IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR TURNING AND SHAPING THE WOODEN HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1885

page_text: I THOMAS PHILADELPHIA MILLETT of 17 Portland Road, Finsbury Park in the
County of Middlesex Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR TURNING AND SHAPING THE WOODEN HEELS
OF BOOTS AND SHOES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The Invention has reference to the production of wooden heels for Boots and
Shoes, the object being the construction of a Machine for that purpose which will
enable a number of heels to be shaped by cutters simultaneously thereby expediting
their production, the parts of the Machine being so constructed, that each when
the whole are in motion will automatically combine with the rest in the production
of perfectly shaped heels out of rough blocks of wood. In order that the Invention
may be well understood and explained in detail I have hereunto annexed three
sheets of Drawings made to a Scale of about three inches to one foot on which
similar letters of reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the Figs.
alike.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Sheet 1. Fig. 1. represents a front elevation of the Machine, designed for
producing at one time a maximum number of thirty two heels.
Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same.
Sheet 2. Fig. 3. represents an end elevation of the driving portion of the
Machine.
Fig. 4 represents a transverse section of the Machine through the line x-x. of
Figs. 1 and 2. shewing more particularly the mechanism and profile dummies or
revolving-template cam giving a transverse sliding motion to the headstocks and
wooden blocks whilst the cutters are acting on such blocks when shaping the
heels,
-
Sheet 3. Fig. 5. represents a front elevation of the Machine and cutters, employed
for "routing" out the upper surface of the heel.
Fig. 6 represents a plan view of the same.
The final operation of routing or hollowing out the upper surface of each
individual heel is performed after the blocks of wood on which a number of
profile heels have been turned, are cut up into individual heels by a circular saw
or saws.

page_text: In these Figs. a. a. is the framing or gauntree of the Machine on the upper surface
of which the bed-plate 6 is supported. This bed plate when connected together is
capable of being moved to and fro' on the gauntree a. in manner as hereinafter
described. The upper surface of this sliding bed-plate b is provided with transverse
grooves b' in which the head stocks d d'and d' d are placed and in which they
slide, the head stocks d d being at one end of the said bed, and the head
stocks dd at the other end thereof; in the intermediate distance between the
said head stocks, the duplex poppet heads ee are placed also in grooves, in which
they can slide, in manner similar to the head-stocks d. d and d₁ d. These head-
stocks and poppet heads are provided with spindles f and chucks f'. Those
spindles supported in the poppet heads ee are separated by elliptical cams g g
connected by the levers and rod h. so that when acted upon by the hand lever i
they turn simultaneously and force outward the spindles and chucks f and f¹ thereby
fixing the pieces of wood out of which the heels are to be turned, securely between
their centres and the respective chucks of the headstocks, with which they are in a
direct line.
As the bed plate b supporting the headstocks d and d' and poppet heads e e has
to slide longitudinally on its supporting gauntree a at the same time the said head
stocks and poppet heads have to move in a transverse direction thereon, the gearing
driving the spindles ff and f¹ƒ¹ with their blocks of wood must travel with such
headstocks and therefore such gearing is supported in the bearings and brackets k.
carried by the headstocks, thus enabling the gearing to move whilst revolving and
driving the spindles in unison with the compound sliding action of the bed plate b
and head stocks d d and d¹ d¹. This gearing consisting of the mitre bevel
wheels . and spur wheels m. m is supported on the driving shaft n which is
grooved so as to admit of the feathers or keys of the bevel wheels / to slide
thereon.
The longitudinal traverse of the bed plate carrying the head stocks and poppet
heads is accomplished by means of the screw c and expanding nut c³ driven from
the gearing c³.
The expanding nut is placed in gear with the screw by means of the handle c
and is so arranged that when the bed plate b has been caused to travel the length
of the profile dummies it will come into contact with an adjustable stop, which
will expand the nut and throw it out of gear with the screw, thus enabling the
traverse of the bed plate b to be regulated to the length of heel to be shaped by
the cutters. The bed plate when its traverse has been completed and the nut
expanded as described may be returned to its normal position automatically for
a fresh start by means of a counterweight, spring or their equivalent, or such
return may be accomplished by pinion and rack.
o is the central longitudinal shaft supporting the cutters p. p. these cutters can
be spaced by the washers o¹ on their shaft o equidistantly apart so as to be adapted
to the exact size of heel they are intended to cut, the said shaft is supported in
fixed bearings oo set up by the centres and wheels q. q and is independently
driven by the belt and pulley 7. Immediately underneath this central cutter
shaft o and parallel therewith is supported in fixed bearings, the cam or "dummy"
shaft 8.
On this shaft the dummies 8 s¹ (which are a counterpart of the shape or
configuration of the heels) are fixed and their longitudinal surfaces or peripheries
are acted upon by the friction wheels 8² 83 see Fig. 4. which are kept in contact
therewith by means of springs or the counter balance weights 8383, the said friction
bowls 828 are supported in brackets d' projecting from the head stocks d d and
dd so that when the Machine is started, the revolving of the dummies in con-
junction with their counter balance weights and the longitudinal traverse of the
bed plate b will so actuate the headstocks and poppet heads carrying the wooden
- blocks that such wooden blocks whilst revolving and traversing in their. com-
bined longitudinal and transverse directions will be forced into. contact with the
cutters p. p in such a manner that each cutter will transfer to the wooden blocks
presented to its action an exact counterpart of the dummies 8¹ s'. The number of

