AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ATTACHING HEELS TO BOOTS AND SHOES AND FOR TRIMMING AND FASHIONING THE HEELS AFTER THEY ARE ATTACHED
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of
Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of
38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ATTACHING HEELS
TO BOOTS AND SHOES AND FOR TRIMMING AND FASHIONING THE HEELS AFTER
THEY ARE ATTACHED."-A communication from abroad by James
Willson Brooks, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th August 1875.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-
Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ATTACHING HEELS TO

page_text: HOURS AND DAVES AND FOR TRIMMING AND FASHIONING 112 4CLES ATTER RES
ATTACHED," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for attaching heels to boots and
shoes, and for trimming and fashioning the heels after they are attached,
but either mechanism may be used separately.
In this mechanism the shoe to which the heel is to be attached is
placed upon a last connected with a carrying bar having a plate adapted
to slide in or on a jack holding plate, which also carries and permits the
adjustment of the heel seat clamp to correspond with heels of different
sizes. The jack holding plate is carried by a reciprocating bar connected
with a walking beam operated by compressed air acting through a
cylinder, piston, and link. The heel to be attached to the shoe or boot,
and composed of layers of leather or of other material, has a series of
nails projecting from its lower side, and these nails are entered in
the series of holes in the heel supporting plate, provided with a
series of nail drivers, which meet the ends of the nails as the heel
support is depressed by the action of the shoc sole on the heel, the sole
and shoe being depressed through the action of the walking beam.
The nails by this movement are driven through the heel into and
through the sole and clinched by striking against the bottom of the last
and at a single operation. After the nails are driven the heel cutting or
trimming mechanism is thrown into action the heel trimming knife is
guided about the heel support in a heel-shaped path, being governed by
cam grooves in a plate, into which project pins from a turntable. The
trimming knife holder is carried by this turntable, it in turn being
carried by and is free to rotate in a rotary reciprocating carriage, having
movement imparted to it by means of projections on a cross blade which
enter openings in the carriage, the cross plate being supported on a
spindle moved by a band or cord attached to a sliding carriage operated
by a slotted radius bar through a crank on a rotating shaft. The knife
is supported on the trimming knife holder and in a slide, so that the
cutting edge of the knife may always be kept on a line with the centre,
about which the turntable turns so as to properly and smoothly cut the
heel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13,
Rue Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown, Her special license,
that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan-Brown,
my exccutors, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ATTACHING HEELS TO BOOTS AND SHOES AND FOR
TRIMMING AND FASHIONING THE HEELS AFTER THEY ARE ATTACHED," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by James Willson Brooks, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America), upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 William Morgan-Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a machine for attaching heels to boots and

page_text: shoes, and for trimming and fashioning the heels after they are attached,
but either mechanism may be used separately.
In this mechanism the shoe to which the heel is to be attached is
placed upon a last connected with a carrying bar, having a plate adapted
to slide in or on a jack holding plate, which also carries and permits the
adjustment of the heel seat clamp to correspond with heels of different
sizes. The jack holding plate is carried by a reciprocating bar con-
nected with a walking beam operated by compressed air acting through
a cylinder, piston, and link. The heel to be attached to the shoe or boot,
and composed of layers of leather or of other material, has a series of
nails projecting from its lower side, and these nails are entered in the
series of holes in the heel supporting plate provided with a series of
nail drivers which meet the ends of the nails as the heel support is
depressed by the action of the shoe sole on the heel, the sole and shoe
being depressed through the action of the walking beam. The nails by
this movement are driven through the heel into and through the sole,
and clinched by striking against the bottom of the last and at a single
operation. After the nails are driven the heel cutting or trimming
mechanism is thrown into action, the heel trimming knife is guided
about the heel support in a heel-shaped path, being governed by cam
grooves in a plate, into which project pins from a turntable.
trimming knife holder is carried by this turntable, it in turn being
carried by and is free to rotate in a rotary reciprocating carriage having
movement imparted to it by means of projections on a cross plate which
enter openings in the carriage, the cross plate being supported on a
spindle moved by a band or cord attached to a sliding carriage operated
by a slotted radius bar through a crank on a rotating shaft. The knife
is supported on the trimming knife holder and in a slide, so that the
cutting edge of the knife may always be kept on a line with the centre,
about which the turntable turns so as to properly and smoothly cut the
heel.
The
In the accompanying Drawings forming part of this Specification
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a machine embodying this
Invention, the cylinder being in section.
Figure 2 is an opposite side view of part of the machine, with the air
compressing apparatus in section, the compressed air receiver being
broken away, and with a detached part of the receiver shown in section
above the Figure.

