An Improved Method of and Means for Finishing Boot and Shoe Heel and Sole Edges, Shanks, and Bottoms.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Finishing Boot and Shoe
Heel and Sole Edges, Shanks, and Bottoms.
I, WILLIAM WINSLOW CROOKER, of the City of Lynn, in the County of Essex,
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for FINISHING BOOT AND SHOE HEEL AND
SOLE EDGES, SHANKS AND BOTTOMS, 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 the operation of imparting a bright wax finish to heel
and sole edges, shanks, bottoms and other parts of boots and shoes, and particularly
to such parts which it is desired to finish in black, which parts before the finishing
operation are of the natural colour of the leather.
Heretofore, in imparting a black hard finish to parts of boots and shoes, it has
been cominon to employ burnishing ink upon the parts and then polish the same by
the use of burnishing tools or devices having hard unyielding surfaces, by a thorough
rubbing operation. This mode involves a great deal of labour and the consumption
of much time, resulting in a very considerable addition to the cost of the boots and
shoes so manufactured.
I have ascertained that a brilliant and highly desirable black finish may be
quickly and readily imparted to the parts of boots and shoes above specified by first
dyeing the leather or the surfaces thereof to be polished, and then treating such
surfaces with wax or a resinous or waterproof compound and a rapidly moving
yielding surface. This mode of procedure not only secures a superior finish to the
parts treated, but it reaches this end at a great saving of labour and expense over
commonly employed processes.
In some instances I find it desirable to apply sizing to the dyed parts before
treating them with wax or an analogous substance or compound, the sizing acting
as a kind of filler" to the interstices or pores of the surface, and assisting to
secure a hard smooth polish.
In the polishing operation I use in all instances a rapidly moving yielding surface
of any desired form, which moving surface may be heated in any suitable way, or
used in a warm or cool state, and may be employed in the application of the com-
pound, or upon the latter previously applied to the parts to be polished.
I will first describe some forms of means which may be employed in the practice
of my invention, and which constitute a part of the same, explaining ways of using
the same, and then particularly point out the improvements in the appended claims.
Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this Specification, Figure 1
represents a side elevation of a rotary wheel which may be used in carrying my
improved method into practice.
Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2, 2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents a side view of a reciprocating device which may be used as a
substitute for the wheel shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4, 4, Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of rotary wheel and manner of
heating the yielding periphery of the same, a part being shown as broken out.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a suitable rotary wheel showing a modified way of
securing the surface material upon the yielding periphery, and another contrivance
for heating the said periphery.
Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of a rotary wheel having the surface material
secured to the periphery as is partly illustrated in Fig. 6, and showing the wheel
as warmed or heated by friction.
.

page_text: Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of the wheel similar in form to that shown in Figures 1
and 2, the elastic bed or periphery of the wheel being constituted as an air cushion.
The same letters of reference indicate the same.parts in all of the figures.
In carrying out my invention, having reference first to Sheet 1 of the drawings,
I employ a facing or sheet a of cloth, or other yielding and flexible material, sup-
ported on an elastic bed which is interposed between the cloth facing and a hollow
chamber c adapted to receive and be heated by steam, hot air or other gas, the
arrangement being such that the heat is imparted through the elastic bed to the
facing a. Said facing may be of any suitable cloth, cotton being preferred, or any
other suitable material, such as chamois skin, and the bed & may be of felt or any
other suitable material which will constitute a yielding or elastic support for the
facing a, and will permit said facing to conform to the curved surfaces of heel,
shank and sole edges and shank and sole bottoms, as well as to flat surfaces, such
as the treads of heel top lifts, the object of the bed being to permit the facing
to bear at once and with uniform pressure on all the area of the surface to be
operated on that said facing is capable of covering.
८८
The chamber e and the bed and facing thereon are capable of being rapidly
moved, so that the facing can exert a suitable friction upon the surface to be
operated on, said surface being presented to the facing by the operator, as herein-
after explained.
