EP0756463A1

EP0756463A1 - Machine for lasting side portions of shoe uppers

Info

Publication number: EP0756463A1
Application number: EP95914480A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mark Quibell Blatherwick
Original assignee: USM Espana SA; British United Shoe Machinery Ltd
Current assignee: USM Espana SA; Noxet UK Ltd
Priority date: 1994-04-19
Filing date: 1995-04-13
Publication date: 1997-02-05
Also published as: WO1995028106A1; GB9407581D0

Abstract

A heel seat and side lasting machine has adhesive-applying nozzles (192) and also fastener-inserting units (458) for inserting tacks into the cement-lasted side portions of the shoe. For determining the path of the nozzles (192) the machine has a path-determining mode in which the path can be determined under operator control. The path of the fastener-inserting units (458) can subsequently be calculated from the data relating to the path of the nozzles using computer means. Moreover, if desired the path of the units (458) may be offset by a selected amount from the path of the nozzles (192).

Description

MACHINE FOR LASTING SIDE PORTIONS OF SHOE UPPERS

TECHICAL FIELD This invention is concerned with a machine for lasting side portions of shoe uppers comprising a shoe support for supporting a shoe, comprising a shoe upper on a last and an insole on the last bottom, adhesive-applying means comprising two nozzles, arranged one at each side of the shoe support, means for effecting relative movement between the shoe support and the nozzles, in directions extending lengthwise and widthwise of the bottom of a shoe supported by the shoe support whereby the nozzles are caused to follow a first path along the opposite side portions of the shoe bottom and apply adhesive progressively between lasting marginal portions of the shoe upper and corresponding marginal portions of the insole of the shoe, side lasting instrumentalities whereby the lasting marginal portions of the side portions of the shoe upper can be wiped over and pressed against the corresponding marginal portions of the insole of the shoe thus to cause them to be bonded together, and fastener- inserting means arranged to insert fasteners through the over-wiped lasting marginal portions of the side portions of the shoe upper and into the corresponding marginal portions of the insole, said means comprising two fastener-inserting units arranged one at each side of the shoe support, wherein relative movement is also effected between the shoe support and the fastener-inserting units in directions extending both lengthwise and widthwise of the shoe bottom whereby the units are caused to follow a second path along the opposite side portions of the shoe bottom and to insert fasteners as aforesaid progressively therealong.

BACKGROUND ART Such machines have been commercially available in recent years. For controlling the path of movement of the nozzles in such machines, moreover, conventionally the nozzles of the adhesive-applying means have been guided along the side portions of the shoe bottom by engagement with a part of the shoe, e.g. the insole edge or the upstanding lasting margin (which has been supported by the side lasting instrumentalities for this purpose), although in other machines for lasting side portions of shoe uppers it has been proposed (see e.g. EP-A-0 055 107) to provide electronic control means whereby the nozzles are guided along their paths in accordance with a programmed instruction.

Moreover, in the commercially available machines referred to above the guidance of the fastener-inserting units has either been by template control or under the control of an edge-sensing device by means of which the fastener-inserting units can be guided along the marginal portions of the shoe bottom.

It will of course be appreciated that whereas in certain regions of the side portions of the shoe bottom there is a distinct edge for the edge-sensing device to sense, in other regions, notably in the inside waist region, the edge is ill-defined, so that it is not possible accurately to determine the path to be followed by the fastener-inserting unit as it operates along such region. In other cases, therefore, it has been known for the fastener-inserting units merely to follow a pre¬ determined curve which is not specifically related, or is only generally related, to the particular outline of the shoe bottom. In the case of a template-controlled path, furthermore, it is of course time-consuming and sometimes inconvenient to have to exchange or re-configure templates for different styles and indeed sizes of shoe to be operated upon.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is thus the object of the present invention to provide an improved machine for lasting side portions of shoe uppers using both adhesive-applying means and also fastener-inserting means, in which machine the control of the paths of both the nozzles and the fastener-inserting units can be more accurately controlled without reliance upon time-consuming or otherwise inconvenient control means.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION This invention is resolved in accordance with the present invention, in a machine as set out in the first paragraph above, by the provision of electronic control means whereby in an operating mode of the machine both the nozzles of the adhesive-applying means and also the units of the fastener-inserting means are guided along their paths in accordance with a programmed instruction, and further by the provision of operator-controlled means, operable in a path-determining mode of the machine, whereby relative movement can be effected under operator control between the shoe support and one of the adhesive- applying means and the fastener-inserting means thus to determine one of the first and second paths, said path being stored as data, in the form of digitised co-ordinate axis values, in a memory forming part of the electronic control means, and also in that the electronic control means comprises computer means whereby using the data stored for the one path data for controlling the other path is then calculated.

