Improvements in Machines for Cutting-out Soles, Heels, or other Parts for Boots and Shoes or Slippers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Jan., 1891-Accepted, 30th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting-out Soles, Heels, or other
Parts for Boots and Shoes or Slippers.
I, JOSEPH ROSE, of Richmond Place, Gibson Street, in the City and County
of Newcastle upon Tyne, Slipper Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The objects of my
invention are to enable soles, heels, or other parts to be cut
out from a "range
of leather with greater rapidity, and less skilled labour than
with existing machines and, in the case of soles to which my invention is specially
applicable, to cut both "rights" and "lefts" without turning the leather and with
practically no waste, by entirely automatic operations of the machine.
The machine may be operated either by power or by hand, but preferably by
power with vertical action of the knives. There are, for soles, two knives, one
cutting "rights" the other "lefts" and they are fixed in heads which ascend and
descend alternately (at each descent cutting out a sole) by the action of connecting
rods to which motion may conveniently be given by two levers, having their
fulcrums at the opposite ends, which are depressed and raised alternately by a
"cam "
on the main shaft and a reacting spring. The "range" is fed into the
machine through a pair of rollers one of which is grooved and has a reciprocating
circular motion given to it by 2 racks working toothed pinions each rack operating
alternately, by an adjustable horn upon it coming in contact with a wiper
revolving with the main shaft, or other equivalent mechanism may be adopted.
The adjustment of these horns regulates the reciprocating circular motion of the
grooved feed roller to suit different widths of soles to be cut.
The "range" of leather rests upon a wood block on a table the height of which
can be adjusted as the block wears thinner and to suit various thicknesses of leather.
When the knives are not required to cut, their descending stroke can be arrested.
without stopping the machine by the workman's foot pressing upon a treadle which
by turning a small "cam" lowers the fulcrums of the levers and causes the
on main shaft to depress the levers short of the full stroke and, the treadle being
released, the fulcrums rise by a spring to their normal position.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
"
cam
""
The feed rollers are first separated by a handle and the "range" of leather
passed in between them to the required distance, the two knives both being up.
As soon as the "range is set the handle is reversed and the " range" is gripped
between the feed rollers one of the heads now descends and the knife cuts a sole
(say a "right") and immediately rises again. The feed rollers will now act so as
to bring the end of the "range" into a proper position for the knife in the other
head to descend and cut the next sole (say a "left") with the least possible waste
of leather and immediately rise again, when the feed rollers will again act but
in a contrary direction and place the end of the "range" in a proper position for
the first head to cut another sole and so on continuously till the "range" is com-
pletely used up a very small waste resulting.
As the soles are cut out they accumulate within the knives and pass into
receptacles provided above whence they are ejected by spouts, assorted into
"rights" and "lefts."
In cutting out heels or other parts only one head may be worked which may
carry one or several knives of suitable shape.
When it is desired to work the machine by hand instead of by power this

page_text: can be done by placing a handle on the end of the main shaft for which purpose
a square is provided.
T. J. DANSON,
Per F. J. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting-out Soles, Heels, or other
Parts for Boots and Shoes or Slippers.
I, JOSEPH ROSE, of Richmond Place, Gibson Street, in the City and County
of Newcastle upon Tyne, Slipper Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The objects of my invention are to enable soles, heels or other parts to be cut
out from a " range of leather with greater rapidity and less skilled labour than
with existing machines and, in the case of soles to which my invention is specially
applicable, to cut both "rights" and "lefts" without turning the leather and with
practically no waste, by entirely automatic operations of the machine.
on
The machine may be operated either by power or by hand, but preferably by
power with vertical action of the knives. There are, for soles, two knives, one
cutting "rights" the other "lefts" and they are fixed in heads which ascend and
descend alternately (at each descent cutting out a sole) by the action of connecting
rods to which motion may conveniently be given by 2 levers, having their fulcrums
at the opposite ends, which are depressed and raised alternately by a cam
the main shaft and a reacting spring. The range is fed into the machine through
a pair of rollers one of which is grooved and has a reciprocating circular motion
given to it by 2 racks working toothed pinions each rack operating alternately, by
an adjustable horn coming in contact with a wiper" revolving with the main
shaft, or other equivalent mechanism may be adopted. The adjustment of these
horns regulates the reciprocating circular motion of the grooved feed roller to suit
different widths of soles to be cut.
