IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WASTE LEATHER; OR THE SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER RESULTING FROM THE CUTTING OUT OF THE SEVERAL PARTS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Blakey, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, for the Invention of " IMPROVED
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WASTE LEATHER; OR THE SMALL
PIECES OF LEATHER RESULTING FROM THE CUTTING OUT OF THE SEVERAL
PARTS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 15th February 1870, and dated the 19th August 1869..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Blakey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the-
19th August 1869.
I, JOHN BLAKEY, of Leeds,, in the County of York, Boot and Shoe
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said .Invention for-
"IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WASTE LEATHER OR THE'
SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER RESULTING FROM THE CUTTING OUT-OF-THE SEVERAL
PARTS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
In cutting out the soles and heels of boots and shoes from sheets of.
leather small pieces or scraps remain, which not being sufficiently large :
to make: whole heels. have heretofore been cut to different shapes to
[Price 8d.]

page_text: form sections, so that two or more of them may be fitted and joined
together so as to form a heel or "lift" used in building up the heel,
and these sections have been stamped out singly by suitably formed
dies or stamp knives placed on the scraps by an attendant and then
placed under a press.
Now my improvements consist, firstly, in the construction and arrange-
ment of a machine or press having a series of the different shaped
dies or stamp knives suitably arranged therein, and an endless lattice
sheet caused to travel intermittently either under or over the dies or
stamp knives, so that the pieces or scraps of leather may be placed
according to size on the said sheet in suitable positions, and conveyed to
the dies or stamps to be cut out thereby to the respective shapes.
Secondly. In constructing a tube variable to the respective sectional
forms of the pieces so cut out of the scraps, into which tube I place
the sections of leather one upon another with some suitable gummy or
adhesive substance or cement so as to form a solid length, from which
I afterwards cut off slices in succession in regular thicknesses, by. pre-
ference with a circular knife and a fence after the manner of a circular
saw or other suitable means, and then I cement together a selection of
them to form a whole heel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Blakey in the Great Seal Patent Office
the 19th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BLAKEY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Blakey, Her special licence
that I, the said John Blakey, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Blakey, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: 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 "IMPROVED MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WASTE LEATHER OR THE SMALL PIECES OF LEATHER
RESULTING FROM THE CUTTING OUT OF THE SEVERAL PARTS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Blakey, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Blakey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Sheets of Drawings (that is to
say):-
In cutting out the soles and heels of boots and shoes from sheets of
leather small pieces or scraps remain, which not being sufficiently large
to make whole heels have heretofore been cut to different shapes to
form sections, so that two or more of them may be fitted and joined
together so as to form a heel or a "lift" used in building up the heel,
and these sections have been stamped out singly by suitably formed
dies or stamp knives placed on the scraps by an attendant and then
placed under a press.
Now my improvements consist, firstly, in the construction and
arrangement of a machine or press having a series of the different shaped
dies or stamp knives suitably arranged therein, and an endless lattice
sheet caused to travel intermittently either under or over the dies or
stamp knives, so that the pieces or scraps of leather may. be placed
according to size on the said sheet in suitable positions and conveyed to
the dies or stamps to be cut out thereby to the respective shapes.
Secondly. In constructing a tube variable to the respective sectional
forms of the pieces so cut out of the scraps, into which tube I place
the sections of leather one upon another with some suitable gummy or
adhesive substance or cement, so as to form a solid length, from which

