Improvements in Eyeletting Machinery.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Eyeletting Machinery.
I, GEORGE KNIGHT, of 141, Moraine Street, Brockton, in the State of Massa-
chusetts, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 has for its object the production of an improved eyeletting
machine, whereby a series of eyelets may be set simultaneously in any article
wherein it is desired to employ eyelets. My machine is particularly desirable
for use in the setting of eyelets in boots and shoes.
In the machine to be herein described, there are shown two raceways, each
raceway presenting a plurality of grooves so that each is adapted to guide a
plurality of series of eyelets so that as many eyelets as it is desired to set in
one side of a shoe opening, may be set simultaneously or at one operation, and
by using two such raceways the eyelets may be taken from one or the other as
may be desired.
The raceways have imparted to them a longitudinal motion, after the usual
plunger cooperating with the bottom set has entered the series of eyelets to be
set, they being held at the lower end of one of the raceways, said longitudinal
motion operating to detach the series of eyelets to be set from said raceway, and
during such motion of each raceway the upper end of the bottom plate thereof
slides back and forth in or with relation to the hopper containing the eyelets,
they being supplied thereto from a reservoir.
I have herein provided means for the quick discharge from the hopper of the
eyelets left therein whenever for any reason the eyelets want to be changed
from one to another size or kind.
The top plate of each raceway is herein shown as composed of preferably a
metallic casting having a series of longitudinal grooves, each series receiving
the shanks of the eyelet of the several series to be set, the heads or flanged parts
of said eyelets moving between the underside of the bars separating the said
grooves, and the upper side of the bottom plate referred to, and in order that
the apparatus may be adapted to eyelets of different character or thickness of
flange, I have made the top plate adjustable vertically, i.c., I have combined
with said top plate a headed screw, and between the underside of the top plate
and the upper side of the bottom plate I have placed springs which normally
act to lift the top plate, and by turning said screws a certain distance, which
may be indicated by score marks on the screws which may be brought into posi-
tion to tally with score marks on the top plate, the top plate may be adjusted
to a nicety to properly receive the eyelet of any particular thickness, style or
shape.
By providing the raceways and top and bottom sets in duplicate, it is possible
on the same machine to quickly and readily provide both sides of a shoe top
with volets

page_text: Fig. 1 represents in side elevation and partial section, an eyeletting machine
embodying this invention, the main shaft being cut off at a point immediately
within the loose constantly driven pulley, the hopper and reservoir being shown
only in part and in longitudinal section, and the holders or heads receiving
the top and bottom sets being also broken out to better illustrate the same.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged section in the line
Fig. 3 is a partial top or plan view of the entire machine shown in Fig. 1, a
part of the frame work being, however broken away to show entirely in top view
one of the raceways, the hopper and reservoir cooperating with such set being
also omitted;
Fig. 4 is a detail to be referred to;
Fig. 1;
17'
Fig. 5 shows in plan view, somewhat,,enlarged,, one. of the race ways, said
figure showing both the top and bottom plate;
Fig. 6 is a detail showing one of the raceways, together with the main shaft
and some of the parts cooperating therewith.
The framework of the machine-consists essentially of a foot A, a-braced upright
bounded between the lines A¹, A¹, and a standard A connected thereto by suit-
able screw A, and guideways A bolted to the upright A by suitable bolts "A³.
The upper left hand portion of the framework A¹ has a projecting ribbed cross
head B, to which is secured by suitable screws B suitable like top set carriers B².
said carriers being bored to receive in them the top sets B³, the shanks of 'said
top sets being held frictionally in said carriers by means of suitable set screws ·B³,
which act on suitable wasliers of leather, while springs B controlled as ito
their strength by screws 6* acting against them bear on the top sets, see Fig. 1,
thereby enabling them to yield if need be to varying thickness of work.
The framework A has ears A³, which receive a sliding cross head upon
the upper end of which is attached by a suitable set screw C the bottom set
carriers C¹, they being bored to receive first a spiral or other spring C², and then
the sliding eyelet engaging plungers C3, and the bottom sets-C, cach bottom
set being firmly secured in said carrier C by a suitable set screw as C, the
springs C² each acting upon the lower end of one of the series of plungers C³
normally keeping them in their elevated position, as represented in Fig. 1.
