Improved Method of and Apparatus for Applying Rubber Soles and the like to the Bottoms of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
in Dec., 189
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE FRANKLIN BUTTERFIELD, of Stoneham,
Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States of America, Shoe
Manufacturer.]
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Applying Rubber Soles and
the like to the Bottoms of Boots and Shoes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved method of and apparatus
for applying rubber soles, or soles and heels to the bottoms of leather or like shoes,
and securing them permanently thereon by vulcanization of the rubber in contact
with the shoe bottom without injury to the leather.
According to my present invention the rubber sole or sole and heel are formed
and suitably vulcanized in a mould, beneath which is a steam chamber to give to
the rubber the necessary heat. Above this chamber and mould is a hinged skeleina
frame provided with pressure devices for confining the rubber in the mould and
holding the shoe down upon the rubber sole during the final vulcanizing act,
and yet giving the open air free access to the leather of the shoe upper.
This invention embraces an improved method of securing rubber soles per-
manently to the leather bottoms of boots, and shoes. My novel method
contemplates the formation of a sole or sole and heel of any suitable shape, of
vulcanized rubber or any desired compound thereof and of any proper degree of
hardness; then, coating the upper surface of such sole with rubber cement and
applying thereon a sheet of unvulcanized rubber compound; then coating the
leather bottom of the lasted shoe with rubber cement and placing it over and
holding it firmly upon said unvulcanized sheet, and finally vulcanizing such
sheet and thereby firmly uniting said shoe and sole.
By my present improvement the mould-plate forms a removable cover, or one
of a series of removable covers, over a steam chamber having inlet and outlet
pipes for the vulcanizing current of steam, the flat margins of these individual
mould-plates fitting, with or without packing, upon the adjacent portions of the
hollow base or steam chamber and secured thereto by screws. I provide abov
the mould-plate and shoe a skeleton frame carrying pressure screws, thus leaving
the upper leather fully exposed to the air except where the small pad at the screw
tip rests on it, and avoiding undue heating and consequent iniury to the stock.
I hold the shoe firmly in place over and upon the rubber contained in the recess
in the mould-plate, by screws or equivalent adjustable clamps engaging in the
skeleton frame above the shoe and bearing downwardly upon the heel portion of
the last and by a yielding pad upon the shoe upper. The shoe is held to the mould-
plate also by adjustable marginal plates conforming to the contour of the shoe
and fitting in edgewise at the inseam over the welt and sole edge so as to prevent

page_text: the rubber escaping upwardly when expanded in vulcanizing. These marginal
plates have lateral adjusting screws to locate them properly on the mould-plate,
and they may be made hollow and connected with water pipes for conducting
cold water through them. These adjustable plates are also pressed downwardly
and held firmly by screws extending through the skeleton frame and 'bearing
upon them.
The skeleton frame and its pressure screws may be lifted bodily or swung back
on a hinge, with a counter balance to support it, when the fastenings which held
it during the vulcanizing operation are released. By then slackening the lateral
adjusting devices of the marginal plates said plates and the shoe with its rubber
solo complete may be removed from the mould. Another mould plate may at
any time be substituted for the first by removing and replacing its marginal
screws.
A suitable cap covers the rubbering the mould during its; preliminaryivulcaniza
tion, before the shoe is applied.. Such capımay be held down by screws (through
the skeleton frame, and lifted from the rubber when sufficiently., cured, on
reversing the screws.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Applying Rubber Soles and
the like to the Bottoms of Roots and Shoes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:―
The object of this invention is to provide an improved inethod of and apparatus
for applying rubber soles, or soles and heels to the bottoms of leather or like shoes,
and securing them permanently thereon by vulcanization of the rubber in contact
with the shoe bottom without injury to the leather.
According to my present invention the rubber sole or sole and heel are formed
and suitably vulcanized in a mould, beneath which is a steam chamber to give to
the rubber the necessary heat. Above this chamber and mould is a hinged skeleton
frame provided with pressure devices for confining the rubber in the mould and
holding the shoe down upon the rubber sole during the final vulcanizing. nct,
and yet giving the open air free access to the leather of the shoe upper:
This invention. embraces an improved method of securing rubber soles per-
anently to the leather bottoms of boots and shoes. My novel method
contemplates the forination of a sole or sole and heel of any suitable shape, of
vulcanized rubber or any desired compound thereof and of any propor degree of
hardness; then, coating the upper surface of such sole with rubber cement and
applying thereon a sheet of unvulcanized rubber compound; then coating the
leather bottom of the lasted shoe with rublier cement and placing it over and
holding it firmly upon said unvulcanized sheet, and finally vulcanizing such
sheet and thereby firmly uniting said shoe and' sole.
