US1141289A - Shoemaking-machine. - Google Patents

Description

E. W. VARNEY. SHOEMAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1912.

Patented June 1, 1915.

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EVERETT W. VARNEY, O1? NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

SHOEMAKING-MACHINE.

Llldi 28 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, M9115.

To all whom it mag/concern Be it known that l, EVERETT W. VARNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Shoemaking Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference char acters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to shoe making machines and is herein shown and described, by way of exemplification merely, as embodied in a machine for breasting heels. It is to be understood, however, that in its broader aspects the invention may be embodied in other machines of this class.

The operation of breasting the heels of boots and shoes consists in removing the rough portion from the forward face of the heel, and is usually performed after the heel is attached to the shoe by a knife moving from the tread face toward the shank, the movement of the knife being arrested by a suitably arranged stop when the shank is reached. In machines in which the knife is power driven, it has been diflicult to devise mechanism which would arrest the knife under all conditions so as not to strike into the shank portion of the shoe and this has been found especially hard to accom plish in machines for breasting the heels of shoes while still upon the last, as commercial lasts vary considerably in height and consequently either the stroke of the knife must be changed with each variation in the height of the last or else the shoe must be jacked each time to bring the shank to a predetermined height, that is, to the lower limit of the knife stroke, supposing the knife to reciprocate vertically. There is considerable variation also in the thickness of the shank portion of the sole in different shoes, so that even if the lasts were of the same height a knife adjusted to cut to the shank of one shoe would cut into the shank of another shoe having a thicker shank portion. It is usual to clamp and position shoes relatively to the breasting knife by bringing a presser plate into contact with the tread face of the heel, but in the ordinary construction the presser plate cannot conveniently be used as a stop for determining the vertical position of the shoe relatively to the knife as the vertical position of the plate must vary with each different height of heel, there being more or less variation even in heels nominally of the same height.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means which will automatically so position the shoe irrespectively of the height of the heel, of the thickness of the shank portion of the sole or of height variations in the last that the shoe will be properly located relatively to a knife having a fixed lower limit and the knife will breast the heel without cutting the shank.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for clamping and positioning a shoe irrespectively of the characteristics of the individual shoe or last, so that the shoe will be clamped with the shank at a fixed point.

An important feature of the invention is embodied in means for determining the upper limit of movement of the presser plate in accordance with the height of the heel being breasted. As embodied herein, this feature of the invention comprises means for measuring the heel and means set by the measuring means for determining the extent to which the shoe may be moved when positioning it in proper relation to the knife for the heel to be breasted. The measuring means preferably comprises a presser plate for engaging the tread face of the heel, a stop member which engages the shank of a shoe at a point near the heel and connecting mechanism between the stop and the presser plate whereby the relative movement between these two elements is made to fiX or predetermine the limit to which the stop and plate may be moved together when the shoeis pressed against them. In the embodiment shown, the means for determining the upper limit of the presser plate movement comprises a cam or wedge-shaped member, the operative edge of which may be toothed or stepped, if desired, which is moved only when the stop and plate are moved relatively, such relative movement determining the portion of the cam or wedge which shall contact with the portion of the presser plate carrier and thereby limit its movement. This mechanism provides an abutment for the tread plate that is adjusted with the movement of the plate until the shoe reaches a predetermined relation to said limit of knife stroke and is then automatically brought to rest and held while the tread plate continues its movement into position to be arrested by the abutment.

As a further feature of the invention the presser plate is, in the embodiment shown, resiliently depressed and the shoe is placed upon the shoe support and elevated thereby into contact with the presser plate, Whereupon the presser plate is also raised with the shoe against the action of the means for normally depressing it. As the shoe and presser plate move upwardly, a stop contacts with the shoe, whereupon both the presser plate and stop move upwardly until they are arrested in a position determined by the relative position of the presser plate and the stop, which position is always such that the face of the shank is at a certain. predetermined vertical elevation, that being, in the embodiment shown, at the lower limit of the knife stroke.

