101,286. Reece Shoe Machinery Co., (Assignees of Perri, A.). Aug. 26, 1915, [Convention date]. Lasting..- The pulling. over and lasting operations on a shoe are arranged to be performed by the one operator in a single machine which is provided with a universal jack so, that the shoe is first supported with its bottom downwards and its toe inclined upwards and away from the operator for the pulling-over operation, and then, after the application of a clamp to hold the upper, the shoe is inverted so that its toe points towards the operator while the sides are lasted, and finally it is swung into a position where its toe and heel are lasted by horizontally-disposed wiper mechanism. This enables the steamsoftened upper to be cornpletely lasted before it stiffens, and without the use of tacks after the pulling- over operation. Fig. 1 shows the machine in front elevation, the jack, which is counterweighted, being indicated generally at 43, the clamp at 44, the pulling-over mechanism at 42, and the heel and toe lasting-mechanism at 45, 46 respectively. The jack 43 comprises a bent arm 51, Figs. 1, 2, and 5, pivoted at 50 in a bracket 40 on the machine frame and carrying at its upper end the pivot 52 of a second arm 53, which is journaled to receive a short shaft 55 projecting from a shoe rest 54. The shoe is located substantially in line with both pivots 50, 52, and its inclination may be varied by means of an arm 56 secured at its lower end to the shaft 55 and having its upper end in engagement with a curved guide 58 secured to the arm 53; a lock 59, 61, releasable by a hand-lever 63, secures the arm 56 in its adjusted position. The clamping-device 44 comprises a fixed central pad 73, Fig. 12, and yieldingly-mounted adjustable side pads 74 carried by an arm 70, which is pivoted at 71, Figs. 11 and 12, to a sleeve 64 surrounding the arm 56. During the pulling-over operation, the clamping- device is held by a spring 72 in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11, but is afterwards swung over the shoe and then lowered to clamp the upper; this is effected against the action of a spring 65 by a rack and pinion 57, 67 operated from a hand-lever 66, which is then secured by a locking-device 68, 69. The movements of the arm 70 are limited by steps, and in its operative position it is held rigid by a tongue and groove 84, 85, When the shoe is positioned for pulling-over, the jack-arm 51 contacts with a stop 101, Fig. 1, but when inverted its position is determined by a projection. 102 which enters a socket 103 in a member 104 secured to the base of the machine. The pulling-over means comprise a toe-gripper 110, and a pair of grippers 111 at each side of the shoe. These grippers, which are provided with means initially to adjust them to the size of the shoe, are adapted to be closed simultaneously by the engagement of a head 125, Figs. 2 and 16, on a treadle-operated rod 126 with levers 120, which carry cam-rolls 119 acting on tails 117 of the movable jaws 115 of the grippers. The grippers are held closed by locking-levers 121, which are, however, subsequently tripped by the head 125 when the operator releases a latch lever 135 associated with the treadle 133 of the rod 126. The toe-gripper is lowered to stretch the upper by connexions, shown in Figs. 2 and 16, with a handlever 149, which its pivoted to a bracket 39 and is furnished with a locking-device. Each pair of side grippers is similarly actuated by connexions with a hand-lever 168, so that the initial pull at each side of the shoe can be independently adjusted, but afterwards all the side grippers are lowered simultaneously by connexions 156, 158, 159, 160 with a treadle 161. After the clamp has been lowered, the grippers are allowed to open, and the jack is then inverted by a simple swing- ing movement about the pivot 50. The sides of the shoe are then lasted by any known means, the jack being swung about the pivot 52 into different angular positions as desired. Finally, the jack is swung into position to be operated upon by the toe and heel lasting-mechanisms, the heel being preferably lasted first. The heel-lasting mechanism 45 is mounted in a hollow head 203, Fig. 1, in a heavy arm 202, which is socketed at 200 in a recess 201 located in the machine frame e vertically beneath the shoe. The lasting- mechanism consists of a series of inter-connected carriages 206, 220, 230, 240, Figs. 1 and 19, provided with handwheels by which they can be moved to correct for the height, pitch, and swing of the last. The lasting-devices proper comprise a pair of wipers and a heel clamp. This clamp consists of a selfadjusting central pad 253, Fig. 27, carried by a spring-pressed slide 255, and a pair of yieldinglymounted side pads 254 carried by spring-pressed arms 266, which are adapted to be closed by camwedges on the slide 255. The clamp is closed round the shoe as the carriage 240 is advanced by means of its hand-wheel 244, the carriage then being locked by a spring catch 246, Fig. 20. The wipers are mounted between plates 270, 271, Fig. 19, and comprise a pair of plates 272, Figs. 20 and 21, with semi-circular extensions 276 adapted to fit round a pin 275 and to engage a recess in a slide bar 273. This bar is formed with side extensions 283, to which are pivoted levers 284 connected at their front ends by links 291 to the wiper plates and having rolls 285 on their rear ends in engagement with cams 286 adjustably supported below the plate 271. As the bar 273 is advanced by a hand-lever 281, the wipers swing inwards over the work, and by manipulating the hand-wheel 217, Fig. 1, they are caused to press downwards to mould the edge of the upper over the last, after which it is secured by tacks. During the operation on the heel, the shoe may be steadied by a swinging abutment 387 on the toe-lasting head, while during the lasting of the toe, the heel clamp may be left in engagement with the shoe; the abutment 387 is swung into an inoperative position as soon as the heel is lasted. The toe-lasting mechanism also comprises a series of inter-connected carriages 314. 320, 330, 340, 350, Fig. 1, to provide for the usual adjustments, the bottom carriage being mounted in a swinging arm 302 having a heavy stem 301, which is socketed in the machine frame and rests on a spring 312; the whole mechanism may be lifted and lowered by connexions 311, 310, 309 with a double treadle 308. The upper carriage, which is movable by means of a band-lever 353 fitted with a locking- device 356, 357, is formed near its front end with a wall 360, forward of which are pivotally mounted wiper boxes 363, 364, each fitted with wiper plates for right and left shoes; these boxes are held in place by spring latches 365, 366 and may be readily interchanged so that shoes of a pair may be operated upon in turn. Each wiper device comprises two plates 370, Fig. 31, mounted to swing about a centre 371 exactly where their edges meet; they are detachably connected to oscillating toothed plates 372 in gear with sliding racks 377, which are formed with hook ends 378 to engage, as the wiper box is swung into position, hooks 379 on arms 380 secured to the carriage 340. As the carriage 350 is advanced, the racks 377 are held stationary, and the carriers 372 are swung to close the wipers over the work. The wipers are confined in their box by a cover 374, Fig. 1, having a hinged lid 382 held closed by a clamp 383. Fig. 14 shows a modified construction of shoe upper clamp for use when the bracket 38 is fitted with a stationary block 41 on which the shoe rests during the pulling-over operation. The arm 70 carries a sliding block 88 which pivotally supports link connexions 91, 92, 94 carrying pivoted feet 96; when the block is raised by its hand-lever 90, the feet are first swung inwards until ribs 98 engage the side of the shoe, and are then raised to clamp the shoe.