IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR TRIMMING THE HEELS OF BOOTS OR SHOES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th March 1882. A communication
from abroad by The Tyler Manufacturing Company of Portland Maine,
United States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR TRIMMING
THE HEELS OF BOOTS OR SHOES [A communication from abroad by The Tyler
Manufacturing Company of Portland Maine, United States of America.]
و"
This invention relates to heel-trimining machines for use in the manufacture of
boots and shoes, in which machines the heel is rotated against a shaving knife,
which is automatically tipped as the heel rotates to keep it at the proper angle of
inclination relatively to the heel; and it consists in certain improvements in the
construction of machines of this class, whereby the same are rendered more
effective in their operation than the machines heretofore in use, and other desirable
results are attained, as I will now proceed to describe.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a supporting frame in
which is journalled a jack adapted to hold a heel for the action of the shaving
kuife; the jack is composed of devices hereinafter described, for clamping the heel
and for guiding the trimming knife, and an irregularly curved weighted beam, to
the ends of which said devices are attached. The jack is provided with trunnions
journalled in bearings in a supporting frame said bearings being at opposite sides of
the heel clamping and guiding devices hereinafter described, so that the jack is
provided with fixed bearings at both ends.
The heel clamping devices are composed of a pattern block attached to the jack
near the end, having a trunnion, and an adjustable foot supported by a jointed arin
attached to the opposite end of the jack. The pattern-block has the exact outline
to be given to the bottom of the heel, and guides the trimming knife. The said
foot is attached to a rod whielt is adapted to slide longitudinally in a sleeve on the
supporting arm to permit the foot to move toward and from the pattern-block to
secure and release the heel and is forced toward the pattern-block by a screw-shaft
working in a threaded socket in the trunnion, said screw-shaft bearing against the
end of the rod. The supporting arm is pivoted to the jack so that said arm with
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page_text: the rod and foot can be moved laterally out of line with the pattern-block to
permit the boot or shoe to be placed over the said foot. There is a spring on the
rod interposed between a sleeve and the foot, to give to the latter a yielding
pressure toward the pattern-block so that when the screw-shaft is retracted to
permit the removal of the boot or shoe from the foot, the yielding pressure of the
foot will hold the succeeding boot or shoe heel in place while the shaft is being
screwed up to clamp the heel, so that the operator does not have to hold the boot
or shoe while he is turning the shaft. The yielding movement of the foot in
connection with the lateral movement afforded by the jointed arm enables the
operator to conveniently apply the boot or shoe to the jack in its proper position
before turning the screw-shaft to rigidly clamp the heel, the operation being effected
by placing the boot or shoe on the laterally. displaced foot and then swinging the
foot to place, and at the same time pushing it back against the pressure of its
spring until the bottom of the heel is retracted far enough to enable the operator
to move it to its bearing on the pattern-block. The spring-impelled foot then holds
the heel in place with a yielding pressure, while the operator turns up the shaft to
hold the heel rigidly.
There is a knife-carrying stock having a shaving knife and there is a knife-stock
supporting table having a vertical flange which is pivoted to a support hereinafter
described, so as to swing in a vertical plane at right angles to the axis of the jack.
The support to which the flange of the table.is pivoted is a slide adapted to move
in dovetail guides on a block, toward and from the axis of the jack. The flange of
the table is provided with adjustable slides carrying on their outer ends rollers
which enter a cam-groove formed in a flange rigidly attached to the jack. The cam
groove has the form of the top of a heel but is considerably larger.
When the jack is rotated the cam-groove embracing the rollers governs the
inclination of the table, and therefore holds the knife at the proper angle of
inclination to the heel, the slide permitting the pivot table to move toward and
from the axis of the jack, as required by the. rotation of the jack while the pivot
of the table enables it to swing vertically. The block in which the slide moves is
adapted to move in vertical dovetail guides in a standard which is rigidly attached
to the frame of the machine.
The initial inclination of the table relatively to the jack can be changed by
raising or lowering the block, which is effected by rotating a rod and having a
threaded portion passing through a nut projecting from the block through a slot
in the standard. By means of the rod and nut the block is adjusted vertically and
positively held at any position to which it may be adjusted. By the employment
of the cam-groove, slide, and standard I am enabled to operate the table positively
and support it firmly.
The stock is provided preferably with a guard projecting over the knife, and
having a lip adapted to be inserted in the groove between the heel-rand the upper,
to prevent the upper from being injured by the knife. Said guard extends
preferably nearly, or quite, across the knife.
A lip is rigidly attached to the stock and adapted to bear against the pattern-
block to assist the operator in keeping the knife in position laterally. The stock
is provided with a handle, projecting beyond the table, and adapted to be grasped
by the operator.
