Improvements in Apparatus for Trimming the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Trimming the Heels of Boots and
Shoes.
I JOSEPH JAPIOT, of 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France, Manufacturer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto in the manufacture of boots and shoes it has been usual to employ for the
trimming of the heel a sort of holder or guide which has had to be nailed to the last
lift of the heel. Then the boot or shoe has been placed between the jaws of a kind of
vice which allows the boot to pivot on its heel; then by bringing the latter in contact
with a cutting tool and causing it to turn so as to present the contour of the heel to
the cutter the final form of the heel is produced.
The nailing of the holder or guide to the heel requires care and their subsequent
separation is difficult; therefore in order that the operator engaged in trimming may
not lose time it is usual to employ an assistant to fit and remove the holders or
guides; a supply of holders for each size of heel is also necessary.
Now according to my invention instead of the holders or guides above referred to
I employ a device composed of a thick metal plate of suitable contour and in which is
formed a deep cavity into which the last lift of the heel fits. This lift is previously
cut to its final form. There is a hole in the plate into which a projection on one of
the jaws of the vice enters serving as a pivot when it is wished to proceed with the
cutting of the heel. The operation of fitting the holder is thus simplified as it consists
in merely placing the plate on the heel without any nail or screw. The plate is
kept in place during the cutting process merely by the pressure of the jaws of
the vice.
In connection with the plate or heel holder above described 1 employ a novel
construction of vice. This is composed of a frame at the upper part of which is a
rotating horizontal shaft which carries the cutter for trimming the heels. Below this
shaft and hung on horizontal pivots is a lever fitted with a weight at one end. At
its other end the lever carries a sort of bracket or fork to which are pivotted the ends
of a cross bar which carries at its middle my plate or heel holder. The pivots of this
.

page_text: cross bar and the centre of gravity of the plate or heel holder are always in the same
straight line. The cross bar has fixed to it or is formed in a piece with an arm which
carries at its end a claw which presses the heel of the boot against the plate or heel
holder. The shank of this claw passes through a hollow rod and is held in a suitable
position therein by means of a screw. The hollow rod is formed at one side with rack
teeth and enters a guide box where a pinion gears with the teeth. The pinion is
mounted on the shaft of a milled wheel. In order that the claw may always be
brought opposite the centre of gravity of the surface of my plate or heel holder it is
desirable to arrange that the guide box can be raised or lowered at will. For this
purpose the arm before described supports a screw spindle fitted with a milled disc
the screw engaging in hollows cut in one of the sides of the guide box. By turning
the milled disc the guide box and consequently the claw are raised or lowered. The
fork before described carries an arm to the end of which is attached a spring
which tends to raise the arm which carries the claw; an adjustable screw serves as a
stop.
The weight on the end of the lever keeps the heel of the boot up against the
rotating cutter.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Trimming the Heels of Boots and
Shoes.
I, JOSEPH JAPIOT, of 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France, Manufacturer,
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:
Hitherto, in the manufacture of boots and shoes it has been usual to employ for the
trimming of the heel a sort of holder, or guide, which has had to be nailed to the last
lift of the heel. Then the boot or shoe has been placed between the jaws of a kind
of vice which allows the boot to pivot on its heel; then, by bringing the latter in
contact with a cutting tool, and causing it to turn so as to present the contour of the
heel to the cutter, the final form of the heel is produced.
The nailing of the holder or guide to the heel requires care, and their subsequent
separation is difficult; therefore, in order that the operator engaged in trimining
may not lose time, it is usual to employ an assistant to fit and remove the holders or
guides; a supply of holders for each size of heel is also necessary.
Now, according to my invention, instead of the holders or guides above referred to
I employ a device composed of a thick metal plate of suitable contour, and in which is
formed a deep cavity, into which the last lift of the heel fits. This lift is previously
cut to its final form. There is a hole in the plate, into which a projection on one of
the jaws of the vice enters, serving as a pivot when it is wished to proceed with the
cutting of the heel. The operation of fitting the holder is thus simplified, as it
The plate
consists in merely placing the plate on the heel without any nail or screw.
is kept in place during the cutting process merely by the pressure of the jaws of
the vice.
Figures 1 to 4 of the annexed drawings represent two forms of heel holder X,
constructed according to my invention.
In connection with the plate or heel holder above described 1 employ a novel
construction of vice. This is represented in side elevation in Figure 5, in plan, partly
sectional in Figure 6, and in transverse section on line M N (Figures 5 and 6) in
Figure 7. It is composed of a frame A, at the upper part of which is a rotating
horizontal shaft B, driven by a pulley C. The shaft B carries the cutter or tool D,
for trimming the heels. Below the shaft B, and hung on horizontal pivots a a is a
lever E, fitted with a weight P at one end. At its other end the lever E carries a
sort of bracket or fork F, to which are pivotted at bb the ends of a cross bar G, which
carries at its middle the plate or heel holder X. The cross bar G has fixed to it or is
formed in a piece with an arm H, (seen in front view in Figure 8) which carries at
its end a claw I, which presses the heel of the boot against the plate or heel holder.
The shank of this claw passes through a hollow rod c, and is held in a suitable position
therein by means of a screw d. The hollow rod c is formed at one side with rack
teeth and enters a guide box K, where a pinion e gears with the rack teeth. The
pinion e is mounted on the shaft of a milled wheelf. In order that the claw I may
always be brought suitably opposite the plate or heel holder X, it is desirable to

page_text: arrange that the guide box K can be raised or lowered at will. For this purpose the
arm H supports a screw spindle g, fitted with a milled disc h, the screw engaging in
hollows cut in one of the sides of the guide box K. By turning the milled disc h,
the guide box K and consequently the claw I are raised or lowered. The fork F
carries an arm L, to the end of which is attached a spring which tends to raise the
arm H; an adjustable screw k serves as a stop:
The weight P on the end of the lever E, keeps the heel of the boot up against the
rotating cutter.
The part of the apparatus that constitutes the boot or heel guide can either be fixed
or arranged so as to move in accordance with the movement of the boot during the
trimming of the heel; great exactitude is obtained in the latter case, the heel being
kept at the same distance from the tool. The tool D (see Figure 9) mounted on the
shaft B is kept at a suitable distance from the heel guide by a fixed collar O. A
conical disc P centred on the shaft B is fixed to the collar O by a tightening screw p,
which allows of the distance of the disc P from the tool being adjusted according to
the height of the heel to be operated on. A second conical guide Q, the rod R of
which is pressed upwards by a spring », bears against the boot above the heel. The
guide Q, which can yield slightly in the vertical direction, is mounted in a socket or
holder S, forming part of the arm T, jointed at U, and is kept by the weight of these
parts against the boot. Its joint at U has also a little lateral play (see Figure 10),
which allows of its applying itself against the fixed guide P while the workman turns
the boot in the apparatus so as to trim the heel. There is thus caused a rolling, or
turning of the cones P and Q, one within the other, which maintains the edge of the
base of the latter constantly at the same distance from the tool. The joint of the
arm T in the vertical direction allows the guide Q to follow the curve of the boot with
more facility, because the heel is generally higher at back than at front. It therefore
uncovers the tool more or less in the direction of the height of the heel according to
the variations in this height; in accordance with the position of the guide P, more or
less of the height is left untrimmed. Heels of different heights can be operated on by
regulating the lower position of the guide Q by means of the screwz.
The knives or cutters of the tool have a profile which allows of their being
sharpened with the greatest facility while preserving the form of the cutting edges,
whatever be the amount of wear. One of these knives is shown about full size in
Figures 11 and 12. It has an edge t, t, corresponding with the profile of the boot
heel, but there is a sort of gutter or channel u, so that by grinding the blade on the
flat vv, the cutting edge always preserves the same form. The knife can be fixed by
means of a screw passing through the hole or mortise w, which allows of its being
placed in the position suitable for the work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is --
1. A heel holder constructed substantially as hereinbefore described, and represented
in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The novel construction of vice or apparatus, constructed and acting substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described, and represented in Figures 5 to 8 of
the accompanying drawings.
3. Constructing apparatus for trimming the heels of boots and shoes substantially
as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of December 1888.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Patent Agent.