Improvements in the Manufacture of Welted Boots and Shoes, and in the Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1886
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
Improvements in the Manufacture of Welted Boots and Shoes, and
in the Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
I ALVAH CLEMENT SPENCER of 77 Birch Street, Roslindale, in the County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts United States of America do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The machine herein to be described has a rotary cutter provided with an
upturned cutting edge which acts to trim the inseam while the welt of the shoe
rests on a supporting plate, a suitable hammer or presser acting intermittingly on
the upper side of said welt to hold it in place while the trimming is being
effected, the cutter being preferably moved laterally relatively to the inseam when
trimming the latter.
My invention consists in the use in a machine for trimming the inseam and
beating out the welt of welted boots and shoes, of means to intermittingly hold the
welt close to the upper, a rotatable cutter having an upturned cutting edge, and means
to rotate said cutter and canse relative lateral movement of said cutter and inseam.
to enable the inseam to be trimmed off as will be described.
Also in the use in a machine of the class described, of a welt support to sustain
the welt adjacent the upper, an intermittingly operated hammer to beat out the
welt, a rotary cutter, and means to rotate said cutter, and to move it in a path adjacent.
the hammer to trim the inner seam, as will be described.
The base has erected thereon an upright head and bearings for a main shaft.
provided with a driving pulley to receive a suitable belt, and a second pulley, for a.
purpose to be described.
Eccentric cams, are secured to the main shaft, one cam having a strap on a link,.
jointed to one end of a lever fulcrumed on an eccentric of a rock shaft, mounted in.
a tubular enlargement of the head.
An arm on the rock-shaft is connected by a link to a suitable treadle, whereby
by depressing the latter the eccentric will be turned to raise the fulcrum of the
lever, so that the hammer, to be described, will not bo forced down upon the work,
constituting a throw off.
The head is curved outwardly at its front and upper portion and is provided with
an upper threaded bub and a lower bearing for a reciprocable hammer-carrier, or
slide bar, to which is accured a hammer.
Suitable collars, are udjustably secured to the bar, between the bearings, and
preferably sound-deadening washers, are mounted on the upper faces of each collar;
one of these washers is designed to receive the impact of a loose collar on the
slide-bar between the fast collars.
Blocks pivoted to the loose collar enter slidingly the slotted cheeks of the bifurcated
end of the lever, the rocking motion of the latter, due to an eccentric, moving the
collar up and down.
A strong spring surrounding the slide bar between the bearing and the fast collar
acts to normally lift the hammer, depression of the loose collar as described normally
forcing the hammer positively dowu upon the welt, the spring causing the hammer to
quickly follow the collar as the latter is raised, so that the operative can feed the.
shoe along rapidly when the hammer is lifted.

page_text: The washer abuts against the lower end of a sleeve screwed into the hub when the
collar is raised, said sleeve being adjustable vertically to thereby limit the height of
the hammer at such time above the work support.
An arm fast on the upper end of the bar has extended therethrough a pin in the
head, preventing rotation of the hammer or its carrier in a simple manner.
A slide plate is adjueta bly held in position on the underside of the projecting part
of the head below the hammer by a bolt passed through a slot in the plate, the outer
face of the plate being preferably concaved to present a curved lip to extend
beneath the welt, and between it and the adjacent part of the upper.
. The hammer will, as the operator moves the boot or shoe along, hammer
or bent out the welt by a series of rapid blows. as the welt rests on the welt
support.
A work gauge or support may be a bent arm, having a shank adjustably secured
by a set screw in a boss on the outer end of an arm, fnlorumed on the head.
A vertical rod on the base is extended through a lug near the rear end of the arm,
and provided with a retaining nut, a spring surrounding the rod between the arm and
the base normally acting to depress the gauge or support against the outer surface
of the sole of the boot or shoe."
The lower end of the gauge may be recessed to receive loosely two balls, the
lower one being held in place by contracting the mouth of the recess, while leaving
a portion of the ball projecting beyond it.
The sole thus has a rolling bearing provided for it, reducing 'friction and
making the boot or shoe easier to handle, the other ball rolling on the ball in
the recess.
By suitable trendle, the operator can, by means of a link, raise the work support
or gauge when trimming the inseam around the too of the shoe.
