Ix- PROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER POWER FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING THE SOLES AND HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES, AND SCREWING THEM ON TO THE UPPERS OR COVERINGS, AND ALSO IN VICES FOR HOLDING THE SAME, AND TOOLS FOR PARING, BLACKING, AND GLAZING OR OTHERWISE ORNAMENTING THE EDGES OF THE SOLES AND HEELS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Southall and Robert Heap, of
Staleybridge, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS WORKED BY STEAM
OR OTHER POWER FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING THE SOLES AND HEELS OF
BOOTS AND SHOES, AND SCREWING THEM ON TO THE UPPERS OR COVERINGS,
AND ALSO IN VICES FOR HOLDING THE SAME, AND TOOLS FOR PARING,
BLACKING, AND GLAZING OR OTHERWISE ORNAMENTING THE EDGES OF THE
SOLES AND HEELS."
Sealed the 29th April 1864, and dated the 6th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Southall
and Robert Heap at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 6th November 1863.
We, CHARLES HENRY SOUTHALL and ROBERT HEAP, of Staleybridge,
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER POWER FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING THE SOLES
AND HEELS OF BOOTS AND. SHOES, AND SCREWING THEM ON TO THE UPPERS OR
COVERINGS, AND ALSO IN VICES FOR HOLDING THE SAME, AND TOOLS FOR PARING,
BLACKING, AND GLAZING OR OTHERWISE ORNAMENTING THE EDGES OF THE SOLES
AND HEELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that description of boots and shoes in which the

page_text: soles are fixed to the uppers or coverings by screws, and consists in cutting
the soles, making the screws, fixing the soles, and finishing their edges by
means of self-acting machinery, so that a large number of boots or shoes
can be made in a short time without employing skilled labour and only
requiring the ordinary wooden last without any plating. The screws are made
from a coil of wire placed on the machine with, cutters or dies, and forced into
the sole of the boot or shoe without any hole having been previously made,
the length of the screws being regulated by means of change wheels. When
the screw has penetrated the intended distance the spindle containing the
wire is made to stop by a check strap or brake worked by a cam, whilst a
pair of self-acting shears cuts the screw, and allows the boot to be moved by
another cam working a ratchet wheel one tooth or more as desired, which
ratchet gives motion to the table on which the boot is placed by means of a
rack placed on the under side. In making boots with our machine the first
and principal thing is the holding of the boot firmly; for this purpose.we use a
peculiar vice consisting of an oblong iron frame with square ends, and made
rather longer than the largest sized boot, and rather wider than the broadest,
and about two inches deep; parallel with the sides of this box are two levers
formed of round smooth rods, the fulcrums of which rest on one end of the
box, and the opposite ends of the said levers work in a slot in the other end of
the box, which keeps them steady. On the centre of each side of the box is
placed a centre, on which the box swivels when in work, and through these
centres are placed the screws which work the aforesaid levers. On one end of
the box a bed is made to receive the toe of the boot, and on the aforesaid levers
there are clips made of brass or any other suitable material, between which the
boot is placed. That part of the clip which comes against the smooth levers is
made round, so that it may allow the nose of the said clip to bed freely against
the boot, and make it in fact universal. On the corners of the box are placed
small rollers for purposes herein-after described. The boot being held in this
vice securely the vice is placed with its centres resting on two brackets fixed
on a suitable table, which table is oblong in shape with circular ends and with
a slot down the middle sufficiently long to accommodate the largest sized boot.
This slot is bevilled on the under side, and rests on a corresponding bevilled
slide, in the centre of which is placed a boss bored as in an ordinary wheel.
On the top of the plate and screwed fast to the slide there are curved or cam-
shaped grooves, in which the before-mentioned rollers on the corners of the
vice or box work, whereby the boot is made to rise and fall to suit its different
curves, and thereby present a proper surface to the screws, shears, and finishing
#

