420,293. Boot - making machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd., BARCLAY, W. R., WOODCOCK, R. B., and MINETT, W. T., Belgrave Road, Leicester. March 29, 1933, No. 9404. [Class 17 (i)] Heels, machines for.-Relates to heel building machines of the kind described in Specification 25821 /09, [Class 17 (i)], wherein a mould receives the heel lifts, a pressing member is operated by power to effect their consolidation, and the member is movable from an inoperative position out of line with the mould to position over the latter prior to its descent on the stack of lifts. The pressing member is actuated by a toggle device and provided with a yielding device for limiting the pressure exerted, a movable nail block at the bottom of the mould is lifted by power to free the heel in the mould, and then further lifted manually to allow removal of the heel, and locking means is provided to prevent the machine being started before the presser is in line with the mould. A column 8 carries a nail block 10 having a depending rod 14 terminating in a head 32. Nail drivers 18 are supported on a plate 16 carrying a sleeve 20 surrounding the rod 14 and resting on a plunger 24 carrying a latch 28 for retaining the driver assembly in position. Above the nail block is a plate 38 apertured to allow passage of the upper end of the block, and a mould 40, these being removable. A presser 42 is carried by an adjusting screw 46 in a beam 48, the presser being normally retained in the position shown by a spring plunger 47. On retraction of this plunger the presser may be lowered to ensure that the mould is accurately positioned. The beam is carried by side bars 50 pivoted to an arm 52 and connected by toggle links 60, 64 with a lever 66 the other end of which is held raised by a pair of rods 74 over each of which is threaded a strong spring abutting against the frame at the lower end and at the upper end against a collar on the rod. Each rod is in two parts, one threaded axially into the other, the upper portions being rotated in unison by a handle 92 for adjusting the tension of the springs. The toggle is straightened by a link 94 pivoted to a lever 98 actuated by a link 100 from a crank 102 on the driven shaft 4 of the machine. This shaft also carries a cam 36 for raising the nail driving plunger 24, the cam being shaped to give a uniform rate of rise. Blocks 104 limit the forward movement of the arms 50, and other blocks on the inside of the arms engage grooves in the frame to prevent rearward movement of the arms as they descend. The left hand bar 50 carries a tumbler 110 urged to vertical position by a spring 112. As the bar swings forwardly this tumbler engages an arm 120 of a lever 118 pivoted on the column 8 and is swung rearwardly against its spring. As the bar descends the tumbler resumes its vertical position. As the bar rises again, after the heel has been consolidated, the tumbler engages the arm 120 and raises it, causing a second arm 122 of the lever to engage the head 32 and lift the nail block to free the heel. Rise of the arm 120 causes a pin 124 thereon to engage a latch 126 on a lever 128. As the bar 50 swings rearwardly it engages a roll 134 on this lever to eject the heel. The latch is released by a handle 144 to allow a new stack of lifts to be placed in the mould. A single nail is driven at the upper end of the heel. A driver bar 146 is threaded into the plunger 44, and locked after adjustment by a screw 148. The lower end of the bar is guided in a sleeve 152 urged downwardly by a spring 156, a nail being retained in the lower end of the sleeve by a spring 158. A starting lever 160 is provided with an arm 200 for preventing movement of the lever except when the presser has been swung above the mould. The arm has an arcuate surface 202 co-operating with a pin 204 on the bar 50. To prevent starting when the presser is above the mould and has been lowered for adjustment of the latter, an extension may be projected from the end of the arm 200 on release of a locking member 212. The drivers may be raised by hand, to determine whether each tube contains a nail, by a lever 238 having an arm engaging the plunger 24. The clutch is of the one revolution kind described in Specification 720C/07, [Class 43]. A guard 216 is carried on parallel links 218, 220 and raised by a link 230 when the presser is in its rearward position. Specification 24545 /06, [Class 17], is referred to in the Provisional Specification.