As" another feature of the invention the presser tread plate and the shank stop or abutment are arranged on opposite sides of the knife so that the clamping pressure eX- erted by upward movement of the shoe support is balanced or distributed upon different portions of the shoe on opposite sides of the knife. As the last pin of the jack is located under the presser plate and is sup ported rigidly by an abutment, the clamping effect exerted upon the heel portion of the shoe is in excess of that upon the shank portion. Furthermore the clamping of the heel takes place always against the tension of the spring which normally depresses the tread plate and further increases the pressure upon the heel portion of the shoe. By holding the shoe firmly upon both sides of the knife the action thereof is rendered sure and positive and cutting of the shank of the sole is eliminated.

It is a notable feature of the invention also that the knife is maintained in unchanged relation to its actuating mechanism so that its stroke is positive and unvarying as distinguished from machines in which the knife is disconnected from its actuating mechanism, or has its movement otherwise limited, in accordance with the position of the shoe shank.

The figure of the drawing is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention.

As illustrated, the machine embodying the present invention is shown in connection with a jack of the type described and claimed in an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 531,798. The jack comprises a post 2 which is pivoted near the floor for movement in the plane of the paper to enable shoes to be conveniently put on and removed from the jack. A threaded rod 4 is mounted for free vertical movement in the post 2 and has threaded thereon a pinion 6 which rests upon the top of the post 2 to which it is held by the clip 7. An arcshaped rack 8 meshes with the pinion and is movable about a pivot at its center of curvature by a lever 10. It is obvious that movement of the lever 10 will, by rotating the pinion 6, raise and lower the jack upon the post 4, which comprises the heel pin 12 and the toe rest 14, and that the shoe will be rigidly upheld by the j aclr at all times.

- The usual frame 20 of the machine is provided with a superstructure 22 (which may, however, be integral with the frame) clamped thereto by bolts 24 and 26. A presser guide plate 30 for engaging the tread face of the heel is mounted for the usual angular adjustment upon a slide 32 arranged to slide vertically in a portion 34 of the machine frame. The slide 32 has a forward extension 36 which is toothed to form a rack and to the upper portion of which a bracket 38 is attached. Between the bracket 38 and a pin 40 on the machine frame is stretched a spring 42 which normally depresses the presser plate 30 toward the work. To prevent excessive depression of the tread plate 30 a stop may be provided, as, for example, the pin 33 in the slide 32, arranged to contact with the frame 34 when the presser tread plate is depressed. hfeshin g with the abovementioned rack 36 is a pinion or connecting member 44, the opposite edge of which similarly engages a rack 46 formed in one side of a stop carrier 48, which is normally held by gravity, with an adjusting collar 50 carried thereby resting upon the upper face of a lug 52 on the built-up portion 22 of the machine frame through which the carrier 48 passes. Another lug 54 is provided below the lug 52 for further supporting the stop member 48 and guiding it for vertical movement. The lower end of the stop member 48 is provided with an adjustable stop 56 adapted to contact with the shank of the shoe and an adjustable stop 58 is provided for limiting the upward movement of the stop carrier 48. The pinion 44 has no fixed axis and may, therefore, be termed a floating pinion. In order to retain the pinion 44 in place upon the racks 36 and 46, flange plates 60 are secured to the opposite sides of the pinion and serve to hold it in proper relation to the racks. Upon the inner face of the pinion 44 is a pin or roller 61 which engages a channel 62 formed in a cam plate 64. The plate 64 is mounted to slide freely transversely of the machine upon flanged studs 66 on the machine frame which engage slots 68 in the plate. The left-hand end (as shown) of the plate 64 is provided with an inclined or cam portion 70 preferably provided with teetl. The upper end of the slide 32 is adapted to engage the incline 70 of the plate 64 and, when the incline is toothed, is preferably provided with a differential pawl 72. It is to be understood, however, that the portion 70 may have any desired cam shape, either toothed or smooth, and that the slide 32 may engage the portion without the interposition of any pawl mechanism. The plate 64, it will be seen, forms an abutment for the slide 32 and plate 30 to limit their upward movement when the pawl 72 is permitted to engage the teeth 70.

