Improvements in Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lasts for Boots and Shoes.
I, WALTER EZRA TRUFANT, of Hayden Avenue, Brockton, in the County of
Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention relates to lasts which are divided transversely into sections and
adapted to be shortened by a relative movement of the sections, and has for its
object to provide a last with the parts jointed together in such a way as to be
locked positively in their operative position and readily shortened to facilitate
the removal of the last from the shoe, and to also secure a substantially unbroken
outer surface when the last is in use, and to this end consists of certain improve-
ments which I will now describe, and point out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of my improved last locked in its
operative position.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the last shortened.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent perspective views of parts of the jointed connection
detached from the last.
Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal section showing the position of the parts when
the heel section is slightly raised, and
Fig. 7a similar section showing their position when the heel section is ready
to tip forward
Fig. 8 represents a horizontal section showing my invention applied to a
wooden last having a metal heel section.
Fig. 9 represents a section on line 99 Fig. 8.
The same characters of reference refer to the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings a represents the fore part section and the heel section of my
improved transversely divided last, the heel section having a socket d to receive
a jack spindle. e el represent slots or recesses formed in the heel and fore part
sections, said recesses being of uniform width and registering with each other.
99 and
represent the members or links of my improved jointed connection
between the sections a and b. The links g g are pivoted side by side at i to the
fore part section within the recess e¹ and they project into the recess e in the
heel section. The links g g are the equivalent of a single link, the duplication
of parts being for the sake of strength and to enable the linked connection to fit
snugly and without lateral play in the recesses e e¹. The link his pivoted at j
to the heel section within the recess e and is hinged or jointed at k to the link g.
The link g is considerably shorter than the link 4, and when the last is locked,
as shown in Fig. 1, the link g extends into the heel section and incloses the
link h, and thus the links assume their shortened position, and together are the
same as a single link the length of which is equal to the length of the link g
minus the length of the link h. The links and sections are locked when the
link his forced to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the connecting pin or

page_text: joint is on or slightly at one side of a straight line drawn through the centers
of the pivots i j. In this illustration of my invention the pivots i and j are not
placed at exactly a right angle to the line dividing the sections, but the pivot i
to which the link g is pivoted is placed below, and the pivot j to which the link h
is pivoted is placed above, a perpendicular line erected on the face of the sections
where a line connecting the pivots i and j intersects the line of the division of
the sections, so that the tendency of the heel section is to move downwardly upon
the rear end of the fore part section. This tendency is resisted by the offset o in
the line of severance of the sections, and by a stop m on the heel section coming
in contact with a shoulder m¹ in the fore part section, said stop projecting into
a slot m² in the fore part section and serving as a guide to keep the sections in
alignment as they are brought together. As the links g g fit the sides of the
recess e it will be seen that there is no possibility of the sections getting out of
place while the last is in use.
To remove the last from the shoe the links are unlocked by moving the joint k
to the opposite side of the line of the pins ij from that occupied by said joint
when the sections are locked. This may be accomplished by pulling on an arm
formed on or attached to the link h, thus moving the heel section and links to
the position shown in Fig. 6. The heel can then be moved up in contact with
the toe section, which, owing to the inclination of the faces of the sections,
shortens the last. When the heel has been raised some distance as shown in
Fig. 7, it may be swung forward, as shown in Fig. 2, when the last can be readily
drawn from the shoe without stretching or injuring the leather or other material
of which the shoe is made. The last can also be readily replaced in the shoe if
desired. As the sections slide on one another the links lengthen as the joints
open, and when the last is shortened and the heel tipped forward the links are
extended so that the connection is the length of the link g added to the length of
the link h. When the last is removed from the shoe the heel section may be
swung down into place and brought to the proper alignment by the link g and
pin m. The sections may then be locked by moving the pin or joint k to the
locking position shown in Fig. 1.
When the last is in operative position as shown in Fig. 1, it presents a sub-
stantially unbroken surface on the sides and bottom, and when locked cannot
be collapsed or shortened by any degree of pressure to which it may be subjected,
and has all of the advantages of a solid last.
I do not confine myself to the arm to move the links to lock and unlock the
sections, but may use a last hook through a hole in the side of the last, or any
suitable means. The links and their position may also be considerably varied
without departing from the scope of my invention.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 I show a construction suitable for a metal last, the
sections ab shown in said figures being wholly of metal with the exception of the
wooden plugs p inserted in the bottom of the last to receive tacks or nails, and
the wooden plug q inserted in one side of the fore part section for a purpose
presently described. To enable fore part sections of different form or size to be
used interchangeably with a single heel section and jointed connection, I show the
fore part section made in two parts or members, 5 6, the member 5 being a
hollow shell having a cavity 7, while the member 6 is a plug formed to enter
the cavity 7. The member 6 contains the recess and the pivot i, and is
detachably secured to the shell member 5 by means of pins 8 8 entering coin-
ciding holes formed in the members 5 6. The member 5 has an opening 9
(Fig. 3) adapted to receive the pins 8 8 when the same are forced from the holes
in the members 5 6, said opening being filled by the above mentioned plug q
when the last is in use. The members 5 and 6 may be disconnected by driving
the pins 8 8. out of the holes in said members through the opening 9, the plug q
having been removed. Another member 5 can then be secured to the member 6.
In Figs. 8 and 9 I show a construction which is suitable when the fore part
section and a part of the heel section are made of wood. In said figures, e repre-

