US1750709A

US1750709A - Machine for operating upon shoes

Info

Publication number: US1750709A
Application number: US241926A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eppler Andrew
Original assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Current assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Priority date: 1927-12-22
Filing date: 1927-12-22
Publication date: 1930-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 1947-03-18

Description

March 18, 1930. A. EPPLER MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOES Filed Dec. 22, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18, 1930. A. EPPLER MACHINE FQR OPERATING UPON SHOES 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 Filed Deb. 22. 1927 Patented Mar. 18, 1930 uNrrEa SATES PATENT OFFECE ANDREW EPPLER, F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY V MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOES Application filed December 22, 1827. Serial No. 241,926.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon shoes. Although not necessarily limited thereto the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for opcrating upon sole margins of stitchdown shoes.

In a stitchdown shoe the upper is turned outwardly at the bottom and lasted to an extension sole, i. e. a sole the margin of which extends beyond the edge of the last bottom. An outsole is usually secured to the extension sole by stitches which extend through the sole margins and through a welt which overlies the outturned margin of the upper. Usually the upper is lined and sometimes the lower margin of the lining is turned inwardly and secured beneath an inner sole. In other instances, no innersole is employed and the lining is turned outwardly with the up per and lasted to the extension sole. This outturned margin of the lining adds to the thickness of the shoe margin but since the lining is coextensive with the upper, the added thickness at the shoe margin is uniform all around the shoe. However, in addition to the upper and the lining,-t-he upper materials may also comprise a counter or a toe stiffener, or both, and usually the lower margins of these parts are also turned out- 80 wardly between the upper and the extension sole. The presence of the outturned margins of the counter and the toe stiffener between the upper and the extension sole produces inequalities in the thickness of the shoe margin making it thicker or heavier around the heel or toe, or both, than at other portions of the shoe. Other conditions, such for example as the overlapping of portions of the outturned upper where they are stitched together or seamed, as at the tip line or back seam, may result in producing other areas of increased thickness along the margin of the shoe bottom.

Any inequalities of marginal thickness, such as those above referred to, are undesirable inasmuch as they detract from the appearance of the shoes and accordingly one object of the present invention is to insure 80 that there will be no variation in the thickness of the bottom margins in the finished shoes.

With this object in View, one feature of the invention consists in the provision, in a machine for operating upon projecting shoe margins which are thicker at one portion or portions than at other portions of their length, of a reducing knife, and co-operating members arranged to engage opposite sides of a projecting shoe margin and feed the margin to the knife, said members being adapted for relative yielding movement to accommodate variations in the thickness of the margin without varying the path of feed of the margin relatively to the knife. 7 The so-called shoe margin comprises the margin of the extension sole together with the outturned margins of the upper materials. The upper materials comprise the upper, and the lining and may include also a counter and a toe stiffener and the outturned margins of these parts together constitute a sole-attaching flange. In the illustrated machine, a knife is provided for removing material from the extension sole to compensate for variations in the thickness of the shoe margin, and provision is made for measuring the thickness of the shoe margin in a locality, as for example at the shank where the margin is of minimum thickness, and for insuring that the rest of the shoe margin will be reduced to the thickness of the measured portion thereof. As shown, the reducing knife is of' tubular from and means is provided for rotating the knife and for feeding the work past the knife; the feeding means comprising a driven upper feed wheel and an idle lower work supporting roll which co-operate to clamp a shoe margin between them and to measure the thickness of the margin at the point first presented to these members. The work supporting roll is adapted to be lowered by depression of a foot treadle to'facilitate insertion and removal of the work. The work is presented by the operator with shank portion of the shoe margin in position to be engaged by the feed wheel and the supporting roll. Upon release of the treadle, after insertion of the work, the work supporting roll is raised until it engages the lower side of the shoe margin, whereupon the roll is locked against further movement either toward or from the feed wheel. Thus the axis of the work supporting roll is fixed relatively to the reducing knife so that when a shoe marginal portion of increased thickness is fed to the knife the latter will remove material from the shoe margin to compensate for the increased thickness thereof. The upper feed wheel is arranged to yield vertically to accommodate the variations in the thickness of the shoe margin.

