Improvements in Machines for Molding and Cutting Boot and Shoe Stiffeners.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1887
Specification Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Molding and Cutting Boot and Shoe
Stiffeners.
We, GEORGE HENRY Fox and LEVI WILLIAM LOMBARD, both machinists and
residents in Lexington Street Boston, in the County of Suffolk and State of Massa-
chusetts, in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MOLDING AND CUTTING BOOT
AND SHOE STIFFENERS, 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 to Machinery for Molding and Cutting Boot and Shoe
Stiffeners and consists in the general arrangement of the several instrumentalities,
which form the machine as an organizied structure and by means of which, shoe-
stiffeners, such as tips, heel-counters, or other similar articles may be first molded and
then cut at one and the same operation, in contra-distinction to the various methods,
heretofore practised, wherein the blanks are first cut and then subsequently
molded.
Our improvements consist primarily of a reciprocating mold, aligned and coöperating
with a stationary, but yielding former, between which is thrust and fed by suitable
mechanism the leatherboard from which the shoe-stiffenings are to be molded and
cut. The contact of the reciprocating mold with the former first shaping the
stiffening.
Secondly in the combination with a die, of the mold and former, which holding
the material firmly between their active faces, move bodily through the die and
by such movement effect the cutting of the stiffener from the sheet of material in
process.
Thirdly of two spring plates, which coöperate with the former and mold, one of
which plates guides the material into proper position to be molded and cut, and the
other serves as a clearer to remove the finished stiffeners froin the mold.
Fourthly in the arrangement of mounting and adjusting the yielding former by
means of which its resistance to the reciprocating mold is regulated to suit stock of
different thickness and strength.
Fifthly in the general mechanical arrangement of the several component parts, by

page_text: means of which said elements are relatively adjusted and operated with respect to
each other, whereby shoe-stiffeners of varying shape and size and formed from material
of different thickness, can be made, being first molded and then cut, all of which will
be fully hereinafter described.
The drawings represent in Fig. 1 a side-elevation, Fig. 2 a plan of a machine for
making boot and shoe stiffeners embodying our invention. Fig. 3 is an enlarged
central vertical section, longitudinally of the upper part of the machine, which
contains the former and mold. Fig. 4 is a front view of the feed mechanism and cutting
die, Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line ax in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a front view of the
die plate. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the former and Fig. 8 an end view of the
mold. The former and mold being designed and shaped for the manufacture of
shoe-tips.
In the above drawings A represents a vertical post surmounted by a bed-piece or
standard B, bolted thereto, and upon which are mounted and secured the various
operating parts. Centrally, or thereabouts is located a tool-stock C, which reciprocates
within guides formed in the casting D, also bolted to the standard. Reciprocations of
said tool-stock, which is centrally bored and armed at its front end with the removable
mold E, are effected by means of the crank-shaft a, suitably mounted in bearings on
the standard, and further provided with a balance wheel F and driving pulley G.
Connection between the tool-stock C and shaft is had by means of a crank-rod b,
adjustable in length, as shown by means of the screw-threaded sleeve c.
The extremity of the standard opposite that where the shaft a is located, is provided
with an upright head H to which is firmly bolted a tubular guide I. This latter is
composed of two pieces de, screwed together in the manner shown; the former of
which contains a cylindrical block, or carriage J, centrally bored and armed with the
former K, which is oppositely disposed, but aligned with the mold E.
The back-end of said carriage is recessed and interiorly screw-threaded to admit an
adjusting nut f, also centrally bored, said nut having a head which abuts against the
end of the piece d, composing the guide I and is adapted to receive the thrust from a
heavy coiled spring L within the tubular piece e. The tension of this spring is
regulated by the nut g, which closes the end of said piece; this nut is also centrally
bored, hence a central opening hhh, is obtained by which access is had to extract and
remove the former, when different sizes are required, while the adjusting nut f can be
altered and thus regulate the position of the former K, by inserting an instrument to
turn it, and so advance or retract the tool-carriage T by altering its length. The
latter is prevented from rotating or shifting its position with respect to the mold by
means of a spline and groove connection i, shown in Fig. 5.
