Improvements in Machines for Lasting or Stretching the Uppers of Boots and Suves.
Year: 1899

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by AUGUSTUS SEAVER," of Stanhope Street, Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman.]"
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0
دو سوال
- Improvements in Machines for Lasting or Stretching the Uppers of
Boots and Suves.
AL
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates in general to lasting-machines, or machines for stretch-
ing the uppers of boots and shoes, characterized by last-jacking and upper-grasp-
ing and stretching mechanisms carried on a frame or support which is reversible
for the purpose of readily performing the successive lasting operations."
This invention has for its object to provide mechanism for automatically un-
jacking the last, and mechanism for automatically releasing the upper-grasping
and stretching devices, said mechanisms being operated by the rotation of the
aforesaid frame or support. The invention further has for its object to improve
the upper-grasping and stretching mechanism.
With these ends in view, the invention consists in the improvements which I
shall now proceed to describe and claim.
j
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,―
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an upper-stretching machine *con-
structed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 represents a front elevation thereof.
Figure 3 represents a view, in side elevation, of parts shown in Figure 1, look
ing from the other side of the machine.
Figure 4 represents a detail plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of
the upper-grasping and stretching mechanism.
Figure 5 represents a vertical sectional view of said portion.
Figure 6 represents a detail sectional view, showing the lock for the jack-rod,
Figure 7 represents a detail plan view of the toe-rest and adjacent parts.
The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings, I have not represented any gripping mechanism such as is
usually employed for drawing the upper over the last at the shank portion
thereof, as my present invention can be described without illustrating such
mechanism.
.
a is a standard mounted upon a suitable base a¹ and formed or provided at its
upper end with a horizontal bearing-sleeve a², which journals a shaft b. To the
forward end of the latter is secured the frame c, which supports the jacking and
upper-stretching mechanisms, and to the rear end of said shaft is secured an
arm 6 carrying an adjustable counter-weight 62. 63 is a notched flange or collar
secured to the shaft b, and 64 is a pivotal dog connected by a rod 65 with a
treadle 66 and having a spring 67 which tends to maintain it in connection with
one or another of the notches in the flange b³. By depressing the treadle 66

page_text: the frame c is released, and may be rotated to bring the last which it supports
into an upright position, as shown in Figure 1, or into an inverted position,
with the sole uppermost.
c is a heel-rest or step bolted to the frame c, and 2 is a toe-rest mounted as
hereinafter described and supporting the toe of the last. To hold the last against
these steps, a jack-rod d is provided, said rod sliding vertically in a bearing in
the frame e and having a spring d' which normally projects it away from the
last. A jack-lever de pivoted at a to a support f bolted on the upper side of the
bearing sleeve a² and connected by a rod with a treadle d', operates when said
treadle is depressed, to strike the head of the jack-rod d and depress the same into
engagement with the last. The jack-rod is formed with a series of ratchet-
teeth, which are engaged by a pawl d³, said rod being thereby held in the
position to which it is moved by the treadle. The pawl is pivoted on a stud *,
and provided with a spring to hold it in engagement with the ratchet-teeth.
On each side of the last is mounted a pair of gripping jaws g gl for grasping
the edges of the upper and stretching the upper over the last and insole. One
of the gripper mechanisms is illustrated in Figure 5, and is organized as follows:
The jaw is made integral with a sliding block g, and the jaw g¹ is mounted to
slide on said block and is held thereto by a retaining guide-ping. g³ g' are
the two arms of a toggle connected with the movable jaw gl and with the block g²,
and g is a knuckle-block pivoted to the junction of said toggle-arms and to the
lower end of a vertical rod g³. The rods go on the two sides of the machine are
connected to the ends of a cross-head 8 attached to a slide-rod y', which is sup-
ported in a bearing-sleeve go on the upper end of the frame c, a spring y being
provided to normally raise the cross-head and its attached parts. The rods g³
are each made in two pieces, with oppositely screw-threaded ends engaged by
an adjusting sleeve or nut 6, and the upper end of each rod is attached by a
double hinge connection g¹³ to the end of the cross-heads, to allow for universal
movement of the lower end of said rod. To reciprocate the rod g³ carrying the
cross-head, the said rod is formed with rack-teeth g engaged by the teeth of a
pinion g5 mounted on a stud 16. At the end of the latter is attached a wheel
or pulley g, which is connected by a chain gls with the downwardly-turned end
of a horizontal sliding bar g¹. The latter is journalled in a sleeve 20 bolted to
the frame c. The chain occupies a peripheral groove in the pulley g, and
has at its end a short cross-bar or stud g2 which engages a notch in the periphery
of the pulley, so that when the slide-rod g" is drawn to the rear, the said stud
engages the said notch and the pulley is rotated. A helical spring g" laid in
the pulley-groove and attached to the pulley and to the chain 18 serves to take up
slack in the latter when the rod 19 is in its normal position.
The slide-rod g19 is retracted and the grippers thereby operated, by means of
treadle mechanism, including a slide-rod mounted in guides on the upper end
of the standard f and having an upwardly projecting lug at its end, adapted to
engage the end of the rod g, and a chain attached to the slide and passing
over a guide-pulley h¹², to a treadle ³. The chain h² is provided with a spring
attached to the end of a fixed arm whereby the chain is supported when slack.
A spring h7 raises the treadle. The slide his returned to its normal position,
after being retracted, by means of a spring h.
On the edge of the rod go are formed ratchet-teeth 28 engaged by a pawl g
mounted on a stud g2 in the frame c. Said pawl is normally held in engagement
with the said ratchet teeth by means of a spring g27 (Figure 2) surrounding the
stud 24 and attached thereto and to the frame c.
The slide 2 is provided with guides shaped in the arc of a circle and engag-
ing guides formed on the end of the lever i, pivoted at to a block j. This
block is mounted to slide on a bar projecting laterally from a block jo, and
adjusting means are provided, whereby said block j and the pivotal arm may
be moved longitudinally with respect to the block, said means including a

