal plane of the stationary base.
I secure the jack body at any desired point of adjustment by novel and important
means, which allow the necessary changes to be made easily, and instantly.
The jack, thus turning on two centers is adapted to serve with a reversable last,
of the particular kind shown in figures 1, 25, 26 and 28 of the drawings hereto
attached,
I further provide additional devices which, used in connection with the jack body,
convert the same into a device for holding a wooden last. These additional devices
ama maalilu „amamakla and materiall, modify the canecity of the jack.

page_text: with a similar cam face ƒ formed on a lever nut F as shown. The arm o² of the
adjusting bar C works loosely through both apertures 63 and d, but the parts D'
and B may be loosely clamped together by means of the frictional engagement of
the cam faces d' and f which may be accomplished by simply throwing the handle
of the lever nut F in the proper direction.
The movable jack body D comprises the base D¹, the toe standard D' having
transverse aperture x, the standard D³ having the rib and pin x³, which
parts and pin a³ have important functions, as will be hereinafter described. The
pin is received in the socket n of the reversable last N while the aperture
receives the toe clamp g'. I may, in this invention, dispense with the toe clamp g¹
and use a screw as seen at g³ and 'still have an important function for the
aperture x.
As thus far described, it will be observed that the base B may be adjusted in one
direction, back and forth and locked in desirable location at will, and that the jack
has independant adjustment in another plane and means for locking it at any
desired point at will, the base turning upon the pivot b, and the jack turning in a
direction at right angles thereto upon the arm c². The last being held upon the
standard D D³ as described, may by these independant adjustments be thrown
into various positions to operate upon the work.
This device is useful and supplies a want, but I enlarge the scope of its useful-
ness by the devices which I will now describe.
Within the aperture x, (the toe clamp having been removed) of the standard D³,
I journal a lever H having a squared portion h which is received in a similar
aperture i formed through the lever end of a vertical swinging block I the upper
end of which is provided with a pin either round as shown in figure 10 or square
as shown in, figure 23, which fits in to the aperture in the heel of, and holds, a
wooden or other last J. The lever arm of the part H has a slot h¹ which receives
a threaded bolt K and a thumb nut k serves to depress the lever. These parts are
so proportioned and arranged relatively to each other that when the thumb nut k
is loosened, the last J'may be readily placed upon the pin it, and when the said nut
is screwed down to depress the lever, the toe of the last will be thrown upon any
suitable support to lock the last firmly in place.
In figure 22 of the drawings I have shown means whereby a yielding pressure
may be applied to hold the last J in position such means consisting of a spring h
interposed between the nut k and the lever H upon the bolt K.
L designates a removable frame or casting having a sleeve which receives the
standard D³, and a slot in said sleeve which receives the rib a¹ to prevent the
casting L from turning.
In grooves formed in the parallel sides of the body of this casting I engage
the ribs formed on the inside of the jaws M of a toe rest M. I adjust this toe rest
upon the casting to accomodate different lengths of lasts.
The above described manner of securing the toe rest to the casting L is fully
shown in detail drawings, figures 13, 14 and 15, but, if desired, the means shown in
figures 16, 17 and 18 or 19, 20 and 21 may be employed in lieu of the form first
described. In the latter form, I show, in figures 16, 17 and 18 one of the jaws M¹
of the toe rest provided with a set or punching screw m the point of which engages
with any one of the series of recesses m¹ in the casting L to hold said toe rest in
position, while in figures 19, 20 and 21 I show the lower ends of said jaws M¹
provided with inwardly projecting luga m³ formed at the bottom of the parallel
sides of said casting.
Now it will be observed that a last having been engaged upon the pin and the
lever H depressed by screwing down the nut k, the toe of the last will be held
forcibly upon the toe rest M, and by means heretofore described the said last
may be held firmly in position to accomodate the workman. It will further be
observed that while the jack D may be readily made to serve with a last G or J,

