IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF- ACTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR UNITING TOGETHER TWO OR MORE STRIPS OF LEATHER OR OTHER MATERIAL TO BE USED: AS MACHINE BELTS, STRAPS, OR BANDS, OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Southall and Robert Heap, of
Staleybridge, in the County of Lancaster, and John Tasker, of Sheffield,.
in the County. of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-
ACTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR UNITING TOGETHER TWO OR MORE STRIPS
OF LEATHER OR OTHER MATERIAL TO BE USED: AS MACHINE BELTS, STRAPS, OR
BANDS, OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Southall,
Robert Heap, and John Tasker at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th November 1866,
We, CHARLES HENRY SOUTHALL and ROBERT HEAP, of Staleybridge, in the
County of Lancaster, and JOHN TASKER, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SELF-ACTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR UNITING TOGETHER TWO OR MORE STRIPS
OP LEATHER OR OTHER MATERIAL TO BE USED AS MACHINE BELTS; STRAPS, OR BANDS,
OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as follows:-.
This Invention consists in various curtailments and alterations of and
additions to self-acting machinery for the manufacture of boots and shoes for
which the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert Heap obtained Letters
Patent entitled "Improvements in Self-acting Machinery or Apparatus Worked
by Steam or other Power for Cutting and Shaping the Soles and-Heels of Boots'
and Screwing them on to the Uppers or Coverings, and also in Vices for Holding
the same, and Tools for Paring, Blacking, and Glazing or otherwise Ornamenting

page_text: the Edges of the Soles and Heels," dated the Sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, Number 2755.
In the Specification of that Invention it was stated that the Invention relates
to that description of boots and shoes in which the soles are fixed to the
uppers or coverings by screws, and consists in cutting the soles, making
the screws, fixing the soles, and finishing their edges by means of self-acting
machinery. The screws for fastening the soles and heels to the uppers or
coverings are made from a coil of wire placed on a drum at the top of the
machine, and afterwards screwed by cutters or dies in a holder and forced
into the sole of the boot or shoe without any hole having been previously made,
the length of the screws being regulated by means of change wheels. When
the screw has penetrated the intended distance the hollow spindle containing
the wire is made to stop by a check strap or brake worked by a cam or lever
fixed to the top of a vertical shaft which is turned by means of bevil wheels
from the driving shaft, whilst a pair of self-acting shears cuts the screw. and
allows the boot to be moved by another cam on the shaft working a ratchet
wheel on a shaft one tooth or more as desired, which ratchet wheel by means
of intermediate gearing gives motion to the table on which the boot is placed.
In making boots or shoes with this machine the first and principal thing is
the holding of the boot firmly, for this purpose, we use two peculiar vices, one
for the sole part, and the other for the heel part. The vices one after the
other are placed in a frame- connected to a plate fixed to a shaft, to which a
weighted lever is connected by a rod for the purpose of raising the boot
against the nose of the shears against which it beds, and a proper weight being
employed at the weight end the boot always maintains its proper position.
The weighted lever, however, is not sufficient to resist the force of the screw
whilst penetrating the boot sole, consequently a wedge or cam-shaped hammer
is used which works under a toothed roller placed on a stud fixed to a plate.or
any other suitable place; this hammer is worked by a lever put in motion by
a cam on a vertical shaft. The hammer has two grooved pulleys in which are
fixed chains working in opposite directions. One chain is attached to the
lever and draws away the pressure from the boot to enable it to move, and a
weight is attached to the other chain so that when the cam which works the
lever liberates it the weight suddenly brings the pressure of the hammer
against the toothed roller and thereby squeezes the part of the boot sole
together whilst the screw penetrates. The wheel on the bottom plate is
driven by a deep wheel with one half of a catch box cast, on the top and
working loose on the vertical shaft, the other half of the catch box sliding on
key fixed to the said vertical shaft. This deep wheel enables the wheel on
1

page_text: machine is not in work.