£
The "range" of leather rests upon a wood block on a table the height of which
can be adjusted as the block wears thinner and to suit various thicknesses of
leather. When the knives are not required to cut, their descending stroke can be
arrested without stopping the machine by the workman's foot pressing upon a
treadle which by turning a small " cam lowers the fulcrums of the levers and
causes the "cam on main shaft to depress the levers short of the full stroke
and, the treadle being released, the fulcrums rise by a spring to their normal
positions.
"
سود
The action of the machine is as follows :--
The feed rollers are first separated by a handle and the "range " of leather
passed in between them to the required distance, the two knives both being up.
As soon as the "range" is set the handle is reversed and the "range" is gripped
between the feed rollers one of the heads now descends and the knife cuts a sole
(say a "right") and immediately rises again. The feed rollers will now act so-as
to bring the end of the "range" into a proper position for the knife in the other
head to descend and cut the next sole (say a "left") with the least possible waste
of leather and immediately rise again, when the feed rollers will again act but in
a contrary direction and place the end of the "range" in a proper position for the
first head to cut another sole and so on continuously till the range is completely
used up a very small waste resulting.
As the soles are cut out they accumulate within the knives and pass into
receptacles provided above whence they are ejected by spouts, assorted into
rights" and "lefts."
66

page_text: done by placing a handle on the end of the main shaft for which purpose a square
is provided.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
On the accompanying 3 sheets of drawings I illustrate a machine constructed
according to my invention.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, Sheet 3, is an end elevation looking on. the right hand side of
Fig. 1, and
"
Fig. 4 on Sheet 2 is a diagram of a range of leather shewing the manner in
which right and left soles are cut out by the 2 knives.
The same letters refer to corresponding parts on all the figures.
The machine consists of a main framing which carries all the mechanism.
H' and H2 are two moveable heads which carry the knives K and K' working in
guides G, one knife being shaped so as to cut a right hand sole and the other
knife shaped so as to cut a left hand sole.
The knives are shewn as adjusted to and fixed in proper positions for varying
sizes of soles by the sliding pieces marked S which are set up by the screws behind
them but other well known methods of changing knives for various sizes of soles
may be adopted.
Motion is given to the heads by the rods R' and R' which at their upper ends
are secured to the heads H' and H2, and at their lower ends work in the guides G'.
These rods receive their motion from the levers L' and L2, one end of each lever
resting on a moveable fulcrum F and F and the other end of each lever resting
in a socket eye formed in the rods R¹ and R².
Motion is given to these levers by means of two cams C and C³, on the main
driving shaft M S, which is driven by a spur wheel S W and pinion P from the
countershaft C S, which receives its motion from the belt sheave B S¹, B S* being
a loose sheave. The cams C1, C2 are so placed on the main shaft M S. that they
give an alternate motion to the heads thus H¹ will descend and, having cut a sole,
immediately rise again to its normal position by means of a coiled spring on the
rod R'. After the main shaft has made another half revolution the head H' will
descend and, having cut another sole, will immediately rise again to its normal
position by means of a similar spring on the rod R. These springs are not shewn
but will be readily understood.
Below the knives is a wooden block W B resting on a table which can be raised
and lowered by means of a screw, and cramped in position.
"
The "range
of leather is fed in between the feed rollers FR and F R¹, the
lower roller FR being a fluted roller and F R' a plain roller. These rollers are
pressed together, by means of springs suitably disposed, but are separated on
turning the handle T into a horizontal position through the action of the eccentric E
acting against the resistance of the springs.