page_text: pinion thereon engaging a pinion on a second shaft 6, having a
crank b³ connected by a link C (preferably in two parts c, c¹, joined by a
screw c²) with the plunger or piston D of the air-compressing pump
adapted to supply the receiver E with compressed air. This piston
consists of a head or seat d screwed into the cylindrical portion of the
piston, and has a valve provided with a series of holes (Figure 23)
and a plate seated at the top of head d, yet being free to rise and fall
about a central guide or plug d¹, which is adapted to fit a corre-
spondingly shaped opening & in a support e for the valve e². A leather
or other washer perforated with holes rests under the plate it, and a
cup-like packing surrounds d. When the piston descends the valve e¹
closes opening d², and plate j' rises a little from its seat, permitting air to
pass through openings above d, and into the chamber e'. As the piston
rises the plate j' is held to its seat, valve e¹ rises, the air in the chamber e²
is compressed or forced into the receiver E, and the plug d'acting within
the opening e forces all the air within the chamber into the chamber
or receiver E. The piston F for imparting motion to the parts carrying
the boot or shoe to be heeled is moved upward by the action of the
compressed air of the receiver, such compressed air being conducted
through an opening into a pipe f', which by suitable elbows or con-
nections delivers it at opening f into the valve chest G provided with a
double-headed valve g carried by a spindle g¹ having an attached yet
adjustable block g engaged by the forked end of the pivotted lever H
for operating the valve rod g¹, and slotted at its other end to receive a
pin projecting from a pivotted lever / connected by links ', hº, with
treadles or levers I, i, pivotted at 2. A passage leads from valve
chamber G into the cylinder J, and under the piston F. With the
valve in position shown in Figure 15 the passage is free to com-
municate with the atmosphere, and the weight of the piston F and
walking beam is such that the piston will descend or remain at the
bottom of the cylinder J. Now if the lever I is depressed lever H and the
valve rod g¹ will be depressed, thereby bringing the face 1 of the valve g
below the passage, and then the compressed air will enter from the
pipe of the receiver through the valve chest and under, and will
quickly raise the piston F, which through its attached link j moves the
walking beam j¹ having its fulcrum j resting in bearings at a². The
heel support or plate K has a series of holes 7, 7, to receive the nails
partially entered or started into the lower portion of the heel to be
attached to a shoe, but projecting from the heel, and the box k, on which

page_text: the plate rests and is pivotted, contains within it a series of drivers /
resting on a loose plate supported on a stationary heel-shaped plate L
shaped to conform to the shape of the heel support and box K, k. The
box and supporting plate are sustained on a rod 7, which passes through
plate L, and is sustained on a shouldered pin & resting on a spiral
spring sustained in a chamber of a post 12, which may be raised and
lowered in its bearing at a by means of a screw M seated at one end on
the frame A, and provided with screw threads to engage screw threads
in an opening in the post . By the hand wheel on the screw the post
may be raised or lowered to adapt the mechanism to operate on
heels of different thicknesses. This construction of the heel support
box, loose plate, and rod enables the heel support to be easily and
quickly removed from the turntable to permit the application of another
support and box and drivers adapted for different sized heels, and in
doing so the loose plate k² retains the drivers in position, and prevents
them from being thrown out of the box k. Supposing the nails pro-
jecting from a heel, as described, and inserted in the holes in the plate K,
then the descent of the heel and box, the heel being kept in contact
with the plate K, and the drivers k¹ being then immovable will cause
the drivers to act on the ends of and drive the nails in and through the
heel, and into and through the sole of the shoc, provided the sole is kept
in contact with the heel as the latter descends, and the nail striking
against the metallic last will be clinched.
To the lower end of bar N is
plate n' grooved to receive the
The mechanism for depressing the shoe, and keeping its sole in contact
with the heel while the heel is depressed and the nails are driven through
the heel into the sole, may be described as follows:-The bar N guided
in projection a of the frame, and made angular or otherwise to prevent
rotation, is connected by means of a stirrup n with the end of and is
reciprocated by the walking beam.
adjustably attached a jack holding
flanged plate n² of the bar O, which carries the last or shoe holder (see
Figure 22) having an adjustable toe piece o and a heel part o¹ provided
with sockets to receive the pins projecting from the last carrying bar O.
The toe piece is pressed forward by a spring surrounding its carrying
rod o. Attached to plate n' is a T shaped guiding ledge embraced)
by a correspondingly shaped slide P adjustable by means of a screw p
in the direction of the arrow 2, Figure 3. On the under side of this slide
is a T shaped ledge p' crossing it at right angles, and this ledge is