page_text: screw engaging the block; and mounted on a bearing-block 73 which is attached
to the end of the arm j¹. On the end of the screw is a hand-wheel it for rotating
said screw. By turning this hand-wheel, it will readily be seen that the grip-
pers g g may be adjusted laterally to correspond to the different widths of shoes
which are lasted. A spring normally projects the gripper carrying end of the
lever i upwardly, and a screw-stop 23 limits the upward motion of the grippers.
In operating to stretch the upper over the last, the first downward movement
of the rod g³ causes the grippers g g¹ to close together and grip the edge or fringe
of the upper, and a further downward movement of said rod depresses the grippers
bodily and causes the upper to be stretched.
The block is provided with a screw-threaded shank or spindle ja journalled
in a slide-block k, which latter is splined to a rod k¹ bolted on the frame c and
is adapted to be moved along said rod by means of a screw 2 engaging the slide-
block and journalled in a block secured to the end of said rod k¹. The screw k²
is rotated by means of a hand-wheel k, and operates to move the grippers bodily,
longitudinally of the last, to pull the upper forward. For the purpose of pull-
ing the edge of the upper over the last, to be tacked, mechanism is provided, in-
cluding a rod mounted to slide in guides on the pivotal arm i, and connected
by a link with the gripper-block A spring normally retracts the rod i*,
and a pivotal hand-lever i formed with a gear-segment on its hub, engaging
rack-teeth on the rod it, is provided, for moving the rod to project the grip-
pers toward the last. When said grippers are thus projected, the segmental
guide causes them to approach the insole in a curved path, as will be readily
understood. The rod is held in the position to which it is moved, by means
of a pivotal dog engaging ratchet-teeth formed on the rod . Said dog is
formed with a handle, and provided with a spring which holds it in engage-
ment with the ratchet-teeth. The upper end of the spindle, journalled in the
block k, is provided with a clamping nut jo, and with a segmental ratchet j
engaged by a pawls having a retaining spring . The block carrying the
grippers may be turned on its pivot to bring the grippers parallel with the edge
of the last, and when adjusted is held in position by means of the nut and ratchet
and pawl.
The operation of the machine is as follows: The last e, with an upper and
insole in position, is placed on the steps or rests c¹ 2, and is jacked up by depress-
ing the treadle d, the jack-rod being automatically locked, as previously de-
scribed. The edges of the upper are then slipped into the open gripper-jaws, and
the treadle is depressed to cause said grippers to grasp and stretch the upper.
The operator then manipulates the hand-wheels, to draw the edges of the
upper forward on the last. This latter operation is supplemented by the em-
ployment of lasting pinchers m connected with the toe-rest 2 by a fulcrum con-
nection m', in order to last over the toe portion of the upper.
Additional gripping members for grasping the upper at the shank portion and
drawing it over the last may also be employed, and operated in any suitable
manner; but as these form no part of my present invention, I have not illus-
trated the same.
The rod is automatically locked in position, as hereinbefore described, by
means of its pawl g23, so as to hold the grippers in grasping and stretching con-
dition. The last may now be inverted, by depressing the treadle 66 and releasing
the frame c, which is rotated to invert the last and bring the sole of the last
uppermost.
After inverting the last, the operator swings the levers 26 outwardly, and
thereby draws the edges of the upper inwardly over the last, in a position to be
tacked. After the tacking operation is completed, the reversible frame c is
returned to its original position, and the rods and d are automatically released
by the action of two cams o o' secured to the standard f and engaging trip-
levers and secured to the studs or shafts d' and 2 of the respective lock-
ing pawls and . The action of the cams on the trip-levers releases the