The illustrated machine is adapted to even a shoe margin either with or without beveling the margin. In case it is desired to even the shoe margin by beveling it. so as still further to reduce the thickness of the edge of the shoe margin, the feed wheel and the work supporting roll carriers may be adjusted so that the margin of the sole will he presented to the knife at a point forward of the vertical axial plane of the knife andat an angle to the radius of the knife. Further to facilitate adjustment of the illustrated machine for beveling a shoe margin, the feed wheel is mounted so that it may readily be removed and re placed by another having a tapering periphery and the work supporting roll is mounted for tilting adjustment to adapt it for use in co-operation with a tapered feed wheel.

lVhen using the machine to even a shoe margin as above described, it will be evident that the amount removed by the evening means will vary in accordance with variations in the thickness of the margin and t iat accordingly, in some parts of the shoe, the edge of the extension sole will be thicker than in other parts of the shoe, although there will be no variation in the thickness of the sole margin as a whole after it has been operated. upon. In such cases the thicker portions, at least, of the extension sole will be visible at the edge of the margin in the finished shoe. It is sometimes desirable, however, to insure that no portion of the edge of the extension sole shall be visible in the finished .oe and for this purpose provision is made for beveling the margin of the extension sole to a feather edge all the way around the shoe, irrespective of variations in the combined thickness of the margins of the extension sole and the upper materials. This result may l accomplished, in the illustrated machine, by making the above-mentioned adjustments for adapting the knife to cut at a bevel and, in addition, by removing the locking means as sociated with the work supporting roll, and by utilizing means for locking the feed wheel against upward movement. It is to be recognized, therefore, that invention also resides in the provision of a novel organization comprising a rotary skiving knife, and means for supporting the projecting margin at the bottom of a stitchdown shoe and feeding it pro gressively past the knife, the supporting and feeding means being constructed and arranged to present the shoe margin in such relation transversely with respect to the skiving knife that the latter will make a bevel out along the shoe margin.

The invention further consists in features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of a machine embodying the present invention, the machine being shown as adjusted for evening shoe margins without beveling them;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a stitchdown shoe of a type upon which the illustrated machine is designed to operate, showing the shoe as it appears before the outsole and the welt have been applied and illustrating the operation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a stitchdown shoe illustrating the operation of the illustrated machine when adjusted for beveling the margin of an extension sole:

Fig. 5 is a view of the operating parts of the machine showing the feed members adjusted to adapt the machine for beveling a shoe margin; 7

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View, partially broken away, showing particularly the work supporting roll and the associated mechanism for looking it against vertical movement Fig. 8 is a detail elevational view of the lockingpawls shown in Fig. 7, together with the spring fingers connected therewith; and.

" Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a member employed for the purpose of adapting the machine for beveling operations.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated machine comprises a head or frame 10 supported by means of a suitable pedestal 12; a horizontal main shaft 1% ournaled in suitable bearings in the head 10; a. shaft 16 which bears a driving pulley l8 and is connected with the main shaft 14 through intermeshing

gears

20 and 22, and a hollow or tubular shiving or reducing knife 24 which is driven from the main shaft let by intermeshing gearing consisting of the gear 22, an idle pinion 26, and a pinion 28 rigidly secured to the hub of the tubular knife. The parts above described have the same construction and arrangement as the corresponding parts of the inseam trimming machine disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,226,872, granted May 22, 1917, on my application, and reference may be had to said Letters Patent for a more detailed description of these and other parts of the illus trated machine not fully set forth herein.

The illustrated machine is designed to operate upon a stitchdown shoe, after the upper materials have been staple lasted to the extension sole but before the outsole and welt have been applied, to remove material from the margin of the extension sole to compensate for variations in the combined thickness of the sole and the upper materials or to bevel the extension sole to a feather edge so that no portion of it will be visible at the edge of the shoe bottom in the finished shoe. To adapt the machine for operating upon the margin of the extension sole, work supporting and feeding mechanism of novel character is employed. This mechanism comprises an idle roll adapted to support the work by engagement with the outturned margin of the upper, and a driven upper feed wheel 32 arranged to engage the exposed margin of the extension sole and to co-operate with the roll 30 in feeding the work.

