IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING THE WADY IN MACHINES POR SEWING BOOTS AND SHOES.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Mills, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, now of Pembroke Place, Aston-
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING THE
WADY IN MACHINES POR SEWING BOOTS AND SHOES.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Mills at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th April 1870.
I, DANIEL MILLS, of the City'and State of New York, United States
of America, now of Pembroke Place, Aston Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING THE WORK IN
MACHINES FOR SEWING BOOTS AND SHOES:
"
The first part of my said Invention relates to a device whereby in
sewing the soles of boots and shoes by machinery the work as it. is fed
forward under the sewing mechanism can be continually adjusted to keep

page_text: it perfectly level at the point where the stitch is to be formed at every
part of the sole throughout all its sinuosities or curves with perfect
freedom, while as fast as the adjustment is effected the work is firmly
supported till the stitch has been formed, and then again liberated. This
alternate tightening and releasing being continued throughout the entire
seam or row of sewing or stitching.
-
The aforesaid device which I call a "jack" is constructed and
arranged as follows: - A frame which carries a last whereon the
boot or shoe is supported while being sewed is arranged in combi-
nation with a quadrant or curved guide which is concentric or nearly
so with the point of contact of the sole with the channel gauge,
the said frame being preferably provided with rollers which fit and
travel in the slot or opening in the quadrant. The said quadrant is
connected by a ball and socket or other universal joint to a vertical
rod which is fitted to move endwise in suitable bearings, and this
rod is subjected to the action of a spring or springs whose tendency
is to raise the said rod, and with it the entire apparatus, so as to
keep the sole of the boot or shoe always up to the channel guage.
These springs are only intended to exert just sufficient pressure to
overcome the weight of the apparatus, and are not designed to hold
the work up against the pressure of the awl or needle of the sewing
mechanism. It is therefore necessary to combine with the parts above
described some means whereby without impairing the freedom of adjust-
ment of the "jack," the same can be made to afford the required
upward pressure to the support to the work at each thrust of the sewing
mechanism. For this purpose I provide the "jack" with means for
holding up with sufficient pressure at the moment before each descent
of the awl, and releasing it at the moment before the feed or advance
movement which takes place before every stitch. This additional
pressure of the "jack" may be effected by a clamp or other device
operated by any convenient part of the sewing mechanism; but I prefer
to employ a clamp which is constructed and operated in such a manner
that during the feeding of the work the said clamp will grip the rod which
supports the jack" and give the required upward pressure during the
time the stitch is being made, while just before the feeding instrument
comes in contact with the work the said clamp releases its hold of
the said rod and allows it to adjust itself to the shape of the work.
This clamp is connected with the sewing mechanism by any suitable
<

page_text: device through the medium of a strong spring exerting an upward
pressure during the time the stitch is being made, which pressure is
taken off during the feeding of the work. The jack is thus held
firmly or with sufficient upward pressure while the needle or awl of the
sewing mechanism passes through the work, and until just before the
feed or advance movement takes place, and is then released, so that no
obstruction is offered to the feed or to the angular adjustment of the
work, as the stitching progresses around the differently curved portions
of the sole.
I prefer that the vertical rod of the "jack" should be held up by spiral
springs, one end of which may be connected to a cross bar at the bottom
of the said rod, while the other end is attached to an adjusting screw on
the bearing, by which screws the tension of the said rod can be regulated
to suit different kinds of work.
For some classes of work the construction of the "jack" may be
modified by placing the quadrant on a centre at the bottom of the stand
or column of the machine, and supporting the work on the top of a long
bar whose lower end is adjustable in the slot of the quadrant, the work
being kept up by a weight and released by a lever or treadle.
The second part of my said Invention relates to improvements in the
mechanism described in the Specification of an Invention formerly
communicated by me to William Robert Lake, and for which Letters
Patent were obtained bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 2378,
which former Invention was partly designed to facilitate the sewing on
of the welt of a boot or shoe.
According to this part of my present Invention the mechanism is
provided with two gauges or guides, one of which guides the work by
means of the channel formed therein, while the other is caused by a
spring to press against the edge of the work and keep the same properly
in position with regard to the first gauge.
The channel gauge is
stationary, while the edge gauge though exerting a pressure on the
work will yield to the sinuosities thereof as it is moved onward by the
feed mechanism. The spring gauge is mounted on the axis of the awl,
so that in yielding to or following the work the movements of the said
gauge are concentric with those of the awl. This edge or spring gauge
is made to serve also as a welt guide as follows:-To an arm which
projects from the boss of the said gauge, and to which is attached the
"

