Improvements in Machines for Fixing Hooks on Boots and similar Work.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1891—Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Fixing Hooks on Boots and similar
Work.
We ALFRED COKER, Machinery Manager, and JABEZ LUKE CROSLAND,
Mechanic, both of College Street, Northampton, in the County of Northampton,
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 has for its object to improve the construction of machines to be
used for setting and fixing lace hooks in boots.
Hitherto, the fixing of hooks in boots has usually been effected by the blow of a
plunger operated by hand power, which is a laborious and slow method, and
necessitates the preparation of the work by punching.
In a machine embodying our invention, a motive power engine is made available
for driving and rivetting the hooks, while at the same time the latter are con-
tinuously fed from a hopper by the same agency.
According to our invention, the hooking machine is provided with a shaft
continuously driven from any suitable motor. Upon this shaft is fixed a worm,
which engages with a worm wheel upon another shaft placed at right angles to the
first shaft. Loose upon the second shaft, is the driving disc of the hooking
mechanism, with a clutch engagement with the shaft, which is thrown in by the
operator, when the work is in position to receive the hook, and out automatically
when the hook is rivetted in the work. At the same time, the continuous rotation
of the driving shaft operates the feed mechanism for the hooks.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a front view of a hooking machine embodying our invention.
Fig. 2 a side elevation ;
Fig. 3 a top plan;
Fig. 4 a partial back view; and
Fig. 5 a partial underneath plan, shewing the die for receiving and driving the
hook.
A is the framing of the machine, preferably of cast iron.
In the upper part of the framing A, is the horizontal shaft B, rotating in
bearings .. is a pulley wheel fast on the shaft B, and 63 is a hand wheel.
is a worm, also fast on the shaft B. c is a worm wheel in gear with the worm b*,
and fast on the shaft C, situated at right angles to the shaft B, in bearings c¹ c² in
the framing A. D is a disc loose on the shaft C. d is a clutch keyed to the
shaft C, but having a sliding movement lengthways thereof, so as to be capable of
engagement with the clutch teeth on the back of the disc D, when required.
E is the hopper for containing the supply of hooks, which consists of a circular
inclined dish attached by a lug and screws to the framing. The hopper E is
provide with a rotating bottom e, supported by a spindle e, turning in a bearing
carried by an arm a projecting from the framing A. The rotating bottom e receives
its notion by the spindle e', which has upon its end the bevel wheel e², in gear
with the bevel wheel c' keyed to the rotating shaft C.
F is a guide or shute for leading the hooks from the hopper E to their position
above the work.
The upper end of the shute F is in the form of a narrow plate projecting
1177

page_text: through the side of the hopper, so as to receive the hooks from the upstanding
flange, carried around the circumference of the rotating bottom of the
hopper.
The hooks in the hopper are helped to catch upon the flange f by the sweeper e*
(see Fig. 3), which sweeps them into a pile as they are carried round by the
rotating bottom e, so that the necks readily engage with the flange, while the
shanks project inwards towards the middle of the bottom plate e. In this position,
they are carried round till they come to the guide F, onto which they are pushed
by the inclined blocks f¹ (see Fig. 3), fixed to the hopper bottom. The proximity
of the flange to the side of the hopper is such as to prevent the engagement of
the hooks with the flange, except in the position required.
The guide F, which is formed to embrace the neck of the hook, is curved, as
shewn in the drawings, and extends downwardly to near the point which the lower
end of the plunger G occupies when in its highest position, or position of rest. The
hooks are retained in the guide by jaws h h, which are operated, as will be
presently explained, to allow one hook at a time to pass, and present itself to the
dic 9 at the end of the plunger G. The said plunger is arranged vertically on the
framing, and has a vertical movement in its sockets, controlled and operated by
the rotation of the disc D, in the face of which, next the plunger G, is a
cam groove K, engaging with the bowl k, projecting from the side of the
plunger.
The die g, attached to the lower or working end of the plunger G, is formed
to receive within it the head of the hook to be inserted, and is provided with a
spring jaw g', to hold the hook in position during its application to the work. I is
a die supported on an anvil L, formed by part of the framing, against which the
rivetting is effected.
Besides giving an up and down movement to the plunger G, the disc D com-
municates the necessary movement to the pair of jaws h h by means of the rocking
lever H, which is pivotted at h* to the framing (see Fig. 1). The lower end of
the lever is connected to the jaws h', and the upper end lies near the face of the
disc D, so that on the rotation of the latter, the projection d thereon will strike
the lever, and cause it to rock, thereby effecting a lateral movement of the jaws h h³
across the guide F. The return movement of the lever H, as soon as the pro-
jection has passed, is effected by the spring ². The jaws h¹ being placed
at different heights, as shewn in the drawings, act as an escapement for the hooks,
one at a time, as the said jaws are moved across the guide, at every rotation of the
disc D.
d¹* is a projection on the back of the disc D, for throwing the clutch d out of
gear once in each rotation. d² is another projection for effecting, by means of the
lug m, the partial rotation of the vertically arranged spindle M, which terminates
near the bottom of the guide F, and is provided at its lower end with the finger m².
N is another rotating spindle, situated parallel to the spindle M, having an arm n
which meets the raised portion » on the periphery of the disc D. is a lug near
the lower extremity of the spindle N, for catching against the spring jaw gl of the
die g, and holding it open while the hook enters from the guide F, before the
stroke of the plunger G begins. m² and ³ are springs (see Fig. 5) for respectively
effecting the return movement of the spindles M and N. O is a rock shaft
mounted in bearings on the summit of the fratning. is a crank arm keyed
thereon, and communicating by a depending link rod, with a treadle (not shewn
in the drawings), by which link the shaft is rocked so as to cause the cranked
attachment of to bear against the end of the bolt o², which is capable of sliding
parallel to the shaft C. The opposite end of the bolt o² bears against a portion of
the clutch d, so that when the bolt is slidden endwise under the influence of the
rock shaft and treadle, the clutch is forced into gear with the teeth don the
disc D, and the latter is locked thereby to the shaft C, and takes a rotary
movement therefrom.