The polishing device is conveniently operated when made in the form of a wheel,
as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bed & being applied to the periphery of the wheel,
as shown in Fig. 2, and the facing a secured to the wheel in such manner as to cover
the bed. As here shown the wheel shaped chamber is provided with stuffing
boxes ee, which are fitted to rotate on a tubular journal'd, the latter having a
suitable connection at one end with a steam generator, or means for supplying hot
air or other gas to the chamber c, and being open at the other end for the discharge
of exhaust steam or air, the arrangement being such that heat enters and circulates
through the chamber e and then passes out through the exhaust end of the journal d.
I do not limit myself to this construction, however, and may use any other suitably
constructed rotary wheel adapted to support the bed and facing a, so that the
same may be heated or warmed.
The yielding bed and surface may be heated or warmed to a sufficient degree by
the means shown in Fig. 5, Sheet 2, of the drawings, wherein the body of the wheel
is represented as solid in form, and the wheel is arranged so that a portion of its
periphery may be contained in a recess or chamber of a contrivance provided with
a water receptacle y, the water in which receptacle is adapted to be heated by a
gas or other flame h, and so heat the polishing bed and surface of the wheel.
Again, the periphery of the wheel may be heated by passing the same in close
proximity to a substance, as a piece of metal i, heated by a flame or otherwise,
as shown in Fig. 6; or one or more friction pads j bearing against the side or
sides of the wheel may be employed to warm or heat the same, as shown in Fig. 7.
In some instances I find it desirable to construct the bed b as an air cushion,
as shown in Fig. 8, in which case it may be made of rubber or other suitable air
tight material.
•
•
The facing a may be secured upon the bed by means of clamping disks k
engaging the edges, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8; or I may form grooves in
the sides or flanges of the wheel, as is best seen in Fig. 7, and clamp the edges
of the facing a in said grooves by means of rings l arranged thereover, and sprung into
the said grooves.
In the use of this last mentioned means I may serrate the edges
of the facing a, as shown at m in Fig. 6, and, if desired, I may employ a drawstring
in the serrated edges in order to bring them into better position to be clamped and
held by the rings 7.
The chamber e may be constructed to be reciprocated instead of being rotated,
in which case the facing a and bed will be on one side only of the chamber, as
shown in Figures 3 and 4.
In polishing or finishing a boot or shoe sole or heel edge, or other like part, by

page_text: the use of the yielding facing a, I may first dye black the surface to be operated
upon, using, by preference, an aniline dye which may or may not contain a solution
of gum arabic or other gum.
may then apply the wax, or other resinous or waterproof compound, to the
yielding bed or facing of the polishing device, or, in suitable condition, to the surface
of the parts to be treated, when the said facing is rapidly moved by rotating the
wheel by power applied in any suitable way, and the surface to be polished and
finished is pressed against the yielding bed and held there and suit y rocked or
moved until all the parts of said surface have been subjected to the action of the
facing, and received therefrom a coating of the compound, or had the compound
previously applied thereto acted upon.
The important feature of my invention resides in the step of the described process
by which the surface to be treated is dyed black, and put into condition to be treated
as described, thus securing a highly brilliant and perfectly polished black surface
without the use of burnishing ink, hard hot metal burnishing tools, and the com-
paratively great expenditure of time and labour consequent thereon.
It is to be observed that it would not be inconsistent with my invention to secure
the ends of the same by applying a black wax or resinous compound to the raw or
undyed surface of the leather, the dye being of sufficient density to black or colour
and fill the parts to a sufficient degree, and the said parts being treated with a
rapidly moving yielding surface, as before explained.
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. The improvement in the art of polishing or finishing heels, sole edges and
other parts of boots and shoes, which consists in dyeing the parts black, treating
said parts with wax or a resinous or other waterproof compound and polishing
the same through the intervention of a rapidly moving yielding surface, as set forth.
2. A polishing wheel for use in the treatment of heels, sole edges and other parts
of boots and shoes, provided with a yielding bed and a facing a, combined with
means substantially as described for heating the said bed and facing.
Dated this 5th day of February 1891.
WILLIAM WINSLOW CROOKER.