page_text: I afterwards cut off slices in succession in regular thicknesses (by pre-
ference with a circular knife or saw and a fence after the manner of
a circular saw,) or other suitable means, and then I cement together a
selection of them to form a whole heel.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood, I have
herein given reference to two Sheets of Drawings illustrating the means
and apparatus constructed and employed by for carrying the same into
practical operation.
The first part of the Invention is shewn on Sheet 1, in which Fig. 1
is a side view of a machine for cutting the small pieces or scraps of
leather into suitable forms to be selected and put together to form whole
heels or "lifts." Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and Fig. 3 is a front view
of the feeding end of the machine.
A represents a series of the different shaped dies or stamp knives
fixed in a plate or block B by set screws C. This plate or block is
capable of sliding up and down in suitable guides in the framework D,
being connected by rods E to eccentrics F fixed on a rotary shaft G,
which receives motion by gearing H from the driving pullies I, which
with a balance wheel J are mounted upon a stud K fixed in the frame-
work D. A series of plates or blocks L hinged together and fixed by
screws upon two endless chains are mounted upon two rollers M of
pentagonal form, which are mounted in the framework and have inter-
mittent rotary motion imparted to them by means of a crank N fixed
on the shaft G, to which is attached a rod connected to a lever P hinged
on the end of the shaft of one of the said rollers M, and this lever
carries a spring catch P' which takes into notches formed on a wheel or
plate P fixed on the said shaft, whereby at each revolution of the crank
N the lattice sheet is moved one plate or block forward, thus corre-
sponding with the motions of the dies or stamps A. These block L may
be of wood or other suitable material, which by the action of the
machine the particular forms of the different dies or stamps will be
marked thereon (as shewn at Fig. 4, which is a plan view of the block
B and the dies or stamps A), so that in the using of the machine the
pieces or scraps of leather are to be selected and placed upon the
several marks on the blocks L at the feeding end, which on being carried
forward thereby under the dies or stamp knives are cut to the shape
required. The cut parts passing up through the hollow interior part of
the said dies are discharged into and pass away by the spout Q into

page_text: any receptacle provided for them to fall into. A ring of india-rubber or
a helical spring A' is placed on each die or stamp to push off the waste
portions of leather at each cut, and should any adhere to the surface
of the blocks L they will be removed by the brush L'; or instead of
using moveable blocks to cut upon, as shewn and described, the scraps
of leather may be carried to the cutters by means of thin metal plates
attached to the chains similarly to the blocks with apertures formed
therein, through which the edges of the knives pass and cut the scraps
upon a block fixed upon the bed of the machine.
The second part of my Invention is shewn in Sheet 2 of these
Drawings, wherein Fig. 5 is a side view, Fig. 6 is a plan, Fig. 7 is a
cross section, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a tube or apparatus
into which selections of the cut portions of leather are placed with glue
or other gummy or adhesive substance, and are pressed together to form
a solid pile or length of the proper sectional form of the heel of a boot
or shoe, from which when thoroughly set or cemented slices of suitable
length and of square sectional form of sufficient dimensions to hold
dies S for the largest heel. These dies are supplied or filled up with
selections of the cut portions of leather, as T, and a plate U is then
placed upon the top of them and screwed down by the set screws V
and the dies nipped up by the screws W, then by means of the screw
X in the bracket Y the whole are tightly compressed together and left
to set or cement, and an opening Z is made in the bottom of the box
for the surplus glue or other gummy or adhesive substance to pass
away. It will be readily seen that different sizes of dies S may be used
in the same box suitable to the various sizes of heels required. It will
also be evident that the dies or stamp knives and block of the cutting
machine may be placed and arranged between the endless sheet with
the cutting edges upwards in near contact with the under side of the
upper part thereof, and the said endless sheet or chain of thin metal
plates, with aperture formed therein suitable for the dies to pass through,
and the moveable block B which now carries the dies may be made a
plain surface and to press the leather when placed on the sheet as afore-
said through the apertures and the dies underneath, from which the
cut portions will fall into a spout to convey them into a receptacle in
a similar manner as herein before explained if such be desirable, but
I prefer the construction and arrangement as shewn by the Drawings
and herein described.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and
shewn how the same is or may be performed or carried into practical
operation, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
any precise details of construction or arrangement of the apparatus
shewn and described, but what I claim as my Invention is,―
Firstly. The method of feeding or supplying the small pieces or
scraps of leather to dies for cutting them to form or shape by an endless
travelling lattice sheet suitably constructed and operated for the purpose
in manner substantially as shewn and described.
Secondly. The method of and apparatus for placing and securing the
cut parts together and cutting slices from the mass thus formed, as
herein shewn and explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Blakey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
CHARLES TEMPEST,
Solicitor,
Leeds.
JOHN BLAKEY. (L.S.)