page_text: The action of the machine is as follows:-
The shaft B receives continuous rotation, by the pulley thereon, from a suitable
motor, and communicates the rotary movement by the worm wheel to the shaft C,
and thro' such shaft C to the hook feed mechanism, which is thus continuously
charging the guide F thro' the side of the hopper, as already explained. When
it is desired to operate the hook-fixing mechanism, the shaft O is rocked by the
attendant's foot, and the disc is locked by the clutch-mechanism to the rotating
shaft C.
The position of the disc, when at rest, is such that the plunger G is at its
highest. This position of the disc is ensured by the two springs p', which
embrace the plunger, both bearing against the pin P, but in different directions,
and operating to raise the plunger, and stop it at the proper point, when the disc D
is released by the clutch being thrown out of gear.
The first acting movement of the disc is arranged to operate the jaws h¹, to
release a hook contained in the guide F, and at the same movement the spring jaw g₁ of
the die g is opened by the lug n of the spindle N, to admit the hook, which slides
down the guide F. The next function of the disc D is to rotate the spindle M, and
cause the finger m² to press the hook home into the die. The return movement of the
spindle N then permits the release of the spring jaw g', which grips the hook as
the finger m' retires. The descent of the plunger G, under the influence of the
cam groove in the face of the disc D, now begins, and the hook is thereby driven
through the work held in position on the anvil below, and rivetted therein. A
movement of the attendant's hands quickly disengages the work, and the plunger
retires, to be ready for the next blow, while the disengagement between the disc
and rotating shaft is automatically effected, until such time as the attendant has
replaced his work, and repeated the depression of the treadle as before explained.
With a skilled operator, the rotation of the disc D and the movements of the parts
actuated thereby, may be practically continuous, for he will be able to shift his
work in time to depress his treadle the moment after the automatic disengagement
of the clutch mechanism, under the influence of the projection d¹* on the back of
the disc, has taken place.
In a machine thus operating, the power of the motor is always at the disposal of
the operator for accomplishing the work, without any exertion on his part; thus,
it will be unnecessary to prepare the work to receive the hooks, beyond lightly
marking the positions for them. The force of the plunger's blow, imparted
under the influence of power, instead of, as formerly, by hand, is amply sufficient
to cause the hook to punch its own hole, before being rivetted on the anvil
behind.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A machine for setting and fixing hooks in boots and similar work, wherein
the hooking mechanism is driven by a disc loose upon a driven shaft, wherewith
the said disc is locked by clutch mechanism at the will of the attendant, and auto-
matically unlocked after the application of every hook, substantially as herein before
described with reference to the drawings.
2. A machine for setting and fixing hooks in boots and similar work, having a
plunger operated by a cam groove in the face of a rotating disc, the said plunger
terminating in a slotted or hollow die for receiving the hook from the delivery
shute, and holding it therein while the fixing of the hook in the work is being
effected, substantially as set forth with reference to the drawings.
3. In a machine for setting and fixing hooks in boots and similar work, the
combination with the plunger operated as above described, and provided at its
lower or working extremity with a die and spring jaw for receiving and holding
the hook, of a disengaging device for holding open the die, and a pushing finger for

page_text: pressing the hook home into the die, as it leaves the delivery guide or shute,
all arranged and operating substantially as set forth, with reference to the
drawings.
Dated this 18th day of December 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.