Improvements in Stiffener Moulding Machines for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stiffener Moulding Machines for Boots
and Shoes.
I WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The stiffener to be moulded is placed around a block which is approximately
of the same shape as the heel of the last upon which the boot is to be made.
This block is preferably stationary except that it will yield somewhat under
pressure against the resistance of a safety spring.
Embracing the block and the stiffener is a moulding clamp made in two or more
pieces and held open by a spring so that the stiffener may be inserted between it
and the block.
The moulding clamp is thrust forward and closed by suitable means such as
sliding wedges operated by a cam in opposition to other wedges upon the piece to
which the block is attached and against which the safety spring bears.
Above the block and moulding clamp is a pair of crimping plates which are
closed by a second cam operating after the first one has closed the moulding clamp.
These plates are carried on a slide block which is pushed forward by the action of
the cam and is closed over by means of curved cams engaging a stud.
This compound action of the plates turns down or crimps the projecting edges
of the stiffener over the block during which time a rest upon the first cam causes
the pressure of the moulding clamp to remain upon the stiffener.
The crimping plates are pressed down by weighted levers or springs and before
the closed plates are again opened this pressure is taken off by a third cam so that
the plates open back without disturbing the crimped edge of the stiffener.
Springs may be employed to withdraw and open the moulding clamp and the
crimping plates after they have been closed by the cams or the cams themselves may
be made to perform these operations.
The machine is furnished with an automatic stopping arrangement which stops
the machine at the time when the moulding clamp and plates are open so that the
stiffener inay be inserted and also when the same are closed so that the pressure inay
be retained upon the stiffener as long as is desirable.
The moulding parts may be heated by gas or other means so as to quicken the
setting of the stiffener in its moulded shape.
The machine may be made double or triple &c. so that some stiffeners are setting
while others are being inserted, a starting handle or treadle being provided to each
mould or to each pair of moulds.
If desired the block may be thrust into the moulding clamp instead of the
moulding clamp upon the block.
Dated this 12th day of September 1895.

page_text: Improvements in Stiffener Moulding Machines for Boots
and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford,
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 stiffener to be moulded is placed around a block which is approximately of
the same shape as the heel of the last upon which the boot is to be made and lies
upon a level surface within the machine and is stationary except that the notches
which regulate its position allow it to yield somewhat under pressure in a horizontal
direction and against the resistance of a safety spring.
Embracing the block and the stiffener is a moulding clamp made in two or
more pieces and held open by a spring so that the stiffener may be inserted between
it and the block.
The moulding clamp is thrust forward and closed by suitable means such as
sliding wedges operated by a cam in opposition to other wedges or levers upon a
piece against which the safety spring bears.
Above the block and moulding clamp is a pair of crimping plates which are
closed by a second cam operating after the first one has closed the moulding clamp.
These plates are carried on a slide block which is pushed forward by the action
of the cam and is closed over by means of curved cams engaging a stud and
rolls.
This compound action of the plates turns down or crimps the projecting edges
of the stiffener over the block during which time a rest upon the first cam causes
the pressure of the moulding clamp to remain upon the stiffener.
The crimping plates are pressed down by weighted levers or springs and before
the closed plates are again opened the pressure is taken off by a third cam so that
the plates open back without disturbing the crimped edge of the stiffener.
Springs may be employed to withdraw and open the moulding clamp and the
crimping plates after they have been closed by the cams or the cams themselves may
be made to perform these operations.
The machine is furnished with an automatic stopping arrangement which stops
the machine at the time when the moulding clamp and plates are open so that the
stiffener may be inserted and also when the same are closed so that the pressure
may be retained upon the stiffener as long as is desirable.
The moulding parts may be beated by gas or other means so as to quicken the
setting of the stiffener in its moulded shape.
The machine may be made double or triple &c., so that some stiffeners are
setting while others are being inserted, a starting handle or treadle being provided
to each mould or to each pair of moulds.
If desired the block may be thrust into the moulding clamp instead of the
moulding clamp upon the block.
My invention is illustrated by the following drawings in which :-
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3. is a longitudinal section shewing the moulding clamps and the cams.
Fig. 4. shews the pressure levers and the relieving cam.
Fig. 5. is a plan shewing the crimping plates closed.
Fig. 6. is a plan shewing the moulding clamps closed, the crimping plates being
removed.