The guideways A4, there being two such, one in each half of the machine, are
suitably grooved, see Fig. 2, where one of said guideways is shown in-cross
section, to receive the bottom plate D, for one of the sets of raceways, said
bottom plates having extended downwardly therefrom preferably two like legs D₁,
each leg being extended through a suitable slot D in the guideway, and a
suitable headed screw D³ is extended through a washer and entered into a
'tapped hole in the leg, such construction enabling the bottom plate to be recipro
cated longitudinally to a limited extent in the guideway.
Viewing Fig. 2, which is a section in the line, looking to the right, it will
be seen that the bottom plate has at each side a suitable lug which is tapped
to receive the threaded lower end of a headed adjusting screw ''; there 'being
four such screws used in like lugs:
These screws are passed through suitable holes in parts of the top-plates-E,
there being herein shown two such top plates, each containing a series of grooves,
viz: six grooves, it being contemplated that the apparatus herein shown shall
set simultaneously at one operation six eyelets, and to economize in the manu-
facture of this class of machine, I have made it so that' I am enabled to operate
two raceways and top and bottom sets with the use of one and the same frame
work.
T
The grooves in the top plate are represented by e, and-in these-grooves stand
the shanks of the eyelets to be set, the flanged parts of the eyelets lying on the
top of the bottom plate, and these grooves by being exposed enables the operator
to readily see that they are properly filled with eyelets.
I have interposed suitable springs between-the under side of-the-top-plate,
and the top of the bottom plate, said springs normally acting to lift the top

page_text: plate, and in order that said top plate may be -adjusted at the proper distance.
toward or from the top of the bottom plate to adapt the-apparatus to different
eyelets, as for instance to brass eyelets, or to so called "perfection." eyelets,. I
in practice prefer to cut upon each of the screws d¹-two notches "B" and "P,"
and by turning said screws so as to bring the notch "B" in line with the
notch e, in the top plate, the adjustment will be just right for brass eyelets, but
by turning the screw so that the notch marked "P" comes into. registration
with the said notch e¹, then the apparatus will be adapted for the so called
"perfection" eyelet, an eyelet that is usually covered.
The top plate has at its lower end or terminal a foot e² having a series of.
notches as e, said notches being in line with the opening e; and cooperating
with each of these notches in the said foot, I. have arranged a spring or yielding
finger or stop e, it having its end turned to partially surround the lowermost
eyelets of the series of eyelets in each of the grooves of the raceway. top plate,
said springs or fingers entering holes in a cross bar 20, suitably secured to the
upper side of the top plate, each of said springs or fingers being held in adjusted
position by means of a set screw e
The bottom plate, at its lower end, see Figs. 1 and 6, has a foot e, and said
foot has a series of notches.e to permit the plungers C³ as they rise, to pass
through said slots and enter the open ends of the eyelets.
The standard A2 has at its upper end a throat a, which is closed by a slide a¹,
which may be engaged and drawn out of the grooves in said throat when it is
desired to discharge all the eyelets from the hopper a², the withdrawal of the
said slide entirely opening the throat a.
The hopper a² has connected with it a reservoir a³, partially shown in Fig. 1;
and in top view Fig. 3, at the left.
Said reservoir has an opening a leading therefrom into the hopper, and it
has a door or slide a controlled as to its position by a suitable set screw a in
a slot therein, so that said door may be raised and lowered at the proper time
to make the space a below it, see Fig. 1, less or more according to the number
of eyelets it is desired shall roll from the reservoir onto the slide a and pile
up thereon in the groove as above said slide.
This reservoir, hopper and door; are substantially the same as in well known
machines of this class, and so is also the shaft fl having the brush f, it rotating
in the direction of the arrow on it in Fig. 1, and acting to sweep. back and
upwardly the eyelets coming out or falling down upon the extension f³ of the
bottom plate I), said extension when either of the two raceways stand in their
position to receive the plungers C3, occupying the position represented in Fig. 1,
and the upper end of the top plate of the raceway also stands within the hopper
as, in said figure.
The frame work A¹ has a study which receives over it the hub of a two armed
lever g, g, a screw g³ inserted through a washer and screwed into said stud
keeping said two armed lever in position.
