Improvements relating to the Cutting of Bevelled Rubber Soles and other Materials.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements relating to the Cutting of Bevelled Rubber Soles
and other Materials.
WILLARD FRANK WELLMAN of Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 an improved method of cutting bevelled rubber soles and
other material.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.
Fig. 2. is a front elevation of same.
Fig. 3. is a plan.
Fig. 4, is an end view of the perferred form of tool carrier; Fig. 5, is a side view ;
Fig. 6, a plan of what is shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7, is a side elevation partly in section
of the sole form; Fig. 8, an end view; and Fig. 9, a plan of what is shown in Fig. 7.
Fig. 10, is a side elevation of the elbow and pulleys; and Fig. 11 a plan of same.
:
As is well known to all skilled in the art very great practical difficulty has been
hitherto encountered in cutting rubber soles with bevelled edges and the object of
my invention is to produce a machine by which soles, especially bevelled edge rubber
soles, are readily and cheaply cut.
My invention consists, mainly, in the combination with a clamp for the stock of a
track which corresponds to the form of article to be cut and a knife which is adapted
to travel in a path determined by the track.
Minor features of my invention are set forth hereinafter.
In the drawings which show a machine embodying my invention in the best form
known to me, A, is the frame, and A' the main shaft.
In the upper part of the frame A is a fixed stud a on which pulleys a² a² rotate
together. The stud a also carries a compound arm d,--F, the section d and the
section F being jointed together by a shaft upon which pulleys 6, 62, are fixed.
A train of spur gears may be substituded for pulleys a', a², 6, 62, and h¹.

page_text: The outer end of section F carries a shaft h, having a pulley h fixed to it, and
also a gear fixed to it.
The stud a carries the foot holder C.
The foot is secured in holder C and preferably approximates the shape of the
piece of stock to be cut out, (in this case a sole) and has on its upper surface a
groove forming the track, f, by means of which the path of the knife is determined.
In the form of machine shown the edge of the foot D is formed with a rack d and a
bevel g.
The knife carrier E is preferably formed of two sections e, e', hinged together by
a pin m as shown in Fig. 5, each section being provided with a pin n, and one
section having a spur gear i fixed to a shaft h, so, when the tool carrier is caused to
travel, the lower ends of the pins m and n move in the groove which in this
case forms the track, and the gear i meshes with the rack on the foot D).
The stock support, B, is preferably provided on its lower surface with pins, 3,
which slide in holes in frame A. A rocker shaft c¹ mounted in frame A has fixed to
it cams c which sustain the support B and force the support upward against foot D,
when treadle, 1, is depressed, the treadle being connected with the rocker shaft C¹ in
a way too well known to require description.
The operation of my machine is as follows:-
on
'
The stock being placed on the support B and the support forced upwards to clamp
the stock against the foot D, motion from the shaft A is imparted to the pulleys, a², a²
on shaft a, and as the pulley a² is belted to pulley on the shaft b, and pulley
shaft is belted to pulley fast to shaft h, the knife carrier E guided by the track f
is caused to travel in a path corresponding to the track entirely around the foot D
so that a piece of stock corresponding in shape to that of the track is cut from
the stock, the knife E¹ in the carrier projecting. downwardly through the stock
operated on for when the support B is moved upwards the stock upon it is pressed
against the point of the knife which is thereby caused to penetrate the stock.
It will be obvious that the compound arm d, F, being hinged as above described is
free to bend so that the pins m, n, of the tool holder E move easily in the groove
which forms the track, f, and the spur gear is kept in contact with the rack d¹.
The sole being cut, the pressure on the treadle, 1, is relieved, and the support B
falls, carrying the cams c with it, until they are arrested by the levers 4 mounted
in frame A, and adapted to be swung to enter notches in cams c.
When the foot D is replaced by a foot of different size or style the levers 4, 4,
are moved out of engagement with the cams c so that the cams fall still lower, and
the support B moves downwardly to give ample room for removing and replacing the
foot D. The foot D is preferably provided with dovetail lugs to engage the dovetail
ends of the foot holder C; the foot holder and foot being secured together, say by
cams as shown in Fig. 7.
In order to cut a bevelled sole edge as well as one at right angles to the top or
bottom surface of the sole, tool holder E is provided with a series of mortises e³, one
vertical and the rest inclined, in which the knife E¹ is readily secured by a set screw et
as seen best in Fig. 4.
Treadle 2 controls a friction clutch on main shaft A¹ in a way too well known to
require particular description, and the belt from the main shaft A leads from pulley G
over idlers K to pulley a¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
.
1. In a sole cutting machine the combination of stock clamp B, D, track f
corresponding to the form of article to be cut, knife E¹ and means substantially
such as described for causing the knife to travel in a path determined by the track f
substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination, the support B, foot D, knife carrier E, knife E' secured in
the carrier, the foot D being formed with a track and rack d', and the carrier

page_text: being provided with pins m, n, and spur gear i, substantially as, and for the purpose
set forth.
3. The support B, foot D, knife carrier E, and knife E' secured in carrier E, foot D
having a track and rack d', and carrier E having pins m, n and gear i in combination
with arms hinged at band provided with pulleys a' a² bh' and shafts a bh,
all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The knife carrier E herein described made up of two sections e, e', hinged
together and provided with pins m, n, and gear i, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth: