Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Levelling or Filing the Nails or Studs in the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Levelling or Filing
the Nails or Studs in the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
1, JOB LEE of 15 Gladstone Street, Kettering in the County of Northampton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention has reference to apparatus for levelling or filing the studs or nails
in the heels of boots and shoes and consists of improvements therein by means of
which the operator has better control over the boot whose heel is being levelled and
a better finish to the heel is thereby obtained.
The present method of filing or levelling the studs in the heels after the latter
leave the heel building machine is by holding the said heel against a revolving
file.
At first the operator finds a difficulty in holding the heel steadily against the
file in consequence of the unevenness or irregularity of the studs therein which
imparts a jerky motion to the boot so that frequently the boot slips or dips
somewhat and the file digs into the leather or injures the edge of the heel at one
or more parts.
According to my invention I provide means by which an operator is enabled to
present a heel to the stud levelling file in such a manner as to avoid the shock or
jerk incident to the present apparatus and to enable the heel studs to be gradually
and uniformly levelled without the liability of injuring the leather.
A convenient method of effecting the result may consist in combining with the
said file or stud leveller a spring controlled guard, guide or equivalent located
preferably in the centre of the file and projecting slightly beyond the acting
face thereof.
In operation the boot heel to be levelled is placed against the guard named and
pressure applied thereto towards the file so that the latter steadily and gradually
files down the studs without shock or jar to the operator.
According to another method I may employ a swing or other movable arm or
support for supporting a boot and the said arm may be gradually moved up to and
from the file as desired.
Dated this 25th day of July 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Levelling or Filing
the Nails or Studs in the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
I, JOB LEE of 15 Gladstone Street, Kettering in the County of Northampton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to apparatus for levelling or filing the studs or
nails in the heels of boots and shoes and consists of improvements therein by means
of which the operator has better control over the boot whose heel is being levelled
and a better finish to the heel is thereby obtained.

page_text: "
The present method of filing or levelling the studs in the heels after the latter
leave the heel building machine is by holding the said heel against a revolving
file.
At first the operator finds a difficulty in holding the heel steadily against the file
in consequence of the unevenness or irregularity of the studs therein which imparts
a jerky motion to the boot so that frequently the boot slips or dips somewhat and
the file digs into the leather or injures the edge of the heel at one or more parts.
According to my invention 1 provide means by which an operator is enabled to
present a heel to the stud levelling file in such a manner as to avoid the shock or
jerk to the operators arms incident to the present apparatus and to enable the heel
studs to be gradually and uniformly levelled without the liability of injuring the
leather.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description in
reference to the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heel stud filing or levelling machine
constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the arm or device for supporting the boot or shoe-and
presenting the heel thereof to the file.
Figure 3 is a section of Figure 2 on the line A B.
Figures 2 and 3 are drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1.
A represents the bed of the machine which is supported upon legs or standards A¹
as shown or which may be of any
suitable description.
Connected to the bed plate by screws B¹ is a plate B having at each end an
upright or cheek B' which forms a bearing for a shaft C carrying the usual fast
and loose pulley's D D'.
The said shaft C carries also on its end a small tooth wheel E which gears into
a larger spur wheel F mounted on an arbor (not shown) in the right hand cheek B³,
said arbor having screwed or otherwise mounted on the end thereof a preferably
circular file G which revolves therewith.
The toothed wheels EF shown only in dotted lines, are enclosed by a cover
plate H which may be connected to the cheek B³ by screws passing through ears J
or in any other suitable manner.
The support for the boot during the filing operation of the heel consists of three
arms K. K K fulcrummed at K to the bed plate.
The arm K has on its underside a projecting piece K₁ which moves within a
groove A in the bed plate the extent of the said groove being sufficient to allow
of the fullest required movement of the boot support when placing a boot
thereon or removing it therefrom or presenting the heel of the said boot to the
file G.
The arm K' movably pivotted at K³x to the arm K' has on its end a swivel
block K' movable on a pivot K. passing through the same.
The swivel block, when a boot is placed over the same, presses against the heel
inside of the boot and thereby holds the heel firmly as hereinafter described, while
the external face of the heel is held against the file G for the purpose of levelling
the studs thereon.
The swivel block is not only movable on its own pivot K but is movable also
with the arm K³.
The movement of this latter is however restricted so as to prevent the operator
accidentally pushing the boot heel in contact with the edge of the file and thereby
injuring the top. piece.
For this purpose. the downwardly projecting part K.of.the.arm K³.is provided
with a central projection K³ (shown only in dotted lines) which can be moved to and
fro within.a.recess or bifurcation L' in the end of the arm L as shown in dotted
lines in Figure 2.
The movable support K K¹ K² can be moved freely on the fulcrum K³ so as to
permit of the boot or shoe being easily and readily placed thereon and removed

page_text: therefrom, the toe portion of the boot or shoe resting on and moving with the
arm K.
When a boot or shoe has been placed upon the movable support as described and
placed by the operator so that the heel is against the file it is maintained in that
position by the operator depressing the treadle M by his foot.
This treadle when depressed lowers a rod M¹ attached thereto and to one end of
a two armed lever N fulcrummed at N₁ to the bed plate.
The lowering of the rod M' moves the two armed lever N on its fulcrum N¹ and
causes the arm N2 or a projection thereon to press against a cam piece K¹× on the
underside of the arm L and keep the swivel block K pressed towards the file.
Upon the removal of the operator's foot from the treadle a spring O connected
thereto and to the leg A' brings the treadle, rod M' and lever N N' to their normal
positions to allow the boot to be removed from the supporting arm.
As far as I am aware prior to this invention no filing machine having a movable
boot supporting arm and means for keeping the said arm and heel of the boot
thereon against a revolving file was in existence. This invention is therefore not
limited to the particular construction of supporting arm and actuating mechanism
herein described.
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. In a filing machine such as described the combination with a revolving file of
a movable boot supporting arın for the purpose described.
2. In a filing machine such as described the combination with a revolving file of
a movable boot supporting device and means for maintaining the heel of a boot or
shoe carried thereby in contact with the said file, for the purpose described.
3. The improved filing machine consisting of the parts constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of April 1895.