AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Ruo Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of “AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES.”-
A communication from abroad by James Willson Brooks, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of tho Commissioners of Patents, with his Pctition
and Declaration, on the 7th March 1873, pursuant to the '9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Ruo
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES," and have petitioned Her most

page_text: Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and
have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me
from abroad by James Willson Brooks, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention to be as follows :—
The Invention relates to the organization of a machine to be used in
lasting boot and shoe uppers to their inner soles preparatory to the
union of the uppers, the outer soles, and the inner soles. In such
organization a vertical pin is loosely pivoted at its foot to a horizontal
lover which is made adjustable vertically, the last over which the upper
is drawn and upon the sole face of which the inner sole is laid with the
edges of the upper projecting above it being mounted upon the top of
this pin. On opposite sides of the last are horizontal jaws at the tops of
vertical jaw levers, below the pivots of which aro friction rolls acted
upon by inclines at the top of a vertical rod pivoted at bottom to a pedal
or foot lever, the inner surfaces of theso jaws having rubber or clastic
faces which may conform to the shape of the opposite sides of the last,
and the downward movement of the foot lover causing the inclines to
act upon the jaw levers so as to move the jaws, or the inner elastic faces
thereof inward against the last, said jaws having crimping plates fastened
upon them, which plates being in the plane of the upper surface of the
last crimp or bend over the upwardly projecting edges of the upper,
pressing them down upon the upper face of the inner sole, the elastic
jaws pressing the vamp upward and tightening the upper upon the last,
and the crimping plates holding and pressing over whatever leather is
forced up above the face of the inner sole. At one end of the jaws is a
stationary heel block, and at the other end a movable too block, the
latter sliding horizontally by means of an adjusting screw. When the
last is placed upon the last pin the lever to which such pin is jointed is
raised or lowered to adjust the last with reference to the jaws; then the
last is pressed up to the heel block and the toe piece is fed up by its
screw until it embraces the toe and clamps the last between the toe and
heel blocks, the heel blocks being concaved vertically, and having a
rubber or clastic lining to fit the heel of the last, and the toe block
having a rubber or clastic lined recess to receive the toe of the last.
Each block is made in two pieces hinged by a vertical joint pin, and

page_text: upon cach picco is a crimping plate, which plates when tho' last is
clamped between the heel and toc blocks crimp the edges of the too and
hical portions of the upper over upon the last, while by the movement
of the crimping jaws tho too and heel plates are moved inward to crimp
the too and heel parts of the upper laterally. The toe piece or block is
preferably not only made to slido forward as described, but is mado
capablo of angular adjustment vertically, so that it can readily bo
brought to position to receive and support the too of any last however
shaped.
The Invention consists in the organization thus generally described.
The Drawing represents a machine embodying the Invention.
Figure 1 shews the machine in sido elevation; Figuro 2 is an end
view of it; Figuro 8 is a plan of it; Figuro 4 is a section on the
line x, x; Figuro 5 is a view of the inner side of the too picco.
a denotes a stand supporting upon its top a plato b, upon which tho
heol block crests, and a plato d upon which the too picco e rests. The
liccl block is preferably fixed by a screw, and may bo mado adjustable,
but whether adjustablo or not is preferably fixed so as not to require
chango after the machinery is set up. The plate upon which the too
picco e rests is mado as a slide, and is moved in and out or endwise by a
screw g. The toc piece is formed with a convex bottom surface & fitting
into a circular recess in the top of the plate d, being fastened thereto by
a screw bolt and nut i, the scrow bolt extending through a slot which
permits the too piece to be adjusted as to its vertical angle to position it .
for the stylo of lasts to bo used. Upon the top of the heel block are tho
two jaws k, k, of the heel block, said jaws being hinged at
crimper plates m, m, on top of them. The too piece
jaws n, n, hinged at o, and having top crimper plates q, q. * denotes
the last pin pivoted to the lever a, and raised and lowered by a screw t
to adjust the top of the last placed upon it to the plane of the crimper
plates. u, u, denote the side jaws at the tops of lovers v, v, said levers
being pivoted at w, w, and having at their lower ends rolls a, a, which
are acted upon by inclines at the top of a vertical rod y, as said rod is
drawn down by a foot lovers to which it is pivoted, this lever being
thrown up to release the levers and jaws by a suitable spring. Upon
the tops of the jaws are fixed crimper plates j, and inside of the jaws aro
rubbers or clastic pressors f.
0
and having
has similar

page_text: The heel piece and toe piece are both made concave to receivo
(respectively) the heel and toc of the last, and cach is made with a
rubber or flexible lining.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The inner solo being laid
upon the last, and the upper being drawn over the last, the latter is
placed upon the last pin, and is pressed up to the heel piece, the toe
piece being then fed up to the last by the scrow clamping the last
between the toe and heel picces, the rubber lining of the toc picce
forcing the upper forward over the toe of the last; the levers is then
pressed down by foot, causing the inclincs to act on the rolls x, and
thereby forcing in tho jaws u, and causing the rubbers f to press
upward; the sides of the upper and the crimping plates to press the
edges of the upper, over the top of the last, and crimp them down upon
the upper surface of the inner solo; the ends of the jaws u as they
move inward strike the outer sides of the hinged parts of the too piece
and heel picce, and close their crimped plates causing them to still
further crimp the upper edges over upon the last. When the jaws aro
all thus closed they retain the edges of the upper in their crimped
position until they aro socured by lasting tacks or other suitable
fastenings.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim is the general organisation of the
machine, and the specific details of construction and arrangement
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said William Morgan-Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Seventh day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.