Improved Method of Lasting Boots and Shoes and Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
QUALI LEIE DIECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Lasting Boots and Shoes and Apparatus
connected therewith.
I, FRIEDRICH KEIL, Manufacturer, of Arnstadt, in the Empire of Germany,
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:-
My invention relates to an improved method of lasting boots and shoes and
apparatus connected therewith.
It is a well-known drawback in lasting-machines that the toe of the shoe
especially in the case of patent leather shoes, cannot be properly lasted, as even
the best pincers do not prevent the formation of irregular folds at the toe.
The present method and the apparatus serving to carry it out are intended
not only to press the upper at the sides of the foot, at the part between the sole
and the heel, and at the heel, but also at the toe, regularly and smoothly upon
the last. The method consists in placing around the upper to be lasted after it
has been tightly stretched at the sides and at the toe, a thin and elastic but
durable wire-cord in such a manner that it fits exactly to the form of the last,
the upper being thereby drawn tight i. e., pressed upon the last, as will be ex-
plained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In order to effect this, an auxiliary sole d (Figs. 1-5) is placed upon the last a
provided with an insole b and upper c, this sole d being about 10 millimetres
shorter and narrower than the last and being covered by an under-sole e of
metal corresponding to the size and shape of the last.
A space is thus formed between the insole b or last a and the under-sole e
over which the outer edge of the upper is placed and drawn in.
The upper is of such form that its edge may be drawn into the space g, and
the thickness of the sole d is such that the lower edge of 'the upper may be
squeezed or forced into the space or groove by means of the wire-cords ff.
Figures 1 and 2 show an arrangement upon this principle.
In order to press the upper over the last it is furthermore necessary that the
rollers hand h¹ serving to guide the wire-cords ff, should be driven
into the groove at the part between the sole and the heel of the last, in such a
manner that the wire-cords are enabled to completely secure at the narrowest
part of the sole both the front and back part of the upper and to fit themselves
to the shape of the last or of the auxiliary sole d.
Figure 3 shows this arrangement.
"
When the wire-cords f and flare drawn equally on each side, which may,
for example, be effected by winding the cords on drums or rollers, the upper is
grasped by the cords and drawn around the last into the grooves formed between
the insole and the undersole. The employment of a ribbed or twisted wire-cord

page_text: instead of a single or smooth wire prevents the cord from slipping off the upper
and enables the latter to be drawn tight in a regular and uniform manner.
It is necessary that the wire-cords f f¹ be drawn on both sides at the same
time so that the drawing or pulling may be effected in both directions, in order
that the upper cannot be distorted or unevenly stretched by one-sided pulling.
The machine represented in Figures 6, 7 and 8 serves to carry the invention set
forth into effect. The machine consists in the combination of two wire-cord
stretching devices and of a pincers-device. It has the advantage that the shoe
may be placed on a frame in a non-inverted position so that the upper even
during the lasting, is perfectly visible and the lasting can be watched during its
whole course.
The arrangement of the machine is as follows: The last a with the upper c
drawn over it and the insole b together with the intermediate sole d and the
undersole e is mounted on the frame K, and secured to this frame in any suitable
manner, for example, by means of clamps K' secured by wedges. Pairs of
rollers hand h₁₁ serve to tighten the wire-cords f and firespectively.
These rollers are mounted in slides which may be simultaneously or separately
caused to approach or recede from the stand or frame K this being effected by
means of the hand-wheel or hand-wheels m and spindle m³, the slides being
movable on the standards n. The standards n are moved upwards by means of
adjusting devices o in order to be able to adjust the height according to the
thickness of the intermediate sole d. The individual rollers h h are also adjust-
able in the slides by means of adjusting-devices, in order to regulate their
position on the auxiliary sole d, in such a manner that the wire-cords f fi
may be caused to lie around the upper in a suitable manner, the rollers h h
revolving upon their axes.
The stretching of the wire-cords f f is effected in such a manner from a
wheel r, that both ends of the wire-cords may be equally drawn or acted upon.
The ends 12 of the wire-cord f are first guided over the rollers h, and the
ends 34 of the cord f¹ over the rollers h¹. The end 1 then passes over the
roller 5 (Figure 6) to the drum t and the end 2 over the roller 6 (Figures 6
and 8) to the drum t¹. The ends 3 and 4 pass from the rollers to roller 7
(Figure 6), and 8 (Figures 6 and 8) respectively, which are similar to the
rollers 5 6, and from there pass downwards over guide rollers s s¹ to drums t t¹
respectively. When these drums t t which are secured on the axle 13 are turned
the wire cord ends 1 2 3 4 are stretched and draw by this means the wire cord
tight in the groove g.
It might be observed that the guide rollers ss (Figures 6 and 7) may be
omitted as they only serve to guide the wire cords better.
The wire-cords f f are retained in the stretched position by means of a
ratchet mechanism consisting of a ratchet-wheel r¹ and pawl 3. It should be
mentioned that any convenient method of tightening the cords may be employed,
and no claim is made to the arrangement described.
A pincers-mechanism is provided for the purpose of stretching the upper
over the insole and for adjusting the wire-cord f, especially at the toe, in the
best possible manner. It consists of four or more piners u u which are actuated
by means of wires or rods u¹ and treadles u² and guide (Fig. 8) of suitable form
on which the pincer-arms are guided. The guide is U-shaped and is inclined
at its front end upwardly in a slanting direction and provided there with bent
or angular corners ¹. It is also provided with a bend 2; the corners v¹ allow
the pincers to be applied on each side of the toe; the front part 3 allows one
or more of the pincers to be applied to the toe, and the parts 24 allow the pincers
to be applied at each side of the upper,
When employing the arrangement represented in Figures 6-8, the pincers uu
are connected at the toe and by operating the treadles the upper is drawn
or stretched over the last at the toe; the wire-cord f is then placed around the
toe; the laterally arranged pincers are then applied to the upper and the latter

