A NEW (OR IMPROVED) MACHINE FOR MAKING HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Dorman, of Stafford, in the County of
Stafford, for the Invention of "A NEW (OR IMPROVED) MACHINE FOR MAKING
HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the Sth April 1879, and dated the 10th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Dorinan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October 1878.
WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of Stafford, in the County of Stafford, Engineer.
"A NEW (OR IMPROVED) MACHINE FOR MAKING HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
The receptacles are vessels in the form of tubes whose cross section is of the
shape of a lift and the bottom ends are fitted with spring clips attached to them,
which are controlled by stops or tappets mounted on a moving part of the machine
so as to release or let go a lift at the proper time. The receptacles are used as many
in number as the lifts in the particular steel being made. They are mounted on a
frame which in one form of the machine revolves so as to bring each receptacle in
turn to the "collector," and in another it is stationary and the "collector" revolves
and visits each "receptacle" in turn. The revolution in either case is intermittent or
of a step-by-step character, so as to leave time for the "collector" to gather the
lifts. It is obtained from the main driving shaft through the medium of a "pin
wheel" or ratchet motion or other well-known suitable mechanical device, so placed
that the receptacles pass over it in their revolution.
1
The "collector" consists of a small table, it is made to move up to meet and
touch the bottom of the "receptacles." It is furnished with spring clips with an
intermittent movement, timed to take hold of the lift at the bottom of the
" receptacle” just at the moment that the clips on the receptacle are opened to let
it go. The "collector" then descends with the lift, the clips on the " receptacle
meanwhile closing on and retaining the succeeding lift; the frame then revolves a
step, another receptacle comes over the table and the movement is repeated. Tho
n
"

page_text: "
table is mounted on an elastic cushion, so that it may still perform its movements
correctly while the pile of "lifts" gradually increases in heighth.
The movements of the "table" and the "spring catches" are obtained from cams
on the driving shaft of the machine.
"
The "cementing apparatus" consists of a series of brushes fixed on the frame
which carries the "receptacles," one between each "receptacle;" these in turn pass
over a roller revolving in a box containing "gum or other "cement," then pass
over the lift last collected on the table and covers its surface with cement. The
lift next collected then sticks to its adhesive surface.
The apparatus for removing the completed pile of lifts consists of a "knocker-off
lever" carried also on the frame on which the receptacles are mounted, and so
placed as to come round and into action after the last lift has been deposited on the
*pile."
The revolution of the frame upon which it is mounted at the same time as it
brings the
"knocker-off" into a position to act upon the pile, also brings it into
connection with a cam movement on the main shaft that imparts to it the necessary
motion to sweep the pile off.
In order to impart pressure to the pile of lifts a 'pressure plate" mounted upon
a spring cushion is fixed to the frame that carries the "receptacles" in such a
position as to succeed the "receptacle" that carries the lift intended to be last on
the pile. By the next step in the revolution of the frame after the last lift is
deposited the "presser plate" comes over the pile and the upward movement of the
collecting table already described causes the pile of lifts to press against it.
When it is preferred to nail the lifts as well as or instead of connecting them the
spring prosser plate is provided with a hole or holes in which nail or nails are placed
and furnished with plungers, so that as the pile of lifts presses against it and causes
it to recede the nail or nails are forced into the pilo.
Whether the revolving movement is applied to the frame carrying the
receptacles" or to the collecting table, the "receptacles" standing still, or whether
one collecting table or more than one are used the action of the machine are similar
in character, only modified to suit the particular arrangement in each case.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Dorman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th April 1879.
WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of Stafford, in the County of Stafford. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MAKING HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
This Invention relates to that class of heels for boots and shoes that are
composed of pieces or layers of leather or other material commonly called lifts. It
consists of a machine which is constructed to pile the lifts one upon another in
their proper position to form a heel, and fasten them together in that position
sufficiently to enable them to be used in the subsequent process of bootmaking.
It comprises the following parts, viz. :-Receptacles for the lifts to be built into heels;
a collector to gather up the lifts required to form a heel in their proper position and
succession, and which visits or is visited by the receptacles or holders successively.
