IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING THE EDGES OF THE SOLES AND HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Southall, of Leeds, in the
County of York, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING THE EDGES OF THE SOLES AND HEELS OF BOOTS
AND SHOES.".
Sealed the 30th October 1874, and dated the 30th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Southall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th April 1874.
I, CHARLES HENRY SOUTHALL, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING THE EDGES OF THE SOLES AND.
HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:
This Invention consists in so arranging and constructing a machine
that when motion is given to it the boot or shoe is caused to move very
slowly, whilst a rapid backward and forward friction motion is brought to
bear against the edge, thereby producing in a very short time the desired
finish.

page_text: The action is similar to that of a man performing the same kind of
labour by hand, there being in the machine three motions, namely, the
boot motion, the jigger motion, and the change motion. On an oblong
frame with brackets attached I place a horizontal shaft, on which I key
or otherwise fasten a screw or worm for giving through one or more
wheels the slow motion to the boot, and employ an eccentric for giving
through lovers and connecting rod the quick or jigger motion to the
iron or setter, and four pulleys for giving a change motion to the
whole.
The worm or screw for reducing the speed is attached to a short
vertical shaft, to the top of which is fixed a pinion, which drives a rack
fixed to a table similar to that described in the Specification of a Patent
of mine dated 1st May 1872, which table, templates, and expanding last I
use in this machine. The eccentric gives motion to a forked lever, which
works in a joint fixed to the frame, the top end being coupled by a
jointed rod with a jigger lever having a globular end, on which is placed
the iron for setting the edge of the sole or heel, and the fulcrum on
which the jigger lever works is formed as a stud near the end of a
jointed arm lever, working similar to a human arm. The stud is fixed
to the under side of a wrist working in a slotted vertical bracket, which
keeps the wrist end of the arm lever in its proper central position, and
the arm lever from the wrist to the clbow works in a horizontal
position, and from the elbow to the shoulder in a vertical one, the elbow
being jointed. The shoulder joint works between two centres or on a
stud fixed to or passing through the frame, and the iron or setter is
pressed against the edge of the sole or heel by means of springs or
weights pulling horizontally the arm lever and jigger lever.
Of the four pulleys two are made fast and two loose, and for driving
them there are two belts, one crossed and the other open, the cross belt
driving the boot in one direction and the open one reversing the motion,
there being a strap fork actuated cither by the attendant or by the
machine to make the change, and when the belts are on the loose
pulleys the machine will be at rest.
In working this machine I slip a boot on the expanding last and
tighten it, and then place the iron or setter on the end of the jigger a
lever, and the springs or weights press it against the edge of the sole or
heel, and when the machine is started and the boot slowly moving round

page_text: the setter gives to the edge the desired finish, and when desired I make
the machines work by hand power by substituting for the pulleys proper
gearing turned by a winch handle or treadle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Henry Southall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HENRY SOUTHALL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
sixth, seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Henry Southall, Her special
license that I, the said Charles Henry Southall, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Henry
Southall, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING THE EDGES OF THE SOLES AND
HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Charles Henry Southall, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Henry Southall, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained.
in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
I

