US1780769A - Apparatus for soling and pressing footwear - Google Patents

Description

c. M. RICHARDSON ET AL APPARATUS FR SOLING ND PRESSING FOOTWEAR Nov. 4, 1930.

Nov. 4, 1930. C, M RlCHARDSQN ET AL 1,780,769

APPARATUS FOR SOLING AND PRESSING FOOTWEAR Filed July 7, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 4, 1930. c. M. RICHARDsoN El' AL 1,780,769

APPARATUS FOR SOLING AND PRESSING FOOTWEAR *l Filed July 7, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 'FM W7 m7 Nov. 4, 1930. Q M R|HARDS0N AL 1,780,769

APPARATUS FOR soLING AND PREssING FOOTWEAR Filed July '7, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 @www NOV- 4, 1930- c. M. RICHARDSON ET AL 1,780,769

APPARATUS FOR SOLING AND PRESSING FOOTWEAR Filed Jbly 7/1927 5 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Nov. 4, 1930 wir Qnnnnns Mongiana-:N nNn vrnern rn. nonna, or' Annen, onto, Assreivons 'ro 'man n. r. aoonnici-r eorrrnnv, or NEW vqnir, ni. Y., 'Ajconronnrron `or'itnvv Ybris ele-reserva For@ SGI-Irs ,AND @essere @wwf-ses Application yfiled July 7, 1927. Serial No. 2Q4,0i6.

This invention relates to the manufacture of footwear and especially rubber-soled shoes such as overshoes, rubbers, tennis shoes and the like.

.Our chief objects are to provide improved apparatus for pressing arubber sole in place upon the shoe; to pro-vide in an improved manner for pressing the sole and turning its margin onto the upper in the same operation v; to provide for first pressing the sole Yand thereafter pressing the rest of the shoein the same operation; to provide va machine adapt to nperate uponv shoes of many diiferent sizes with but little. adjustment or substitution of parts; to provide cyclic and largel)7 automatic operation; toprovide-for safety of the operator; and to provide numerous, more detailed advantages which will be man- O-f the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of a machine embodying and adapted to carry out our inventionin.

Fi'. 5 is a fraomentarY elevation of y artsy of the machine including' an inflatable presser-head and parts of actuating means Afor presenting ittoand removing i-t from cooperating parts of the machine, the head being shown-in pressing position.

Fig. (3 is a similar v'ie'w 'showing other parts` of the head-actuating means. l

ReferringV to the draw-ings, the machine comprises a frame 10 having mounted in the 7' topv thereof a fluid-pressure'pot 11 in which is mounted a, last-support 12V adapted'to receive the shank of a last 13 hav-ing an o-vershoe v14 thereon and to support the same for the pressing operation,

The last-support 12 secured upon the upper .of a supprtins and adjusting screw 15 which is threaded 'through a quill 16 rotatablyV mounted in an apetured boss constituting a part et the door et the fluid.- preSSLlI P911 1l @Cured upon the lower end of the quill 1,6, entside ofthe pot, is a beveled gear 17 (Figs. l and 2) which' is meshedwith a beve-led gear 18 secured upon a shaft 19 which extendsto. the front ofthe machine andl is thereprovidedwith a hand wheel 20. Whereby the quill 16 may be rotated to raisey o r lower the last-support 12 within the pot.

- A. .cup-shaped lip gasket 21 (Figs. 2 `and. 3) having itsioor, apfertured to accommodate the screw" 15 is mounted upon tliesaid screw eoL and ris clamped in sealed relation against the. under face of the last-support. 12V byl means of awasher 22 and a nut 23 mounted upon'the said s.crew,the washer 2,2 being sol fitted against the. rear wall of* the potas-to permity the last-support `to-.slide vertically but to prevent thel last-support from rotating in.

the" vertical adjustment thereof by rotation ofthe quill 1,611 rldhe gasket.V 21 is'adapted to:

seal about the upper of the overshoe and'thus to seal againstthe last. when a iiuid pres.- sure is built up within the pot 11, and the last is of the usual vented .type and is adapt-` ed' to be vented during the pressingoperation through an aperture 2st extending through the last-support 12y and screw l15 to the outer atmosphere.

The pot 11 is` held in position upon the frame 10 by dowel'pins such as the pins 25,'

25 and a spacer ring 26 apcrtured to accommodate the dowels 2,51 is interposed between the margin of the pot and the frame' 10, the construction being'such that lrings l26 of different thickness may be substituted for eachother to 'suvport the pot at different eleva-y tions for di erent sizes or types of overshoes. Surrounding` the upper margin of the lipv gasket A21 is an annular plate. 27 having its afford a stop for a sole pressing diaphragm, the said. plate extending entirely about the overshoe at a substantial distance from t-he sole of the latter but in close proximity to the adjacent surface of the overshoe, so thatV l a diaphragm distended by fluid pressure into the angle formed by the plate andthe 'overshoe will not'be required ofits ownstrength` toebridge such a gap between ithe. two:l as to be subj ected to excessivestrainfby 'the fiiuid,v

pressure. The plate 27 is shaped for vits'rubber facing 28 to becontacted by theupper. toe portion of the overshoe for the support of the vlatter while the shank of the last rests upon the last-support 12, the last-support being in proper verticaladjustment, and at the rear the plate 27 is so formed as to standV close to the substantially'vertical rear sur-l face" of therovershoe, the construction being 2@such that the pl ate27 will serve as acloselyl surrounding stop forfthediaphragm with respect'to overshoes of a considerable .num-

ber of sizes, the last-support being properly adjusted for the different sized overshoes.

An upperpress'er-head adapted to'coact with' the lower vpressing Vstructure vjust` dev scribed comprisesan inverted `fluid pressure pot 29 having an elastic diaphragm 30 *mount-r ed in the manner ofa 'drum 4head upon the margin ofitsmouth, the margin of the diaphragm 30 being clamped to the vmarginfof the pot 29 bymeans of an annular clamping plate 31 and ' screw bolts 32, 32, the diaphragmbeing adapted to be heldunder tension in an upwardly iexed and str-etched condition -by` contact with the sole`33po-f'the.overshoe when the upper presserhead Visin pressing position over the lower presser-head. The upper head is so formed that theclamping plate 31 kstands in close proximity to thegmarginof the lower pot 11 when the upper head is in pressing position7 so as to avoid such a gap V.between the two as. would subject the diaphragm 30 to excessive local strain in the' region where it bridges the space between the two, when thediaphragm is forced to the posit-ion in which it is shown in Fig. 3 by pressure fluid conducted into the` space between the upper pot 29 and the said diaphragm. A l

For mounting and removing the upper presser-head thepot y29 has secured to its respective sides downwardly extending arms 34, 34 which at their lower ends are pinned upon the respective kends of a rock-shaft 35 journaled in a pair of blocks 36, 36 which v are mounted for vertical sliding movement in guide-ways such as the guide-way 37 (Fig.

l) formed in the respective side members of the frame, the pot 29 being'adapted to be removed from the pot 11 bybeing first lifted vertically, the blocks 36 sliding in their guide-ways, and then to be tilted=to a position at the' rear of the lower'pot, as shown by i the brokenlines in Fig. 6, Aand to be remounted over the lower pot by reverse movements. The means for lifting the shaftl 35 v'and thereby lifting the pot 29 comprises a pair of toggle arms 38, 38 rotatably mounted upon the shaft 35 between the respective arms 34 and the machine'framaeachY toggle f-arm 38 Y being hinged to a' toggle arm 39 secured upon Y v'a stub shaft 40 mounted in the respective sides V of the. machine frame and each 'provided -withinmtheY1 frame with an actuatingy Varm 41 connected by an adjustable '.link-42 with an ann-43 keyedupon a rock-'shaft 44 `mounted inthe machine frame. The righthand arm43 vvas vviewed inFig. 2 has mounted `thereon a cam roller. 45 extending into a isf cam groove 46 formed in acam disk 47 which is rsecured upon a main drive shaft 48, the

` cam disk 47 thus being adapted'to straighten.