The apparatus by which the leatherboard is automatically fed, consists of a
casting M, removably secured upon the head FL by two posts jj, which enter holes
bored in the casting. Upon the front of this casting is positioned the feed carriage N,
which moves in guides formed by the plates kk, while its vertical intermittent
reciprocations, which cause proper advance of the material are effected by means of
the connecting rod 1, affixed to a short rocker arm on the transverse shaft m; the
front end of the latter is united by a toggle joint P to the lever rod Q, which is pivoted
at n to the bed-piece B. The short arm or tail-end of the lever Q is provided with an
anti-friction roll o, which is wiped by a cam, R, upon the shaft a. A spring p serves
to raise the feed-carriage N and return it to its normal or inactive position, downward
active travel of the carriage N is limited by the adjustment of the cam R on the
shaft a retreat upward movement of said carriage produced by the spring
limited by the adjustible screw q which cooperates with the lever Q.
is
By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the feed carriage is chambered at-r,
through which the material in process is entered while to compel the latter to advance
with the carriage a gripping rolls is provided, eccentrically mounted and spring-
actuated at t. Furthermore by reference to Fig. 3 two curved plates u, v, are
shown; the rear one u is attached to a steel die, to be further explained, and curved
outwardly acting as a guide, to direct the material between the former K and the
mold E, the lower extremity of the spring guide terminates behind and below the top

page_text: edge of the clearer v. This latter is likewise curved and thus a V shaped passage is
formed into which the material is fed in process. The lower edge of this plate v is
coincident with the top of the mold E when thrust forward and serves the purpose of
a clearer, when the latter retreats to remove the finished stiffener away and permit it
to drop into a proper receptacle.
Hitherto we have made no mention of the cutting process, which is a prominent
feature in this machine and to accomplish this result, we have secured to the front or
head of the tubular guide I, a hardened steel die S, constructed with an aperture V,
of the exact shape required for the shoe-tip or other similar article to be made.
Through this aperture both the mold and former reciprocate for the following reason.
After the material has been thrust by the feed mechanism between the operating tools-
the former and mold-the mold is advanced by the forward action of the stock C,
until it meets with the former K, which exerts an opposing pressure induced by the
spring I, which is sufficient to properly and quickly shape the stiffener. Continuous
advance movement of the stock C now compels the former K and mold E to travel as
a unit, with the material tightly gripped between them, against the pressure of said
spring, until the material meets the outer surface of the die S, which latter causes it
to stop, when the sharp edge of the mold E meeting with and passing into the
aperture V shears the material and carries with it the now completed shoe-tip, which
is held between the two abutting faces of the mold and former.
This die S is removably and adjustably held by the plates T T, which also grasp
and support the clearer plate ; the adjustment being both horizontal and vertical to
align the aperture V correctly with the mold and former in order to ensure precision
in the cut.
a
The operation of the various parts in the moulding and cutting of boot and shoe-
stiffeners is as follows, and further presuming that the parts are in the positions rela-
tively to each other, as shown in Figs. 1. 2 and 3. with the material in a continuous
strip, inserted in the feed-carriage and in readiness to descend and convey the material
between the tools. Upon rotation of the pulley G and shaft the feed-carriage N
descends and brings the material between the tools; the tool-stock C is advanced and
the mold E is forced against the yielding former K, when the material is grasped
between their two active faces, while the spring L resists sufficiently to properly mold
the stiffener; the crank-shaft a continues to advance the former and mold, which now
act as a unit; the former K retreating on its sliding carriage J, and the mold E
advancing until their meeting surfaces, or the joint formed thereby arrives at the
mouth of the aperture V in the die S, when the material contacts against the face of
the die and the tools pass through the aperture, the sharp end of the mold E thrusting
the material before it and cutting out the shoe-tip, or other stiffener, which is carried
along between the tools.
Further rotation of the shaft a and pulley G, now permits the mold E to retreat,
while the former K advances actuated by the spring L; the travel of the carriage J
is limited and controlled by the head of the nut f, which abuts against the inner end
of the tubular piece d. As the mold E continues to retreat, it separates from the
former K, which is now stationary, while the clearer wipes along the upper portion
of the mold and strikes the stiffener, just made, which is knocked into a proper
receptacle.