The knife-carrying stock, when constructed in one manner, is capable of
movement only in two directions viz; first free movement by the operator in a
direction substantially at right angles with the axis of the jack, to present the
knife to, and withdraw it from, the heel; and secondly, an automatic lateral
movement in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of the jack, to vary
the inclination or fulness of the trimined heel, or, in other words, make the
inclination of the heel from top to bottom greater at the rear than at the sides.
The stock is enabled to have the first named movement by being secured to a slide
which is fitted upon a dovetail guide arranged at right angles to the axis of the
jack and supported by the table. The operator, by grasping the bandle of the

page_text: stock, cau move the stock and the slide back and forth freely toward, and from, the
heel. The second or lateral movement of the stock is effected by making the stock
laterally movable on the table, that is, in a direction substantially parallel with the
axis of the jack, providing the stock with a projection which is about on a level
with the cutting edge of the knife, and providing the jack with a guide-groove
formed in a flange or collar on the jack, which flange may be either the pattern-
block on which the heel bears or a separate piece shaped like said block, said
groove having a lateral curvature at the portion corresponding to the rear portion
of the heel, and receiving the projection.
When the jack rotates, the curvature reaches the projection just as the knife is
commencing to trim the curved rear portion of the heel. Said curvature acting on
the projection moves the latter with the stock laterally until the centre of the
back of the heel is reached by the knife, and then in the opposite direction until
the projection reaches the straight portion of the groove. The relation of the
curved knife to the heel is so changed by the described lateral movement that the
rear portion of the heel is given a greater inclination than the sides.
The lateral movability of the stock is preferably effected by adapting a guide on
which the stock moves toward and from the jack, to move in a direction parallel
with the axis of the jack by means of guides in the table.-In this case the stock
is rigidly attached to the slide and the lateral movement is effected by the
movement of the guide, carrying with it the slide and the stock. If desired,
however, the guide may be rigidly attached to the table, so that the slide can
move only toward and from the jack. In this case the lateral movement of the
stock will be effected by pivoting it to the slide so that it can turn freely, the
lateral curvature of the guide-groove causing the stock to turn on its pivot and
give the knife the required movement to increase the inclination at the rear of the
heel. When the guide of the stock-supporting slide is made laterally movable the
stock is adjustably attached to its slide so that it can be set in different positions
thereon and caused to trim the heel with any desired inclination from top to
bottom. This adjustable attachment is effected by pivoting the stock to the slide
near the knife end, and securing it to the stock at a point near the other end by a
screw passing through a curved slot. By loosening the screw the stock can be
turned in either direction as far as the slot will allow, and by tightening the screw
the stock will be held in any position to which it may be adjusted. When the
guide is made laterally moveable the projection may be attached to the slide on
which the guide is located, instead of to the stock.
The pattern block is removable from the jack, as usual. prefer to give said
block an inclined outer surface, thereby causing it to hold the heel in a diagonal
position when the heel is to be formed with a considerable inward curvature from
top to bottom. When the jack is rotated I prefer to provide an automatic
reversing mechanism to cause the jack to rotate alternately in opposite directions.
Mechanism for this purpose is provided consisting of a pinion on the end of a
trunnion, a driving shaft journalled in the supporting frame of the machine, and a
rack pivoted to a crank or excentric on the shaft and meshing with the pinion
The rack is reciprocated by the excentric and therefore rotates the pinion
alternately in opposite directions. The rack is supported by a pivoted rocking
guide.
A suitable stop-motion should be employed to stop the operation of the rack
after every two rotations of the jack, to enable the operator to remove the boot or
shoe and apply another.
When the curved guide groove is employed, the guard, if employed, should have
a suitable yielding movement; said guard may be omitted, if desired, when the
curved guide-groove is used.
In a modification of the construction of the stock the knife is adapted to be
tipped more readily. In this construction the stock is composed of parallel bars,
a Ushaped piece which is pivoted to the bars and to which the knife and guard
are attached, and a plate pivoted to the bars. The bars are adapted to be moved

page_text: end wise independently of each other, the U-shaped piece and plate being turned
on its pivots, when one of said bars is moved independently. It will be seen
therefore that the knife will be tipped or inclined relatively to the axis of the jack
by the movement of either of the bars, thus accommodating the knife to the
inclination of the heel. The plate serves as a handle to enable the operator to
guide the stock, and to move the bars simultaneously in opposite directions by
rotating said plate: There is a T-shaped slot in a plate, and headed stud projecting
upwardly from the slide of the table into the said slot. The stud guides the slotted
plate in the movements of the stock toward and from the jack, and the head of the
stud prevents the plates and stock from being raised from the table excepting when
the transverse part of the slot coincides with the head of the stud.