page_text: spring for rendering the said gauge elastic, there is placed a sliding piece
or bar; this piece is held on the arm by screws or pins, which pass
through slots in the sliding piece and allow it the required freedom of
motion endwise; the said sliding piece is extended forward beyond the
face of the edge gauge, and is bent or curved so as to partially inclose
the same while leaving between it and the said gauge an aperture
through which the welt is guided to the sewing mechanism. The
sliding of the bar on the arm of the gauge allows the parts of the guide
enclosing the welt to adapt themselves to work of various thicknesses
while the guide is caused to close properly upon the work by a spring
which is connected to the arm of the gauge and to the sliding bar.
The said edge gauge is provided with a holding and releasing device,
whereby it can be kept from pressing upon the work while the same
is fed forward between the stitches.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
MILLS, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
now of Pembroke Place, Aston Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Daniel Mills, Her special licence that I,
the said Daniel Mills, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Daniel Mills, 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING
AND GUIDING THE WORK IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BOOTS AND SHOES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Daniel Mills, my executors or

page_text: 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 Daniel Mills, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
forming a part of this Specification :—
In the manufacture of boots and shoes by machinery it is very
desirable that the work when finished should as nearly as possible
resemble ordinary handwork. I therefore use an insole, upper, and welt,
which are sewn together and occupy the same relation to each other as
in an ordinary hand-made boot or shoe, the boot or shoe being lasted,
and the insole having a channel around it in the usual manner. The
work on the last is placed in the machine, and as the stitches are
formed it has to be fed or moved forward after each stitch under the
sewing mechanism. A device called a channel gauge rests in the
channel and serves as a guide to the work as the same is fed forward.
The feed mechanism has an intermittent action between the stitches, as
in an ordinary sewing machine. There is, however, this important
difference between the serving of ordinary work in a sewing machine
and the sewing of the soles of boots and shoes, namely, in the former case
the support is a fixed plate requiring no adjustment, whereas in sewing
the soles of boots or shoes on a last there must be a continual adjustment
or variation of the position of the support, so that the sole, whose outline
consists of a series of convex and concave curves shall as it is fed
forward have every part at the time the stitch is formed therein brought
into a horizontal position or nearly so in the plane in which the stitching
mechanism operates; or, in other words, so that at the point of sewing
the work shall always be level or nearly so. As considerable force is
required to penetrate the leather it is absolutely necessary that at the
moment when the awl or needle is penetrating the leather there should
be a firm and solid support for the work, while the support should be
relaxed to such an extent between the stitches as will allow the work to
yield as the feed instrument descends to prevent the penetration of the

page_text: boot or shoe is supported while being sewn. The said last with the
work on it is drawn in section in Figure 1 to shew the work more
clearly. The frame a is arranged in combination with a quadrant or
curved guide c, and is provided with rollers a¹ which work freely in the
slot of the said quadrant, so that the frame may be readily adjusted
therein. This quadrant is so formed and arranged that when the parts
are in the position shewn in Figure 2 the quadrant is concentric or
nearly so with the point at which the sole is in contact with the channel
gauge C. The said quadrant has a socket c¹ and is thereby supported
on the ball d. The quadrant is connected by this ball and socket or
other universal joint to a vertical rod c, which is arranged below the feed
mechanism, and is fitted to move up and down in the bearings f, which
are carried by the brackets A1, A2, cast upon or attached to the column A.
This rod is subjected to the action of springs g, or one of such springs
whose tendency is to raise the said rod, and with it the entire apparatus,
so as to keep the sole of the boot or shoe always up to the channel
gauge C.
These springs are only intended to exert just sufficient
pressure to overcome the weight of the apparatus, and are not designed
by themselves to hold the work up against the pressure of the awl D or
needle E of the sewing mechanism. It is therefore nccessary to
combine with the parts above described some means whereby without
impairing the freedom of adjustment of the "jack," the same can be
made to afford the required upwardly bearing support or pressure to the
work at each thrust of the sewing mechanism. For this purpose I
provide the "jack" with means for holding it up with increased pressure
as the stitches are made, such increased upward pressure being applied
at the moment before each descent of the awl or other piercing instru-
ment, and withdrawn before the next feed or advance movement of the
work. This additional pressure of the "jack" may be effected by a
clamp or other device operated by any convenient part of the sewing
mechanism; but I prefer to employ the clamp h, which is fitted on the
rode, and constructed and operated in such a manner that during the
formation of the stitches in the work the said clamp will grip the rod e
which supports the "jack," and give the required increased upward
pressure during the time the stitch is being made, while just before the
feeding instrument or dog F comes in contact with the work, the said
clamp releases its hold of the rod, thereby liberating the "jack," which
is then again free to adjust itself or be adjusted to the position
required by the shape of the sole. This clamp is operated by means

