306,192. British United Shoe Machinery Co., Ltd., Gouldbourn, J., Ricks, F., and Barclay, W. R. Oct. 1, 1927. Heel seats, shaping by cutting.-A heel seat fitting machine has tongue-forming cutting means and co-operating shoulder-forming cutting means operating on the sole while this is but little distorted, the tongue forming means moving to and fro lengthwise of the sole and trimming the opposite edges in different planes and the shoulder forming means moving to and fro rectilinearly across the end margins of crease-entering plates. Gauging means applied to the heel determine the correct position of the counter, and locking means are provided for both counter gauge and work holder. A work-holder 27 with a counter-engaging portion 29 is vertically adjustable on a post 19 slotted to engage a pin 25 mounted on a post 17 having a base slidable along a dovetailed guide extending forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. Fixed to the machine head are lateral horizontal guides for a pair of plates 61. These plates carry crease-entering plates 71 each with a depending portion 73 to engage the counter, and are moved towards and from each other by links 65 and a plunger 67. Each plate 61 has a laterad and a longitudinal guideway for slides carrying a shouldering knife and a bevelling knife respectively. The shouldering knife 109 is, preferably, a flat blade clamped in a holder having a cylindrical shank 103 clamped to the slide 85, the blade being set at about 65‹ to the horizontal, its lower edge sloping at about 15‹ to the horizontal, and its outer lower corner positioned in the plane of the bevelling knife and of the end margin of the plate 71. The slide is actuated by an arm 89, cross-head 95 and cam roll 99 from the cam 57. Each bevelling knife is carried by a slide 125, the two slides being actuated by a cross-head 129 and cam roll 133. The edge of the knife is preferably arranged at about 15‹ to the horizontal, and at the outer end engages a longitudinal rabbet in the corresponding plate 71. Gauging devices comprise a counter gauge 141 and a floating heel gauge 173 adjustably connected to a post 165 moving with the gauge 141. The gauge 173 co-operates with an adjustable breast gauge 191 and a pair of clamps 175 faced with leather or rubber, inclined at about 75‹ to the horizontal and carried by slides 177 actuated by links 183 pivoted to a slide 187. A compensating block 203 moves with a pinion 201 gearing with teeth on the gauge 173 and slide 187. The block 203 is actuated by a pin 205 connected to the end of an arm 207 fixed to a rock shaft 209 also fixedly carrying an arm 215 urged clockwise by a spring and carrying a pin 219 about which is an eccentric sleeve 221 having projecting arms 223, 225, and, mounted on it, a pawl 231 engaging a fixed ratchet 233. A heel gauging treadle, normally spring pressed upwardly, is connected by a link 213 to an arm 211 provided with a stop 241 co-operating with a stop 243 on the arm 215. The arm 211 also has an ear 251 situated between the pawl 231 and the arm 223. A second treadle is linked to a floating lever 41 actuating the plunger 67 and a lever 31, which, in operation, tends to raise the tube 19, causing the post 17 to bind in its guideway and thus lock the work support in position. In operation, the heel-gauging treadle is depressed to lift the pawl 231 and retract the gauge 173 and clamps 175. The heel is then placed against the gauge 191 and the treadle released. The gauge and clamps advance until they engage the heel, the counter gauge also advancing to the position correct for the heel, and being locked in position by the pawl 231, the ear 251 giving the eccentric 221 a slight turn to cause the pawl to engage the ratchet without back-lash. The operator then positions the shoe over the support 27 and moves this rearwardly to engage the gauge 141, then depressing the other treadle, clamping the work support and advancing the crease plates. A starting lever is then operated, causing the cam 57 to make one revolution, which actuates first the bevelling knives and then the shouldering knives. The second treadle is then released, and the work may be changed. The slide-ways of the knives 121 may diverge forwardly. Knives may be used with edges at various angles to the horizontal. A clamp may engage the central part of the heel seat. Preferably, a short sole is used, needing no rear bevelling. Specifications 162,192, [Class 17 (ii), Boots and shoes, Construction of]; 276,055; and 278,976, [Class 17 (ii), Boots and shoes, Construction of], are referred to. The Provisional Specification describes teeth on the crease-entering plates, adapted to enter between the stitches in the vicinity of the heel breast, and an additional cutter for bevelling the rear part of the sole, and refers to Specification 185,739.