The pulleys a and a¹ are mounted on the driving shaft a² which is carried in the
bearings a³ a provided in the machine frame a'. The pinion as is also mounted

page_text: on the shaft a² an gears into the wheel a which runs loosely upon the cam
shaft a8.
The stopping and starting of the cam shaft as, and consequently of the machine
is performed by operating the hand lever which is mounte1 upon the pivot in
the frame a. The wheel a runs continuously and is furnished with internal
driving teeth which engage and disengage (according to the position of the hand
lever ) with the driving dog 63. The dog 3 is formed upon a pivot in the
disc which is fast upon the cam shaft a³, the dog being held in gear by the
spring . Attached to the pivot is a striker which is carried round with
the disc when the latter revolves. A spring buffer is carriel on the lever b
which buffer when move into the cirular path of the striker 7 so that the tvo
come into contact causes the striker and consequently the dog 63 to make a
partial turn so withdrawing the dog 3 from the teeth 62 so that the wheel a ceases
to drive the disc and the cam shaft a³ comes to rest. When the han lle lever b
is raised so as to depress the buffer 68 and withdraw it from contact with the
striker the spring will cause the striker 67 and driving dog 3 to return, thus
throwing the latter into the path of the teeth 62 which will again drive the
machine.
The machine has two stopping places to each complete revolution of the cam
shaft as the one being for putting in and withdrawing the stiffeners and the other
for maintaining the pressure upon the stiffener as long as desirable. For the
purpose of making the second stop the lever e is provided being mounted on a
pivot in the frame a and provided with a spring buffer c It is connected by
a pin and slot with the lever band acts in a precisely similar manner.
weight acts to hold the buffers 68 and 2 in the path of the striker 67 so that
the machine will always stop after the hand lever is released, as soon as the
striker reaches the buffer next in its path.
The
The cams d, d', which are alike, are for the purpose of closing the moulding
clamps upon the stiffener . They act upon the rolls and do which are
mounted in the slide 6. The slide 6 is free to move in the frame a and has
inclined faces d' ds, which bear upon the moulding clamps d2 and 3 so as to press
them inwards and forwards upon the centre block e which lies upon the level
surface of the slide d. Each moulding clamp d2 d³ has a half pivot dº d¹º
entering a hole d" formed in the slide de so as to keep them in place and with-
draw them when the mould is opened. A spring is provided to open the clamps
when withdrawn. The forward ends d3 and 4 of the clamps are closed by
equalizing levers and die which are mounted on pivots in the block d¹³,
and have their ends el and e² formed to engage notches e and e' made in the centre
block e.
This arrangement accomodates itself to and ensures pressure both
endwise and sidewise upon stiffeners of varying thicknesses, the ends el and of
the levers bearing the centre block e backwards into the clamps d² and ³ at the
same time that the ends d and hold inwards the ends 13 and 4 of the clamps.
A little side play is allowed in the notches ee of the centre block e in case one
side of a stiffener should be of different thickness to the other.
To prevent breakage of the machine and also to ensure a pressure on all
thicknesses of stiffener the spring is provided being kept in position by the tension
rods and crosspiece f³. It bears upon the plate f which has a stem / passing
through the frame a and abutting against the block d" which is allowed a limited
sliding movement in the frame aº.
For the purpose of opening the clamps the cam piece g is provided which
acts upon the roll gl mounted in the slide de so as to withdraw the same, together
with the clamps d² 3, away from the centre block e, the half pivots de do previously
mentioned causing the clamps d² d³ to move back with the slide d and allowing the
spring to act to open the clamps dd sideways from the centre block e.
this means a space y is made between the clamps ³ ³ and around the centre block e
sufficiently large for the withdrawal of the stiffener and the insertion of another.
For the purpose of crimping or turning in the edge of the stiffener the crimping
By

page_text: plates h. are provided which lie flat upon or near to the surface of the mould d² ď
and e and are jointed together upon a pivot 12 somewhat like a pair of shears, the
difference being that their edges are not sharp and do not pass each other or
even meet but approach and recede keeping their under surfaces always level and
parallel to the upper surfaces of the mould d³ and e. Their rear ends are formed
with curved cams ' h which engage rolls 10 on a stud carried on the slide de.
The pivot is carried in a slide block " in the frame 4, the slide block h" being
connected by a link and lever with a cam A. The lever is mounted on a
pivot, and a roll 17 is interposed between the cam 15 and the lever ¹.
