Improvements in Boot and Shoe Sole Levelling Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1889
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boot and Shoe Sole Levelling Machines.
1, FREDERICK SIMPSON STRONG, of East Bridgewater, in the County of Plymouth,
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 my invention is to so improve the construction of Sole Levelling
Machines as to insure a more even pressure of the pressure or levelling roll on all
parts of the sole, and also to so arrange the parts that although the extreme end of
the toe of the sole will receive the full pressure, the movement of the pressure roll-is
so guided that it cannot injure this part by abruptly leaving it or by striking it on the
return stroke. My invention also relates to some of the minor devices of the
machine which may be best understood by reference to the drawings and
specifications.
These objects I attain by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in
which :-
Figure 1, is a side elevation of a levelling machine with my improvement
embodied.
Figure 2, is a view showing most of the parts in side elevation, and some in
longitudinal vertical section.
Figure 3, is a plan showing a device for reversing the motion. of the shoe-holding
jack.
Figure 4, is a view in elevation and section showing a device, connected to the
reversing lever, for the purpose of holding the reversing lever in such a position
that the jack will remain stationary.
Figure 5. is a plan showing the levelling roller and its adjuncts.
Figure 6, is a view showing, partly in elevation and partly in section, the
device by which a spring or yielding pressure is brought to bear on the levelling
roller.

page_text: Figure 7, is a diagram intended to illustrate the operation of the levelling roller in
relation to the shoe.
In the drawing, Figures 1, and 2, A, represents the frame of the machine, and B,
Figures 1, 2, and 3, the main shaft of the machine which has upon it fast and loose
pulleys (see Figure 3,) for connecting it with the motive power.
B, Figure 1, is a balance wheel attached to the main shaft B; this wheel B', has
upon it (see Figure 1.) ways B2, in which a crank-pin plate B³, is adapted to slide,
and to be fixed at any desired position by suitable set-screws. Upon the plate B³, I
have a crank-pin B', which, as the wheel B', rotates, gives motion to the link B³,
which in turn moves the arm B', attached to the rocker-shaft B; from the rocker-
shaft B³, arms B³, extend, Figures 2, and 5, and are connected at their top by pins B¹º,
to links.B¹¹.
The links B, B. Figure 5, have at their outer ends holes through which the
shaft B1, passes. The shaft B, carries the levelling roller B12, and is guided by
sliding boxes B, B1, in which its ends rest; the boxes B1, B14, glide in ways bib,
made on the inner faces of the frame C.
The frame C, swings on pins C, in the frame A, Figures 1, and 2. Pressure is
exerted on the frame C, and through it on to the levelling roller B, by means of
rods C, and the foot lever Co. To obtain an adjustable yielding tension on the
frame C, I have the following described device (see Figures 2, and 5).
-C, is a-swivelling cross-bar the ends of which are attached to the frame C.
Through the cross-bar C², rods C, pass; the upper ends of these rods have gear-
wheels C¹³, CC, is a gear-wheel-engaging with the gears C, C; and is actuated
by the hand wheel Cis.
The lower ends of the rods C, C, (see Figure 6,) are screwed into cross-bars c;
cach of the cross-bars c, has two rods c, c-which-in turn, are attached at their lower
ends to a cross bar c²; between the cross-bar c³, and the top of the cylinder C, L
place a compressed spring c³. The lower ends of the cylinders C, are attached to
cross-bar c', which is connected to the foot-lever C10, by means of a pin C, and
block C. The foot lever C10, is pivoted to the frame at C, Figure 2, and has a
counter-weight C2. The intensity of the spring c³, may be adjusted by turning the
rods C, so as to compress it more or less (see Figure 6). The springs c³, have no
effect on the frame C, or through it on the levelling roller B, except when the foot-
lever C10, is brought down, then the pressure exerted by the operator on the levelling
roller B12, will be governed by the expansive force of the springs c³, which may be
lessened, or increased by turning the rods C, by means of the hand-wheel C¹³, as has
been set forth.
The shoe to be operated upon is mounted on the jack K³, and toe-support K,
Figures 1, and 2, which are in turn supported on the laterally swinging frame K.
The swinging frame K, is hung at each end on pivots H, H, connected with the
longitudinally oscillating frame H, H', H³, and can be operated by the hand lever K,
shaft K, arm K², and pin K.
The oscillating frame H, H¹, H², swings on a pivot H³, and is operated by power,
through the oscillating screw-nut E, (connected by the bracket E, and bolt E, to the
lower part E³, of the frame H, H1, H2,) and the screw-shaft E. The screw-
-shaft E1, is supported at its upper end in a laterally sliding housing D³, mounted on
the rod D, (see Figures 2 and 3) and is driven by the friction-cone D³, which is
made to engage either with the friction-cone D, or D¹, by the operator as he may
wish to turn in one direction or the other.
The device for causing the friction-cone D2, to engage either with the friction-
cone D, or D¹ consists in a link D, Figure 3, a bent lever D, pivoted to the frame
of the machine at D', a link D, pivoted to the bent lever D, at D, and to the hand-
lever D's, at D, see Figures 2 and 3, the whole being operated by the land lever D¹²
it being provided with a handle, as shown at D¹³, Figure 2.
It may be understood from the above that as the screw-shaft E7, E10, rotates in
one direction, the screw-nut E, will cause the entire frame H, H', H', together with
the jack-frame K, and jack and shoe, to oscillate in a corresponding direction, that is

