Improvements in Appliances or Devices for use in Lasting Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1882
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances or Devices for use in Lasting Boots
and Shoes.
A communication from abroad by HEINRICH BOLDT, in Spaichingen, in the
Kingdom of Würtemberg, Watch-spring Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The stretching or pulling of the upper leather on the lasts in boot and shoe
manufactures has hitherto been done by pulling with grippers, for which purpose a
considerable expenditure of strength was requisite especially in strongly curved
parts such, for instance, as where corns occur, in order to stretch the upper leather
so as to lie smoothly on the last.
If, for healthy strong workmen, such abnormal foot-work is an especially
arduous task, the same is so much the harder for weak or consumptive persons if
a well shaped boot is to be produced.
A further drawback to the use of the usual grippers or pincers is that the work-
man has only one hand free for the insertion of the tacks which hold the pulled
upper leather on the last, as, with the other hand, he must hold the pincers fast
until the tacks are partly pressed into the last, and then only can the latter be
hammered in by the nippers, during which time, however, the leather, which has
been drawn up, often slips and thus a repeated manipulation becomes necessary.
The above named drawbacks are removed by this invention in a simple and sure
manner.
Reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings and to the figures
and letters of reference marked thereon :-
Figure 1 is a side view of the improved appliance or device pulling up a leather
over a last.
Figure 2 is a side view of a portion of the grippers or pincers with a modi-
fication, as hereinafter described, in connection therewith.
Figure 3 is a section on line x x of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section on line y y of Figure 3.
The new improved appliance or device consists of grippers or pincers with a
screw apparatus for pressing together the toothed jaws, for the purpose of holding
the leather firm, in combination with a screw spindle with an adjustable heel piece,
through the action of which the pulling of the leather is performed in an even,
quiet and easy manner.
The jaws a a' of the pincers are provided with teeth engaging in one another, in
which the leather, which is to be pulled, is pressed in a wavy manner and held
firm. The shanks b and c of the pincers are adjustably connected in front by the
pivot d. A screw spindlef, which is firmly attached to the shank c, passes through
the shank b, and the jaws a a¹ of the pincers are opened or closed on suitably
turning the winged nut f¹ fixed on this spindle.
The opening and closing of the jaws may also be effected by means of a lever
apparatus.
The lower shank c is curved off at right angles downwardly and is bored here
at a suitable place and provided with a suitable thread in which the spindle 9,.
together with the handle g¹, is screwed. The horizontal part of the shank c is
provided with runners h on which the heel block k, which has guide grooves i and

page_text: is suitably attached to the screw spindle g, can travel backwards and forwards,
accordingly as the spindle g is revolved. The heel block is somewhat chamfered
to correspond to the last and is provided with a soft coating 1 of leather, india-
rubber, etcetera, in order to prevent any damage to the upper leather.
The mode of working the above described apparatus is as follows :—
When the upper m is firmly fixed on the last n, the same is brought into a
suitable place in the toothed jaws a a¹ of the pincers, and by turning, the wing
nut is gripped between the teeth, the heel piece is then screwed forward by
turning the spindle g until it rests against the last n and encounters a resistance
there; on the spindle screw being further turned, the pincers attached to the same
are drawn more and more back, and the leather, which is firmly held by the same,
is drawn tighter on to the last n and over all the irregularities of the same. Any
tearing of the leather at the gripping points or any perforating of the same, such
as takes place during the pulling on with the usual pincers, is prevented, as the
leather, at these points, is firmly pressed on the last by the heel block k, and,
therefore, the pull from the opposite side on the lasting pegs cannot act upon it. In
order to prevent any slipping away of the device from the last, a band p is attached
to the heel piece k, which is placed round the shoe or boot after the drawing on
of the leather, and is attached to the last by means of tacks.
In order, also, to be able to use the apparatus as simple lasting grippers or
pincers, a small block q, Figure 2, may be screwed on under the jaw a', in order
that, by placing the same on the last during the drawing on of the leather, a
rocking motion of the pincers may be produced, and thereby the leather be drawn up
more easily.
Dated this 18th day of Jul. 1901
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Per John Hayes,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances or Devices for use in Lasting Boots
and Shoes.
A communication by HEINRICH BOLDT, in Spaichingen, in the Kingdom of
Würtemberg, Watch-spring Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
-
The stretching or pulling of the upper leather on the lasts in boot and shoe
manufactures has hitherto been done by pulling with grippers, for which purpose a
considerable expenditure of strength was requisite especially in strongly curved
parts such, for instance, as where corns occur, in order to stretch the upper leather
so as to lie smoothly on the last.
If, for healthy strong workmen, such abnormal footwork is an especially arduous
task, the same is so much the harder for weak or consumptive persons if a well
shaped boot is to be produced.
A further drawback to the use of the usual grippers or pincers is that the work-
man has only one hand free for the insertion of the tacks which hold the pulled
upper leather on the last, as, with the other hand, he must hold the pincers fast
until the tacks are partly pressed into the last, and then only can the latter be
hammered in by the nippers, during which time, however, the leather, which has
been drawn up, often slips and thus a repeated manipulation becomes necessary.

