Improvements in Machinery for Burnishing the Heels of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Burnishing the Heels of Boots
and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN of The Hawthorns, Newport Road, Stafford, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for burnishing the heels of boots and shoes.
A machine for this purpose, generally known as "The Tapley Heel Burnisher,"
is constructed somewhat in the following manner. The boot is held in an apparatus
commonly known as a "jack" in such a position as to present its heel properly to
the "burnishing iron." The "burnishing iron" is carried on the end of a lever
which is hinged at its other end to a horizontal spindle. The spindle receives from
the machine, a reciprocating rotatory motion through part of a revolution and the
'burnishing iron" is pressed against the boot heel by a spring.
In a machine described in the Specification of former Letters Patent dated
18th Feb. A.D. 1889 and numbered 2811, the "jack receives an automatic, to
and fro horizontal movement from a connection made to the driving shaft of the
machine so that under the combined movements of the "jack" and the "burnishing
iron," the boot heel becomes burnished over all its surface.
One part of my present invention consists in improving the construction of this
automatic connection between the driving shaft of the machine and the "jack" by
mounting the heart cam and connections upon the pillar or frame of the machine
instead of on a bracket at the rear and in providing a screw and hand wheel for the
purpose of more readily adjusting the position of the pin in the curved slotted
lever which actuates the connecting rod so as to vary the amount of to and fro
horizontal movement of the jack while the machine is in motion.
Another part of my invention consists in an improved method of giving to the
"jack," or apparatus which carries the boot, an automatic up and down movement
which may be varied in amount and character to suit the style of heel being
operated upon. The object being to render the pressure of the "burnishing iron
on the back of the heel more uniform.
This rising and falling of the "jack "may be automatically produced by providing
a cam piece, preferably capable of adjustment and shaped somewhat like the profile
of the back of a heel, and attaching it to the frame or to some fixed part of the
machine so that a roller or sliding piece attached to the "jack" in passing over the
cam piece shall raise and lower the "jack" to suit the heel being operated upon.
If desired the cam piece may be attached to the "jack" and the roller or sliding
piece to the frame or other fixed part of the machine. The same result (that is
rendering more uniform the pressure on the back of the heel) may be arrived at by
moving up and down the head spindle of the machine which carries the "burnishing
lever" instead of raising and lowering the "jack." This may be done by making
a connection from the driving shaft of the machine to the head spindle bearings by
means of a cam and levers or wedges so as to automatically raise and lower the
same. I may also provide a piece of leather or other suitable material to receive
the "burnishing iron" when it overruns the heel at the breast which may happen
when the heel is in its highest position.
Another part of my invention consists in constructing a machine in which means
are provided for equalizing the pressure of the "burnishing iron" upon all parts of
the boot heel whatever may be the shape of the same. This I accomplish by
attaching to the "jack a pattern heel consisting of a piece of metal, or other
sufficiently unyielding material, of a shape similar to the shape of the boot heel,
"

page_text: and attaching to the "burnishing lever" a roller, or rubbing piece, but connected
to the lever in an elastic manner either with a spring piston or otherwise. This
"pattern heel" lies in a line with the heel of the boot, and is so placed that the
roller, or rubbing piece, carried by the "burnishing lever" always occupies the
same position relatively upon the pattern heel as does the " burnishing iron" upon
the boot heel. A spring keeps the "burnishing iron" pressing upon the boot heel.
Another part of my invention relates to an improvement in the machine described
in Specification accompanying application for Letters Patent dated Sept. 24th 1890
No. 15077, and consists in holding the boot in a "jack" not automatically moved
by the machine and giving to the spindle carrying the "burnishing lever" an
automatic sliding movement end wise thorough its bearings, and through the pinion
which revolves the spindle, by means of a cam and lever connection. I am thus
enabled to dispense with the "horizontal slide" described in the above Specification
and the mechanism for moving it.
Another part of my invention consists in constructing a machine in which the
rapid movement of the "burnishing iron is caused to take place in a direction up
and down the heel and the slower movement in a direction around the heel.
This
I accomplish by reciprocating lengthwise the spindle which carries the "burnishing
lever" by means of a swiftly moving cam or a crank and ball jointed connecting
rod or other mechanical equivalents and by means of a cam a crank and rack or
equivalent giving to the same spindle a slow reciprocating movement of rotation.
A "pattern heel" or a cam as before mentioned may be employed in connec-
tion with the "burnishing lever" to equalise the pressure of the "burnishing iron "
upon the heel.