the toggl'es 38-39, 38-39 to lower the upper presser-head and to break the toggles to raise the said head during each revolution. of the;`

shaftv 48. l Y l. c

p For tilting the upper vheadvfromr its inclined brokenline position of Fig.'6f to its verticalV vbroken line position of Fig. l6 and lto tiltitback again to theinclined position in eaclrcycle of operation, in'timed relation to thelifting and lowering of theheadA by the toggles, the.rockshaft 35 has keyed'thereon` an'arm 49 provided atv its outer `end with a 'cam stud 50" extending into a cam slot 51 (Fig.6)iforrned in one arm of a bell crank lever52 which isfulcrumed upon a shaft 53 and has upon the outer end of its other arma cam roller 54- mounted in a cam groove 55 formed in a cam disk 56 which is secured upon the drive shaft 48.',Y l

` The main driveshaft 48 has secured upon f one end thereof, within a gear housing 57 screw bolted to the outer face of the machine frame, a clutch structurey (seeFig.4) corn-y prisinga flanged bushing 58 and aV fcollar 59 secured thereon and defining therewith an annular channel 60- which accommodates an arcuate cam 61. Mounted inan aperture formedv in the flanged bushingf58 is aclutch pin'62 having an obliquely facedl head 63 projecting radially of the structureinto the channel 60 for coaction with the arcuatev cam 61 for disengaging the pin 62 from the hub end of theV shaft 48, lfor urging the pin 62 into engagement with thehub structure of the worm gear 64 when the head 63 of the pin passes out of engagement,y with the arcu ate cam member 61. Y

For Aenga-'gement with the pin 62 the 'hub ber in declutching position by a compressionV spring 72 interposed between a washer 74 abutting a shoulder formed on the pin' and an aperturedY lug 73 projecting from the gear casing and having the pin 71 mounted there# 1n.

For pulling the pin 71 downward to release the clutch pin 62 and permit the latter to engage the hub structure ofthe worm gear 64, the lower end of the pin 71 has pin-andslct hinge connection with a lever 75 fulcrumed on the frame'at 76 andhavin-g at the outer end ot'its other arm a radially disposed iorl: in which is slidably mounted a vertical pull rod 77 provided at its lower end with nuts 78. for lifting the adjacent arm of the lever. The pull rod 77 is mounted at its upper end in an apertured bracket 78 (Fig. l) secured to the machine Atrame and a compression spring 79 is interposed between the said bracket and ia washer 80 mounted below it upon the pull rod 77 forurging the pull rod downward to a limit imposed by contact of a head 81, secured upon lthe'upper end of the rod, with the upper tace of the bracket 78.

For lifting the pull rod 77 to startthe machine, :the head 81 has journaled ytherein a pulley 82 `occupying the depending loop :of a

sprocket chain 83 which has its ends securedl to respective arms 84, 84 secured upon re spective shafts 85, 86 which are journaled in the framing and have at their outer ends respective handles such as the handle 87 pro.

jecting to the front of the mach-ine, the construction being such that the operator is required to use both hands, in engagement with the respective handles 87, in order to lift the pull rods 77 to a sufficient height to retracty the arcuate cam 61 and thus permit the pin 62 (Fig. 4) to .connect the machine with the drive gear 64.

Provision is made tor applying a vacuum to the interior of the upper presser-head momentarily at sueh'times as the head isY being mounted upon or removed :trom the wol-lz, so that as the diaphragm comes into Contact with the sole of the shoe it will V,be already stretched in its sole contactingportion and consequently will not unduly stretch the sole by binding contact therewith in the forcing downward of the head over the shoe and in the subsequent distending of the diaphragm by iuid pressure. The construction also is lsuch .that only a moderate amount of further stretching of the marginal .zone of' and a flanged col'V the ldial-Jhragni occurs in forcing it from its position iin Fig. 2 to itswposition in Fig. 3, and such increased tension. upon the central part of the diaphragm as tostretch the sole unduly is avoided.

