Improvements in Machinery for Lasting Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1888
Specification Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1888
Improvements in Machinery for Lasting Boots and Shoes.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been communicated
to me from abroad by Frank Chase of Boston in the County of Suffolk and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This improvement has reference to that general type of machines for Lasting the
uppers of boots and shoes described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 3706 of
March 16th 1886 and it particularly relates to the construction of the clasp or device
used in connection with the wipers and wiper carriages of such machines to encircle
and clasp the heel or toe of the last. Such a clasp lettered G' is shown in Figures 1
3 and 4 of the drawings accompanying the said Specification of 370688.
It is desirable that the clasp should be so made that between its ends it can
automatically conform to the shape of the toe or heel which it encircles, it is equally
desirable also that the parts should be so constructed and arranged that the ends
themselves of the clasp may be capable of automatically varying the distance between
them in order that they may automatically accommodate and adjust themselves to
lasts of varying widths.
To this end under the present improvement the body of the clasp is made of
material so flexible or pliable that it will automatically conform to the shape of that por-
tion of the last which it encircles. The clasp itself is attached at its ends to oscillatory
or vibrating supports which are free to oscillate towards and away from one another
so that when the toe or heel as the case may be of the Last is pressed into the clasp,
the freely moving ends by that pressure will be drawn up towards and against the
sides of the Last.
These oscillatory supports preferably consist of pivotted arms or rods and they are
preferably pivotted to slides moveable back and forth in the direction of the length
of the machine. With said slides is combined an actuating mechanism whereby
they can be moved and adjusted at pleasure.
The clasp may be used in connection with either the heel or the toe wipers. In

page_text: practice these wipers are for different kinds of work adjusted so that they normally
project more or less to the front of their supporting carriage according to the nature
of the work. It is desirable and indeed necessary to make a corresponding adjustment
of the clasp and it is for this purpose that the slides above referred to have a forward
and backward adjustment.
The nature of the improvement and the manner in which the same is or may be
carried into effect will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of the toe Lasting carriage of a Lasting
machine embodying this present Invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view
of a portion of the same, showing in plan the clasp and devices connected therewith.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the slide adjusting bar and screw. Figure 4
is a perspective view of the adjusting screw. The toe wiper carriage is in two
parts B, D. The lower part B is mounted to slide back and forth in ways in the
frame A of the machine. The upper part D is jointed to the lower part B and carries
the wipers Land other toe Lasting instrumentalities.
The clasp G¹ occupies substantially the same position beneath the wipers L that it
does in the arrangement described in the Specification of aforesaid Letters Patent
and it here is represented as consisting of one or more chains 28 faced with leather 29
although for the purpose of this Invention it may consist of any other suitable pliable
or flexible material or strip.
The clasp as a whole is in advance of the carriage there being left between the two
a space as indicated in the drawing to permit the central part of the clasp to be
pushed back and thus draw upon the ends for the purpose of causing them to close
upon the Last. In order to permit of this action it is attached by its ends only to
the device or devices which support it.
The supporting devices in the present instance consists of arms or supports H
which are pivotted at u so that they may freely oscillate to and from each other.
To the free ends of these arms the ends of the clasp G are attached. Set, screws or
back stops w in the frame of the carriage are pivotted not for the purpose of setting
up or moving the ends of the clasp but simply to prevent undue bodily lateral
wabbling" of the clasp and its supporting arms.
<<
The arms H may be pivotted directly to the carriage but for the reasons herein-
before indicated it is preferred to pivot them to the ends of bars I which are seated
and adapted to slide in grooves or guide ways in the bottom plate of the part D of
the carriage so that they may move in a direction lengthwise of the machine. The
slide bars I can be adjusted in this direction by any suitable means.
A convenient
one for example that shewn in the drawing wherein there is placed in rear of the
slide bars I a sliding adjusting bar J which moves in a groove or guide-way at
right angles with the path of movement of the slides I and is provided with inclines w
which meet and bear against corresponding inclines on the heels of the slides I. By
moving the adjusting bar J inward from the position shown in Figure 2 the slides I
will be advanced carrying with them the clasp. A reverse movement of the adjusting
bar will leave the slides I free to recede.
The movement of the adjusting bar J can be conveniently controlled by means
of an adjusting screw K which screws into the carriage as indicated in Figure 2.
The outer end of the adjusting bar J is bent down and forked and is so placed as
to straddle the stem of the screw between the screw-head and a collar on the screw
stem all as plainly indicated in Figures 3 and 4.
The clasp has been shown and described as applied to the toe-wiper carriage. It
can however in the same way be applied to and used with the heel wiper carriage
for the purpose of clasping in the heel of the Last.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. In machinery for Lasting boots and shoes the combination of the wiper carriage
the wipers the freely oscillatory clasp supports mounted on the said carriage but

page_text: disconnected from and moveable independently of said wipers and the flexible or
pliable clasp G attached to the said supports by its ends only substantially as and
for the purposes herein before described.
2nd. In machinery for lasting boots and shoes the combination of the wiper
carriage the flexible or pliable clasp G', the oscillatory clasp supports and the slides
to which the said supports are pivotted, the said oscillatory clasp supports and slidos
being disconnected from and moveable independently of the said wipers substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3rd. In machinery for lasting boots and shoes the combination of the wiper carriage
the flexible or pliable clasp G', the oscillatory clasp supports, the slides to which the
said supports are pivotted and the slide operating and adjusting mechanism the said
oscillatory clasp supports, slides and slide operating and adjusting mechanism being
disconnected from and moveable independently of the said wipers substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described.
4th. In machinery for lasting boots and shoes the pivotted clasp supporting arms H
and the flexible or pliable clasp G' in combination with back stops for preventing
undue spreading apart of the said arms substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 31st day of December 1887
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.,
Agents.