the bottom plate to rise and fall with the table without getting out of gear, or
an ordinary wheel may be employed instead of the deep wheel and rise up and
down on the plate and be constantly in gear with the other wheel. The catch
box for turning the deep wheel is provided with a clutch lever for bringing the
upper half of the catch box out of gear with the lower half when the table and
appendages are brought: down to their lowest place. This plan is adopted to
enable the attendant to move the table in any required position when the
This catch. box receives motion: from, a ratchet wheel
'on the shaft,, and can be moved. one, two, or more teeth as is desired;; there
being at the bottom of the shaft a catch or holding wheel. The ratchet wheel
is worked by a lever with catch and spring, and driven by a cam on the
vertical shaft. In this machine, therefore, the boot is first held fast in the vice,
which is then placed in the machine; a catch which holds down the weighted
lever and also the table and appendages is then drawn on one side and allows
the table and appendages to rise and place the boot against the nose of the
shears against which the hammer forces it tightly; the screw is then made
and penetrates the boot sole; when it has gone the desired length the hollow
spindle which carries the wire is made to stop suddenly and the shears cut
the screw, and then the pressure of the hanimer is taken away by the cam
and the boot moves the distance for the next screw, after which the cam
ceases to act on the lever and the pressuré is again renewed, and so on until
the sole part of the boot is finished.
The object of our present Invention is to serew together by means of self-
acting mechanisin two or more strips of leather or other material to make
machine belts, straps, or bands,' and the main difference between the parts of
the Invention before described and our present improvements consists in dis-
pensing with the vices for holding the boots and shoes, and also, the feed motions
connected therewith, and substituting for them suitable apparatus for holding
the strips of leather or other material and feeding them onwards according
.to, the distance the screws are required to be apart.
One arrangement of our improved feeding apparatus is as follows:-On
standards fixed' to the table which carried the vices we fix a grooved or plain
plate, and on standards jointed to the table we fix another grooved or plain
plate forming the lower part of a wide jaw, above which there is a third
grooved or plain plate or upper jaw held by pivots at both ends in one of the
arms of double levers jointed to the tops of the jointed standards; and both
jaws are kept up to the fixed groove or plain plate by springs. The other
ends of the double levers are connected together by a bar having a hole, in
which is placed a screwed rod jointed at one end to one of the arms of a two-

page_text: armed lever, the other arm of which carries a bowl, which can be acted-upon
by a tappet on the main revolving shaft of the machine. The fixed standards
also carry a rod or shaft screwed at one end and marked at the other end into
inches and parts; this rod carries two metal plates to act as guides: for
'the strap, the plates being held by screws at any required distance apart
according to the width of the strap and in holes in the tops of the plates;
there is a rod for pressing on the top of the strap and keeping it flat as it
moves onwards, the required pressure being imparted by a spring. The strips
or layers of leather, or other material for forming the belt, strap, or band, are
placed under the presser rod and between the guides and jaws, and when the
machine is at work the strips are screwed together and the screws cut off in
the. manner, described for boots and shoes, but the strap is fed onwards by our
improved feeding apparatus; after the screw has been cut off by the shears
the table and jaws are slightly depressed by a second tappet on the main
revolving shaft in order to lower the strap from the nose of the shears, and
then the first-mentioned tappet operates upon the two-armed.lever, and gives
motion to the screwed rod and double levers, the effect of which is to cause
the upper jaw to press the strap tight on the lower jaw, and then move both
jaws and strap forwards the length of the feed, and when. the. tappet has
passed away from the bowl on the two-armed lever. the, springs pull back the
jaws to their original position, and so on' continuously for as many rows of
screws as the strap requires, the distance between the rows being measured
by the inches and parts on the rod which carries the guides. In order to
make the belts, straps, or bands of, uniform width we fix knives or cutters on
the guides to shave their edges as they move onwards, and for winding the
finished belts, straps, or bands on a beam or roller we employ a.taking-up
motion of any approved construction..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Henry Southall, Robert Heap, and John Tasker in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
HENRY SOUTHALL and ROBERT HEAP, of Staleybridge, in the County of
