Year: 1886

page_text: I WILLIAM FREEMAN. 45 Welford Road, Leicester in the County of Leicester
Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
My invention relates to improvements in Machines or Presses for cutting
Leather into various shapes as Lifts Soles and other similar shapes to be used in
the manufacture of Boots and Shoes, by means of a Knife with the cutting edge
placed uppermost in the Press over an aperture for the Leather when cut to fall
into a basket underneath, placed to receive it. The said Knife is fixed in a
moveable grip or vice worked by means of a screw to keep the Knife in a central
position, and the said Knife is acted upon by means of a screw buffer with
moveable plates made of brass or other suitable materials, the said buffer to be
worked by means of a screw and lever to give the required pressure or power,
Dated this 15th day of March 1886

page_text: and Soles.
I, WILLIAM FREEMAN of N° 45 Welford Road, Leicester, in the County of
Leicester Boot and Shoe Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES, OR PRESSES FOR CUTTING LIFTS AND
SOLES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
14.
This invention relates to improvements in machines, or presses for cutting out
leather, or other suitable material into the various shapes, as lifts, Soles, and other
such shapes, or blanks, required for use in the manufacture of boots, shoes, and the
like. The means I employ for this purpose is a knife with its cutting edge placed
uppermost in a recess in the base plate prepared for it. The material required to
be cut is placed against guides, on the said knife, and an upper dye, or plate, made
of brass or other suitable material, is made to be brought down. upon it, by an
operating arm, or buffer working in a sleeve, and brought down by a screw and
lever fixed immediately over, and upon the said arm, or buffer, and in juxta
position with the cutting edge of the knife, thus giving the required pressure and
power in the operation of cutting the material employed. The knife is held firmly
in a central position by a moveable grip, or vice, fitting in grooves in the base
plate and shaped on its inner side that it supports and keeps, the knife from
shifting, and held firm to the knife by a screw working from the front of the
machine or press. An aperture is left in the base plate, under the knife, and in the
bench, or other support to which the press is fixed to allow of the leather when
cut to fall into a recepticle underneath placed to receive. it. If the lever is
required to be worked, by power instead of by hand, an eccentric arm, or other
contrivance is fixed on the said lever to work it, forward and back again, which
gives a corresponding, and regular motion, and executing the cutting operation by
one movement forward to bring it down, and back again to release it, thereby
allowing the shapes to be cut with a minimum of waste, and quicker than by
machines or presses now in use without risk to the operator and injury to the
knife or unneccessary wear of the upper dye, or plate, being so simple in con-
struction. That my invention may be more clearly understood reference is made to
the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, or press
constructed in accordance with this invention. The lever a fitting on to the
screw b. and working in the screw box c. upon the square operating arm or
buffer d. in the sleeve a the sleeve being fitted to the inner side of the frame E¹
close up under the screw box, the upper dye; or plate F is inserted in the bottom
of the operating arm, or buffer, and secured by a screw at g. The said operating
arm, or buffer, is made square and set straight by a screw at h. That the upper
dye, or plate cannot get out of the required position, the knife I. is held in the
recess in the base plate, and the grip or vice J. is moved up to it, and firmly held
by the screw K. working from the front of base plate L. The guides M. are
placed in their position to keep the material from not coming over the end of the
knife, thereby saving a lot in waste. Figure 2. is a front elevation of the press.

page_text: Figure 3. is a flat view of the base plate L. Figure 4. is another of same, of a larger
construction having a knife fixed for cutting Soles. Figure 5. is the top side of
the grip or vice J. Figure 6 is a sectional view of same shewing how it is fitted
in the grooves in the base plate. The same letters of reference represent like parts
in all the figures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
The improvements in the arraingement of the knife in connexion with the
moveable grip or vice, and the operating arm, or buffer with the screw action for
the purposes substantially as hercinbefore described and set forth.
Dated this 7th day of April 1886.
Witness,
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD.
WILLIAM FREEMAN.