Provision yis made for conducting air at` high pressure,lpreterably about 40 .pounds to the square inch, into the upper 'presserhead, back .of the diaphragm 30, as soon as the presser-head is in position upon the work, and provision'is made for then increasing such pressure, preferably to about ,80 pounds to the square inch,` while a little more slowly an almost equal ,pressure is built up in :the lower presser-head which comprises the 'pot 11, the'pressure in the upper head continuing to be suliiciently higher than that in the lower head to hold the diaphragm 30 distended to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 and thus to provide a seal of the diaphragm against the rubber taci-ng member 28 jot the plate 27 to prevent the escapeA of air from the pot 11. Y A

For providing the series of pressure cond-i-tions just described a pipe 88 leads from a sourceoI" compressed air at 40 pounds pressure, throughV a cam'actuatedvalve 89 anda check valve `90 (Fig. 1) to a flexible pipe91 communicating with the chamber of the upper presser-head, the flexible pipe 91 also being in constant communication through a pipe 92 with a chamber 93 (Fig. 4) formed in a valve casing 94 (Figs. 1 and 4) secured 94, which chamber `9'6 has vcommunication through a poppet valve 97 with the chamber 93 and through a poppet lvalve 98 with a chamber 99 from which a pipe 100 leadsto the pot 110i the lower presser-head.l rlll-ie lower presser-head is .adapted to be put .in communication through the chamber 99, and a poppet valve 101 with an exhaust pipe 1.02 opening to the atmosphere. The upper presser-head is adapted to be put -in .connnunication through thel chamber 92 anda poppet valve 103 with an exhaust pipe 104 opening to the atmosphere. For applying suction to the upper presser-head, the. high lpressure air pipe 95 is adapted to be put in .communication'through the chamber 96 and a poppetv a nozzle 107 mounted in the exhaust-pipe 104 and adapted therewith to constitute an ejector.

valve 105 with an ejector pipe 106` havingy v For opening and closing the several poppet vided with cam rollers 108,21-1i081fadapted' to y f coact with aseries'of Vcams 101, 98a, 97%,'1032. and 710.5a secured upon a cam shaft 109 which has driver connection through a sprocket chain I 110 v.withthemain drive Vshaftj48r` headfat that time being in communication The several cams are sofornied and'have such angular vrelation that-in' their rotation,

beginning'with-,the tilting of the upper press-` er-head intovertical-.position over .the work, the valves allbeingclosed atV thebeginning of Ythis movement','thevalves 105 `and v103 are first opened, the valve 105V permitting high pressure air from the pipe 95450` pass through the ejector pipe106 and thus `to cause a suction in the exhaust pipe 104 and consequently in the-upper presser-head, the upper presserwith its 'exhaust pipe 104 through the flexiblev pipe'91, the pipe'92, the chamber 93 and ythe valver103, `and a cam-actuated valve 89 (Fig. `1) :in :the low pressure 'line 88 being closed; thevalves 105 and 1031are-then per mittedby their cams to close aiid'immediately thereafter the valve 89 in the low pressure pipe88 isopenedby engagement of acam 111 (Fig. 6) mounted upon the .periphery` of thecani` .disk 56 engaging acam rollerz112 Y Y. 1 mounted upon anactuating'lever 113 hinged 1 'upon'the'casi'ng of the valve 89, the air at 40 pounds'pressure being applied toithe upper presser-head through `the check valve 90 andVV the iiexib'le pipe'91 (Fig. 1) ,Y andthe valve797' (Fig. 4) being held closed bythe preponderance of air Apressure Yin the chaniber-96 vas compared with that in the chamber .93.

' Thereafter 'but Vbefore the cam 111 permits the valve'89 to close, the valve 9TV is lifted by itscam, permitting high pressure air from the pipe 95 to'pass through the chambers .96y

I and93` and thepipes 92 and V91 into the up-V per head, the checkzvalve 90 (Fig. 1) -pre'- Venting the high pressure air from flowing into the pipe 88, and immediatelythereafter the valve 98isopened, pern'iittingthe .high pressure airv to flow through the chambers 96y and 99 andthe pipe 100 into the pot 11 ofy the lower presser-head.