An attaching apparatus, which may either attach the lifts to one another by cement
or by putting one or more nails or wire through them; a presser, to press the pile
of lifts firmly together; a knocking-off apparatus to remove the pile when
finished.
The machine may be constructed as follows:-The receptacles or lift holders are
vessels that partake of the character of tubes whose cross section is adapted to the
shape of a lift, and the bottom ends of which are fitted with spring clips which are
controlled by stops or tappets mounted on a moving part of a machine so as to
release a lift at the proper time. The receptacles are used, as many in number.
as the lifts in the particular heel being made. They are mounted on a
frame which may either revolve or travel so as to bring each receptacle or
holder in turn to the collector, or may be stationery and the collector visit each
receptacle in turn, the movement in either case is intermittent or of a step-by-stop
character so as to leave time for the collector to gather the lifts. It is obtained
from the main driving shaft through the medium of pin wheel or ratchet motion
or other well-known suitable mechanical device.
The collector consists of a small table, so placed that the receptacles or holders
pass over it in their revolution. It is made to move up to meet and touch the
bottom of the lift holders. It is furnished with spring clips with an intermittent
movement timed to take hold of the lift at the bottom of the holder just at the
moment that the clips on the lift holder are open to let it go. The collector then
descends with the lift, the clips on the holder mean while closing on and retaining
the succeeding lift. The frame then revolves a step, another lift holder comes over
the table and the movement is repeated. The table is mounted on a spring, so
that it may still perform its movements correctly while the pile of lifts gradually
increases in height. The movements of the table and the spring catches are
obtained from cams on the main shaft of the machine.
The attaching apparatus may be made in various ways. It may consist of an
apparatus for touching each lift in succession with a cementing material, or it may
be an apparatus for putting one or more nails into the pile of lifts. In this latter
case the spring pressor plate is provided with one or more holes furnished with
plungers, in which nails are placed, so that as the pile of lifts presses against,it and
causes it to recede the nail or nails are driven into the pile.
The presser consists of a plate mounted upon a spring cushion fixed to the frame
that carries the lift holders in such a position as to succeed the holder that carries
the lift intended to be last on the pile. By the next step in the revolution of the
frame after the last lift is deposited the "pressure plate" comes over the pile, and the
upward movement of the collecting tables already described causes the pile of lifts
to press against it.
The apparatus for removing the completed pile of lifts consists of a "knocker-off"
lever, carried also on the frame on which the lift holders are mounted, and so placed
as to come round and into action after the pile of lifts have been under the

page_text: "
A is the frame of the machine.
B, B, two circular frames fixed to a spindle.
C, which is carried in bearings D, D, attached to the frame A. Fixed to the
lower part of this spindle is a pin wheel E, by means of which the spindle and
frame C, B, receive intermittent rotating motion from the main shaft F, which is
actuated from any convenient source of motion by means of a band to the pulley G.
The end of the main shaft F is provided with a crack pin f, which engages with
the pins e, e, of the pin wheel E, the obvious effect of this arrangement being that
while the main shaft F revolves uniformly the spindle C will receive an inter-
mittent motion from it, being moved only as long as the crank pin f is engaged with
a pin e, and when the crank pin ƒ descending disengages itself from pin e the
spindle C comes to rest, and remains so until the crank pin f continuously revolving
engages itself with the next pin e. The pitch of the pins e and their lengths and
the stroke of the crank pin fand the relative position of the centre line of main
shaft F are so adjusted to each other that this action shall proceed smoothly and
continuously, the spindle C and frames B being moved each time at the distance
required.
The circumference of the fraines B, B, are divided equally to correspond with the
number of pins e, e, in pin wheel E, and a number of these divisions are supplied
with holders or receptacles I, I, in which are placed the supplies of lifts of each
size respectively required for building up any given size of wheel. As many of
these holders are used at one time as the kind of heel to be produced requires lifts.
In order to lay up the lifts evenly and regularly it is necessary they should fit the
holder I very correctly. To accomplish this the holders are made adjustable, so as
to be capable of fitting any size of lift within certain limits.
