US1799117A - Method of and machine for building heels - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1931. D. PARKS 1,799,117

METHOD'OF AND MACHINE FOR BUILDING HEELS Griginal Filed July 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M/ytnvroe. 05A/N/6 PA 9K6 March 31, 1931 PARKS 1,799,117

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR BUILDING HEELS Original Filed July 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 U iTE stares DENNIS PARKS, GEEIKLOUIS, MISSOURI METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOE BUILDING HEELS Application filed July 26, 1928, Serial No; 295,395. Renewed August 21, 1930p This invention relates to improvements type illustrated in my pending application Ser. No. 262,424, filed March 17th, 1928, now

Patent Number 1,740,871, dated December 24, 1929. I I

The general object of the invention-is to provide improved means for forming the heel when using either whole or pieced lifts, and to provide improved means for driving one or more nailsthrough the lifts just before they are put under final pressure in the heel chute or pressure container.

The improved means for forming the heel comprises a pair of plates between and in engagement with which the heel is built up in the usual way, with means for automatically forcing said plates toward each other, or into firm engagement with the opposite sides of the heel-blank, to holdthe lifts in fixed relation to each other as the heel-blank is forced into engagement with a previously formed heel-blank and into a pressure container for the heel-blanks.

The means for nailing the assembled lifts finds its embodiment in a'sliding carriage comprising two relatively movable parts, one upon which the heel-blank is built up and the other containing the nailing mechanism, with means for moving'said carriage in a direction to bring the built-up heel-blank into engagement with a previously formed heel-blank in a container, whereby the motion of that portion of the carriage will be temporarily arrested, andthe othe'r 'part of the carriage containing the nailing mechanism will be advanced to drive the nail into the heel-blank.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a heel-building machine of the type referred to having my improvements applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation of the same, the upper part being broken away;

Figure 3 is a broken View in side elevation on an enlarged scale showing the carriage slidably mounted on an extension of the bedplate of the heel-blank container and with a built-up heel-blank in position between the heel-forming plates; I

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4-4of Fig. 3, and also on the line 44 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale as respects the latter figure, showing the heel forming plates in normal position corresponding to the position of the parts in Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, but showing the carriage advanced to bring the heeLblanlrinto engagement with an equalizing plate in a pressure container or holder for. the heel-blanks and with a nail driven through the assembled lifts by the nailing mechanism; i I

Figure 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of 5 showing the position of parts which have been moved by the advance of the sliding carriage to turn the heel-forming plates into engagement with the op posite sides of the assembled heel lifts; and

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the carriage illustrating moreparticularly the adjustable mounting of the heel-forming plates thereon. Referring now to-Figs. land 2 of the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the main frame of the machine, the top portion of which is inclined forwardly as shown andhas supported thereon a combined heel-log container and race-way. T 1e race-way is indicated at 2 and comprises two parallel bars having rounded connections at either end andprovided with a continuous slot 3 (Fig. 5) in which are slidably mounted the heads 4 of a set of equalizing plates'5. Below the raceway and parallel with the lower side thereof is abed-platefG which co-operates With the lower member 7 of the race-way to provide a pressure container for heel-blanks forced therein. The plate 6 is what is known in the art as a breast plate; that is to say, the breasts of'the heels rest upon it as they pass through the container. The bed-plate 6 has a portion entendingforwardly beyond the lower end of the race-way 2, which extending portion is indicated atS, and whichserves .as a table for supporting the heel lifts as they are assembled to form a heel-blank 9 (Fig. l) and which also serves to opergoo atively support a sliding carriage indicated generally by the numeral 10. This carriage is formed in two main parts, namely, a head 11 and a heel-former 12. The head 11 is hollowfor a portion of its length and houses one end portion of a coil spring 13 the end of which bears against the heel-former 12. Adjustably mounted in the rear end of the head 11 by means of a screw i l is a nail driver 15 which operates in a tubular guide 1(3-secured in the back-plate 17 of the heelformer 12 by means of a set-screw 13. Pro jecting from the bottem of the head 11 is an arm 19 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5) which is secured to the forward end of an actuating bar 20. Secured to the forward en d of this actuating bar is a chain 21 which passes over a pulley 22 and then is extended downwardly and secured at its end to drum 23 which forms the hub of one member of a ring clutch shown in detail in Fig. 2. The drum 23 is loosely mounted on a shaft 2% which is adapted to be continuously rotated from a pulley 25. Mounted on the inner end of the drum 23 is aring member 26 which is opposed to a corresponding ring member 2? which is fast on the shaft 24. The drum 2-3 is provided on its outer end with inclined surfaces 28 which engage corresponding surfaces of a fixed cam member 29 mounted on one leg of the frame 1. Projecting radially from the drum 23 is an arm 30 to which is pivotally secured the upper end of a connecting rod 31, the lower end of which is connected to a treadle 32 intermediate the point of pivotal connection 33 of the trea-dle on the frame and its inner end. By pressing downwardly on the inner end of the treadle, its opposite end will be raised, thereby lifting the arm 30 and turning the drum 23 so that the engagement of the inclined surfaces 28 and 29 will force the drum to the right, as shown in Fig. 2, bringing the clutch member 26 into engagement with the clutch member 27 and thereby causing the drum 23 to be rotated to wind the chain 21 thereon. This, of course, pulls the chain downwardly over the pulley 22 and draws the sliding head 11 toward the heelformer 12, after which the carriage 10 as a whole will. be moved upwardly over the bed 8 to carry the heel-blank built up in the heelformer into the heelblank container.