page_text: This Invention consists in so arranging and constructing a machine
that when motion is given to it the boot or shoe is caused to move very
slowly, whilst a rapid backward and forward friction motion is brought
to bear against the edge, thereby producing in a very short time the
desired finish.
The action is similar to that of a man performing the same kind of
labour by hand, there being in the machine three motions, namely, the
boot motion, the jigger motion, and the change motion. On an oblong
frame with brackets attached I place a horizontal shaft, on which I key
or otherwise fasten a screw or worm for giving through one or more
wheels the slow motion to the boot, and employ an eccentric for giving
through levers and connecting rod the quick or jigger motion to the
iron or setter, and four pulleys for giving a change motion to the
whole.
The worm or screw for reducing the speed is keyed on the horizontal
shaft, and drives a wheel attached to a short vertical shaft, to the top of
which is fixed a pinion, which drives a rack fixed to a table similar to
that described in the Specification of a Patent of mine dated November
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, which table, templates, and
expanding last I use in this machine. The eccentric gives motion to a
forked lever, which works in a joint fixed to the frame, the top end being
coupled by a jointed rod with a jigger lever having a globular end, on
which is placed the iron for setting the edge of the sole or heel, and the
fulcrum on which the jigger lever works is formed as a stud near the end
of a jointed arm lever working similar to a human arm. The stud is fixed to.
the under side of a wrist working in a slotted vertical bracket, which keeps
the wrist end of the arm lever in its proper central position, and the arm
lever from the wrist to the elbow works in a horizontal position and from
the elbow to the shoulder in a vertical one, the elbow being jointed.
The shoulder joint works between two centres or on a stud fixed to
or passing through the frame, and the iron or setter is pressed against the
edge of the sole or heel by means of springs or weights pulling hori-
zontally the arm lever and jigger lever.
Of the four pulleys two are made fast and two loose, and for driving
them there are two belts, one crossed and the other open, the cross belt
driving the boot in one direction and the open one reversing the
motion, there being a strap fork actuated either by the attendant or by

page_text: the machine to make the change, and when the belts are on the loose
pulleys the machine will be at rest.
In working this machine I slip a boot on the expanding last and
tighten it, and then place the iron or setter on the end of the jigger
lever, and the springs or weights press it against the edge of the sole or
heel, and when the machine is started and the boot slowly moving round
the setter gives to the edge the desired finish, and when desired: I make
the machines work by hand power by substituting for the pulleys proper
gearing turned by a winch handle or treadle.
These improvements will be clearly understood by the following par-
ticular description thereof, reference being had to the figures, letters,
and numerals on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine for finishing the soles
of boots and shoes; Fig. 2, an end view of some of the parts; Fig. 3, a
plan; Figs. 4 and 5, front and back views; and Fig. 6, a longitudinal
section of the setting or glazing tool; Fig. 7 is a side elevation and
Fig. 8 a sectional plan of the paring tool; Fig. 9, a side view of an
apparatus to be used when desired in connection with Fig. 1 for finishing
the heels. Fig. 10 is a side view of a separate machine for finishing the
heels in the most expeditious and efficient manner; Fig. 11, a plan of,
part of Fig. 10; and Figs. 12 and 13 are side and end views showing the
arrangement for working the machine by hand.
In Fig. 1 a represents the frame for carrying the various motions;
b, the horizontal shaft, to which are keyed the eccentric c and the
worm d; and on the end of the shaft there are pulleys e, e, e, the middle
one fast and the two others loose; but four pulleys may be used, two fast
and two loose. One of the loose pulleys is driven by the cross belt fand.
the others by the open belt g, which belts are guided by the lever and
strap forks h, h, and the attendant by drawing the open belt on the fast
pulley can cause the boot to travel in one direction, and by pushing on
the cross belt reverse the motion.
The eccentric c gives motion to the forked lever i, Figs. 1 and 2,
working on a pin 2, passing through the lug 3, which is screwed to the
frame, and gives motion to the jigger lever k through the rod 7 and two
ball joints m and n. The jigger lever works on the stud o bolted to the
arm lever p, which works up and down by means of the elbow joint q,
and to and fro through the shoulder joint r, the spring s and rod t being