"
If desired instead of reciprocating the "burnishing iron" through part of a
revolution I may reciprocate the boot in the same manner and connect to the "jack"
a "pattern heel" or a cam in such a manner that it shall reciprocate with the boot
heel and shall operate upon the " burnishing lever" so as to equalise the pressure
of the "burnishing iron" upon the boot .heel and I may give the automatic move-
ment for travelling the "burnishing iron" up and down the boot heel either to the
"jack or to the lever carrying the "burnishing iron."
Another part of my invention is an improved method of constructing the
burnishing arrangement, so enabling the same to be made lighter and dispensing
with much of the balance weight and in applying the spring pressure by means of
a spiral or clock spring which may be wound up to any degree of tension required.
Another part of my invention consists in giving to the "burnishing iron" a rapid
vibratory movement through a small distance, by mounting the "iron"
upon a
pivotted lever or a slide and driving it by a cam or crank by means of a band or
suitable gearing. The "burnishing iron" being caused to operate all over the
surface of the boot heel by any suitable means.
Another part of my invention consists in constructing a machine in which the
burnishing lever" is double ended or made so as to carry a "burnishing iron"
at each end. The lever is carried by a sliding pivot or otherwise, at its centre,
the spring pressure being applied at the centre of the "lever." Or two "burnishing
levers" may be independently pivotted on one pivot and the springs be carried on
a piece pivotted either on the same pivot or near it. The machine is intended to
burnish two boot heels at once and for this purpose two automatically moved
"jacks" are provided and so arranged in reference to the "burnisher lever" that
when one "burnishing iron" is acting on the "seat" of one boot heel the other
burnishing" iron is acting on the "top piece" of the other boot heel the double
ended lever or the pivotted piece as the case may be rocking as the boot heels
travel and so tending to render uniform the pressure of the "burnishing irons
upon the boot heels. If desired the "jacks" may remain at rest and the spindle
carrying the "burnishing lever may be made to automatically move endwise as
previously described.
66
"
"

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Burnishing the Heels of Boots
and Shoes.
I WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN of The Hawthorns Newport Road Stafford in the
County of Stafford Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to machines for burnishing the heels of boots and shoes.
A machine for this purpose generally known as the "Tapley Heel Burnisher"
is constructed somewhat in the following manner.
The boot is held in an apparatus commonly known as a jack in such a position as
to present its heel properly to the burnishing iron. The burnishing iron is carried
on the end of a lever which is hinged at its other end to a horizontal spindle. The
spindle receives from the machine a reciprocating rotary motion through part of a
revolution and the burnishing iron is pressed against the boot heel by a spring.
In a machine described in the Specification of former Letters Patent dated
18th February A.D. 1889 and numbered 2811 the jack receives an automatic to
and fro horizontal movement from a connection made to the driving shaft of the
machine so that under the combined movements of the jack and the burnishing iron
the boot heel becomes burnished over all its surface.
One part of my present invention consists in improving the construction of this
automatic connection between the driving shaft of the machine and the jack by
mounting the heart cam and connections upon the pillar or frame of the machine
instead of on a bracket at the rear and in providing a screw and hand wheel for the
purpose of more readily adjusting the position of the pin in the curved slotted lever
which actuates the connecting rod so as to vary the amount of the to and fro
horizontal movement of the jack while the machine is in motion.
Another part of my invention consists in an improved method of giving to the
jack or apparatus which carries the boot an automatic up and down movement
which may be varied in amount and character to suit the style of heel being
operated upon. The object being to render the pressure of the burnishing iron on
the back of the heel more uniform. This rising and falling of the jack may be
automatically produced by providing an incline piece preferably capable of adjust-
ment and shaped somewhat like the profile of the back of a heel and attaching it
to the frame or to some fixed part of the machine, so that a roller or sliding piece
attached to the jack in passing over the incline piece shall raise and lower the jack
to suit the heel being operated upon. If desired the incline piece may be attached
to the jack and the roller or sliding piece to the frame or other fixed part of the
machine.
Fig. 1. is a front elevation and Fig. 2. is a side elevation of a heel burnishing
machine shewing the above improvements applied.