page_text: the standards D2 and D³ have interchangable functions while the aperture
and ribs a² have functions which modify either set of interchangable devices.
The rib ¹ strengthens the standard Ď³ when a last as G is in use, and the same
rib serves to prevent the frame L from turning when a last as J is being held. The
aperture, also, may either hold the toe clamp g² or it may be the journal bearings
of the lever H. The several parts are removable, and readily interchangable,
while the adjustments mentioned as belonging to the jack are equally applicable to
either form given to the devices in use.
The frame L may be cast in one piece with the standard D³ if desired.
Having fully described my improved last supporting jack I will now proceed to
describe the remaining part of my invention, vis: the reversable and extensible last
employed in connection therewith.
N is the last proper, which is of a two fold nature, comprising two sole and
partial sole portions n with an oblique, continuous connecting portion n', the whole
being made or cast in one piece and reversed sole for sole whereby one sole portion
is utilized in steadying and retaining in position the last, while the other sole
portion is in use and whereby, when, for any reason, as, for instance, on account of
wear or other causes, one sole portion becomes unfit for use, the other sole portion
can be used. Said partial sole and toe portions of the last of course, are made with
the usual conformation, to adapt the same to the inner contour of the shoe or foot
portion of the boot, as shown.
O is a partial sole and heel extensible portion or piece, being shaped or con-
formed to harmonize with either of the aforesaid sole and toe portions n by the
joint use of which a sole in its entirety including the toe and heel portions is
formed, produce a working implement or last for the shoe or boot.
The extensible part O is of dove-tailed shape in cross section for a certain
portion of its length and fits and slides in a corresponding, dove-tail shaped, longi-
tudinal groove n made in each partial sole and toe portion n with its dove tailed
portion provided with a holding screw o the inner or lower end of which screw is
blunt and bears upon the base or bottom of the groove n². By tightening said
screw, its pressure will cause the upwardly tapering sides of the extensible part O
to firmly bear against the same shaped sides of the groove n³ and thus effect the
holding, as against endwise displacement, or the part or extension O at its point of
projection or extension. Upon one side of the groove n' at the edge, is a series
of graduations or a measure to permit of the adjustment or extension of the part o
to adapt the last to the size of the shoe, according as it may be numbered.
Upon the opposite side of said groove n³ also at the edge thereof, is a series of
graduations n adapted to permit of a finer adjustment of the extensible part o
to provide for measurements that cannot be made by the scale or graduations n⭑.
At the heel end, the extension or part O is formed with a pendant arm or post O'
which serves as a support thereof, at said end, said post or arm eutering, at its
lower end a groove made in the upper surface of each sole and toe portion n about
at the instep which effects the guiding of the movement of the said post or arm
during the adjustment or extension of the part O. The last N rests and is
supported at the upper end, upon the pin x of the standard D³ at one end, and
upon the standard D³ at its opposite end while the extreme toe end of said lower
end is held, as against end wise and lateral displacement, by a dog or arm g¹ pivoted
to said standard D2 as shown. The upper end of said dog is curved to overhang
the toe end of said lower end of the last and provided with a holding or binding
screw g³ bearing upon said lower end, thus effecting the latter as aforesaid.
The upper end of the standard D has connection with and supports the last,
about at the instep thereof, the said end of the standard D³ entering a socket or
mortice in the said instep part of the last.
If desired, straps, shown in figures 25, 26 and 28 may be used, each being
connected at its lower end to the base of the jack; the upper ends of the straps
are adapted to be buckled together and over the shoe or foot of the boot, held

page_text: upon the last to firmly hold the boot or shoe upon the last for repairing by the
workman.
It will also be seen that the combined sole and toe portions or parts n of the last
can be reversed end for end which, of course, carries with it the reversal of sole for
sole, the previously facing sole taking the place of the upward facing sole, the
extensible part O also being removed from the part m with which it was formerly
used and applied to the other part n permitting the separate use of each sole.
I do not limit myself to the particular form and construction of parts herein
shown and described as an embodyment of my invention, as I am aware that
various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit or
sacrificing the advantages thereof, as, for example, the heel, piece can have
connection with the last at but one point w, as shown in figures 30 and 31 or the
jack may be made in form shown in figures 25 to 29.
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. A last holding jack having standards for receiving and holding the last,
combined with a base having a pivot pin which is received centrally in the base of
the jack, and upon which said base may be revolved at will, as set forth.
2. The combination with an adjustable base as B and means for locking it in
any desired position, of a jack pivoted to such base and having standards to receive
and hold the last, as set forth.
3. The combination with an adjustable base as B and with a jack as D pivoted
to said base, whereby independant adjustments on planes at right angles to each
other is obtained, of means, substantially as described, for locking the base at any
desired point of adjustment, and means for locking the jack to the base at will, as
Bet forth.
4. The combination with the base A having guides a³ and slot a¹ of the hinged
sub-base B having central aperture 6³ and guide 6º, the segmental bar C, pin C'
and lasting supporting jack, as set forth.
5. The combination with the hinged base B and jack D having rotary movement
thereon and a cam face as d, of an adjusting bar as C and a lever nut as F having
corresponding cams f, as set forth.
6. In a last jack as described, the combination with a lever as H and a last
holding device having last pin as i, a threaded bolt and thumb nut for moving and
holding the lever, as set forth.
7. The combination with the jack D having independant adjustment_in_planes
at right angles to each other, of removable, interchangable devices as L, M, H, I
and locking screws as k m³, as set forth.
8. The combination with the jack D having standards D³, D³ and rib x³, of
the frame toe rest M, lever H, holder and set screws, as and for the purpose set
forth.
9. In a boot and shoe last, the combination with the last proper, of its supporting
jack comprising the toe and heel supports having a holding dog and tennon or pin
that respectively engage the lower end of the last and a groove or mortice in the
body of said last, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. In a boot and shoe last, the combination with the last proper, of the
pivotally secured supporting jack comprising the standards D³ D³ having
mortice and tennon connection with the last, the toe holding dog, with its screw,
and means for holding said last at different angles, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
11. In combination with a supporting jack, the boot and shoe last having the
sliding partial sole and heel extension, of dovetail form in cross section, a portion
of its length fitted in a corresponding groove in the sole of the last, and having
pendant arm or post fitting in a groove of the last body, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth,

page_text: 12. In combination with a supporting jack, the boot and shoe last, having in its
sole a dovetailed groove and having the extensible partial sole and heel-part, or a
dovetailed form in cross section a portion of its length and having a binding
screw in said dovetailed portion, and at its heel end a post or pendant arm entering
a groove in the last body, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
13. The boot and shoe last having the extensible partial sole and heel part,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 11th day of November 1885.