In order to automatically arrest th s movement of the carriage after it has travelled the required distance to pe form the functions hereinafter described, I adjustably secure on the vertical run of the chain 21 a stop 34E which is adapted to engage in its downward movement the upper end of a rod 35 slidably supported in a guide 36 mounted on the frame and pivotally connected at its lower end to the inner end of the treadle 32, as indicated at 37. As the chain is wound upon the drum 23 to advance the carriage 10. the stop descends and engages the upper end of rod 35 and thereby locks the clutch against further rotation. That is to say, any further downward movement of the stop 34 would move the inner end of the treadle 32 downward and open the clutch members 26 and 27. This assumes that the operator would maintain pressure on the treadle by holding his foot thereon, in which event no harm could occur, for as soon as pressure was exerted by the foot to close the clutch, the stop 3% would move the rod 35 downward to open the clutch. In practice, the stop is adjusted to engage the upper'end of the rod 35 synchronously with the arrival of the carriage 10 at the desired limit of its upward movement, and as this brings such movement to a stop, the operator learns to remove his foot from the treadle at this time, whereupon the inner end of the treadle will fall by gravity to release the clutch and the carriage 10 will slide backward by gravity over the bed 8 to its position at the bottom end of said bed, or that position shown in Fig. 1.

To arrest the return movement of the parts w ien they have reached the desired position, I provide a stop 38 on the outerside of the clutch member 26 which is adapted to engage with the inner end of an adjustable stop bar 39 which has a screwthreaded portion 40 mounted on the frame and provided With a lock-nut 41, whereby the stop bar 39 can be positioned to be engaged by the stop 38 to stop the carriage 10,the clutch memoer 26 and the treadle 32 at the respective positions thereof desired.

In the forward movement of the carriage 10, my novel heel-forming plates are automatically actuated and, when desired, a nail is driven into the assembled heel-blanks and the construction and operation of these parts will now be described.

Projecting inward from each side of the bacleplate 17 of the heel-former are two shafts 42 on each of which is pivot-ally mounted a circular head 13 hai 'ing a depending arm 44 on the lower reduced end l-6 of which mounted a roller 15. its thus mounted, the arms llare rocker arms, being adapted to rock on the shafts 42. They are held in their normal or vertical position, or that shown in Fig. -3 by means of a coil spring 41-? the opposite ends of which are connected to the lower ends l6 of the arms 44. This spring maintains the rollers 45 in contact with the opposite sides of a slide bar 48 which is secured to the underside of the arm 19 of head 11 by means of screws .9. In the normal position of the rocker arms 44, the rollers 45 rest in circular depressions 50 formed, respectively, in the outer sides of the slide bar near the inner ends thereof, this position of the rollers being shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4-. Projecting upward from each of the circular heads 43 of the rocker arms 44 is a support 51 on which is adj ustably mounted a heel-forming plate 52which, for thepurpose of adjustment, is provided with slots 53 (Fig. 7) and is secured on the support 51 by binding screws 54: passing through said slots and en aging in the support 51. Each of the plates 52 is of the shape, shown, to embrace snugly the side of the heel-blank, and each of them has a depend ing lug 55 (Figs. 4 and 6) which is adapted to be engaged by the inner end of a sescrew 56 mounted in the support 51, which screw s may be used in adjusting the heelforming plates inwardly when the screws 5% are loosened and which, together with the screws 5 l, serve to maintain the plates 52 in their adjusted positions. 7