page_text: tools. Underneath the table is placed a rack, the same form as the table, but
only the length of the largest sized boot, and the breadth of an average sized
one. Being so arranged it is suitable for all sizes and sorts of boots or shoes.
To suit the inequalities of the edges of the soles, the table is made to move
to-and-fro by the centre of the slide being placed on a stud fixed on the top of
a pedestal, about three or four feet long, the bottom of which is screwed in a
cross bar with turned ends, which ends work in two brackets placed on a
moveable plate. On this plate also is placed a stud which carries a wheel
with an universal joint placed thereon, to which is fixed the shaft carrying a
pinion which gears into and drives the rack for giving motion to the table.
The wheel and rack are kept in gear with a casting keyed on the pedestal and
bored the proper distance from it to allow the shaft to pass through. The
pedestal and shaft are therefore always parallel with each other, and move
to-and-fro according to the curves of the edge of a boot sole, the sole itself
forming. its own cam or guide. There is a fixed guide placed immediately
underneath the shears, against which the edges of the boot sole works,
and to keep the edge of the sole to this guide a strong spring acts against
the back of the pedestal. The table pedestal and its appendages just described
require to move up and down also to suit the inequalities of the boot sole, and
this has to be effected with great ease. To effect this two cast-iron plates are
keyed to a shaft about four feet long or longer, if convenient, for the longer
the shaft the easier the motion. One plate is keyed as near the bottom as
possible and carries the pedestal and the whole of the weight of the table and
its appendages, and rests on the foot plate of the machine when not in work;
the other plate is keyed on the top and contains merely a slot for guiding the
pedestal and keeping it always in the centre. The frame and foot plate are
bored to make bearings for this shaft, and with the bearings being so far apart
it moves up and down with the greatest ease. A lever or balance is used to
raise the boot against the nose of the shears against which it beds, and a
proper weight being employed at the weight end the boot always maintains
its proper position. The balance however is not sufficient to resist the force
of the screw whilst penetrating the boot sole, consequently a wedge or cam-
shaped hammer is used which works under a toothed roller placed on a stud
fixed to the top plate or any other suitable place. This hammer is worked by
a lever driven by a cam on the principal shaft. The hammer has two grooved
pulleys affixed with chains working in opposite directions. One chain is
attached to the lever just mentioned and draws away the pressure from the
boot to enable it to move, and a weight is attached to the other chain, so that

page_text: when the cam which works the lever liberates it the weight suddenly brings
the pressure of the hammer against the toothed roller and thereby squeezes
the part of the boot sole together whilst the screw penetrates. The wheel on
the bottom plate which has already been described is driven by a deep wheel
with a catch-box cast on the top working loose on a shaft employed for the
purpose close to the foot plate of the machine, and this enables the wheel on
the bottom plate to rise and fall with the table without getting out of gear.
Or an ordinary wheel may be employed instead of the deep wheel and rise up
and down on the plate and be constantly in gear with the other wheel. The
catch box on the deep wheel is so arranged that the weight of the table and
its appendages lifts it out of gear when it is brought down to its lowest place.
This plan is adopted to enable the attendant to move the table in any required
position when the machine is not in work. This catch box receives motion
from a ratchet wheel on the same shaft and can be moved one, two, or
more teeth as desired; it is worked by a lever with a catch and spring and
driven by a cam on the principal shaft. In our machine, therefore, the boot
is first held fast in the vice, which is then placed in the machine; a catch
which holds the table down is then drawn on one side and allows the boot to
rise against the nose of the shears against which the hammer forees it tightly.
The screw is then made and penetrates the boot sole. When it has gone the
desired length the spindle which carries the wire is made to stop suddenly, the
pressure of the hammer is taken away when the shears cut the screw and the
boot moves the distance for the next screw, the pressure is again renewed and
so on till the boot is finished. All the motions are actuated by the cams
and wheels on the principal shaft. The spindle, on the top of which is the
bobbin for holding the coil of wire, and each revolution of which causes a
thread to be cut on the screw, is made to revolve by a train of wheels, one of
which can be changed to regulate the length of the screw, which change
wheels are geared into a large wheel on the principal shaft. The spindle is
furnished with a catch box which is lifted out of gear when the stop takes
place to enable the shears to cut and the boot to move. A lever is used to
liberate the catch box and is worked by a cam fixed on the large wheel on the
principal shaft. A smooth pulley is fixed on the spindle, round which is
placed a check strap which is drawn tight by a cam on the principal shaft
working a lever to which the end of the check strap is affixed and which in-
stantly stops the spindle. The shears are made with a stud and roller on the
end of each arm, which rollers work in slots in a circular or any other suitable
plate. These slots are made so that when the plate is turned in one direction