Lancaster, and JOHN TASKER, of Sheffield, in the County of York, send
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent, Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year. of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year
of. Her reign, did, for Herself, Her. heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Charles Henry Southall, Robert Heap, and John Tasker,
Her special license that we, the said Charles Henry Southall, Robert
Heap, and John Tasker, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Charles Henry Southall, Robert Heap, and John'
Tasker, our 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 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 " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SELF-ACTING MACHINERY OR. APPARATUS FOR UNITING TOGETHER TWO OR
MORE STRIPS OF LEATHER OR OTHER MATERIAL TO BE USED AS MACHINE BELTS,
STRAPS, OR. BANDS, OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Charles Henry Southall; and Robert Heap, and John
Tasker, our executors, or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 we, the said Charles Henry Southall, Robert Heap,
and John Tasker, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
This Invention consists in various curtailments and alterations of and
additions to self-acting machinery for the manufacture of boots and shoes for
which the said Charles Henry Southall and Robert Heap obtained Letters
Patent entitled "Improvements in Self-acting Machinery or Apparatus Worked
by Steam or other Power for Cutting and Shaping the Soles and Heels of Boots
and Shoes and Screwing them on to the Uppers or Coverings, and also in Vices
for Holding the same, and Tools for Paring, Blacking, and Glazing, or otherwise
Ornamenting the Edges of the Soles and Heels,"dated the Sixth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, No. 2755.
In the Specification of that Invention it was stated that the Invention
relates to that description of boots and shoes in which the soles are fixed to
the uppers or coverings by screws, and consists in cutting the soles, making
the screws, fixing the soles, and finishing their edges by means of self-acting
machinery.

page_text: The object of our present Invention is to screw together by means of self-
Facting mechanism two or more strips of leather or other material to make
machine belts, straps, or bands, and the main difference between the first and
second Inventions consists in dispensing with the vices for holding the boots
and shoes, and also the feed motions connected therewith, and substituting
for them suitable apparatus, specially contrived for holding the strips of
leather or other material, and feeding them onwards according to the distance
the screws are required to be apart..
This Invention will be clearly understood by the following particular
description thereof, reference being had to the figures and letters on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are side and end
elevations of our improved machinery or apparatus for uniting together two
or more strips of leather or other material to be used as machine belts, straps;
or bands. The self-acting mechanism for screwing together the strips of
leather or other material is similar in construction to that employed. for
fastening the soles and heels to the uppers or coverings.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the framework of the machine; 6, the driving
shaft; c, the fast and loose pulleys; and d, the driving strap. The screws for
fastening together the strips of leather are made from a coil of wire placed on
the drum e at the top of the machine, and afterwards screwed by cutters or
dies in a holder f, and forced into the strips of leather without any hole having
been previously made, the length of the screws being regulated by means of
change wheels g. When the screw has penetrated the intended distance, the
hollow spindle containing the wire is made to stop by a check strap or
brake i, worked by a cam or lever j fixed to the top of the vertical shaft k,
which is turned by means of bevil wheels and gearing from the driving shaft b
whilst a pair of self-acting shears cuts the screw.
F
One arrangement for holding the strips of leather and feeding them onwards
is as follows:-On standards m fixed to the table n we fix a grooved or plain
plate o, and on standards jointed to the standards m we fix another grooved
or plain plate q, forming the lower part of a wide jaw, above which there is a
third grooved or plain plate ŕ or upper jaw. held by pivots at both ends in
one of the arms of double levers s, t, jointed to the tops of the jointed
standards P, and both jaws are kept up to the fixed grooved or plain plate o
by springs u. The other ends of the double levers s, t, are connected together
by a bar v, having a hole in which is placed a screwed rod w jointed by a ball
joint at one end to one of the arms x of a two-armed lever, the other arm y
of which carries a bowl z, which can be acted upon by a tappet a¹ on the main
revolving shaft k of the machine. The fixed standards m also carry. a rod or

page_text: shaft b' screwed at one end and marked at the other end into inches and parts.