The tubular guide 16 previously referred to (Fig. 3) is bored centrally to provide a container 57 for nails, and in this container a nail is adapted to be inserted when desired,

to be forced into the assembled heel-blanks by the nail driver 15. The tubular member 16 with its bore for a nail constitutes a nail guide and will hereinafter be referred to by that name. 1

In operation, after a nail has been inserted in the nail guide 16 and the lifts 9' have been assembled into a heel of the desired height on the extension 8 of the bedeplate 6 between the heel-forming plates 52, the operator steps on the pedal 32 which causes the clutch members 26 and 27 to engage,whereb the chain 21 will be wound upon the drum 23. This causes the sliding carriage lOto be moved inward to force the heel into the container or heel chute formed by the bedplied by the chain 21 continues its inward.

movement, compressing the spring The resulting motion of the sliding head ll rela-' tive to the heel-builder 12, or in other words,

the inward movement of the slide bar 48,

causes the rollers to ride out ofthe depres-v sions therein, which causes the rocker arms 44 to pivot, and turns the ieerf lifts, forcing them into their proper position. At the same time, this motion of the head 11 relative" to the heel-former causes the nail driver 15 to force a nail through the assemblage of'lifts. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 5, the nail beingdotted and indicated bythe numeral 58. After the nail has been driven and the spring '13 fully compressed, the carriage 10 as a whole continues its inward movement and forces the entire column of heel-blanks, including that;

just nailed, as described, forward in the pressure container. After completing its stroke, which is regulated by the engagement ofthe they proceed orming plates 52 into firm engagement with the sides of the stop 34 on chain 21 with the upper end of the rod 85 mounted on the inner end of treadle 82, the head 11 returns by gravity to the position shown in Fig. l, the spring 123 forces the heel-former 12 to its normal position, the rollers 45 drop back into the depressions 50, and the heel-forming plates return to their normal positions for receiving the nent set of lifts to be ass mbled into a heel.

It will be seen fror the above description that the heel-forming plates exert their pressure on the lifts at the omentthe nail "or begins to force the nail intothe lifts. T -s makes it certain that the lifts are in proper position when the nails go through them.

After the nail has been driven, the lifts are, of course, thereby held in proper position as n 1 through the pressure container. it should beunderstcod, however, that my improved heel-forming plates are of great valueif a nail is not used, since they insure the proper positioning of the lifts at the time theygo under pressure in the container.

It Wlll be observed that the movement of the heel-forming plates toward each other is such that they not only exert an inward pressure on the lifts but also a downward pressure. This is of great importance when a heel is being built that involves the use Of wedged lifts. It has been found t rat at the moment this character of heel enters the pressure container, the wedged'lifts, if not restrained, tend to squeeze out towardthe top of the heel, thus causing the heel to be improperly shaped. With the use of my iin proved forming plates, such wedged lifts are ield down firmly in place until either the nail has been driven through or until complete pressure has been put upon them.

Still another advantage of the heelformmg plates is apparent when pieced heels are being built. With such heels, the j oints' betweenthe pieces are approximately vertical,

as shown by the'dotted lines in Fig. 6, and it is of the utmost importance that the joints be closed up tightly, and this is very effectively done by the heel-forming plates herein do scribed.

The nail driving mechanism is designed as an improvement over the nail driving mechanismdescribed and claimed in a pending application of Fred Hawkins, Ser. No. 258,157, filed March 1st, 192S, which utilizes the forward motion Ofthe building head to drive the nail. The nail is driven simultaneously with the movement of the heel toward the pressure'container by means of mechanism that moves the nail driver forward faster than the movement of the building head proper. The present device is much simpler and utilizes a difierent principle, in that the heel is not in tion for having the nails driven into the lifts.

The motion of the sliding head 11 which drives the nail is a continuation of its inward movement necessary to force the heel-blank into the pressure container, and the operation is thus direct and positive and the machine itself simpler in organization and operation.

It will be understOod that the heelforming plates used will be adapted to conform to the shape of heel being made. The drawings show plates adapted for use in making decked heels and their engaging faces are inclined to correspond with the incline of the sides of the heel-blank. If a different character of heel were being made, the plates would either be correspondingly adjusted or a set of plates adapted for the particular character of heel being made would be substituted for those shown.

