IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES AND MOULDS FOR MAKING HEEL COUNTERS OR STIFFENERS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Phillips Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th September 1883. A
communication to him from Michael Hynes, William G. Cruickshank, and
Benjamin F. Lamb, Persons resident at Montreal, in the province of Quebec,
Canada,
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Liverpool and London Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES AND MOULDS FOR MAKING HEEL
COUNTERS OR STIFFENERS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES a communication [to him] from
Michael Hynes, William G. Cruickshank, and Benjamin F. Lamb, persons resident
at Montreal, in the province of Quebec, Canada
"
This invention has reference to improvements in machines used to form heel
counters or stiffeners for boots and shoes, and has for its object to produce counters
in a more rapid and simple manner than by the machines at present in use.
The mechanism of the machine is supported by a suitable frame, which is so
arranged as to accommodate two or more moulds at each end. These moulds are
made up of two halves and are enclosed within a suitable casing, the sides of
which casing are made adjustable so that they may be pressed towards or drawn
from the moulds at will, for purposes of adjustment and to keep them firmly in
position.
A horizontal toothed rack is made to slide within suitable grooves or channels
in a plate supported by, and attached to, the centre upper portion of the
framework, which is caused to reciprocate in a direct line with the moulds, by
means of a sector-gear which intermeshes with the teeth thereof. This sector-gear
has downwardly extending curved arms or horns, and receives its motion by means
of a roller or stud which is adjustably connected to a gear wheel, and which bears
alternately on the inner surfaces of the said arms or horns with the revolution of
the said gear wheel-This gear wheel receives its motion through another gear
wheel, which intermeshes therewith, and which is set in motion by means of any
ordinary or suitable pulley and belting.
The roller or stud in its circuit bears alternately upon the downwardly extending
arms and thereby gives a rocking motion to the sector gear which causes the

page_text: horizontal rack to reciprocate, and the plungers or punches being attached to each
end thereof, are forced into the moulds, alternately, at each end of the frame
work. The plungers are provided with grippers working in grooves and fulcrumed
about their centre. A small spring bearing against the under side of the rear end
of the gripper causes its lip or other end to bear against the edge of the plunger,
and there retain the blank or counter to be operated upon. The grippers are also
provided with a projecting arm which comes in contact with a spring catch for the
purpose of releasing the counter from the plunger when it is withdrawn from the
mould. This catch consists of .a couple of forked arms one of which, preferably
the longer, slides in the bearings made in a standard attached to the framing by
suitable bolt or screw. The said spring catch or forked arms are held in position
by piral springs placed between the bearing and abutting against a shoulder on
one of the arms. This spring catch also serves to allow the counter blanks to fall
in front of the moulis before each stroke of the plunger. The blanks being
placed in a slit or opening in the standards through which they fall outo and rest
on the catch until it is withdrawn by the backward action of the plunger. When
the grippers have released their hold of the formed counters these are removed by
coming in contact with a spring attached to the frame
The moulds as before stated are made up of two halves, their rear ends are
bevelled inwards towards the centre, their sites forming obtuse angles thereto, and
their ends or corners bear against the rear plate of the casing, or against pins or
stops placed therein. Two strong metallic springs are attached or fastened in any
convenient manner to the side of each half of the mould, near the front surfaces
thereof, and bear against the adjustable sides of the casing near the extreme inner
portions thereof. A plate is fastened to the bottom of the casing, the bottom of
each half of the mould also being provided with a plate so constructed that their
outer edges will projet a slight distance beyond the side edges of the moulds.
These plates are bevelled or rounded so as to gradually form the "upturn" when
the pressure of the plunger is ex-rted in the mould towards the end of its stroke.
To allow of paste leather counters to be produced in the moulds the inside is
made somewhat of the shape of the stiffener but slightly larger. A metallic lining
rather smaller than the required counter is placed therein and attached to the
bottom of the mould sections and at their intersecting surfaces by screws and is so
arranged as to bear against the back part of the moulds where the junction
between the two halves is made. This lin ng is provided with several cuts at the
top and is allowed to remain close at the top to permit of its being drawn down
upon all parts of the counter.