page_text: of the following devices:-The clamp jaw * has extending from
it an arm which is connected to the spring i. The upper end of the
said spring is secured to the upper bracket A' and tends continually to
close the jaw * upon the rod e. The screw rod which connects the
arm of the clamp to the spring passes through a fork on the end of the
long arm of the lever j which has its fulcrum on the column at j¹.
The short arm of this lever is connected by the rod to the lever k,
which carries the feeding mechanism, and which is caused to oscillate on
the fulcrum by the cam E'. It is obvious that in this arrangement of
parts the descent of the feed dog will take place simultaneously with the
opening of the clamp and release of the "jack" therefrom. By means of
the lock nuts 3 on the screw rod 2, I can time the action of the clamp,
so that the release of the "jack" shall take place precisely at the proper
*moment. The fork of the lever as the same descends strikes these nuts,
and it is therefore obvious that by changing their position upon the
screw rod the opening of the clamp will be accelerated or retarded. I do
not limit myself to the use of these rods and levers, but may establish
the connection between the clamp and the feed dog by any suitable
device which will act in combination with a spring or springs, or weights
that exert an increased upward pressure during the time the stitch is
being made to take off such increased pressure during the feeding of the
work. The jack is thus held with sufficient upward pressure to give a
solid support to the work, while the needle or awl of the sewing
mechanism passes through the leather, and until just before the feed
or advance movement takes place, and is then released, so that the feed
dog in its descent instead of coming into violent contact with the sole,
and having its point driven forcibly into the same, gently depresses the
jack which yields but still supports the work with the pressure of the
two springs g, this pressure being sufficient to keep the sole properly up
to the channel gauge. The rod a of the last holder which supports
the heel of the last is provided with a slotted arm a³, whereby it is
secured to the plate as of the holder between the lugs a. This slotted
arm allows the rod to be moved in or out to adjust the holder to lasts
of various lengths, the rod being secured when properly adjusted by
means of the screw a³ which passes through the said slot into the plate.
The rod a is screwed into the socket a' and may be adjusted therein to
regulate the height of the heel; a¹ is a jaw which supports the front of
the last and which is made tight by the screw a". The vertical rod e
of the jack may be held up by the two spiral springs as shewn, or by

page_text: one spring, or by weights. Where one spring is used it is placed in front
of the brackets. These springs are connected to a cross head g¹ at the
bottom of the said rod, while at their upper end they are attached to
adjusting screws g³, on the bracket A', by which screws the tension of
the said springs can be regulated to suit different kinds of work. The
quadrant c has in it a number of small holes c*, and an adjustable stop c³
is inserted therein for a purpose herein-after described.
In commencing to sew the operator first ascertains the amount of
vertical adjustment of the "jack" that will be required to correspond to
the curvature of the sole, as upon this curvature will depend the extent
of the adjustment of the last holder a in the quadrant. He then adjusts
the work so that the sole is in contact with the channel gauge at or near
the point 1, Figure 2. Then as the work is moved forward under the
action of the feed mechanism the last holder following the work adjusts
itself automatically and the jack yields vertically, keeping the sole
properly up to the gauge till the point 2 on the sole reaches the said
gauge, the operator then adjusts the holder in the quadrant, stitch by
stitch, till the shoulder a³ is brought in contact with the stop c². The
feeding action still being continued the adjustment is again effected
automatically from the point 3, and under the guidance of the operator
round the toe till the point 2 on the opposite side of the sole is brought
to the channel gauge when the operator adjusts the holder in the quadrant
back into its first position, the sewing having by this time again reached
the point opposite that at which it was commenced. In sewing round
the toe (and also round the heel in turned work), the jack turns readily
around on the axis of the rod e, and thereby allows the operator to guide
the work properly all round the sole. For that class of work in which
the soles are nearly flat or but very slightly curved, the construction
of the "jack" may be modified by placing the quadrant on a centre at
the bottom of the stand or column of the machine, and supporting the
work on the top of a long bar whose lower end is adjustable in the
slot of the quadrant, the work being kept up by a spring or weight and
released by a lever or treadle.
The second part of my said Invention relates to improvements in the
mechanism described in the Specification of an Invention formerly com-
municated by me to William Robert Lake, and for which Letters Patent
were obtained bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 2378, which

