Improvements in Boot and Shoe Lasting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Boot and Shoe Lasting Machines.
I, GEORGE FERGUSON, of 4, Barstow Street, Allston, Boston, United States
of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to lasting machines for boots and shoes, and has for its
objects more particularly improvements in the toe former and in the toe-
block.
My improved toe former is flexible and is adapted to be bent around the toe
of the last and will fit any shape or style of last. It is preferably made of a strip
of thin steel faced with leather and is connected by links near its ends and arms
to segmental wheels which are geared with a central rack the forward end of
which bears against the toe former near the centre thereof. The said rack is
carried by suitable guides and is supported by a spring. When the toe of the last
is pushed against the centre of the toe former by the heel lasting mechanism
it causes the rack to recede, and this movement, operating through. the aforesaid
segmental wheels, arms and links, causes the flexible toe former to close around
the toe of the last and grip the upper against the last. During such closing move-
ment, opportunity is given for drawing the upper around the last by means of
pincers before the wipers are reached and thus preventing the formation of
unsightly creases in the upper. Upon the withdrawal of the last, the rack is
returned to its initial position by its spring, and the toe former is thereby opened
out again.
My improved toe-block is pivoted at or near its forward end and the wipers
are so arranged in relation to the pivots that when the last slides under them
it operates to automatically adjust the toe-block to the proper anglo to suit the
last. No screw or other adjustment for the toe-block is therefore required.
Dada 12:
1
Improvement and Shoe Lasting, Machines.
I, GEORGE FERGUSON, of 4, Barstow Street, Allston, Boston, United States
of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention.
[Price. 8il.]

page_text: 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 lasting machines and comprises a novel arrangement
of pivoted wiper blocks which allows the wipers te conform automatically to
lasts of different pitch or inclination; and a novel construction of holding devices
to engage the leather along the sides of the last and hold the same in position
during the operation of turning in the edges. The said holding devices are
normally open, but are so arranged that they close upon the lasted vamp when
the wiper blocks are brought together prior to operating the wipers.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a lasting machine embodying my
invention;
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; and
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism which operates the holding devices,
the wipers and their operating mechanism being removed.
A is a standard having at the top a bed plate A upon which is supported the
carriage for the heel wiper block b, and the posts a to which the too wiper
block is pivoted: A³ is the jack pivoted at A. The carriage bis moved by
a rod 63 which is attached thereto and screw-threaded at b. to screw into the
female thread in the hub of a hand wheel b³ which is supported in a bearing in a
lug A on the bed plate A³, so that the turning of the hand wheel moves the
rod and the carriage b, and causes the flexible holders hereinafter described to
engage the heel of the last and push the last forward against the toe wiper
block.
The pivotal support of the wiper block a is beyond the wipers in the direction
of movement of the last, and therefore as the toe of the last engages with the
wipers it tends to tip the block a more or less, and causes the wipers to conform
to the pitch or slope of the last. Therefore as the wipers close in, they fit snugly
along the surface of the last throughout their entire extent. The block a² is held
normally substantially level by a spring a at its rear end, the stress of the
spring being nearly sufficient to support the weight of the body of the block
without affording any substantial resistance to its movement in conformity with
the pitch of the last as the latter moves into contact with the wipers d, d. The
heel wiper block 6 is also arranged to be tipped by the last in a similar manner,
but it is not shown as being yieldingly supported like the toe block.
The holders e which engage and hold the sides of the vamp along the sides of
the last are actuated by the movement of the carriage b. There are two of such
holders e, one for each end of the boot or shine, consisting of flexible straps
adapted to press at their middle against the heel and toe ends of the last re-
spectively. And in the further travel of the carriage after the flexible straps
have made contact with the last the said flexible straps or holders close in until
they engage the upper along the sides of the last, so that when the carriage b
has been moved into position preparatory to the final operation of the wipers, the
holders lie in contact with the leather at the sides of the last and hold the same
snugly in position. For producing this, closing movement the straps e are con-
nected at their ends by links with arms e pivoted at e to the blocks a³ and
respectively. The said arms are provided with teeth which engage with
corresponding teeth f upon rods f the ends of which are in contact with the
straps e. So that after the straps abut against the last and the wiper blocks
continue their movement a longitudinal movement of the rods f with relation to
the blocks a and 69 is produced, causing the arms to turn on their pivots and
thus close in the holders e. The construction of the holders e and their actuating
devices is best shown in Fig. 3. The rods are furnished with restoring
springs which tend to hold them in the normal position with the holders e
open so as to readily receive the last. The springs bear at one end against
shoulders f* formed on the rods f, and at the other end against caps f³ secured

