1,064,783. Heel attaching machines. I UNITED SHOE MACHINERY ) Ltd. Dec. 4, 1963 [Dec. 7, 1962], No. 47827/63. Heading A3B. A heel attaching machine has a jack movable between a work-receiving position and an operative position, a mount and a spindle on the jack for mounting a last bearing a shoe, means for locking the spindle and for permitting movement of the mount when the jack is in the workreceiving position, and means operative by pivotal movement of the jack into operative position to lock the mount and unlock the spindle. The jack 22 comprises a carrier (28) (Fig. 15, not shown) which is pivoted to lugs (26) on the machine frame and can be swung about the pivots by a piston and cylinder 232 from a work-receiving position as shown in Fig. 4 to an operative position in which the jack 22 is vertical (Fig. 7, not shown). The mount 44 comprises a tubular piston 170 in a cylinder 168 formed in the carrier (28) and carries at its upper end a bed-plate 174 with a hemispherical base to support the last. The cylinder 168 contains oil and the piston 170 has a valve 206 at its lower end so that when the valve 206 is open the piston 170 may move heightwise and when closed the piston 170 and hence the mount 44 is locked against depression by the oil in cylinder 168. The valve is operated by a bellcrank (210) having a lever (212) which is moved by a cam surface (220) on a cam rod (214) (Figs. 9, 15, not shown) mounted in lugs 216, 217 on the carrier (28). When in work-receiving position a spring 222 causes the wide end of the cam rod 214 to engage the lever (212) and so open the valve. On swinging to the operative position the end of the cam rod 214 engages a plate 144 mounted in the machine frame to move the cam rod 214 (Fig. 9, not shown) to close the valve 206 and thus lock the mount in position. The spindle 42 is slidable in a guide block 48 which is pivoted to the carrier (28) and which can be held in position for use with a last having a channel through the thimble hole (Fig. 4) or behind the thimble hole (Fig. 10, not shown) by a catch (not shown) engaging recess (56) or (56a) in the guide block. A sleeve 72 may be fitted over the spindle 42, held in position by a catch 100, to accommodate different sizes in last holes. The spindle is slidable in the guide block 48 and is urged upwards by a spring 80 attached to a block 84 clamped to the bottom of the spindle. The block 84 has a projection 160 on one side which slides in a slot 162 to limit the movement of the spindle 42 and has a similar projection (130, not shown) on the other side which, when in work-receiving position, is engaged by a hook (132) on a lever (134) to lock the spindle against heightwise movement. When moved to operative position a cam rod 138 engages the plate 144 and the lever 134 to swing the lever and hook (132) clear of the projection (130) to allow the spindle to move heightwise. The spindle 42 receives a driver 70. The hold-down (180) is mounted on a hood 14 which is slidable heightwise in the machine frame 12 and is moved downwards in two stages, firstly to an intermediate position in which the hold-down is just above the heel by a piston and cylinder (258) (Fig. 3, not shown) and secondly is moved down from this intermediate position to clamp the heel by a piston and cylinder (244). The driver 70 is driven by a plunger 322 on a piston (318) in a cylinder 272, the throw of the driver being limited by a resilient pad 324 on the piston 318 engaging an adjustable stop 326. The machine has an automatic hydraulic control system which operates as follows:- on depression of a treadle (242) (Fig. 3, not shown) a valve spool (250) is released to operate cylinder 232 to move the jack to its operative position where a plunger 288 (Fig. 4) on the carrier 28 operates a valve 290 to actuate cylinder (258) to move the hold-down to its intermediate position. The machine then stops to allow the operator to check and, if necessary, adjust the position of the heel. On further depression of the treadle (242) a valve (300) is operated to actuate cylinder (244) to clamp the heel and on build up of sufficient pressure in an accumulator (not shown) cylinder 272 is operated to drive the nail or screw. On release of the treadle the various parts return to their initial positions. The machine has a safety device in the form of cams (302) (Fig. 3, not shown) carried by the cylinder (258) which operates a valve (342) to cut off fluid pressure to the accumulator of the driver if the hold-down is lowered a distance incompatible with the presence of a correctly positioned heel.