page_text: embraced by the correspondingly shaped upper end of the arm p³ having
at its lower end a guide box receiving the guide plate q having the
forked slotted eyed support 7 of the heel seat clamp Q provided with
cars q² entering the slotted eyes in the support q', the clamp being in
this way supported and adjustable in position to allow the position of
the clamp (which is of a size to conform to the size of the shoe being
heeled) to be adjusted to present the sole at the heel part exactly in the
proper position with relation to the heel, so as to properly attach the
heel.
In boots or shoes, made up rights or lefts, it is necessary to have what
is called a right and left adjustment of the shoe or boot with relation
to the heel, and for this purpose a forked piece R is attached to the
bar N, and is provided with two set screws to bear on a projection 1.1
from plate n', and by turning these screws the plate may be turned to
the right or left so as to set the heel correctly. For this class of work
the toe should be inclined towards that side of the shoe hollowed to fit
the inside of the foot. The clamp Q for the shoe is carried by the
arm p² connected with the jack holding plate m', and the clamp is there-
fore moved when the plate ¹ is adjusted. If the arm p³ were not so
connected with the plate n¹ then the clamp would bind the heel seat
unevenly under different adjustments of the plate n.
hinged wings or levers 3, 3, thrown inward by a spring 4, and the clamp
and wings have thin plates 5 adapted to enter between the sole and bent
portion of the counter, the wings and their plates hugging the heel seat
closely.
The clamp Q has
! In Figure 10 the clamp is shown as applied to a shoe. The heel has
been attached, and the heel trimming knife d' is shown as in position
and as having cut a portion of the heel. The driving shaft B has a
friction wheel S, and near it on another shaft is a friction pulley, which
is moved when desired by bringing between the two pulleys a third a
pulley worked by a treadle &².
When the pulley s¹ is not in contact with the other pulleys its treadle
is raised, and the brake T holds the wheel s in fixed position. This
wheel is intended to rotate once, and then to have an interval of rest, so
when the lever s² is depressed to engage the wheels a lever t is thrown a
in position, as shown in Figure 1, bearing on a lug on lever s", and holding
that lever down, and the wheels remain so engaged until a pin on
wheel 8, shown in dotted lines, Figure 1, strikes the lever t when the

page_text: lever is turned and the treadle is allowed to rise under the action of its
attached spring t¹.
The shaft
of wheel s has a crank U provided with a crank pin u
adjustable by a screw ¹ entering a slot
forked at top and fitted to a pivotted block
in a slotted radius bar V
on a carriage v¹ arranged
to run on a guide way ². One rotation of the crank gives one complete
vibration to the radius bar, its extent of movement depending on the
position of the crank pin u, and one such vibration through cords W
connected with a pulley on the forked cross plate w and passing about
an adjustable pulley w¹ on a moveable standard turns the cross plate
around the heel support and back, this being the movement required to
trim the heel and return the trimming knife to its starting position.
This movement takes place after the heel is attached and while the shoe
and heel are held down.
From the cross plate w project lugs 10, which enter slots in a move-
able carriage X, provided with a turntable x, having pins 6, S,
(Figure 19) entering grooves 9, 10, (Figure 14) in a stationary plate .
These grooves are shaped substantially as shown in Figure 14, the
groove 9 receiving the pin 6 and the groove 10 the pin 8. The
groove 10 governs the shape of the heel and the groove 9 controls the
presentation of the knife to the heel, so that the angle at which it meets
the leather on its travel about the heel shall be such as to cut with the
greatest ease and advantage possible, and therefore the outer groove is
made of a shape differing somewhat from groove 10, and is adapted in
cach case to the particular shape of the heel to be trimmed. The
trimming knife holder at is adapted to slide on a T shaped ledge 71
attached to the turntable x, and the holder is adjustable by means of a
nut c' engaging a screw projecting from the holder. This nut and screw
permit the adjustment of the edge of the knife d' so that it shall be
exactly in line with the centre on which the turntable turns, so that the
cut shall always be smooth and not injuriously dip into or leave the the
leather, or cut the heel roughly. The knife d', curved to properly shape
the heel, is adjustable laterally in its holder a', to adapt it to heels of
different sizes, it being carried by a slide plate e' adjusted by a screw and
nut f. The plate e has a rod n' fitted to its ears, and this rod is
entered in the opening of in a lug attached to the lower end of the knife,
this rod serving as a fulcrum for the knife. The knife d' is made
adjustable with reference to a block p¹ (Figure 9) and to the sole

