IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRICKING AND TRIMMING THE EDGES OF HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRICKING AND TRIMMING
THE EDGES OF HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.”—A communication from
abroad by Richard Clarck Lambart, of Quincy, Norfolk County,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 5th November 1872, and dated the 20th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th June 1872.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan
Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRICKING AND TRIMMING
THE EDGES OF HEELS OF BOOTS AND SHOES," to be as follows:-
1
This Invention has for its object improvements in machines for
pricking and trimming the edges of heels of boots and shoes.

page_text: The first part of the Invention relates to the construction or
organization of a machine for pricking boot and shoe heels to prepare
them for reception of the nails by which they are to be united to boot
or shoe soles. The organization embraces an awl plate having fixed to
its top a semicircular or approximately semicircular series of upwardly
projecting awls, an awl guiding block through which the awl shanks
extend and upon which the heel or assemblage of heel forming lifts is
placed (said block being fixed to the top of a shaft or rod which has a
downward movement as the heel or heel blank is pressed down upon the
awls to drive the awl points into or through the blank), and a clamp and
follower block which in its descent first clamps the heel lifts upon the
block and then presses down the heel and block together, thereby
forcing the awls through the heel blanks. This part of the Invention
consists in such an organization.
The heel trimming machine consists of a horizontal jack shaft and a
pattern and heel plate by which the boot or shoe to be heel trimmed is
fastened or jacked, (the heel plate fixed to a sliding and semi-rotative
frame at the rear of which is an oblong gear plate having on its opposite
edges parallel rows of gear teeth, and on one end a semicircular row of
gear teeth, said gear plate being connected to the frame and being driven
by suitable mechanism so as to impart a forward and backward movement
to the frame for the opposite side edge of the heel and a rotative
movement for the curved edge of the heel), and a trimming tool hung
upon a suitable swinging arm by which it can be swung around to and
over the heel edge to trim the heel or away therefrom to apply or
remove the boot or shoe, the cutter being guided by a suitable gauge
that rests against the periphery of the heel and pattern plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and. 13,
Rue Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her {
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Morgan Brown, Her special
license that I, the said William Morgan Brown, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan Brown
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term thercin 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 MACHINES FOR PRICKING AND TRIMMING THE EDGES OF HEELS
OF BOOTS AND SHOES," a communication to me from abroad by Richard
Clarck Lambart, of Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Morgan Brown, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Morgan Brown, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
The first part of the Invention relates to the construction or organi-
zation of a machine for pricking boot and shoe heels to prepare them for
reception of the nails by which they are to be united to boot or shoe soles.
The organization embraces an awl plate having fixed to its top a semi-
circular or approximately semicircular series of upwardly projecting
awls, an awl guiding block through whick the awl shanks extend and
upon which the heel or assemblage of heel forming lifts is placed (said
block being fixed to the top of a shaft or rod which has a downward
movement as the heel or heel blank is pressed down upon the awls to
drive the awl points into or through the blank), and a clamp and follower
block which in its descent first clamps the heel lifts upon the block and
then presses down the heel and block together, thereby forcing the
་

page_text: awls through the heel blank. This part of the Invention consists in
such an organization.
The Drawing represents a machine embodying the Invention. Figure 1
shews the machine in sectional elevation; Figure 2 shews in front view
the upper part of the machine.
a denotes a tubular supporting pillar, at the top of which is the head b
which contains most of the mechanism; c is a stationary plate upon
which is placed the awl plate & which carries the awls e, the heads of
the awls being fast in the plate and the shanks and points extending
upward therefor, as seen in Figure 1. Over the awl plate is the heel
supporting and awl guiding block f, said block having vertical holes
corresponding in number and position to the awls e, the awls passing
through the block as seen in the Drawing. This block is fixed to the
top of a slide rod or shaft g which slides vertically in suitable guides
and is connected by a link / with one arm i of a hand lever k. Over
the heel, heel rest, and awl guiding block is a follower attached to a
vertical slide m which reciprocates (vertically) in suitable guide ways or
grooves in the head 6, the slide being connected by a link o with a foot
lever or pedal p. The follower is forced up by the power of a weight q
fixed on the tail end of the lever, and is forced down by the pressure of
the foot upon the front arm of the lever p. When forced down it strikes
the upper heel lift, and then presses the assemblage of lifts down upon
the block, the continued pressure forcing the heel lift or blank and the
block both down and driving the awls through the lifts, thus pricking
through the heel blank the series of nail entering holes. When this
operation is finished the release of the lever p causes the follower to be
thrown up (by the pressure of the weight q). The operator then draws
the lever arm k toward him thereby forcing up the block fand stripping
the heel blank from the hole piercing or pricking awls. A vertical breast
cutter or blade r may be attached to the head b; the edge of the cutter
stands just in front of the block f, and under the blank so that as the
blank is pressed down said cutter will trim the front of the blank from
the breast or face of the heel.
The heel trimming machine is shewn at Figure 3, and consists of a
horizontal jack shaft and a pattern and heel plate by which the boot or
shoe to be heel trimmed is fastened or jacked (the heel plate fixed to a
sliding and semi rotative frame, at the rear of which is an oblong gear

page_text: stationary guide rail y connected to the frame b, and by means of the
provision for horizontal movement the arm can be swung around to
carry the cutter head into position for the cutter to trim the heel edge,
or into an opposite position to enable a shoe to be jacked for heel-
trimming it, or to enable a heel trimmed shoe to be removed. To gauge
the depth of cut a pin z extends from the cutter head and rests on the
periphery of the heel and pattern plate n, and the pivots r, t, and slot a
enable the cutter to be set to the proper angle for the taper of the heel
and to conform to the different curvatures of the different parts of the
heel edge. This machine is strong, simple, and effective, and by means
of it boots and shoes can be rapidly and very perfectly heel trimmed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the heel pricking and trimming mechanism, organized and
operating substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Sixth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM MORGAN BROWN. (L.S.)