Improvements relating to the Buffing of Boot and Shoe Soles, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left. 19th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 21th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ANDREW WILSON ROGERS and SIDNEY
WILMOT WINSLOW, both of Beverly, County of Essex and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturers.]
Improvements relating to the Buffing of Boot and Shoe Soles, and
to Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the method and apparatus for buffing the soles of boots
and shoes and is embodied in the abrading device of a boot and shoe buffing
machine of that kind in which a more or less elastic pad or foot is connected with
a rotating spindle and is provided with a covering of abrasive material, usually
sand paper or emery cloth, which performs the work of abrading the sole of the
boot or shoe properly presented to the said rotating pad.
The abrasive surface is quickly worn out, and consequently the abrasive
coverings have to be frequently renewed, and various plans have been adopted for
facilitating the application of the abrasive covering to the pad, such for example
as making the cover in the form of a disk, having an annular piece connected with
it by stitching, which lies above the pad and is clamped to the spool or holder so
as to secure both the pad and its cover to the said holder.
Pad covers of this construction while efficient are very expensive, and it has
been proposed to make a less expensive pad cover by folding back portions of the
margin of the piece of abrasive material to lie above the pad for attachment to the
pad, or to the spool, spindle, or pad holder by which the pad and its cover are
rotated in the machine. This latter construction of the abrasive cover is
objectionable for the reason that the fold or crease at the junction of the folded
back or attaching making the working face polygonal, or at any rate producing
corners or angles at the periphery of the working face which renders its action
upon the material being abraded rough and uneven and also leads to wrinkling or
breaking of the abrading surface causing it to wear out much sooner than it
otherwise would.
One object of the present invention is to provide a simpler, less expensive, and
more efficient cover for the pad of a buffing machine than those heretofore used,
and the cover forming the subject of the present invention. has a substantially
circular working face with portions outside of the working face turned upward and
inward, the material of which the abrasive cover is made being molded or formed
so that the fold or crease at the junction of the upwardly and inwardly turned
portions with the working face is curved to correspond properly with the periphery
of the pad. The said inwardly turned portion may be either a complete annulus
forming a flange to lie over the top of the pad or it may extend only along portions
of the periphery of the pad, but in either case the crease or fold is molded or formed
to present a curve instead of a straight line at the periphery of the pad thus
removing the objection to pad covers having folded attaching portions as heretofore
constructed.

page_text: A very efficient pad cover of this kind may be economically made from a square
flat blank, or blank of other polygonal shape such for example as triangular or
hexagonal which can be cut without waste, from flat sheets, the said polygonal
blank being slightly larger than the circle required for the working face and being
molded as has been stated. A curved molded edge stiffens and supports the
marginal portion of the working face, and the abrasive cover thus produced
although less expensive, is more efficient and durable than those having a separate
annular top or attaching portion connected with the periphery of the abrasive
disk. A pad cover embodying this invention may be used in connection with pads
of various kinds and may be connected therewith in any suitable manner.
The present invention further consists in a novel construction of the pad or
support for the abrasive cover and also in a method of maintaining the abrasive
cover in a state of tension in the operation of the machine.
The foot or support upon which the abrasive cover is mounted has heretofore
commonly been made of felt or in some cases of rubber or rubber and felt, and the
object of the present invention so far as relates to the pad is to produce a pad
having greater flexibility and resilience than those heretofore employed so that the
abrasive material will readily accommodate itself to the surface being operated
upon without producing undue pressure at any part of the said surface so as to
cause heating, and the said pad also has great resilience or power of resuming its
original shape and conditions when the pressure upon it has been removed, and
furthermore maintains an expansive pressure on the inner surface of the abrasive
cover, thereby keeping the said cover in a state of tension.
The pad forming the subject of the present invention is composed of a hollow
circular chamber the upper and under walls of which are flexible, being preferably
composed of soft rubber said chamber being adapted to be inflated or distended by
pneumatic pressure and the pad thus formed being very flexible and elastic.
It is necessary in some cases to limit the distending effect of the confined air or
to cause it to act more at some parts than at others of the walls of the chamber,
and in order to accomplish this result, one portion of the present invention consists
in connecting the walls by internal stays, which limit the amount of separation of
the upper and under walls at portious of the pad.