A is the base and B the column of the machine. C is the jack or boot holder
carrying the boot D. The driving pulleys E, 1 mount on a shaft F which is carried
in suitable bearings G. A crank H gives motion through a connecting rod I to a
bell crank J which is mounted on a pivot K. The upper part of the bell crank J
is provided with a toothed segment L which gears into a pinion M on the end of
the burnishing lever spindle N. The piece Ŏ is secured to the spindle N and has
hinged to it the burnishing lever P which carries the burnishing iron Q. The
boot D is cramped fast in the jack C by means of the screw and hand wheel R
acting upon the jaw S. The jack is supported upou the rod T and is free to slide
between the side guides U. From the driving shaft F by means of the band V
and pulleys W drive the shaft X which revolves in the bearings Y and has
mounted upon it the worm Z. The worm Z gears with the worm wheel a which
with the heart cam 6 1 mount on the shaft c. The heart cam engages with the

page_text: lever d which is pivotted at its centre e to the column B. The upper end f of the
lever d is connected by the rod g and stud h to the jack C and in order to con-
veniently adjust the position of the pin i in the curved slotted end ƒ of the lever d
I provide a hand wheel j, gears k and a screw 1.
set screw q.
For causing the jack to move up and down I provide an incline piece m which is
pivotted on a pin n in a bracket o in such a manner that its upper edge p may be
set at any desired angle with the horizontal and there cramped fast by means of the
The bracket o is carried upon the column B and may be set higher or
lower by means of the screw and hand wheel r. The rolls is mounted on a pin t
The lower end u
in the jack rod T and rides upon the edge p of the cam piece m.
of the rod T is adapted to slide up and down in a guide v mounted on trunnions w
carried in a bracket at the lower part of the column.
b
When the machine is set in motion the crank H, connecting rod I, bell crank J,
segment L and pinion M give motion in the usual manner to the spindle N, lever P
and the burnishing iron while the pulleys W through the band V worm Z worm
wheel a and heart cam give motion to the lever d and rod g so as to move the
jack C to and fro in a horizontal direction. As the jack moves to and fro the roil s
moves also to and fro upon the edge p and as this edge is set at an angle with the
horizontal the jack C and boot D rise and fall as they travel to and fro. If the
edge p be shaped like the back of the boot heel the rising and falling movement of
the jack and boot will be of the same character.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew an arrangement by which the same result of rendering more
uniform the pressure of the burnishing iron on the back of the heel is arrived at in
a different way. Instead of moving the jack and boot up and down the burnishing
lever spindle of the machine is caused to rise and fall. I arrange the head a¹ of
the machine so that it is capable of movement in a vertical direction and to give
this movement I place an additional cam l'upon the shaft c which carries the heart
cam b, see Figs. 1 and 2, for operating the jack C. Thus when the machine is in
operation the cam 61 gives to the burnishing lever spindle N, burnishing lever ³, and
iron Q, a rising and falling movement at the same time that the cam b, Figs. 1 and 2,
gives the to and fro movement to the jack C. The burnishing levers, Fig. 4, is
operated by means of its spindle N through the toothed segment e' mounted on the
pivot d, the connecting rod e¹ and the crank f'.
I may also introduce a pad or guard as shewn at y Fig. 4 for the purpose of
receiving the burnishing iron should it overrun the side of the heel at the breast.
Another part of my invention consists in equalizing the pressure of the burnishing
iron upon the boot heel by means of a pattern heel attached to the jack in a line
with the boot heel and arranging upon the burnishing lever a roller or rubbing
piece elastically connected to the lever and bearing upon the pattern heel in the
same manner as the burnishing iron bears upon the boot heel.
Fig. 5 shews this arrangement. g' is the column head. N the burnisher spindle
carrying the piece O hinged to which is the burnishing lever . is the boot heel
and the pattern heel carried on the jack k'. The burnishing iron Q is carried by
the lever and bears upon the boot heel ¹ while the roll carried in the spring
piston m¹ bears upon the pattern heel j'. The spring n' presses upon the piston m³,
and its tension may be adjusted by means of a nut o¹. The spring p' presses
upon the lever and keeps the burnishing iron Q upon the boot heel .
presses also through the lever the nut of upon the spring n¹. As the jack k¹
moves inwards towards the machine head the pattern heel raises the
piston mand by compressing the spring n¹ tends to lift the nut o' and so by
opposing the increasing pressure of the spring p¹ renders more uniform the
pressure of the burnishing iron Q upon the boot heel i¹.
It
Another part of my invention relates to an improvement in the machine
described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 15077 A.D. 1890, and consists
in holding the boot in a jack not automatically moved by the machine and giving
to the burnishing lever spindle an automatic sliding movement endwise through
its bearings, and through the pinion which revolves the spindle, by means of a

page_text: cam and lever connection. I am thus enabled to dispense with the "horizontal
slide" described in the above Specification and the mechanism for moving it.
Fig. 6. shews this arrangement. A is the base, B the column, E the driving
pulleys, F the driving shaft, G the driving shaft bearings, H the crank, I the
connecting rod, J the bell crank, K the bell crank pivot, L the segment, M the
pinion N the burnishing lever 'spindle, t2 the burnishing lever and Q the burnishing
iron all arranged and operated in the same way as described in the aforesaid
Specification No. 15077 A.D. 1890.