It will thus be appreciated that in the machine in accordance with the present invention it is now necessary only to determine one of the paths, e.g. the path of the nozzles, and thereafter the other of the paths can be calculated without further intervention by the operator. Moreover, by this arrangement the two paths can be accurately controlled regardless of the distinctness or otherwise of the outline of the shoe bottom. If desired the two paths may be coincident, or alternatively said other path may be offset, in a direction extending widthwise to the shoe bottom, in relation to said one path by a pre-determined distance. Alternatively, again, in calculating said other path either the whole or only selected parts of the stored data (e.g. the start point and the finishing point) may be used, according to the perceived needs for the particular shoe being operated upon. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the adhesive-applying means and the fastener-inserting means are mounted on a common support such that relative movement therebetween does not take place in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe bottom, but can take place between the nozzles and the fastener-inserting units in directions extending widthwise and heightwise of the shoe bottom. More particularly in such embodiment the support for the adhesive-applying means and the fastener- inserting means is mounted for movement relative to the shoe support in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe bottom. In this way, it will be appreciated, the means for effecting movement of the adhesive-applying means relative to the shoe support in a lengthwise direction is also effective to move the fastener-inserting means in said direction.

In using the machine in a path-determining mode, conveniently firstly the nozzles are brought to a start position (which may in fact be in the heel seat region of the shoe bottom) and are thereafter caused to move, lengthwise and widthwise of the shoe bottom, under operator control using a suitable operator-actuatable means, e.g. a joy stick or cursor keys, so that each nozzle is accurately positioned in relation to the marginal portions of the shoe bottom at various points along the traverse of the nozzles. Each such point can then be stored, in the form of digitised co-ordinate axis values, and thus a data file relating to the particular pattern can be created, which data file is then stored in the memory. If desired, at the same time the path of the fastener-inserting units may then also be calculated, according to the particular manner in which such path is to be determined (as referred to above), and also be stored separately, in the form of digitised co-ordinate axis values, in the memory. Alternatively, however, and in said preferred embodiment, the path of the fastener- inserting units is calculated from the stored data relating to the path of the nozzles during the actual operating cycle of the machine; that is to say, the path of the units is determined "on the fly" for each individual operating cycle.

For enabling the path of the fastener-inserting units to be offset in relation to the path of the nozzles, moreover, preferably further operator-actuatable means is provided, for use in the path-determining mode of the machine, for selecting the amount of such offset and for storing the selected amount as a value in the memory of the electronic control means. Such stored value is then applied at the time of calculation of the path of the fastener-inserting units, whether such calculation takes place in the path-determining mode or "on the fly".

Whereas reference has been made above to the one path which is determined and stored as data as aforesaid being the path of the nozzles and the path of the fastener-inserting units constituting the other path, it will of course be appreciated that said one path could also be the path of the fastener-inserting units and the calculated path that of the nozzles. The preference for the path determined under operator control being the path of the nozzles resides in that the nozzles, but not the fastener-inserting units, may also follow a path in the heel seat region of the shoe bottom, thus to facilitate the lasting of the heel seat region also, e.g. by conventional wiper plates. In such a case, moreover, conveniently the fastener-inserting units would be held in an out-of-the-way position during the traverse of the heel seat region by the nozzles and indeed their own traverse of such region.

The above and other of the various objects and several aspects of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of one machine in accordance with the invention. It will of course be appreciated that this machine has been selected for description merely by way of non-limiting exeimple of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of the machine in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of said machine, illustrating a carriage for a side lasting assembly, and also for adhesive-applying means and fastener-inserting means thereof;

Fig. 3 shows details of a side lasting assembly of the machine;

Fig. 4 shows details of the adhesive-applying means of the machine; Fig. 5 shows details of the fastener-inserting means of the machine; and

Figs 6A to 6D are flow charts indicating both normal and also path-determining modes of operation of the machine. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The machine now to be described, which is generally similar, except as hereinafter described, to the machine described in EP-A-0 511 811, is a so-called heel seat and side lasting machine in the operation of which heel seat and side portions of a shoe, comprising a shoe upper carried on a last and an insole on the last bottom, which shoe has already been lasted in the toe region thereof, are lasted; more particularly the lasting of the side portions is first initiated, from the region of the heel breast line toewardly, and thereafter the lasting of the seat portion is effected.