Revolution of the cam 1 operates the block 11 and causes the plates h. h' to move
forward with the clamps d² and over the block e. and by the operation of the
curved cams 18 on the rolls 10, to close in towards each other, the combined
movement crimping the edge of the stiffener. The cams d. d which close the
clamps d² d³ and the cam which operates the crimping plates . ' act together
while the clamps d² d³ are being closed upon the stiffener a after which circular
rests dod upon the cams d d maintain the pressure upon the stiffener while the
cam continues to move forward the slide block " and the curved cams 17 18
cause the crimping plates h. h' to close.
Pressure is put upon the plates hh so as to press the edge of the stiffener a down
upon the lock e by the weight i which acts upon the frame 12 through a system of
levers as follows:
The weight hangs from the free end of the lever which is mounted on a
shaft 3 in the frame a and is connected by links to a pair of levers 7 mounted
on another shaft also carried in the frame a'. The tension rods 79101112 connect
the levers 16 and 17 to the frame 12 in which as before stated the block h" which
carries the plates h. h¹ slides to and fro. This pressure is taken off before the
crimping plates h. ' are opened by a cam which acts through a roll on an
arm of the before mentioned lever so as to raise the weight and the frame ¹³.
As soon as the weight is raised the plates h. h are opened and withdrawn by
the operation of the cam which acts upon the roll mounted in an arm of the
before mentioned lever, the opening operation being an exact reversal of the
closing operation already described. The opening of the plates h. h and of
the clamps d d³ (which latter has been previously described) take place
simultaneously.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
A running belt being applied to the driving pulley a causes it, the pinion a and
the wheel a to revolve in the directions shewn by the arrows. The machine being
in the position shewn in Fig. 1 and 2, a stiffener is placed in the space y with its
upper edge (that is the edge requiring to be crimped) standing sufficiently above
the stu face of the clamps d² ³ and block e to allow of turning down the requisite
amount, which may be determined by making the mould of just sufficient depth.
The band lever b is then raised so as to move down the spring buffer from contact
with the striker &, which by the action of the spring 6 receives a partial turn so
as to throw down the dog into the path of the teeth 2 one of which immediately
engages so as to put in motion the disc b and cam shaft a8. The cams d. d move
forward the slide and close the clamps ³ ³ upon the stiffener a compressing the
spring according to the thickness of the stiffener and moulding the stiffener to the
shape required. The circular rests d²º 21 of the cams dd' then maintain the pressure
while the cam 18 closes the crimping plates h. h which under the influence of the
weight i turn inwards and downwards the upwardly projecting edge of the stiffener .
By this time the striker has made about three quarters of a revolution and
arrives at and strikes upon the spring buffer e² which the hand lever having been
previously released-stands in its path. The buffer yields somewhat while the
onward movement of the disc causes the striker and dog ³ to turn until
the latter is clear of the driving teeth when the machine stops and a slight
reaction of the spring baffer c² maintains the dog 63 clear of the teeth 62.
The pressure having been allowed to remain on a sufficient time to set the

page_text: stiffener, (during which time the operator may operate a second or third machine)
the hand lever bis again raised so as to withdraw the buffer c² and restart the
machine.
The cam now comes into operation upon the roll and by depressing the
arm lifts the weight and frame 12 so as to raise the plates h. clear of
the stiffener after which the cams g and ; withdraw the clamps d²² and
plates h. h, and the striker & coming into contact with the buffer again stops the
machine in the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 ready for the moulded stiffener to
be taken out and another to be inserted.
To assist the setting of the stiffeners gas burners or other heat is applied beneath
the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
с
1. In a machine for moulding the stiffeners of boots and shoes the combination
of the levers b and c and spring buffers 68 and c with the striker 7 and driving
dog for the purpose of automatically stopping the machine at two different places
in its revolution, substantially as described."
2. In a machine for moulding the stiffeners of boots and shoes the application of
pressure to the crimping plates during the time they are moving in over the stiffener
and while they remain at rest thereon, and the removal of this pressure before the
commencement of and during the withdrawal of the crimping plates from the
stiffener, substantially as described.
3. In a machine for moulding the stiffeners of boots and shoes, the combination
with a centre block e and moulding clamps d² d³ of equalizing levers d die so
arranged as to ensure both end and side pressure being brought to bear upon the
stiffeners substantially as described.
4. The combined machine for moulding the stiffeners of boots and shoes
constructed as herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 11th day of June 1896.
W. H. DURMAN.