The strap of the eccentric is pivotally connected by a short longitudinally adjust-
able link to a forked block jointed to an ear pivotally mounted in the end of an arm
of a cutter or trimmer carrier, provided with a long sleeve adapted to rock upon a
vertical shaft. The link has right and left hand threads at its ends to enter
threaded sockets in the strap and block, check nuts serving to hold the link
in adjusted position, adjustment of the link by rotating when the nuts are
loosened serving to always bring the edge of the cutter to be described into proper
operative position.
The said shaft is longitudinally movable in bearings, on the head, a set screw
acting as an adjustable end-thrust bearing for and by means of which the
shaft may be adjusted vertically to raise or lower the normal path of operation of
the-cutter.
A lug on the head has extended therethrough a set screw, having an annular
enlargement thereon against which bears the upper end of a spring surrounding the
set screw between the enlargement and the top of the shaft which is preferably
reduced to enter the coil of the spring.
Said spring maintains the shaft seated upon the end-thrust bearing screw, and
the set screw limits vertical movement of the shaft when raised during the trimming
operation as will be described.
The amount to be cut in trimming the inseam varies, and therefore it is desirable
to also provide means under control of the operator for instantly changing the
elevation of the cutter at particular points.
I have effected this adjustment by means of a lever, pivoted on the base
and connected by an adjustable nut to the link, the toe of said lever projecting
beneath the downturned end of a collar held securely on the shaft by a set
screw.
By depressing the treadle the toe of lever is lifted, to thereby raise the collar
and the shaft, and as the lower end of the sleeve bearing of the cutter carrier
always rests on the collar, the carrier and its cutter will be elevated so that the
inseam will be trimmed to a less degree.
The link is threaded at its upper end, the threaded portion extending through

page_text: the lever and arm, and nuts are screwed upon the, said threaded portion above the
lever and arm respectively.
One nut is adjusted close to the arm so that depression of the link will immediately
act upon the said arm to lift the work support or gauge, but as only a very slight
variation in the height of the cutter is require:1, and sometimes no variation at all,
-one nut is set somewhat above the lever.
Consequently the cutter will not be lifted until after the gaugo has been raised,
and then only if the link is drawn down far enough, so that the gauge and cutter
can be operated together if desired, or only the gauge.
On the other band if it is desired to raise the cutter only, one nut would
only be used, and set close to the lever, and one nut would be turned up on the
link far enough to avoid any engagement with the arm, the gauge at such time
being stationary.
:
In operating upon pointed or "razor toed" boots or shoes, the seams run together
at such an acute angle at the toe that the work support or gauge must be lifted as
the inseam is trimmed around the toc, but with broader toed shoes, this lifting of
the gauge is unnecessary.
The sleeve bearing has extended laterally therefrom towards the frout of the
machine, and above the hammer, an arm, bifurcated at its outer end and provided
with hearings for a cutter shaft, having fast thereon a pulley connected by a suitable
belt or baud, with the pulley on the driving shaft whereby the outter shaft is
continuously rotated when the machine is in operation.
The cutter may be a cup-shaped or dished annular blade having a continuous
cutting edge, and secured by suitable screws to a laterally extended head of the
cutter shaft.
By means of the eccentric cam and its connections, described, the cutter-
carrier is rocked on its vertical axis, the cutter being theroby moved towards
and away from the inseain, the forward movement taking place while the hammer
is down, holding the welt, the cutter at such time trimming the inseam, the operator
moving the work along step by step as the machine operates.
As the edge of the cutter is ground back from time to time it would not trim
the inseam at the proper point were it not for the adjustment provided for the
liuk, as by shortening said link, the cutting edge is always brought forward to the
same point.
The hammer is preferably made of hardened steel, having a flat lower face to
rest upon and beat out the welt.
It is desirable to trim the inseam at a point as near as possible to the centre of
the hammer, to facilitate manipulation of the shoe, and it is also highly desirable
to prevent the cutter from entering the seam while trimming, or from cutting into
the welt.
I have accordingly cut away the side of the haminer nearest the cutter to have
a guard which projects over the welt and separates it from the cutter while the
latter is trimming the inseam, said guard at the same time serving to hold the
seam down and thereby prevent the cutter from running into it.
By cutting away the side of the hammer above the guard the cutter can be moved
very near to the centre of the hammer, the top of the guard being concaved
concentrically to the curvature of the cutter, and the inseam is trimmed at a point
adjacent the hammer centre.
It will be understood that the check screw upon which the shaft rests provides
for the trimming of the inseam to the proper depth normally.