page_text: The above named drawbacks are removed by this invention in a simple and sure
manner.
Reference being had to the sheet of drawings filed with the Provisional Specifi-
cation and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon:
Figure 1 is a side view of the improved appliance or device pulling up a leather
over a last.
Figure 2 is a side view of a portion of the grippers or pincers with a modification,
as hereinafter described, in connection therewith.
Figure 3 is a section on line of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section on line y y of Figure 3.
The new improved appliance or device consists of grippers or pincers in a screw
apparatus for pressing together the toothed jaws, for the purpose of holding the
leather firm, in combination with a screw spindle with an adjustable heel piece,
through the action of which the pulling of the leather is performed in an even, quiet
and easy manner.
The jaws a a' of the pincers are provided with teeth engaging in one another,
in which the leather, which is to be pulled, is pressed in a wavy manner and held
firm. The shanks b and c of the pincers are adjustably connected in front by the
pivot d. A screw spindle f, which is firmly attached to the shank c, passes through
the shank b, and the jaws a a¹ of the pincers are opened or closed on suitably turning
the winged nut f' mounted on this spindle.
The opening and closing of the jaws may also be effected by means of a lever
apparatus.
The lower shank c is curved off at right angles downwardly and is bored here at
a suitable place and provided with a suitable thread in which the spindle g, together
with the handle g', is screwed. The horizontal part of the shank c is provided with
runners on which the heel block k, which has guide grooves i and is suitably
attached to the screw spindle g, can travel backwards and forwards, accordingly as
the spindle g is revolved. The heel block is somewhat chamfered to correspond to
the last and is provided with soft coating 1 of leather, indiarubber, etcetera, in order
to prevent any damage to the upper leather.
The mode of working the above described apparatus is as follows:-
When the upper m is firmly fixed on the last n, the same is brought into a suitable
place in the toothed jaws a a¹ of the pincers, and by turning, the wing nut f¹ is
gripped between the teeth, the heel piece k is then screwed forward by turning the
spindle g until it rests against the last n and encounters a resistance there; on the
spindle screw being further turned, the pincers attached to the same are drawn more
and more back, and the leather, which is firmly held by the same, is drawn tighter
on to the last n and over all the irregularities of the same. Any tearing of the
leather at the gripping points or any perforating of the same, such as takes place
during the pulling on with the usual pincers, is prevented, as the leather, at these
points, is firmly pressed on the last by the heel block k, and, therefore, the pull from
the opposite side on the lasting pegs cannot act upon it. In order to prevent any
slipping away of the device from the last, a band p is attached to the heel piece k,
which is placed round the shoe or boot after the drawing on of the leather, and is
attached to the last by means of tacks.
In order, also, to be able to use the apparatus as simple lasting grippers or pincers,
a small block q, Figure 2, may be screwed on under the jaw a, in order that, by
placing the same on the last during the drawing on of the leather, a rocking
motion of the pincers may be produced, and thereby the leather be drawn up more
easily.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improvements in appliances or devices for use in lasting boots and shoes
which consist of grippers or pincers, the toothed jaws (a a¹) of which may, by the

page_text: action of a screw (f) inserted in the shank (6), be brought together by the winged
nut (f) or be opened by means of suitable lever-locking appliances, and closed so
as to hold the upper leather fast, whilst on the lower shank (c), provided with
runners (h), a heel block (k), provided with guide grooves (i), is pushed, by means of
a screw spindle (g), against the last (n), whereby the grippers or pincers are pushed 5
back and pull the upper leather (m); such an appliance or device being capable of
use as independent or simple lasting grippers or pincers by screwing a small block (9)
under the jaw as at a¹.
001 .
L 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.