page_text: the shears close and cut the screw. A stud and roller is likewise fixed on this
plate against which a cam on the principal shaft strikes and causes it to turn
as far as it is desired.
The principal shaft, therefore, is the means by which
all the motions are worked, and every time the shaft revolves a screw is forced
into the boot sole and the boot moved the distance it is intended to place each
screw from the other. When the screwing is completed the vice containing
the boot is removed to another portion of the machine where a table similar
to the one already described is placed to receive it for the purpose of finishing
the edges.
There is, however, a difference in the motion of the tables, inas-
much as the one used for the screwing moves at intervals, whereas the motion
of the finishing table is required to be continuous. The finishing table is not
required to move to and fro, neither is it required to move up and down, and
therefore works on a fixed centre. The tools have to-and-fro motion imparted
to them by a lever working in a moveable fulcrum, the end of which lever is
bored to receive the various tools. This lever also rises and falls into the
various curves of the boot sole when the tool is placed therein, for the tool is
so arranged that the nose rests upon the boot sole and is kept there by a
weight or spring and is guided by the boot sole accordingly. This lever,
therefore, resembles more than anything else the human arm, the elbow
being the moveable fulcrum and the hand the end for holding the tools.
The band which drives the screwing portion can also be used for driving the
finishing, or they may be driven by two separate straps.
It is not convenient
to finish the fore part of the boot and the heel at the same. time on account
of the extra thickness of the heel. To overcome this difficulty, therefore, the
tools are made to traverse the edge of the boot sole from one corner of the
heel to the other and then return. This is effected by two bevil wheels with
a catch box cast on each running loose on the driving shaft and gearing into
and on each side of a larger bevilled wheel. Between the two catch boxes
is placed a piece of metal with which is cast the lids of the catch box, and
which slides backwards and forwards on a key secured on the driving shaft,
so that when it is in gear with one it is out of gear with the other, and vice
versa. The middle of this piece is grooved and a fork fastened to a lever in
suitable bearings rests therein and works the said piece. This lever is made
self-acting by means of a double lever with a weight on the top and is worked
by adjustable cams bolted to the table in slots, so that they can be made to
suit either a large or small boot, which cams coming in contact with the end
of the lever cause it to rebound to and fro at the proper time, thereby first
putting one catch box into gear and then the other. To stop the machine a

page_text: catch is used which holds the pieces of metal with the catch box lids equi-
distant from each other. The tools for cutting the edges are made of brass or
any other suitable material with steel cutters, and are arranged somewhat
similar to a joiner's plane, but are made to swivel universally to suit the
various curves of the boot sole. The principle of this plane or cutter is this,
-there are two points, the cutting point and the guiding point. These two
points must be kept to the edge of the sole to be cut. To effect this the stud
on which it swivels is placed between them, and the, weight which is brought
to bear against the arm lever in which the tool is placed forces the two points
against the boot sole, and coming equally against each compels the tool to keep
its proper position. The tool works in a cranked holder with a stud opposite
the cutting point, which stud fits in the hole bored in the arm lever, and it is
thereby enabled to follow and bed into the various curves of a boot sole. The
nose of the tool rides on the boot sole and is made broad and of a proper
shape, so that it may be easily worked by the same. It is also made adjustable
and can be made to suit any thickness of the sole or heel. The tools for
blacking and glazing work in the same manner. For cutting the soles pre-
viously to their being placed on the boot or shoe we employ a block with
centres, on which block is placed the leather to be cut, and above which there
is a template held fast by screws, which template forms the guide for the tool
which cuts the leather beyond the template. This arrangement supersedes
the present expensive stamping tools and can be worked with as much ease as
the tool for paring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert Heap in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
HENRY SOUTHALL and ROBERT HEAP, of Staleybridge, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert Heap, Her special
license that we, the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert Heap, our execu

page_text: tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Henry
Southall and Robert Heap, our 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 SELF-ACTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS WORKED BY STEAM
OR OTHER POWER FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING THE SOLES AND HEELS OF BOOTS AND
SHOES, AND SCREWING THEM ON TO THE UPPERS OR COVERINGS, AND ALSO IN VICES
POR HOLDING THE SAME, AND TOOLS FOR PARING, BLACKING, AND GLAZING OR
OTHERWISE ORNAMENTING THE EDGES OF THE SOLES AND HEELS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert
Heap, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 we, the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert
Heap, do hereby declare the nature of our 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) :-
This Invention relates to that description of boots and shoes in which the
soles are fixed to the uppers or coverings by screws, and consists in cutting the
soles, making the screws, fixing the soles, and finishing their edges by means
of self-acting machinery, so that a large number of boots or shoes can be made
in a short time without employing skilled labor, and only requiring the ordinary
wooden last without any plating, the several operations being performed either
in one machine, or one machine employed for cutting the soles, another for
screwing the soles and heels on to the uppers or coverings, and another for
paring and finishing. As the screws are required to be of a greater length for
the heels of the boot or shoe than for the soles, we begin by screwing on the
sole at one of the sides, close to the heel part, and continue onwards round the
toe and the other side until we arrive again at the heel part, and this operation
is performed for as many boots or shoes as required, after which the heels
are screwed on, and then the soles and heels are pared and polished, either in
the same machine or in a separate one.
The manner in which our Invention is to be performed will be clearly

