1347693 Boots &c BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO Ltd 27 May 1971 [28 May 1970] 17363/71 Heading A3B A lasting machine includes a plurality of operating stations A to F and at least one shoe carrier 50 which moves in sequence through the stations and includes means for clamping a tensioned upper against the last and for holding it in clamped condition as it moves through the machine. As described the shoe upper is positioned and pulled over the last at station A and is then clamped between a forepart support 68 and a toe pad 220, the upper being held in its tensioned condition by a toe band 222 and a heel band 94. The toe pad 220, toe band 222 and heel band 94 are applied at station A by power operated means and are releasably held in their operative position, e.g. by latches, as the carrier 50 moves through the machine. The machine may include a toe lasting station B, two shank lasting stations C and D, a heel lasting station E and an unloading station F. The carriers 50 run through the machine on tracks 40 and each carrier includes an upper frame 60 and a lower frame 62. At the heel end of the frames a cross piece 74 (Fig. 7 ) can move in a generally heightwise direction in arcuate guides 70. A slide 80 carrying the heel band 94 can move lengthwise of the shoe in the cross piece 74. The cross piece 74 is raised to bring the heel band 94 to its correct position by blocks 162, 164 (Figs. 12, 15) engaging pins 126, 130 on the cross piece 74. The blocks 162, 164 are mounted on a swing- ing frame 150, 152 which is moved by piston and cylinders 174. A valve 180 (Fig. 12) having a plunger 182 is mounted on a cross piece of the frame 150, 152 and acts as a sensing member, movement of the frame being terminated when the plunger 182 contacts the shoe bottom. The cross piece 74 is then held in its correct position by a latch 120 (Fig. 7) on the cross piece 74 engaging teeth 124 on the frame 62. The heel band 94 is moved into contact with the shoe intially under light pressure by a lever 200 (Fig. 15) operated by piston and cylinder 202 which engages a down-turned portion 140 of the slide 80. At a later stage the heel band 94 is applied at a high pressure by an abutment 198 which is moved into contact with the slide 80 by piston and cylinders 190 (Fig. 12) connected to the abutment 198 by rods 192 and cross bar 196. The heel band slide 80 is held in its operative position by a latch 84 (Fig. 7)-engaging teeth 86 on the slide 80. At the toe end of the carrier 50 a block 236 (Figs. 10, 11) can move lengthwise of the shoe, the block 236 having rods 232 which move in bores 230 in the frame 60. The block 236 has guides in which is vertically movable a slide 240 which carries the toe band 222. The toe pad 220 is carried by a block 260 having a stem 264 which can slide in a bore in a forward extension of the slide 240. The toe band 220/toe pad 220 assembly is moved farwardly to its correct position over the -shoe by a piston and cylinder 338 (Fig. 12) having a plate 234 which engages the block 236. The block 236 is then locked in position by a latch 270 engaging a groove 274 in a pin 276 on the block 236. The toe band 222 is then moved down into engagement with the shoe by a lever 350 (Figs. 1, 12) which is operated by piston and cylinder 354 and which has a plate 356 which engages the top of slide 240. The toe pad 220 is applied by a lever 352 operated by piston and cylinder 358 and which has a plate 360 which engages the stem 264. The toe band 222 is locked in position by a latch 290 (Fig. 11) on the block 236 engaging a groove 298 in a pin 294 on the slide 240. The toe pad 222 is locked in position by a latch 310 (Fig. 10) engaging ratchet teeth (not shown) on the stem 264. The pulling over station A includes a toe gripper 400 (Fig. 12) and two side grippers 402, the grippers 400, 402 operating as described in Specification 1,048,813. At each station the carrier 50 is positioned by a frame 510, 512, 514 (Fig. 12) having conical parts 504, 516, 518 which engage conical seats (not shown) in the carrier 50 when the frame 510 is raised by piston and cylinder 530. In operation a carrier 50 is first positioned at sation A as described above. The operator then places a shoe assembly on the forepart rest 68 and places the lasting margin in the grippers 400, 402 which pull the upper over the last. The cross piece 74 is then raised by cylinders 174 until the heel band 94 is at its correct level when cylinder 202 operates lever 200 to apply the heel band 94 to the shoe under light pressure. The toe clamping assembly is then moved towards the shoe by cylinder 338 and cylinder 354 swings lever 350 to move the toe band 222 down into contact with the shoe. Cylinder 358 then swings lever 352 to apply the toe pad 220 onto the shoe to clamp it against the forepart supporting plate 68. Cylinders 190 are then operated to apply the heel band under high pressure. The carrier 50, which now holds the clamped shoe assembly, then moves to the stations B to E in turn where the other operations are performed. At the unloading station F the various latches are released to release the shoe.