This rod carries two metal plates c¹ to act as guides for the strap d', the plates
being held by screws at any required distance apart, according to the width
of the strap, and in holes in the tops of the plates there is a rod e¹ for
pressing on the top of the strap and keeping it flat as it moves onwards, the
required pressure being imparted by a spring f¹. The table n is fixed to the.
tops of two vertical shafts g, h, fixed to the bottom plate k', and to the
shaft h' a weighted lever l' is connected by a rod m² for the purpose of raising
the table and placing the strips of leather against the nose of the shears, and
a proper weight being employed at the weight end the strips always maintain,
their proper position. The weighted lever 1, however, is not sufficient to
resist the force of the screw whilst penetrating the leather, consequently a
wedge or cam-shaped hammer ¹ is used, which works under a snug n³ cast
on the under side of the table; this hammer is worked by a lever.o' put in.
motion by the cam p¹ on the vertical shaft k. The hammer has two grooved:
pulleys q', ', in which are fixed chains s¹, t', working in opposite directions.
One chain s¹ is attached to the lever o', and draws away the pressure from the.
strips to enable them to move, and a weight u is attached to the other chain ¹,;
so that when the cam p₁ which works the lever liberates it the weight u¹
suddenly brings the pressure of the hammer against the snug n³, and thereby
squeezes that part of the strips together whilst the screw penetrates. In
addition to the shears we employ nippers v', w, for cutting off the projecting
ends of the screws at the under side, the jaw being let in and fixed to the
plate o, and the moveable jaw w₁ and arm ¹ jointed to the fixed jaw by the
pin y. For giving motion to the moveable jaw at the required time there is
a shaft a working in bearings in the standards m, and carrying in the centre
a tappet 6, and at one end a bevil wheel ca gearing into the bevil wheel d'
working on a key fixed to the shaft k, there being a fork for enabling both'
wheels to be always in gear, the jaw w being closed by the tappet 62 and
opened by the spring 6. The strips or layers of leather or other material for
forming the belt, strap, or band are placed under the presser rod e', and
between the guides c¹ and jaws q, r, and when the machine is at work the
strips are screwed together and the screws cut off, as before described, and
after the screw has been cut off by the shears, and its bottom end nipped off
by the nippers the table and jaws are slightly depressed by the tappet.pl on
the main revolving shaft k in order to lower the strap from the nose of the
shears, and then the tappet a¹ operates upon the two-armed lever x, y, and
gives motion to the screwed rod w and double levers s, t, the effect of which
is to cause the upper jaw r to press the strap tight on the lower jaw q, and
:

page_text: then move the levers s, t, the frame p, both jaws q, r, and strap forwards the
length of the feed, and when the tappet a¹ has passed away from the bowl
on the army of the two-armed lever the springs u pull back the frame and
jaws to their original position, and so on continuously for as many rows of
screws as the strap requires, the distance between the rows being measured by.
the inches and parts on the rod which carries the guides. In order to make
the belts, strap, or bands of uniform width we fix knives or cutters on the
guides to shave their edges as they move onwards, and for winding the finished
belts, straps, or bands on a beam or roller we employ a taking-up motion of
any approved construction.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that in self-acting machinery or apparatus for screwing together two or
more strips of leather or other material, we claim the combination of parts
forming respectively the improved apparatus for holding strips of leather or
other material, and the improved apparatus for feeding them onwards
according to the distance the screws are required to be apart, constructed,
arranged, and applied as herein described and illustrated on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Henry Southall, Robert Heap,
and John Tasker, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
first day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named Charles Henry
Southall, Robert Heap, and John
Tasker, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester..
CHAS. H. SOUTHALL. (L.S.)
ROBERT HEAP.
JN°. TASKER:
(L.S.)
(1.8.)