page_text: understood by referring to the figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved self-acting
machinery for cutting and shaping the soles and heels of boots and shoes, and
screwing them on to the uppers or coverings, and afterwards paring and
finishing their edges, all of which operations are performed in one machine;
Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of part of the same; and
Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are detached views
of various parts of our improvements.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which are drawn to a scale of one and a half inches to
the foot, a represents the framework of the machine; b, the driving shaft;
c, the driving and loose pulleys; and d, the driving straps. The screws for
fastening the soles and heels to the uppers or coverings are made from a coil
of wire placed on the drum e at the top of the machine, and afterwards screwed
by cutters or dies in the holder f, and forced into the sole of the boot or shoe
without any hole having been previously made, the length of the screws being
regulated by means of change wheels g. When the screw has penetrated the
intended distance, the hollow spindle containing the wire is made to stop by
a check strap or brake i worked by a cam or lever j fixed to the top of the
vertical shaft k, which is turned by means of bevil wheels from the driving
shaft b, whilst a pair of self-acting shears / cuts the screw, and allows the boot
to be moved by another cam m on the shaft k working a ratchet wheel n on
the shaft o one tooth or more, as desired, which ratchet wheel, by means of
intermediate gearing, gives motion to the table p, on which the boot is placed.
In making boots or shoes with our machine the first and principal thing is the
holding of the boot firmly; for this purpose we use two peculiar vices, one for
the sole part and the other for the heel part.
The vice for holding the boot or shoe when the sole part has to be screwed
on is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the two Figures 4 and 5 being drawn to
a scale of three inches to the foot. The said vice consists of an oblong iron
box or frame q, with square ends, and made rather longer than the largest
sized boot and rather wider than the broadest, and about two inches deep.
Parallel with the sides of this box are two levers formed of round smooth
rods, one end of each of which works on a fulcrum fixed to one end of the box,
and the opposite ends of the said levers work in a slot in the other end of the
box for the purpose of keeping them steady. At or about the centre of each
side of the box there is an axis or trunnion s, which enables the box to swivel
up and down when in work; and through these axes are placed the screws t,
which are in contact with and press up the aforesaid levers. At one end of

page_text: the box there is a bed u for receiving the toe of the boot or shoe, and on the
aforesaid levers there are clips v, made of brass or any other suitable material,
between which the boot is placed, which clips have bosses with entire holes, or
bave half bosses with semicircular cavities. These latter clips are of various
sizes, and different views of one, drawn about full size, are shewn in Fig. 6, 7,
and 8. That part of the clip which is in contact with the smooth levers r is
curved in two directions as at to, so that it may have a universal action, and
allow the nose of the said clip to bed freely against the boot, and the bed u is
so placed that the toe is central with the centre of the stud on which the table
and rack revolve. At the sides of the box are placed small rollers x, for
purposes herein-after described. The boot being held in this vice securely,
the vice is then placed, with its axes resting on two bearings or brackets y,
Figs. 1 and 2, fixed on the table p, which table is oblong in shape, with circular
ends, and with a slot down the middle sufficiently long to accommodate the
largest sized boot. This slot is bevilled on the under side, and rests on a
corresponding bevilled slide, in the centre of which is placed a boss bored as
in an ordinary wheel. On the top of the table p, and screwed fast to the slide,
there are plates z, Figs. 1, 2, and 9, having in them curved or cam-shaped
grooves, in which the before-mentioned rollers & at the sides of the vice or box
work, whereby the boot is made to rise and fall to suit its different curves, and
thereby present a proper surface to the screws, shears, and finishing tools.
An enlarged view of one of the grooved plates is shewn in Fig. 9, but the
plates and grooves are of different dimensions, adapted to boots and shoes of
different sizes and shapes, and both plates on the table may have the same
form of grooves, and have all the four rollers a working in them, or one plate
at one side may have a groove adapted for men's boots and shoes, and the
other plate a groove for women's boots and shoes, and then two of the rollers &
would work in the groove of the plate in use, and the other rollers would have
to be removed. Underneath the table p is fixed a rack a', Fig. 1, round at
one end and straight at the sides, but only the length of the largest sized boot
and the breadth of an average sized one, and by being so arranged, it is suitable
for all sizes and sorts of boots or shoes. To suit the irregularities of the edges
of the soles, the table p is made to move to and fro by the centre of the slide
being placed on a stud 6', which is central with the toe of the boot or shoe,
and fixed on the top of a pedestal shaft c¹, about three or four feet long, the
bottom of which is screwed in a cross bar with turned ends, which ends work
in two brackets & placed on a bottom plate e¹. On this plate also is placed a
stud, which carries a toothed wheel f', with an universal joint placed thereon,

