IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOT AND SHOE TOE-PIECES OR TIPS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOT AND SHOE TOE-PIECES OR TIPS, AND
IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication
from abroad by the American Shoe Tip Company, of New Haven, Con-
necticut, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd March 1864, and dated the 28th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th September 1863.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOT AND SHOE TOE-PIECES OR TIPS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication
from abroad by the American Shoe Tip Company of New Haven, Con-
necticut, in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of that class of metal tips which
are intended to cover the toe part of the upper leather of boots and shoes, and
consists in swaging or raising and shaping such toe-pieces or tips by a pecu-
liarly disposed die and matrix.
According to this Invention it is proposed to cause the die to strike the
sheet of metal or blank (previously cut to the required shape) at an angle of
about 40° with the plane of its surface in place of at right angles therewith,
as is usually the case in stamping or raising metal articles. The outer surface

page_text: of the matrix upon which the blank rests when struck by the die is for this
purpose inclined to an angle of about 40° with the line of motion of the die,
and by this means the tip can be stamped up at one operation. The matrix
is contained in a suitable holder resting upon a stationary bed or support, and
is adjusted to its proper position under the die by horizontal set screws. The
die is flat on its inclined outer face so as to receive the flat metal blank, which
is held thereon in its exact proper position by a guide or guage plate, which is
sufficiently strong to resist the force of the die when it strikes obliquely upon
the blank. The matrix is shaped so as to give the exact outer form to the tip,
whilst the die imparts the desired form to the interior of the tip. The die is
attached to a plunger working between suitable guides, and is operated either
by hand or by steam, or other power, so as to give the necessary blow required
to stamp up the nip or toe-piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOT AND
SHOE TOE-PIECES OR TIPS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OF APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN, a communication to me from abroad by the American Shoe Tip
Company, of New Haven, Connecticut, in the United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly describe

page_text: and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to the manufacture of that class of metal tips
which are intended to cover the toe part of the upper leather of boots and
shoes, and consists in swaging or raising and shaping such toe-pieces or tips
by a peculiarly disposed die and matrice.
The
According to this Invention it is proposed to cause the die to strike the
sheet of metal or blank (previously cut to the required shape) at an angle of
about 40° with the plane of its surface in place of at right angles thereto, as
is usually the case in stamping or raising metal articles. The outer surface
of the matrice, upon which the blank rests when struck by the die is, for this
purpose, inclined to an angle of about 40° with the line of motion of the die,
and by this means the tip can be stamped up at one operation. The matrix>
is contained in a suitable holder resting upon a stationary bed or support, and
is adjusted to its proper position under the die by horizontal set screws.
die is flat on its inclined outer face so as to receive the flat metal blank which
is held thereon in its exact proper position by a guide or guage plate, which is
sufficiently strong to resist the force of the die when it strikes obliquely upon
the blank. The matrix is shaped so as to give the exact outer form to the
tip, whilst the die imparts the desired form to the interior of the tip. The die
is attached to a plunger working between suitable guides, and is operated
either by hand or by steam, or other power, as to give the necessary blow
required to stamp up the tip or toe-piece.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
produce more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures..
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation; Figure 2, a
plan view; Figure 3 is a vertical section on line A, B, of Figure 2, and
Figure 4 is an end view of a machine embodying the principles of the said
Invention; Figure 5 is a metal blank ready for swaging, and Figure 6 repre-
sents the same blank after being swaged or formed into a tip.

page_text: A is the platform, upon which is firmly established the framework of the
machine, consisting of two upright posts B united at or near their tops by a
cross piece C, a block D secured to the two posts at a convenient height from
the floor or platform supports the die box or holder E, here shewn to consist
of a quadrangular cast-iron casing open on top, and having through each of the
four sides a screw F for properly adjusting the position of the die in relation
to the plunger, and for holding it in position when so adjusted. The plunger I
is fitted on ways H to slide freely in its up-and-down movements along the
two upright posts B, and to be guided therein with unerring accuracy. To
the plunger is adjusted, by means of a dovetail joint a and ledge c, the swage
or follower J, whose lower end is shaped in accordance with the interior or
concavity of the tip when formed.. The die G is a solid steel or other metal
casting containing a cavity shaped to conform with the outside form of the
tip, the cavity or mould being so disposed that either or both sides cor-
responding respectively to the under side, and the upper side of the tip will
converge down and towards a plane passing centrally or nearly so through the
body of the swage or follower in the line of its motion, and in a direction
parallel or nearly so with the under edge of the swage.
If the general
arrangement of the machine be substantially that shown in the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, if the follower or swage move in a vertical plane, the
die resting on a horizontal table or block, then the top of the die should be
bevelled forming an angle with the plane of motion of the swage of about 40º.
Upon this level face of the die is fixed, by means of screws i, a guide or
guage K to hold in the proper position relatively to the swage or die the
metal blank. The guide or guage is formed of a plate having a slot cut
through it of such a shape as to fit nicely the convex side of the tip blank,
and is so adjusted on to the inclined die face that the part which is to form
the portion of the tip that extends over the toe of the shoe or boot shall lap
over and extend beyond the cavity in the die. The plate of which the guage
the blank confined within its
is formed is of such thickness as to firmly hold
slot during the downward motion of the swage, and to resist its force when it
first acts obliquely on the sheet metal blank. In order to make the die swage
it is suggested to form the follower or swage of the exact shape of the intended
tip. The die may then be cast upon the follower, which will form a perfect
mould of the tip. The follower may then be reduced the thickness of the
plate of the tip and finished. The operation of the machine will be readily
understood from the above description of its construction. The machine, if
operated by hand, is provided with a handle L, connected with the plunger;
this is seized by the operator and raised to a convenient height, where it is

page_text: held wedged in the tapering slot N. The blank is then placed to fit the guide
or guage K. The plunger is then released from its hold and allowed to
drop, the swage penetrating the die cavity at one stroke forms and completes
the tip.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
1st, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of machinery
and apparatus to be employed in the manufacture of the peculiar boot and
shoe toe-pieces and tips, herein-before referred to, substantially as herein-
before set forth.
2nd, the system or mode of stamping or swaging boot and shoe toe-pieces
or tips of the description above mentioned, by causing the stamp or swage to
strike the blank at an angle thereto, in lieu of perpendicularly to the surface
of the blank, as herëin-before described.
3rd, the application and use to and in the manufacture of boot and shoe toe-
pieces or tips of the description above mentioned, of a die block formed to
give the desired shape to the outside of the tip, and having its outer face flat
to receive and hold the blank in combination with a swage or stamp of the
form of the inside of the tip, and so operated as to act upon the blank at an
angle in lieu of perpendicularly to the surface thereof, as herein-before
described.
4th, the combination with a die block and swage or stamp constructed and
operating in the manner herein-before referred to, of a guide or guage for
holding the convex edge of the blank and resisting the force of the swage or
stamp when it first acts obliquely thereon, substantially as herein-before
described.
1
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)