Improvements relating to the Manufacture and Application of Devices for Connecting or Uniting Pieces of Leather and to Apparatus therefor, Chiefly Designed for use in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture and Application of
Devices for Connecting or Uniting Pieces of Leather and to
Apparatus therefor, Chiefly Designed for use in the Manufacture
of Boots and Shoes.
I, THOMAS COWBURN, of Mödling, in the Empire of Austria, Director, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to devices for connecting or uniting pieces of leather, more
especially parts of boots and shoes, and to apparatus for making and applying the
said devices.
I have found that if a pin of leather is pressed into a hole formed in two or more
pieces of leather, this pin will constitute a secure means for connecting the said
pieces of leather, as the leather-pin expands in the hole so that the fibres on the
surface of the leather pin will become entangled with the fibres protruding from the
sides of the aforesaid hole.
I have moreover found that the connection will become still more intimate if the
leather from which the pins are made is split or scraped because the surface of
the leather will then be more fibrous, and because the leather can be more
easily compressed. In this case the leather will expand more freely and will therefore
hold firmer.
The strips of leather from which the pins are to be made can be soaked or saturated
with glue, so that after the drying they will become hard and stiff and can be driven
into the pieces of leather to be connected.
The aforesaid strips of leather can also be turned so that they will present screw
threads whereby they are enabled to hold better. For the purpose of reducing the
holes necessary for the pins or screws, the latter can subsequently be rolled between
wood. The leather pins can be made either by hand or by means of a machine which
forms part of the present invention.
This machine comprises a frame having hooks pivoted at one end thereof which are
provided with guides and form a draw-iron when they are closed; springs which
press the said hooks towards each other; a hollow screw; clamps or gripers which
are connected through the medium of rods and hinge bolts with the said hollow
screw; a slide rod extending through the latter and carrying the above mentioned
clamps or gripers; a spring acting upon this slide rod; stops provided on the said
hollow screw.
Into the rear end of the latter is screwed a head which is prevented
by a cross pin from turning in the screw. This head is held in a socket or the like
which is fixed through the medium of a cross head to a connecting rod actuated by a
crank upon the shaft of the driving pulley of the machine. A lever is pivoted to
the hollow screw, for the purpose of pushing back the slide rod and opening the
above mentioned catches or gripers after terminating the drawing of the leather
strip introduced between the said catches or gripers. The bolt by means of which
the catches or gripers are pivoted to the aforesaid slide rod serves as a stop to limit
the forward movement of the slide rod.
When the machine is in operation and the hollow screw is close to the end of its
movement to the front of the machine, the aforesaid bolt receiving the catches or
gripers strikes against a projection in the frame of the machine, and if now the
hollow screw is caused to move further forward the catches or gripers will be opened
and at the same time the stops formed on the hollow screw will press against the
hooks constituting the draw-iron and open the same in order to enable the strip of
leather to be introduced. If then the crank on the driving shaft of the machine is
turned further, the hollow screw will be drawn back, and the spring acting upon the

page_text: slide rod in the said screw will cause the catches or gripers to be closed and to
seize the strip of leather, whilst the hooks at the end of the machine frame are closed
at the same time and form a draw-iron for the leather strip. As the catches or
gripers turn with the hollow screw they will cause the leather strip to turn and
will produce a thread on the same. In order to open the said catches or gripers so
as to enable the finished screw or length of leather pin to he removed or to drop out
after the drawing operation, the above mentioned lever which is pivoted to
the hollow screw is arranged to strike against the frame of the machine, so that
the slide rod in the said screw will be pushed back thereby opening the catches or
gripers.
In lieu of the said hollow screw a plain hollow rod can be used, but, in this case
the leather strip is not turned; or a plain hollow rod, employed instead of the
hollow screw, can be provided with any known apparatus for imparting to it, a
turning motion simultaneously with the to-and-fro motion of the same.
.
The leather pins may be round or angular in cross section and they can be driven
into the holes either by hand or by machine.
If this operation is performed without a machine, it is expedient to insert the
leather pin into a tube and drive it by means of a stamp into the hole which has
been previously formed in the piece of leather to be connected or united, which are
in this operation placed upon a support.
In case a machine is employed for driving the leather pins into the said boles, it
may be in all respects (such as the actuating mechanism and the like) of the
ordinary construction of known machines for sewing or driving wooden pins into
shoes and boots excepting the form of the several tools required for the leather pins.
Only the apparatus for feeding the leather pins and driving them into the pieces
of leather to be united are new, the other well-known mechanism need not therefore
be described.
In this machine a beak is employed for carrying the shoe or the like to be operated
upon. In this beak is arranged a movable plate or support which is set in operation
by means of the levers. It comprises a presser foot such as is well-known in sewing
machines and used for shifting the work, and a pricker or piercing tool by which
the hole is made in the pieces of leather to be united.
