IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING MACHINES TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING MACHINES TO BE USED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from
abroad by Gordon McKay, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
-
Sealed the 18th January 1874, and dated the 1st November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st November 1878.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING MACHINES TO
BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication, to be
as follows:-
The object of my said Invention is the construction of an efficient
machine for lasting boots and shoes. The said machine draws the upper

page_text: of a boot or shoe over the last and holds it firmly while the "upper" is
nailed or otherwise fastened to the inner sole; it also holds the lasted
boot or shoe while the outer sole is placed in its position and secured,
and the said machine is more especially designed for use in connection
with sewing, pegging, or rivitting machines for fastening the soles to
the uppers of boots and shoes.
The said machine is constructed with a suitable frame, within which
is pivotted a jack pin for supporting the last; the latter is made of iron
or plated with iron or other suitable metal.
Heel and toe pieces are arranged in combination with a screw and
hand wheel, whereby they are caused to close the boot or shoe end wise.
"
Lasting plates of steel or other suitable metal are arranged at the
sides of the last, and are operated to close the edges of the " "upper
over the insole by a treadle through the medium of a cam and levers,
the same being moved reversely by a spring or weight.
+
In combination with the said lasting plates I employ india-rubber
angle pieces, which are caused by the movement of the said levers to
strike the " upper" below the face of the last, and slide up the sides
thereof, thereby assisting to draw the said "upper" tight upon the last.
The aforesaid toe piece consists of a cup supported in a carriage in
such a manner as to be capable of an angular or tipping movement
therein, whereby it adjusts itself to the position of the last. The said
cup is fitted internally with gutta percha, which is made to fit the lasted
boot or shoe by softening it in hot water, then placing it in the cup of
the toe piece, and then screwing the same against the said boot or shoe
and leaving it a few moments to cool and become hard. The said cup
and the side plates or jaws are so secured that they may be readily taken
out and put in place, so that the machine may be conveniently adjusted
to different sized boots or shoes. For securing the outsole, the aforesaid
side plates or jaws are provided with adjustable pieces, which hold the
said outsole in the proper position upon the last.
The inner sole is first tacked temporarily to the last; then the "upper"
is put on the said last and secured with one tack at the heel and one at
the toe; then the last is placed upon the aforesaid jack pin, and the toe
and heel pieces, and edge plates and angle pieces are adjusted by the

page_text: means above described; then the outsole is secured by the aforesaid
adjustable pieces on the side plates.
The lasting plates are made so thin that they may be interposed
between the lasted boot or shoe and the outsole without preventing the
laying of the said outsole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LASTING MACHINES TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication to me from abroad by Gordon
McKay, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Spcification :—
The object of my said Invention is the construction of an efficient
machine for lasting boots and shoes. The said machine draws the upper
of a boot or shoe over the last, and holds it firmly while the upper is
nailed or otherwise fastened to the inner sole; it also holds the lasted
boot or shoe while the outer sole is placed in its position and secured,
and the said machine is more especially designed for use in connection
with sewing, pegging, or rivetting machines for fastening the soles to
the unnors of boots and shoes

page_text: In using this machine the inner sole is first tacked temporarily to an
iron or an iron plated last; then the upper is put on the last and secured
with one tack in the heel, and the upper drawn over the toe and secured
with one tack there. In this state the last is put into the machine,
putting the last upon the ack pin h. By the screw 6 and hand wheel 61
the end gripes toe and heel pieces m and o are made to close the shoe
endwise, the shoe being first adjusted to the proper height by the
screw g and hand wheel; then by the action of the treadle f, cam f¹,
rollers k, k, and levers e, e, the steel plates are closed over the uppers,
เ
and in the act of closing they cause the hinged toe plates and heel plates
1, F, to close in the upper round the heel or toe, through the action of the
piece e¹, Figure 4, against the hinged pieces n, n. But it is to be
observed that as the levers e draw together the india-rubber angle pieces
m², m³, strike the upper below the face of the last, and by the continued
closing slide up the side of the last to the position they occupy in
Figure 6, and thus assist to draw the upper tight over the last, and the
steel plates and the heel and toe plate combine with the rubber
pieces m³, m³, in lasting the upper tight round the last.
is thus lasted it is fastened to the insole with tacks or pegs, the tacks
clinching on the iron last when the shoe is to be sewed, and when to be
pegged a wooden last is used, and the pegs fastening the upper
insole go through these portions of the shoe, and may, if driven too far,
enter the last, but this is not objectionable, because in pegging a shoe
the
pegs always enter more or less the last. The outsole is next placed
in the proper position by putting the edge against the pieces t on the side
jaws 7, and a similar gauge t¹ on the toe piece; these pieces or gauges
are adjustable, and once placed in the proper position to gauge all the
outsoles for the same sized shoe, and being fastened to the jaws 1, are
always in adjustment when the jaws are in the machine. The fastening
of the upper may be effected by hand.
When the upper
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 lasting plates so constructed and arranged as to close the
edges of the upper over the insole, as herein set forth.
Second. The movable toe piece with a capability of a tipping or
adjusting movement to enable the socket for the toe to adapt itself to
the toe of the last.

page_text: Third. The gutta percha lining to the toe piece, constructed as herein
set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the carriage and the toe piece, as herein
set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The rubber angle pieces or equivalent devices so constructed as 5
to act on the upper with a sliding movement in the same direction in
which the upper should be stitched.
Sixth. The angle pieces in combination with the lasting plates, as
herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Seventh. A jack for supporting the last in combination with the 1
lasting plates, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Eighth. Making the jack adjustable in relation to the lasting plates,
for the purpose specified.
Ninth. The gauges for placing the outsole as herein set forth.
Tenth. In lasting a shoe, drawing the upper over the insole at one 1
operation, and then securing it by tacks or pegs or other fastenings in
contradistinction to lasting a part of the upper at a time, and securing
each part as it is lasted to the upper.
Eleventh. Making the lasting plates or equivalent devices so thin
that they can be interposed between the lasted shoe and the outsole 2
without interfering with the laying of the outsole.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W*. ROB, LAKE. (L.S.)