By my present improvement the mold-plate forms a removable 'cover, or one
of a series of removable covers, over a steam chamber having inlet and outlet
pipes for the vulcanizing current of steam, the flat margins of these individual
་་་་་་་་

page_text: mould-plates fitting, with or without packing, upon the adjacent portions of the
hollow. base or steam chamber and secured thereto by screws. I provide, above
the mould-plate and shoe, a skeleton frame carrying pressure screws, thus leaving
the upper leathor fully exposed to the air except iwhere the,small pad at the screw
tip rests on it, and avoiding undue licating and consequent injury. toithe, stocke
I hold the shoe firmly in place over and upon the rubber contained in the recess
in the mould-plate, by screws or equivalent adjustable clamps engaging; the
skeleton frame above the shoe and bearing downwardly upon the heel portion of
the last and, by a yielding pad, upon the shoe upper. The shoe is held to the would-
plate also by adjustable marginal plates conforming to the contour of the shoe
and titting in edgewise at the inseam over the welt and sole edge so as to prevent
the rubber escaping upwardly' when expanded' in vulcanizing: These "niorginal
plates have lateral adjusting screws to locate them properly on the mould-plate,
and they may be made hollow and connected with water pipes for conducting
cold water through them. These adjustable plates are also pressed downwardly
and held firmly by screws extending through the skeleton frame and bearing
unon them.
abin
The skeleton frame and its pressure screws may be lifted bodily or swung back
on a hinge, with a counter balance to support it, when the fastenings which held
it during the vulcanizing operation are released. By then slackening the laterat
adjusting devices of the marginal plates said plates and the shoe with its rubber
sole complete may be removed from the mould. Another mould-plate may lat
any time be substituted for the first, by removing and replacing its marginal
screws.
A suitable cap covers the rubber in the mould during its preliminary vulcaniza-
tion, before the shoo is applied. Such cap may be held down by screws through
the skeleton frame, and lifted from the rubber when sufficiently cured,'.on
reversing the screws.
to
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is an elovation partly in vertical section, showing my apparatus
with a shoe held upon the mould-plate so that the rubber sole in the mould may
be permanently affixed to the shoe by vulcanizing the layer of rubber, in
inimediate contact with the shoe bottom.
Jo
Figure 2 is a horiontal section of the apparatus taken about on line 22 of
Figure 1.
1
y
Figure 3 is an elevation showing'an edge view of the mould' cover, used in the
preliminary formation of the rubber sole, and
་་
راد
Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the completed shoe::* mived
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
beco
represents the steam chamber having inlet and outlet pipes B through which
a pressure of live steam is kept up. Cis the mould-plate, forming a removable
cover to the steam chamber A and adapted to. be secured thereon by a series of
marginal screws D.entering the adjacent portion of the walls of the steam chamber.
A thin yielding packing will be interposed if required.
In the upper surface of the mould-plate C the sole-shaped or sole and heel shaped
mould or recess is sunken, its form being the reverse or counterpart of the rubber
sole or sole and heel to be vulcanized therein, and afterward secured to ther shoe
bottom. The general outline of it is indicated in Figure 2, while its depth in its
various portions is shown in Figure 1.
་ ༢ 2;ག!་ཟ་
1,"
According to my present process. the leather shoe, S; is not exposed to the heat
while the rubber compound in the mould is receiving its preliminary vulcaniza-
tion. The mould cover E, shown edgewise in Figure 3, closes 'tho topilof the
mould after the rubber compound to form the sole and heel have been placed
therein. This mould cover is held down over the filled mould, during vulcaniza-
tion, by screws F threaded through the skeleton iframe, G, and is raised (and
removed when the rubber is properly cured, the tips of these screws having necks f
which are engaged by fingers e on said cover to lift it when the, screws are reversed.

page_text: The mould-cover is readily detached from the screws F by a sidewise movement.
H represents a hinge by which the skeleton frame G which carries the screws E
18 s connected at one end or side to the base or steam chamber A.. At the opposita
end or side a suitable fastening is provided to hold the parts in proper working
position and permit their release when desired. The form of fastening, repre-
sented for this purpose is a transverse bolt or rod h passing through aligned holes
in the base A and frame G.