The machine comprises a shoe support generally designated 20 for supporting, bottom up, a shoe, the toe end portion of which has already been lasted, for heel seat and side lasting operations to be performed thereon. Details of the shoe support will be found set out in the aforementioned EP-A-0 511 811. The machine also comprises a wiper mechanism generally designated 170, including a pair of wiper plates (not shown) for lasting heel seat portions of a shoe supported by the shoe support 20, and in addition two side lasting assemblies generally designated 230; these two assemblies are also mirror- opposites and only one will therefore now be described with reference to Fig. 3. Each side lasting assembly 230 comprises a lasting roller 232 of the type comprising a helical rib arrangement by which, as the roller is rotated, an inwiping movement is effected on the lasting marginal portion of a shoe engaged thereby. The roller is mounted in a bearing 234 and is driven through a system of belts and pulleys generally designated 236 by a motor 238. The parts of the assembly 230 just described are all mounted on a support plate 240, itself mounted for pivotal movement, about an axis 242, on a casting 244. For effecting such pivotal movement a gear segment 246, having a centre of curvature at the pivot 242, is mounted on the plate 240 and meshes with a drive pulley 248 which is driven, through a further system of timing belts and gears generally designated 250, from an output shaft of a stepping motor 252 mounted on the casting 244. It will thus be appreciated that the stepping motor 252 controls the angle of tilt of the lasting roller about the axis 242, whereby the roller can accommodate to the widthwise contour of the shoe bottom being operated upon. The casting 244 is itself mounted for pivotal movement on stub shafts 254 (Figs. 2 and 3) extending inwardly of lugs 256 formed on a carrier block 258 which is itself carried on a further shaft 260 supported at opposite ends by lugs 262 formed on a carriage 200. Also mounted on the shaft 260 (Fig. 2), between lugs 262, is a mounting 263 for a piston-and-cylinder arrangement 264 by which the casting 244 is urged in such a direction that the lasting roller 232 is held against the shoe bottom as it is caused to operate progressively therealong. The machine further comprises means for effecting pivotal movement of the carrier block 258 about the shaft 260, said means comprising two piston-and- cylinder arrangements 266, 268 which are mounted on the carriage 200 and are caused to act upon a plate 270 secured to an inwardly directed arm 272 (see Fig. 3) integral with the carrier block 258. The piston-and- cylinder arrangement 266 is generally actuated so that its piston rod is fully extended and in this case the lasting roller is held with its tip at or adjacent the longitudinal centre line L of the shoe support 20, as shown in full line in Fig. 3. In this condition the piston rod of the piston-and-cylinder arrangement 268 is at an intermediate position such that it can be either further extended or fully retracted when the piston-and- cylinder arrangement 266 is de-actuated. In this way. the piston-and-cylinder arrangement 268 is effective to cause pivotal movement of the carrier block 258 which results in the lasting roller being moved transversely of the shoe bottom either to urge it over, i.e. beyond, the longitudinal centre line L of the shoe support 20 (in the case of extension of the piston rod of the arrangement 268), as shown in chain-dot line in Fig. 3, or to withdraw it from adjacent said longitudinal centre line (in the case of retraction of said piston rod) . It will of course be appreciated that the two lasting rollers must be actuated together so that as one is moved beyond the longitudinal centre line the other is withdrawn and vice versa, in order to avoid collision. The purpose of this transverse movement is to enable the lasting rolls to track along opposite marginal portions of the shoe bottom which are not symmetrical along the longitudinal centre line of the shoe support, and indeed one of which may, especially toward the end, cross such longitudinal centre line. Extending along the outside of a main frame of the machine are two parallel slide rods 198 (Figs. 2 and 4) on which the carriage 200 is movable. To this end a stepping motor 202 (Fig. 2) is effective through a gearbox 203 to rotate a drive shaft 204 having drive pulleys 205 at opposite ends thereof. Around each pulley a timing belt 206 is entrained, which is connected to the carriage 200. Idler pulleys 207 are arranged at the opposite ends of the slide rods 198. The stepping motor 202 is thus effective to cause the side lasting assemblies 230 to move relative to the shoe support 20 in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe bottom.