page_text: to which joint is connected the shaft g', carrying at the top a pinion h', which
gears into and drives the aforesaid rack a' for giving motion to the table.
The wheel and rack are kept in gear by means of a casting keyed on the
pedestal shaft, and bored the proper distance from it to allow the shaft g' to
pass through. The pedestal shaft c² and shaft g¹ are therefore always allied
with each other, and move to and fro according to the curves of the edge of a
boot sole, the sole itself forming its own cam or guide. There is a fixed
guide, Fig. 1, placed immediately underneath the shears, against which the
edge of the boot sole works, and to keep the edge of the sole to this guide a
strong spring m³, Figs. 1 and 2, acts against the back of the pedestal shaft c'.
The table pedestal and its appendages just described require to move up and
down to suit the inequalities of the boot sole, and this has to be effected with
great ease. To effect this the plate e¹ and the plate n¹ are fixed to a shaft o¹
about four feet long, or longer if convenient, for the longer the shaft the easier
the motion. The plate e¹ is keyed as near the bottom as possible and carries
the pedestal and the whole of the weight of the table and its appendages, and
rests on the foot plate of the machine when not in work; the other plate n¹ is
keyed on the top and contains merely a slot for guiding the pedestal and
keeping it always in the centre. The frame at p¹ and foot plate are bored to
make bearings for this shaft o¹; and with the bearings being so far apart it
moves up and down with the greatest ease. A weighted lever q¹ is connected
by a rod r¹ to the shaft o¹ or to the bottom plate e¹ for the
purpose of raising
the boot against the nose of the shears, against which it beds, and a proper
weight being employed at the weight end the boot always maintains its proper
position. The weighted lever however is not sufficient to resist the force of
the screw whilst penetrating the boot sole, consequently a wedge or cam-shaped
hammer s¹ is used which works under a toothed roller t' placed on a stud fixed
to the top plate n¹ or any other suitable place. This hammer is worked by a
lever u put in motion by a cam v¹ on the vertical shaft k. The hammer has
two grooved pulleys, in which are fixed chains working in opposite directions.
One chain ¹ is attached to the lever u¹ and draws away the pressure from the
boot to enable it to move, and a weight.y¹ is attached to the other chain z¹, so
that when the cam which works the lever u¹ liberates it the weight y¹
suddenly brings the pressure of the hammer again against the toothed roller t¹
and thereby squeezes the part of the boot sole together whilst the screw
penetrates. The wheel f¹ on the bottom plate e¹ is driven by a deep wheel a²
with one half of a catch box cast on the top and working loose on the vertical
shaft o, the other half of the catch box sliding on a feather or key fixed to the

