692,126. Lasting uppers; stapling. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd. July 16, 1951 [July 18, 1950], No. 16769/51. Addition to 610,861. Classes 17 (i) and 89 (iii). The power-operated machine described in the parent Specification for applying and securing by staples, a wire binder around the toe end of a lasted shoe upper is improved in various details. (1) The length of binding wire fed around the toe is adjusted in accordance with the size of shoe to be lasted, also the position of the grippers lengthwise of the shoe before they grip the binder is adjusted in accordance with the length of binding wire fed. (2) The grippers are moved lengthwise of the work to pull the binder into engagement with it and additional means then move them inwardly widthwise of the shoe in response to resistance offered by the upper to their lengthwise movement. (3) Holddown members under the action of springs are provided to prevent undue heightwise movement, relative to the lasting margin of the shoe upper, of the severed length of binder wire and also to prevent it from springing up between the edges of the wipers and the margin of the upper. These members are adjustable heightwise in relation to the shoe by a hand wheel and occupy a position retracted from the work during presentation of shoe to machine but are moved in to engage the work, before the binding wire is applied, in an interval in the cycle in which the wipers are partially retracted and raised. (4) A pair of binder spreading devices are arranged to be moved heightwise of the shoe on opposite sides between the binder and the Upper to urge it outwards into a position where it can be gripped. between members which align the binder wire and a guide on the stapling head. (5) A pair of binder positioning fingers are associated with the throat members of the stapling heads to close on the binder and ensure that the staples when driven will straddle it. (6) The end portions of the binder rearwards of the staples are bent by a pair of hook-shaped members to guard against the wire slipping through the staples. In the illustrative form of machine described, a shoe is placed bottom upwards in the machine and positioned laterally and lengthwise by engagement of a plate 2 with the inner side of the lip of an insole at the toe end. Three insole-engaging pins 4 position the shoe heightwise. A heel rest 8 and toe rest 6 also are provided. Wipers 10 mounted on holders 14 are advanced and closed early in the machine cycle to upwipe the upper round the toe heightwise of the last and they are then further advanced to wipe the upper inwardly over the feather against the insole lip. The wipers are then partially retracted and opened and slightly raised to relieve the downward pressure on the upper, and are again moved inwardly to fully advanced and closed' positions and downwards to apply pressure. Automatic cam-operated clutch controlling means then interrupt the cycle. Movement of a rack-bar 288 in a guide member 290 free to turn about a shaft 278, in an upward direction, through a belt-crank lever 314, 312, rod 308 and lever. 304, arm 302 of which is connected to the bar 288, from a cam track 316 causes binder wire to be fed from a supply reel 250 'from right hand gripper 98 along guideways 360 around toe and through left hand gripper, by engaging ratchet teeth of clutch members 280, 284. When bar 288 moves in reverse direction there is no feed of wire due to slipping of teeth of the clutch. The wire is fed through a flexible tube 301 to a nozzle member 160. The rod 308 is adjustable to provide binders according to the size of shoe being operated on by engaging a pin 328 in one of a series of holes 332 in the hub of the bellcrank lever 304. Increase or decrease of length of binder produced by the adjustment is equalised at opposite sides of the shoe by correspondingly altering the positions of the grippers 98 lengthwise of the shoe, before' the wire is gripped, by adjusting a pin 350 in a slot 348 in a lever 346 connected through a link 344 to bars 102 which operate the grippers from a cam shaft 36. Curved guide members for the wire are secured to the wiper carriers 16 below the wipers. Upward movement of wiper carrier 16 causes the grippers 98 by a cam 216 (not shown) to close on the wire which is severed by a cutter 236 (not shown) operating against the rear face of the nozzle member 160, and the guideway 360 for the wire is opened by a member 362. Lengthwise and widthwise movement is then imparted to the binder by the grippers 98, at the same time the upper is wiped in over the insole, the binder being between the wipers and shoe upper. Retraction and raising of the wipers occur at this stage and expansion of springs 136 pulls binder into engagement with the upstanding margin