The machine in accordance with the invention also comprises adhesive-applying means generally designated 190 (Fig. 4). Said means 190 comprises two nozzles 192 with each of which is associated a melt chamber 194 and a feed mechanism generally designated 196 (see Fig. 1) by which adhesive in rod form can be fed to the melt chambers 194. The feed mechanism 196 in each case is generally as described in GB 2 216 041 and will not be further described here. The nozzles 192 follow independent paths along marginal portions of opposite sides of the insole, each path being under any suitable control, preferably however under programmed control. The two nozzles are similarly mounted (but on a mirror- opposite basis) and the mounting of only one will now be described.

Mounted, forwardly (i.e. nearer the operator) of the side lasting assembly 230, on a bracket 208 (Fig. 4) upstanding from the carriage 200, for movement about a pivot 209, is a lever 210 on which in turn a carrier block 212 is supported. The carrier block 212 supports a stepping motor 214 on an output shaft of which is carried a pulley 416 connected by a timing belt 418 to a further pulley 420 also supported by the carrier block 212 and rotatable about a shaft 421. Mounted for pivotal movement with the pulley 420 is a bracket 423 which supports the melt chamber 194 and nozzle 192. It will be thus be appreciated that, by operation of the stepping motor 214 the nozzle 192 is movable about the axis of the pulley 420 transversely of the shoe bottom. In this way, and by reason of the lengthwise movement of the carriage 200 under the action of the stepping motor 202, the nozzle 192 can be caused to track in X and Y directions along the shoe bottom. In order to accommodate heightwise variation in the shoe bottom contour, the lever 210 is urged about the pivot 209, so as to maintain contact between the nozzle and the shoe bottom, under the action of a piston- and-cylinder arrangement 226 mounted on the carriage 200. Also mounted on the carriage 200, heelwardly of the lasting roller 232, is fastener-inserting means generally designated 430 (Fig. 5), comprising a housing 432 on which is mounted a stepping motor 434 which drives a ball screw 436 accommodated within the housing. The end of the ball screw 436 remote from the stepping motor is threadedly engaged with a block 438 which is mounted for sliding movement within the housing. The block 438 carries an arm 440 on which a tacker head generally designated 442 is supported. The housing 432 is supported on the carriage 200 for pivotal movement about an axis 444. To this end, a piston-and-cylinder arrangement 446 is carried on the housing, its piston rod being connected to a lever 448 which is mounted for pivotal movement in a bifurcated block 450 supported on the carriage 200. The lever 448 moreover is also connected to a piston rod of a further piston-and-cylinder arrangement 452 supported on the carriage. Thus, by varying the position of the lever under the control of the arrangement 452, and pivoting the housing to the full extent of the stroke of the arrangement 446, the degree of pivotal movement of the housing 432 can be controlled. Moreover, by reason of the arrangement 446 being relatively large, the housing, and thus also the tacker head 442 therewith, can be moved rapidly between its operative position (shown in full line in Fig. 5) and its out-of-the-way position (shown in faint line in Fig. 5). A proximity switch 464 is mounted on the block 450 and provides a signal when the head is in its out-of-the-way position. For preventing damage to the various mountings, moreover, shock absorbers are provided acting between the housing and the carriage 200.

The tacker head 442 comprises a guide roller 454 wnich is brought into engagement with the shoe bottom and thus determines the heightwise position of the tacker head. The roller is supported by the arm 440 and in turn supports a bearing on which a block 456 is mounted, said block in turn carrying a pneumatically actuatable fastener-inserting unit 458, said unit including a tack- inserting head 460 which is urged into engagement with the shoe bottom about the axis of the roller 454 under the influence of a piston-and-cylinder arrangement 462 supported on the block 456. The unit 458 can thus pivot about the axis of the roller 454 and is held generally perpendicular to the shoe bottom portion engaged thereby. It will of course be appreciated that each of the carriages 200 has fastener-inserting means 430 associated therewith and that the fastener-inserting units 458 thereof are moved lengthwise of the shoe under the control of the stepping motor 202. As in the case of the nozzles 192, furthermore, the units 458 follow independent paths along marginal portions of opposite sides of the shoe bottom under programmed control, as will be described below.

