IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY. AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1872

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY. AND
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."-A communication. from abroad
by William Joseph Bernard Mills, of Philadelphia, State of Penn-
sylvania, and De Witt Clinton Taylor, of Elizabeth, Union County,.
State of New Jersey, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 6th August 1872, and dated the 14th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th May 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE" OF" "SHOES,, AND IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," a communication from
abroad by William Joseph Bernard Mills, of Philadelphia, State of Penn-

page_text: sylvania, and De Witt Clinton Taylor, of Elizabeth, Union County, State
of New Jersey, in the United States of America, to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to an improvement in the stitching of the sole
to the upper of ordinary "turn-round" or welted shoes, in which both
sides of the stitches are external during the process of sewing, and t
consists essentially in making such stitches in the usual curved channel
but in the same plane throughout, so that in applying work to the
sewing machine the operator may be relieved from the duty of con-
stantly changing the position of the work requisite under the ordinary
mode of stitching, which involves tedious and careful manipulation.
•
]
In carrying out this part of the Invention it is proposed to employ a
sewing last having the edge of its base in the same plane throughout, or
flat, in lieu of being curved to correspond to the projections and hollows
of the sole of the foot. The said last has by preference a
rebated or
flanged border, which admits of the turned-in edge of the sole being 1
flush with the external edge of the last. This improved sewing last may
or may not comprise the upper portion or shank and heel, but such parts
if employed are modified in shape, that is to say, are made straighter or
more flat in the rounds, and the entire last is smaller than the inside of
the upper, in order to facilitate its insertion and withdrawal. Or the 2
improved last may consist of a single flat plate or open frame the shape
of the contour. of the sole, but in every case it is essential that the edge
of its base should be in the same plane throughout in respect to its face.
A portion or the whole of the sides of the said sewing last are moreover
straight and at an unvarying angle throughout in respect to the plane
edge of the last, and when not in the form of an open frame the last is
by preference made concave within its plane edged base.
The sewing machine to be employed in connection with these improved
lasts for effecting the improved system of sewing with the stitches in the
same plane throughout, comprises a rest or support, which is inclined;
and adapted to the shape of the work presented to it, the said rest con-
taining a yielding stud or guide which, in combination with an adjustable
guard piece having a space or recess beneath it, serves to guide and
present the work properly to the needle and awl, the yielding stud
facilitating the passage of those parts of the shoe which project more
than others.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS CONNECTED
THERE WITH," a communication to me from abroad by William Joseph
Bernard Mills, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, and De Witt
Clinton Taylor, of Elizabeth, Union County, State of New Jersey, in the
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Henry Johnsón, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had, to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
The said Invention relates first to an improvement in stitching the

page_text: sides of the stitches are external during the process of sewing, and the
improvement consists in making such stiches in the usual curved
channel but in the same plane throughout, so that in applying the work
to the sewing machine the operator may be relieved from the duty of
constantly changing the position of the work, a duty which demands 5
tedious and careful manipulation, when the stitches are made in the
usual manner.
The second part of the Invention consists of a sewing last having the
edge of its base in the same plane throughout, in order that the sole may
be in a condition which permits the line of stitching securing the upper 10
to the sole to be made in the same plane throughout.
The Invention also consists of sewing lasts in which are combined with
the above main features, others of importance, which are too fully ex-
plained hereafter to need preliminary discription.
The third part of the Invention consists of certain improvements, fully 15
explained hereafter, in the supporting, guiding, and guarding devices of a
wax thread sewing machine.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the 20
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
corresponding Figures.
. Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings are diagrams illus.
trating the difference between the usual course of the stitches for securing
the upper to the sole in ordinary shoes, and that of the stitches made 25
according to the improvement.
Figure 3 an edge view of the last.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of a last and sole as they appear when
annlied to the machine