The work suporting roll 30 is of a frustoconical form enabling it to be projected into the angle between the outturned margin of the upper and the side of the shoe so as to afford a firm support or backing for the margin of the extension sole while the latter is being operated upon by the knife 24. The roll 30 is mounted on a carrier 38 secured by a clamp screw 40 to a block 42 which, in turn, is secured by a screw 44 to the upper end of a post 46. The screw 40 extends through an arcuate slot 48 in the carrier 38, this construction permitting tilting adjustment or the roll to adapt it for supporting thework in different angular positions of presentment. The roll carrier block 42 is dovetailed to the post 46 so that the block may be adjusted horizontally for co-operation with the feed wheel 32 in different positions of adjustment of the latter. The post 46 is slidable vertically in a guideway formed in a bracket 50 secured to the head 10, the post and the guideway being rectangular in crosssection to prevent turning of the post. A spring 52, secured at one end to the bracket 50 and at the other end to the post 46, urges the post upwardly and normally maintains the roll 30 in an upper position determined by the engagement of a stop screw 54 carried by the post with an abutment 56 formed on the bracket. The approach of the roll 30 toward the feed wheel 32 may be varied by adjustment of the stop screw 54.

To facilitate insertion and removal of the work the work supporting roll 30 is adapted to be lowered by means of mechanism comprising a rod 60 connected at its lower end with a treadle (not shown) and at its upper end with a lever 62 pivoted upon. a fiZiQC stud 64. The lever 62 is connected with a slide 66 arranged to transmit movement to the post 46. A spring 68 is arranged to pull upwardly on the treadle rod 60 and normally holds the slide 66 in an idle upper position determined by the engagement of a lug 70 on the slide with a fixed portion of the bracket 50. The slide 66 is .adapted to be lowered by depression of the foot treadle into engage-.

ment with a stop screw 72 carried by the post 46, after which further downward movement of the slide 66 causes the post to move downwardly in unison therewith, thus lowering the work supporting roll 30. The screw 7 2 may be adjusted to compensate for changes in the adjustment of the post 46 resulting from different settings 01": the screw 54. Upon release of the treadle, the work supporting roll is raised by the action of the spring 52.

WVhen the machine is adjusted for evening operations, the post 46 is normally locked against either upward or downward movement by the action of two sets of locking pawls 7 4 and 7 6 (see Figs. 7 and 8). The pawls 74 are individually engaged by a series of spring fingers 7 9 and held in engagement with a series of teeth formed on the post 46. The pawls 7 6 are similarly acted upon by a series of spring fingers 78 which hold the pawls in engagement with a second series of teeth 82 on the post 46. The

teeth

80 and 82 are made in the form of ratchet teeth and are pitched in opposite directions, the teeth 80 being arranged to co-operate with the pawls 74 to prevent upward movement of the post 46 while theteeth 82 are arranged to co-op erate with the pawls 7 6 to prevent downward movement of the post. The pawls of each series 7 4 and 76 are arranged one above another in a bearing formed in the bracket 56. In each series, the ends of the pawls are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the teeth, the arrangement being such that the pawls will function consecutively during movement of the post 46 through a distance equal to the width of a single tooth, thus providing for a fine locking adjustment of the post.

Before the work supporting roll 30 can be lowered, the locking pawls 7 4 must be disengaged from the post 46 and in order that the roll 30 can subsequently be raised the pawls 76 must also be disengaged from the post. For the purpose of disengaging the pawls so as to unlock the post 46 the slide 66 is provided with a reduced portion 84 which extends through notches 86 in the pawls and a cam surface 88 (best shown in Fig. 7) formed at the upper end of the reduced portion 84, is arranged to co-operate with the rear edges of the notches 86 to retract the pawls upon downward movement of the slide 66.

The arrangement of the above-described mechanism is such that upon depression ofthe treadle connected with the rod 60 the slide operates iirst through the cam surface 88 to unlock the post 46 and thereafter, by engage ment of the slide with the adjustable abutment 72 on the post, to lower the post and the work supporting roll. Upon release of the treadle the spring 68 raises the slide 66, permitting the spring 52 to raise the .post 46 together with the work supporting roll 30 until the latter engages the work, after which continued upward movement of th slide 66 moves the reduced portion 84 into the plane of the locking pawls, permitting the latter to be restored by the spring fingers 78 into engagement with the respective teeth upon the post 46, thereby locking the post and the work supporting roll against further vertical movement.

