666,608. Shoe-upper conforming machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd., and CHOICE, F. C. July 3, 1950 [June 21, 1949], No. 16404/49. Class 17 (i). A toe-end lasting machine for conforming the upper of a welted shoe supported bottom upwards to the shape of a last within the upper, has means for supporting the shoe in a predetermined relation with respect to wiper means which, after upwipe, also overwipe the margin of the upper inwardly of an insole on the last into engagement with an upstanding lip therein, upper restraining and controlling means cooperating with the wipers to control the upper material during the conforming operation. A described illustrative form of toe lasting machine for welted shoes is generally similar to that described in Specification 520,194 but has upper restraining and controlling means comprising a pair of fingers 53, Fig. 2, instead of the grippers 396,398, and a pair of auxiliary fingers 55 pivoted with respect to the fingers 53 about axes heightwise of shoe and also substantially parallel to the general plane of shoe bottom, to operate on the upper heelwardly of the toe adjacent the toe cap line position, where the upper is held by lasting tacks of a pulling over machine. This arrangement of the fingers is somewhat similar to that described in Specification 628,426 for operating on McKay type shoes, but in the present case the operative movements of the fingers are modified to clear the lip on the insole. A flanged plate 5, Figs. 2, 3, generally similar to plate 2 of Specification 520,194, is provided to locate the welt shoe laterally and lengthwise in the machine and the invention is concerned mainly with the construction and arrangement of the means which support'the insole lip against the pressure of the toe-embracing wipers 43, Figs. 1, 3, and position the shoe, both laterally and lengthwise, in the machine to permit it to operate on shoes which differ markedly in shape and size, within the range of the machine, as well as in the construction and means of operating the auxiliary fingers 55 in relation to a peripheral flange on the plate 5 which serves to support the insole lip. The machine comprises a head casting 3, Figs. 1, 2, 3, on a main frame 1, which is very similar to that of Specification 520,194 and houses much of the operating mechanism. The shoe bottom engaging and locating means comprises the plate 5 yieldably carried on a block 7, Fig. 3, and a plurality of depending work-engaging pins 9 secured in the block and extending through holes in the plate 5. A peripheral flange round the edge of plate 5 supports the lip of the insole against inward lasting pressure.and, by engagement with the lip, locates the shoe in relation to the lasting mechanism. The block 7 is removably mounted on a post 13 adjustable by hand nut 15 heightwise of machine. When a toe rest 11 operates, as in Specification 520,194, to press the work upwardly in the machine, the plate 5 yields until pins 9 engage the insole to position the shoe heightwise. Over a normal range of movement of block 7 relative to post 13, ribs 19, Fig. 3, and guideways 17 thereon remain interengaged, but, by imparting extra forward movement to the block, interrupted portions on the ribs 19 and guideways 17 may be brought into line to permit block 7 to be readily removed for replacement by one of different size and/or shape. Toe-embracing wipers 43, Figs. 1, 3, and auxiliary wipers 51, with which the fingers 53, 55 respectively co-operate, are caused initially to rise from a lowered position with respect to the shoe bottom and during this movement the upper is clamped yieldingly, by the fingers 53 which rise with the wipers. Apart from changes of timing of advancement, the mounting and operation of the wipers 43 during their upwipe and closing movements is as described in Specification 520,194. The auxiliary wipers 51 are adjustable lengthwise of shoe relatively to main wipers 43. The fingers 53, 55 just prior to commencement of cycle of operations are arranged to occupy a general level just above tip of lip of insole as presented to the machine and located therein by plate 5. The heelward ends of the auxiliary fingers 55 operate just forward of the forward, side, pulling-over tacks in the shoe and are made curved and thin to ensure yielding engagement with the outer wall of flange on plate 5. To change plate 5, fingers 53, 55 are spread apart against action of a spring connected to a plate 397, Fig. 2, and, when new plate 5 is placed in the machine, the spring will, irrespective of shape or size of shoe, within the range of the machine, cause the heelward ends of the fingers to hug the side walls of the plate. At the commencement of cycle of operations, fingers 55 are tilted downwards and forwards in relation to fingers 53 so that their tips lie inside portions of the margin of upper upstanding against insole lip. Shortly after the commencement of cycle of operations, a locking device associated with the mechanism for controlling the outward swinging movement of the upper restraining and controlling fingers 53, 55, locks the fingers positively to their operating mechanism so that they receive swinging movements of definite amounts to clear the insole lip as they descend towards insole level to clear the edges of the last prior to clamping the upper materials against the wiper, irrespective of the initial position of the fingers. A form of connection between a cam-operated bell-crank lever 163 and a link 157, Fig. 1, by which the auxiliary wipers 51 are adjusted relatively to one another, is described, whereby these auxiliary wipers are prevented from being moved in sufficiently far, and thus possibly trapped beneath the flange on plate 5, and damaged, if the machine is operated with no shoe present in the machine, i.e. when the toe rest would be at a higher level than would be the case when work is in place on the last. Specifications 573,358, 582,313, 585,078 also are referred to.