874,828. Cutting heel breast flaps. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd., and BARTON, G. C. Aug. 30, 1957 [Aug. 31, 1956], No. 26613/56. Class 17(1) A machine for operating on heel breast flaps comprising a pair of cutters 46 to act along opposite sides of the flap, and means to bring about relative movement lengthwise of the flap between the cutters and the flap to cause the cutters to cut the flap to a shape corresponding to the breast face includes the following features. (1) A clamp 44 to hold the flap against a work support in a position adjacent the sole, and means to raise the support, clamp, and flap from the sole to position the flap for cutting. (2) Means for presenting the shoe to the machine in a horizontal position. (3) A movable cam to control the movement of the cutters towards and from each other as they move along the flap, the cutter movement being varied to suit flaps of different shape by tilting the cam. (4) Adjustment of the cutter-controlling cam causes the shoe positioning means to be adjusted correspondingly. At presentation the shoe is pressed against seat stops 32 and centraliser 14 of the shoe engaging members 12, is engaged by side gauges 18, and is pressed rearwardly with member 12 into engagement with end stop 20. The flap is supported on face 42 of support 16 extending radially from arcuate slide 48 which is moved in guides 50 by means of a toothed quadrant 58 under control of a cam 80 on main shaft 6 which is driven via reduction gearing and a one-revolution clutch, clamps 44 rotated on a link 84 pivoted to a lever 92 pivoted on slide 48 are urged towards the flap by spring plunger 98. In the rest position, on abutment 112 controlled by cam 130 urges pin 104 inwardly to swing lever 92 and withdraw the clamps, but when the cam is rotated spring 132 withdraws abutment 112, and plunger 98 presses the clamps against the flap. Each cutter 46 comprises a trimming cutter 136 and a skirting cutter 138, and is mounted on a shaft 134 in a cutter bracket 142 slidable vertically in a cross slide 146 which is slidable transversely in slideway 148. Bracket 142 moves vertically, with drive bracket 152, but is movable transversely relatively thereto on rod 150. A universal coupling 174 with pin and slot connection to the drive shaft 168 drives shaft 134 at the speed of the motor (not shown) whilst permitting axial and vertical movement of the shaft with bracket 142. A flap guide 214 associated with each cutter and secured to a plate 218 is adjusted angularly, to vary the angle of skive which is indicated by pointer 244, by adjustment of plate 218 in arcuate guides on a guide slide 228, and is adjustable towards and from the cutter by adjustment of slide 228 in guides on bracket 142. Heightwise movement of brackets 152 with the cutters is controlled by cam 268. During each cycle cutters 46 are moved towards each other under control of cam 318 which causes bell-crank 248 to swing anticlockwise against spring 292, so that spring plunger 288 swings arm 278 with shaft 274 anticlockwise, until abutments 286, 287 engage, rotation of shaft 274 swings equally and oppositely two linked cutter arms 272 which engage blocks 270 rotatable on slide 146. This movement is limited, to space the cutters correctly before they move downwardly, by engagement of a cam plate 320 with a roll 322 on an arm 324 secured to shaft 274 and adjustable thereon by meansof arm 340 with pointer and scale. Subsequently as the cutters move downwardly they are progressively moved apart via roll 322 &c., to shape the flap, .by movement of cam plate 320, and are finally returned to inoperative position by spring 292. Cam plate 320 is replaceable and adjustable on a cam bracket 358 connected to carriage 346 which is slidable on a sloping rod 348, and is moved, as the cutters move upwardly by means of a bell crank connected to carriage 346 and to bracket 152. Bracket 358 is mounted for heightwise and transverse movement relatively to carriage 346. A link 366 is pivoted at 364 to bracket 358 and at 373 to a bell-crank 374 pivoted to the carriage on sleeve 376, a roll 378 on pivot 373 engaging in a straight track in a plate 382 which is movable heightwise. Rocking of lever 374 determines the heightwise position of the portion of cam 320 adjacent roll 322 relatively to carriage 346. This heightwise position does not change appreciably as carriage 346 moves along rod 348. A link 386 is adjustably secured at one end to bracket 358 by means of pin 392, slot 384, and nut 394, and at the other end to a bell-crank 398 pivoted at 400 to the carriage. A link 402 pivoted to 398 is connected to a pin 406 on a slide 408 which is adjustable by nut 414 in a slideway 416 in member 418, the latter being connected to bell-crank 374 by spigot 420 engaged in sleeve 374 and adjusted thereabout by pin 422 and slot 424. Pin 392 is adjusted in slot 384 so that the distance 392-364 corresponds to the length of cut to be made. In one position of member 418 relatively to lever 374, movement of slide 408 in slideway 416 rocks link 402 without disturbing levers 374 or 398. Considering heels of the same style but different sizes, when the difference in width is the same at top and bottom slide 408 is positioned so that distance 406-376 is the same as 404-400, then heightwise movement of plate 382 causes the heightwise position of roll 322 to change the same amount when the cutters are at the top and at their lowest position. When the difference in width diminishes by half from top to bottom slide 408 is set so that 406-366 is half 404-400, movement of plate 382 then moving cam 320 heightwise and tilting it as required. When the heels are of different width at the base but not at the tip, pin 406 is positioned co-axially with sleeve 376, then when plate 382 moves bellcrank 398 is not moved but cam 320 tilts about pin 392 so that the portion of the cam engaging roll 322 is not moved substantially as the cutters engage the tip. Adjustment of cam 320 about pin 392 by means of pin and slot 422, 424 enables the same plate 320 to be used for heels having different degrees of taper but similar curvature. Plate 332 is pivoted to a bell-crank 436 secured to shaft 438 and to a lever 444 fixed to pin 446, the levers being linked at 448, and is moved, thus adjusting cam 320, by a size arm 454 connected to lever 444 and held in position by engagement of a spring plunger 456 in a required depression 460, a pointer and size scale being provided. Movement from one depression to the next spaces the cutters <SP>1</SP>/ 16 inch in their lowest position. This movement of arm 454 rotates pin 446 and via arm 497, link 494, lever 488, and link 482, raises wedge 478 and hence, via roll 474 and bellcrank 476, rotates shaft 470 to which one side gauge lever 464 is adjustably secured. Equal and opposite movement is imported to the other lever 464 by teeth 472. Movement of arm 454 also rotates shaft 438 which acts via 510, 506 to move wedge 504 endwise, resulting in heightwise movement of rod 500 which acts via pinion 498 and rack 28 to adjust the position of end stop 20. To adjust end stop 20 only, lever 444 is disengaged from arm 454, and the heightwise position of roll 512 which determines the heightwise position of wedge 504 is adjusted by means of handle 526 and clamped by bolt 528. Specification 727,584 is referred to.