Simultaneously with the grasping of the material between the active faces of the
former and mold, the cam R, see Fig. 1, retreats from the roller o and permits the
spring p to pull the lever Q down and by aid of the interconnecting parts, raise
the feed-carriage N, the roughened gripping-roll s slipping on the material, which can
not move, being held between the tools. The position of the cain R upon the shaft a
is such that it engages and depresses the tail-end of the lever prior to the advance
movement of the tool-stock and mold E. Hence the feed-carriage N is actively
operated and the material in process is fed downward and interposed between the tools,
before their active parts meet. Furthermore during the interval, when the material
is grasped by the former K and mold E, the feed-carriage retreats and is then in

page_text: readiness to again advance the material prior to a second active movement of the
reciprocating mold.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1st. The method of manufacturing boot and shoe stiffeners, which consists in the
following steps; first, in presenting by proper feed mechanism the material from which
said articles are made in a continuous blank strip or series of strips to forming tools;
secondly, in molding such stiffeners, while in the blank sheet, by said tools, and
thirdly, in punching, or cutting the articles thus molded from the strip, all in one
continuous operation, substantially as herein specified.
2nd. In machinery for making boot and shoe stiffeners, the combination with a
fixed apertured die S, adjustably mounted, of two tools, in cross-section substantially
the same shape as said aperture, axially aligned and cooperating with said die, one
stationary but yielding and the other reciprocating with respect to it, said tools
adapted to first mold and then cut the stiffener from the blank material, substantially
as herein stated.
3rd. The combination with the fixed tubular guide, the spring-actuated tool-carriage
provided with a former and the dio, having the aperture within which is transversely
located said former, of the mold affixed to a tool-stock and adapted to reciprocate with
respect to the former, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4th. In mechanism for producing boot and shoe stiffeners, the reciprocating mold,
its actuating mechanism and the stationary but yielding former, which coöperates
therewith, in combination with the cutting die and the feed carriage adapted to inter-
mittently advance the material in front of the yielding former and die, substantially
as set forth.
5th. The combination with the tool-stock C, its molding-tool E, actuating shaft a
and the feed-carriage N, operated as set forth, of the former K, the apertured die S
and the tubular guide I which contains the carriage J adjustable in length, whereby
the former K is positioned with respect to the die, as and for the purposes herein set
forth.
6th. In machinery for producing boot and shoe stiffeners, the combination with a
yielding carriage J adjustable in length by the nut f and furnished with the former K,
of the molding-tool E, the tubular guide I having the spring L, which supports the
carriage in the act of molding a stiffener and the fixed die S for cutting the same,
substantially as stated.
7th. In combination with the tubular guide I and the adjusting nutg centrally bored,
the spring L, yielding carriage J and the headed nut f, both pierced at h h to permit
removal of the former K, as herein set forth.
Sth. The combination with standard A, bed-piece B, the stationary but yielding
former K, and the reciprocating mold E, of the removable casting M, the feed-
carriage N, with its rolls and the clearer v coöperating with the plate u to direct the
material between the tools, substantially for purposes herein described.
9th. The bed-piece B, its head H to which is secured the tubular guide I furnished
with the former K, the removable piece M. having the sliding carriage N channelled
at and with the eccentric spring actuated gripping roll s, in combination with the
clearer coincident with the mold, and the mold adapted to travel contiguous to the
same and coöperate with the former K, as and for purposes herein specified.
7'
v
10th. In combination with the bed-piece B, head H and the feed carriage N with its
operating rod 1, the actuating shaft a, cam R, and the interconnecting lever Q,
toggle P and shaft m by which the feed-carriage is caused to advance the material
prior to the act of molding the stiffener, substantially as stated.
11th. In combination with the bed-piece B, head H and the feed carriage N, with
spring rolls and operating rod 1, the interconnecting shaft m, toggle P and tilting
lever Q, provided with the spring p and adjusting screw q, whereby the feed-carriage

page_text: is caused to retreat in the act of molding a stiffener and its travel is limited as herein
described.
12th. In machinery for producing boot and shoe stiffeners, the combination with a
yielding former K located within an apertured die transversely thereof and the
coöperating feed carriage N, of the tool-stock C and its mold E reciprocated by and
adjustably connected with the shaft a by the crank-rod b, substantially as set forth.
201 1005
GEORGE HENRY FOX.
LEVI WILLIAM LOMBARD.
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.