The feed wheel 32 is provided with a toothed periphery for securing better feeding engagement with the work and the teeth extend across the periphery at such an angle. as shown in Fig. 1, as to tend to prevent the shoe margin from working out from between the feed wheel and the work supporting roll 30. The feed wheel 32 is fast upon a shaft 92 journaled in a carrier 94 which is mounted upon the lower portion of a frame 96 which, in turn, is mounted for swinging adjustment about a fixed sleeve 98 (Fig. 1) to shift the feed wheel relatively to the knife so that the latter will operate difi'erently upon the work. The carrier 94 is provided with a detachable plate in which is formed a bearing for the feed wheel shaft 92. This construction enables the feed wheel, together with its shaft 92 to be removed as a unit for r placement by a similar shaft bearing a tapered feed wheel for use in beveling sole margins as will be hereinafter more fully explained. An arm 100 projecting from the upper portion of the frame 96 is secured at its outer end by means of a screw 102 to a lug 104 carried by the head 10 the screw 102 extending through a slot 106 permitting a limited amount of swinging adjustment of the frame 96 for the purpose of varying the relation of the feed wheel 32 to the reducing knife, to adaptthe machine for reducing a shoe margin either with or without beveling the margin, as will hereinafter be explained. The feed wheel carrier 94 is slidingly connected with the frame 96 and is acted upon by a spring 108 which permits it to yield to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The carrier 94 is formed with an upwardly projecting sleeve 110 arranged to slide within a bore 112 in the frame 96. To prevent the carrier 94 from turning relatively to the frame 96 a flat surface 114 on the carrier 94 is arranged to bear against a corresponding fiat surface on the frame The spring 108 is housed within a bore in the carrier 94 and the upper end of the spring is engaged by a follower 116 secured to a screw 118 carried by a lug 120 on the frame 96, the screw being capable of adjustment to vary the tension of the spring. Normally the feed roll is maintained by the spring 108 in a lower position determined by the engagement of a stop screw 122 with an abutment 124 on the frame 96. The approach of the feed wheel 32 toward the work supporting roll 30 may be varied by adjustment of the screw 122.

The feed wheel 32 is driven from the main shaft 14 through the following connections. A bevel gear 126 fast on the feed wheel shaft 92 meshes with a bevel gear 128 secured to the lower end of an upright shaft 130 mounted in a bearing in the carrier 94. At its upper end the shaft 130 is connected by intermeshing spur gears 132, 134 with a second upright shaft 136 which is journaled in bearings formed within the sleeve 110 and within the frame 96. The shaft 136 is splined to a worm wheel 138 which is confined between shoulders formed on the frame 96. Meshing with the worm wheel is a worm 140 formed on a shaft 142 journaled within the sleeve 98. The shaft 142 carries at one end a bevel gear 144 which meshes with a bevel gear 146 fast upon the upper end of an inclined shaft 148 jourialed in a bearing 150 on the head 10. The shaft 148 is connected with the main shaft 14 by intermeshing

bevel gears

152 and 154.

A knife guard 156, secured by a clamp screw 158 (Fig. 6) to the frame 96, prevents the hands of the operator from being injured by the knife and the lower. portion of the guard 156, by engagement with the exposed surface of the extension sole, holds the latter away from the knife except where it is to be reduced, i. e., along its margin. The screw 158 extends through a slot in the guard 156, the slot permitting upward and downward adjustment of the guard.

When the machine is adjusted as shown in Fig. 1 it is adapted to operate to even the margin at the bottom of a stitchdown shoe which is in the stage of manufacture shown in Figs. 2 and 3, that is, after the upper materials have been staple lasted or otherwise secured to the extension sole but before the outsole and the welt have been applied. In the illustrated shoe, the upper materials comprise an upper U, a lining L, a toe stiffener T, and a counter or counter stiffener C. In these figures the extension sole is indicated at E and the toe and counter stiffeners are formed with outturned bottom flanges t and 0, respectively, which are interposed between the flange a of the upper and the margin of the extension sole. The upper, the lining, and the toe and counter stiffeners constitute the upper materials. The outturned margins or flanges of the toe and counter stiffener-s, together with the margins of the extension sole and the upper, constitute the shoe margin which, as shown, varies in thickness in different portions of the shoe because of the presence of the flanges of the toe and counter stiffeners. It is this margin which is to be reduced to uniform thickness by the operation of the machine. he margins of the lit) upper materials are shown as being secured to the extension sole by means of staples S.