page_text: 3, and having at the edge two flanges a and b, the latter being of such
shape that the flanged border e of a moulded sole B will fit snugly over
it, while the projections of the flange a should be such that its edge will
bo flush with the exterior of the flanged border of the sole when the
latter is fitted to its place as in Figure 4, as the edge of the last is in
the same plane throughout, it is evident that the part of the sole which
bears on this edge x must be in the same plane throughout, and
consequently that the course of the stitches made adjacent to the said
edge x, as shewn in Figure 3, must be made in one and the same planc.
After the sole has been snugly fitted to the sewing last, as described,
the upper D is fitted over both last and sole, and is temporarily tacked
to the border of the same at intervals. The whole can be applied to a
sewing machine in the manner shown in Figure 4. As stitch succeeds
stitch the turning of the work is always in the same plane, and the
changes in lateral position which are demanded by ordinary lasts so as to
present the sole properly to the machine are obviated. After the
stitching has been completed and the sewing last withdrawn, the upper
and its sole are applied to a finishing last having the desired longitudinal
and transverse curves, which can be readily imparted to the sole during
the finishing of the shoe.
Any sewing last so made as to retain the border of the sole whore the
stiches occur in the same plane may be used in place of that above
described, as fully explained under the second part of the Invention.
SECOND PART OF THE INVENTION.
Figure 6 represents a simple form of an improved last, by the aid of
which the first part of the Invention may be carried into effect. In this
instance the last is similar in all respects to an ordinary last excepting
that the edge a of the base is made in the same plane throughout, so
that the sole when applied to the last may be controlled by this edge and
maintained in the same plane where the line of stitching has to be made,
the stitches themselves being consequently made in the same plane
throughout. In addition to this the essential feature of the improved
last, it is preferable to depart from the usual form in a manner and for a
purpose which will now be described, reference being had to Figures 7
and 8, the latter being a vertical section on the line 1, 2. The dotted lines
in these Figures represent the shape of an ordinary last. The base is so
formed as to present an edge a made in the same plane throughout, as

page_text: in the former case, but in the present instance the rounded hçel is cut
away, as shewn by the line b, and the protuberances d, d, which arc
present at the shank of an ordinary last are removed, either as represented
in Figure 8, or in any other way, providing no part of the last is thicker
than it is at the. base.
The advantage of making the edge of the base of the last in the same
plane throughout, namely that of permitting the stitching to be made in
the same plane, has been referred to above, but in addition to this
important advantage, that of readily fitting the border of the upper to
the border of the sole may be mentioned. The plane edged base, together
with the absence of the protuberance d, d, insure this ready fitting of
the upper to the last, moreover the usual puckering of the upper which
interferes with the uniformity of the stitching is obviated by the same
features.
By the plane edged base of the sole also the constant play of the
pressure foot of the sewing machine, in the channel of the soles is
insured, the channel itself being in the same plane throughout.
In the modification, Figure 9, the sides of the last are straight from the
plane edge a of the base to the dotted line w. The angle of this portion
of the sides of the last in respect to the plane edge a may vary in'
different lasts, but throughout the same last should be invariably the
same. This straight portion of the sides of the last permits the work to
be passed smoothly over a fixed rest plate, and also aids the other feature
in preventing the puckering of the upper during the sewing.
It is not essential however that the ordinary bulky last should be
adhered to or even approximated, for instance if the last Figure 9, bo
bisected on the dotted line w, and the upper portion be discarded, tho
remaining.portion represented by Figure 10, is not only an available but
a preferable last possessing all the advantages above described, and the,
further advantage of preventing that straining of the upper which
results by its application to an ordinary last, the thin last too is far more
casily withdrawn from the upper than the more bulky last. The thin
last may have a rebate formed entirely round its edge, as shewn in Figure
11, in fact the rebate may be formed on any last having the important
feature of the Invention, namely the plane edge or border of the base.
.
The rebate is intended for the reception of the turned border of a
sole, the outside of the said border being flush with the outside of the