of the upper. Binder holddown members 672 in front of the wipers are moved inwards of shoe, as the wiper carrier 16 is raised, to prevent the binder adjacent the ends of the wipers from rising too far. These are assisted by springs 712 (not shown). Stapling heads 386 for forming and inserting staples widthwise of the shoe through the upstanding margin of upper and insole lip to straddle the binder wire forwardly of the wipers while these hold the binder against the overlasted margin of the upper, and similar to those described in the parent Specification are provided. Each comprises a bar 388 mounted on a pivot 390 on a link 392 pivoted on a casing 394. The bars 388 carry anvils 396 which are moved into engagement with the bottom of the insole inward of the lip. Links 398 pivoted to the bars 388 have slots 400 at upper ends and are prevented from backward and forward movement by forked portions of brackets 404 of adjustable castings 394 which carry the heads. Each is adjustable independently forwardly and rearwardly to vary the lengthwise position of the heads according to range of sizes of shoe to be dealt with. The throat member 478 of each stapling head.does not engage the shoe when it is moved inwards but has' associated with it a pair of fingers 482, 484 which are located one above the other and project beyond it to engage the portion of the binder to be engaged by the staple and to locate it heightwise in relation to the staple guiding passage 480 in the throat to cause it to be straddled when staple is driven. These fingers in each unit are moved equal distances towards each other to position the binder in correct relation to the staple guideways in the throat members 478. Lugs 485 which extend upwards from the lower fingers 484 engage the binder held by the grippers and pull it inwards against the upper. Binder spreading devices 658 associated with the grippers 98 are moved downwardly between the upper end portions of the binder just heelward of the stapling heads to space the binder held taut by the gripper, at these localities outwardly from the upper. Toggles 506 each comprising levers 508; 510 pivoted at 512 are operated through a link 538 by fluid pressure means comprising piston 532 and cylinder 534 to move slides 448 in guideways in the bars 388 of each head towards the shoe. Staple forming wire which extends downwards from supply reels, from which it is pulled by downward movement of the heads to nipples 456, is engaged by cutters 458 and the bar 388 is swung about stud 390 until anvil 396 engages the shoe bottom as the piston 532 starts its downward movement. Downward movement of toggle 506 causes the wires to be cut, the staples to be formed and the staple-guiding parts to be moved to positions determined by the shoe. The anvils 396 are then moved outwards into engagement with the insole lip, due to continued downward movement of piston 532 through a link 552 until a spring 562 yields. The anvils are held down by an additional force applied by a spring 574 after the wire is severed by the straightening of togles 506. During these movements the driver-operating toggles 592 are prevented from acting by engagement of pins 628 with extensions 630 of driver-operating slides 580. On release of these slides by continued downward movement of toggles 506, by their links 510, the toggles 592 are straightened and the staples driven, the legs being clinched, by the anvils 396, in directions towards the toe end of shoe. The jaw closing cams 216 (not shown) for the grippers are operated, by engagement of fingers 646 on blocks 644 on the toggle links 590 with lugs 648 (not shown) on the cams, to open the grippers and release the binder which is held in position around the toe by the pressure of the wipers. After the staples have been driven, pistons 532 and 598 are moved upwards and the stapling heads are, returned to their initial positions,: hook-shaped ends 670 of members 668 therein bending upwardly the free ends of the binder which extend, beyond the staples, and the parts are returned to starting position. A shoe receiver 1030, similar to that described in the parent Specification but mounted in a fixed position, is provided. Provision is made for operating the stapling heads independently of the cycle of operations of the machine, e.g. for test purposes, and also to prevent depression of the starting treadle from actuating the clutch, through which the machine is controlled, when the stapling heads are being operated. This clutch is prevented from tripping by depression of treadle when the driving motor which operates the machine through the clutch is not running. The machine may also be run without operating the stapling heads. These heads are also prevented from operating when there is no work in the machine.