Year: 1899

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of the Green Hall, Stafford, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists firstly in an improved construction of "foot" for use in
lasting machines which operate on what is known as the hand method of lasting
in which the operator, either with or without the assistance of a jack, holds the
boot up by hand to the machine which operates on the edge of the upper by means
of pincers and a wiper so as to draw the upper over the edge of the last and by
means of a hammer drives the lasting tacks as the lasting operation proceeds.
The foot takes upon the insole of the shoe and is serrated or pointed to
afford a hold fast against the pulling action of the pincers and wiper.
It is found to be of great advantage to be able to adjust the position of the
foot with reference to the pincers and wiper both horizontally and vertically with
great facility so that the adjustment can be effected during the act of lasting a
shoe. I therefore mount the foot upon an approximately horizontal slide which I
carry again upon a vertical slide.
Each of these slides is furnished with a rack which is engaged by a small pinion
having a handle placed so that it is capable of being instantly moved by the
operator. The one handle sets the "foot" up or down vertically and the other
sets it in or out horizontally or approximately so. The pinion bearings are split
and provided with cramp screws by which sufficient friction may he applied to the
pinions as to cause them to turn somewhat stiffly so that pressure on the "foot'
in either direction shall not cause it to move away from its set position.
"
Of course, other means such as screws, eccentrics, cams, or the like might be
employed with the object of providing an adjustable "foot" but it is not thought
they would offer greater advantage than the method above described, the object
being to provide a "foot" capable of instant adjustment by the operator to suit
the nature of the work at the moment in hand; the position of which "foot"
sometimes requiring one or two adjustments on the same shoe.
The second part of this invention consists in so constructing the back gauge
that it can readily be set forward or backward by the operator to suit different
sorts of work.
I mount the back gauge upon an eccentric bush which again is mounted on a
stud in the machine frame. A cramp screw, as befere described, may be applied
to afford sufficient friction to resist the backward pressure of the shoe and the
bush may be turned by a handle or milled: head so as to set the gauge in the
position desired. If preferred the stud may be eccentrically turned and the bush
dispensed with or other equivalent means may be employed, the object being that

page_text: the gauge may be set with great facility in any desired position to suit the work
in hand.
Improvements in Lasting Machines for Boots and Shoes.
I. WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of the Green Hall, Stafford, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
This invention relates to lasting machines which operate on what is known as
the hand method of lasting in which the operator, either with or without the
assistance of a jack, holds the boot up by hand to the machine which operates
on the edge of the upper by means of pincers and a wiper so as to draw the
upper over the edge of the last and by means of a hammer drives the lasting tacks
as the lasting operation proceeds. The foot. takes upon the insole of the shoe and
is serrated or pointed to afford a holdfast against the pulling action of the pincers
and wiper.
According to one part of my invention I construct the foot so that it can be
adjusted with relation to, the pincers and wiper approximately horizontally and
vertically and in such a manner that the adjustment can be effected during the
act of lasting a shoe. This adjustment may be obtained in the following manner.
that is to say, I mount the foot upon an approximately horizontal slide which I
carry again upon a vertical slide. Each of these slides is furnished with a rack
which is engaged by a small pinion having a handle placed. so that it is capable
of being instantly moved by the operator: The one handle sets the foot up or
down vertically and the other sets it in or out horizontally or approximately so.
The pinion bearings are split and provided with cramp screws by which sufficient
friction may be applied to the pinions so as to cause them to turn somewhat
stiffly in order that pressure on the foot in either direction shall not cause it to
move away from its set position.
The other part of my invention consists in so constructing the back or edge
gauge that it can be adjusted or set forward or backward by the operator to suit
different sorts of work. This adjustment may be obtained in the following
manner, that is to say, I mount the gauge upon an eccentric bush which again
is mounted on a stud in the machine frame. A cramp screw may be applied to
afford sufficient friction to resist the backward pressure of the shoe and the bush
may be turned by a handle or milled head so as to set the gauge in the position
desired.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a part of a lasting machine of the kind known
as the lightning laster" having my improvements applied thereto :
Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation of the same;
Figure 3 is a sectional plan shewing the back or edge gauge.
a is the race down which the tacks are supplied to the reciprocating carrier b
on the part of the frame, which carrier places them one at a time beneath
the hammer c. This hammer is reciprocated vertically in the head frame & and
is magnetised at its lower end so that it lifts the tacks up out of the carrier and
drives them down into the hoot or shoe held by the operator beneath,