The use of the machine will now be described with reference to Figs. 6A to 6D. With a shoe supported by the shoe support 20 and clamped thereby (step 500), firstly the electronic control is interrogated as to whether normal operation or a path-determining operation is selected (step 502). In the case of normal operation, the machine cycle is initiated, whereupon the nozzles 192 of the adhesive-applying means 190 move downwardly into engagement with the insole of the shoe (step 504) toewardly of the backseam region thereof by the action of piston-and-cylinder arrangements 226, and thereafter they are moved heelwardly by the action of the stepping motor 202 (step 506), acting on the carriages 200. At this stage the nozzles are closely adjacent one another so that they move to a position in the region of the backseam and adjacent the insole edge. If the lasting margin has previously been in-flanged, then the nozzles move beneath such in-flanged portion; it has been found that by reason of the pivoting movement of the nozzles about the axis 421 the tendency is for the nozzle to effect a "scooping" action in relation to such in-flanged lasting margin, thus ensuring that the nozzle enters beneath the in-flanged portion. In this position the feed mechanisms 196 for the adhesive are initiated (step 508) so that adhesive is then applied from the nozzles to the insole and, under the influence of stepping motors 214 and stepping motor 202, the nozzles are caused to move along the path which has previously been determined as aforesaid (step 510) .

At this stage the rollers 232, which are still held out of engagement with the shoe bottom, are caused to begin rotation under the action of motors 238 (step 512) and, when the nozzles have moved forwards from the heel breast line region of the shoe bottom by a distance more or less equal to the spacing between the nozzles and the rollers (approximately 75 ram in the machine described above) (step 514), they are moved downwardly under the action of piston-and-cylinder arrangements 264 (step 516) and engage the lasting marginal portions of the shoe upper. By reason of the rotation of the lasting rollers 232 as described above, furthermore, the helical rib arrangement of each effects an inwiping movement on such lasted marginal portion at the point of engagement and also presses said lasting marginal portion against a corresponding marginal portion of the insole, thus causing the two marginal portions to be bonded together by the previously applied adhesive. If desired, the rollers 232 are moved widthwise during their movement along the shoe bottom and also can be tilted relative to the shoe bottom by the action of the motors 266, 268 and 252 (step 518), again under programmed control. It will be noted that the fastener-inserting means 430 are maintained in their out-of-the-way position while the rollers 232 traverse the heel seat region of the shoe. When the rollers have passed the heel breast line region (step 520), on the other hand, the tacker heads 442 are caused to pivot (step 522), by operation of their associated piston-and-cylinder arrangements 446, to bring the tack-inserting heads 460 into engagement with the now wiped over and bonded lasting marginal portions of the shoe. .Although it would readily be possible to calculate the paths of the fastener-inserting units 458 from the nozzle path data during the path-determining mode of the machine (referred to below) and store the unit path data in the memory, the preferred procedure in the machine of the present invention is that the paths of the units are determined "on the fly" (step 524) (that is to say are calculated from the nozzle path data as the heads progressively move along their paths) and any offset which has been previously selected (as will be referred to below) is applied to the nozzle path data after shoe sensing (left or right) and size grading has been completed.

As described in greater detail in the aforementioned EP-A-0 511 811, the side portions of the shoe are lasted progressively, both the nozzles 192 and the units 460 moving independently in the Y-axis in accordance with the programmed instruction. The paths of movement, moreover, are terminated independently of each other as the boundary with the previously toe-lasted portion of the shoe bottom is reached, said boundary being taught during the path-determining operation.

Once the units 460 have cleared the heel breast line (step 526), moreover, the heel seat of the shoe can be lasted, in the manner described in the aforementioned EP-A-0 511 811. More particularly, at this stage the wiper mechanism 170 is advanced (step 528) and this forward movement is monitored (step 530) until the wipers are in the correct forward position. At this stage the operation of the wipers can take place to wipe the lasting marginal portions in the heel seat region of the shoe over and press them against corresponding marginal portions of the insole. As is conventional, moreover, once the in- wiping movement has terminated, bedding pressure can be applied for a dwell period (step 532). At the end of the dwell period (which may be controlled by a suitable timer) , the electronic control means sets a flag A = 1 (step 534) and thereafter the wipers are retracted (step 536). The setting of the flag is for purposes which will be referred to later. The retracting movement of the wipers is monitored (step 538) and once the wipers are retracted the heel seat lasting operation sequence is terminated (step 540).

