Improvements in Heel Compressing Machinery.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Heel Compressing Machinery.
I
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Green Hall, Stafford, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
,
The heel to be compressed is placed in a deep mould which is of the same
size and shape as the built heel in its upper portion, so as to allow of the heel
being inserted, but is made gradually smaller below so that its lower portion
is of the same size and shape as the finished heel. The heel is forcibly pressed
down into this mould by a follower, which bears upon the seat of the heel,
and thus the sides and breast of the heel are laterally compressed towards the
heel centre. The mould bottom, which is a separate piece of the same size and
shape as the top piece of the heel, is then forcibly pressed upwards from below
into the lower portion of the mould so as to flatten the top piece and compress
the heel vertically against the follower.
The pressures are then taken off and the mould is swung round over a striker
which is operated by a treadle or hand lever so as to knock the compressed
heel out of the mould.
The mould is preferably made in three pieces. The top portion has the sides
and breast of the mould vertical and of a size to allow the follower to descend
within it. The middle portion of the mould is made taper so as to compress
the descending heel, and the bottom portion is made vertical again, to the
outline of the top piece of the heel, so as to allow the piece which is pressed
upwards to ascend and compress the heel vertically. The mould being made in
three pieces facilitates the getting up of a smooth face to its interior.
The pressure may be obtained by means of a press constructed with eccentrics,
toggles, cranks or other usual machinery, or by hydraulic presses.
When hydraulic pressure is employed two presses are used. The upper press
is made double acting and so proportioned as to put the pressure on the heel
over a large area of the ram, and to lift the ram by a sniall area; while the
lower press may be made single acting and the ram weighted so as to return
it quickly.
:
A force pump may be fitted to the machine which draws water or other
fluid from a tank to supply the press cylinders and the tank may again receive
the fluid from the presses. An air vessel may be interposed between the pump
and the presses, the confined air of which acts as an air spring to maintain
an elastic pressure upon the fluid in the press cylinders.
Suitable inlet and outlet valves are provided to the presses which may be
operated by levers; and a pressure gauge and safety valve may be fitted.
1900

page_text: Improvements in Heel Compressing Machinery.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of The Green Hall, 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 ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The heel to be compressed is placed in a deep mould, which is of the same
size and shape as the built heel in its upper portion, so as to allow of the heel
being inserted, but is made gradually smaller below so that its lower portion
is of the same size and shape as the finished heel. The heel is forcibly pressed
down into this mould by a follower which bears upon the seat of the heel,
and thus the sides and breast of the heel are laterally compressed towards the
heel centre. The mould bottom, which is a separate piece of the same size and
shape as the top piece of the heel, is then forcibly pressed upwards from below
into the lower portion of the mould so as to flatten the top piece and compress
the heel vertically against the follower.
The pressures are then taken off and the mould is swung round over a striker
which is operated by a treadle or hand lever so as to knock the compressed
heel out of the mould.
The mould is preferably made in three pieces. The top portion has the sides
and breast of the mould vertical and of a size to allow the follower to descend
within it. The middle portion of the mould is made taper so as to compress
the descending heel and the bottom portion is made vertical again to the
outline of the top piece of the heel, so as to allow the piece which is pressed
upwards to ascend and compress the heel vertically. The mould being made in
three pieces facilitates the getting up of a smooth face to its interior.
The pressure may be obtained by means of a press constructed with eccentrics,
toggles, cranks or other usual machinery, or by hydraulic presse=.
When hydraulic pressure is employed two presses are used. The upper press
is made double acting and so proportioned as to put the pressure on the heel
over a large area of the ram and to lift the ram by a small area; while the
lower press may be made single acting and the ram weighted so as to return
it quickly.
A force pump may be fitted to the machine which draws water or other
fluid from a tank to supply the press cylinders and the tank may again receive
the fluids from the presses. An air vessel may be interposed between the pump
and the presses the confined air of which acts as an air spring to maintain
an elastic pressure upon the fluid in the press cylinders.
Suitable inlet and outlet valves are provided to the presses which may be
operated by levers and a pressure gauge and safety valve may be fitted.
The machine as I prefer to make it is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which:-
:―
Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a front view.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the mould and table shewing
the heel compressed.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.
i
Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 4 but the heel is not yet compressed.
This mould is made considerably deeper than the heel. In its upper portion
it approximately fits the heel but is sufficiently large to allow the heel to be
easily inserted. It is reduced below to the size and shape required to be given
to the compressed heel. It is provided at the top with an extension piece a¹
which has a parallel vertical hole through it large enough to admit the largest

