US1359610A - Rigid-bottom collapsible last - Google Patents

Description

A. F. LITTLEFIELD. RIGID BOTTOM QOLLAPSIBLE LA'ST.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, I919.

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A. F. LITTLEFIELD.

RIGID BOTTOM CAOLLAPSIBLE LAST. APPLICATION FILED APR. re, 1919.

1,359,6 l 0., Patenped Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- I L I p Fig. 10 Fig.1]

UNITED STATES egrsur OFFICE.

AUGUSTINE FRANK LITTLEFIELD, 01E LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNiTED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATEIRSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RIGID-BOTTOM COLLAPSIBLE- LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 23, 1920.

Application filed April 16, 1919. Serial No. 290,441.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUs'rINE F. LITTLE- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Rigid-Bottom Collapsible Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

In some methods or lines of boot and shoemaking, it is desirable to employ lasts which are permanently rigid against flexure or vertical bending moments. It a block last is employed and the shoe upper is conformed closely thereto, removal of the last without injury to the shoe is laborious and diflicult and sometimes practically impossible. Hence, it is common to use so-called collapsible or hinged lasts, the heel portions of which can be moved to give sufiicient relief to permit ready withdrawal of the last from the shoe, thus losing the advantage of permanent rigidity.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a last which, for all classes of work. will always be rigid against vertical bending, and preferably present a rigid or inflexible sole surface portion from toe to heel, but which is capable of being collapsed at the heel to permit ready withdrawal from the shoe. In attaining the object I provide the last with a laterally collapsible heel portion the sole surface of which is rigid against fiexure or vertical bending moments. V v

I have illustrated two embodiments of my invention in eachof whichthe last, although havingan inflexible sole surface from end to end, may still be termed a collapsible or hinged last. The hinged structure, however, is such, in each case, that instead of flexing the entire heel part on an axis transverse to the last soas to shorten the last as a whole as is common with hinged lasts in general, the lateral thickness or width of the last at the heel may be reduced to allow the heel of the shoe to lengthen a little by virtue of not being filled laterally. 7

These and other features of the invention comprising certain combinations and arrangements of parts will be understood from the following description of two preferred embodiments thereof selected for purposes at represents a section on line 4--it of *ig. 5 is an elevation of the inside of one of the wings or collapsible side members of. the heel end of the last. i

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the wedge member which normally holds the pivoted winged members in relative positions for use while building the shoe.

Figs. 7 to 13 illustrate another embodiment of the invention.

Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, a side elevation and plan view, a portion being broken out and in section in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the forepart of the last from which the heel part has been removed.

Fig. 10 represents a section on line 1010 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 10 but showing the parts in different relative positions, the plane of section through each of the two heel parts being thesame as in Fig. 10, although one part in Fig. 11 has been swung up to substantially the dotted line position of'Fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the rigid heel section of the last.

Fig. 13 is a perspective View of a tool or implement which may be employed for unlocking the two heel sections of the last so that one may be swung as hereinafter described.

Referring first to Figs. 1- to 6 inclusive, the forepartis indicated 2 1112, said forepart being, of course, preferably of wood as usual. A heel block 13 preferably of metal has a socket piece 14 fitting a recess in the forepartl2 and secured therein as by transverse pins 15. The socket piece 14 is recessed to receive the shank 16 of a wedgeshaped member 17. the spring 18 within the socket piece 14 exerting a normal tendency to press or slide the wedge 17 rearwardly to the po ition shown in Fig. 2.

T he heel block 13 is formed with a recess 19 as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1

and 2 into which the wider end of the wedge 17 moves when pushed back against the pressure of spring 18.. The block 13 is also formed with lugs 20 (Figs. 1 and 4). Two

1 5 wings which form the side sections of the heel portion of the last are'indicated at 21, each of said wings being cut away as at 22 (Fig. 5) to receive a lug of the block 13. By means of pintles 23 extending vertically V 10 through the wings 21 and through the lugs 20, the said wings are so pivotally mounted that they can shift toward each other when the wedge member 17 is pushed forward toward the toeof the last. Outward or 5 spreading movement of the wings 21 is limited by shoulders 24 (Fig. 2) adapted to abut against rear portions of the block 13.

The inner face of each wing 21 is formed with a horizontal groove 25 terminating at ggits inner end in a short vertical groove 26. Mounted to reciprocatein a verticalhole 27, which may be the' jack pin hole, in the wedge member 17 is a short slide 28 having a transverse pin 29, said slide being normally 25 held up by a spring 30.

When the parts are in the relative positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the last is capable of being employed for the usual .or ordinary shoe operations, saidlast pre- 30 senting in its normal condition a rigid'sole portion from end to end. When it is desired to remove the last from the completed shoe, a suitable tool or implement or'jack pin is inserted in the hole 27 and pressure exerted upon the slide 28 to carry the pin 29 down from the short vertical grooves 26 7 into line with the horizontal grooves25. This permits the wedge 17 which carries the pin 29 to be pushed toward the toe of the last against the pressure of spring'lti, such forward movement of the wedge member being effected by lateral pressure exerted against the tool which has been inserted in the hole 27, or by any other suitable means. As soon as the wedge memberhas beenslid forward the wings 21 are free to collapse; toward each other as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 2, thereby allowing the sides of the heel portion ofthe shoe to collapse enough to permit sufiicient elongation or lengthening of the heel portion of the shoe to enable the lastto' be removed.