It is in some cases desirable to employ in connection with the inflated or
pneumatic pad a layer of felt or of some inaterial which is a poor conductor of
heat and is substantially non-extensible or incapable of stretching to any considerable
extent.
The air chamber of the pneumatic pad is provided with an air inlet opening and
may be used in a machine having a tubular spindle the pad being so connected with
the spindle that the inlet opening of the former is accessible through the latter so
that the pad may be inflated to a greater or less extent while on the spindle aud
while the abrasive cover is applied thereto if desired.
The pad exerts an expansive pressure inside of the pad cover and thus tends to
take up any slack or looseness in the latter that might otherwise be produced by
the softening and wearing away of the abrasive material in the operation of the
machine and by maintaining the pad cover in a state of tension and preventing the
formation of wrinkles therein its durability and efficiency is greatly increased.
Dated this 24th day of July 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Buffing of Boot and Shoe Soles, and
to Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 apparatus for buffing the soles of boots and shoes and is
embodied in the abrading device of a boot and shoe buffing machine of that kind in
which a more or less elastic pad or foot is connected with a rotating spindle and is
provided with a covering of abrasive material, usually sand paper or emery cloth
which performs the work of abrading the sole of the boot or shoe properly presented
to the said rotating pad.
The abrasive surface is quickly worn out, and consequently the abrasive
coverings have to be frequently renewed, and various plans have been adopted for
facilitating the application of the abrasive covering to the pad, such for example
as making the cover in the form of a disc, having an annular piece, connected with
it by stitching, which lies above the pad and is clamped to the spool or holder so as
to secure both the pad and its cover to the said holder.
Pad covers of this construction while efficient are very expensive, and it has been
proposed to make a less expensive pad cover by folding back portions of the margin of
the piece of abrasive material to lie above the pad for attachment to the pad, or to
the spool, spindle, or pad holder by which the pad and its cover are rotated in the
machine. This latter construction of the abrasive cover is objectionable for the
reason that the fold or crease at the junction of the folded-back or attaching
portion with the face or working portion is a straight line thus making the
working face polygonal, or at any rate producing corners or angles at the
periphery of the working face which renders its action upon the material being
abraded rough and uneven and also leads to wrinkling or breaking of the abrading
surface causing it to wear out much sooner than it otherwise would.
.
One object of the present invention is to provide a simpler, less expensive, and
more efficient cover for the pad of a buffing machine than those heretofore used,
and the cover forming the subject of the present invention has a substantially
circular working face with portions outside of the working face turned upward and
inward, the material of which the abrasive cover is made being moulded or formed
so that the fold or crease at the junction of the upwardly and inwardly turned
portions with the working face is curved to correspond properly with the periphery
of the pad. The said inwardly turned portion may be either a complete annulus
forming a flange to lie over the top of the pad or it may extend only along portions
of the periphery of the pad, but in either case the crease or fold is moulded or formed
to present a curve instead of a straight line at the periphery of the pad thus
removing the objection to pad covers having folded attaching portions as heretofore
constructed.
A very efficient pad cover of this kind may be economically made from a square
Hat blank or blank of other polygonal shape such for example as triangular or
hexagonal which can be cut without waste from flat sheets, the said polygonal
blank being slightly larger than the circle required for the working face an·l being
moulded as has been stated.
A moulded edge stiffens and supports the marginal portion of the working face,
and the abrasive cover thus produced although less expensive, is more efficient and
durable than those having a separate annular top or attaching portion connected

page_text: with the periphery of the abrasive disc. A pad cover embodying this invention
may be used in connection with pads of various kinds and may be connected
therewith in any suitable manner.
.The present invention further consists in a novel construction of the pad support
for the abrasive cover and also in a method of maintaining the abrasive cover in a
state of tension in the operation of the machine.
The foot or support upon which the abrasive cover is mounted has heretofore
commonly been of felt (or in some cases of rubber or rubber and felt) and the
object of the present invention so far as relates to the pad is to produce a pad
having greater flexibility and resilience than those heretofore employed so that the
abrasive material will readily accommodate itself to the surface being operated
upon without producing undue pressure at any part of the said surface so as to
cause heating, and the said pad also has great resilience or power of resuming its
original shape and conditions when the pressure upon it has been removed, and
furthermore maintains an expausive pressure on the inner surface of the abrasive
cover thereby keeping the said cover in a state of tension.