page_text: desired, there being at
The ratchet wheel n is
said vertical shaft o. This deep wheel at enables the wheel to rise and fall
with the table without getting out of gear, or an ordinary wheel may be
employed instead of the deep wheel and rise up and down on the plate and be
constantly in gear with the other wheel. The catch box c for turning the
deep wheel is provided with the clutch lever d for bringing the upper half of
the catch box out of gear with the lower half when the table and appendages
are brought down to their lowest place. This plan is adopted to enable the
attendant to move the table in any required position when the machine is not
in work. This catch box receives motion from the ratchet wheel n on the
shaft o and can be moved one, two, or more teeth as is
the bottom of the shaft a catch or holding wheel e.
worked by a lever * with catch and spring and driven by the cam m on the
vertical shaft k. In our machine, therefore, the boot is first held fast in the
vice, which is then placed in the machine. A catch 92 which holds down the
weighted lever q¹ and also the table and appendages is then drawn on one side
and allows the table and appendages to rise and place the boot against the
nose of the shears as shewn by the dotted lines, against which the hammer
forces it tightly. The screw is then made and penetrates the boot sole.
When it has gone the desired length the hollow spindle h which carries the
wire is made to stop suddenly and the shears cut the screw, and then the
pressure of the hammer is taken away by the cam v' and the boot moves the
distance for the next screw, after which the cam v³ ceases to act on the lever u¹
and the pressure is again renewed, and so on until the sole part of the boot is
finished. These operations are performed for any number of boots or shoes,
after which the heels have to be screwed on to the uppers or coverings. For
this purpose we place the boot or shoe in the vice shewn in Figs. 10 and 11,
which are drawn to a scale of three inches to the foot. This vice consists of
an oblong box h² the interior of which is longer and wider than the largest
sized boot. At the sides of the box there are two levers working on
fulcrums at one end of the box and guided at their other ends in a slot at the
other end of the box. At or about the centre of the sides of the box
there are axes or trunnions having screwed holes through which are
passed the screws the ends of which are in contact with the aforesaid
levers; each of these levers has a screwed hole through which is passed the
screw m², which has a partly spherical end fitted to a cavity in the holder n³
so as to form a ball joint and enable the holder to swivel to any position. On
the levers there is a cross bar o which is employed for supporting the front
part of the boot or shoe, which bar is capable of being shifted as required and

page_text: afterwards held fast by a set screw. On the levers there are clips på similar
to those shewn in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. In order that the screws may be placed
at a uniform distance from the edge and the finishing operations performed in
an efficient manner it is necessary that the boot or shoe should be so held in
the vice that the centre of the heel should be central or in a line with the
centre of the rack or stud which carries the rack and table. To ensure this
condition we employ a gauge which can be moved up and down according to
the size of the boot or shoe, but which is always maintained central with the
centre of the aforesaid rack or stud. This gauge consists of a circular plate q
attached to a bar, which is fixed to or formed with the circular or other
shaped rods. This rod is fitted to a vertical hole at the end of the box and
held fast at the required height by the screw t*, there being, when the rod is
round, a slot formed in it for the end of the screw to enter in order to main-
tain the gauge always in a central position. Thus, when a boot or shoe has
to be held in this vice it is placed in the box and the fore part supported on
the cross bar o² and the clips p² placed on the levers, after which the holders n³
are brought in contact with the sides of the boot or shoe below the heel, the
wooden last being in the inside. The screws m² of the holders n³ are now
turned more or less until the heel is central with the gauge, and then the
holders and clips are screwed tight up by the aforesaid screws m² and the
central screws 1. All the motions are actuated by the cams and wheels on
the vertical shaft k. The shaft h, on the top of which is the drum e for holding
the coil of wire, and each revolution of which causes a thread of the screw to
be cut, is made to revolve by means of the wheel a³, which gears into one of
the change wheels g, two of which can be changed to regulate the length of
the screw, and one of the change wheels is geared into the large wheel b³ on
the vertical shaft k. The shaft his furnished with a catch box c³, which is
lifted out of gear when the stop takes place to enable the shears to cut and the
boot to move. A lever is used to liberate the catch box, and is worked by
a cam e³ fixed on the large wheel b³ on the vertical shaft k. A smooth pulley
is fixed on the shaft h, round which is placed the check strap or brake i, which
is drawn tight by the cam or lever working a levet f³ to which the end of
the check strap i is affixed, and which instantly stops the shaft h. The shears
are made with a stud and roller on the end of each arm, which rollers work in
slots in the plate 93, which may be circular or of any other shape. These
slots are made so that when the plate is turned in one direction the shears
close and cut the screw. A stud and roller h³ is likewise fixed on this plate,
against which a cam 23 on the vertical shaft & strikes and causes it to turn as

