Improvements in Shoe Lasts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
Improvements in Shoe Lasts.
We, JOHN GUSTAF Beijer, Engineer and FRITZ BÖTTCHER, Manufacturer,
both of 14 Kronsbergsgatan, Stockholm in the Kingdom of Sweden 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 :-
In manufacturing shoes by machinery, a large number of machines are used
consecutively, and during the working of the shoe or shoe blank by these different
machines, it must be grasped and guided by the workman. During this treatment
the form of the shoe is often exposed to being spoiled, unless the last is allowed to
remain in the shoe. When employing the forms of lasts hitherto in use, it is
necessary in heeling the shoe to take the last out of the shoc, and in so doing the
shank of the shoe must generally be bent, and in fastening the heel, the empty shoe
is easily subjected to being pressed together, thus losing its form. Attempts have
been made to avoid this disadvantage by constructing heeling machines which will
heel the shoe while the whole last still remains in it. This has however not
succeeded when wooden lasts have been used, because these have been cracked or
crushed during the heeling process. Our invention relates to such an arrangement
of the shoclasts that the heeling of the shoe is rendered possible in usual heeling
machines while a large portion of the last remains in the shoe. The toe, or that
part of the shoe which must be grasped by the workman in heeling, is thus
protected by the last against change of form during the heeling process. Besides
simplifying the manufacture, we hereby also gain the advantage that the uppers
can be chosen for any quality of shoe desired, it not being necessary, as heretofore,
to take thicker uppers than desirable for the shoes. The application of this
invention to a last does not entail any difficulties in inserting and removing it,
which is not the case with other lasts. It can even, contrary to what has hitherto
been the case, be inserted and removed with the hands only, without the use of
any tool.
Fig. 1 shows such a last from the side and with the encasing shoe represented by
dotted lines.
Fig. 2 is a section on the line a-b in Fig. 1.
The shoe last in question is made in two parts, the toe-section A and the beel
section B, the joint being on a sloping plane, so that the heel section is narrow at
the bottom and wide at the top, and so that the joint plane does not intersect the
heel surface of the last, but runs through the shank in front of said surface. The
beel-section may be suitably fastened to the toe-section, for instance by iron plates
or ridges C, D, fastened by screws and forming guides for the sections so that these
can slide upon each other. Their locking together is accomplished by incans of a
peg E, which is inserted from the heel-section through a hole in both sections
running obliquely to the joint plane. The heel section is connected with the toe
section by means of a cord or string F which passes through an eye in the peg E.
The section-lasts formerly used in manufacturing shoes, are all made without
respect to the above object, as the joint plane is so disposed that it intersects the
beel section of the last. They therefore make it impossible to heel the shoe in a
machine while the last is allowed to remain in the shoe, it always being necessary
to remove the last at this stage of the manufacture before the heel is attached, in

page_text: consequence whereof the shape of the shoe has been spoiled, so that the finished
shoe, if it is to be given the desirable shape, must be blocked and the upper
specially smoothed and manipulated. The heeling machines are so constructed
that the loose heel is placed in a suitable socket corresponding to the size and
shape of the heel, and the end of a rod, or a support, is inserted in the heel-section
of the shoe, after which the insole is pressed against the shoe heel by means of the
end of the rod and rivetted fast to the same. It is clear that such a proceeding
cannot take place if the toe-section of the last extends over a part of the heel
surface of the shoe. In the present case, however, the toe-section of the last
constitutes no obstacle for the heeling, but completely prevents any change in
the shape of the corresponding part of the shoe' during the heeling process.
Immediately before and directly after the heeling the heel section of the last is
removed and inserted respectively, which may easily be done, owing to the oblique
disposition of the joint in relation to the counter of the shoe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
.
1. A shoe-last divided transversely into two sections (A and B) in such a
manner that the plane of the joint is in front of the heel surface and at the same
time is in a knowu manner disposed obliquely in relation to the counter of the shoe,
in order that the heeling of the shoe in a machine may be possible while the toe
section of the last still remains in the shoe, thus avoiding any change in the shape
of the shoe while handling during the process, substantially as described and
shown:
2. In shoe lasts as firstly claimed, a device for locking together the two sections
of the last connected with each other by means of a string or cord, which locking
device consists of a peg (E), passed on said string or cord and a hole for inserting
said pin, which hole runs through the one section of the last and into the other and
passes through the joint plane between the two sections of the last substantially as
described and shown.
Tinted this Distanuth dan
Ml 1907
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.