The pad forming the subject of the present invention is composed of a hollow
circular chamber the upper and under walls of which are flexible, being preferably
composed of soft rubber, said chamber being adapted to be inflated or distended
by pneumatic pressure, the pad thus formed being very flexible and elastic.
It is in some cases desirable to employ in connection with the inflated or
pneumatic pad a layer of felt or of some material which is a poor conductor of
heat and is substantially non-extensible or incapable of stretching to any
considerable extent.
The air chamber of the pneumatic pad is provided with an air inlet opening
being shown as having a stop valve therein and it may be used in a machine
having a tubular spindle, the pad being so connected with the spindle that the
inlet opening of the former is accessible through the latter so that the pad may be
inflated to a greater or less extent while on the spindle and while the abrasive
cover is applied thereto if desired.
The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in
which
Figure 1 is a plan view of an abrasive cover for buffing machines embodying
this invention ;
Figure 2 a transverse section thereof;
Figure 3 a plan view showing a modified construction;
Figure 4 a diagram of a blank from which a cover such as shown in Figure 3
may be produced;
Figure 5 a sectional view showing a pad cover of the kind represented in
Figures 1 and 2, applied to a pad, embodying this invention.
Figure 6 a sectional view showing a pad cover of the kind represented in
Figure 3, applied to a pad and pad holder."
Figure 7 a plan view of the pneumatic pad shewn in Figure 5, detached from its
spindle and
Figure 8 an underside view of the end of said spindle.
The abrasive pad cover shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5 is a practical and efficient
embodiment of the invention although the form shown in Figures 3 and 6 has some
advantages and can be produced at a lower cost. The pad cover in either case has
a substantially circular and even or unindented working face which is the part that
mainly performs the abrading operation and has a part continuous with the said
abrading surface which is turned upward and inward as shown at a² or is practically
folded back over the working face so as to lie above the foot or pad 6 of the buffing
machine as shown in Figure 5, to thus form an overlying attaching portion by
which the working portion a is held upon the foot and caused to rotate therewith.
In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 the folded marginal or attaching
portion a is in the form of a continuous annulus or inturned flange extending
entirely around the pad cover and the material is formed or moulded so that the

page_text: fold or line of junction of the working face with the marginal or attaching portion
is curved instead of made up of straight lines as is the case when the material is
simply folded without being also moulded or formed to a curve at the fold.
The inturned flange a is free from crimp or plaits and without fullness which
would tend to make the flange grow loose and fail to hold tightly on the pad.
A pad cover of this kind may be securely held upon a pad b such as shown in
Figure 5, of an expansive nature, solely by the pressure of the pad against the
interior of the pad cover between its working portion and the overlying flange and
it is consequently unnecessary with a pad and pad cover of this kind to provide
any other fastenings to secure the cover to the pad although a fastening might if
desired be applied without altering the nature of the pad cover.
The pad cover shown in Figures 3 and 6 is of the same nature as the one shown
in Figures 1 and 2, already described, and differs therefrom only in the form of the
inwardly folded or overlying attaching portion which instead of being a continuous
substantially uniform flange. comprises also a number of projecting portions or
tongues a extending from the curved periphery of the working face toward the
middle of the pad cover and affording means for connection of the pad and pad
cover with a spool or pad holder of the kind shown in Figure 6, which pad holders
are now in general use. A pad cover of the kind shown in Figure 3, may be made
from a square blank such as shown in Figure 4, of any suitable flexible material
coated with emery, sand, or other suitable abrasive material, the well known emery
cloth of commerce being well adapted for this purpose. The sheets of emery
cloth may be cut into square blanks as shown in Figure 4, without any waste.
whatever and the corners of the said blank are turned or folded inward as indicated by
the dotted lines on said blank, but instead of being merely folded and thus producing
straight creases or folds as shown in Figure 4, the blank is moulded or formed so
that the crease or line of junction of the working face with the inwardly turned
top or attaching portion is of the curved shape shown in Figure to correspond
with the shape of the pad. By this construction the inwardly turned overlying
portion serves to stiffen the working face near its periphery and there are no
corners or angles around the periphery of the working face to produce wrinkles
and thus cause rapid wearing out and destruction of the abrasive surface.