Assoon as the pressure in the two heads has remained on long enough to thoroughly compress the shoe, rotation of the cam shaft 109 causes the valves 98 and 97' to close, shut ting off the air'supply to the two heads, and .the valves Vr101, 103 4and 105 are opened,eX hausting the lower head through the pipe 102 and the upper head through the pipe'104 and momentarily producinga vacuum in the upper vhead through the action of thel ejector comprising the pipes A104 andv 106.

f Gauges 114, 115 may be provided for indicating the pressures contained inthe two head. I

The motor V66 is preferably provided with a solenoid brake 116 adapted to be actuated whenever the current is cut off, and'in addition tothe usual push button starting-and f stoppingswitches we preferably provide an emergency stopping vswitch,KVV shown in Vf Fi g.

1, having a switch-opening lever 1117v *backed by a spring 118 adapted tohold it in circuitclosing position and provided with' a vcam roll-` er 119 associated with an arm 120 seouredto a shaft 121 provided with an actuating frame 122 adapted readily tobe engaged either by the hand or'by* the bodyof the operator 'to open the circuit and thereby stop the current to the. motor and simultaneously actuate the brake 116. l -v In the operation ofthe machine, the drive-j gear 64 being @continuouslydrivenby vthe motor 66, andthe upperhead being in the inclined dotted line position of Fig. 6 at the beginning of the operation, thev last 13 with the overshoe 14 theieonrandwith the sole in flat form lightly pressed againstthe body Vof the shoe-and projecting beyond the latter? around its margin, is mounted'inr the; gasket 21 and upon the last-support 12 and plate 27. Both 'the handles 87 are thenk depressed by the operator, which requires. the use of both of his hands for the sake of safety, and-,in consequence the pin 62r is permitted.A to engage with .the vhub structure'of the rotating drive; gear 64 Vby the 'downward withdrawal of the arcuate cain member 61, the construc-A tion being such that thevshaft 48 willthen be driven lthrough one'complete revolution and l then stopped by Withdrawal of the clutch pin 62-through`the coaction of its `head 63 with the cam member 61. Y i

In'this revolution of the shaft 48 the upper 4head is Afirst swung into position over the Alowerhead by'action ofthe vbell crank lever 52V (Fig. 6) and then lowered into position about the llower head by action of the levers' 43, links 42, arms 41 and toggles '384-39.

As lthe initial `pressure is applied within the upper 'head,forcingthe diaphragm 30 to itsposition as shown in Fig. 3, the margin of the'sole 33 is folded on to the side faces vof theovershoe and firmly pressed in place and 'the diaphragm 30 also presses the upper against'thelast in a zone extending about the overshoe ad] acentv the latters sole. The pressure upon the sole and upon the said Zone is then increased by increase of the pressure in' the upper head and concurrently the rest of the overshoe is pressed and compacted by the admission of air to the pot 11 ofthe lower shoe about the shank of the last, the ldistorted diaphragm 30 preventing vescape of airy from the lower head. Air entrapped between the overshoe and the last is' vented through the aperture 24in the last-support 12 and the screw 15, f

When f the shoe has been adequately pressed, the continuing rotation Vofthe shaft 48 causes the heads to bevented andthe upv per head suiicientlyevacuated to reduce or eliminate the strain of fthe diaphragm 30. vupon the sole ofthe overshoe, andthe upper upon the engagement of the head 63 of the clutch pin 62 with the cam member 6l causes the clutch pin to be retracted and stops the machine. lThis completes the cycle of operation, which is then repeated upon successive overshoes.

Various modifications are possible within the scope of our invention as defined in the` appended claims.

lVe claim:

l. Apparatus for soling and pressing an article of footwear, the said apparatus comprising means for supporting a last with an upper and a sole thereon, a flexible diaphragm, means for applying a pressure fluid against said diaphragm on one side thereof to press it against'the sole, fluid-confining means which with the other side of the diaphragm and with the upper defines a pressure-fluid chamber for applying pressurefluid locally to the upper in direct contact therewith, the said V huid-confining means. comprising a lip-gasket member adapted tol seal against the upper about the mouth thereof.