A guide is provided which serves to conduct the leather pin to be driven into the
pieces of leather, a driving tool or stamp being adapted to be moved up and down in
the said guide. The socket carrying this driving tool or stamp has a pin engaging
with a groove in the guide so that in the upward movement of the socket the said
pin will pass into a curved part of the above mentioned groove thereby causing the
stamp to turn in such a manner that a space is provided for the pricker or piercing
tool to pass through the guide to the work to be perforated which is placed upon the
aforesaid beak of the machine. When piercing through the work the supporting
plate or knife remains shifted to allow the said pricker to pierce through the work.
It is advantageous to make the point of the pricker or piercing tool partly taper and
partly projecting, because the leather which has been pushed from the said hole formed
in the downward movement of the said tool will be drawn back into the hole in the
upward movement of the tool.
As soon as the pricker or piercing tool has been moved upwardly and prior to the
downward motion of the driving tool or stamp, that is to say, while the opening in the
above mentioned guide remains free a feed pipe is moved above the hole in the guide
through the medium of any known mechanism, a leather pin being allowed to drop
from the feed pipe into the hole in the said guide, which is effected by liberating the
lower of two claws by an upward movement of a stop for the same.
Dated this 1st day of June 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements relating to the Manufacture and Application of
Devices for Connecting or Uniting Pieces of Leather and to
Apparatus therefor, Chiefly Designed for use in the Manufacture
of Boots and Shoes.
I, THOMAS COWBURN, of Mödling, in the Empire of Austria, Director, 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 devices for connecting or uniting pieces of leather, more
especially parts of boots and shoes, and to apparatus for making and applying the said
devices. The devices are also applicable for uniting the ends of belting etc.
I have found that if a screw-threaded pin of leather is pressed into a hole formed in
two or more pieces of leather and stemmed this pin or bolt will constitute a secure
means for connecting the said pieces of leather, as the leather pin or bolt expands in
the hole by the stemming operation so that the fibres on the surface of the leather
pin will become entangled with the fibres protruding from the sides of the aforesaid hole.
I have moreover found that the connection will become still more intimate if the
leather from which the pins are made is split or scraped because the surface of the
leather will then be more fibrous and because the leather can be more easily twisted
and headed or stemmed. In this case the leather will expand more freely and will
therefore hold firmer.
The strips of leather from which the pins are to be made can be soaked or saturated
with glue, so that after the drying they will become hard and stiff and can be driven
into the pieces of leather to be connected.
The aforesaid strips of leather are twisted so that they will present screw-threads
whereby they are enabled to hold better. For the purpose of reducing the leather
screws they can be subsequently rolled between surfaces of wood or metal etc. The
screw threaded leather pins can be made either by hand or by means of a machine
which forms part of the present invention.
The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings the figures of which
are hereinafter referred to.
The machine for threading or twisting the pegs as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings comprises a frame A having hooks B pivoted at one end
thereof which are provided with guides y shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and form a draw-
iron when they are closed; springs C which press the said hooks B towards each
other, a hollow screw D clamps or grippers E which are connected through the
medium of rods K and hinge bolts T with the said hollow screw D, a slide rod L
extending through the latter and carrying the above mentioned clamps or grippers E,
spring M acting upon the slide rod L, stops N provided on the said hollow screw.
Into the rear end of the latter is screwed a head O which is prevented by a cross pin J
from turning in the screw. This head is held in a socket P or the like which is fixed
through the medium of a cross head to a connecting rod Q actuated by a crank R
upon the shaft of the driving pulley S of the machine. A lever W is pivoted to the
hollow-screw D for the purpose of pushing back the slide rod L and opening the above
mentioned catches or gripers E after terminating the drawing of the leather strip ✗
introduced between the said catches or gripers. The bolt Z by means of which the
catches or gripers E are pivoted to the aforesaid slide rod L serves as a stop to limit
the forward movement of the slide rod.
When the machine is in operation and the hollow screw D is close to the end of
its movement to the front of the machine, the aforesaid bolt Z receiving the catches
or grippers E strikes against a projection in the frame of the machine and if now the
hollow screw is caused to move further forward the catches or gripers E will be
opened and at the same time the stops N formed on the hollow screw D will press
against the hooks B constituting the draw-iron, and open the same in order to enable
the strip of leather X to be introduced as shown in Fig. 1. If then the crank K on
the driving shaft of the machine is turned further, the hollow screw D will be drawn

page_text: back, and the spring M acting upon the slide rod L in the said screw will cause the
catches or gripers E to be closed and to seize the strip of leather X whilst the hooks B
at the end of the machine frame are closed at the same time and form a draw-iron for
the leather strip. As the catches or gripers E turn with the hollow-screw D they
will cause the leather strip X to turn and will produce a thread or threads on the
same. In order to open the said catches or gripers E so as to enable the finished
screw or length of leather pin to be removed or to drop out after the drawing operation,
the above mentioned lever W which is pivoted to the hollow screw D is arranged to
strike against the frame A of the machine so that the slide rod L in the said screw
will be pushed back, thereby opening the catches or gripers E.