The upper end g² of this two armed lever enters a slot or notch at the underside
of the bottom plate of the raceway, and the under arm g¹ of this lever has a
roller or other study, which is acted upon by a cam y fast on the main shaft G,
said cam in its rotation acting on said roller and moving the lever gg2 in .the
direction of the arrow near the lower end of said lever, such movement of said:
lever causing the bottom and top plates of the raceway to move in the direction
of the arrow 3, Fig. 1.
When the raceway is so moved, it will be supposed that the plungers C3 stand
each in an endmost eyelet of the series of eyelets in each of the series of grooves è,
and such movement of the raceway effects the detachment therefrom of the series
of eyelets next to the set, and at the same time the upper end f of the bottom
plate of the raceway plunges into the mass of eyelets resting on the slide a¹ and
n the groove 8; so that a. series of said eyelets get onto said bottom plate and
come down against. the upper end of the top plate, and those eyelets that slide

page_text: down the bottom plate with their shanks up, enter the grooves e at the upper-
ends of the top plate, the surplus eyelets being thrown back by the brush f.
'Herein the series of bottom sets have imparted to them a vertical motion in
the following manner, viz.:-
Each sliding cross head F, there being two such, has a suitable pin E', which
receives a link F2 attached by a pin F3 to one end of a lever F4, mounted on
a suitable stud F, extended from the upright part A', of the framework, said
lever having jointed to it at its other end by a pin h see dotted lines Fig. 1,
cne end of an eccentric strap h¹ which surrounds an eccentric fast on the
shaft G.
In the machine herein represented, there are two shafts G, G¹, each in line
with the other, and each of said shafts has loosely mounted upon it a continuously
moving driving or clutch pulley H, H', and the shafts have each a like cam g³
and eccentric h².
If it is desired to use but one half of the machine or one series of sets at
one time of course the pulley H of the half not to be used will be kept uncoupled-
from the shaft G.
A suitable spring 98 connected with the lever g¹, 92, acts normally to keep the
roller stud g in contact with the cam g, and said spring also serves to keep
the series of raceways in their lower or normal position, as represented in Fig. 1.
The rotation of the shaft G causes the eccentric h² to turn the lever F4, raise
the cross head F, and in so doing the plungers C3 first enter the series of eyelets-
then at the ends of the grooves of each raceway, and after the said plungers have
fully entered the said eyelets the raceway is moved in the direction of the
arrow 3, as stated, thus effecting the detachment of the series of eyelets, and
in further upward movement of the cross head the plungers meet the lower ends
of the series of top sets, said plungers and the eyelets thereon having gotten
into position in the holes made in the shoe top or upper, and finally in the
further rise of the cross head the plungers stop while the springs yield and
the bottom sets rise and acting on the flanged parts of the eyelets force the ends
of their shanks firmly against the shoulders of the top sets, curling or flanging
said shanks, and fixing the same firmly in the shoe upper or other article in
which the eyelets are being set, said springs B³ yielding somewhat if the thick-
ness of the stock demands.
It has been herein stated that there are two shafts G, G¹, in substantially the
same line, but one of these shafts, viz.: that one herein shown at the left hand
side of the machine and marked G₁ to designate it from the other one G, is
hollow, see Fig. 4, it receiving through it a shaft m, having at its inner end
a small sheave or pulley m', which receives about it a belt m², see Fig. 1 dotted
lines which surrounds a grooved pulley m³ on the shaft f', carrying the brush f,
said shaft f operating two brushes, one for each of the two hoppers.
The shaft fi is represented as located in a vertical plane substantially above
the upper end of the top plate E of the raceway, and the brush f carried by
said shaft is of such length and is rotated in such direction that the brush meets
any eyelets which are caught or improperly lodged in the upper end of the race-
way groove, and sweeps said eyelets upwardly away from said grooves together
with the eyelets resting upon the upper end of the bottom plate of the raceway,
and in this way the brush f, it acting intermittingly, clears periodically the
upper ends of the throats leading into the grooves of the raceway, and also clears
the table or plate f* which receives the eyelets from the pile above on their way
down to enter the grooves of the raceway. In all other instances known to me,
wherein a brush has been used to act upon eyelets, button fasteners, etcetera, said
brush has been employed to sweep the eyelets or button fasteners toward and
so that they may enter the grooves of the raceway, but herein it will be noticed
that the brush rotates in a direction to discharge and take away from the upper
ends of the raceway the eyelets, this action being intermitting.