Datoit the 27th day of Ail 1906
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, Loudon, Agents. for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Welted Boots and Shoes, and
in the Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
1 ALVAH CLEMENT SPENCER, of 77 Birch Street, Roslindale, County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts United States of America, Draughtsman do
bereby 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:-
The machine herein to be described has a rotary cutter provided with an upturned
cutting edge which acts to trim the inseam while the well of the shoe rests on a
supporting plate, a suitable hammer or presser acting intermittingly on the upper
side of said welt to hold it in place while the trimming is being effected, the cutter
being preferably noved laterally relatively to the inseam when trimming the
latter.
My invention consists in the use in a machine for trimming the inseam and beating
out the welt of welted boots and shoes, of means to intermittingly hold the welt
close to the upper, a rotatable cutter having an upturnel cutting edge, and means
to rotate said cutter and cause relative lateral movement of said cutter und insenm
to enable the inseam to be trimmed off as will be described.
Also in the use in a machino of the class described, of a welt support to sustain
the welt adjacent the upper, an intermittingly operated hammer to beat out the
welt, a rotary cutter, and meaus to rotate said cutter, and to move it in a path
adjacent the hammer to trim the inner seam, as will be described.
Fig. 1, in side elevation, represents a machine embodying my present invention,
the welt being shown in section ready to be held by the hammer while the rotary
cutter trims the inseam;
Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly in section, taken below the line -
Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine;
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line, Fig. 1, to be described.
Fig. is a perspective view of the hammer, detached; and
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the work gauge.
The base Ahas erected thereon an upright head A and bearings A' for a main
shaft B provided with a driving pulley B¹ to receive a suitable belt, not shown, and
a second pulley B for a purpose to be described.
Eccentric cams a and b, sec dotted lines Figs. I and 2, are secured to the main
shaft, the cam a having a strap al on a link a', jointed to one end of a lever a³
fulcrumed on an eccentric a' of a rock-shaft a', mounted in a tubular enlargement A
of the bead.
An arm a on the rock-shaft is connected by a link a' to a suitable treadle, not
shown, whereby by depressing the latter the eccentric a' will be turned to raise the
fulerum of the lever, so that the haminer, to be described, will not be forced down
upon the work, constituting a throw-off.
The head A is curved outwardly at its front and upper portion and is provided
with an upper threaded hub A aud a lower bearing A for a reciprocabte hammer-
carrier, shown as a slide-bar d, to which is secured a hammer d', shown separately
in Fig. 5.
Suitable collars d', d, are adjustably secured to the bar d, between the bearings,
and proferably sound-deadening washers to³, w³, are mounted on the upper faces of
each collar, the one of these washers to is designed to receive the impact of a loose
collar on the slide-bar between the fast collars.
Blocks d' pivotted to the loose collar enter slidingly the slotted checks a³ of the

page_text: bifurcated end of the lever a, the rocking motion of the latter, due to cocentrio a,
moving the collar d' up and down.
A strong spring S surrounding the slide bar d between the bearing A' and the
fast collar d' acts to normally lift the hammer, depression of the collar d' as
described normally forcing the hammer d positively down upon the welt, the
spring causing the hammer to quickly follow the collar as the latter is raised,
so that the operative can feed the shoe along rapidly when the hammer is
lifted.
The washer to abuts against the lower end of a sleeve screwed into the
hub A', when the collar is raised, said sleeve being adjustable vertically to
thereby limit the height of the hammer at such time above the work support.
An arm d' fast on the upper end of the bar d has extended therethrough a
pin d in the head A, preventing rotation of the hammer or its carrier in a simple
manner.
A slide plate e is adjustably held in position on the underside of the projecting
part of the head A below the hammer, by a bolt el passed through a slot in the
plate, the outer face of the plate being preferably concaved at to present a
curved lipe to extend beneath the welt w, Fig. 1, and between it and the adjacent
part of the upper u.
The hammer d will, as the operator moves the boot or shoe aloug, hammer
or beat out the welt by a series of rapid blows as the welt rests on the welt
Bupport e.
A work gauge or support is shown as a bent arm f, having a shank adjustably
secured by a Het screw 5 in a boss on the outer end of an arm f³, see Fig. 2,
fulcrumed on the head A at f*.
A vertical rod on the base A* is extended through a lug near the rear end of
the arm, and provided with a retaining nut (x, a spring S¹ surrounding the rod
between the arm and the base A* normally acting to depress the gauge or support f
against the outer surface of the sole s of the boot or shoe.
