738,271. Upper-conforming machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). May 6, 1953 [May 7, 1952], No. 11498/52. Class 17 (1). A shoe upper conforming machine having means for inwiping the upper margins extending heelwardly from the toe into the shank, a pair of grippers arranged to act one at each side of the shoe near the ball portion to tension the upper prior to inwiping and initially positioned inwardly of the edges of the shoe bottom, and means to move the grippers outwardly into position for gripping and pulling has one or more of the following features :-(1) Means to engage the upper at opposite sides which determine the time at which the grippers release the upper during inward movement of the wipers. (2) Means to engage the upper at opposite sides which limit the outward movement of the grippers to position the latter for pulling &c. (3) Power operated means to operate the machine which are started as a result of upward movement of the shoe bottom into engagement with an actuating device. (4) The gripper supports pivoted on heightwise axes outwardly of the shoe and movable to adjust the grippers in. opposite directions for operation on left or right shoes. The shoe rest 18 with presser feet 20 is vertically adjustable by means of a screw on lever 16 which has a wear plate normally latched by the pivoted pin pressed lever 30. Lever 16 is pivoted at 14 and pressed by pin 38. The shoe rest member with arms 46 adjustable vertically and guided by pins and slots, has toothed presser feet to engage the bottom of the toe end of the shoe. Arms 46 are pivoted to a lever 60 pivoted on pin 14, and a screw 62 threaded through lever 60 bears on lever 16 and adjusts the relative heights of parts 40 (not shown), and 18, to adjust the angle of the shoe. The shoe is positioned widthwise by clamp members 64, pivoted at 66 on levers 68 pivoted to studs 70 on cross bar 72 supported on links 74, 76. Gear sectors 90 on levers 68 mesh. Levers 68 are operated by pistons 98 of cylinder 92 secured to link 76, operating fluid being admitted via 104, and are returned by spring 106, movement being limited by pin 96. Springs 110 determine the initial position of members 64. When positioned laterally the shoe is clamped by member 116 urged upwardly on the piston of cylinder 120 (not shown), fluid being supplied through 122, and movement being limited, in case no shoe is present, by a pin and slot arrangement. Springs 126 return the piston. Casting 84, toe rest 116, and clamps 64 are adjusted as a unit lengthwise of the shoe by screw 127. Grippers 130 each comprise an inner jaw 132 secured to cylinder 134, and an outer jaw 138 pivoted at 136 and connected by link 140 to piston 142, operated by fluid admitted to chambers 144 through 146, 148, and returned by springs 150 acting through 152, 154, 156, 158, and 160 integral with jaw 138. The grippers and cylinders 134 are moved upwardly, to pull the upper, by means of fluid entering chamber 162, piston 166 therein being linked at 168 to lever 170 which is pivoted at 172 to the cylinder casing and bears on the hold down 174 bearing a pivoted insole-engaging presser foot 178. The lever 170, in pulling, acts yieldingly on the bar 176 of the holddown through springs 192. Pin 194 limits the movement of piston 166. Fluid is admitted from 144 to 162, when the piston 142 has substantially completed the gripping movement, via a slot 198 in rod valve 196 which is secured to piston 142 and passes through partition 164. After the pulling operation fluid flows from 162 to 144 through check valve 200 to tube 146. Cylinders 134 are guided in arms 202, and links 210 are pivoted to the arms at 208 and to the bar 176 at 212, slot 214 permitting limited relative widthwise movement of bar 176 and casting 204. Spring 218 normally holds link 210 as in Fig. 21, and springs 220 help to return the cylinder after release of the upper, and swing cylinder and lever 170 inwardly about pin 182. Lever 230 pivoted at 228 is pivoted to bar 176 and joined by spring 232 to arm 234 secured to rotatable shaft 236. The right-hand arm 234 has an arm 242 with a screw 244 which bears on arm 246 on rockshaft 248. Initially, arm 246 is held so that springs 232 are fully extended. The holddown and grippers are adjusted vertically by screw 244. Arms 222 slide widthwise in brackets 238 moving the holddown and gripper. Cylinder 252 (not shown) in bracket 238 has a piston with a limiting block 256 and is normally held as in Fig. 3 by spring 258. Rod 262 extends through piston 256 and is threaded in arm 222 with spring 266 interposed, adjustment of the rod determining the widthwise position of holddown and grippers. When members 64 are moved inwardly to clamp the shoe the holddown and grippers are moved outwardly to the outer edge of the shoe positioning the upper margin, this movement being accomplished by pistons 254 (not shown) moved by fluid from 267, 268, 269, 270 which also connects to 