In Fig. 1, I have shown a belt tightener m³, it being a sheave hung upon a

page_text: movable arm m¹. Whenever it is desired to change from one kind of eyelets
to another, the operator merely withdraws the slide a¹, and the continuously
rotating brushes will sweep all the eyelets up over the upper end f of the bottom
plate, and they will pass through the throat a into any receptacle placed there
for the purpose, I having shown one form of receptacle by the letter N, Fig. 1.
The outer end of the shaft m has a head m, provided with pins or dogs m³,
which enter recesses, see Fig. 3, in the hub of the continuously rotating driving
wheel H¹ at that end of the machine, so that said driving wheel, it being kept
continuously in motion, always acts to rotate the brush for the purpose described.
It will be understood that the shafts G, G¹, are rotated once and then auto-
matically stopped with the raceways in their lowermost positions as in Fig. 1,
and the operator then takes the punched work which is to receive the eyelets
and slips the punched holes onto the lower ends of the top sets B³, and thereafter
the plungers and lower sets rise, the plungers having upon them the eyelets to
be set, and the lower sets, acting on the eyelets, push them into the punched
holes in the work, and put the ends of the top sets in said holes, upsetting the
eyelet properly between the acting ends of the two sets.
To start the machine in operation for one cycle, the operator will put his foot
on a suitable treadle, not shown, at the lower end of a suitable rod n connected
with a lever n', pivoted at n², and normally acted upon by a spring n³ to keep
the upper end of said lever pressed toward the main shaft G or G₁ of the
machine, and will turn said lever n' in opposition to the said spring thus
removing its inclined upper end away from the shaft and away from the
lug n³, of a spring pressed dog n, said dog being acted upon by a spring n',
chiefly concealed in a hole in a hub t' fast on the shaft, said spring acting to move
the said dog to the right from the position Fig. 6, far enough to enter the
notch in the inner end of the hub of the driving pulley H, so that said pulley
in engagement with said dog immediately rotates the shaft G, or G which ever
one it is desired to start into operation, and as soon as the shaft starts the operator
will remove his foot from the treadle referred to, letting the spring n³ act to move
the inclined upper end n of the lever again toward the shaft, so that as the
projection n in the rotation of the shaft meets the inclined end of the said lever,
the dog will be withdrawn from a notch 8, as in Fig. 6, and thereafter the
pulley H will continue to rotate until the lever n¹ is again moved to effect the
release of the dog that it may engage the pulley.
"
The brush f which rotates about a horizontal axis, extended transversely across
the upper end of the raceway plate, constitutes a device which cooperates in its
rotation simultaneously with the upper end of the raceway plate to remove all
the eyelets not already in the grooves of the raceway plate.
By the term "intermittingly acting brush I mean a brush which is not
composed of a shaft enclosed entirely about its periphery with bristles, for such
a brush, if used and rotated in the direction herein claimed and stated, would
prevent any eyelets whatever from entering the raceway groove, but by providing
the shaft with bristles at only a part of its circumference it will be seen that
the bristles or effective part of the brush acts only intermittingly, it sweeping
during its rotation all the eyelets up away from the receiving ends of the eyelet
grooves, the said brush thereafter remaining out of contact with the raceway
long enough to let a new lot of eyelets drop down to and meet the upper end
of the upper plate of the raceway, and some of said eyelets enter the grooves, and
those which do not enter the grooves properly are immediately swept back again,
and another lot of eyelets are enabled to get a new start.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An eyeletting machine containing the following instrumentalities, viz.:-
camneend of a bottom plate and an independent top plate located above.

page_text: it, said top plate having a plurality of grooves to receive and guide the bodies of
eyelets, the flanges of said eyelets sliding in the open space between it and the
underside of said top plate, and movable stops having their ends normally
standing across the path of travel of the eyelets in each of said grooves, sub-
stantially as described.
י
L
"
2. In an eyeletting machine, a. raceway composed of a bottom plate, and a
top plate presenting a series of open grooves, the said bottom and top plate
having at their lower ends a series of open slots, means to arrest the endmost
eyelets of each series of eyelets in the grooves of the top plate in position over
or in line of movement of the bottom sets, and a series of bottom and top sets
and plungers cooperating therewith to enter the eyelets; and means to operate
the sets to set the eyelets, substantially as described.