page_text: -
d
The work is held sole upwards with the upper against the back or edge gauge
and the edges of the upper are grasped and drawn over the last by the pincer
jaws 6. A wiper f assists the pincers in drawing over and holding the, upper
while each lasting tack is being driven. The operator is assisted in holding the
shoe securely and in proper relation to the back or edge gauge and operating
parts of the machine by a foot g, which takes upon the insole of the shoe and
is serrated or pointed to afford a holdfast against the pulling action of the pincers
and wiper. All of the foregoing parts are of known construction.
g is the slide upon which I mount the foot g, the said slide being arranged in
a nearly horizontal slideway g° upon a vertical slide h also arranged in a slide-
way in a bracket j secured to the. head frame c'.
93 is the rack formed on the slide g¹ and g³ the pinion having the handle
which parts serve to reciprocate the slide g¹ in the slideway gº. g is the split
frictional bearing to carry the stem of the pinion g³ which bearing can be
cramped more or less tightly by the screw until the necessary stiffness of move-
ment of the handle g and foot g is obtained.
2 is the rack formed on the slide and h³ is the pinion having the handle +
which serves to reciprocate the slide in the slideway i. is the split bearing
with the screw 6 to carry and cramp the stem 7 of the pinion h³.
By the described construction it will be seen that the operator is able to
instantly adjust the foot g to any position which the nature of the work may
require while the machine is in operation; he simply having to push or pull
one or the other or both of the handles and h*.
. Figures 2 and 3, is the eccentric bush upon which I mount the gaugo d,
which bush is mounted on the fixed stud on the frame b¹.
is the cramp
screw screwed into the stud to prevent the eccentric bush d from turning after
being set. The outer rim of the bush and the head of the screw
milled for the convenience of the operator in manipulating the same.
are
By this construction it will be seen that the gauge can be set forward or
backward by rotating the bush d', the screw being tightened to afford suffi-
cient friction to prevent the bush moving under the pressure of the work.
The gauge d may be swung to one side as indicated by the dotted lines in
Figures 1 and 3 in the usual manner by means of the handled when it is desired
to put the same out of operation.
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. In a lasting machine, a foot so constructed and arranged that it can be
adjusted by the operator during the operation of lasting, either in a vertical or a
horizontal direction or both, relatively with the gauge or part against which the
operator holds the work, substantially as described.
2. In a lasting machine, mechanism for adjusting the foot comprising a rack
on the foot, a pinion engaging with the rack and having a handle connected
thereto, a bearing for cramping the pinion, a slide working in a guide-on the
machine and carrying the bearing and also provided with a rack, a pinion engag
ing this rack and having a handle connected thereto and a bearing in the guide
on the machine for cramping the pinion, substantially as described.
3. In a lasting machine having a back or edge gauge of the kind that can be
readily swung into and out of operation, constructing and arranging the said
gauge so that its operating end can be adjusted nearer to or farther from the tack
driver, substantially as described.
4. In a lasting machine provided with a. swinging back or edge gauge, mech-
anism for adjusting the gauge relatively with the-tack driver comprising -an-
adjustable eccentric bush mounted upon a stud on the machine and carrying the
gauge and a cramping screw for holding the gauge when adjusted, substantially
as described,

page_text: 5. A lasting machine provided with an adjustable foot and with an adjustable
back gauge, constructed, arranged and operating substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 1st day of January 1900.
G. F. REDFERN & Co..
4, South Street; Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.