The jack q is carried in a slide way bracketed off from the column B and
is held fast by the spring catch s¹ which can be released, so as to free the jack q
by means of the handle t¹ when it desired to insert or remove the boot. The
hand wheel and screw u¹ serve to cramp the jaw upon the boot heel ¹. The
gears communicate motion from the driving shaft F to the shaft and
worm which gears with the worm wheel and so drives the cam a² which
with the worm wheel ¹ is mounted on the shaft 2. The cam a² operates the curved
slotted lever which is connected by the rod d² with the lever e². The lever e² is
pivotted at 2 and at its upper end is jointed by the rod g² to the burnishing lever
spindle N.
The cam ² is cramped by a screw to a piece which is secured upon the same
shaft 2 as is the lever c². The lever 12 is pivotted at m² to a fixed part of the
frame of the machine and its lower end engages with the cam 2. Its upper end
is connected by a rod n² to a bell crank pivotted to the column at p² and
having its horizontal arm q² adapted to engage with the vertical slide which is
furnished at its upper end with a cams. The burnishing lever t2 with all its
accessories is constructed in an exactly similar manner to that described in the
Spectification No. 15077, A.D. 1890 before referred to. When the machine is in
motion the lever ² and the cam 2 (operated by the revolution of the cam a²)
through the rods d² and n² operate the lever e² and the bell crank o². The lever e
through the rod 2 causes the spindle N and the burnishing lever t² to move to
and fro and thus move the burnishing iron Q to and fro on the boot heel and
the bell crank o² moves the slide 2 and the cam 2 up and down. These combined
movements bring about the same result in regard to rendering uniform the pressure
of the burnishing iron upon the boot heel as do the movements described in the
Specification No. 15077, A.D. 1890 already mentioned the result being the saine
whether the cam s2 is made to slide horizontally under the piece or whether the
piece u² is made to slide over the cam s².
In heel burnishing machines as ordinarily constructed the burnish is produced by
the burnishing iron being moved rapidly around upon the heel from side to side
while at the same time the heel is travelled slowly to and fro under the burnishing
iron in a direction alternately from the seat to the top piece and from the top piece
to the seat.
Another part of my invention consists in constructing a machine in which the
burnish is produced by vibrating the burnishing iron upon the heel in the direction
from top piece to seat and seat to top piece while at the same time the burnishing iron
is slowly turned from side to side around the heel and the jack with the boot is moved
to and fro under the burnishing iron so as to cause the heel to present the entire
surface desired to be burnished to the operation of the burnishing iron.
123
Fig. 7 shews a machine constructed for this purpose. The driving shaft a³ is
placed at right angles to the crank shaft 63 which it drives by means of a worm (³
and worm wheel d³. The driving pulley e3 is mounted upon one end of the shaft a³
and at the other end is a pulley 3 which drives by a band g³ another pulley /³
carried by a bracket is from the head of the machine. The pulley ³ gives motion
to an adjustable crank pin which is connected by a jointed rod with a
spindle. The spindle is arranged to slide in the spindle N which carries the
pinion M. A sleeve piece m³ is fitted to slide upon the spindle N and by a cotter n
is secured through clearance slots in the spindle N to the inner spindle P. To the
sleeve piece m³ is pivotted the burnishing lever o³ on pivots p³. The burnishing

page_text: iron Q is carried in the end of the lever o³. The spring 93 presses down the iron
upon the boot heel and a stop screw prevents the lever o falling too low when
the boot is removed. The rest of the machine is of ordinary construction or
otherwise having features which have been already explained in Specifications
of prior Letters Patent granted to me No. 2811, A.D. 1889 or No. 15077,
A.D. 1890.
When the machine is in motion the swiftly running shaft a³ and crank pin j³ give
through the rod a rapid vibrating movement to the lever o³ and the burnishing
iron while as the worm c³ and worm wheel drive the crank H, rod I,
segment L, and pinion M, at a comparatively slow speed the lever o³ and iron Q
pass slowly around the boot heel and the jack is automatically moved to and fro
in the manner described in Specification No. 2811, A.D. 1889 previously
referred to.
In Fig. 4 is shewn an improved method of applying the spring pressure to the
burnishing lever. The burnishing lever s³ is mounted on a pivot t³ in the piece u³.
Upon the same pivot t³ is mounted a worm wheel to which one end of a clock
spring is attached, the other end of the spring being attached to the lever s³ at a³.
