Improvements in or relating to Lasts for Use in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application. 12th Jan.,
1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Lasts for Use in the Manufacture of
Boots and Shoes.
I, THOMAS BRINING, of 36 Sussex Street, Richmond Hill, Leeds, in the
County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in lasts for use in the manufacture of
boots and shoes, and its object is to readily release and remove the last from the
boot or shoe without stretching or displacing the "upper," or using a poker or
releasing tool.
According to this invention the last is made of wood or iron and divided into two
parts-a toe portion and a heel part.
The line of division between the two parts may be at an angle. In each part,
when the last is made of wood, is inserted in dovetail or other recesses a metal or
other casting suitably recessed and provided with a projection or projections and
single or double, V or dovetail catches so that when the two parts are placed
together these catches will interlock into each other for securely holding the
parts together. For wooden lasts the metal castings may also be armed with pins
which are inserted into the parts of the last and are employed for assisting in
retaining the castings securely in position in the said portions. When the last
is made in iren the above described projections, catches and recesses will be cast
in and on and form a part of the two portions of the last or the recesses may be
ast or formed in the two parts and the catches and projections fixed thereto by
any suitable and convenient means.
In one of the parts of the last is inserted, in a hole or recess provided for its
reception, a spring pin or tongue which is arranged to slightly project beyond the
part of the last and to enter a hole or recess in the other portion for preventing
the parts working loose and out of position. The spring pin or tongue may be
retained in its recess by any suitable means such as say by the herein described
casting or by a screwed retaining piece.
To remove the boot or shoe from the last it is drawn upwards, when the spring
pin or tongue will be forced backwards and the two portions of the last will readily
slide from together, thus dispensing with the use of a poker or releasing tool for
separating the portions of the last.
Suitable "pivot holes" may be provided in the last for fixing to the stand or
bench.
metal.
The invention may also be employed for wooden lasts having a sole plate of
In this case the sole plate may be cast or attached by any suitable means
to the herein before mentioned castings, projections, and catches.
Dated the Eleventh day of January 1895.
THOMAS BRINING.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Lasts for Use in the Manufacture of
Boots and Shoes.
I, THOMAS BRINING, of 36 Sussex Street, Richmond Hill, Leeds, in the
County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of lasts for use in the
manufacture of boots and shoes in which the heel and toe pieces are divided.
Hitherto many attempts have been made, with more or less success, to secure
the separate parts of a so divided last firmly together so that when the said parts
are put together and placed within the boot or shoe, they will be rigid and even
for hammering, lasting, and other purposes. Great difficulty has also been expe-
rienced either in securing or locking the parts together, or in releasing them when
placed inside of the boot or shoe; pokers or other releasing tools having to be
employed for separating the parts, thereby pulling the boot or shoe out of form.
Now the object of the present invention is to construct a divided last so as to be
easily and firmly put together yet readily released and its parts removed from the
boct or shoe without stretching or displacing the "upper," and without using a
poker or releasing tool.
The present invention may be applied either to an iron or a wood last, and it
consists essentially in combining one or more dovetails and single or double
interlocking catches or hooks with a last-divided at such an angle that in
separating and releasing say the toe portion from the heel part, the former is
caused to slide towards the heel- that is within its total length-thereby preventing
the stretching of the "upper." A spring pin or bolt hereafter termed "a spring
pin" being employed for the purpose of preventing the two parts from sliding
apart.
In the drawings hereunto annexed ;-
Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation showing the invention applied to an iron last.
Fig. 2 a plan of same looking at the top.
Fig. 3
part plan of same looking at the bottom.
Fig. 4 a part side elevation of the toe portion of an iron last with this invention
applied.
Fig. 5 an end elevation of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 a side elevation of the heel portion of an iron last with this invention
applied.
Fig. 7 an end elevation of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a part sectional elevation of a wood last with this invention applied.
Fig. 9 a plan of same looking at the top.
Fig. 10 a part plan of the same looking at the bottom.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are respectively a part sectional elevation, an end elevation,
and a plan looking at the top of the toe portion of the interlocking arrangement for
a wood last.
Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are respectively a sectional elevation, a plan, and an end
elevation of the heel portion of the interlocking arrangement for a wood last.
Figs. 17, 18 and 19 are respectively a side and end elevation and a plan of the
spring pin.
I will first describe the invention as applied to an iron last as shown in the
drawings in Figs. 1 to 7.
The last is divided so far as this invention is concerned into two parts; that is
to say into a toe portion A and a heel portion B; but if desired the instep portion

page_text: of the last may also be made loose, but in the drawings it is shown cast on to the
toe portion A. The last may be divided into the two portions A and B at any
suitable angle or angles, and I have found by experiment that an angle such as say
from about forty to about fifty or fifty-five degrees is the most convenient. The
line, which divides the last into two portions in the case of an iron last, is not
made in one straight line entirely through the last. In the drawings at Fig. 1 the
line is drawn at two different angles to form a catch or hook C on each portion
of the last and hereafter termed a hook; that is the lower portion of the line a
from the sole up to the book is drawn at about an angle of forty-one degrees, and
from the hook to the top of the last at about an angle of forty-seven degrees, but
I wish it to be understood I do not confine myself to these exact degrees as they
may be varied. By this means the hook C is strengthened, but if desired the two
portions of the line may be drawn at the same angle, parallel to each other. Or
the line may be carried straight through the last at one angle (as in the case of
the wooden last shown at Fig. 8) in which case the hooks C would require to be
screwed or otherwise fixed to the toe and heel portions. The hook C on the heel
portion B should be notched in the form of a V as shown at P, to fit a corre-
sponding projection P' on the toe portion A for preventing any lateral movement
at the upper part of the said two portions. A. dovetailed recess D, having
V sides in cross section as shown at Fig. 3, is also cast or otherwise formed in the
toe portion A into which the projecting dovetail D' on the heel portion B passes,
care being taken that this part of the engagement only extends far enough to hold
the parts securely when locked, otherwise jamming will be experienced in removing
the last or in relasting. When the heel portion B and toe portion A are inter-
locked together by the hooks C and dovetail projection D', they are so firmly
held together that no lateral or end wise movement of the parts can take place.
