419,067. Boot-making machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd., RICKS, F., ELLIOTT, H. E., and CHOICE, F. C., Belgrave Road, Leicester. May 3, 1933, Nos. 12841 and 24010. [Class 17 (i).] Pulling over.-Relates to machines of the kind described in Specifications 17172/12 and 308,628, [both in Class 17 (i)], especially for pulling over veldtschoen, and consists in actuating the toe pincer to pull by releasing it to the action of a previously energized spring, the side pincers being actuated by power, and providing means for positively varying the path of movement of the toe pincer so that it may, while pulling, move forwardly or rearwardly lengthwise of the last. The machine column carries a U-shaped frame 10 fixedly supporting a member 24 carrying a vertically-adjustable tread rest 172 and a longitudinallyadjustable heel rest 176. An adjustable spring 66 is connected to one end of a lever 52 pivoted at its other end to a toe pincer control bar, which, when depressed, first closes and then moves downwards the toe pincer 30. In its downward movement, the toe pincer is guided by a link 56, the outer end of which is adjustable along a guideway 58 to give a component of forward or rearward movement to the toe pincer. The lever 52 is provided with a control handle 170 for increasing or relaxing the pull or returning the pincer in case the upper has not been properly gripped. Normally, the lever 52 is locked by a stop 80 engaging a latch 82 having a lug 90 engaging a notch in a pawl 86 depending from an arm 88 connected to a treadle rod 96. The two side pincers are guided by short sleeves on members 22 adjustable by a right-and-left-hand screw 38 laterally of the shoe, and are closed and depressed similarly to the toe pincer by rods connected by links to a bar 44, a lever 42 being interposed to allow the operator to move one pincer up and the other down, while the upper is under tension. The bar 44 is fixed to a stem 48 linked to a floating lever 116 supported at its free end by a spring 124 and linked to an eccentric 112. A link 140 connects this lever to the lever carrying the stop 80. The spring 124 is supported by a lever 132 carrying a pawl member 134 with a number of teeth, any one of which engage a fixed pin 138, this arrangement providing a rough adjustment for the strength of the spring. The driving shaft 100 is driven by a one revolution clutch actuated by a treadle rod 146 engaging a lever 142, the shaft driving a spur wheel 108 half a revolution to one of the shaft 100. This shaft carries a pair of pins 162, each of which in turn engages a block to move the rod 146 from the lever 142 to allow the shaft 100 to stop after one revolution. In operation, a last with an upper on it is positioned with the margin of the upper between the jaws of the toe pincer. The operator then partially depresses the treadle, releasing the pincer to the pull of the spring 66 and manipulating the lever 170, if desired. The operator then places the upper margin in the jaws of the side pincers and fully depresses the treadle, a lug 158 then actuating the rod 146 to start the power pull. If the work is suitable, these two steps may be combined by full depression of the treadle after work positioning. The machine then comes to rest with the upper under a tension determined by the prior adjustment of the spring 124. The operator may then manipulate the handles 170, 42, if necessary. A second full depression of the treadle returns the parts to starting position, the link 140 repositioning the lever 52, so that the toe pincer is opened with the others, and the work is released. The upper may be held in position on the last by the clamping device described in Specification 376,256. According to the first Provisional Specification, springs may be interposed between the member 48 and a lever carrying a ratchet co-operating with a series of notches in a bar depending from a lever actuated by the eccentric. According to the second Provisional Specification, the pincers have sinuous corrugations on their gripping surfaces.