In operation, the treadle connected with the rod 60 is depressed to lower the work supporting roll 30 so that a shoe margin may be inserted between the roll 30 and the feed wheel 32. The depression of the treadle operates the slide 66 first to retract the locking pawls 74 and release the post 46 and thereafter to lower the post 46 and the work supporting roll 30 so as to separate the roll 30 from the feed wheel 32 sufliciently to enable the shoe margin to be readily inserted between them. In the illustrated shoe the thinnest portion of the shoe margin is at the shank of the shoe and this portion of the margin is inserted between the wheel 32 and the roll 30. The treadle is then released allowing the post 46 to be raised by its spring 52 until the roll 30 engages the margin at the side adjacent to the upper and holds the margin firmly between the roll and thefeed wheel. The operation measures the thickness of the margin at the point engaged by the feed mem bers and determines the thickness to which all thicker portions of the margin are to be re duced. Continued upward movement of the treadle rod under the influence of the spring 68 raises the slide 66 sufficiently to release locking pawls 7 4 to the action of their springs 78, causing the pawls to lock the post 46 together with the roll 30 against further upward or downward movement. The shoe margin is then fed by the wheel 32 and if the feed wheel is adjusted relatively to the vertical plane of the axis of the knife, as shown in Fig. 1, no cutting will take place until the point X is reached at which point the shoe margin becomes of increased thickness. l/Vhen the point X is reached the feed wheel will yield upwardly, inasmuch as the work supporting roll 30 cannot yield downwardly, to accommodate the portion of increased thickness and the toe portion of the shoe margin will be reduced to the thickness of the shank portion thereof, the line of the reducing cut being indicated at YY in Figs. 2' and 3. Corresponding action will take place when the thickened marginal portion at the heel end of the shoe reaches the knife. By turning the stop screw 122the feed wheel may be adjusted vertically relatively to the knife to vary the amount of the thickness of the material removed by the knife and if desired the adjustment may be made such that the knife will remove material even from the thin shank portion of the margin. After the evening operation has been completed the treadle will be again depressed to lower the Work supporting roll 30 so that the work may be conveniently removed from the machine.

If it is desired to bevel the shoe margin in the process of evening it, this may be accomplished by adjustment of the feed wheel 32 and the Work supporting roll 30 so that the shoe margin, instead of being presented to the cutting edge of the knife at the lowest point in its periphery, will be presented to the knife at a point somewhat forward of its vertical axial plane and at an oblique angle to the radius of the knife. The above-described forward adjustment of the feed wheel 32 is accomplished by loosening the screw 102 and swinging the frame 96 forwardly about the sleeve 98 the desired amount and thereafter tightening the screw 102. The corresponding forward adjustment of the work supporting roll 30 is effected by sliding the block 42 relatively to the post 46 after loosening the clamp screw 44. If any substantial degree of bevel is desired it is preferable to replace the feed wheel 32 with. a wheel, such for example as the wheel shown at 160 in Fig. 5, having a tapered periphery and to tilt the feed roll carrier 38 so that the transverse elements of the roll 30 at the highest or work engaging portion of the roll will be parallel tothe transverse elements at the lowest portion of the feed wheel 32. The feed wheel 32, together with its shaft 92 and the bevel gear 126, may be readily removed as a unit b first removing the detachable plate 95 and the wheel 32 may be replaced by a wheel with a tapering periphery, such as the wheel 160, which, as shown, is also made unitary with its shaft and beveled driving gear. Fig. 5 illustrates the positions of the feed Wheel 32 and Work supporting roll 30 relatively to the knife after the said wheel and roll have been adjusted to cause the sole margin to be beveled by the knife. The angle of bevel may be varied within certain limits by swinging adjustment of the frame 92 and by tilting adjustment of the roll carrier 38 relatively to the carrier block 42 and without replacement of the feed wheel. After a change has been made in the tilting adjustment of the work supporting roll 30, a corresponding vertical adjustment of the knife guard or gage 156 will adapt the gage properly to aid in guiding and positioning the shoe.

If it is desired to bevel the margin of the extension sole uniformly all the way around the sole, irrespective of variations in thecombined thickness of the extension sole and the margins of the upper materials as, for example, to bevel the extension sole to a feather edge throughout the length of its margin, it will be necessary to make adjustments such as those above described and, in addition, provision is made for locking the feed wheel 32 against upward yielding movement and for permitting downward yielding movement of the work supporting roll 30. The locking of the feed wheel 32 may be effected by removing the spring 103 and inserting a plug, such as that shown at 162 in Fig. 9, between the lug 120 and the top of the feed wheel carrier 94. In order to make the work supporting roll 30 capable of yielding while the work is being fed, it will only be necessary to remove the locking pawls 74 and 7 6. lVith the locking pawls removed the work supporting roll 30 will be free to rise or fall to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work and such variations will then have no effect whatever upon the action of the knife. As a result the entire margin of the extension sole will be beveled to a uniform feather edge, irrespective of variations in the combined thickness of the extension sole and the outturned upper materials or sole attaching flange.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States: is:

l. A machine for operating upon a shoe having a projecting shoe margin comprising a sole margin and a sole attaching flange of non-uniform thickness having, in combination, a reducing knife, work feeding means arranged to support the solemargin, and a feed member for engaging the sole attaching flange and co-operating with said means to feed the work past the knife to cause the knife to reduce the thickness of the sole margin to compensate for variations in the thickness of the sole attaching flange, said feed member being capable of yielding during the feeding of the work to accommodate portions of different thickness.

2. A machine for operating upon a shoe having a projecting sole margin and a sole attaching flange of non-uniform thickness having, in combination, means for measuring the combined thickness of said marginal flange 'at one portion of the flange, and means for reducing the thickness of the flange in portions where the combined thickness of said flange is greater than at the portion where it was measured.

3. In a machine for operating upon shoes, means for measuring the combined thickness of a portion of the sole margin and the adjacent portion of the sole attaching flange, and means for reducing to said thickness any portions of said margin and flange the combined thickness of which exceeds that of said measured portion.

4. In a machine for operating upon shoes, means for measuring the thickness of the thinnest portion of the margin of the shoe, and means for reducing the rest of the margin to said thickness.

5. A machine for operating upon a shoe margin having, in combination, an operating tool, a pair of separable members located in front of the tool and adapted to receive the work between them, means for separating said members to receive the work and for closing them upon the work, and means for locking one of said members from movement either toward or from the other member after said members have closed upon the work.

6. A machine for operating upon a shoe margin having, in combination, a knife, a feed member and a work supporting member located in front of the knife, mechanism for separating said members and for closing them upon the work, and means operated by said mechanism when said members have closed upon the work for locking one of said members from further movement either toward or from the other-member.

7. A machine for operating upon a shoe margin having, in combination, a reducing knife, a yieldingly mounted work feeding member, a work supporting member movable toward and from positions for co-operation with said feeding member in feeding the work to the knife, mechanism for locking the work supporting member in said position, and operator-controlled means for releasing said locking mechanism.

8. A machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, a rotary reducing knife, a yielding feed wheel for engaging the margin of the extension sole, a work supporting roll capable of movement toward and from the feed wheel and arranged to extend into the angle between the outturned margin of the upper and the side of the shoe and to co-operate with the feed Wheel to feed the work, and means for locking the work supporting roll against movement toward or from the feed wheel.

9. A machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, a rotary reducing knife, a yielding feed wheel for engaging the margin of the extension sole, a work supporting roll capable of movement toward and from the feed wheel and arranged to extend into the angle between the outturned margin of the upper and the side of the shoe and to co-operate with the feed wheel to feed the work, means including removable locking members for preventing movement of the work supporting roll toward or from the feed wheel, and means for locking the feed wheel against yielding movement.

10. A machine for operatin upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, a rotary reducing knife, a yielding feed wheel for engaging the margin of the extension sole, 3 work supporting roll for engaging the outturned margin of the upper and co-operating with the feed wheel in feeding the work, means for retracting the work supporting roll from the feed wheel, and means for moving the work supporting roll into position to measure the thickness of a shoe margin and to co-operate with the feed wnecl in feeding the work.

11. A machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes having, in combination, a rotary reducing knife, a yielding feed wheel for engaging the margin of the extension sole, a won: supporting roll for engaging the outturned margin of the upper and co-operating with the feed wheel in feeding the worr, means for retracting the work supporting roll from the feed wheel, means for moving the work supporting roll inao position to measure the th'ckness of a shoe margin and to co-operate with the feed whee.- ..n feeding the work, means for locking the work supporting roll against downward movement, and means for releasing said locking means.

12. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a reducing knife, and co-operating members arranged to opposite sides of the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe and feed said margin to the knife, said members being adapted for relative yielding movement to accommodate variations in the thickness of the margin without varying the path of feed of said margin relatively to the knife.

13. In a machine for operating upon stitch.- down shoes, a reducing knife, a yielding feed wheel arranged to engage one side of the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe, and a non-yielding roll for engag lg the opposite side of said margin and co-operating with said wheel in feeding the work.

14. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a reducing knife, a driven reed wheel yieldingly mounted and arranged to engage one side of the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe, and a non-yielding idle work supporting roll arranged to engage the other side of said margin and cooperate with said wheel in feeding the work to the knife.

15. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a reducing knife, a driven feed wheel yieldingly mounted and arranged to engage one side of the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe, a non-yielding idle work supporting roll arranged to engage the other side of said margin and cooperate with said wheel in feeding the work to the knife, means normally operative to lock said roll in oo-operative relation to said feed wheel, and means for unlocking said roli and retracting it from said feed wheei to facilitate insertion and removal of the work.

16. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a tubular reducing knife, and co-operating rotary feed members arranged to engage opposite sides of the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe and feed said margin to said knife at the lowest point in the periphery of the knife, said feed members being mounted with provision for adjustment transversely of the direction of feed to support the shoe margin and feed it to a portion of the peripheral edge of the knife at one side of its lowest point so as to enable the knife to bevel said margin.

17. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a reducing knife, a feed member for engaging one side of the project ing margin at the bottom of a shoe and feeding it to said knife, a second feed member for engaging the opposite side of said margin and co-operating with the first feed member, a support for the second feed member movable toward and from the knife, means for urging said support toward the knife, a treadle-actuated lever, and connections between said lever and said support for actuating said support including a member mounted with provision for movement in excess of the movement transmitted to said support, and a device for locking said support arranged to be rendered inoperative by the excess movement of said member in one direction and to be rendered operative by the excess movement of said member in the opposite direction.

18. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, reducing means for removing material from one side of the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe, a yieldingly mounted feed member for engaging the side of said margin which is operated upon by said reducing means, a support movable toward and from said feed member for engaging the opposite side of said margin and cooperating with said feed member in feeding he work, means normally operative to lock said support against movement, a treadleoperated member, connections between said member and said support for moving said support toward and from said feed member, and means actuated by said connections for unlocking said support to enable it to be moved away from said feed member and for locking said support after it has been moved intoengagement with the work.

19. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a yielding upper feed member, lower feed member capable of being locked against movement toward or from the upper feed member and arranged to cooperate with the upper feed member to feed the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe, and a reducing knife for operating upon the side of said margin engaged by the upper feed member. 9

20. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, reducing knife, separable feed members for engaging opposite sides of the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe, means for locking one of the feed members against movement away from the other feed member, an operatoncontrolled lever, means operated by the lever during its movement in one direction for rendering the locking means ineffective, and means operating during movement of the lever in another direction to render the locking means effective.

21. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a reducing knife, a yielding upper feed member, a lower feed member capable of movement toward and from the upper feed member and adapted to co-operate with the upper feed member to feed to said knife the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe, means for raising and lowering the lower feed member, means for locking the lower feed member against further upward or downward movement after its upward movement has been arrested by engagement with a shoe margin introduced between said feed member, and means for releasing the locking means to permit downward movement of the lower feed member to facilitate removal of the work.

22. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a rotary tubular knife for reducing the margin of the extension sole of a stitchdown shoe, a feed wheel for engaging the margin of the extension sole, means for driving the knife and the feed wheel, a feed roll for engaging the outturned margin of the upper and cooperating with said feed wheel in feeding the shoe, an operator-con trolled lever, connections between said lever and said feed roll for retracting the feed roll from work engaging position when the lever is moved in one direction, means for returning the feed roll into work engaging position when said lever is moved in the opposite direction, means for locking the feed roll against further movement toward or from the feed wheel after the feed roll has engaged the work, means operated by said lever during its movement in the first direction for rendering said locking means ineffective, and means operating during the movement of the lever in the second direction to render said locking means efiective again.

23. In a machine for operating upon a piece of work, a rotary tubular reducing knife, co-operating rotary members adapted to support the work and feed it to the knife in such relation to the knife that the knife will reduce the thickness of the work without beveling it, and means including a driving worm and a driven worm wheel for rotating one of said members, said last-named member and said worm wheel being adjustable about the axis of said worm to position that member to feed the work to the knife in such relation thereto that the knife will bevel the work.

24. In a machine for operating upon stitchdown shoes, a rotary tubular reducing knife, means for feeding the projecting margin at the bottom of a shoe to the knife, and a guard for the knife arranged to cover all but a comparatively small portion of the cutting edge of the knife and shaped to engage the bottom of the shoe to prevent the knife from cutting the bottom of the shoe except along the margin thereof and adaped also to guide the shoe as it is fed.

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

ANDREW EPPLER.