1,032,461. Shoemaking. FORMULAST CORPORATION. April 27, 1962 [April 28, 1961], No. 15450/61. Heading A3B. In an apparatus for making shoes in which the upper is mulled before it is lasted, a conveyer is provided to transport the lasts upper and insoles between the various machines. The method of mulling uppers is similar to that disclosed in Specification 957,413, the method of laying cemented soles to that in Specification 857,012 while the method of manufacturing shoes is, in part, described in Specifications 933,183 and 975,936. In Fig. 1 (not shown) there is diagrammatically shown a layout for manufacturing women's high heeled shoes. A last, with an insole attached, and a cemented outsole are placed on a conveyer while the associated upper is placed on the conveyer belt of a muller. After the upper has been mulled it is assembled on the last, pulled over, and side and forepart lasted. After travelling through a toe steamer, Fig. 4, the upper is bed lasted and then heel seat lasted. The lasts on the conveyer then pass through a drier-see divisional Specification 1,032,347-which is in three sections to remove the moisture progressively from the upper. The insole tacks are removed, and the shoe is trimmed, inspected, crowned, pounded, roughed and has a shank stiffener, cork filling for the sole inserted. The shoe and outsole are then preheated, cement is applied to the lasting margin and the solvent is evaporated by being passed through cement driers. After a heel if any is attached the cement on both the outsole and lasting margin is activated and the sole laid. The last and sole conveyer 55 (Figs. 2 & 4). The lasts are mounted on blocks 59 which are connected to a conveyer chain 70. Paddles 71 are connected to one or more links of the chain 70 to sweep up any tacks 73 &c. that may accumulate. The blocks 59, of a low friction material, i.e. nylon, slide between lugs 58 and 60 of a longitudinal guide channel 48. This channel has sets of opposed lips 61, 62, 63 on its sides and bottom so that various elements may be attached to it. A last 75 fits on to a shelf 82 which has upstanding portions 83 at the four corners and which forms part of a collar 81 around a post 76 threaded to the block 59. The collar is supported by a spring 79. A sole 90 is held by a wire 91 on a sloping shelf 88. The conveyer chain 70 is driven by a drive sprocket 2 and motor 99 (Fig. 2) at a speed for example of 6 ft./min. The muller 9 (Figs. 2 and 5). The conveyer belt 102 of the muller is driven by either one of the idle sprockets of the main conveyor or an auxiliary motor. The belt is inclined downwardly at the ends of the muller to lessen the escape of steam at the entrance and exit, and may be made of a open mesh metal material. Beneath slider rails 119 there is a fine screen 121 to prevent any splashing from the water tank reaching the uppers on the upper run of the conveyer belt. An essentially saturated atmosphere at a temperature between 140‹F. is provided by a steam supply line 130 and spray nozzles 134 which operate intermittently. The steam is equally effective in moistening both sides of the upper. The perforations in the pipe 130, which is submerged in the water tank, are directed downwards. The nozzles are directed upwardly, and longitudinally in opposite disposed pairs to provide an even distribution of spray without a net flow of gas through the muller. Paddle wheels 134a may be provided to cause turbulent agitateion of the atmosphere. To prevent condensation on the walls from dripping on to the upper, the upper portion of the inner shell is of triangular shape, and the end plates 110, 111 have conduits 139, 140 to direct the condensate back to the tank. Between the outer and inner shells 107, 108, both of which may be made of fibreglass filled resin, there is an insulating composition 109 of polyurethane foam. The water circuit Fig. 6 (not shown) leading up to the spray nozzles, has a pump, a relief line, a check valve to prevent back flow, a wetting agent injector, a pressure accumulator, a first control valve which is generally shut but is opened when a first solenoid is energized, an immersion heating unit, and a drain line with a second control valve which is normally open but is shut when a second solenoid is energized. The two solenoids are connected to a conductive segment on a disc which is pivotly mounted and has two adjustable stop members on its circumference. A motor causes a wiper connected to a voltage source to rotate about the disc so that it makes electric contact with the segment over part of its rotation thus linking the solenoids to the voltage source. When the wiper reaches one of the stops it causes the disc to start to rotate with the result that a switch is reversed so that the current to the motor is reversed and the wiper rotates in the opposite direction. The toe steamer 19 (Fig. 4). Steam emerges from perforations in a pipe 187 immersed in water, passes through a baffle 188, and a lid 186, into the toe steamer. The inner plate 184 is shaped teo prevent condensation falling on to the upper. The perforations in the pipe 187 may be graduated so that a major proportion of the steaming is done in the first part before the first bed-lasting station is reached while in the second part the condition of those uppers which are bed-lasted at the second station is maintained. In addition further pipe or pipes may be provided in the first portion so that conditioning in the two portions may be adjusted. The steam may be extended to cover the heel so that a counter stiffener may be activated for heel seat lasting. The cement activitation 39. The shoe bottom activator has a plurality of elongated heating units for different portions of the shoe bottom, each of adjustable height, and of varying length dependent on the amount of heat required for the particular portion, e.g. most for the forward portion and least for the heel breast portion. The outsole activating unit has a double reflector with an elongated quartz heating bulb in each part. If an upper of a synthetic plastic, e.g. polyvinylchloride, is used it is first preheated above the temperature of the muller and then placed in the muller with lining side upmost with the moisture applied mainly from the sprays.