104 and 92, and 272. Slidable pins 282, 292 at the ends of a tube 274 and spaced by balls 276 respectively engage a screw 284 on arm 222 and arm 290 integral with lever 68, so that movement of clamps 64 determines the limit of the outward movement of grippers and holddown. To adjust the holddowns and grippers lengthwise simultaneously in opposite directions, and to change their angular relation to the sides of the shoe, for dealing with right- and left-hand shoes, castings 204 are pivoted about pins 224 through rods 294, members 296 pivoted to lever 298 itself pivoted at 300, and link 312 connected to stud 314 eccentrically located on disc 316 on rockshaft 318, which is turned by lever 322 between two positions in which a finger 324 on the hand lever contacts one or other of diametrical pins 326. Lever 298 may be secured in a central position by means of screw. Wipers 334 are pivoted at 336 on plates 338, 342 secured to rockshaft 346, and a torsion spring 350 around the rockshaft is anchored at one end for adjusting its tension and at the other is engaged by pin 354 on arm 356 loose on the rockshaft. Pin 354 extends into slot 358 on arm 342 so that arm 346 is operated, to move arm 342 through spring 350 to move the front end of the wiper toward the shoe, through link 359 by lever 362 pivoted at 366. Plate 368 secured to 362 overlies wiper 334 which is guided in groove 372 in block 370 on plate 368. The curved rear edge 374 of the wiper is engaged by the straight wall 376 of groove 372 to swing the rear edge of the wiper about 336. Screw 377 in the wiper extends into slot 378 in plate 368 to return the wiper when 360 swings outwardly. The wipers are heated by unit 382. Thus the wiper receives a bodily movement lengthwise of the shoe toward the toe end as well as widthwise, and this movement is adjustably limited by engagement of screw 384 with tail 386 of arm 342, arm 356 making an idling movement and the wiper swung further about 336. Arm 342 is further controlled by adjustment of a screw 388 therein which engages a link 394 pivoted on arm 360. Under each wiper 334 is an auxiliary wiper 398 forming part of an arm 400 pivoted on arm 342, a spring 404 swinging arm 400 so that pin 408 engages plate 338. Wiper 398 has a heightwise concave face to which is secured a flexible plate which adjusts itself to different shoe contours. The wiper 398 acts with the swing of arm 342 but may be stopped by the resistance of the shoe whereupon arm 342 continues to move and plate 338 moves from pin 408. Levers 362 are operated by pistons 416 of cylinders 418 engaging rolls 422, and returned by spring 426, movement being equalized by interengaging gear sectors 414. Fluid passes to cylinders 418 through pipe 428. Movement of levers 362 is limited by engagement of the pistons with stop blocks 430 which are adjusted by hand wheel 434, and secured by a spring-pressed pin engaging notches 440 (not shown). Rockshaft 248 is held stationary initially by means of an arm 448 thereon having a roll 450 engaging the outer edge of arm 424 of lever 362. When 424 swings outwardly, arm 448 swings outwardly and upwardly to turn the rockshaft and to tension spring 232. Thus on release of the upper by the grippers spring 232 retracts the holddown heightwise to permit passage of the wipers. When the wipers have substantially completed their operation latch 30 releases lever 16 and member 116 forces the shoe more firmly against the wipers, members 18, 40 moving upwardly, the latter to a lesser extent because screws 454 engage the frame, rocking the shoe to raise the heel end. Lever 16 is returned by means of pin engaging face 458 of cam plate 456. Latch 30 is swung by pivoted lever 464 engaged by roll 470 on arm 468 on rockshaft 472, arm 474 also on shaft 470 being engaged by rolls 422 on lever 362, lost motion preventing release of the latch until the wiper motion is nearly complete. Fluid, preferably light oil, passes from sump 482 through 480 to pump 476 driven by motor 478, then through 484 to manifold 486, excess passing through a relief valve and 492 to the sump. When the machine is idle fluid passes from 486 through 502, 508 in sleeve valve 506, 504, and 494 to sump without building up pressure, valve 506 having connection with lever 510 which is initially held by spring 530 but moved through link 532 by the core 534 of solenoid 536. Flow is controlled by valve unit 538 (not shown) through 148, 146 to the gripper operating cylinder, unit 542 (not shown) through 428 to the wiper operating cylinder 418, and unit 544 (not shown) through 272, 270, to move the grippers and holddowns outwardly and to engage clamps 64. Each unit has a valve similar to 506, but in one position obstructing flow from 486, and a solenoid 558 (not shown) similar to 536. Respective switches 560, 580, 582, 584, 586 of solenoids 536, 558 associated with units 496, 538, 540, 542, 544 are operated respectively by cams 576, 592, 594, 596, 598 on drum 578