593,144. Boot-making machines. TRIGGS, W. W. (North American- Research Corporation). Dec. 8, 1944, No. 24623. [Class 17 (i)] Fillings, machines for.-A machine for applying plastic filling material to shoe bottoms comprises means for adjusting the quantity of material supplied in accordance with the size of the shoe, and means for levelling the material after it has been supplied. Material is only supplied if a shoe is in receiving position, and the quantity is controlled by linkage actuated by an adjustable shoe-supporting jack. A levelling tool is mounted to have freedom to adjust itself to the plane of the shoe bottom and is moved in a path oblique to this plane so as to smooth and press yieldingly against the material. The turret machine shown comprises a turntable 14, Fig. 1, carrying five jacks which occupy successively the positions a-e whch are, respectively loading, idle, material-applying, levelling and unloading stations. The turntable is rotated by a Geneva mechanism 15 with means to cause the jacks to dwell and be indexed at each station. Each jack comprises a vertically-movable, spring-pressed, toe-supportng roll 81, Fig. 2, and a radially-movable slide 73 carrying an inclined , heel support 80. The slide 73 is forced outwardly when a shoe is jacked and it and the roll 81 are then locked in operative position by latches 86, 85, until the latter are unlocked by an automatic release before the shoe reaches the unloading station e. The-. material-supplying mechanism mounted above station c comprises a tubular member 53, Figs. 2 and 13, to which plastic material is fed continuously from a hopper 122 by paddles 125, 126 in a passageway 120 and by a worm 134. Surplus material is returned to the passageway by worms 130, 132. The member 53 has an outlet slot 56 normally closed by a rotatable valve sleeve 57 having a port 58. Around the sleeve 57 are two half sleeves 63, 64 which can be operated in opposite directions to provide an outlet port 65 of variable size in alignment with the slot 56. The half sleeves are adjusted, by means of a fixed cam plate 72, Fig. 2, each time a shoe arrives at station c. To this end, a roll 78 on the jack slide 73 moves a cam plate 102 at station c, to an extent dependent upon the length of the jacked shoe. The cam plate actuates linkage and gearing 107, 112, 116, 114 to move the half-sleeves axially of the member 53, so that they are rotated by the fixed cam plate 72. The valve sleeve 57 is rotated, each time a jacked shoe arrives at station c, by gearing 60, 144, 137 and a clutch member 148 which is operated by movement of the cam plate 102. The levelling mechanism mounted above station d comprises an iron 174, Figs. 6 and 17 mounted for limited rocking movement on two axes 175, 176 on the lower of two telescopic members 173, 170 separated by a spring 172. The members are urged-upwardly in ways on a horizontal slide 41 by springs 179, so that a roll 177 on member 170 is kept in contact with a fixed cam rail 178. When the slide 41 is reciprocated horizontally by gearing 39, 40, the iron, is moved downwardly by the cam surface 178a of the rail, so that it moves obliquely into contact with the plastic material which has been deposited on the shoe bottom at station c. The under surface of the roll is lubricated as the slide 41 retires from the shoe, by passage across a roller 185 supplied with liquid by a roller 186 immersed in a bath 182. The latter carries a scraper 191 and is fed from a closed container. In operation of the machine, the jacking of shoe at station a determines the quantity of material to be delivered to the shoe, by setting the roll 78 at a predetermined distance from the axis of the turntable. At station c, the roll rocks the cam plate 102 to adjust the half sleeves 63, 64, and also rotate the valve sleeve 57. When the jack moves on, the sleeve and half sleeves return to normal position. At station d, the slide 41 causes the iron 74 to level the material. The shoe is removed at station e, the jack having then been unlatched.