897,766. Shoe bottom levelling machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). June 9, 1958 [June 11, 1957], No. 18299/57. Class 17(1) In a shoe bottom levelling machine comprising a shoe supporting jack 3 having a toe gauge 8, and a heel support 2 interconnected with a toe support 4, a levelling tool 5, and means to bring about relative traversing movement between the jack and the tool to cause the tool to operate progressively along the shoe bottom, the heel and toe supports are appropriately spaced in accordance with the size of the shoe by movement of the heel support lengthwise of the shoe through a distance depending on the size of the shoe to engage the toe end of the shoe with the toe gauge, and lesser movement of the toe support in the same direction relative to the toe gauge. The heel support 2 is carried by a stem 18 slidable in a post 19 connected to a bracket 30 which is rotatable about shaft 31, and when the heel support carrying the shoe is swung with post 19 to engage the toe of the shoe with the toe gauge 8, i.e. the extent of the movement being determined by the size of the shoe, proportional movement is imparted, via links 76, 143 respectively, to the toe support 4 and cone support 6 which are rotatable about shaft 72. The rotation of bracket 30 causes relative clockwise rotation of a lever 32 (not shown) which moves stem 18 upwardly in post 19 to raise the heel support. At the required time in the cycle of operations the piston 61 of a cylinder B acts via a bell-crank 57 (not shown), a chain 56 (not shown), and rod 46 to swing the upper part of the heel support about pivot 15 to force the toe of the shoe firmly against support 4, the initial angular position of bell-crank 57, which determines the degree of the force applied, being adjusted via rod 46 &c. by the movement of post 19. The cone support comprises a pad 134 adjustable laterally on a stem 137 which is slidable in arm 138 and urged upwardly by spring 133. At the required time the support is urged upwardly against the shoe by a piston 140 moving in a bore in arm 138. When the toe of the shoe engages the adjustable screw 80 of the shoe gauge, arm 81 is swung clockwise, raising the piston 100 of valve A, whereupon serrations on the piston engage serrations on an arcuate bar 124, which is carried by a post 120 on bracket 30 and guided in the toe gauge post 38, so that bracket 30 is locked to post 38 thus fixing the relative positions of supports 2, 4, and 6. Subsequently arm 81 is swung rearwardly and downwardly below the level of the shoe bottom by upward movement of piston 100, and is latched in this position. Post 38, which is journalled on shaft 31 and carries a gear segment 39, is oscillated, together with the shoe support and the shoe, by a gear 40 which is rotated first in one direction and then in the other by a rack bar 154 reciprocated by pistons 155, 156 in cylinders 157, 158 respectively. Flow of fluid to cylinders 157, 158 is controlled by valve G which is in turn controlled through a mechanical linkage and a differential mechanism 295 by a group of bellcranks 291 each operated by an individual cam (namely, a master jack control cam 390 or one of four modifying cams 391). A pin 310 on bracket 30 acting via bar 308 and bell-cranks 302, 277 shifts the position of one of the pivots of the mechanical linkage to ensure that the degree, but not the sequence, of movements is varied in accordance with the size of the shoe. This setting is fixed by engagement with bar 308 of a friction member 317 operated by piston 316 of cylinder C. The jacks with the next pair of shoes are moved rearwardly to the initial operative position from the forward position to which they may have been moved for manual sounding after levelling of the previous pair, by upward movement of piston 264 in cylinder H which raises piston 240 of cylinder G. This initial operating position of the shoes, which varies for example with men's and women's shoes, is determined by engagement of piston 264 with a lever 322 the position of which is controlled by an adjustable cam 330. Engagement of piston 240 with lever 322 also serves to actuate a clutch which initiates the operation of the control cams. Each levelling roll 5 is rotatable, and movable axially slightly, on a shaft 170 which may be adjusted in a horizontal plane in holder 172. The holders are normally raised about shaft 173 by springs 204 but are moved downwardly to engage the rolls with the shoes by pistons 200 movable in cylinders 177 and acting via 198, 194, 192, 190. Flow to cylinders 177 is controlled by a solenoid operated valve J which is actuated at the same time as the clutch, and the pressure is determined by a relief valve K which is controlled by a cam 360 (not shown) adjusted together with cam 330. To vary the pressure applied from one portion of the shoe to another, valve K is also controlled by a cam 377 cooperating with the jack controlling cam mechanism. The roll carriers 175, which have interengaging gear segments, are tilted laterally on bearings 174 by means of a gear segment 212 on one of the carriers and a rack 214 which is moved up or down by the piston 220 of a cylinder E, flow to the cylinder being controlled by a valve F, and movement of the spool 228 of the valve being controlled by four control cams 394 via bell cranks 385 and a differential mechanism 384. The control cams 390, 391, 394, and 377 on shaft 406 are driven by a motor via a speed reduction unit and a roll-type clutch 404 operated by rod 355 when the latter is moved upwardly as a result of the engagement of piston 264 and lever 322 at the initial movement of the jack. This movement of rod 355 also closes the switch 448 controlling valve J (not shown). Disengagement of the rolls of the clutch after one revolution is aided by movement of a cam-controlled spring-actuated lever 454. The motor acts through a speed reduction unit 402 (not shown) which is adjusted in accordance with the size of the shoe by pin 310. Each cam except the master cam 390 communicates with its bell-crank 291, 385, or 373 via a bell-crank 470, 472 and link 486, the amount of movement imparted to the link being adjusted by variation of the effective length of arm 472 by varying the position of a slide 474 therealong. This latter adjustment is made by adjusting the position of the corresponding carrier 478 along a bar 479. To relieve the levelling pressure when the jack is momentarily. still between back and forth movements, and thus prevent the formation of indentations in the shoe bottom, extensions 492 on the relevant arms 470 are set in their operative positions wherein they are actuated by cams 391 to open switch 504, thus de-energizing valve J and exhausting cylinders 177. The hydraulic operating system is illustrated in Fig. 41, operation is initiated, after the jack has been adjusted and locked, by depression of two buttons 515, at the same time, to open starting valves M, M1. The machine may be stopped at any time during the levelling cycle by operation of treadle 600, which unlatches the spool of valve L, permitting the latter to close, and causes the pump motor to shut down. Manual setting of the selector valve T into one or other of its two positions determines whether the shoe is automatically released at the end of the levelling operation, or remains locked for the manual sounding operation. In the latter case the shoe is released by operation of treadle 600.