In the operation of the machine the jack is swung forwardly about the pivot near the base of the machine and the thimble of the last carrying the shoe is placed upon the pin 12 and the forepart of the shoe positioned against the toe rest 14. The shoe and jack are now swung inwardly to bring the heel of the shoe under the presser plate 30. The handle 10 of the jack is swung to the left, thereby raising the jack, the shoe and the presser plate resting upon the tread face of the heel. During this upward movement of the shoe, the heel is properly positioned by the operator relatively to the forward edge of the plate 30, the position of which corresponds to that of the cut which will be made by the knife. Having positioned the heel, the operator continues to raise the shoe by the operation of the lever 10, movement thereby being communicated from the plate 30 to the slide 82 and through the rack 36 which it carries to the pinion 44,

causing the pinion to roll upon the rack 46 which, because of its weight, remains stationary. The angular movement of the pinion a4 is transmitted through the pin 61 and channel 62 to the plate 64, which is thereby moved to the right as the presser plate is elevated, the inclined edge 7 0 of the plate 64 being, by this movement, kept just in advance of the ascending pawl 7 2. When the shoe has been raised the full height of the heel, the shank stop 56 contacts with the shank of the shoe. This is the position of the parts of the machine shown in the drawing and it will be seen that upon further elevation of the shoe the shank stop and stop carrier 48 as well as the presser plate 30 will be raised by the shoe. Movement of the stop carrier 48 and its rack 41:6 with the plate slide 32 and its rack 36 together will prevent further angular movement of the pinion 44, the pin 61 of which will merely slide in the vertical channel 62 until by such movement the pawl 72 is brought into engagement with the edge 70 of the plate 64:, which thus forms a rigid stop or abutment for the presser tread plate 80. Preferably the stop 58 of the stop carrier t8 will be so adjusted as to simultaneously contact with the lug 54. The machine now provides two rigid abutments 30 and 56 against which the shoe may be further clamped by continued movement of the lever 10., The shank en gaging face of the stop 56' is so adjusted as to be exactly in the plane of the knife when it has reached the limit of its stroke, and

et hence when the knife is operated after the shoe has been clamped as described it will cut to the shank and no farther. It will be seen that the shoe is positioned irrespectively of the height of the heel, the thickness of the shank, or variations in the height of the last and is securely clamped against abutments on both sides of the knife and rigidly held in that position. It will also be clear that in the above construction the knife may remain in unchanged relation to its actuator whatever the characteristics of the shoe may be.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. I11 a machine of the class described, the combination with a shoe support, and a cutting tool arranged to be reciprocated toward and from the shoe between fixed limits, of clamping means arranged to be moved by pressure of the shoe and means for positively arresting said clamping means after a movement thereof which is determined automatically in accordance with a characteristic of the shoe beingoperated upon.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a shoe support and a breasting knife mounted for reciprocation toward and from a fixed limit of movement, of a movable presser tread plate against which the shoe may be pressed and clamped by movement of the shoe support, means for positively and directly arresting the presser plate after a movement the extent of which is determined automatically by the height of the heel being treated, and means for raising the shoe support to clamp the shoe against the arresting means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a knife and means for actuating the same, of a presser plate and a stop both mounted for movement in the same direction, connections between the presser plate and the stop permitting movement of the plate and the stop independently and also together, and means for limiting movement of the two together.

4. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, a reciprocating knife, a presser plate mounted for movement in the same direction as the knife, an abutment for the plate, means operated by movement of the presser plate for adjusting the abutment, and means for arresting the abutment when the shoe has assumed a predetermined relation to the limit of the knife stroke.

5. A machine of the class described. having, in combination, a shank engaging stop, a resiliently depressed member for engaging the tread face of the heel and movable independently of said stop, and means rendered effective upon contact of the shoe with said stop for arresting upward movement of said resiliently depressed member.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, two shoe positioning members normally held toward the work but movable from normal position by the work, and means for locking the one against movement as a result of the movement of theother.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, two shoe positioning members normally held toward the shoe but movable from normal position by the shoe, and means for arresting movement of both said members as a result of pressure tending to move both together.

8. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, a knife having a fixed limit of cutting movement, means for engaging the tread face of the heel and movable with the shoe, and means operatively connected with the tread engaging means and acting irrespectively of the height of the heel to arrest movement of said tread engaging means when the work is positioned.

9. A machine of the class described, having, in combinatiom operating means, measuring means for determining a dimension of the heel, and means set by said measuring means for determining the extent of movement of the shoe toward said operating means.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a reciprocating knife, a presser plate and a stop normally held toward the shoe, and movable by pressure of the shoe thereagainst, and mechanism set by the one to arrest its movement as a result of movement of the other.

. 11. A heel breasting machine having, in combination, a breasting knife having a cutting stroke to a fixed limit of movement toward which the shoe is uplifted, a heel tread engaging plate movable upward by the shoe, and means operated automatically by the shoe as the shoe reaches said limit to lock the tread plate against further upward movement.

12. A heel breasting machine having, in combination, a breasting knife having a cutting stroke to a fixed point toward which the shoe is uplifted, a heel tread engaging plate movable upward by the shoe, means for jacking the shoe against said plate to clamp the heel for the breasting operation and means operated automatically as the shoe shank reaches the limit of the knife stroke to arrest movement of the plate whereby the final jacking movement clamps the heel rigidly against the plate.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a tread plate and a shoe lifting jack, of means to clamp positively.

heels of varying heights, said means being operated automatically by jacking each shoe up to the same position.

14:. A machine of. the class described having, in combination, a breasting knife, actu ating means therefor, a stop member 4-8 provided with rack teeth, a floating pinion 44: meshing with said teeth, a tread plate slide 36 having rack teeth meshing with the pinion 44, a plate 30 on said slide, and means 64 arranged to be set by movement of the pinion lat for limiting the movement of the plate 30 when both the plate 30 and the stop member 48 are moved together.

15. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a breasting knife, actnating means therefor, a shank abutment 56, a heel tread abutment 30, a connection A l between the abutments permitting movement of either relatively to the other, and means cotiperating with said connection 44 for limiting movement of both abutments when they are moved together.

16. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife, means for moving the knife to and from a fixed limit of movement, means contacting with the shoe shank, and operating mechanism connected with the said shank contacting means for automatically limiting movement of the shoe heel relatively to the limit of the knife stroke irrespectively of the height of the heel.

17. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife, means for reciprocating the knife to and from a fixed limit of movement, a movable presser plate to contact with the tread face of the heel arranged to be moved by the pressure of the heel thereon, and means positioned by movement of the presser plate for arresting vertical movement of the plate.

18. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife, means for reciprocating the knife vertically between fixed limits, a vertically movable presser plate arranged to contact with the tread face of the heel, means for elevating the shoe against the plate and the plate with the shoe, and means connected with the plate for arresting movement of the plate automatically in accordance with the height of the heel.

19. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife, means for reciprocating the knife between fixed limits of movement, means for raising and holding a shoe, means engaging the tread face of the heel and arranged to be raised thereby, and automatic means for locking said means a ainst further movement when the shank of the shoe is at one limit of the knife stroke.

20. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a reciprocating knife, a movable presser plate for engaging the heel and exerting yielding pressure thereon, locking means movable transversely of the path of the plate, and means operated by contact with another portion of the shoe for rendering said locking means effective to positively hold the plate against movement by engagement with the heel.

21. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a breasting knife, a heel tread clamping element 30, a shank clamping element56 said elements being disposed on opposite sides of the knife, a locking element 64E Which is positioned by relative movement of said shoe clamping element to rigidly hold said elements in operative position against movement by the pressure of the shoe against them, and means for clamping the shoe against said shoe clamping elements to sustain it during the action of the knife.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

EVERETT W. VARNEY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. RUssELL, ELIZABETH G. COUPE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioneri of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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