IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS PROAL
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Tennock Marshall, of Jarvis, in the County of
Haldimand, in the Province of Ontario in the Dominion of Canada, Cordwainer
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Tennock Marshall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd December 1883.
THOMAS TENNOCK MARSHALL, of Jarvis, in the County of Haldimand, in the
Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, Cordwainer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS UPPER LEATHER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
The objects of my invention are the manufacture of uppers for boots and shoes
in one piece so as to prevent waste of material, or reduce such waste to a minimum
and also to produce greater durability and comfort, and to cheapen the production
of the goods.
C
The first part of my invention comprises a suitable apparatus or machine for
crimping the leather, and the second part the manner of cutting the leather after
crimping.
My improved crimping machine consists of a suitable framework provided with
a bed plate strongly secured to the sides and receiving and carrying the crimping
block or mould packed between the sides of the frame by elastic and non-elastic
packing blocks backed by a metallic plate against which thumb-screws, passing
through the sides, are made to impinge so as to hold the crimping block firmly in
position, but yet sufficiently yielding to allow for a variation in the thickness of
the leather. A central screw nutted in an adjustable bridge piece at the top,
carries at its lower end a block suitably steadied by guides, to which block the last
is removably attached by means of dovetailed grooves receiving corresponding
dovetails upon the sole of the last. A plate provided with an aperture corresponding
to the last is laid over the aperture in the crimping block, and is held at one end
by a screw button in the solid end of the bed plate, the shank of said button
passing through an open slot in the plate, the other end being held and pressed
down by a block secured to an end gate placed at the other end of the bed plate,

page_text: and which is pivoted to move vertically and adjustably in slots made for its
reception, and secured by thumb screws or wedges or both. The crimping block is
in two halves joined longitudinally, the heel joint being covered by a plate having
the edges turned down and sunk flush with the surface, the toe joint being provided
with a rubber block sunk flush to form an elastic cushion.
The leather being laid over the aperture of the crimping block is held tight upon
the block by the plate above mentioned while the last is forced down in the
crimping block by the screw thus crimping or moulding the leather.
The upper leather having been crimped in the manner described, I make incisions
in the same in such a manner as to provide an opening for the insertion of the foot
without cutting away any material at all or by cutting away only very small
portions according to the kind or style of boot or shoe it is desired to produce. The
incisions are made in such a manner as to produce the two lace hole straps, in
front, and the back strap of a laced gaiter boot, or the front and back strap of an
elastic side gaiter boot, or the front and back strap, of a Wellington and similar
kind of boot, integral with the upper, the configuration of the incisions differing
for each kind or style of goods to be produced so as to suit the requirement of the
case and the fancy of the producer. After cutting, the straps are bent in the
desired position, and insertions of kid or other material are sewn into the openings
thus provided, in the usual manner.