page_text: far as it is desired, the shears being again opened by the passage of the
succeeding screw. The vertical shaft k, therefore, when the driving strap is
shifted on to the fast pulley by the strap-fork rod and handle j³, is the means
by which all the motions are worked, and every time this shaft revolves a
screw is forced into the boot sole and the boot moves the distance it is intended
to place each screw from the other. When the screwing is completed the vice
containing the boot is removed to another portion of the machine, where a
table, similar to the table p already described but larger, is placed to receive
it for the purpose of finishing the edges. There is, however, a difference in
the motion of the tables, inasmuch as the one used for the screwing moves at
intervals, whereas the motion of the finishing table is required to be continuous.
The finishing table is not required to move to and fro, neither is it required to
move up and down, and therefore works on a fixed centre a³. To the under
side of the table is fixed a rack , similar to the one before described, gearing
into a toothed wheel fixed to the shaft e³ which carries at the bottom the
spur wheelf. The tools have to-and-fro motion sideways imparted to them,
according to the shape of the heel and sole, by a lever jointed to a fulcrum
on the moveable arın or lever m³, the end of the lever being bored to receive
the various tools, and the lever being kept up to its work by the lever and
weight n³. This lever is also jointed, as at o³, to the slide p³, which can be
held up by a catch, and thereby hold up the lever when it is not in work, as
shewn by the full lines. When the catch is turned back the slide is lowered,
and with it the lever, as shewn by the dotted lines, and the slide and lever are
free to move up and down and follow the various curves of the boot sole when
the tool is placed therein, for in connection with the tool there is a guard
which rests upon the boot sole and is kept there by a spring or by the weight q³
connected to the slide, and is guided by the boot sole accordingly. This lever,
therefore, resembles more than anything else the human arm, the elbow
being the moveable fulcrum and the hand the end for holding the tool, and
when the fulcrum of the lever is raised in the lever m³, so as to place the
Jever in an angular position, the heels can be pared and polished to an angle
corresponding with the height to which the fulcrum is raised. The band
which drives the screwing portion can also be used for driving the finishing
tools, or they may be driven by two separate straps, as shewn in the Drawing.
It is not convenient to finish the fore part of the boot and heel at the same
time on account of the extra thickness of the heel. To overcome this difficulty,
therefore, the tools are made to traverse the edge of the boot sole from ono
corner of the heel to the other and then return. This is effected by means of

page_text: two bevil wheels ³, with half of a catch box cast on each, running loose on the
driving shaft and gearing into and on each side of a larger bevilled wheel s³,
fixed to the vertical shaft gs, which carries at the bottom the spur wheel h
gearing by means of the carrier wheel with the spur wheels, so that when
the vertical shaft g revolves motion will be given to the table k³. Between
the two catch boxes is placed a boss t³, to which is cast the other halves of
each catch box, which boss slides backwards and forwards on a key secured on
the driving shaft 6, so that when it is in gear with one it is out of gear with
the other, and vice versa. The middle of this boss is grooved, and a fork
fastened to a sliding bar u³ rests in the groove and works the said piece.
This bar is made self-acting by means of a series of levers v³, one of which is
provided with a weight w³, and is worked by adjustable cams a³ and a, bolted
to the table in slots y³, Fig. 3, so that they can be made to suit either a large
or small boot or shoe, which cams, coming in contact with the bowl on the
lowest of the series of levers ³, cause the levers to rebound to and fro at the
proper time, thereby first putting one catch box into gear and then the other.
To stop the machine a catch lever is used which enters a notch in the sliding
bar u³, and holds the catch boxes equidistant from each other and out of gear
with the bevil wheels. The tools for cutting the edges of the sole of the boot
or shoe are shewn in Figs. 1, 12, 13, and 14, Figs. 12 and 13 being drawn to
a scale of three inches to the foot, and Fig. 14 about full size. The said tools
are made of brass or any other suitable material, with steel cutters, and are
arranged somewhat similar to a joiner's plane, but are made to swivel
universally to suit the various curves of the boot sole. The principle of this
plane or cutter is this, there is the cutting edge at, Fig. 14, and two guiding
surfaces b and c. The cutting edge, and also one or other of the guiding
surfaces, according to the position of the cutting edge, whether on the side or
toe or heel of the boot or shoe, must be kept to the edge of the part to be cut.
To enable this tool to work properly we prefer that the cutting edge a should
be placed exactly in the centre of the stud which carries the said cutting edge
and surfaces, or it may be placed between the said cutting edge and one of
the guiding surfaces, or in any other convenient position, which stud works
in the centre of the boss d. And the weighted lever n³, Fig. 1, is brought to
bear against the arm lever 1, in which the tool is placed, and forces the
cutting edge and one of the surfaces against the boot sole, which coming
equally against each compels the cutter to keep at its proper angle. The
boss d forms part of a cranked holder 9', with a stud h* opposite the cutting
edge, which stud fits in a hole bored in the aforesaid arm lever P, and it is