2. Apparatus for pressing footwear, thel said apparatus comprising a last, a fluidbacked, elastic diaphragm, means for forcing one of the same toward the other to press a sole on the last by contact of the diaphragm with the sole, a rigid member surrounding the last at a substantial distance from the sole thereof and presented to the toe portion of the last for limiting the stretch of the diaphragm, the said rigid member being so close to the last at all points about the same as alone to prevent so large a baying of the diaphragm between the last and the member as to result in undue strain of the diaphragm by the fluid by which it is backed, and a member adjustable with relation to the member surrounding the last and so constructed and arranged as to engage the shank of the last, the two said members being adapted to support lasts of different sizes with their sole faces in approximately the same position with relation to the diaphragm.,

3. Apparatus for pressing an article of footwear, the said apparatus comprising means for supporting a last, a presser-head including a fluid-backed diaphragm, and meansV for relatively swinging said head to and from a position of alignment with the last-supporting means and for relatively moving it rectilinearly from said position toward the last-supporting means and from the last-supporting means to said position.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 including means for varying the pressure of the fluid by which the diaphragm is backed by conducting fluid to and from the presserhead-.

5. Apparatus for pressing an article of footwear, the saidA apparatus comprising means lfor vsupporting a last, a presser-head including ajfluid-backed diaphragm, means f-for conducting pressure flu-id' to said head to distend said diaphragm and means vfor applying suction to said head to stress the diaphragm in the opposite direction.

6. Apparatus forpressing an .article of footwear, the said apparatus comprising means for supporting a last, a presser-'head including a fliiicl-bacl-:ed diaphragm,irmeans for relatively swinging said head to and from a position of alignment with the last-supporting means and for relatively moving'it rectilinearly from said position towardy the lastsupporting means and from the last-supporting means to said position, means for conducting pressure fluid to said presser-head to distend said diaphragm, and means for applying suction to saidhead to stress the diaphragm in the opposite direction. j

7. Apparatus for pressing'an article of footwear, the said apparatus comprising means for supporting a last, a presser-head including a fluid-backed diaphragm, and means for relatively swinging said head to and from ya position of alignment with the last-supporting means and for relatively moving it rectilinearly from said position toward the last-supporting means and from the last-supporting means to said position, the head-moving means comprising an actuating member mounted toslide toward and from the last-supporting means in the direction of the rectilinear movement of thev presser-head and an arm projecting from the head and pivoted to the said member for the angular movement of the head.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 including a toggle for moving the actuating member and means fory actuating the toggle and swinging the head in determinate time relation. e

9. Apparatus for pressing an article of footwear, the said apparatus comprising twoy presser-heads each adapted to apply fluid pressure locally t0 the article, means for bringing the said heads together .upon the article, means for conducting pressure fluid to and from each of the heads, driving means so constructed and arranged as to actuate the several aforesaid means in an automatic, cyclic operation including the bringing of the heads together, the conducting of pressure fluid into the heads, sure fluid therefrom, and the separation of the heads, and means actuated automatically by the driving means in the cyclic operation for applying suction to one of the heads.

10. Apparatus for pressing an article of.

rubber footwear comprising a pressure-fluid pot, a last-support therein having a stem projecting through a wall of the pot to the eX- terior thereof, means for securing thestem in different adjusted positions in said wall,

the venting of the presvmy site direction. f

`thesaid'last-support and its stem being aperturedto Vent to the exterior of the pot alast *mounted on said f last-support,` vand Vay lip gasket mounted upon 'the last-support and f adapted to 'seal 'against a'last mounted on the last-support.

11; Apparatus forv pressing an article V of Vfootwear, the saidrapparatus comprising a presser-head, elastic, fluid-backed diaphragm mounted thereon, means for conducting pres-v sure flu-id into the head to distend the diaphragm, and means for applying suction to "the head to stress the diaphragm in the oppo- In vWitness whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 1st day of July, 1927. Y

CHARLES M. RICHARDSON. VIRGIL BODLE.

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