page_text: lift of the heel and of the same shape as the outline of the lift. This piece is
secured to and forms part of the mould a and receives the usual metal follower a³.
Another extension piece a³ is secured to the bottom of the mould a and has
also a parallel vertical hole through it, as small as or smaller than the smallest
lift of the heel and of the same shape.
A piece a forms the bottom of the mould being in plan of the same size and
shape as the hole in the piece a³ and having a vertical stem projecting down-
wards by which it is forced upwards into the mould a.
The heel being inserted in the mould and the follower 3 placed upon it
heavy pressure is applied to the follower from above so as to force the heel
downwards into the lower part of the mould so that the tapering sides of the
interior of the mould compress the heel sideways. While this pressure remains
on another pressure is applied from below which forces the piece a up so as
to flatten the top piece or smallest lift of the heel and compress the heel
vertically against the follower.
The pressure applied from above is such that the follower does not yield to
that applied from below otherwise the heel would be lifted from the mould.
The mould is made in three pieces a, a, a³ to facilitate the finishing of its
interior and these are afterwards secured together to form one complete mould.
The pressure may be applied from above and below by means of cranks,
toggles or other usual means employed in presses.
I prefer to employ hydraulic pressure in the following manner:-
The tank b contains water or other suitable liquid which is forced by the
pumps 1, 2, into the bottom of the air vessel 3 until a sufficient pressure
is reached which is determined by the lifting of the safety valve and indicated
on the pressure gauge b
The water is conveyed by a pipe c to the double valve c¹ which is operated
by the handle and has two branch pipes the one communicating with
the upper end of the hydraulic press c and the other with the lower end.
When the handle is in a middle position both the pipes and are closed.
In one extreme position of the handle the pipe is open to pressure and the
pipe open to exhaust so that the ram d is forced downwards, and in the other
extreme the pipe is open to pressure and the pipe c³ to exhaust so that the
ram is lifted again. The stroke of the ram d need only be sufficient to compress
the heel, any variation in the heights of heels being accomodated by making
the pressure head d adjustable on the screw 2 formed for the purpose on
the ram d.
The lower ram e is single acting being returned by weights e, it is operated
by the valve and handle o* which supply and exhaust from the lower end
of the cylinder 3 by the pipe e. The top end of the ram in rising takes
against the piece and forces it upwards. A shoulder e is formed upon the
ram e which takes against the underside of the fixed table f and prevents the
ram from rising too far and doing damage should the pressure in the lower
cylinder be inadvertently applied before that in the upper cylinder.
Two moulds a and a are employed in the machine the one being dis-
charged and refilled while the other one a is between the cylinders. For this
purpose they are secured upon a swinging table which is free to be swung
horizontally through half a circle about its centre g¹ so as to bring each mould
alternately into one or the other position.
To knock out the compressed heel the ram his employed which rises through
a hole provided in the end of the table f. The ram h strikes the piece a
upwards when operated by the lever 2, link h³ and treadle h4.
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 heroin described method of compressing heels for boots and shoes

page_text: which consists in first forcing the heel into a taper mould smaller than the
heel so as to compress it laterally and afterwards applying pressure to flatten
the top piece and compress the heel vertically.
2. A heel compressing mould built up of three pieces secured together, the
upper portion having a parallel hole through it of the size and shape of the
heel seat the middle portion being interiorly formed to impart the desired
shape to the heel and the lower portion having a parallel hole through it of
the size and shape of the top piece of the heel, as herein described.
3. A heel compressing machine provided with a mould to receive the heel,
a positively actuated follower for the purpose of forcing the heel into the
mould and another positively actuated follower acting after the first one iur
the purpose of compressing the heel against the first one.
4. A heel compressing machine provided with a mould to receive the heel,
a hydraulic press for the purpose of putting pressure on the heel seat and a
second hydraulic press for the purpose of putting pressure on the top piece, as
herein described.
5. A heel compressing machine provided with moulds to receive the heels,
a swinging table to carry the moulds, a hydraulic press for putting pressure
on the heel seat, a second hydraulic press for putting pressure on the top piece
and a knocking out apparatus for discharging the compressed heel from the
mould, as herein described.
6. The hydraulic heel compressing machine as herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 27th day of November 1800