page_text: pawls from engagement with the ratchet-teeth on the rods and d, and allows
the springs surrounding the upper ends of said rods to retract the latter. The
retraction of the jack-rod d un-jacks the last and permits its removal,, and the
retraction of the rod 9" automatically releases. the hold of the grippers y g'on
the edge of the upper. The operator finally manipulates the dogs to release the
rods, and the last may then be removed from the rests c¹..
1.
In Figure 7, the construction of the toe-rest is shown in detail. is a curved
frame or bar bolted to the. slide-block k, as, shown in Figure 5, and supporting
at its middle part a sleeve in which is mounted a slide The latter carries' a
point at its forward end, to engage the under side of the last or of the insole.
A spring normally retracts the slide 3, but allows the same, to remain in its
proper position, supporting the toe of the last, when the slide-blocks. kk are moved
to draw the upper forward on the last..
It will be observed that a very advantageous disposition of the parts is made
in my improved lasting-machine. In machines heretofore constructed, most of
the gripper-actuating mechanism has been so situated as to obstruct in a great
degree free access to the sole of the last, for the purpose of performing the tacking
operation. In the present machine, however, the gripper- and jack-operating
mechanisms, when the last is upright, are practically all above the sole of the
last, so that when the last-support is reversed to bring the last-sole, uppermost,
the space above the sole is clear of obstructions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be perfornied, 'as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I déclare that what I claim is;-
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1. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively
mounted for reversibility, last-jacking and upper-stretching mechanisms carried
by said frame, means for actuating said jacking mechanism to jack the last, and
means operated automatically by the rotation of the frame, for actuating said
mechanism to un-jack the last.
2. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively
mounted for reversibility, an upper-stretching mechanism carried thereby, a jack-
rod carried thereby, means for operating said rod to jack the last, a lock asso-
ciated with said rod for holding the last jacked, and means on a fixed support,
operating on said lock when the frame is rotated, to release said jack-rod.
3. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively
mounted for reversibility, an upper-stretching mechanism carried thereby, a
jack-rod carried thereby, an operating member on a fixed support adapted to
actuate said rod to jack the last, an automatic lock associated with said rod for
holding the last jacked, and means on a fixed support operating on said lock
when the frame is rotated, to release said jack-rod.
4. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively
mounted for reversibility, an upper-grasping and stretching mechanism carried
thereby, means for operating said mechanism to grasp and stretch the upper,
and means operated automatically by the rotation of the frame, for actuating said
upper-stretching mechanism to release the upper.
5. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively
mounted for reversibility, an upper-grasping and stretching mechanism carried
thereby, means for operating said mechanism to grasp and stretch the upper, a
lock associated with said mechanism for holding the same in grasping and
stretching condition, and means on a fixed support operating on said lock when
the frame is rotated, to release said mechanism.
6. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a frame rotatively
mounted for reversibility, upper-grasping and stretching mechanism carried
thereby, means on a fixed support for operating said mechanism to grasp and
stretch the upper, said means and said mechanism having disconnected parts
which interlock for combined movement relative to the reversible frame without

page_text: obstructing rotary movement of the latter, and means operated automatically by
the rotation of the frame for actuating said upper-grasping and stretching mech-
anism to release the upper.
7. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a last-support, a
pair of grippers, means for moving the same to stretch the upper vertically, a
member carrying said grippers and having a guide whereon the grippers slide
to carry the upper inwardly over the last, a block carrying said member, a screw
adjustment for said block, and means for moving the grippers with respect to
said member.
8. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a last-support, a
slide 2, a pair of grippers mounted thereon, a member carrying said slide and
having a guide arranged to direct the grippers and slide inwardly and vertically
toward the last, said member being mounted to move vertically to permit the
vertical stretching of the upper, means for moving the slide with respect to said
member, a toggle for actuating the grippers, and means for simultaneously
operating said toggle and moving the grippers vertically to stretch the upper.
9. In a machine for stretching uppers, the combination of a heel-rest for the
last, upper-grippers mounted on opposite sides of the last, supporting means
for said grippers movable longitudinally of the last to pull the upper forward
thereon, and a toe-rest carried by said supporting means and movable with
respect thereto to permit the forward movement of the grippers.
Dated this 17th day of October 1899
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.