page_text: gauge by means of a screw q to regulate the depth of the cut or the
quantity of material to be removed from the sole and heel. This
block carries a gauge, adjustable by means of a set screw s¹, the
gauge being adjusted to strike the end of the clamp Q and throw the
upper end of the knife outward just as the knife is finishing its cut to
prevent the knife from cutting the shank of the sole.
The sole gauge is shown by the letter (Figure 9). It bears against
the edge of the sole as the trimming knife is moved about the heel.
In Figure 20 the heel support is shown of full size for one class of
heels. Hinged or pivotted to plate K is a plain plate u'. The nails are
usually not driven quite through the outer lift of the heel, because an
outside or finishing lift is added. To add the finishing lift turn the
plate u over the plate K, place the outside lift on it, and then force the
lift by the descent of the heel and shoe on to the projecting heads of
the heel nails.
In Figure 21 the turntable and knife carrying guide bare in the
position they occupy with reference to the heel support just about as
the knife commences to cut the heel and as the plate X is rotated half
way round the pins 6, 8, of the turntable, entering the grooves 9, 10, of
the plate x¹, cause the carrier guide to so move as to move the knife in
a heel-shaped path, and present its edge in the proper angular position
to cut the heel of the desired shape.
In Figure 2 the plate X is shown upside down, but it is shown in
correct position in Figures 1 and 7.
Instead of the wheels being a friction wheel it may be toothed, as
in Figures 26 and 27, and so also wheel S, and the latter wheel may be
mounted loosely on shaft B, and be driven by a clutch, as herein-after
described, whenever it is desired to turn wheel s.
The clamp Q is used chiefly in the manufacture of shoes having cloth
uppers, and it may be used with advantage with all kinds of shoes, but
in the manufacture of shoes having leather counters it need not be used.
In such case the shoe is put over the last a before described, and instead
of the sole gauge the rand crease gauge and guard a³ (Figure 24) is
placed in advance of the trimming knife, its edge b³ resting in the rand
crease, and its lip coverlapping the upper corner of the knife, preventing
it from cutting the counter.

page_text: In
Rising from the stationary plate L is a pin w³, which in connection.
with rod keeps the heel support and box in correct position.
addition to its function of a guide this pin also serves as a locking device
for the plate u*, its upper end entering the opening a in the plate,
thereby holding it in position on top of the support K, so that it is in
correct position with reference to the knife which turns the heel after
the ton lift is added
with rod keeps the heel support and box in correct position. In
addition to its function of a guide this pin also serves as a locking device
for the plate *, its upper end entering the opening in the plate,
thereby holding it in position on top of the support K, so that it is in
correct position with reference to the knife which turns the heel after
the top lift is added.
The shaft B has
Between these
The mechanism shown in Figures 25, 26, and 27 for operating the
heel trimming mechanism more positively and by means of a clutch may
be described as follows:-The driving shaft B has power applied to it in
any well-known way, and it has secured to it a block a to sustain and
guide the pins b, b, connecting a cone-like half clutch c with a collar d,
frec to move on the shaft B. This collar turns in a bearing strip e
pivotted on a fork f, adjustably connected with a rod g by means of a
set screw h. This rod y rests in bearings i, and is joined through an
arm j with a rod k, connected with the treadle s² drawn upward by a
spring, except at such times as the treadle is held locked in its
depressed position by the lever t, actuated by spring 7.
also attached positively to it a conical half clutch c'.
parts c, c, is placed a loose pinion or toothed wheel S, with conc
seats m, m, and hub n. The teeth of the pinion engage teeth on a
second toothed wheels on a shaft t, provided with a crank U and crank
pin to move a slotted radius bar that actuates the heel trimming
mechanism. When the parts are in the position shown in the Drawings
it is supposed that a leather faced brake, as shown in Figure 1, is being
borne against the wheels, the brake being carried by the treadle s³,
which is also a brake lever, and the toothed wheel S is then released
from the shaft B, and the shaft turns without moving S. Now if it is
desired to throw the heel trimming mechanism into action, the foot
treadles is depressed, the arm j and shafts g are turned, and the half
clutch c is through connections d, e, a, b, thrown into the cone seat of
toothed wheel S, which action causes the conical half clutches to tightly
grasp the cone seats of the toothed wheel and move it, so that its teethi
engage and move the toothed wheels, which operates the crank U.
When the treadle & is depressed the lever is drawn back until its end
locks the lever and holds the treadle and its brake away from the toothed
wheels, but when the radius bar of the cutter actuating mechanism
reaches its forward position the pin o on the adjustable arm p strikes

page_text: the lever
and releases the treadle s², and allows the brake to come into
action and stop the movement of the trimming mechanism instantly.
The degree of the friction between the wheel S and the conical clutches
is regulated by the spring on shaft k.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the 5
said Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim is, the general organization of the
machine and the specific construction and arrangement of the various
parts thereof, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have 1
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Thirty-first day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)