IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNISHING THE SOLE EDGES OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Middleton Justice, of 14, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNISHING THE SOLE EDGES OF BOOTS AND
SHOES." A communication from abroad by William Fulton Hutchinson, of
Lynn, in the County of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of
America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Middleton Justice
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th July 1881.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BURNISHING THE
SOLE EDGES OF BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by William
Fulton Hutchinson, of Lynn, in the County of Essex, and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
This Invention relates to that class of machines employed in burnishing the sole
edges of boots and shoes, in which the burnisher is mounted in a head adapted to
have free movement in all directions, and is driven by power applied through
pulleys and bands. The object of the Invention is principally to simplify the
construction of the head and to avoid the jarring motion communicated to the
hands of the operator by having a driving wheel in the head itself. The main
feature of the Invention consists in reciprocating the block which carries the
burnishing tool by means of a rod operated by a crank pin on a shaft mounted in
a swinging frame, or some equivalent device, which carries the arm supporting the
burnishing tool. It consists further of certain details of construction, more or less
closely related to this leading feature, and fully described hereinafter. An ordinary
rocking frame is employed mounted upon a driving shaft, and provided with
suitable pulleys. The ordinary weight may be used to counterbalance the frame,
and tend to keep it in vertical position.
The upper part of the frame is pivoted upon a lower frame so as to be capable
of motion in a horizontal plane, while the lower frame swings only in a vertical
plane.
An arm which supports the head and burnishing tool is pivoted to the upper
frame by means of a hollow boss, fixed to said frame around the projecting end of
the shaft. The arm is adapted to turn upon the frame in a vertical plane, and is

page_text: steadied against lateral movement by a brace which has its bearing on the opposite
end of the shaft. The arm is hollow and receives a reciprocating rod pivoted to a
wrist pin fixed to the end of the shaft and within the hollow boss fixed to said
frame around the projecting end of the shaft. The rod projects through the shaft
and terminates between the two sides of the frame, which is swivelled on the arm
so as to rock in a horizontal plane transverse to the axis of the arm. In the
forward end of the frame is pivoted a cross bar having a central perforated disc.
To this disc is swivelled a head preferably recessed to receive the discs and arms.
The head is preferably held to the disc by means of a handle which passes through
the disc and is screwed into the head. The handle may be suspended by means
of a spring from the ceiling or from a suitable standard set in the floor.
Heretofore the burnishing tool has been held down to its work by pressure of
the hand, and it has been proposed to hold down a shank burnisher by means of a
treadle connected directly thereto. This mode of connection requires that the
rapid motion of the burnisher should be imparted to the connecting rods. This is
avoided by the present Invention, and the good effects of the treadle secured by
connecting it to the head block by means hereinafter described. To this head are
attached loops which are spread sufficiently to permit the reciprocating block to
pass between them. In the bight of the loops rest the bent ends of prongs, which
are set in a socket swivelled upon a rod; these devices swing by means of a
treadle, to which the rod is attached to draw down the head and apply pressure to
the burnishing tool. At the same time the bent ends of the prongs have free play
.in the loops, and do not interfere with the rocking motion of the head, the socket
turning freely upon the bent end of the rod. The reciprocating block to which
the tool is attached is connected to the reciprocating rod in the arm by means of
curved bars, which are pivoted on pins on opposite sides of small discs pivoted on
the under side of the end of the block. The bars are swivelled in like manner to
the end of the reciprocating rod; other means may be used to connect the block
and reciprocating rod. The block reciprocates in guides in the head in any
suitable way, and carries on its lower side a socket piece into which the shank of
the tool is inserted. The tool is held by a pin, which is drawn out by means of a
lever and pressed in by a suitable spring, so as to catch in the hole in the upper
end of the shank of the tool. By pressing the lever inward the tool is removed.
A handle is provided for the hand of the operator, who can thereby move the tool
or turn it to any required position, while the reciprocating shaft is imparting the
necessary motion for rubbing the edge of the sole.
By placing the driving pulley in the frame as indicated above, I simplify the
construction of the head and reciprocating block, and avoid the jar imparted to the
hand by the rapid revolution of a pulley in the head itself. I simplify to some
extent also the devices in other respects, and render the apparatus lighter and
more easy to handle. The devices described for connecting the treadle to the head
may be modified, and the connection may be made to the arm or to a frame
without any material modification of the essential part of my Invention. I use
for holding the boot or shoe during the process of burnishing the sole edge a double
jack, such as has been heretofore known. I have however introduced one element
into the supporting jack applicable to a single or double arm. In some classes of
work it is necessary for easy working of the machine to adjust the jack slightly
in or out. In order to accomplish this without interfering with the rotation I fix
upon the shaft a sleeve, which is held upon it by a pin and may be revolved
thereon but has no longitudinal movement. The hub of the jack slips over this
sleeve and is held upon it by means of a second pin, which passes into a slot made
in the sleeve in a line parallel to the axis of the shaft. This permits the jack to be
set in or out, and when set at any required point it is held by a set screw in the
hub and bearing against the sleeve.