Steam heat continued in the chamber A, beneath the mould-plate C, serves to
vulcanize the rubber compound in the mould, and prepares it for the process of
attachment to the leather shoe bottom which is peculiar to my method. The
preliminary vulcanization of the sole may be effected in other like moulds, and
such soles introduced into the cavity or recess in the mould-plate C.
The rubber sole R being so placed or in readiness in the mould; I coat the upper
surface of such sole heavily with rubber cement and apply thereon a sheet R
Figure 4 of unvulcanized rubber compound; then coat the bottom of the leather
sole of the shoe S with rubber cement and press the shoe, having the last enclosed
within it, down firmly upon the unvulcanized sheet. Adjustable marginal
plates J are applied at each side of the shoe, such plates having a beveled inner
edge fitting in along the inseam over the welt and sole edge and conforming to
the contour of the shoe. These plates rest upon the mould plate C and prevent the
rubber from escaping upwardly. They are pressed inwardly and adjusted by the
lateral adjusting screws K which bear against their outer edges and are threaded
through projection on the steam chamber or mould-plate. I prefer to make
these adjustable plates hollow, and connect, to each, flexible water pipes L, by
which currents of cold water may be kept flowing through them to protect the
sboe from being overheated.
Screws F through the skeleton frame G press the marginal plates J down firmly,
and other screws M through said frame press down upon the heel portion of the
last and, by a yielding pad N, upon the shoe upper, thus holding the shoe securely
upon the rubber during its vulcanization, see Figure 1.
It will thus be seen that with my method and apparatus the rubber sole is
secured to the bottom of the leather sole of the shoe by the vulcanization of the
layer of rubber in immediate contact with the leather sole, whereby the two soles
are permanently united; and also that this union is effected without introducing
the shoe into a vulcanizing oven or exposing it to an injurious heat either by
conduction or radiation. I leave the shoe upper exposed to the open air and
concentrate the steam heat immediately beneath the sole, the bulk of the rubber
having been previously cured, leaving but a thin layer to be vulcanized while the
shoe is pressed upon it. This method lessens materially the time of exposure to
the heat, and enables rubber soles to be, vulcanized to shoes, otherwise complete,
without ruining the leather in the operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The steam-chamber A having an opening in its top, and provided with steam
connections, in combination with the removable mould-plate C recessed to receive
the rubber soling, and adapted to fit over and close said opening, and with suitable
clamping means to secure said plate upon the chamber and the shoe upon the
plate, over its recess, substantially as set forth.
2. The steam-chamber A open at its top and provided with steam connections,
and the mould-plate C fitting over said opening, secured by screws D, and having
sole-shaped recess in its upper surface, in combination with a skeleton frame
above said plate and the shoe held thereon, the laterally-adjustable. plates J, J
and screws K, K, and with clamp-screws through said frame, serving to secure said
plates and shoe in place, above the mould-plate, substantially as set forth.
3. The steam-chamber A open at its top, the removable mould-plate C having

page_text: a sole-shaped recess in its upper surface and fitting marginally as a cover for said
opening, and clamping means to hold said plate firmly in position, in combination
with laterally-adjustable plates. fitting along the inseam of the shoe to confine
it and the rubber, and with the movable frame carrying pressure-screws for said
plates and shoe, substantially as set forth.
4. In a vulcanizing apparatus, a steam-chamber, a mould-plate having a rubber-
containing mould in its outer face, in combination with a skeletor frame hinged
to the chamber and provided with fastenings for securing a shoe over and upon the
rubber inclosed in said mould, leaving the upper-leather of the shoe practically
uncovered and exposed to the open air during vulcanizing of the rubber, whereby
injury to the upper by heating is obviated, substantially as set forth.
5. The described method of uniting vulcanized-rubber soles to the leather
bottoms of boots and shoes, consisting in forming such sole in a mould and suitably
vulcanizing it therein; then coating the upper surface of such sole with rubber-
cement and applying thereon a sheet of unvulcanized rubber compound; then
coating the shoe bottom with rubber-cement and holding the shoe pressed firmly
upon said unvulcanized sheet, and finally vulcanizing such sheet while the shoe
is so held, thereby firmly uniting said sole to the shoe, substantially as set forth..
Dated this 3rd day of July 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.