page_text: last, as shown in Figure 12, which represents a rebated thin last with the
sole and upper, as the whole appears when presented to a sewing
machine.
The rebate is preferable in all cases, as in conjunction with the
plane edge a of the base it insures the retention of the solo in a steady i
condition during the process of sewing.
Throughout every modification of the Invention it is preferable to
make the portion of the base within or bounded by the plane edge or
border concave, as shown in Figure 13, so as to receive the convex face e
of the sole, for the convexity of the sole facilitates the turning of the 1
shoe, and is of the desired shape after the shoe has been turned.
The last may consist of a simple and light metal frame, a cross section
of which is shewn in Figure 4, the open middle of the frame being equiva-
lent to the concavities described in reference to other modifications, and
the metal last being otherwise made to embrace all the most important 1
features of the Invention, and especially the most prominent feature
which appears in all the modifications, and which, as before remarked,
consists in making the border a of the base of the last in one plane
throughout whatever shape may be imparted to the sole within this
edge.
It has been before remarked that the thin last is preferable to the
more bulky last, and reasons have been given for this preference as to
the thickness of the preferred last; it may vary considerably without
departing from this feature of the Invention, which may be defined as a
last less than the shoe to the upper of which it is fitted.
As regards the unvarying angle of the size of the last, or of the lower
position of the same, it may be remarked that this feature of the
Invention may be applied with advantage to a sewing last, in which the
edge of the base is not in the same plane.
THIRD PART OF THE INVENTION
2
3
illustrated by Figures 14, 15, 16, & 17. A represents a pedestal, and
B, a horizontal plate secured to the same, both forming part of the
fixed frame of a wax-thread sewing machine; and D is the awl; E, the
hooked needle; F, the thread guide; and G, the wedge-shaped presser
foot adapted to the channel in the sole of the shoe to be operated 3
TIRAN

page_text: All of the above parts are well known, and form no part of the
Invention, which consists of a throat or rest plate H on the pedestal,
and of a guard J secured to the plate B, or any other convenient sup-
port. The throat or rest has a vertical slot 6 for the passage of the awl
and needle. The top of the rest is in the present instance perfectly
smooth and plain, and is curved or inclined upwards in the manner
plainly shewn in the Drawing from its outer edge towards the needle,
the slot for the passage of the latter being formed in the highest portion
of the said rest.
The face of the rest may be made to correspond with the shape of the
work presented to it. A recess d is formed in the outer and lower
portion of the rest for the reception of a spring f, which has a constant
tendency to elevate a stud K. adapted to a slot in the rest, and caused to
project above the latter.
The guard J, before referred to, is of the peculiar shape best observed
in Figure 16, and is secured to the plate B by screws passing through
slots h in such a manner that it can be adjusted longitudinally towards
or from the rest. The outer end of this guard is situated at a short
distance above and slightly overlaps the throat plate, and is so con-
structed that a recess shall be formed beneath it for the reception of
that portion of the edge of the upper and lining of the shoe which pro-
jects beyond the sole during the stitching operation.
The upper and sole are applied to the last, and the work presented to
the machine, as shewn in Figures 16 and 17.
The rest, the guard J and guide K, form together a recess or pocket
in which the shoe, as it is fed to the needle, is retrained at such an
inclination, and in such position laterally, that the open channel shall
always be directly in the range of the awl and needle.
It will be observed, on referring to Figures 16 and 17, that the portion
of the sole for receiving the stitches is confined between the border m of
the last and the outer end i of the guard J, the latter bearing against
the sole between the channel and the feather edge below the channel;
by this arrangement the work is effectually held in the best possible
position for forming the stitches.
It will also been seen, on reference to Figure 16, that the position of
the edge of the upper and lining which projects bevond the edge of the

page_text: sole, and beyond the line of stitching, is turned down by the guard J
into the recess & beneath the said guard, and is thus prevented from
intervening between the latter and the edge of the sole. This is an
important feature of the Invention, for the interposition of the irregular
and puckered border of the upper and lining between the guide and 5
sole would cause irregular sewing but for the said recess k.
The importance of the yielding stud will be understood when it is
borne in mind that some parts of the shoc project more than others,
and that the stud will accommodate itself to these variations in the
shape of the shoe.
The rest, with its yielding guiding stud, could be used independently
of the guard J, and the latter could be used in connection with ordinary
throat plates, but it is preferred to combine the improved throat plate
and guard in the manner above described.
10
· Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the 15
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. Making the stitches which secure the sole to the upper of an 20
ordinary shoe in the same plane throughout, as set forth.
"
Second. A sewing last having the edge of its base in the same
plane throughout in respect to its face, as set forth, for the purposo
specified.
Third. A sewing last having a base with its edge in the same plane 25
throughout, and having its shank and heel shaped, all substantially as
described, and as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.
Fourth. A sewing last having a base with its edge in the same plane,
and a part or the whole of its sides straight and at an unvarying angle
throughout, in respect to the said plane edge, as described, and as shewn 30
in Figures 9 and 10.
Fifth. A sewing last having a base with its edge on the same plane
throughout, and a rebate, substantially as specified, and as illustrated in
Figures 12 and 13.