Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Heels and Affixing them to Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Heels and Affixing
them to Boots and Shoes.
, ALBERT ANDRES, Works Manager, and resident of Nieder-Walluf, in the
Province of the Rhine, Germany, 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 :—
My invention relates to a machine by means of which the various layers of leather
forming the heel of the boot or shoe, after having been prepared in the manner
hereinafter described, are nailed together and to the shoe, then the covering or
bottom layer of the heel is separately nailed on and the straight side of the heel
then cut even.
The preparation of the layers of leather for the heel consists in the
peculiar manner in which the separate layers are bored to receive the nails, and in
the position in which the nails are held before entering the heel, and in which they
are held in the finished heel.
The layers for forming the heel have up to the present been fixed together in the
following manner:
At first all the layers were placed together, then bored by an awl and then the
ils driven in. Now there is no doubt, that by boring the holes through all the
layers at once, the former are smooth inside, and in consequence the nail finds very
little hold in such holes, and soon becomes loose, exactly in the same manner, as a
mail, which has been twice driven into the same hole soon gets loose. In this case
the brad-awl corresponds to the first nail driven in.
In my invention I have remedied this defect by causing the layers of leather to
be bored separately at the same time as they are stamped out, and I increase the
distance between the holes in the various layers, so that when the layers are placed
together, the nail on being driven into the heel, will be bent like a curve. Driving
the nails into the heel is effected by a machine specially designed for manufacturing
heels according to my construction and for affixing them to boots and shoes, and it
is the object of my invention to accomplish that work by means of a machine having
as few movable parts as possible, thus lessening the consumption of motive power,
and rendering the machine not liable to get out of order, delivering, however, at the
same time, exact and durable work.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying sheets
of drawing, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different.
views and in which :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the machine, taken on the line 17-18 of
Fig. 4.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 19-20 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is another horizontal section taken on the line 21-22 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the machine.

page_text: of its table (two vertical hollow columns U U which are firmly held in position
by oblique supports U U³. Guide-rods are inserted in the hollow columns U U'
and connected at their upper extremities by a traverse W provided with a handle W
and at their under extremities by a double traverse y having inside two small
rolls = 2.
Traverse W sits movable on
a shaft 10, and holds the downwardly
extending dolly which may be put in an oblique position by means of the
handle W
A round revoluble table A is arranged on the frame-table (2 between the
columns U U and supports U2 U³, and is held in position by means of a bolt B.
The under part of said table A is provided with a toothed rim 1 meshing with a
conical wheel 2 which is secured to a short shaft 3. A toothed wheel 4 is attached
to the other end of shaft 3, and has, moreover, an arm 6 the free end of which bears
a small roll 7.
A strong shaft H has its bearings in the midst of the front-side and rear-side of
frame C, and carries at its front-end a crank 1, the pin of which has a roll K. A
hammer L is inserted in this part of the frame directly under the dolly and is
moved up and down by said crank I. The other end of shaft H carries a double
cog-wheel G of the following very peculiar construction.
To a large cog-wheel G of common construction is firmly attached a somewhat
smaller wheel G¹ the rim of which is provided with teeth on a part only, as seen in
Fig. 5 the outer surface of said wheel G has an annular groove 8 interrupted at 9.
and enlarged at 12, and two radial grooves 10 and 11 lead from groove 8 to the rim of
wheel G. The proportions in circumference between wheels G, G¹, 4, 2 and 1 are
chosen so as to effect one revolution of wheel 1, i.e. of the revoluble table A. by
three revolutions of wheel G. Owing to the peculiarity of work which the revoluble
table is intended for, its rotation is not permitted of being a continual one, but
must be performed intermittingly, that is to say, each rotation of table A has to be
made in three intermissions. It is for this reason, that wheel G¹ has been con-
structed so peculiarly. In the position shown in Fig. 5 wheel G is turned by G
in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the position of the toothed part of the
rim to cog-wheel is such that the teeth of both wheels are just about to gear
together. Roll 7 of arm 6 of wheel 4 is at this moment in the corner formed by
parts 12 and 9, and consequently arm 6 with wheel 4 begins to rotate under the
influence of wheel G in the direction indicated by the arrow, as the teeth of both
the wheels mesh instantly after the impulse given hy wheel G on arm 6. Now
roll 7 leaves groove 12 through the radial channel 10 and rotates as indicated by
dotted lines in Fig. 5 until it finally arrives near its former position; by that time
the radial channel 11 has reached a position which allows roll 7 to enter groove 8,
and the teeth of both the wheels are thrown out of gear at the same moment;
thus the rotation of wheel 4, and consequently of wheels 2 and 1 and of the
revoluble table A, too, has been finished, until a new impulse by the corner of
parts 12 and 9 is given. As three rotations of wheel G effect one rotation of
table A, the one rotation of wheel G, thus, has caused the table A to turn one-third,
and then to stop a certain time till again one-third of the rotation followed by
another standstill is performed.
Besides the double wheel G G¹ described above shaft H bears another small toothed
wheel meshing with two larger cog-wheels g g' (Fig. 3) the shafts of which are at
the right and left of shaft H, also having their bearings in the front and rear of
frame C. Curved disks 13 of peculiar shape (Fig. 4) are secured to the front ends
of said shafts ff, said disks lying within the double traverse y directly over the two
rolls, and influencing them when rotating, in the following manner :
Double traverse y connects as mentioned above the under extremities of both the
guide-rods. Spiral-springs, not to be seen in the drawing, are tending incessantly
to press said rods upwards. Thus the disks 13, 13 when rotated by wheels g g' and
cause the double-traverse with rods ar to move up and down, and with them traverso W
with dolly v.
The motive power for working the machine is conveyed to it by the pulleys D the