page_text: is drawn tightly downwards, and the wire-cord is then tightened and the pincers
gradually loosened.
The wire-cord f¹ is placed in the same manner around the heel portion of the
upper and is tightly drawn. At the back part of the shoe the employment of the
pincers is of little or no use (the upper being attached or cemented to the sole
by an adhesive material).
The method of lasting the shoe in such a manner that it is in an upright and
not inverted position has the great advantage that a cap can be inserted and
secured between the lining and upper, which has not been possible hitherto.
The clamps K¹ for securing the last in its support on the machine are shown
on an enlarged scale in Figure 9, and consist of bent metal plates attached to
the last & passed through holes in the support, keys or wedges K³ being then
inserted to fix the whole in position.
Figures 10 and 11 show an inserted piece or guide plate z which is interchange-
able in the slide, and is of such a shape that it conforms to the shape of the part
of the upper between the sole and the heel, and, furthermore, is shaped at the
sides according to the diameter of the rollers hh, and has grooves thereon, in
order that the wire-cords may lie and be guided in these grooves and be pre-
vented from falling off the rollers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method of lasting the toes of boots and shoes of any desired shape con-
sisting in drawing the upper into a groove below the insole by means of a wire-
cord drawn at both sides, the groove being formed between an auxiliary-sole
and an under-sole, the upper being forced around the toe into this space or
groove, substantially as described.
2. A modification of the method set forth in Claim 1 wherein in addition to the
toc the side also is lasted, wherein the auxiliary sole and under-sole with their
projecting edges extend beyond the sole a wire-cord being guided over rollers
which at the narrowest part of the sole approach the auxiliary-sole in such a
manner that the wire-cord adapts itself to the groove between the auxiliary-
sole and the under-sole and thereby draws the lower edge of the upper into the
groove, substantially as described.
3. The modification of the method set forth in Claim 2, for lasting the front
and back portions, consisting of two wire-cords one of which is placed around the
toe as far as the part between the sole and the heel, and the other around the
heel portion, the wires being drawn into the space formed between the inter-
mediate sole and the under-sole and guiding rollers carrying the wire-cords
and lying against the narrowest part of the sole in the before-mentioned groove,
substantially as described.
4. In the method set forth in Claim 3, the employment of auxiliary piece or
pieces which with the guiding rollers for the wire cord are placed at the
narrowest part of the sole in order to secure the upper at the part between the
sole and the heel, substantially as described.
5. For carrying out the process set forth in the preceding claims a lasting
machine, wherein the wire-cord f is guided over rollers h which, in combination
with a guide z, hold the wire-cord and at the same time press the upper in at the
side and form guides for the wire-cord so that the latter when drawn tight
secures the upper first at the toe and then at the sides, substantially as described.
6. In the lasting-machine set forth in Claim 5 the arrangement of a U-shaped
guide with the corners and the bent parts 2 for guiding and operating the
pincers and fixed pieces for lasting the toe and the sides, substantially as
described.
7. A lasting machine of the description set forth in Claim 5 in which the
pairs of rollers h h¹ may by means of the slides 11 be adjusted in a horizontal

page_text: direction and in a vertical direction by the adjusting device o and be individually
adjustable in a horizontal direction in their bearings, upon which they are
pivotted, substantially as described.
בד
10
1
1
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.