page_text: sents a metal heel seat extending from the front of the heel section backwardly
far enough to contain the recess e and the jack spindle socket d, said metal heel
seat being secured to the wooden portion of the heel section by a rivet j. The
heel seat c is flanged at the bottom to cover that portion of the heel liable to be
injured in the operation of heeling the shoe, and has a body of sufficient width
to withstand the strain of the jack spindle, and is preferably of square section so
that the recess or slot to receive it may be readily sawed out after the last has
been divided into sections, but one operation being required and no hand work
in fitting.
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;―
:
1. A transversely divided last comprising two sections connected by links
pivoted to, and contained in recesses in, said sections, the connecting joint of said
links being movable relatively to a line drawn through the center of the said
pivots to lock and unlock the sections, substantially as described.
2. A transversely divided last comprising two sections connected by links
pivoted to the sections and jointed together, one of said links being longer than
the other so that when said sections are in operative position one link will be
folded within the length of the other, the said links opening to allow the sections
to slide on one another when said sections are in their last shortening position,
substantially as described.
3. A transversely divided last comprising a fore part section and a heel section
recessed to receive jointed connecting links, the connecting links, and a pin or
projection in the heel section entering the recess in the fore part section to act
as a stop. substantially as described.
4. A transversely divided last comprising a fore part section and a heel section
recessed to receive connecting links, links in said recesses, and a metal seat in
the heel section extending backwardly from the face of the latter to receive
connecting links and the jack spindle, substantially as described.
.
5. A transversely divided last comprising a fore part section and a heel section
recessed to receive connecting links, links in said recesses, and a metal seat in the
heel section extending backwardly from the face of the latter to receive the
connecting links and the jack spindle and flanged at the bottom to protect the
heel of the last, substantially as described.
6. A transversely divided last comprising a fore part section and a heel section,
each section recessed to receive connecting links. links pivoted in said recesses
to the sections and jointed together, one of said links being shorter than the
other that it may fold within its length, and an operating arm projecting from
one of said links, substantially as described.
7. A transversely divided last comprising a fore part section and a heel section
connected by links pivoted to the sections and jointed together in such manner
that the said joint is adapted to assume a position relatively to said pivots which
will cause the locking of the links and sections, and means for operating the links,
substantially as described.
8. In a last, the combination of a fore part, having on its rear end a plane
surface which makes an acute angle with the bottom, a heel part fitted to this
plane surface, connecting links working in slots in the heel and fore parts, a pivot
in the fore part about which the connecting links turn, a second pivot in the
heel part which is nearer the top of the last than the pivot in the fore part when
the heel part is closed upon the fore part in its lengthened relation, said links
being jointed together so as to extend as the last is shortened, substantially as
described.
9. As an article of manufacture, a last joint member consisting of a jointed link
adapted to be pivoted in coinciding recesses in a transversely divided last, one
member being adapted to fold within the length of the other member when the

page_text: last is in operative position, and opening to lengthen as the sections are displaced
to shorten the last, substantially as described.
10. As an article of manufacture, a last joint member consisting of a jointed
link adapted to be pivoted in coinciding recesses in the sections of transversely
divided last, one member of said link being adapted to fold within the length of
the other member when the last is in operative position, and opening to lengthen
as the sections are displaced to shorten the last, and a metal heel seat to which
one end of said link pivoted, said heel seat being formed so that it may extend
from the face of the heel section back far enough to contain the recess, and the
hole for the jack spindle, substantially as described.
11. A transversely divided last comprising a heel section and a fore part section
composed of two separably connected members, one of said members being a
shell, and the other a tongue or plug entering said shell, and suitably connected
with the heel section, substantially as described.
12. A transversely divided last comprising a heel section, and a fore part
section composed of two separably connected members, one of said members
being a shell, and the other a tongue or plug entering the said shell, said tongue
being connected to said heel section by links pivoted to, and contained in
recesses in, said tongue and heel section, the connecting joint of said links being
movable relatively to a line drawn through the center of the said pivots to lock
and unlock the sections, substantially as described.
:
Datu 191
.
1000
WALTER EZRA TRUFANT.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.