page_text: And Figure 5, a front view.
In these Drawings A represents an ordinary rocking frame mounted upon a
driving shaft a and provided with suitable pulleys b, c. The ordinary weight d
may be used to counterbalance the frame and tend to keep it in a vertical position.
The upper part of the frame e is pivoted upon the lower frame A, so as to be
capable of motion in a horizontal plane, while the lower frame A swings only in a
vertical plane. The arm B which supports the head and burnishing tool is pivoted
to the upper frame e by means of a hollow boss g fixed to said frame around the
projecting end of the shaft f. The arm B is adapted to turn upon the frame in a
vertical plane, and is steadied against lateral movement by a brace which has its
bearing on the opposite end of the shaft f. The arm B is hollow and receives a
reciprocating rod i pivoted to a wrist pin fixed to the end of the shaft f and within.
the hollow boss g fixed to the said frame around the projecting end of the shaft f.
The rod i projects through the shaft and terminates between the two sides of the
frame k, l, which is swivelled on the arm B, so as to rock in a horizontal plane,
transverse to the axis of the arm B. In the forward end of the frame k, l, is
pivoted a cross bar 7, having a central perforated disc m; to this disc is swivelled a
head D preferably recessed to receive the discs and arms, and prevent limited motion
in horizontal plane, so as to swing thereon in a horizontal plane. The head is
preferably held to the disc by means of a handle n which passes through the disc
and is screwed into the head. The handle may be suspended by means of a spring o
from the ceiling or from a suitable standard E set in the floor. Heretofore the
burnishing tool has been held down to its work by pressure of the hand, and it has
been proposed to hold down a shank burnisher by means of a treadle connected
thereto. This mode of connection requires that the rapid motion of the burnisher
should be imparted to the connecting rods. I avoid this and secure the good effects

page_text: of the treadle by connecting the treadle to the head block by means hereinafter
described. To the head are attached loops p, p, which are spread sufficiently to
permit the reciprocating block to pass between them. In the bight of the loops
rest the bent ends of prongs q, q, which are set in a socket Q swivelled upon a rod r,
these devices swing by means of a treadle to which the rod is attached, and by
means of which the head is drawn down and pressure applied to the burnishing
tool. At the same time the bent ends of the prongs have free play in the loops and
do no interfere with the rocking motion of the head, the socket Qturns freely upon
the bent end of the rod 1. The reciprocating block to which the tool is attached is
marked F, it is connected to the reciprocating rod in the arm B by means of curved
bars t, t, which are pivoted on pins on opposite sides of small discs u pivoted on the
under side of the end of the block.. The bars t, t, are swivelled in like manner to
the end of the reciprocating rod. Other means may be used to connect the block
and reciprocating rod. The block reciprocates in guides in the head in any suitable
way and carries on its lower side a socket piece v, into which the shank of the tool
His inserted. The tool is held by a pin w which is drawn out by means of a
lever and pressed in by a suitable spring, so as to catch in the hole in the upper
end of the shank of the tool. By pressing the lever inward the tool is removed.
The handlen is for the hand of the operator, who can thereby move the tool or turn
it to any required position while the reciprocating shaft is imparting the necessary
motion for rubbing the edge of the sole. By placing the driving pulley in the
frame, as indicated above, I simplify the construction of the head and reciprocating
block and avoid the jar imparted to the hand by the rapid revolution of a pulley in
the head itself. I simplify to some extent also the devices in other respects and
render the apparatus lighter and more easy to handle.
The devices described for connecting the treadle to the head may be modified,
and the connection may be made to the arm B or to the frame K, K, without any
material modification of the essential part of my Invention. I use for holding the
boot or shoe during the process of burnishing the sole edge a double jack, such-as
has been heretofore known. I have however introduced an element into the
supporting jack applicable to a single or double arm. In some classes of work it is
necessary for easy working of the machine to adjust the jack slightly in or out. In
order to accomplish this without interfering with the rotation I fix upon the
shaft 1 a sleeve 2, the sleeve 2 is held upon the shaft by a pin 3, and may be
revolved thereon, but it has no longitudinal movement. The hub 4 of the jack
slips over this sleeve and is held upon it by means of a piu 5, which passes into a
slot made in the sleeve in a line parallel to the axis of the shaft; this permits the
jack to be set in or out, and when set at any required point it is held by a set
screw 6 in the hub and bearing against the sleeve.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
1st. In a machine for burnishing the sole edges of boots and shoes the combination
of a head carrying the reciprocating tool and pivoted in the arm supporting said
head, said arm being pivoted upon an oscillating frame, a shaft in said frame driven
by suitable mechanism and connected with the reciprocating tool in the head by
means of a suitable rod and wrist pin, whereby a reciprocating movement is
imparted to said tool, said head, arm, and frame being constructed to permit the
ordinary movements, all substantially as described.
2nd. The combination of the shaft f, pivoted arm B, frame K, K, pivoted head D,
sliding block F, and the connecting rod, substantially as described.
3rd. In an edge setting and burnishing machine the combination of the
reciprocating block, the reciprocating rod, bars t, t, and their swivel connections
with the block and rod, as set forth.
4th. In an edge setting and burnishing machine the combination of the head D,
the cross bar l, having perforated disc m and handle n, all substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
5th. The combination in a jack of the axle, the sleeve 2 held upon said axle by a

page_text: pin and slotted as described, and the hub connected to said sleeve by a pin and set
screw, whereby lateral adjustment is obtained, substantially as set forth.
6th. The combination of the pivoted arm, the swinging frame, the head pivoted
in the arm, the reciprocating block carrying the tool, and the treadle and connecting
rod attached directly to the part which carries the reciprocating block, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Middleton Justice, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
in the presence of
ALLEN P. JONES,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
London, W.C.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE. (L.S.)