The holders, consist of a back plate (i) and of three stays brackets (c, c, c²), and
of four guide rods (a, a, b, b,). Two of these a, a, are attached by slotted holes to
the back plate i and two (b, b) to the stays (c, c,) by means of the little slotted
brackets (d, d). There are fixed to the bottom stay by means of screws and
slots two brackets (g, g). These carry the catches (, ) that retain the lifts in the
holders. The catches are caused to press against the lifts by the springs (j, j.), and
are made to retire or open by the long tails of the catches (h), as will be hereafter
explained. Since the guide rods (a, a,) are attached to the back plate i and stays
c, c, c', by means of slots, it is obvious that by moving them in or out any lift
within certain limits may be fitted sufficiently exactly, and as the catch brackets
(g, g.) are also attached by slots they can be made to follow the guide rods. The
stays are made with a joint at (c', c², c¹). The purpose of this is that the two front
stay rods (b, b,) can be taken clear away when it is required to fill the holders with
lifts.

page_text: In the centre of the frame A there is a table "J" upon which the lifts are built or
piled. This table is supported on a spring (m) contained in a case (N) which is
cylindrical in form and turned outside so as to fit and slide in a bored guide hole (n)
in the table A. The case N is provided with a roller (o) which runs on a cam (0)
on the main shaft F. As the main shaft revolves the cam (O) alternately raises
and lowers the case N, and with it the tablo J at determined intervals. The
"
""
cam O" is fixed on the shaft in such a position in relation to the crank pin f that
just at the time the spindle C with its frames B carrying the holders is coming to
rest the table J is rising to meet that holder which happens to be over it, for the
holders I, I, and pins e, e, are so related to each other that whenever spindle C
comes to rest a holder is over the centre of table J or at least a symetrical
division of the frame B, as will be hereafter more fully described. The length of
the stem J¹ is so adjusted that the cam O shall raise the table so as to press
against the ends of the holder I and slightly compress the spring (m). There is a
"dwell" then for a short space, and then a further step on the cam raises the case N
a little further, say about 1/8 of an inch, compressing the spring "m
still more.
The case N has a flange "p" on the top side upon which is fixed a plate "q."
Two brackets "7, 8," are fixed on this plate opposite to each other; horizontal
sliding rods t and t' are fitted to each of these, each armed at its point with a claw
to lay hold of the lifts. In the bracket "" the claw t is single so as to take hold
of a narrow portion of the round part or back of the lift. The claw ton bracket 8
is double so as to take hold of the straight side or breast of the lift; by this means
the lift is grasped at three points. On the sliding rod t¹ is fitted a spiral spring t
which serves to continually press the claw t towards the lift. Turning on a pin at
the lower part of the brackets "8" is a bell-crank lever t³, one arm of which, to,
takes against a pin in the sliding rod, and the other t is acted upon by the vertical
rod"." The vertical rod น "is coupled to a lever ' turning on a pin at u²;
the free end of this lever is furnished with a roller u³ which runs on a cam P on
the main shaft. The rotation of the cam P causes the rod u to rise and fall at
regular intervals; as it rises it lifts the bell-crank arm t, and by means of the
opposite arm to and the pin in the sliding rod withdraws the claw t in opposition
to the spring t. The cam P is so shaped and timed that it withdraws the claw as
soon as the table touches the holder, and releases it to return again as soon as the
second lift of the cam O has taken place and immediately before table commences
to descend.
Since in building heel lifts together the breasts of all the lifts, whatever their
size, are laid evenly to the same line; the claw t3 only requires a short and
unvarying movement. The claw in bracket "," on the other hand, requires to
be capable of acting equally well on the lift at varying distances from the centre of
the table. Since lifts differ in size, and the variation in the measurement from
back to breast, as just explained, takes place in one direction only, this peculiarity
renders it needful that the claw t should be acted on in a rather different way from
the claw . The cam Q, lever V₁, pivot V, roller Vs, vertical rod V, and bell
crank W communicate to the claw similar motion to that received by claw t³ and
at exactly the same time, but as a claw t requires to alter its position in reference to
the centre of the table from time to time independently of the motion it receives
from the cam Q, the bell crank W takes hold of the sliding rod in a different way.