As in the case of the machine of the Hawkins application above referred to, it will be understood that a nail-driver could be employed that would drive two nails instead of a single nail.

I direct attention to the fact that when a tapered heel is being built, as shown in the drawings, the heel-forming plates are shaped or positioned in a manner to receive the small or top lifts first. I have found that the heel can be built in this way much faster than by putting in the base lift first. Another advantage of this is that it enables the nail to be driven through the heel from the top lift instead of from the base lift, which is the desirable way of nailing the heel. A final advantage of building the heel by inserting the small or top lift into the heel-former first is that it enables the heel to be forced into the pressure container with the bi or base lift in advance. The reverse arrangement would make it exceedingly difficult to withdraw the heel-forming plates from contact with the heel-lifts at the time the carriage starts back toward the building position. Of course, in building a straight heel, the lifts are of the same size and in that case the heel-forming plates would have their faces parallel.

Finally, I wish to state that while my improved heel-forming and nailing devices are primarily designed for use with a heel-building machine of the type shown, having an inclined pressure container, the invention is not limited to use in such a machine. It would be equally valuable in connection with amachine in which the pressure container were arranged in a horizontal instead of an inclined position. v

I claim:

1. In a machine for building heels, a slid able carriage, a heel-former carried thereby having heel-forming plates mounted thereon and normally positioned to freely receive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, and movable means mounted on said carriage and operating in the forward movement thereof to positively force the plates toward each other to exert pressure on all the lifts of the heel and thereby properly position them before the heel is forced into the container.

2. In a machine for building heels, a slidable carriage, a heel-former carrieo thereby having hecl-forn'iing plates pivotally mounted thereon and normally positioned to freely 'eceive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, and movable means mounted on said carriage and operating in the forward movement thereof to positively force the plates toward each other and downward to exert pressure on all the lifts of the heel to thereby properly position them and tohold them firmly in place against the tendency to upward movement until the complete pressure of the heel-former has been exerted to force them into the pressure container.

3. In a machine for building heels, a slidable heel-former having lieehforming plates pivotally mounted thereon on horizontal axes, and normally positioned to freely receive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced thereinby said heel-former, and automatic means operating in the movement of said heel-former toward said pressure container to turn said plates toward each other on their pivots and cause them to exert pressure on-all the lifts of the heel and thereby properly position them before the heel is forced into the container.

4. In a machine for building heels, a slidable heel-former comprising a back-plate and a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted. on said back-plate on horizontal axes, a pair of reel-forming plates mounted, respectively, on the upper sides of said rocker-arms and positioned to freely receive the li-ft-swbeing assembled into-a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, and movable means operating in the movement of said heel-former toward said pressure container to engage and rock said rocker arms and cause said heel-forming plates to be forced toward each other to exert pressure on all the lifts of the heel and thereby properly position them before the heel is forced into the container.

5. In a machine for building heels, a slidable heel-former comprising a back-plate,.a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted thereonon horizontal axes, a pair of heel-forming plates mounted, respectively, on the upper sides of said rocker arms and normally positioned to freely receive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, and automatic means operating in the movement of said heel-former toward the pressure container to separate the lower i on on horizontal axes, a pair of heel-forming plates mounted, respectively, on the upper sides of said rocker arms and normally positioned to freely receive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a roller mounted on the lower end of each of said rocker arms, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, a sliding head operatively associated with said heel-former, means operable at will for moving said head toward said heel-former and both of said in the movement of said head toward said carriage, whereby to force the heel-forming plates toward eachother and cause them to exert pressure on all the lifts of the heel and thereby properly position them before the heel'is forced into the container.

7. In a'machine for building heels, a slidable heel-former having heel-forming plates pivotally mounted thereon and normally positioned to freely receive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, means for moving t re heel-former toward said pressure container comprising a slidable head movable toward and into engagement with said heel-former, and means carried by said head and operating in the movement of said head toward the heel-former to force the heel-forming plates toward each other to cause them to exert pressure on all the lifts of the heel thereon and thereby properly position them before the heel is forced into the container.