page_text: used to balance and keep the required portion of this lever in a hori
zontal position, and the slotted bracket 1, Figs. 1 and 2, is used to keep
the wrist end of the arm lever in a central position.
The glazer shewn full size in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, and marked u in
Fig. 1, is shewn in position against the boot sole on the end of the jigger
lever, the said lever being turned with a ball end and tool bored to fit
and work or turn about in any direction to suit the curves of the boot
sole, the springs being used for pressing the tool u against the boot sole
and the eccentric w and lever x for tightening or slackening the springs v
at pleasure. The worm d is used for giving the feed motion to the
table y through the wheel z, and shaft a¹, wheel 6', and rack c¹, the
template d¹ being similar in shape to the boot sole, and as the table
moves round the roller e¹ causes the boot edge to be elevated or depressed
as required. The expanding last f¹ is bolted to this template with the
toe part central with the table and template, and is made to suit the
various sizes and sorts of boots, the heel part g¹ being hung on the
lug so as to form a lever, and the last is tightened in the boot by the
screw i¹.
.
1
By means of the treadle lever ¹ the operator can with his foot with-
draw the pressure from the boot sole whenever it is necessary to take
away or change the glazer or tool, and it is held back when the machine
is not in use by the check lever U.
: The setting or glazing iron or tool shewn full size in Figs. 3, 4, 5,
and 6 consists in reality of two irons, fastened together by the screws b, b,
and the ball on the jigger lever end works in the centre c.
When I use the machine shown in Fig. 1 for paring the edges I dis-
pense with the jigger lever k and bore the arm lever so as to receive the
stud d of the paring tool, shewn in Figs. 7 and 8, in which e represents
the handle for guiding the tool; f, the block or frame; g, the knife or
cutter fastened in its place by the screw h; i, the gauge piece for regu-
lating the thickness of shaving; k, the guide piece for keeping the knife
in its proper cutting position, the screw securing both of these in their
proper places; `m is a guard which runs in the crevice between the sole
and upper; n, a projection running before it in this crevice; and the rough
raggy leather is cleaned out by means of the knife o, the guard p
covering the point of the knife and preventing it from injuring the boot
upper, and the tool having two centre holes, bottom and top, works.

page_text: between two centres q, q, (Fig. 7), and in some cases I use the guard m
for cleaning out the rough raggy leather.
When I use the same machine for finishing heels I take away the
template d (Fig. 1) and the expanding last f¹ by removing the stud 4,
on which the template works, and substitute instead the apparatus shewn
in Fig. 9. I screw on the same table the casting a, which bears the
taper pin 6, the joint c, one on each side, and the socket d, and on the
taper pin I place the heel block e, the ends of the saddle f working in
the joints, and in the socket d I place the hinged stud g. One end of
the lever h works in the joint and the other end is flat, and beds on the
surface of the boot heel, and the screw 7 and the winch m are used for
tightening the lever h.
When this arrangement is used the tools used
for glazing are the same as those already described for finishing soles,
but deeper. I find it however better to use a separate machine for
finishing heels, as by so doing the heels can not only be finished better
but can also be breasted before they are removed from their position.
Fig. 10 represents a machine of this description, the only difference.
between which and that shewn in Fig. 1 is that the boot in the heel
machine is kept stationary, the glazing apparatus being made to glaze
with four separate points at the same time, and the parts like each other
in Figs. 1 and 10 are marked with similar letters, the alterations in
Fig. 10 being distinguished by the number 3. I bolt to the frame the
taper pin a³ with block b³ in its place, on which the boot is slipped, the
screw c³ and the plate d³ holding it firm. I joint to the end of the
jigger lever and fit the horse-shoe shaped piece e³ into it, as shewn at
Fig. 11, and on the two ends of the horse-shoe I joint the glazers f³, ƒ³,
so that when the pressure comes against one point the other is sure to
be brought to bear, and when the jigger lever is put in motion the whole
edge of the heel gets glazed.
In order that the glazer may surely fit every part of the heel I use
the rod g³, to which I attach the roller ³, which is worked by the
cams 3 fixed on the worm wheel k³, the upper end of the rod g³ being
connected with the arm lever p so that it draws it up and down, and
thereby causes the glazers to set or finish every part of the boot heel. I
bolt the bracket ³ to the slotted bracket 1 as a bearing for the screw c³
and the slide m³, and to the lugs on the bottom end of this slide I screw
the knife'n for breasting the heels, the extreme bottom end of the
slide m³ acting as a stop and preventing the knife ³ from cutting the