{Referring to Figs. 7 to 13 inclusive, the forepart 40 of the last is provided with a recess 41 (Fig. 9) which receives the web 42 of the rigid heel section 43, the connection being rendered permanent and ri id by means of transverse pins 44. The rigid heel section 43 is preferably of metal and may be a casting. As best illustrated in Fig; 12, it is formed on its inner face with a recess 45 having an undercut portion 46 to serveas a keeper for the locking pin hereinafter de- 4 scribed. The section 43 is also formed with a r1b47 having an inclined face to form an abutment for the inclined front face of the heel section 48 pivotally connected to the dotted lines in Fig. 10. The contacting or sliding faces of the sections 43, 48 are, of course, in a plane perpendicular to the of pivot pin 49, and are preferably substantially parallel to the outside lateral face of the section 48 to facilitate the collapsing action to be described below.

Fixed in a recess in the section 48 is a thimble 50 having a band 51 rotatably mounted upon its lower end, the inner wall of the thimble 50 having a vertical groove 8 52 terminating at its lower end in lateral groove 53. A pin 54 is rigidly mounted in. theband'51, the outer end of said pin being adapted to engage the groove 46 (Fig. 10) and the inner end of the pin projecting through a slot 54 in the thimble 50 into the socket thereof.

A tool'55 which may be a jack pin is providedwith a recess 56 in one side ofits lower end, and has a pin 57 projecting from its side (Fig. 13).

Mounted in an inclined recess in the section 43 is a detent 58 the front end of which is preferably rounded, said detent being pressed outwardly by a spring 59 so that the 9 detent may engage either one of two'keeper recesses 60 in the inner face of section 48 (Fig. 10).

W hen the last is in the condition shown in Fig. 8 and by full lines in'Fig. 7, it is 1 adapted to be used to enable any of the ordinary shoe operations to be performed upon it. As a whole, this last is permanently rigid against flexure. lVhen it is to beremoved from the shoe, such a tool as indi- 1 cated-in Fig. 13 isinserte'd-in the thimble- 50, its pin 57 sliding down the groove 52. At the same time, its recess 56 engagesthe inner end of thelocking pin 54. Then, by

turning the tool, the pin 57 passes intothe extension 53 of the vertical groove52 and the recess .56 of said tool acts upon the pin" 54 to rotate it and its carrying band-'51 until the outer end of the-, pin" 54 which hasbeen engaged in the keeper section '46 reaches the. vertical recess 45 so that the heel section 48 can .be swung up onits pivot'49 asby' means of forward pressure exerted against the tool 55 which is nowlockedin the thim ble 50'by reason of its pin 57 being engaged 12'0 with the'lateral extension 53 of the groove in the thimble. This shiftingof the sec tion 48 is readily effected since the spring 59 is not of suiiicient strength to cause the detent 58 to rigidly remain in the upper recess 60. When the section 48 has been swung upto the dotted line position of Fig.

7 and to the full line position of Fig. 11, the lateral thickness of the last at the heel has been diminished sufiiciently to enable the heel of the shoe to lengthen a little because it is not filled laterally.

Each construction provides for the displacement of a longitudinally and vertically extending slice of the heel. In one the lateral parts of the heel are arranged to collapse toward each other on vertical hinges after a central slice has been displaced, and in the other the heel width is reduced by turning a section of the heel diagonally vertically in a direction which is substantially parallel to its outside lateral surface. In both, the lateral thickness of the heel is diminished to allow the heel of the shoe to lengthen suificiently to enable the last to be separated from the shoe.

Having now described my invention, 1 claim l. A last which is permanently rigid against fiexure but has a laterally collapsible heel portion.

2. A last which is permanently rigid against fleXure but has a displaceable slice at its heel, another heel portion being shiftable laterally when the said heel slice has been displaced.

3. A last having a sole surface permanently unbendable throughout substantially the entire length thereof to resist stress during shoemaking operations and having a laterally collapsible heel portion to permit reduction of size to enable the last to be withdrawn from a shoe.

4. A last having a permanently rigid sole portion extending substantially from toe to heel to resist stress during shoemaking operations, the heel end of the last being reducible in width to loosen the heel end of a shoe on the last.

5. A last comprising a wedge-shaped member at the heel, pivoted members adapted to be held spread by said wedge member, and means for shifting the wedge member to and from spreading position.

6. A last comprising a forepart and having a wedge member slidably mounted relatively to the torepart, means for yieldingly holding said wedge member rearwardly, and pivoted heel members at opposite sides of the wedge member adapted to be held spread by said wedge member.

7. A last comprising a forepart and having a wedge member slidably mounted relatively to the forepart, means for yieldingly holding said wedge member rearwardly, and pivoted wing members at opposite sides of the wedge member adapted to be held spread by said wedge member, means being provided for locking the wedge member in wing spreading position.

8. A last having a heel section formed rigid with the main body of the last as regards vertical bending, and a second heel section constructed and arranged to move relatively to the first-named heel section to collapse the last.

9. A last having a heel section formed rigid with the main body of the last as regards vertical bending, and a second heel section constructed and arranged to move in a vertical plane relatively to the first-named heel section to collapse the last.

10. A last which is permanently rigid throughout its length against vertical flexure, but has a collapsible heel portion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

AUGUSTINE FRANK LITTLEFIELD.

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