107,789. British United Shoe Machinery Co., (United Shoe Machinery Co.). June 13, 1916. Lasting.-Relates to pulling-over or pulling-over and lasting machines. such as of the type described in Specifications 7005/00 and 9793/08, as distinguished from progressive lasting-machines, such as of the type described in Specification 14,453/97, and consists in the provision of means which effect, independently of work in the machine, an adjustment to adapt the machine for operating upon a right boot instead of a left, or vice versa, as a consequence of operating the machine; preferably the adjustment is effected in successive cycles so that the machine acts alternately upon right and left boots. The machine comprises the usual toe and side grippers 2, 3, sole rest 1, heel rest 4, side clamps 5, and tackers 6, and is operated with the usual stop after the updraw for inspection and adjustment. The rear ends of levers 10 of the side grippers are connected to a slide 12 operated from a cam 14 on a shaft 15, and from this slide rise rods 16, 17 which extend through the forked rear ends of the levers 10 and through blocks 18, 19 embracing the cylindrical ends of the levers; the rods are encircled by the usual adjustable updraw springs 20, 21. Between the blocks 18, 19 and the springs are arranged slidable wedges 24, 25 notched to co-operate with angular washers 26, 27, the wedges being oppositely inclined so that, when moved in the same direction, the tension of one of the upward springs will be increased while the other is decreased, causing the relative pulling movements of the grippers tc be adjusted to the requiremants of the two sides of the upper. The wedges are connected by links 28, 29 to short arms of a hand-lever 30. This adjustment of the side-grippers forms the subject-matter of Specification 107,957. The lever 30 is connected to the heel rest 4 and also to the toe gripper and tacker so that these are adjusted simultaneously with the side grippers. The connexion comprises a link 46 engaging a forked arm of a bell-crank 45, which is connected bv a link 42 and a rocker arm to a shaft 48 on which is splined a pinion in gear with a segmental gear 39. A lever 38 eccentrically connected to this gear extends from the rear of the heel rest, which is mounted as described in Specification 12,304/03, and movement of the lever causes the rest to swing with respect to its carrier 35 through a tongue-and-groove connexion 36, 37 curved in the arc of a circle, the centre of which is located substantially at the intersection point of the median lines of a standard crooked last. The link 46 is extended forwards and connected to a rock shaft 50 having a segmental gear and rack connexion with a sliding guide 52, through which the toe gripper 2 and toe tacker extend as described in Specification 24783/1910. In order that the machine may be reset automatically for pulling-over right and left shoes alternately, a slide 55, which is common to the machine described in Specification 12304/03, and is moved bv a cam towards the front of the machine after the shoe has been tacked, pivotally carries two hooked arms 57, 58, which are urged towards each other by spring plungers 53 and are adapted to engage studs on the opposite arms of a rocking-lever 59, the upper end of which is formed as a toothed segment engaging teeth on the hub of the hand-lever 30. A five-pointed star wheel 60 is located between the arms 57, 58 and carries a ratchet adapted to be actuated by an adjustably mounted pawl 62, which is adapted to rotate the star wheel through one-tenth of a revolution at the end of the rearward stroke of the slide 55. The arms 57, 58 are thus alternately positioned tor engagement with the studs on the rocking-lever 59, and movement of the slide 55 therefore sets the machine automatically for operation on right and left shoes alternately. The pawl 62 may be rendered inoperative, when desired, by means of a cam 65, when it will turn the star wheel 60 so as to hold both arms 57, 58 inoperative with respect to the rocking-lever 59, and the adjustment of the machine may then be effected by the hand-lever 30 at the will of the operator.