An abrasive cover formed by moulding as herein described may have the
periphery of the working surface or line of junction of the working surface with
the overlying attaching portion a true circle so that the operation of the buffing
machine with such a pad cover would he smoother and more perfect than with the
abrasive covers such as heretofore produced.
The advantages of the present invention are attained in an abrasive cover having
a marginal portion turned or folded inward so as to over lie the top of a portion of
the pad and being moulded to the proper curved shape at the junction of the
working face and overlying portion, even when the said overlying portion does not
constitute the sole means for attachment to the pad or pad holder as when for
example an additional attaching portion is sewed, cemented, or otherwise secured
to the overlying portion of the abrasive cover itself, and an abrasive cover so
formed with the working face and overlying portion moulded to shape as herein
described, but with an additional attaching portion connected with the overlying
portion is regarded as within this invention.
When the pad cover is to be clamped to a spool or holder as shown for example
in Figure 6, it may have any desired number of flexible tongues extending from
the edge of the moulded inturned flange a' which need be wide enough only to
overlie the marginal portion of the pad. These tongues being flexible and
independent of one another may be turned up or outward to facilitate the
introduction of the pad into the cover without injuring the moulded marginal
portion.
While the abrasive covers thus far described might be used with a pad or foot
of any suitable or usual construction such for example as a properly shaped disk

page_text: of felt, the present invention consists further in an improved form of pad in the
nature of an air cushion to afford a yielding support for the abrasive material
which thus adapts itself properly to the surface to be abraded.
The pad forming the subject of this invention is in the form of a circular hollow
chamber b having flexible upper and under walls 63 63 which are united together
around their peripheries, thus forming a circular flat chamber having a thin flexible
edge. When the abrasive cover is applied to a pad of this kind said cover having
a working face a lying upon the under face of the pad, and an attaching portion 42
extending over the periphery of the pad and lying upon the upper surface thereof,
expansion of the pad will maintain a strain or pressure upon the abrasive cover
tending to hold its working surface in a state of tension and thus opposing the
tendency of the cover to grow loose or wrinkled in the operation of the machine,
and thereby rendering the cover more durable and effective than is the case when
no such expansive pressure or tension is applied to it. The walls of the chamber
besides being flexible are air tight being preferably composed of soft rubber
alone, or soft rubber vulcanized to a suitable fabric when necessary to give it greater
strength. The said chamber is shown as provided with an air inlet passage d
controlled by a stopper or valve e shown as a hollow screw plug which when
screwed down in its socket tightly closes the inlet passage d. The said pad may
be connected with its actuating spindle f in any suitable or usual manner.
shown in Figures 5, 7 and 8 the said pad is provided with fastening studs or
projections g shown as short screws screwed into a metallic ring or plate g² vulcanized
into the upper wall 3 of the pad. The spindle is provided at its lower end with
a plate or fastening member 2 having a series of openings 3, see Figure 8, of
proper size to permit the enlarged ends of the projections y on the pad to pass
through them, and said openings f³ having lateral slots or notches, which
receive the necks of the projections g below the heads or enlargements thereof
when the pad is turned slightly with relation to the plate 13 after the projections g
bave been passed through the holes f³ thus securely locking the pad to the
spindle which is shown as hollow so that a tube can be passed through the
same as shown in dotted lines at Figures 5 and 6, to engage with the screw
plug e so that the pad can be inflated or deflated if desired without disconnecting
it from the spindle, as would be desirable if it were permanently attached
thereto.
As
It is not essential that the pad should be fastened to the spindle by a clamp or
fastening device that connects the two directly together, as a pad of this kind may
be used with a spool or pad holder of the kind shown in Figure 6 in which
case the pad is enclosed in a flexible cover which may be the abrasive cover a
or not, the said cover being clamped between the cones of 20, of the spool in the
usual manner.
10
In some cases it is desirable to provide a somewhat stiffer support for the abrasive
material than that afforded by the flexible wall of the air chamber and the
internal pneumatic pressure against the same, and in such cases the pneumatic pad
may have its under wall covered with a layer of felt as shown at 60 Figure 5,
such construction affording greater resiliency than when a pad composed wholly of
felt or of felt with solid rubber, is used, but somewhat less yielding than a pad of
the construction shown in Figure 6.
