Improvements relating to the Channelling of Boot and Shoe Soles and other Leather Work, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Channelling of Boot and Shoe Soles
and other Leather Work, and to Apparatus therefor.
We, ALBERT. EDWARD JOHNSON and CYRUS HERBERT PORTER, both of
65, Centre Street, Brockton, in the County of Plymouth and State of Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the channelling of boot and shoe soles or other leather
stock for the reception of a line of stitching, and to apparatus therefor.
Our said invention consists in the method of forming the channel and turning
back the flap of said channel at the same time that the stitching is being done,
and in the combination with the stitch forming and work feeding mechanisms of
a sewing machine of a channel cutter and flap turner constructed and arranged to
operate upon the sole or other article being sewed just in advance of the needle
and awl and cut a section of an incision beneath a portion of the stock and raise
and turn back the flap thus formed during the formation of each stitch of the line
of sewing.
It further consists in certain novel features of construction arrangement and com-
bination of parts which will be readily understood by reference to the description
of the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a sewing machine as is necessary to
illustrate our invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line ae of Figure 3.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the channel cutting and flap turning tool and its
carrying lever.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the same viewed at right angles to Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of a sole illustrating one form of channel, and
Figure 7 is a similar section illustrating another form of channel.
The drawings illustrate our invention as applied to a lock-stitch sewing machine,
but our invention is equally applicable to any of the well known wax thread sewing
machines now in general use, it only being necessary to slightly modify the form
of the tool carrying lever, and the arm for operating the same to adapt them to
the different styles of machine without in the least affecting the principles of
operation.
A is the bed-plate of the head of the machine which is in practice mounted
upon a column of suitable height not shown. B is the cam shaft which is
nounted in bearings formed in the upper ends of two standards set in opposite
ends of said plate A.
The bed also has secured to the upper side thereof the stands C, D and E upon
which are mounted respectively the shuttle case C₁, the feed slide D', and the
levers F, G, H, I and J. The stand C also carries the stud a upon which is
mounted the needle segment a' with the teeth of which the toothed segment
formed on the front end of the lever F engages to impart to said segment and
the needle a a vibratory motion about the axis of said stud, said lever F
having mounted upon a stud set therein a roll which fits into and is acted
upon by the cam path in a well known manner. The feed slide D¹ has set
therein a stud c upon which is mounted the toothed segment c¹ which carries
the awl to which a vibratory motion is imparted by the lever G which has
formed upon its front end a toothed segment which engages with the awl

page_text: segment and has mounted upon a stud set therein the roll es which is fitted
to and acted upon by the cam path d shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.
The lever H carries at its front end the loop spreader d and is vibrated by
the face cam d².
The lever I is provided at its front end with a toothed segment shown only
in dotted lines in Figure 2 that engages with the pinione firmly secured upon
the rear end of the shaft of the shuttle carrier, said lever I being vibrated to
impart a reciprocating rotary motion to the shuttle K by the cam path el shown
in dotted lines in Figure 2, acting upon a roll mounted upon a stud set therein.
The presser foot is secured to the lower end of the bar f¹ fitted to a bearing
in the feed slide D and pivoted at its upper end to the front end of the lever L
fulcrumed on said slide and provided at its rear end with an anti-friction roll
upon which the face cam y acts to depress the presser-foot said roll being kept in
contact with the cam by a spring g'.
The needle guide h, the looper i, and the work support together with all the
parts heretofore described are constructed arranged and operated in a well known
manner.
Our channelling device consists of a lever J made in two parts and adjust-
ably secured together by the screws passing through slots in the part
and screwing into the part said lever being pivoted at k¹ to a stand secured
to or formed in one piece with the presser-bar and the lower end of the part
is provided with an oblique slide to receive the channelling tool which is also
adjustable laterally of said lever. The upper portion of the part of the lever J
has formed upon its edge the cam projection je to be acted upon by a roll m to move
said lever in one direction around its fulcrum pin the spring n serving to move
said lever in the opposite direction and keep the cam edge of said lever generally
in contact with the roll m.
In the case illustrated in the drawing the roll mis mounted upon a stud set in
the end of the lever or arm K which may be secured to the hub of, or formed in
one piece with, the needle operating lever F as shown.
The channelling tool is provided with a cutting knife edge o arranged oblique
to the surface of the work support and made of a width equal to the desired width
of channel to be cut, and with a share o' which serves to lift and turn back the flap
of leather cut under by the knife.
Our invention may be used successfully upon any of the well known wax thread
machines now in use, only slight changes in the form of the tool carrying lever and
in the mounting of the truck m being necessary to adapt it to either of said
machines, which changes would not affect the principles of operation, and hence
we do not wish to be limited in our claims to its use on any particular sewing
machine.
The operation of our invention is as follows :—
The several parts being in the positions shown in the drawings and a shoe sole
being placed with its projecting edge upon the work support and with its tread
surface uppermost with the presser foot resting thereon, if the cam shaft be revolved
in the direction indicated by the arrow 2 of Figures 1 and 2 the awl c² will be
moved upward through the sole, the awl, its segment and the foed slide D' are then
moved toward the left of Figure 3 to feed the work a distance equal to the length
of the stitch desired the presser foot and the channelling tool resting upon the work
and the work support yielding to relieve the pressure on the sole while the feed is
taking place.
The awl then commences to recede and is withdrawn from the sole and the needle
is moved about the axis of its segment and descends, through the hole formed by
the awl, to receive the needle thread which is laid into its barb by the looper i in a
well known manner.
When the needle begins to move towards the sole the roll m begins to move
upward in contact with the cam edge of the upper arm of the lever J, and when
the needle has passed well through the work said roll m acting upon the lower