Upon the sliding rod there is fitted freely a socket x which is coupled to the arm W¹
of the bell crank by links x' working on a pin; in the socket is a lever ² furnished
with a tooth acting on the rod t in such a manner that as long as the lever ³ is
held up the tooth bites into the rod and holds the socket firmly upon it at whatever
part it may happen to be at the moment of biting. The spring holds the lever
up continually and retains the socket a fixture on the rod, so that the bell crank W
can impart to it whatever motion it may receive from the cam Q. On the main
shaft is fixed a cam x', and in connection with it a lever and pivot a furnished
with a roller running on the cam and a vertical rod a³. The vertical rod 8
passes through a hole in the lever ², and is provided with double nuts
which.

page_text: form an adjustable collar. The cam is so shaped and timed that the vortical
rod is suffered to fall just at the same moment that the claw is about to return
after having been withdrawn. As the rod falls the collar touches the lever
and relaxes the hold of the tooth on the sliding rod, which, being free, then imme-
diately carries the claw t forward by the force of the spring W* until it meets the
lift; and when, by the continued revolution of the cam x, the lever ³ is relieved
from the pressure of the vertical rod and resumes its place, the socket is cramped to
the rod at the spot it happens to occupy, and that in turn depends upon the size of
the lift under action at the time. The main shaft F being set in motion the crank
pin engages with the nearest of the pins c, and brings round one of the holders I
over the centre of the table and leaves it at rest there. Meantime the table J rises
and touches the holder and comes to rest; the cams P and Q then withdraw their
respective claws, and immediately the case N, with plate q and all that it carries,
make their second but slight upward movement, which the table J of course cannot
share. As the plate q rises the two side tappets (y, y,), take against the tails of
the catches "," and withdrawing them, allow the column of lifts to rest on table J,
in reality being supported by spring (m) as soon as the second upward movement
imparted by the cam O is completed and the plate 9 comes to rest again, and
the cams S and Q suffer the claws to return suddenly and catch in the lift that lies
between them; as soon as this is accomplished the cam O allows the case N and
plate to descend, and since the claws are firmly embedded in the lift they hold
the table also fast upon which it lies, and do not allow it to rise under the influence
of spring (m). The table J continues to descend as cam O revolves until the lowest
point is reached, and the table is, say, an inch or more clear of the holder; by this
time the crank pin ƒ has engaged again with the next pine and brings round
another holder I over the table and the process is repeated. Each time a fresh lift
is taken the table depresses still more the spring "m" until the pile is completed.
The object of the second rise in cam O is to enable the claws t2, t, to let go the lift
they are holding, and ascending a little to lay hold of the one above, that is to say,
'the lowest in the holder that is then over the table.
be
It is unnecessary to fasten the lifts together; by some means they can
cemented or fastened with one or two nails or pieces of wire. In the machine
herein described they are to be cemented, and the following cementing apparatus
may be used; but I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the use of this
particular cementing apparatus as part of my Invention. R is a wax pot of the
ordinary character heated by a gas jet underneath, and the cementing material is
shoemakers' wax.
On the main shaft is a cam R¹, R³, a lever working on pivot R³ with a roller
running on the cam; R* is a vertical rod that connects to a short arm R³ on a
shaft R lying in bearings on the frame; this shaft is supplied with a lever R7 with
a pad on the end of it. As the cam R¹ revolves it causes the lever R7 to dip into
the wax pot at intervals. The position of this mechanism is such, and the pro-
portion of the parts and the time so adjusted, that during the interval that the
holders I, I, are at rest the lever R' rises out of the wax pot, and strikes against
the middle of the bottom lift in the holder next about to move over the
table, and leaves on it a portion of wax which then serves to stick it to the upper-
most lift on the table as soon as they touch.
When the pile is finished building it is found desirable to press it, so as to cause
the lifts to adhere more strongly together. This is accomplished by means of a
presser S which occupies a place symmetrical with the holders I, I, on the frames
B, B. It consists of a small platten S¹ which works freely in a guide hole in
presser bar "S," but strongly pressed downward by a spring S³.
This presser is placed on the frame next to the holder containing the last or
topmost lift of the pile, and as the crank pin frevolves it is brought over the table
next after the topmost lift is deposited and the table with its pile of lifts rises up
against it; but in order to obtain a greater pressure than the spring (m) will
afford a block & is placed under the table suitable to the height of the pile, and this

page_text: by arresting the descent of the table when it touches the presser platten S¹ causes
the spring S to come into action and strongly squeeze the pile. The plattem St is
notched opposite the claws to prevent their touching it and so being injured.