In lieu of the said hollow screw D a plain hollow rod can be provided with any
known apparatus for imparting to it a turning motion simultaneously with the
to-and-fro motion of the same.
The leather screws may be round or angular in cross section, and they can be
driven into the holes either by hand or by machine.
If this operation is performed without a machine, it is expedient to use the
appliance shown in Fig. 3 and to insert the leather screw into a tube b and drive it
by means of a stamp c into the hole which has been previously formed in the pieces
of leather g, to be connected or united, which are in this operation placed upon a
support M which causes the end of the screw to be stemmed or to form a head or flange.
In case a machine is employed for driving the leather screws into the said holes, it
may be in all respects (such as the actuating mechanism and the like) of the ordinary
construction of known machines for sewing or driving wooden pegs into shoes and
boots, excepting the form of the several tools required for the leather screws.
Only the apparatus for feeding the leather screws and driving them into the pieces
of leather to be united and rivetting or stemming them are new, the other well known
mechanism need not therefore be described.
Figure 4 of the drawings shows parts of a suitable machine for driving in the
leather screws.
In this machine a horn or beak A¹, is employed for carrying the shoe or the like to
be operated upon. In this beak A' is arranged a movable plate or shifting support A¹¹
which is set in operation by means of the levers A³ for the purpose of opening and
closing the hole V' during the operation of the machine. It comprises a presser
foot H' such as is well known in sewing-machines and used for shifting the work,
and a pricker or piercing tool E¹ by which the hole is made in the piece of leather to
be united.
A guide B¹ is provided which serves to conduct the leather screw to be driven into
the pieces of leather a driving tool or stamp C¹ being adapted to be moved up and
down in the said guide. The guide B₁ can be rifled similar to a gun barrel to assist
in turning the screw while it is being driven. The socket (11 carrying this driving
tool or stamp C¹ has a pin B2 engaging in a groove V in the guide B' so that in the
upward movement of the socket (the said pin will pass into a curved part B₁ of
the above mentioned groove thereby causing the stamp C to turn or move in such a
manner that a space is provided for the pricker or piercing tool E¹ to pass through
the guide to the work to be perforated which is placed upon the aforesaid beak of
the machine.
When piercing through the work the supporting plate or blade A" remains shifted
to allow the said pricker to pierce through the work.
It is advantageous to make the point E of the pricker or piercing tool E¹ partly
taper and partly projecting because the leather which has been pushed from the said
hole, formed in the downward or piercing movement of the said tool will be drawn
back into the hole in the upward or return movement of the tool. Of course the
pricker or piercing tool can be forced upwards in the fastening of belting, etc.
As soon as the pricker or piercing tool E' has been moved upwardly and prior to
the downward motion of the driving tool or stamp C' that is to say, while the opening
in the above mentioned guide B' remains free a feed pipe J' is moved above the hole
in the guide B¹ through the medium of any known mechanism a leather pin being

page_text: allowed to drop or be forced from the feed pipes J¹ into the bole in the said guide B¹
which is effected by liberating M the lower of two claws L' M' by an upward move-
ment of a stop K' for the same.
The pieces of leather united as described may be finally laid on a hard surface and
then hammered so that the projecting ends of the leather screws will be spread out so
as to form a head or flange.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same. is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. As a new device for connecting or uniting pieces of leather such as parts of
boots and shoes or belting, etc., leather screws or screwed or twisted leather bolts,
substantially as described.
Second. The manufacture of leather screws substantially as, and for the purpose
described.
Third. In a machine for making leather screws the combination of the hooks B,
gripers E and hollow rod D substantially as described.
Fourth. In a machine for making leather screws the rods K and stops N for opening
the gripers E and the hooks B for receiving a fresh strip of leather.
Fifth. In a machine for making leather screws the lever W for opening the gripers
to release the finished leather screw.
Sixth. An appliance for driving in the leather screws consisting of a tube b,
stampe and support m.
Seventh. In a machine for driving in the leather screws the combination of the
guide B stamp C¹ and horn A¹.
Eighth. The combination of the feed pipe J' claws L' M' and stop K¹.
Ninth. The combination of the socket (with the pin B2 engaging in the groove
in B' and thus turning the stamp (³.
Tenth. The formation of the point E" of the pricker E' substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Dated this 1st March 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.