page_text: incline of the cam projection causes a movement of the channelling tool towards
the right of Figure 3 and the knife o to cut a short section of a channel in the
upper or tread surface of the sole and the part o' to turn the flap or leather under
cut by said knife upward and backward so as to be out of the path of the awl at its
next upward movement.
As the roll m passes over the upper incline of the cam projection; the spring n
causes a movement of the lever J and the channelling tool in the opposite
direction.
The needle thread having been laid into the barb of the needle by the looper i
the motion of the lever F and arm K is reversed the needle begins to recede and the
roll m moving downward over the upper incline of the cam projection causes
the lever J to be moved about its fulcrum so as to move the channelling tool
towards the right of Figure 3 again and as the roll passes down the lower incline
of said projection the tool recedes. When the needle is in its lowest position the
slide D, the presser foot and the awl and awl segment are returned towards the
right of Figure 3 to the position shown in the drawings, and when the needle is
fairly withdrawn from the work and the stitch is completed the awl is again moved
upward through the sole the work is fed toward the left of Figure 3, the awl is
withdrawn, the needle descends through the sole, and another section of the channel
flap is under cut and turned upward and backward as before described.
By the use of our invention a great saving is made in the manufacture of sewed
boots and shoes by virtue of the fact that the whole cost of channelling the sole
and turning back the flap as now practised is saved, as with our device the
channelling and turning back the flap is done while the sole is being sewed, without
extra labour and at the same speed that the sewing alone can be done. The
channelling tool shown in the drawings shows its cutting blade inclined so as to cut
an incision oblique to the surface of the sole, see Figure 6 but for some kinds of
work we make said blade so as to make an angular incision the main body of which
is parallel to the tread surface of the sole, as shown in Figure 7.
The lever J is so arranged and operated that the cutting action of the channelling
tool takes place when the needle is in the work and just before it completes its
downward stroke, but this is not absolutely essential, as it may take place earlier in
the downward stroke of the needle, or during the upward and rearward stroke of
the needle if desired but we prefer to do the cutting during the last part of the
downward movement of the needle, or during the first part of the upward movement
of the needle.
The roll may be mounted on or connected to any other moving part of the
machine that will give the desired movement at the right time.
It is very necessary that the channelling tool should have a reciprocating or
vibratory movement given thereto in order that it may be lifted with the presser-
foot when the awl and presser-foot are moved back, or towards the right
of Figure 3, after feeding the work to the left without causing injury to the flup
which has been cut under by the cutting blade which would necessarily be the case
if it was lifted without being moved back after cutting a section of the channel.
We are aware that attachments have been applied to sewing machines for cutting
a groove in the surface of the sole or in the bottom of a previously formed
channel, at the same time that the sewing is being done, by cutting out a portion of
the stock which is entirely removed and discarded as waste material.
We are also aware that attachments have been used on sewing machines for
cutting an incision in the sole at right angles to its outer or inner surface without
removing any stock or turning up any flap, and also that machines have been made
for cutting an incision under a portion of the material of the sole to form a flap,
and pricking said flap to determine where the awl or needle shall be inserted in
sewing the welt to the inner sole by hand, and hence we make no claim to any of
these devices, but we are not aware that prior to our invention an attachment had
been used on a sewing machine adapted to cut an incision under a portion of the
stock of the outer sole just in advance of the needle which forms the stitch, and

page_text: at the same time to raise and turn back the portion of the sole, so cut under, so
that the needle and awl can perform their functions of forming a stitch without
injury to the flap which is to be subsequently turned down over the seam to hide it
from view.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The improvement in the art of channelling boot and shoe soles and other
leather stock which consists in cutting a short section of the channel and turning
upward and backward the portion of stock so cut under just in advance of the
sewing and at the same time the sewing is being done.
Second. In combination with the stitch forming and work feeding mechanisms of
a sewing machine, a channel forming tool, provided with a knife edge adapted to
cut an incision beneath a portion of the stock of the sole and a share or inclined
surface on the shank of said tool in suitable proximity to said cutting edge to raise
and turn back the flap of stock so cut under, said tool being constructed and
arranged to operate upon the sole or other article being sewed just in advance of
the needle and awl and cut and turn up a short section of the channel flap during
the formation of each stitch of a line of sewing.
Third. The combination with the stitch forming and work feeding mechanisms
of a sewing-machine, of the tool provided with the cutting knife o and the flap
turning share o formed upon the shank of said tool in suitable proximity to the
cutting edge of said knife to raise and hold up the flap of material cut under by
said knife; the lever J provided with a cam surface, and the roll m constructed and
arranged to act upon said cam surface to vibrate said lever during the formation of
each stitch of a line of sewing.
Fourth. The combination with the stitch forming and work feeding mechanisms
of a sewing machine of the lever J provided with a cam surface and pivoted to
and movable with the presser-foot bar, the channelling tool adjustably mounted
upon said lever and provided with a cutting knife edge to cut under the flap and a
share to raise and turn back said flap, and a roll mounted upon a vibrating arm
and arranged to act upon the cam surface of said lever J to vibrate said lever and
channelling tool.
Dated this 20th day of January 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.