The lower end of the gauge f is shown in section in Fig. 6 as recessed to receive
loosely two balls 2, 3, the lower one being held in place by contracting the mouth
of the recess at f, while leaving a portion of the ball projecting beyond it.
The sole thus has a rolling bearing provided for it, reducing friction and
making the boot or shoe easier to handle, the ball 3 rolling on the ball 2 in the
recess.
By a suitable treadle, not shown, the operator cao, by means of a link f', raise
the work-support er gauge when trimming the inseam around the toe of the
shoe.
The strap 6 of the eccentric b is pivotally connected by a short longitudiually
adjustable link to a forked block 0 jointed to an ear 63 pivotally mounted in
the end of an arm of a cutter or trimmer carrier, shown as provided with a long
sleeve & adapted to rock upon a vertical shaft 6. The link 6 has right and left
hand threads at its ends to enter threaded sockets in the strap b' and block 60,
check nuts 22 and 23 serving to hold the link in adjusted position, adjustment
of the link by rotating when the nuts are loosened serving to always bring the
edge of the cutter to be described into proper operative position.
As best shown in Fig. 1, the said shaft is longitudinally movable in bearings A, A,
on the head, a set screw 30, acting as an adjustable end-thrust bearing for and by
means of which the shaft may be adjusted vertically to raise or lower the normal
path of operation of the cutter.
A lug A10 on the head has extended therethrough a set screw 35, having an
annular enlargement 36 thereon against which bears the npper end of a spring S,
surrounding the set screw between the enlargement 36 and the top of the shaft be,
which is preferably reduced at 'to enter the coil of the spring.
Said spring maintains the shaft seated upon the end-thrust bearing screw 30, and
the set screw 35 limits vertical movement of the shaft when raise.l during the
trimming operation, as will be described.

page_text: .
The amount to be cut in trimming the inseam varies, and therefore it is desirable
to also provide means under control of the operator for instantly changing the
-elevation of the cutter at particular points.
I have herein effected this adjustment by means of a lever g, pivoted on the
base y and connected by an adjustable nut 70 to the link 7, the toc of said levor
projecting beneath the downturned end y³ of a collar g held securely on the
shaft by a set screw 40.
By depressing the trendle the toe of lever g is lifted, to thereby raise the collar g
-and the shaft, and as the lower end of the sleeve bearing of the cutter carrier
always rests on the collar, the carrier and its cutter will be elevated so that the
inseam will be trimmed to a less degree.
The link is threaded at its upper end, the threaded portion extending through
the lever y and arm, and nuts 70 and 80 are screwed upon the said threaded
portion above the lever aud arm respectively.
As shown in Fig. 3 the uut 80 is adjusted close to the arm, so that depression
of the link will immediately act upon the said arm to lift the work support or
gauge f, but as only a very slight variation in the height of the cutter is required,
and sometimes no variation at all, the nut 70 is set somewhat above the lever g.
Consequently the cutter will not be lifted until after the gauge has been raised,
-and then only if the link is drawn down far enough, so that the gauge and
cutter can be operated together if desired, or only the gauge.
On the other hand, if it is desired to raise the cutter only, the nut 70 would
-only be used, and set close to the lever g, and the out 80 would be turned upon the
link far enough to avoid any engagement with the arm f', the gauge at such time
being stationary.
In operating upon pointed or "razor toed" boots or shoes, the seams run together
at such an acute angle at the too that the work support or gauge must be lifted as
the inseam is trimmed around the toe, but with broader toed shoes, this lifting of
the gauge is unnecessary.
The sleeve bearing has extended laterally therefrom towards the front of the
machine, and above the hammer, an arm & bifurcated at its outer end, as herein
shown, and provided with bearings for a cutter-shaft ex, having fast thereon a
pulley C connected by a suitable belt or band C, with the pulley B on the driving
shaft, whereby the cutter shaft is continuously rotated when the machine is in
-operation.
The cutter is shown as a cnp-shaped or dished annular blade chaving a con-
tinuous cutting edge cl, and secured by suitable screws to a laterally extended
head of the cutter shaft c*.
By means of the eccentric cam 6 and its connections, described, the cutter-carrier
is rocked on its vertical axis, the cutter c being thereby moved towards and away
from the inseam, the forward movement taking place while the hammer is down,
holding the welt, the cutter at such time trimming the inseam, the operator moving
the work along step by step as the machine operates.
