AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR TRIMMING OR PARING AND BURNISHING THE EDGES OF BOOT AND SHOE SOLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Levi Lincoln Atwood, of Chicago, Illinois, United.
States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London,
Merchant and Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR TRIMMING OR PARING AND BURNISHING THE EDGES OF BOOT
AND SHOE SOLES."- A communication from abroad by Henry Elmer
Townsend, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Levi Lincoln Atwood
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd September 1874.
I, LEVI LINCOLN ATWOOD, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of ·
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Merchant and
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE. FOR TRIMMING OR PARING AND BURNISHING THE EDGES
OF BOOT AND SHOE SOLES," a communication, to be as follows:-
M- Tusantion wolates to a simple convenient and efficient meching.

page_text: 0
and shoes may be expeditiously and economically effected. Various
machines and apparatus have been devised for these purposes, more or
less complicated and costly, and which have been found in practice to be
defective and inconvenient, and the trimming or paring and burnishing
of the edges of boot and shoe soles have been hitherto accompanied by
various difficulties and objections which this Invention is designed to
overcome.
My said Invention relates to a machine which has a rotary cutter
mounted on an adjustable shaft or spindle that is carried in bearings
at the top of a peculiarly shaped frame or standard, and receives a rapid
rotary motion through a belt from a pulley at the foot of the machine.
The said frame or standard has an A shape, that is to say, it has two
inclined legs united at the top of the machine, and open or wide apart
at the bottom of the same, where they are suitably formed to afford the
required support to the machine. At the top or apex of this frame are
projecting shelves or flanges which carry the bearings of the aforesaid
adjustable cutter shaft. The cutter is preferably formed with its toothed
surface or periphery slightly concave, and it projects beyond the edge of
the shelf or flange on the front of the machine. At the rear of the said
shaft I provide the same with a screw nut or other suitable device,
whereby the said shaft or spindle can be adjusted endwise in its bearings
to set the cutter to suit soles of different thicknesses. On the middle
portion of this shaft or spindle I fix a small pulley which is connected
by a suitable belt or strap with the driving pulley at the bottom of the
machine. And one peculiarity of my Invention is the making of the
top and legs of the frame hollow or tubular for the reception of the said
pulley and belt, and forming the legs at the bottom in one piece with a
cover for the driving pulley, the said cover being constructed with feet
which with those of the frame form a solid support for the machine.
The shaft of the said driving pulley is supported in suitable bearings
in these feet, and is provided at one end with fast and loose belt
pulleys.
:
If desired the rear end of the said shaft is fitted with a brush for cleaning
the sole, and a fan may be applied to the said machine to blow away the
dust and cuttings, the said fan being driven from the aforesaid lower
shaft.
The boot or shoe whose sole is to be pared and burnished is held in the
hand of the operative in charge of the machine, and while the cutter is -

page_text: revolving the edge of the sole is pressed against the said cutter, and
moved along the same till all parts of the edge of the sole are properly
finished.
The said machine has a very neat appearance, occupies but little
space, and requires comparatively little power to drive it. The edges can
be trimmed and burnished with the last either in or out of the boot or
shoe, and the same need not be placed on a jack or form. The cutter
may be readily removed, sharpened, and replaced, and by means of the
aforesaid adjusting device or gauge the machine can be immediately
adjusted to soles of any thickness.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Levi Lincoln Atwood in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEVI
LINCOLN ATWOOD, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Merchant and Manufacturer,'
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Levi Lincoln Atwood, Her special
licence that I, the said Levi Lincoln Atwood, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Levi Lincoln Atwood,
my executors, administrators, and 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 "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR TRIMMING OR PARING AND BURNISHING THE EDGES OF BOOT AND
SHOE SOLES," a communication to me from abroad by Henry Elmer
Townsend, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Levi Lincoln Atwood, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,.

page_text: edge of the shelf or flange b at the front of the machine. It is held on
the shaft between the shoulder e² and plate e², the latter being secured
to the shaft by a small screw.. At the rear of the said shaft I provide
the same with an arm f and screw nut f¹ or other suitable device,
whereby the said shaft or spindle. can be adjusted endwise. in its
bearings and through the outer shaft e³ which is hollow, and carries the
collar e¹ to set the cutter e to suit soles of different thicknesses. On the
middle portion of this shaft or spindle d I fix a small pulley g which is
connected by a suitable belt or strap g with the driving pulley h at the
bottom of the machine. And a peculiarity of my Invention is the
making of the top and legs of the frame hollow or tubular for the
reception of the upper pulley and belt, and the forming of the legs a¹ at
the bottom in one piece with a cover a² for the driving pulley, the said
cover being constructed with feet as which with those of the frame
constitute a firm support for the machine. The shaft of the said
driving pulley is supported in suitable bearings j in the legs a¹, and is
provided at one end with fast and loose belt pulleys k, l.
In some instances the rear end of the shaft d is fitted with a brush m
for cleaning the sole, and a fan is applied to the said machine to blow
away the dust and cuttings, the said fan being driven from the aforesaid
lower shaft. The cover n is supported when in place upon the flanges b
and encloses the shaft and pulley; the said cover is provided with oil
cups n for lubricating the said shaft.
The boot or shoe whose sole is to be pared or trimmed is held in the
hand of the operator in charge of the machine, and while the cutter e is
revolving the edge of the sole is placed between the shoulders e¹ and
plate e², and pressed against the said cutter and moved along the same
till all parts of the edge of the sole are properly finished. When a sole
is to be burnished the said cutter is removed and replaced by a
suitable burnishing tool.
The said machine has a very neat appearance, occupies but little
space and requires comparatively little power to drive it. The edges of
the sole can be trimmed and burnished with the last either in or out of
the boot or shoc, and the same need not be placed on a jack or form.
The cutter e may be readily removed, sharpened, and replaced. And by
means of the aforesaid adjusting device or gauge f, f', the machine can
be immediately adjusted to soles of any thickness.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The peculiarly shaped and constructed hollow frame, as herein
set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second.. In a machine for trimming the edges of boot and shoe soles,
the revolving cylindrical cutter fitted on the end of a horizontal shaft
which is adjustable endwise in its bearings for the purpose specified.
:
Third. In combination with the horizontal shaft and the cutter or
burnisher fitted thereon the peculiar device for adjusting the said shaft in ]
its bearings, as herein set forth and for the purposes specified.
. Fourth. A machine for trimming and burnishing the edges of boot
and shoe soles provided with a cutter or burnisher which is fitted on a
horizontal shaft mounted on a peculiarly constructed frame, and arranged
and operating in combination with the adjusting devices and other parts 1
of the mechanism, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Levi Lincoln Atwood, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
JAS. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
L. L. ATWOOD. (L.S.)