Improvements in Machines for Folding Pieces of Flexible Material, particularly the Edges of Uppers of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES CHURCHILL MERRITT and WILLIAM
THOMPSON, both of Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Gentlemen.]
Improvements in Machines for Folding Pieces of Flexible Material,
particularly the Edges of Uppers of Boots and Shoes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 machines for folding pieces of flexible material, and
particularly the edges of uppers of boots and shoes, in order to produce a finished
margin in turning back the raw edges of the piece and pressing the backwardly
turned portion against the main body of the piece. The machine to which the
invention or improvement relates comprises a work-support upon which the piece to
be folded is laid, a thin plate or former, one edge of which has the shape which it
is desired to impart to the folded edge, said former being movable sidewise toward
and from the work-plate to descend upon and rise from the work, and a folding-jaw
located beside the work-plate and having its edge shaped to fit the edge of the
former. The work-plate and former are movable vertically together after the
former has descended upon the work, the folding-jaw at first remaining stationary
until the edge of the material has been turned upwardly, partially forming the
fold, after which the work-plate and the former remain stationary while the
folding-jaw moves over one edge of the work-plate and the former and completes
the fold, pressing the turned-over portion down upon the former. The former is
then withdrawn from the fold, and the turned-over portion is pressed against the
body of the piece.
The present invention has for its object to prevent the frictional contact of the
former with the work while the former is being withdrawn from the fold, from
displacing the work. The invention consists, first, in the combination with the
work-plate, the former, and the folding-jaw, of a clamp which moves sidewise with
the former toward and from the work-plate but does not move edgewise with the
former when it (the former) is being withdrawn from the fold, the said clamp being
interposed between the former and the work and acting to clamp or hold the work
forcibly down upon the work-plate while the former is being withdrawn from the
fold, thus preventing the displacement of the work. The invention also consists
in the combination with the parts above specified, of a flange or stop adapted to
prevent the lip folded over the former from being pulled backwardly thereby.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a folding-machine provided
with my improvement.
Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, and a side view of the
parts above said line.

page_text: Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent sectional views, illustrating the operation of
the machine and of my improvement.
Figure 8 represents a detail view hereinafter referred to.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings-
d represents the work-plate or support, which is mounted on a yielding spring-
pressed plunger c. f represents the former, which is affixed to a holder f¹ the
ends of which are fitted to slide in guides or slots fin a swinging frame comprising
arms pivoted at f to the supporting frame. The ends of the holder fare
engaged with curved slots f7 in sliding brackets f8, which are formed and arranged
so that when the former f is depressed by means provided for that purpose,
namely, an arm h bearing on the swinging frame, and a rod ' affixed to said arm
and extending downwardly through the standard a to a suitable bearing (not
shown), the former f will come to a bearing upon the upper on the work-plate d,
and its inner edge will coincide with the inner edge of the work-plate, the upper
being clamped between said former and work-plate. g represents the folding-jaw,
which is movable both horizontally and vertically the said folding-jaw being
formed to fit the edge of the former and located so that a continuation of the
downward movement of the former below the position shown in Figure 3 will
depress the work-plate below the jaw g, thus turning the edge of the upper
upwardly against the edge of the jaw g, as shown in Figure 4. The folding-jaw is
then advanced, as shown in Figure 5, folding the edge of the piece over upon the
upper side of the former, as shown clearly in Figure 6, after which the former is
withdrawn from the fold, as shown in Figure 7.
In carrying out my invention, I attach to the arm 3 of the swinging frame a
clamp i, which is interposed between the former f and the work-plate d, and is
arranged so that when the former is in its operative position the edge of the clamp
will be behind the edge of the former, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
When the former descends upon the work, the clamp descends with it, and bears
upon the work behind the edge of the former, so that when the former is
withdrawn the clamp holds the work upon the work-plate and prevents it from
being displaced by the withdrawal of the former. I prefer to make the clamp of
a piece or plate of sheet-metal, and attach it at its ends by screws to the
arms as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
When the work is coated with cement at and near the fold, to cause the turned
lip to adhere to the body portion, the lip, which is first pressed upon the former, is
caused by the cement to adhere to the former, so that when the former is withdrawn
it is liable to draw the lip with it, and thus distort the fold. To prevent this, I
attach to the swinging frame a stop k, which is arranged to bear on the upper
surface of the former at the rear edge of the lip, which is turned over on the
former and prevents the lip from moving back with the former. Said stop is
preferably a blade or strip of metal curved to correspond to the contour of the edge
of the former and provided with arms which are attached to a cross-bar 10
(Figure 8) forming a part of the swinging frame.
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 correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a folding-machine, the combination with a work-support, a former, and a
folding-jaw, arranged to co-operate substantially as described in forming a fold on
a piece of work supported by the work-plate, the former being movable edgewise
to withdraw it from the fold of a clamp interposed between the former and
work-plate and adapted to prevent displacement of the work by the edgewise
movement of the foriner.
2. In a folding-machine, the combination with a work-support, a former, and a
folding-jaw, arranged to co-operate substantially as described in forming a fold on
a piece of work supported by the work-plate, the former being movable edgewise

page_text: to withdraw it from the fold: of a stop arranged to bear on the upper surface of
the former to prevent the folded-over portion of the work from being drawn
backwardly by the former.
Dated this 24th day of October 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.