page_text: counterparts so formed will be duplicated on each side of the said knives so that
the number of pairs of heels shaped or profiled at one time will be equal to double
the number of cutters employed.
The blocks of wood when so shaped are removed from the Machine and cut by
circular or other form of saw into separate individual heels which are then placed
under the action of cutters for being routed out so as to have the upper surface of
each individual heel hollowed. The Machine employed for so routing out the
upper surfaces of the heels will be readily understood on reference to Figs. 5 and 6.
Sheet 3. of the drawings.
In these Figs. a a is the framing of the Machine supporting the bearings b b. the
spindles cc revolving in these bearings are provided at their lower ends with the
revolving cutters c¹ c¹ and their upper ends are connected to the plate d which is
supported through the medium of the bowls e on the surface of the profile cam f.
The bed plate g is provided with moulds placed equidistantly apart on either side
of the revolving cutters. These moulds are designed for the reception of separate
wooden heels which when placed therein are retained in position so as to admit
of the cutters acting upon their upper surface in manner as hereinafter described."
The bed plate g supporting the heels and also the profile surface f. are connected
together and are so arranged that when acted upon by the screw h they will slide
forward in unison and carry with them the heels and profile cam f. The heels
when placed in and retained by the moulds are in advance of the revolving cutters
which are retained with their spindles through the medium of the friction bowl
and profile cam at an elevation above each pair of heels to be acted upon.
When the heels and cutters are in this position the Machine is started so as to
cause the spindles and cutters rapidly to revolve, the manner of driving six spindles
for acting on six pairs of heels at one time being arranged as shewn in plan at
Fig. 6. Immediately the spindles and cutters are thus set in motion the screw h
is turned by hand or automatically which slides or forces forward the bed plate g
and profile surface the combined action thus effected causes the cutters through
the inedium of the bowls or friction rollers e to descend in accordance with the
advance of the bed-plate carrying the heels. This advance of the heels and descent
of the cutters are so timed that an exact hollow or concave will be routed or cut
out of each pair of heels by the cutters of a shape exactly siinilar to the shape or
configuration of the profile cam f.
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
First-The novel construction combination and arrangement of parts com-
posing a Machine for producing wooden heels in the manner as herein substantially
described set forth and illustrated at Figs. 1. 2. 3. and 4 of the drawings.
Second: The novel construction and arrangement of a Machine for routing or
cutting out the concave or hollow in the upper surface of one or a number of heels
at one time in the manner as herein substantially described set forth and illustrated
at Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings annexed.
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ITT TI