As the edge c¹ of the cutter is ground back from time to time it would not trim
the inseam at the proper point were it not for the adjustment provided for the
link, as by shortening said link, the cutting edge e' is always brought forward to
the same point.
The hammer d' shown separately in Fig. 5 is preferably made of hardened steel,
having a flat lower face to rest upon and beat out the work.
It is desirable to trim the inseam at a point as near as possible to the centre of
the hammer, to facilitate manipulation of the shoe, and it is also highly desirable
to prevent the cutter from entering the seam while trimining, or from cutting into
the welt.
I have accordingly cut away the side of the bammer nearest the cutter, to have
guard which projects over the welt and separates it from the cutter while the
latter is trimming the inseam, said guard at the same time serving to hold the seam
down and thereby prevent the cutter from running into it.

page_text: By cutting away the side of the haminer above the guard the cutter can be
moved very near to the centre of the hammer, the top of the guard being concaved
concentrically to the curvature of the cutter, as shown at in Fig. 5, and the
inseam is trimmed at a point adjacent the hammer centre.
It will be understood that the check screw 30 upon which the shaft rests.
provides for the trimming of the inseam to the proper depth normally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :--
In the manufacture of welted boots and shoes.
1. The use in a machine for trimming the inseams and beating out the welt of
welted boots and shoes, of means to intermittingly hold the welt close to the upper,.
a rotatable cutter having an upturned cutting edge, and means to rotate said cutter.
and cause rotative lateral movement of said cutter and inseam to enable the inseam
to be trimmed off, substantially as described.
2. The use in a machine of the class described, of a wolt support to sustain the-
welt adjacent the upper, an intermittingly operated hammer to beat out the welt,.
a rotary cutter and ineans to rotate said cutter, and to move it in a path adjacent
the hammer to trim the inner seam, substantially as described.
3. The use in a mechine of the class described, of a support to sustain the
attached welt adjacent the upper, means to intermittingly hold the welt upon said
Bupport, a rotatable concaved cutter having a continuous edge, and means to move
the cutter towards and to trim the inseam while the welt is held, substantially as.
described.
4. The use in a machine of the class described, of means to intermittingly hold,
the attached welt adjacent the upper, a rotary cutter to trim the inseam, and means
to rotate said cutter and reciprocate it laterally, substantially as described.
5. The use in a machine of the class described, of a laterally swinging cutter-
carrier, means to swing it, a cutter shaft on said carrier, a concaved annular cutter
on said shaft, having a continuous cutting edge, to trim the inseam, and means to
rotate the cutter shaft and cutter, substantially as described.
6. The use in a machine of the class described, of a welt beating hammer, means.
to reciprocate it, a laterally movable rotary cutter to trim the inseam, means cou-
trolled by the operator to instantly vary the depth of cut, and mcnus to swing the.
cutter laterally and to rotate it, substantially as described.
7. The use in a machine of the class described, of means to intermittingly hold
the attached welt adjacent the upper, a cutter carrier, a cutter carried thereby to
trim the inseam, means to swing the cutter carrier laterally, and an adjustable
connection between said means and the cutter carrier to always bring the edge of
the cutter into operative position, substantially as described.
8. The use in a machine of the class described, of a welt beating hammer, a
cutter to trim the inscam, means including a lever, and its variable fulcrum to.
reciprocate the hammer, and means controlled by the operator to move said
fulcrum to alter the throw of the lever and thereby prevent depression of the
hammer while the machine is in operation, substantially as described.
9. The use in a machine of the class described, of a hammer carrier, means to
reciprocate it, a hammer having a flut face to beat out the welt and cut away at
one side, a rotary cutter to trim the inseam, and means to swing the cutter in
said cut-away part of the hammer while trimming the inseam, substantially as
described.
10. The construction or arrangement and use in apparatus for the manufacture.
of the welts of welted boots and shoes of a rotary cutter, provided with an upturned
cutting edge, which acts to trim the inseam while the welt of the shoe rests on a
supporting plate, and a suitable hammer or presser acting intermittently on the
upper side of said welt to bold it in place while the trimming is being effected,.

page_text: said cutter being preferably moved laterally relatively to the inseam when
trimming the latter, all substantially as set forth.
Dated the 26th day of January 1897.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.