page_text: In Fig 9 the manner of slitting is shown, in which 2, are the front straps
of Fig. 8, and 3, the back strap. In this instance no leather is removed for
making the aperture for the foot.
Any suitable filling 4, is sewn to the straps and upper leather, as usual to
make the side of the boot
In Fig. 12 a modification of the slitting is shown, and which slitting is
adapted for a boot shown in figure 4, 5, being the back strap, and 6 the front
strap.
A small waste is here shown as the result, the waste pieces being those
removed from the spaces 7. 7.
In Figures 13 and 14 are shown modifications of the form of slitting to obtain
the front and back straps, of a boot and figure 16. shows the incising for a long top
boot seen in figure 15.
In all these instances it will be observed that the straps for the front and back
of the boot are not removed from the upper-leather. Slits to form various
configurations of front and back straps may be made to suit different styles and
sizes of boots, and I do not limit my invention to the designs herein illustrated.
I am aware that it is not new to crimp a leather blank to make a seamless upper,
and to cut the opening for admission of the foot whereby the front and back straps
will be integral with the upper; but heretofore when such has been done the front
and back straps and the opening for the admission of the foot have been cut
previous to crimping.
I will now proceed to describe the mechanism for effecting the crimping
A, A, are the sides of the machine, B, the bottom floor notched into the sides and
secured by bolts C, and nuts D. E, are bolts passing through the sides near the top,
and are provided with nuts F, to prevent the sides from spreading. G, is a
laterally adjustable bridge piece bearing in recesses in the sides, and H, is a
pressure screw passing through the bridge G. I, is a fixed block closing one end of
the machine, the opposite open to admit the halved block hereinafter referred to,
and which open end is provided with a gate L, pivoted in one of the
notches J, K, in an extended portion of the sides A, and falls into a corresponding
notch in the opposite side, whereby the Gate when adjusted in the proper notch
and closed prevents an endwise movement of the block and allows crimping blocks
of different lengths to be used to crimp different sizes of upper-leathers. M, M,
are thumb screws in one of the sides A, to clamp the halved block N, each half
baving a coinciding recess O; and P is the last block entering the recess, to crimp
the leather to the form of said block P.
The heel-joint of the halved block N, is covered by a correspondingly curved
metal plate Q, the vertical edges sliding into cuts in said blocks which are recessed
at top to receive flush the bent-over top of plate Q, and which serves to prevent the
halves of the block moving endwise independently, but the main object of the
plate Qis to prevent creasing and abrasion of the leather in crimping by causing
it to slip smoothly between the crimping blocks.
The halved block N, at the toe, is recessed at the joint to receive a rubber
cushion R, to prevent abrasion of the leather while being crimped. S, S, are
rubber plates outside block N, and T, are wooden plates outside plates S, to fill the
space between plates S, and metal plate U, and the side A, against which plate U,
the clamp-screws M, M, impinge and prevent them injuring the wooden plate when
the pressure of the screws is applied to clamp the plates and blocks together. The
rubber plates S, yield sufficiently under pressure to accommodate leather of different
thicknesses. V, is a plate centrally hung to the end of the pressure screw H, and
is prevented from wabbling by braces W, W, secured to the ends of the plate and
bent up through staples in bridge G. The plate V, is provided with dovetailed
grooves to receive dovetail rails V₁, on the sole of the last block P, to allow the
latter to be slidingly removed and another size substituted when desired.
Y is a metal plate having an opening corresponding to the sole of the last-
block P, and said plate is notched at one end to slide under the head of a

page_text: screw-button Z, in the top of block I, at the end of the machine. The opposite end
of plate Y, is held down by pressure of a block Z secured to the inside of gate L,
and when the damped leather is placed between the plate Y, and top of halved
block N, the former will have sufficient pressure to keep the leather smooth while
being drawn downward by the last-block in crimping, and thereby produce an
even surface, free from creases. The Bar or bridge G, is movable laterally, to allow
the point of the screw to be central with the halved block, whereby blocks of
different sizes can be used with one machine. G', are set screws to fasten the
bridge in position. L', is a pin for holding down gate L, by insertion of an
intermediate wedge Z³.
I claim as my invention
1 The manufacture of seamless uppers for boots and shoes, consisting in first
cutting a leather blank to a pattern, then crimping the same to the shape of the
upper, and lastly incising the crimped form to make the opening for the admission
of the foot.
2. The combination, in a crimping machine provided with pressure screw H of
the clamp screws M, M, balved block N, rubber plates S, filling plates T, plate U,
last block P and plate Y, substantially as set forth.
3. In combination with the halved block N, the inserted heel plate Q, and toe
cushion R. as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with the notched sides A, A, of the adjustable gate L,
provided with block Z', pin L¹ and wedge Z³, for holding down one end of the
plate Y, as set forth.
5. In combination with the halved block N, having recesses O, the correspondingly
apertured plate Y, covering said block, and removably secured to hold down the
leather over the block orifice in crimping, as set forth.
6 The combination in a crimping machine having pressure screw H, the last
block P, apertured plate Y, and halved block N, substantially as set forth.
7 The combination with the sides A, A, of the bridge G, pressure screw H,
braces W, W, grooved bed V, and last-block P, as set forth, for the purpose
described.
8. The combination in a crimping machine provided with pressure screw H, and
clamping screws M, M, and halved block N, the rubber plates S, to yield to the
enforced pressure of the last-block P, whereby leather of different thicknesses may
be crimped, as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Tennock Marshall have hereunto set my
hand and seal this thirteenth day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
THOMAS TENNOCK MARSHALL Gol
THOMAS TENNOCK MARSHALL
Gol