But in order to prevent the two parts A and B sliding apart, say when the lasting
operation is being performed as well as when the lasted boot or shoe is taken off
the last stand or pivot, a vertical (or nearly so) bole E is bored or cast through
the toe portion A, at say about, or nearly so, a right angle to the sole of the last,
and the vertical hole E is carried some distance into the heel portion B as shown
at Figs. 1 and 7. The vertical hole E is preferably, though not necessarily made
of two diameters. Into the vertical hole E is passed a pin F, encircled by a helical
spring F (these two parts being hereafter termed the spring pin or bolt F) so
that its end will pass into the portion of the vertical hole E located in the heel
portion B. The spring pin or bolt F is arranged to project beyond the top of the
last as shown, and its opposite end may be withdrawn from engagement with the
heel portion B by any convenient arrangement or device, such as say for instance
by a knob or head F shown in dotted lines at Fig. 4, or by a cord passed through
the hole F 2 also shown in dotted lines at Fig. 4, or by means of the device shown
in the drawings in which the spring pin F (see Figs. 17, 18 and 19) is armed at its
upper end with the projection G, and so arranged that its under surface g acts upon
a cam path a, cast, cut, or otherwise formed in or on the toe portion A.
projection G is passed through the hole H cast or formed in the toe portion A, and
which is made to communicate with the vertical hole E. When the projection G
is passed through the hole H and turned at say a right angle thereto it performs
the double function of first preventing the spring pin F working out of position,
and secondly of withdrawing the said spring-pin from engagement with the heel
portion B, when pulled or rotated on the cam path a. 1 is a hole formed in the
last for the reception of the last stand or pivot.
The
When the invention is applied to a last made of wood, the hooks and dovetails
are formed in or on or attached to separate castings in which the spring pin F
works, as shown at Figs. 8 to 16. Corresponding parts of said views are marked
with similar letters of reference to those shown at Figs. 1 to 7.
JJ' are the castings which are respectively fixed to the toe and heel portions A
and B. The castings J J are preferably, though not necessarily so, made semi-
circular or nearly so as shown at Figs. 13 and 16, although owing to the angle at

page_text: which they are fixed they appear in an elliptical form at Fig. 10. The casting J
is armed with a horizontal projection piece J* which fits on to the top of the last.
as shown at Fig. 8. The horizontal projecting piece J 2 is armed on its upper
surface with an end or thrusting piece J 3 between which and the boss J*, the last
or pivot stand K, shown in dotted lines at Fig. 8, is passed to the hole 1. Through
the boss J is formed the vertical hole E in which the spring pin F works for
preventing the toe and heel portions sliding apart. In the casting J is cast the
lovetail recess D (which has V sides in cross section as shown at Fig. 10) into
which fits the dovetail projection D¹ of casting J'. In place of the hooks C, see
Figs. 1 to 7, I arrange a pin C (see Fig. 8) on the casting J¹ to project beyond its
upper end as shown, and to fit into the cap or hood C¹ formed for its reception on
the casting J. A projection J 4 (preferably semi-circular in cross section) is also
provided on the casting J¹ which fits in a corresponding recess J 5 in the casting J
and they are employed for aiding in preventing any lateral movement of the two
portions A and B, whilst the dovetail D¹ and pin C, which enters the cap C',
prevent any end wise movement of the said parts.
To fix the castings J and J¹ in position in the last I proceed as follows ;-
Before the last is divided into the two parts A and B along the line x x I bore a
hole L at the required angle into which is placed the barrel portions of the
castings J and J. The two said castings are then secured in position by the
screws M which pass through the horizontal projecting piece J 2 into the top of
toe portion A. The casting J¹ being held temporarily in position by cement, glue,
or the like. The last is then sawn or otherwise divided into the two portions A
and B along the line a.r, after which the castings J and J are secured respectively
in position by the screws N and O. The operation of the spring pin F is the same
as already described for the iron last.
To remove the divided last from the boot or shoe the spring pin F is first
withdrawn as herein before described from its engagement with the heel portion B
and as soon as the heel part of the lasted boot or shoe is raised, the two
portions A and B of the last will readily and easily slide apart without stretching
the upper and without using a poker or releasing tool for separating the two parts
of the last.
In the case of a wooden last with a sole plate the sole plate may be cast or
attached by any suitable means to the hercinbefore mentioned castings J and J¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is ;-
In boot lasts the method of fixing firmly the heel piece to the toe piece during
the process of lasting by means of (1) the dovetail consisting of the recess D and
the projection D' in Figures 1 and 10 carried from the sole upwards a sufficient
distance to hold the parts together without risk of jamming in removing the las
from the boot or in relasting (2) stops such as C C¹ in Figures 1 and 8 (3) th
V shaped engagement P P¹ in Figure 1 or alternately and preferably for wooden
lasts the method of engagement shown at Figures 11 to 15 and lettered J₁ J
and (4) the spring pin or bolt F in Figures 1 and 8 for locking the last when
required-all combined and arranged in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated.
Dated this Twelfth day of October 1895.
THOMAS BRINING.