page_text: shaft of which carries a small cog-wheel E which transports, its motion on cog-wheel (7,
and consequently on the machine.
The roller K of crank 1 works in a peculiarly shaped groove in the lower part of
hammer L shown in Fig. 6. On the upper part of hammer L is a dove-tail
projection which is curved to a radius drawn from the centre of the revoluble table A.
In its lowest position the top of hammer L is flush with the surface of the machine
table C².
Table A has three annular openings (Fig. 7) adapted to receive the throe
lies necessary to perform the three operations of fixing the heel layers together and
to the shoe, then fixing the bottom layer to the heel, and thirdly shaving the inside
of the heel smooth. The first die (Fig. 8) consists of a plate i having on its under
ide a groove, which, when the table A revolves dovetails over the projection on
hammer L; on its upper side it contains the studs h¹h which drive the brads into
the heel. The plate has further two bolts guided in the holes in the guide-block m¹,
(Fig. 8) by means of which the studs and block containing the brads, which
slide in guide-block m¹ are drawn downwards after the brads have been driven into
the heel. When nailing heels of strongly curved shape, as used for ladies' shoes and
boots, it is necessary to impart to the points of the brads a somewhat inclined position,
in the direction of the curved series of holes in the various layers of leather. To gain
that end magnets of rectangular form are inserted in block' m², one magnet for
each brad, and directing its upper pole against the point of the respective brad,
thus causing the latter to receive an inclined position, Fig. 11. The brads
are placed into the block 7 by a special apparatus forming no part of this
invention.
The die for fastening on the bottom layer to the heel placed into the second
opening in table A is in its main points the same as that just described, as will be
seen from Fig. 9, with the addition that besides the brads it contains the bottom layer.
The third die consists of a knife 2 for cutting or shaving off the front of the heel ;
the construction thereof is clearly to be seen in Fig. 10.
Manufacturing heels of my description and affixing them to boots and shoes is now
performed as follows:
After having the various sizes of the layers stamped out, they are bored separately
in such a manner, that the distance between the holes increases with the largeness of
the layers. When now putting the layers for a heel together the holes within the
heel form curved lines as seen in Figs. 12 and 13, and thus the nails after being
driven in receive forms similar to that shown in Fig. 16. The layers of leather when
put one upon the other to suitable height are bound together and placed between two
blocks R R2, which are pressed against the heel by means of eccentrics T T
worked by a handle S. The upper part of the shoe is then placed on the dolly v and
held in its proper position over the heel; the machine is now set in motion. The
curved disks 13 13 act now on the rolls, thus causing the double-traverse
Y with
the rods aa, and the upper traverse W to move downwards, jamming thereby the
dolly tightly down onto the shoe. The table A has now revolved so far, that the
first die is brought over, and dovetailed into the hammer L, this rises by means of
crank I, and drives the brads into the curved series of holes stamped in the layers
of the heel, nailing the layers together, and nailing the heel to the shoe. The nails
are thus held tightly in place, and moreover it is impossible for heels of this description
to come apart, as all the nails will be bent outwards, and the loosening of the same is
practically impossible. (I reserve to myself, of course, the right of boring the layers
in such a manner, that the nails may be bent inwards, if I should consider it of
advantage, or of bending or causing the nails to be bent in any direction compatible
with the practice.)
After having the layers nailed together, the hammer L sinks again, the table A
now revolves further, and the second die is brought over hammer L; the latter rises
again and the bottom layer is fastened to the heel; the hammer sinks now and the
last die comes over it. At this moment the blocks R1 R2 are released by throwing
up handle S (Fig. 10) thus releasing the blocks from the eccentrics T T¹, and by

page_text: projection n coming under nose o to allow room for knife which faces up one side
of the heel; the shavings fall down through opening 3. By this time the curved
disks 13 13 leave the rolls allowing thus the double traverse y with guide-rods an
to rise under the influence of the spiral springs mentioned above. The dolly vis
released so, that the shoe with blocks R R2 may be removed from the machine. The
blocks are then removed from the heel. The table A has made now one full rotation,
and another shoe may be put now on the first die. After every change of two dies on
table A, .e. after every one-third-rotation of the latter, a pause has been made during
which the hammer L performed its work.
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
In machines for heeling boots and shoes:
:-
1. The combination with the frame of the machine, of a revoluble table A having
a toothed rim 1, said table turned by a cog-wheel 4 having an arm 6 and a roll
attached to the arm, the roll sliding in grooves 8, 10, 11, 12 provided in a wheel G¹,
the latter having a part of its rim toothed, the teeth meshing with cog-wheel 4 ; said
wheel G secured to the main cog-wheel G.
2. The combination with the revoluble table A of a toothed rim 1 adapted to move
said table, the latter having openings to receive the dies for nailing the layers
of leather together and on to the shoe, said layers bored each separately, and the
distance between the holes in each layer being varied, thus forcing the nails to take
a curved course through the heel, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the revoluble table A, of a toothed rim 1, adapted to
move said table with its dies, the first die having magnets m near the brads for
properly directing the points of the brads into the holes of the layers, the latter bored
each separately varying at the same time the distances between the holes in each
layer, thus forcing the brads or nails to take a curved course through the heel,
substantially as described.
4. The combination, with the guide-rods aa, of a traverse y having rolls,
the latter influenced by curved disks 13 13 secured to front-ends of shafts fƒ'
the latter having toothed wheels g g turned by the main-shaft, substantially as
described.
Dated this 30th day of Otobar 1800.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.