578,696. Sole-laying machines. COMPO SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION. Aug. 9, 1943, No. 12855. Convention date, Oct. 9, 1942. [Class 17 (i)] The welt hold-down of a shoe press having an inflatable sole pressing pad is moved, to apply pressure to the welt of a shoe positioned on the pad, by means actuated by the inflation of the pad. The invention is described as applied to a machine having an inflatable sole pressing pad or diaphragm 17, Figs. 1, 2, 5, and a flexible shoeclamp operating diaphragm 15, on opposite sides of a rigid plate 16 to form inflatable chambers 18, 19. The diaphragms 15, 17 and plate 16 are clamped between a clamping ring 13 and an upper face 12 of a base casting 10 with open core 11. An inflating and deflating valve 68 in a bore 64 in wall of casting 10 may have coupled to it an air chuck 69 to inflate the chamber 18, the chamber 19 being inflated through a spring-loaded valve 71 on port 70 in plate 16 as the pressure in the chamber 18 increases. A light leaf spring 73 on underside of port 74 in plate 16 allows pressure in both chambers to be released when it is desired to remove shoe from the press. Inflation of chamber 18 moves the diaphragm 15 from a position contacting the plate 16 downwards to press downwards a pressure platen 33 pivoted to the casting 10 on a shaft 34, to press a toe clamp member 20 mounted in a manner to permit of vertical and horizontal adjustment on a clamp arm 24 pivoted on a shaft 26 carried by casting 10 and attached by links 30 to opposite ends of a shaft 31 on platen 33. The heel end of a shoe positioned in the press is similarly clamped by a last-cone abutting member 40 through a platen 47 when the chamber 18 is inflated. The platens 33, 47 are spring biased towards the diaphragm 15. The welt hold-down, Fig. 5, comprises a rubber strip 54 the inner lower edge of which is shaped to engage the shoe crease. The strip extends around the welt the ends being anchored by springs 90 to the casting 10. The toe end of the strip 54 which is reinforced by pins, is attached by studs to plates 85 pivotally connected together by a bolt 79 and connected, through links 84, 83 to the lower end of a lever 80 pivoted at 81 to the clamp arm 24. A shoe is located in correct position correspnding to its size in the press with the diaphragms 15, 17 in deflated position, by pressing the toe against the hold-down 54 and against action of springs 90 until a spring pressure indicator 93 mounted on the lever 80 registers the size on a scale marked on the arm 24. The sides of the hold-down strip 54 are supported for substantially universal movement by blocks 57 connected in pairs by rocker pins 59 attached to the lower ends 94 of vertical rods 62 mounted to slide against action of springs 97, compression of which is adjustable in blocks 96 pivotally mounted in the upper ends of arms 65 pivoted on substantially vertical studs 109 screwed into lower arms 110 pivoted on pins 111 in the frame 10. Spring biassed studs 112, mounted in the lower inner ends of the arms 110, are moved upwards and downwards by plates 116 formed as extensions of the platen 33, when the chamber 18 is deflated and inflated respectively. Horizontal rods 102 are pivotally attached to the lower ends of the rods 62 and mounted for horizontal movement against the action of springs 106 compression of which is adjustable in blocks 104 pivotally connected to the arms 65, the arrangement being such that on inflation of the chamber 19 the inner ends of the arms 65 are moved inwards towards a shoe positioned in the press to engage the hold-down against the shoe upper. When the chamber 18 is inflated, the welt 55 of the shoe is moved upwards against the resistance of springs 97 against the hold-down 54. The press is adapted to be used in a machine of the kind described in Specification 379,884.