page_text: thereby enabled to follow and bed into the various curves of a boot sole, the
stud h being prevented from turning completely over by means of a pin or
key i, Figs. 12 and 13. The guard k of the tool rides on the boot sole, and
is made broad and of a proper shape, so that it may be easily worked by the
same. It is also made adjustable by the screw and nut l, so that it can be
raised and lowered to suit any thickness of sole or heel. The tools for
blacking and glazing are jointed to a cranked holder, having a stud fitting the
arm lever, and work up and down and to and fro in the same manner as
the cutting and paring tools. For cutting the soles previously to their being
placed on the boot or shoe, we remove the vice from the table ³, and place
upon the said table another table m*, having centres n', Figs. 15 and 16,
which Figures are drawn to a scale of one-eighth. On this. table is placed the
part of the hide to be cut, and above which there is a template o', held fast
by screws or by the lever p, which is pressed down by the cam 7. This
template forms the guide for the tool which cuts the leather beyond the
template, the leather being placed on the roller r. The knife or cutter for
cutting the hide is constructed on the same principle as the tool for paring the
edges of the soles and heels, the only difference being in the shape of the
cutter, one of which is shewn enlarged in Fig. 17. This arrangement
supersedes the present expensive stamping tools, and can be worked with as
much ease as the tools for paring.
Having now described the nature of the self-acting machinery or apparatus
worked by steam or other power for cutting and shaping the soles and heels of
boots and shoes and screwing them on to the uppers or coverings, and also in
vices for holding the same, we desire it to be understood that we do not claim
the hollow spindle containing the wire for the screws, nor the toothed gearing.
for giving it revolving motion, nor the arrangement for stopping it by shifting
one-half of a clutch box, nor the dies or cutters for making the screws, nor
the shears, nor the method of giving intermittent motion to the table by
a ratchet wheel worked by a lever and catch; but we claim as our
Invention,-
First, the brake i, lever fs, and lever j, for instantly stopping the drum e
when the driving power is taken off.
Secondly, the improved vices for holding the boots and shoes so firmly that
they can be operated upon with ease and certainty.
Thirdly, the bearings or brackets y on the tables for enabling the vices and
consequently the boots or shoes to move up and down according to the shapes
of the bottom of the soles.

page_text: Fourthly, the system of employing under each table a rack, round at one
end and straight at the sides, so as to be adapted to all sorts and sizes of
boots and shoes.
Fifthly, the cam or pattern plates for determining the aforesaid up-and-down
movement with certainty.
Sixthly, the employment of the long shaft o¹, plates n', and e¹, the casting k¹,
the long pedestal shaft c', and the shaft g', for enabling the table to move to
and fro and up and down easily.
Seventhly, the deep wheel a², or an ordinary wheel, which rises up and down
with the wheel f¹, for maintaining the wheel f¹ constantly in gear.
Eighthly, the balance lever q¹ for raising the table and its appendages when
a catch is removed.
Ninthly, the cam-shaped hammer s¹, raised by the chain z¹ and weight y',
for forcibly pressing the sole of the boot or shoe against the nose of the
shears.
Tenthly, the cam v on the shaft k, the lever u¹, and the chain a¹ for taking
off the weight of the hammer when the boot or shoe has to be moved for a
fresh screw, and allowing the weight to be put on immediately the cam has
passed the tail of the lever.
Eleventhly, the system of making the holders, guards, and cutters, as shewn
in Figs. 12, 13, and 14, for paring or shaping the soles and heels after they
have been screwed on, and also the employment of similar holders for the
finishing tools.
Twelfthly, the moveable arm or lever P, Fig. 1, for carrying the holders
with the paring and finishing tools, and also the levers m³ and n³ for enabling
the tools to follow the surface and sides of the sole and heel.
Thirteenthly, the cams x and x, Fig. 1, for acting on the levers ³ for
giving by means of the gearing and clutches alternate motion to the
table k³.
Fourteenthly, the weight q³, or its equivalent, connected directly or
indirectly to the slide p³, jointed to the moveable arm for keeping the
cutters and tools in their places as their guards ride on the surface of the
sole or heel.
Fifteenthly, the apparatus shewn in Figs. 15 and 16 for holding the
leather to be cut into soles, and also the application to a holder similar to
that shewn in Figs. 12, 13, and 14, of a cutting knife, Fig. 17, for cutting
the soles from the hide.
Sixteenthly, the adaptation of our improvements either to one machine,

page_text: s shewn in the Drawings, or to a machine employed only for cutting
he soles, or to a machine for only screwing the soles and heels on to the
appers or coverings, or to one employed only for paring and finishing, as all
hese improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert
Heap, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
CHARLES HENRY SOUTHALL. (L.S.)
ROBERT HEAP.
(L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Charles Henry Southall and
Robert Heap, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.