3. In an eyeletting machine, a guideway, a raceway, composed of a broad
bottom plate and a top plate having a series of grooves to receive a series of
eyelets, a hopper to receive the upper end or extension of the bottom plate, and
means to move said bottom and top plate simultaneously in the said guideway
and in the said hopper, substantially as described.
4. In an eyeletting machine, a raceway, a hopper having an open throat located
at or above the upper end of said raceway, a slide to close said throat, said slide
supporting the pile of eyelets on their way to said raceway means cooperating
with said raceway and extended across the upper ends thereof to remove eyelets
therefrom onto said slide, whereby by the movement of said slide to open said
throat said means may effect the discharge automatically through the said open
throat of all unused eyelets, substantially as described.
5. A hopper having an open rear wall," a shelf located within said hopper near
the said opening, an independent reservoir to supply eyelets to said hopper,
said eyelets being fed onto said shelf in a pile, an agitator, a raceway having
its inclined end located in said hopper, and means to move said raceway to enter
the eyelets deposited in a pile on the said shelf, the agitator sweeping back from
the said raceway any eyelets that do not properly enter the grooved portions
thereof. substantially as described.
6. The use in an eyeletting machine, having a hopper and a brush mounted
in said hopper and cooperating with a series of grooves of a raceway to contain
eyelets, of a continuously moving driving pulley loose on the main shaft of the
eyeletting machine; and means connecting said loose pulley with the shaft of said
brush, said brush occupying a position transverse to the raceway grooves whereby
said brush may be rotated continuously after the machine has been stopped to
effect the discharge of eyelets from the hopper, substantially as described.
7. The use in an eyeletting machine having a hopper and a connected reservoir
and a gate or opening to permit eyelets to pass from the reservoir into the hopper,
of a throat having a slide to receive the eyelets leaving the reservoir and coming
into the hopper, a raceway presenting a plurality of grooves to receive a plurality
of series of eyelets, a brush having its shaft located transversely to the grooves
of the raceway, and means to rotate said shaft that the brush may act upon the
eyelets coming onto the raceway, and discharge from the raceway eyelets which
do not properly enter the grooves, substantially as described.
8. In an eyeletting machine, a raceway composed of a bottom plate and a
separate top plate presenting a series of open grooves for the reception of the
bodies of the eyelets, the flanges of said eyelets entering the space between the
under side of the top plate and the top of the bottom plate, substantially as
described.
i
9. In an eyeletting machine, a raceway composed of a bottom plate, and a
separate top plate presenting a series of grooves for the bodies of the eyelets,
the flanges of said eyelets entering the space between the top of the bottom
plate and the bottom of the top plate, and means to adjust said top plate vertically
with relation to said bottom plate, substantially as described.
10. In an eyeletting machine, a raceway, presenting a pluraliy of grooves

page_text: to receive eyelets, a hopper located at the upper end of the raceway, a brush
located transversely to the raceway grooves, and means to actuate said brush
and cause it to act upon and sweep upwardly the eyelets at the upper end of
the raceway away from the entering grooves thereof, said brush intermittingly
clearing the eyelets away from the upper end of the raceway leaving the eyelets
a clear space to descend and enter the raceway grooves, substantially as described.
11. In an eyeletting machine, a raceway composed of a bottom and top plate,
said top plate being grooved at its underside for the entrance of the shanks of
eyelets, the receiving end of said top plate being located at a distance below
the upper end of the bottom plate of the raceway, an intermittingly operating
brush carried by a shaft located above the upper end of said raceway and trans-
verse to its grooves, and means to rotate said brush in but one direction that it
may act intermittingly to sweep the eyelets from the upper end of the top plate
of said raceway upwardly along the bottom plate of said raceway, said brush in
its action contacting with both the bottom and top plates of the raceway and
acting intermittingly to sweep all the eyelets which have not properly entered
the raceway grooves upwardly away from the entrance to said grooves, thereby
permitting a fresh set of eyelets to immediately descend on the bottom plate
of the raceway to the entrance grooves of the top plate of the raceway, sub-
stantially as described.
101
1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.