Carried in the piece u³ is a worm y³ which engages with the worm wheel and
having a milled head 23, by turning which any desired degree of tension may be
imparted to the spring w³.
The driving
which
Another part of my invention consists in constructing a machine in which the
burnishing lever is double ended or made so as to carry a burnishing iron at each
end, the lever being carried on a sliding pivot at its centre and the spring pressure
applied thereat. Two automatically moved jacks are provided so as to burnish
two boot heels at once and as the one iron approaches the heel seat and moves
outwards while the other iron approaches the top piece and moves inwards, the
pressure upon the heel is maintained as nearly uniform as possible.
Figs 8 and 9 shew a machine constructed for this purpose.
pulleys a' give motion to the shaft and crank c' which through the rod d', befi
crank segment e* and pinion f* reciprocate the spindle g and the arms
are carried in bearings j at the head of the machine. The burnishing lever is
carried at its centre on a pivot piece which is free to slide up and down upon the
arm h¹ and is pressed upon by a spring m adjustable by means of a nut n. The
arms are slotted so as to embrace the lever k4 and prevent its getting out of
position sidewise while allowing it freedom to rise and fall. The pulleys of and
the band p give motion to the shaft and worm which drives the worm
wheels and cam t¹. The cam engages the lever u which is pivotted to the
column at vª and has two curved slots to at its upper part. The slots w¹ engage
with pins which are adjustable therein and are connected by rods y' to jacks 2
in a manner so as to be easily disconnected for the purpose of removing or inserting
a boot.
If desired the jacks may remain stationary and the spindle carrying the
burnishing lever may be made to automatically move endwise as shewn in Fig. 10
in which a a are the stationary jacks and 6 the burnishing lever spindle to
which an automatic endlong movement is given by means of the lever c which is
pivotted at d³ and operated by the cam t*.
To suit the varying heights of different heels the travel of the burnishing lever
spindle 65 may be varied either by making the position of the pivot d' adjustable
in the lever c³ or by making the throw of the cam t* adjustable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots in which the arrangement for
automatically moving the jack is attached to that part of the jack relatively to
which the edge of the heel next the upper (commonly known as the heel seat)
always comes into the same position, the use of the arrangement for readily

page_text: adjusting the amount of movement imparted to the jack, while the machine is in
motion as described.
2. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of an incline piece
attached either to the machine frame or to the jack in such a manner that as the
jack and boot move to and fro under the burnishing iron a roller or sliding piece
working in connection with the incline piece shall cause the jack and boot to rise
and fall.
3. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the adjustment to regulate the
height at which the incline piece shall be set.
4. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the means whereby the angle
of inclination of the incline piece may be adjusted and set.
5. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots giving to the burnishing lever
spindle an automatic rising and falling movement.
6. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of the revolving cam
and connections for the purpose of giving to the burnishing lever spindle an
automatic rising and falling movement.
7. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of a pad or guard
to receive the burnishing iron should it overrun the heel at the part known as
the breast.
8. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of a pattern heel
attached to the jack and acting on the burnishing lever for the purpose of rendering
more uniform the pressure of the burnishing iron upon the boot heel.
9. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots giving to the burnishing lever
spindle an endlong movement as and for the purpose herein described.
10. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots giving to the burnishing iron
the more rapid movement in the direction from the heel seat to the top piece and
the slower movement in the direction around the heel from side to side in the
manner and for the purpose described.
11. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of a worm and wheel
for the purpose of giving a slow movement to the burnishing iron around the heel
from side to side and the use of a rapidly revolving crank, eccentric or equivalent
movement in connection with the burnishing lever spindle for the purpose of
giving a vibrating movement to the burnishing iron in the direction between the
heel seat and the top piece.
12. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of a clock spring for
supplying the pressure to the burnishing iron.
13. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of a worm wheel and
worm with a milled head for the purpose of regulating the amount of pressure given
by the spring to the burnishing iron.
14. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of a burnishing lever
having a burnishing iron at each end and pivotted or otherwise carried at its
centre.
15. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of a burnishing lever
having a burnishing iron at each end and the spring pressure applied equally
between them.
16. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of two automatically
moved jacks arranged on opposite sides of a column or frame in combination with
a double burnishing arrangement. The whole so constructed as to be capable of
burnishing two boot heels at the same time.
17. In a machine for burnishing the heels of boots the use of two jacks not
automatically moved by the machine, arranged on opposite sides of a column or
frame in combination with a double burnishing arrangement to which an automatic
endlong movement is given. The whole so constructed as to be capable of
burnishing two boot heels at the same time.
Dated this 2nd do. of Wah1000