page_text: 'The
by screws f to the ends of the wiper blocks. The ends of the rods project
through the caps fo and are furnished with nuts f7 which act as stops to prevent
the rods from moving forward beyond their proper normal position, and also
afford means for adjusting or varying such normal initial position. The holders e
and their actuating devices are substantially the same for both the toe and heel
ends of the last, and the same letters of reference have been given to both of
the holders and the parts connected therewith in order to simplify the description.
After jacking the last, the operator turns the hand wheel b thus drawing the
carriage b forward until its holders e press against the heel of the last and move
the last itself into engagement with the wipers d and ³, this operation being
continued until both sets of holders e liave been moved by the co-operation of the
heel and toe of the last with the rods f into their operative position, so that the
upper is snugly held against the sides of the last throughout, but not so rigidly
as to preclude the possibility before the wipers are closed in of drawing the upper
around the last by means of pincers in order to prevent unsightly creases.
same movement of the carriage b carries the blocks a and b to the proper position
with relation to the last, and forces the toe and heel ends thereof under the throat
portions of the wipers and smoothes the leather into place at the toe and heel!
The machine is then ready for the final operation, which consists in closing in
the wipers. The heel wipers c and are connected by links 10 and 20 with a
cross head having a stud projecting into a cam slot in a portion of a lever c
pivoted at and having an arm for actuating the same to close the wipers.
The said arm 8 is only partially shown, since the operation thereof is obvious.
The toe wipers d and dare similarly connected by links 10 and 20 with a
longitudinally movable rod and are held in position by a plate d' which overlies:
the surface of the said wipers. This plate is connected to a carriage dupon
which the wipers are mounted, the said carriage being longitudinally movable
in the wiper block aª which is provided as shown in Fig. 2 with suitable guides
therefor. The plate has a curved edge (50 which is adapted to engage with the
ends of the links 10 and 20, so that the longitudinal movement of the rod d
will separate the said links and throw the ends of the wipers d and d² towards.
cach other to wipe in the leather along the edges of the last.
To operate the foe wipers, the arm is adapted to co-operate with a lever de
pivoted at upon a portion of the wiper block a², and provided with a handle
to be operated by the attendant. The lever do is also connected by a link with
the independent carriage d for the wipers, the connection between the link d
and the lever being nearer the pivot d than is the connection between the lever
and the rod, so that in the movement of the lever de, the rod will travel a
greater distance than the link d, while the wipers as a whole will travel towards
the last through a slight distance thus completing the operation of lasting the
extreme toe portion, and at the same time will close in to operate upon the leather
along the sides of the last.
The wiping operation at the toe portion of the boot or shoe is accomplished in
response to the initial operation of the machine, viz., that of bringing the heel
wiper block towards the toe wiper block to properly adjust and hold the last
prior to the final wiping operation. To this end the rod is connected by means
of a connecting piece with a lever pivoted at g³ upon a portion of the bed
plate A³, and engaging with the lover de, being herein shown as projecting upward
through an opening 100 in said lever, so that longitudinal movement of the rod 69
is transmitted to the lever d6 and through the same to the toe wipers. In order,
however, that the toe wipers may not be prematurely operated and also to afford
means whereby they may be independently operated, the connecting piece 9 is
adapted to be connected to and disconnected from the lever de at will, by means.
of a pawl g'. This pawl is carried by the lever g and is adapted to engage with
ratchet teeth g formed on the connecting piece g, so that when the pawl is in the
position shown in dotted lines Fig. 1 the movement of the connecting piece g will
be transmitted to the lever de, and when the pawl is thrown over to the full line

page_text: position by turning its handle g the said piece g will be capable of moving
independently. In the operation of the machine, the pawl g is disengaged from
the teeth and the hand wheel & turned until the wiper blocks are nearly in
their proper position for operation, and the holders forced into engagement with
the sides of the welt; after which the pawl is thrown into engagement with the
teeth g so that in the final movement of the hand wheel the last is carried to
its final position and the toe wipers closed in over the too of the last. Nothing
then remains but to operate the heel wipers, which is accomplished by actuating
the handle. After the operation is thus completed, if the operator desires to
examine the toe portion of the sline it is obvious that by throwing the pawl y' out
of engagement again he can open the wipers to examine the toe, and close the
same again, repeating the operation if necessary.
The connecting mechanism between the heel wiper carriage actuator and the
toe wipers is so arranged that a primary or initial adjustment can be effected if
desired, the connecting piece g being provided with a series of teeth y adapted to
engage with a cross pin 68 in a yoke 69 which is connected with the rod 63 and
which affords the means for connecting the same through the connecting piece g
with the lever d
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 I
do not claim the wipers nor their actuating mechanism, these parts having been
included to show the construction of the whole machine, but what I claim is:
1. The pivoted toe wiper block having a spring or like yielding support to hold
it in a predetermined normal position while allowing it to move, when the wipers
engage the last, to automatically adjust the wipers parallel to tho surface of the
last, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
2. The provision of flexible straps for holding the vamp around the edges of
the last during the wiping operations, substantially as described.
3. The combination with said straps or holding devices, of closing mechanism
therefor adapted to operate in response to the movement which brings the last
and holding devices together, substantially as described.
4. The mechanism for actuating the flexible straps e, substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1898
GEORGE
HARRISON,
35; Therapin Road, Honor Oak, London,
Agent for the Applicant.