page_text: .
in the direction indicated by the arrow t, in Figure 7, or opposite to it, as the case
may be, and that the rotation of the shaft E7, E, is caused by the action of one of the
friction-cones D, or D', on the friction-cone ])².
To prevent the screw-shaft E7, E10, from moving the frame H, H³, H2, too far, I
have an automatic shipping device for acting on the sliding housing D³, and so
moving it as to move the friction-cone D³, into the position shown in Figure 3, in
which it touches neither of the driving friction-cones D, D'. This device consists of
a rod I, attached to the frame H, H1, H2, at L', and having on it two stops L³; L³,
which are so located in relation to an arm D₁, on the rod D, that when the
frame H, H', H2, has oscillated as far in either direction as it is desirable to have it,
then one or the other of the stops L³, L³, will come in contact with the arm D", of
the rod D³, and cause it (acting through the bent lever De, link D³, and housing D³,)
to move the friction-cone D, out of contact with either of the driving friction-
cones D, or D¹, and thus stop all further movement of the frame H, H., H.
The lever D, that operates the shipping-rod D°, (see Figure 4.) is so connected
with an automatic spring device that it will, when not actuated by the operator,
stand in such a position as to keep the friction-cone D³, out of contact with the driving
friction-cones D, and D. This device consists of a flat plate M, Figure 4, which is
pressed by a strong spring M2, in a case A³, attached to the frame of the machine
against the flat end or bottom of the lever, so that the whole tendency of the
spring M², is to keep the shipping lever D", in its normal position. The pin D,
upon which the lever D", swings, is fixed in the frame.
To prevent injury to the power oscillating device of the frame H, H¹, H³, 1 place
on the screw-shaft E7, E, a spring bunter E³, Figure 2, guided by two rods e, e,
connected to the plate E, the bunter E, being made yielding by the spring e¹.
The downward limit of the field of action of the levelling-roller B, is determined
by the adjustable head-block N, Figure 1, which serves as a stop or resting point
for the boss N³, on the frame C, and as the frame C; limits and controls the field
of action of the roller B12, it is evident that the position of the head-block N',
determines the plane of action of the roller B. The head-block N'¹, is fixed to
the top of the standard N, Figure 1, by being screwed on to it like a nut, and is
held firmly by a check-nut №2. The standard N, is made fast to the frame A, by
the bolt N.
In Figure 7, the position of the shoe and the line of motion which is given to it
by the oscillating frame H, H, H, illustrated by the curved liner, r, indicating the
path of the sole of the shoe, that is, the shoe moves in an arc, the centre of which
is at H³, so that the levelling-roller B12, exerts almost the same pressure on all parts
of the sole, the pressure being the same at the shank and toe, and .but slightly
increased on the ball. The extreme lowest plane that the levelling-roll B", can
work in, is determined by the position of the adjustable head-block N', which
should be so set as to admit of the levelling-roller B, to fall but a trifle below the
surface of the sole as it passes off from the toe, and to again pass on to the sole
without abruptly coming in contact with the end of the sole. This device for con-
trolling the line of motion of the sole of the shoe and the plane of action of the
levelling-roller B¹³, ensures an even pressure on all parts of the sole, and effectually
guards against injury to the toe of the sole as the levelling-roller passes on to it or
off from it.
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. In a Shoe Sole Levelling Machine, the combination of a jack for holding the
shoe, and adapted to oscillate in a path, the line of which lies in a circular arc
coinciding practically with the are of the sole of the shoe, with a levelling-roller B¹³,
frame C, and adjustable head-block N',. substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.

page_text: 2nd. In a Shoe Sole Levelling Machine, the combination of the oscillating
frame H, H1, H2, oscillating nut E, screw-shaft E7, E, and sliding housing Dr
with the friction-cone D³, adapted to he actuated by the driving friction-cone D, D"
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
'
3rd. The combination of the shaft E7, E", sliding housing D³, link D³, bent
lever D, and shipping-rod D, with the hand-lever D₁, spring-plate M, and
spring M³, all operating together substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.