The felt is a non conductor of heat and it is advantageous, and in some cases
almost essential, to provide a layer of non-conducting material between the rubber
wall of the pad and its abrasive cover to protect the former as well as the material
operated upon from being heated or damaged in the operation of the machine.
The felt furthermore is only slightly extensible and consequently with the layer of
felt or equivalent non-conducting non-stretching material between the working face
of the pad cover and the pad, the tendency of the latter to bulge or convex with
internal pressure is diminished and the expansive action is thrown towards the
margin of the upper wall of the pad where it acts upon the pad cover near the

page_text: periphery thereof, thus tending to draw the working face of the pad and to take up
any looseness of the pad cover resulting from its softening and stretching in the
operation of the machine.
A pad of this kind may be used with any suitable form of abrasive covering,
and by having it detachable from the spindle as shown, it may be easily introduced
into an abrasive cover of the kind herein before described having an inwardly
moulded flange between which and the working face of said cover the marginal
portion of the pad is contained. The pad may be introduced into the cover in
deflated condition and then inflated to the proper degree of tension or hardness,
but where the pad and cover are together fastened to the spool or spindle by
clamping the edge of the cover as shown in Figure 6, the pad may be readily
inflated after the cover is clamped in place.
By having both the upper and under walls 62, 63, of the pad chamber flexible and
yielding, the entire marginal portion of the pad is elastic or resilient and can yield
with relation to the spindle or pad holder, thus affording a more perfect accom-
modation of the pad to the surface being operated upon, than would be the case if
the entire upper wall were rigid or substantially so, and the accommodation of the
pad to the surface being operated upon, had to be provided wholly by the yielding
of the under surface, or of the under wall, against the internal air pressure.
If found necessary the expansive pressure in the pad may be changed at any
time by permitting some of the contained air to escape or by introducing more air,
and it is obvious that if air escapes by leakage or otherwise it can be replaced as
may be found necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An abrasive pad cover for a buffing machine pad composed of a working face;
and a portion moulded to encircle and overlie the marginal portion of the pal and
support the working face thereon, substantially as described.
2. A circular pad or supporting foot for a buffing machine in combination with
an abrasive cover having a working face adapted to lie at the under surface of
said pad; a portion moulded to encircle the periphery of said pad; and a portion
adapted to overlie the top of said pad and support the working face thereon,
substantially as described.
3. A circular pad or supporting foot of a buffing machine in combination with
an abrasive cover having a working face and a marginal attaching portion
moulded to encircle and overlie the marginal portion of the pad and having flexible
tongues extending from said moulded marginal portion and adapted to co-operate
with a fastening clamp above the foot, substantially as described.
4. An abrasive cover for a buffing machine pad made from a polygonal blank of
abrasive fabric, moulded with its corner portions turned or folded upon a curved
crease with relation to the included portion which thus constitutes a circular
working face, substantially as described.
5. A pneumatic pad for a buffing machine composed of a bollow flexible walled
chamber provided with an air inlet opening and stop valve therefor, combined with
a tubular spindle and means for connecting the pad with the spin lle with its inlet
opening and valve accessible through the bore of the spindle, substantially as
described.
6. A pneumatic pad for a buffing machine consisting of a circular chamber
baving flexible circular upper and under walls connected around their peripheries
and an air inlet to said chamber and stop valve therein whereby it may be
inflated and its walls retained distended by pneumatic pressure, substantially as
described.
7. The combination of a flexible-walled inflated pad with an abrasive cover
applied thereto, and a layer of non-conducting material interposed between the
working face of the pad cover and the pad, substantially as described.

page_text: 8. The combination of an actuating spindle and a flexible-walled pneumatic pad
detachably connected therewith; with an abrasive pad cover having a portion
extending over the periphery of the pad; and a clamp for fastening said portion
of the pad cover, said spindle being tubular whereby said pad may be inflated
while the pad cover inclosing the same is held by said clamp substantially as
described.
9. The combination of an actuating spindle with a pneumatie pad detachably
'secured thereto, and an abrasive cover for said pad, substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of April 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.