The pile is now finished and only requires to be removed from the machine to
make way for another. This is done by the knocking-off apparatus T which is
placed on the frame B symmetrically with the holders I, I, and next after the
presser S. T¹ is a light rod working in a slide T and held up by a spring Ts; a
lever T is coupled to the rod T¹ carried on a pivot Ts in an arm projecting from
frame B. The tail of the lever projects outwards beyond the pivot T; T is a cam
on main shaft furnished with a lever and roller T7 and a vertical rod T8 passing
through a guide hole in the frame.
After the pile has been pressed the next turn of the main shaft brings forward the
"knocking-off apparatus," and the light rod T' stands over the centre of the table,
and the tail of the lever T stands over the centre of the verticle rod T. The cam
To is so timed that at the moment the claws relax the hold of the pile the rod T¹
is pressed down upon it by the riso of vertical rod T and prevents it being thrown
off by the resilience of spring (m). T is a cam on main shaft made both with a
rise on the edge T10 and also a groove T.
The lever T is capable of moving sideways by the swivelling of its joint T¹³ as
well as on its pivot Z³, and it is furnished with a roller to run on the cam
and another to run in the gooove, so that its top. end T travels in a curvilinear
path; T is the knocker-off lever held back by a spring T16, and furnished with
an adjustable sweeper T" and a projecting arm T18. The cam T is so timed that
the lever T¹ moves sideways out of the way at the time the "knocker-off" lever is
moving past it by the rotation of the frame B and then returns, and as soon as the
claws are withdrawn and the pile is only held by the rod 1, the lever T under
the action of cum To comes forward, and taking against the projecting arm T¹s of thic
"knocker-off" lever brings the sweeper T" against the pile. At this moment the
cam To liberates the rod T¹, and the pile quite free yields to the onward movement
of tho "knocker-off" lever and is swept off the machine. Sometimes when double
lifts are being worked it is necessary to use an adjustable stop Z to prevent the
table from rising too high.
When the structure and action of claw and its actuating mechanism are con-
sidered, it will be perceived that while claw t can adjust itself to take hold
successively of lifts equal in size or diminishing it cannot adjust itself from a small
to grasp a larger lift, and this of necessity it must do every new pile it commences.
To enable it the contrivance Y is resorted to. It consists of an arm Y extending
from the frame B, and placed upon it symmetrically with the holders I, I, pivoting
on the pin Y'; there is a bell crank, and the arm Y² of which is formed into a
fork, which when the apparatus Y is at rest over the table straddles across the
rod T, and the dimensions are so proportioned that when the table rises to its
highest point it nearly touches the arm Y The arm Ys of the bell crank is pro-
vided with a counterbalance, so that it causes the arm Y to hang as far towards
the centre of the table as the construction will allow. Upon the plate "q" is an
upright stud Y* so placed as to be directly under the arm Y when it is at rest
over the table; as the plate q rises the stud Y* takes against the arm Y³, and
raising it causes the arm Y to move away from the centre of table J, and carry
with it by means of the cross pin Y the rod t and claw t².
This movement is timed to take place when the vertical rod 8 has released rod t
from the action of the tooth of lever . The length of motion of arm Y² is such
that the claw t is carried far enough back to take hold of the largest size lift
required, and the rod t is not released from the control of arm Y until the vertical
rod has once more allowed the tooth of lever to grip and retain rod t.
As the cementing pad R7 rises, for every revolution of the main shaft it would if
permitted touch the first lift and also the " presser" to obviate this there is a stop
fixed on all the parts liable, which takes against a moving part on shaft Rº, prevents
the pad rising when not required to do so.
-

page_text: Having now described my Invention and the way it may be carried into practical
effect, I say that what I claim as my Invention is,―
A. machine for building or piling lifts together to form the heels of boots or shoes
as described in the foregoing Specifications.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Dorman, have hereunto set
iny hand and seal, this Eight day April, in the year of our Lord 1879.
WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN. (L.S.)