page_text: former Invention was partly designed to facilitate the sewing on of the
welt of a boot or shoe. The mechanism is provided with two gauges
or guides, one of which guides the work by means of the channel
formed therein, while the other is caused by a spring to press against the.
edge of the work and keep the same properly in position with regard to
the first gauge. According to this part of my present Invention the
channel gauge is stationary, while the edge gauge, though exerting a
pressure on the work against the thrust of the needle will yield under the
influence of the sinuosities of the sole and varying thickness of the work,
as the same is moved onward by the feed mechanism. The spring gauge
is mounted on the axis of the awl and needle, so that in yielding to or
following the work, the movements of the said gauge are concentric
with those of the awl and needle. This edge or spring gauge is made
to serve also as a welt guide.
The construction, arrangement, and operation of this part of my said
Invention will be clearly understood by referring to the following Figures
of the Drawings which I will now proceed to describe.
Figure 3 is a side view of my improved edge gauge and welt guide,
shewing the position of the same with regard to the awl and needle in
sewing together the insole, upper, and welt in my machine; Figure 4 is
a top view of the separate portions of the said gauge and guide; Figures
5 and 6 are side views of the said gauge without the welt guide, as used
for sewing turned work; Figures 7 and 8 are side and top views of the
said gauge, adapted for sewing the outsoles on boots or shoes; Figure.
9 shews the locking device of the said gauge detached.
gauge
These Figures are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2; 7 is
the back or edge gauge, and m, the welt guide; n is the axis of the awl
and needle. To an arm which projects from the boss 1 of the said
is attached the spring o which tends continually to maintain an
elastic or yielding pressure of the gauge upon the work. Upon the
arm ¹ of the said gauge there is placed the sliding piece or bar m', which
carries the welt guide m; this piece is held on the arm by the
screw * which passes through a slot in the sliding piece into the arm 1.
This screw keeps the welt guide in place upon the arm but does not
bind it tightly, so as to interfere with the required freedom of endwise
motion of the guide upon the gauge, this endwise freedom being
necessary to allow the guide to adapt itself continually to the varying
thickness of the welt which it is caused to do by the pressure on the

page_text: spring p, the said spring having one end attached to the guide at 2¹ and
the other end to the gauge arm at p³, so that it continually tends to
draw the guide inward. The guide m is formed by extending the end of
the bar m² forward beyond the face of the edge gauge where, it is bent or
curved, so as to partially enclose the said gauge, while leaving between
the guide and the said gauge the aperture through which the welt is
guided to the sewing mechanism, as seen in Figure 3. By this peculiar
construction and arrangement of the combined gauge and guide the
gauge allows the guide or part enclosing the welt to adapt itself auto-
matically to welts of various thicknesses, the guide being caused to close
properly upon the welt by the spring p, while the gauge is caused to
exert the required pressure upon the welt by the spring o, which is
connected to the arm of the gauge and to the column or frame, as
shewn in Figure 1. In case the thread should at any time break during
the operation of sewing, so that the needle misses a number of stitches
and then again takes up the thread, the guide m may be turned down
into the position shown in dotted lines, Figure 3, to allow of the sewing
of the portion of the work that has been missed. The said edge gauge
is provided with a holding or locking and releasing device, whereby it
can be alternately locked to hold the work against the thrust of the
needle or piercing instrument, and unlocked to allow the gauge to adjust
itself to the various thicknesses of the work while the same is fed
forward between the stitches. The locking of the back or edge gauge
of a machine for sewing boots and shoes is described in the Specification
of an Invention communicated by me to the aforesaid William Robert
Lake, and for which Letters Patent were obtained bearing date the
Fourteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine, No. 1823, but the gauge therein described was
not arranged concentrically with the needle and awl, whereas in my
present Invention I use no arrangement of these parts other than that
in which the gauge operates concentrically with the needle and awl,
and therefore the locking device, although for the same purpose as that
described in the said former Specification, has to be especially adapted
to this concentric arrangement of the parts. The alternate locking and
releasing may be accomplished by various contrivances, but I will only
specify that which I prefer to use and which is as follows:-The
or formed on the head or
bracket B. The end of this shaft projects through the curved slot
shaft is supported in bearings q' fixed
in the end of the arm of the gauge, the object of the said slot being

