AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS
AND SHOES.”—A communication from abroad by Francis D. Ballou,
of Abington, and George W. Copcland, of Malden, both in Massa-
chusetts. United States of America. Gentlemen.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lako
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Letition,
on the 27th November 1874.
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 "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LASTING
BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication, to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object the lasting of boots and shoes with
rapidity and precision by machinery. .

page_text: The said machine has two jaws formed at the edges in plan to lap
upon the last a moderate distance when closed along a line parallel to
the outer conformation of the last, and in clevation to correspond with
the curved under surface of the last. These jaws are arranged upon
levers of the first order, which are pivoted in slots in the frame of the 5
machine, allowing the said jaws to bo raised and lowered parallel to the
sides of the last. Another lever of the first order, having arms which
take hold of the jaw frame, serves to lift the jaws and toggles with its
handle to close the jaws.
Standards at either end of the machine carry lasting plates, which 1
project inward towards the shoe to fold the upper over at the toe and
heel, and are adjusted by set screws and slots. The last is hung upon
a spindle or bracket secured to one standard, or to the frame of the
machine, with the toe resting on a toe block.
It is intended, instead of drawing the leather up on the last by 1
pulling it at its edges, to compress it upon the last by an automatically
fitting bandage.
A girth of a more or less clastic material, so shaped as to be drawn
tightly around the upper from instep to toe on top, and which on closing
the plates fit tightly with a firm pressure upon the upper, is attached to 2
the lasting plates on top by clamping plates.
In most instances the lasting can be perfectly accomplished by this
device only, but if the leather on the heel is thick, heavy, and unman-
ageable I apply another girth from the plates around the heel part of
the shoe.
These girths pass over the edge of the plates, which are slightly
rounded. Good" pure packing" can be employed for these girths, and
materials of much less elasticity than rubber. The girths, coming
in contact with the upper along a line most remote from the lines
of union between the upper and insole, compress it upon the last
along that line, and the girths then compress the upper on the last
from the most remote line over regularly succeeding areas till the surplus
margin is folded on the last bottom ready for tacking.
The shoc may be moved relatively to the jaws, as well as the jaws
alatial to the shoo
2

page_text: ·SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 19th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltinc, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth 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, adminis-
trators, 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
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication
to me from abroad by Francis D. Ballou, of Abingdon, and George W.
Copeland, of Malden, both in Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentlemen, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert, Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
"
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 accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention has for its object the lasting of boots and shoes with
rapidity and precision by the machinery herein-after described, and
which is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: In the said Drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said
machine.
Figure 2 is a section of the parts showing the said Invention.
Two jaws D, E, are formed at the edges in plan to lap upon the last
a moderate distance when closed along a line parallel to the outer con- 5
formation of the last, and in clevation to correspond with the curved
under surface of the last. These jaws are arranged upon levers of the
first order F, I, and J, which are pivoted in slots in the frame of the
machine, allowing the jaws D, E, to be raised and lowered parallel to
the sides of the last. Another lover of the first order K, having arms L, 1
which take hold of the jaw frame F, I, J, serves to lift the jaws, and
the toggles G, H, with the handle M serve to close the jaws.
Standards A and B at either end of the machine carry lasting plates b
and b, which project inward toward the shoe to fold the upper over at
the toe and heel, and are adjusted by set screws and slots. The last C 1
is hung upon a spindle or bracket secured to the standard B or to
the frame of the machine with the toe resting on toc block a.
Thus far this machine has a great resemblance to a machine for which
Letters Patent have been already granted. But as this machine is
intended for lasting shoes without welts the leather must be strained?
upon the last by other means.
And as it is intended, instead of drawing the leather up on the last by
pulling it at its edges to compress it upon the last by an automatically
fitting bandage, I have made use of this part of the said former
machine to wrap the bandage properly and tightly upon the upper.
A girth O of a more or less clastic material shaped to be drawn
tightly around the upper from instep to toe on top, and which on closing
the plates D, E, fits tightly with a firm pressure every part it touches
of the upper, is attached to the lasting plates D, E, on top by clamping
plates p.
In most instances the lasting can be perfectly accomplished by this
device only, but if the leather on the heel is thick, heavy, and unman-
ageable I apply another girth O' from the plates D, E, around the heel
part of the shoe.
33
These girths pass over the edge of the plates D, E, which are slightly
rounded. Good "pure packing can be employed for these girths, and
even materials of much less clasticity than rubber.

page_text: plates near the edges thereof, and drawn by the closing of the plates
over the edge of the sole, as and for the purpose described.
Eighth. In combination with horizontally closing jaws carrying lasting
plates D, E, shaped to conform to the under surface of the last, the
girth O¹, shaped as described, and shewn attached to said lasting plates
near the edges thereof, and drawn by the closing of the plates over the
edge of the sole, as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy- 1
five
Witness,
HY. JA. NOONE,
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)