Meanwhile, the forward movement of the carriages 200, and thus the side lasting operation, continues, this movement being monitored by the electronic control means. Upon reaching a first end position (step 542) the adhesive feed is terminated and shortly thereafter the nozzles 192 are raised out of engagement with the shoe bottom (step 544). The timing of the adhesive feed termination and the raising of the nozzles will be such as to militate against any drooling, or significant drooling, of adhesive from the nozzles. As the carriage movement continues, a second end position is reached (step 546) and at this stage the rollers 232 are raised out of engagement with the shoe bottom (step 548). Finally, a third end position is reached (step 550) at which the tackers are raised out of such engagement (step 552) and at the same time the movement of the carriages is terminated. If now the flag A = 1 (step 554), then the carriages can be returned to their initial position (step 556), this return movement being monitored (step 558) such that when the carriage has returned to its initial position the various instrumentalities (nozzles, rollers and tackers) can also be reset to their initial position (step 560) in relation to the carriages.

The side and seat lasting operations thus having been terminated, the shoe can be removed and the machine is ready for a subsequent shoe to be operated upon. It will thus be appreciated that, using the machine in accordance with the present invention, side portions of shoes may be lasted using adhesive (i.e. "cement-lasted") and thereafter the cement lasting may be reinforced by the insertion of tacks. The use of adhesive in combination with tacks may indeed be advantageous even in cases where, from the point of view of lasting alone, tacks would suffice; for example, the adhesive serves as a lubricant for enhancing the in-wiping effect of the lasting rollers 232, leading to perhaps tighter lasting than would otherwise be the case, and in addition the adhesive serves to seal the lasting marginal portions with the insole.

It will of course be appreciated that the machine described above may be used for a cement side lasting operation only, in which case the fastener- inserting means 430 will be held out of engagement with the shoe for the whole of the X-axis movement, or alternatively the machine may be used for a tack side lasting operation only, by retaining the nozzles out of such shoe bottom engagement.

If a path-determining operation is selected at step 502, preferably a model shoe (e.g. a shoe in the middle of a size range for a given style) will have been placed in the shoe support and clamped in position. In response to depression of a "start" button 474 on a control panel 470 mounted at the front of the machine (see Fig. 1), the nozzles 192 are brought to a start position at the backseam region of the shoe bottom (step 562), representing the start position for each nozzle movement. From this position the nozzles are then moved automatically through a pre-determined distance along a shoe-lengthwise (X-axis) direction to a first position (step 564), from which then the operator, using cursor buttons 472 (step 566) also on the control panel 470, moves the nozzles in a shoe-widthwise (Y-axis) direction (step 568) to locate each nozzle, independently of the other, at a desired position along the marginal portion of the shoe bottom. When the operator is satisfied with the positioning, he depresses a "teach" button 476 (step 570) also on the control panel. This serves to store the X- and Y-axis information (step 572), in the form of digitised co-ordinate axis values, and also causes the nozzles to be moved again in the X-axis direction to a next position. After a short delay (step 574) this process is repeated until the whole of the length of the shoe bottom has been digitised. Each nozzle is of course positioned in the Y-axis direction under such operator control independently of the other. When the digitising of the shoe bottom is complete the operator terminates the operation by a further depression e.g. of the start button 474 (step 576); it will be noted, that such depression is monitored throughout the digitising operation, the delay being provided for this purpose. (Alternatively a separate "terminating" button (not shown) may be provided on the control panel. )

The predetermined distance between points is generally the same along the whole of the length of the shoe bottom, but if desired it may be varied to take account of unusually configured shoe bottoms. In addition, in the machine now being described, no account is taken of the heightwise contour of the shoe bottom in determining the distance between successive points, but if desired, the heightwise contour may also be taken into consideration.

For determining the path to be followed by each of the fastener-inserting units 458, it would be possible to effect a similar operation to that described with regard to the paths of the nozzles. In the machine in accordance with the invention, however, the path of each unit 458 is determined from the data obtained in determining the nozzle paths. If desired, therefore, each unit 458 may follow the same path as its associated nozzle. In some cases, however, it will be desirable to offset the unit path relative to the nozzle path by a selected distance. To this end, the control panel 470 also includes a display 480 on which a suitable menu can be displayed as well as other operating information. At the end of the digitising operation just described, therefore, additional information is requested using the menu (step 578), relating to any offset required between each of the nozzle paths and the paths of their associated units. A short delay (step 580) allows the operator to select one of the displayed offsets or none of them (step 582), using a selector button 478 on the control panel. Any offset selected is stored as part of the data file (step 584) .

