989,056. Lasting machines. MASCHINENFABRIK MOENUS A.G. May 8, 1961, No. 16653/61. Heading A3B. A hyraulically operated machine for pulling over and lasting the toe ends of shoes and other footwear comprises a toe gripper of three parts 96, 98 and 99 and at least one pair of side grippers of a similar construction. Each pair of grippers is movable in a vertical plane by the action of piston 5 working in a cylinder 4 through links 7, 8 and pulling rods 13. The jaws 98, 99 of the grippers are locked by the engagement of tappet rods 100, which are the extensions of spring loaded pistons 95, on the lower jaws 99, pressurized fluid passing through the pulley rods 13 into cylinder 93. A manual control comprises two bell crank levers 61, 43 which engage together when the handle 40 of the latter is moved to the right as seen in Fig. 1, the levers pivoting about 44 thus raising the slide 21 of the control valve until its collar 25 abuts against the face of the valve housing 26. The levers then pivot about 44a depressing a spring 38, attached to a projection of the sleeve 46, on to the ball 37 of a high pressure valve 36 through the link of a member 47a, pin 48, a laterally movable wedge 49 and a bifurcated pin 45 in the sleeve 46. Pressurized fluid from pump driven by a common shaft 35 passes into cylinder 4 through pipe 29, the control valve and port 28 depressing piston 5 and as the arm 40 is moved further to the right the pressure of the spring 38 on the ball 37 increases and thus the pressure is allowed to build up in the system creating an increasing force on the grippers until the arm 40 is locked by the engagement of pawl 77 with rack 78. The process is reversed by moving arm 40 to the left as seen in Fig. 1 which together with the action of spring 63 moves the slide downwards allowing fluid to enter cylinder 4 through port 27 forcing piston 5 upwards. Fluid in the cylinder 4 above piston 5 flows through port 28 into a sump line 34. A low pressure valve 17 is incorporated in cylinder 4 to avoid large pressure being attained in the return stroke of piston 5. Bell crank lever 60 effects the limiting of the movement of slide 21 and also acts as a shock absorber to the system. The toe gripper and each pair of side grippers are provided with the control mechanism described above. A bar 71 of lever 70 engages caps 64 of the slide valves 21 so that all the gripping units may be worked in unison by the movement of lever 70. The caps are disengageable from slides 21 so that the said units can also be operated selectively by the lever 70. Wedges 49 may be operated in unison by the handwheel 55 and associated mechanism or singly by the threaded sleeve 50, the lateral movement for the positioning of wedges 49 effecting a greater or smaller pressure on the ball 37 during the movement of arm 40. The grippers are linked together around a template 185 which is movable longitudinally on a key 186 in a key groove 187 of the last carrier 83 which is attached to a plunger 81 mounted for movement in the frame 80 of the machine. The last carrier 83 also supports a plate 91 of a slide 88 which plate supports a last 16. The grippers are in point of contact with the template 185 to reduce sliding friction and both ends of the chain of grippers are attached through links to spring loaded drawbars 114. The drawbars 114, mounted in a crosspiece 116 an the bracket 82, are movable laterally by the engagement of their racks 131, 132 with the teeth 130 of a rotatable spindle 127. The spindle 127 is mounted in a shell 135 which is attached to a pin 133, the pin 133 being mounted for universal movement. An arm 138, mounted on pin 133, when moved in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 5 effects the movement of the linked grippers around the template by rotating spindle 127. When lever 138 is moved in a vertical plane as shown in Fig. 4, however, the axes a, b, c, d of the pin 133 &c. are tilted thus moving the spindle 127 backwards or forwards (not shown) in its housing and effects the movement of template 185 longitudinally through link 139a which is attached at one end to the template and at the other to a cover 126a on the cross piece 118 and also the longitudinal movement of the grippers. The return of spindle 127 and pin 133 to their normal rest position is helped by the tension of springs 143 attached to pin 133 in its ball joint and also spring bolts 142. The machine may be operated in conjunction with wipers when as the wipers move in towards the centre of the last the pressure on the grippers is decreased and finally the jaws of the grippers are unlocked.