page_text: the permission of a free oscillating movement to the said arm, while at
the same time the gauge is always under control, so that it may be
locked in any position into which it may be thrown by the varying
thickness of the work. The locking is produced by the turning of the
shaft g, which when turned in the proper direction will be screwed into
a nut on the frame and cause the collar q* to bear or bind tightly upon
the arm and thereby lock the gauge. The shaft has a crank 7** which
is connected to the lever 21, this lever has its fulcrum upon the stud 12,
which is fixed in the head B. The upper end of the lever 7" has a slot
which is fitted upon a pin ³ carried by the main lever k. From this
arrangement it is obvious that as the said lever rises it turns the
lever on its fulcrum and thereby actuates the crank 7*, and the shaft
is thus screwed into the nut, thereby locking the gauge immediately
after the feed dog is raised out of contact with the work. The reverse
action takes place when the lever descends, so that the gauge is
unlocked just before the feed dog enters the work.
From the above description it will be understood that although the
gauge is freed from the holding or locking device previous to the action
of the feed dog yet it remains always subjected to the pressure of the
spring o, and it is necessary that this should be the case in sewing on a
welt, as shewn in Figure 3, or in sewing on an outsole, as shown in
Figure 6. In sewing turned work, however, where there is commonly a
thin lining as shewn by the red line in Figures 5 and 6 outside the work,
or in contact with the edge gauge I modify the action of the releasing
device so that just prior to the forward movement of the feed dog the
gauge is entirely relieved from the pressure of the spring o, the purpose
of this arrangement being to prevent the wrinkling or puckering of the
lining by the gauge. I prefer to accomplish this purpose by forming on
the feed dog a shoulder s, which as the said dog descends and just before
it comes in contact with the work strikes the projection on the lever l'
and thereby raises the gauge 1 from the work.
1
My improved universal support or jack will not be required for sewing
on the outsoles of boots and shoes as in this description of work. I
support the boot or shoe by the welt upon the shoulder & of the edge
gauge, as shewn in Figure 6.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and shewn how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously used in the manufacture
of boots and shoes, I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to

page_text: any particular construction of the sewing or stitching mechanism, nor
do I claim as a part of this Invention anything relating to the con-.
struction or arrangement of the needle and awl or the devices for
supporting or operating the same, but I claim,-
First. The "jack" or universally adjustable support consisting of the
last holder, the quadrant, the vertical rod, and upwardly bearing
spring or springs or weights, constructed and operating substantially as
set forth.
.
Second. The combination of the said "jack" with the clamp or
other suitable device which automatically increases the upward pressure
of the supporting device or its resistance to downward pressure prior to
each thrust of the piercing instrument.
Third. The clamp for gripping the vertical rod of the jack, as shewn,
arranged in combination with an auxiliary spring or weight which will
produce the required binding and increased upward pressure upon the
rod, and with the upper lever which relieves the said clamp from the
pressure of the spring, and thereby releases the rod of the "jack" from
this increased upward pressure, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. Relieving the said "jack" or other yielding support for the
work in a machine for sewing boots and shoes of a portion of the upward
pressure during the operation of the feed mechanism.
Fifth. The combination of the aforesaid "jack" or universally adjusting
support (with or without the means for alternately increasing and dimi-
nishing the upward pressure or resistance to downward pressure) with
the sewing machinery shewn or with other suitable mechanism for
sewing boots and shoes.
Sixth. The back or edge gauge, working concentrically with the
needle or awl, or both.
Seventh. An edge gauge which works concentrically with the needle
or awl, and which also serves as a welt guide.
Eighth. The combination of a stationary channel gauge with an edge
gauge which moves concentrically with the awl or needle.
Ninth. The edge gauge formed or fixed on an arm which oscillates
concentrically with the needle and awl, and the welt guide fixed or
formed on the bar which is fitted to slide upon the arm of the said gauge
constructed and combined together and subjected to the action of
suitable springs, substantially as set forth, for the purposes specified.

page_text: Tenth. In a machine for sewing the welts to the uppers of boots
and shoes a back or edge gauge which works concentrically with the
needle or awl of the sewing mechanism, and which is alternately locked
and unlocked automatically at the particular times specified, for the
purposes set forth.
Eleventh. In a machine for sewing turned work a back or edge gauge
which works concentrically with the awl and needle of the sewing
mechanism, and which is raised entirely from contact with the work
just prior to the action of the feeding device, substantially as set forth,
for the purpose specified.
Twelfth. The combination of the aforesaid concentrically working and
automatically locking and releasing back or edge gauge with the sewing
machinery shown, or with other suitable mechanism for sewing boots or
shoes for the several purposes specified.
J
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Mills, have hereunto set my 1
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
W. ROB. LAKE,
S, Southampton Buildings,
London.
DAN. MILLS. (L.S.)