8. In a machine for building heels, a slidable heel-former having heel-forming plates normally positioned to freely receive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, a sliding head located to the rear of said heel-former and held in separated relation therewith by a spring, a nail guide mounted in said heel-former, anail driver carried by said head and working in said nail guide, means operable at will for moving said head toward said heel-former and both of said parts toward said pressure container, whereby when the heel-formeris arrested by engagement of the assembled lifts thereon with a heel-blank in the pressure container, said head will be advanced to force the nail through said assemblage of lifts and then to force the resulting heel-blankinto the container, and automatic means operating in the forward movement of said head to force said plates toward each other to cause them to exert pressure on all the lifts of the heel on the heel former and thereby properly position them before the heel is forced into the container. i

9. In a machine for building heels, a bedplate, a heel-former slidably mounted thereon and having movable heel-forming plates, a

head slidably mounted on said bed-plate at the rear of said heel-former, a spring interposed between said headand heel-former, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, means operable at will for moving said head toward and into contact with said heel-former and both of said parts toward said pressure container, and means carried by said head and operating in the movement of the head t0- ward said heel-former to move said plates toward each other to cause them to exert pressure on all of the lifts ofthe assembled heel and thereby properly position them before the heel is forced into the container.

10. In a machine for building heels, a bed-- plate, a heel former slidably mounted thereon comprising a pair of rocker arms each of which carries a heel-forming plate, a roller mounted on the lower end of each of said rocker arms, a head slidably mounted on said bed-plate, a pressure contalner adapted to have heels forced therein by said heel-former, means operable at w1ll for moving said head toward said heel-former and both of said parts toward said pressure container, and a slide plate carried by saidhead and operating between said rollers, said-slide plate having depressions in which said rollers normally rest, whereby when the head is ad vanced toward said heel-former, said depressions will be moved beyond the rollers causing the latter to be separated and thereby turn the heel-forming plates toward each other on their pivots and cause them to exert pressure on all the lifts of aheel assembled between them, and thereby properly position said lifts before the heel is forced into the container.'

11. In a machine forrbuilding heels, a a

slidable heel-former comprising a backplate and a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted on said back plate on horizontal axes, a pair of heel-forming plates mounted, respectively, on the upper sides of said rocker ar1ns, a coil spring connecting the lower ends of said rocker arms and normally holding said heel-forming plates in a. position to freely receive the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forcedtherein by said heelformer, andiautomatic means operating in the movement of said heel-former toward the pressure container to separate the lower ends of said rocker arms and thereby force the heel-forming plates toward each other to cause them to exert pressure on all of the lifts of the heel, and thereby properly position them before the heel is forced into the container.

12. In a machine for building heels, a slidable heel-former for receiving the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted to have heels forced therein by said hcel former, a sliding head located to the rear of said heelformer,- anail guide mounted in said heel-former, a nail driver carried by said head and working in said nail guide, and means operable atwill for moving saidhead toward said heel-former and both of said parts toward said pressure container, whereby when the heel-former is arrested by engagement of the assembled lifts thereon with a heel-blank in the pressure container, said head will be advanced to force the nail through said assemblage of lifts and then to force the resulting heelblauk into the container.

13. In a machine for building heels, a slidable heel-former for-receiving the lifts being assembled into a heel, a pressure container adapted tohave heels forced therein by said heel-former, a sliding head located to the rear of said heel-former and held in separated relation therewith by a spring, a nail guide mounted in said heel-former, a nail driver carried by said head and worl inn: in said nail guide, and means operable at will for moving said head toward said heelformer and both of said parts toward said pressure container, whereby when the heelformer is arrested by engagement of the assembled lifts tnereon with a heel-blank in the pressure container, said head will be advanced to force the nail through said assemblage of lifts and then to force the resulting heel-blank into the container.

i l. The method of building heels which consists in assembling lifts in heel-form, exerting pressure simultaneously on the sides of all of the lifts to properly position them, subjecting said lifts to a compression action, and maintaining the lateral pressure on said lifts until the compression actionhas been applied thereto.

15. The method of building heels which consists-in asembling lifts in heel form, exerting pressure simultaneously on the sides of all of the lifts to properly positionthem, forcing a nail through said liftswhile maintaining the lateral pressure thereon, subjectingisaid lifts to a compressing action, and maintaining the lateral pressure on said lifts until the compressingaction has been applied thereto."

16. The methodof building heels which consi ts in assembling lifts in a heel-former beginning with the smallest ortop lift and ending with the largest on base 'lift, exerting pressure simultaneously on both sides of m hand.

J DENNIS PARKS.

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