During the digitising operation it has been found convenient to store the digitised information in volatile memory; the information can then be transferred, as a complete data file, to non-volatile memory when the determination of the path has been completed (step 586). Such non-volatile memory may be a hard disk or e.g. an EEPROM. In this way, it is possible to store a plurality of data files relating to different styles of shoe. The stored data file can then be recalled, e.g. by operation of the control panel 470, whenever a shoe of the relevant style is presented to the machine. The shoe need not be of the same size or "hand" (right or left) as the model shoe which has been digitised, the machine being capable of sensing left and right shoes and also measuring the shoe length. Thus, for a shoe of opposite hand from the model shoe it is necessary only to reverse the values of the Y-axis information, and for accommodating shoes of different sizes, a grading programme is provided which is executed by computer means of the machine (of which of course the memory forms part) .

Claims

Claims ;

A machine for lasting side portions of shoe uppers comprising a shoe support (20) for supporting a shoe, comprising a shoe upper on a last and an insole on the last bottom, adhesive-applying means (190) comprising two nozzles

(192), arranged one at each side of the shoe support (20), means (202) for effecting relative movement between the shoe support (20) and the nozzles (192), in directions extending lengthwise and widthwise of the bottom of a shoe supported by the shoe support (20) whereby the nozzles (192) are caused to follow a first path along the opposite side portions of the shoe bottom and apply adhesive progressively between lasting marginal portions of the shoe upper and corresponding marginal portions of the insole of the shoe, side lasting instrumentalities (230) whereby the lasting marginal portions of the side portions of the shoe upper can be wiped over and pressed against the corresponding marginal portions of the insole of the shoe thus to cause them to be bonded together, and fastener-inserting means (430) arranged to insert fasteners through the over-wiped lasting marginal portions of the side portions of the shoe upper and into the corresponding marginal portions of the insole, said means comprising two fastener-inserting units (458) arranged one at each side of the shoe support (20), wherein relative movement is also effected between the shoe support (20) and the fastener-inserting units (458) in directions extending both lengthwise and widthwise of the shoe bottom whereby the units are caused to follow a second path along the opposite side portions of the shoe bottom and to insert fasteners as aforesaid progressively therealong, characterised by electronic control means whereby in an operating mode of the machine both the nozzles (192) of the adhesive-applying means (190) and also the units (458) of the fastener-inserting means (430) are guided along their paths in accordance with a programmed instruction, and further characterised by operator-controlled means (470,472,474,476), operable in a path-determining mode of the machine, whereby relative movement can be effected under operator control between the shoe support and one of the adhesive-applying means (190) and the fastener- inserting means (430) thus to determine one of the first and second paths, said path being stored as data, in the form of digitised co-ordinate axis values, in a memory forming part of the electronic control means, and characterised in that the electronic control means also comprises computer means whereby using the data stored for the one path data for controlling the other path is then calculated.

2. A machine according to Claim 1 characterised in that the adhesive-applying means (190) and the fastener-inserting means (430) are mounted on a common support (200) such that relative movement therebetween does not take place in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe bottom, but can take place between the nozzles (192) and the fastener-inserting units (458) in directions extending widthwise and heightwise of the shoe bottom.

3. A machine according to Claim 2 characterised in that the support (200) for the adhesive- applying means (190) and the fastener-inserting means (430) is mounted for movement relative to the shoe support (20) in a direction extending lengthwise of the shoe bottom.

4. A machine according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3 characterised in that said other path is calculated from the stored data during the operating cycle of the machine.

5. A machine according to Claim 1 characterised in that in calculating said other path only selected parts of the stored data (e.g. the start point and the finishing point) are used.

6. A machine according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3 or Claim 5 characterised in that said other path is offset, in a direction extending widthwise of the shoe bottom, in relation to said one path by a pre¬ determined distance, and in that further operator-actuatable means (478) is provided for selecting the amount of such offset and for storing the selected amount as a value in the memory of the electronic control means.

7. A machine according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3 or Claim 5 characterised in that the nozzles (192), but not the fastener-inserting units (458), also follow a path in the heel seat region of the shoe bottom.

8. A machine according to Claim 7 characterised in that the fastener-inserting units (458) are held in an out-of-the-way position during traverse of the heel seat region by the nozzles (192).