224,608. British United Shoe Machinery Co., Ltd., (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). Aug. 16, 1923. Lasting. - Relates to step-by-step lasting machines of the kind described in Specification 14453/97, and consists in means whereby a single limb of the operator can change the action of the gripper and also change the tack delivery, driver stroke, and edge gauge, these two changes being selective, so that in the progress of lasting round a shoe the necessary changes can be made without stopping the machine. As described, a knee lever is provided which is moved laterally to cause the gripper to exert the usual lateral twist to the upper at the immediate rear of the ball of the foot, the lever being moved in opposite directions for the two sides of the shoe and maintained in central position when no lateral movement or twist is necessary. The lever is pushed inwards to change tack delivery, driver stroke and edge gauge, this movement only commencing the change, which is completed by power mechanism in time relation to the cycle of the machine. Improved mechanism produces the lateral movement, and twist of the gripper. The machine is provided with the usual gripper 10, Fig. 1, sole rest 13, thin edge gauge 11, thick edge gauge 12, wiper 14, tack driver 18 and cam shaft 6 all mounted on a head 5, which can be adjusted vertically by a screw 399 when various clamping nuts are slackened. A member 258, adapted to embrace the knee of the operator, is carried by a push rod 220 which has slotted connection with the ends of arms 228 splined to a vertical shaft 170 provided at its upper end with an arm 172, Fig. 5, which produces the lateral movement and twist, of the gripper when the knee lever is moved sideways by the operator. The end of the arm 172 is connected to a longitudinally slidable rod 162, Fig. 6, provided at its other end with off-set hooks 164 engaging a pin 166 on a member 148 pivoted at 156 to a sleeve 158 and housing the ball end 146 of a connecting rod 102, Fig. 5, by which lateral movement and twist are imparted to the gripper. The sleeve 158, Fig. 6, and, therefore, the member 148, are rocked by a pinion 160 on the sleeve and a gear segment on an arm 159 oscillated by a cam. When the knee lever is in central position the ball end 146 is in line with the rod 162 and no movement is imparted to the connecting rod 102. But when the knee lever is pressed sideways the member 146 becomes a crank, and moves the rod 102 in the direction and to the extent determined by the movement of the knee lever. The gripper casing is suspended in the end of its updraw lever by a ball 81, Fig. 5, formed with teeth engaged by teeth on a. plate 87 moved by a link 88 and lever 92 the lower end of which engages the connecting rod 102 by a connection which allows the normal movement of the gripper. The teeth impart twist to the gripper. For imparting the lateral movement, the end of the connecting rod engages aT-lever 125, pivoted at 127 to a carrier through which the gripper casing passes loosely. The T-lever is held in normal position by a spring 142 depressing a bar 132 engaging the ends 128 of the T-lever by adjustable stops. The lateral movement is thus given yieldingly against the spring 142. The gripper closing plunger 340 is actuated by a cam engaging a roll 350. This roll has sliding movement along its pivot 348 to lessen friction as the updraw lever uses and falls, this movement causing relative movement longitudinally of the cam shaft. Inward thrust of the knee lever rocks a member 252, Fig. 1, provided with an upward extension 260 engaging a sleeve 264 on the shaft 170. The upper end of this sleeve actuates a pawl 280, Fig. 3, engaging a six-toothed ratchet 282 rotating with a three-armed cam 296 which moves a slide bar 290 from one extreme position to the other for each sixth of a rotation. The wiper slide 20 carries a pawl 300 which normally slides over a tooth of the ratchet 282, but, when the knee lever is pressed inwards, the pawl 280 turns the ratchet sufficiently to cause the next. forward movement of the pawl 300 to complete the sixth of a turn necessary to reverse the positiun of the slide bar 290. This bar rocks a member 194 secured to a rock shaft 78 and to which is pivoted a two part link 208, 212 adjustably connected to a double raceway 16, 17. The member 194 is also connected by links and levers to the thin edge gauge 11 and thick edge gauge 12 so that as the member rooks the edge gauge is changed in correspondence with the change of tacks delivered. To change the driver stroke the upper end of the shaft 78, Fig. 2, is connected by an arm 76 and link 74 with a wedge 64 which is pushed under a wedge 63 to raise buffers 73 on the driver rod 60 when tacks are required to be only partially driven. Prior to use, the machine is set so that the adjustments made by the knee lever are those requisite for the type of shoe to be operated on.