Motion is given to the fluted feed roller F R by means of a pair of bevil
wheels B W and B W₁, one on the end of the axle of the feed roller the other on
the vertical spindle VS on which are two pinions P and P2 one of which P' is
larger and has a greater number of teeth than the other P' and these pinions are
acted upon by the two toothed racks S R' and S R' on end. of bar S B. These
racks are moved alternately in each direction by the wiper W on main shaft M S
coming in contact with one or other of the adjustable horns or tappets "Z¹, Z'
on the sliding bar S B thus giving to the vertical spindle V S and through it to
the feed roller FR the reciprocating circular motion required to be imparted to
the "range" in either direction. The difference in the extent of this motion back-
ward and forward is effected by the different numbers of teeth in the pinions P¹

page_text: and P. The pinions each act only in one direction to rotate the spindle V S by
means of ratchet clutches R C', R C keyed on the spindle V S on which each
pinion operates to rotate it in one direction but slips over the ratchet teeth in the
opposite direction. The ratchet teeth in the pinions and in the clutches are kept
in gear by springs around the spindle V S. Different widths of soles to be cut
are provided for by adjusting the horns or tappets Z1 Z2 on the bar S B with
relation to the wiper W. On leaving the feed rollers the "
range" passes under
a guide G to prevent it being lifted by the knife on its return stroke.
When it is desired to cause the knives to descend without cutting this can be
done by depressing the foot lever F L which causes the small cam C³ to be turned
one fourth round so as to lower the fulcrums F1, F2 and thus reduce the travel of
the levers L' and L' and consequently of the heads H', H. On releasing this
lever a spring X attached to an arm Y brings the cam C³ into its original position
and the machine is again ready to commence cutting.
When only one knife is required to operate as in cutting other parts than soles
the other knife can be removed or the lever which operates it put out of gear or it
can be rendered inoperative by other means.
The upper portions of the heads H' and H form hoppers or boxes into which the
soles pass as they are cut and are discharged by the spouts V V.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
دو
The feed rollers are first separated by means of the handle T and the " range
passed in between them to the required distance the two knives both being up. As
soon as the "range" is set the handle T is turned down and the "range" is gripped
between the feed rollers. One of the heads H2 now descends and the knife K' cuts
a sole (say a "right") and immediately rises again. The feed rollers will now act
so as to bring the end of the " range backward into the proper position for the
knife K in the other head H¹ to descend and cut out the next sole with the least
possible waste of leather and immediately rise again, when the feed rollers will
again act but in a contrary or forward direction and place the range in a proper
position for the first head H' to cut another sole.
The driving mechanism of fluted feed roller FR is preferably so arranged,
though not so shewn, that the roller F R can be stopped in its reciprocating circular
motion as for instance by a sliding clutch action which will draw the bevil
wheel B W out of gear with the bevil wheel B W and this clutch may be operated
by the same handle T which raises the upper roller F R' clear to allow the
range to be introduced.
66
"
When it is desired to work the machine by hand instead of by power this can be
done by placing a handle on the end of the main shaft for which purpose a square
end is provided as shewn on Fig. 2 Sheet 2 and Fig. 3 Sheet 3.
It is necessary to explain that in speaking of "rights" and "lefts" I mean as
they appear on the upper surface of the "range."
On Fig. 4 Sheet 2 a series of soles is shewn the full lines marked R and L
denoting a right and left hand sole respectively and the dotted lines succeeding
rights and lefts to be cut as the " range is fed under the knives by the feed
rollers.
"
"
I have not shewn the process of cutting out heels or other parts as it will be
readily understood that such operations can be- performed without difficulty but it
is to the cutting out of soles, either with or without the heel portions, and " rights'
and "lefts" with the least possible waste of leather that the machine is specially
adapted and for which it is intended.
It will be understood that the machine can be so arranged as to cut out soles at
beth ends forming a double machine upon one frame.
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 :-
1st. A machine which will cut out soles from a "range" of leather in continuous

page_text: series of alternate "rights" and "lefts" by knives acting alternately the range
being moved into position under the knives by feed mechanism which gives it
proportioned reciprocating motions backward and forward so that, as each sole is
cut out, the range is moved under the next knife so as to cut another reverse sole
close up to the adjacent outline of the first with the least possible waste of leather
substantially as described and, in one form, shewn.
"
2nd. In combination with such a machine the reciprocating feed rollers actuated
by automatic mechanism so as to move the " range in both directions to a required
proportionate extent substantially as described and shewn.
3rd. The machine for cutting out soles from a "range" of leather in continuous
series of alternate "rights" and "lefts" comprising the various mechanical parts
in combination, constructed and operating substantially as described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
T. J. DANSON, F.I.P.A.,
2, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Agent for Applicant.