US2014472A - Application of solvent in preparing outersoles - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1935. w FRENCH 2,014,472

APPLICATION OF SOLVENT IN PREPARING OUTERSOLES Filed Nov. 13, v193']. 2 Sheets-Sheet l I. mi/ w a 28 a :1 I.

Sept. 17, 1935. Jjw. FRENCH I 2,014,472

APPLICATION OF SOLVENT-IN PREPARING OUTERSOLES Filed Nov. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 alum-minim //v VE/V Tm? Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPLICATION OF SOLVENT IN PREPARING OUTERSOLES Application November 13, 1931, Serial No. 574,829

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the application of solvent to surfaces having a dried coating of cement, for the purpose of reviving the cement, as in the preparation of outersoles for application to lasted shoes to which the soles are to be permanently attached by means of the cement.

In the manufacture of shoes in which the outersoles are to be permanently attached by means of cement it is almost a universal practice to apply the cement to the flesh side of the outersole, to allow it to dry, and then to revive it, just before the sole is to be positioned upon the shoe, by applying a solvent which will soften or revivify the cement coating to make it effective to stick the sole to the shoe. There are many reasons for this procedure, one of the most important of which is that it is possible to apply cement to soles much faster than anoperator can apply the .soles to shoes and apply pressure to hold them together temporarily while the cement is hardening. It is, therefore, good economy toallow an operator of a cementing machine to secure full production and to position the cemented soles in a rack where they are allowed'to dry and become easy to handle. It is essential, furthermore, that all of that portion of the cement-coated surface of the sole which is to be activated shall be in the same condition and equally softened when the sole is applied to the shoe in order to secure uniform adhesion. In a-large proportion of the factories making this kind of shoes, the application of solvent is effected by an assistant who applies the solvent with a brush and then hands'the sole to the operator of the sole-attaching machine who immediately places the sole on the shoe and applies pressure thereto. This is not wholly satisfactory, however, not only because it requires another operator, but also because when the solvent is brushed on, all portions of the cemented surface are likely not to be in the same condition at the time the sole is applied to the shoe, as some parts are apt to become dried out while other parts are still wet, and the brushing on of the solvent almost invariably removes or displaces a portion of the cement upon the sole. Furthermore, it is desirable to apply tothe sole a slight excess of solvent which will remain upon the surface of the cement and be transferred to the coating of dried cement upon the bottom of the shoe so as to soften this coating and to render it most effective in securing complete adhesion of the sole to the shoe. It will also be understood that the application of solvent must be carried out in such a fashion that none of the solvent will get on the edges or tread surfaces of the soles.

This soiling of the tread surfaces may result in staining the soles, and at any rate is a waste of solvent.

One important object of the invention is to provide an improved method of applying solvent to 5 soles intended for permanent attachment by means of cement which will produce the desired uniform application of solvent rapidly and with a minimum of expense. Considered in one important aspect the invention provides for flowing 10 a solvent directly on a cemented surface in such a manner that the edge of the sole and the tread surface thereof are not coated with solvent, as, for example, by bringing together the coating of dried cement and a stream of solvent, and allow- 15 ing the excess to drain from the sole without getting any solvent on the tread surface thereof. One solvent which is commonly employed is acetone which has a liquidity at least as great as water. As herein illustrated, the sole is posi- 20 tioned with the cemented side down and the cemented portion is moved into engagement with a stream of solvent, leaving the uncemented center ry.

It is usual shoe factory practice to apply ce- 25 ment to the flesh surface of the sole along a marginal band extending from a point near the heel breast line forwardly around the forepart of the sole and back to the breast line on the other side. When a hand brush is used for activating this 30 hand, the operation is slow and the treatment is not uniform. In another aspect, the invention overcomes this difiiculty and resides in a novel method which consists in flowing the solvent progressively on successive portions of the cemented 35 surface along the margin of the sole. As herein described and illustrated, the preferred method comprises flowing the solvent progressively and simultaneously upon the opposite margins of the sole from the heel end toward the toe. 4

These and other aspects of the invention will best be understood from a consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an angular view showing the machine 5 applying solvent to a piece of work held in the hand of an operator;

Fig. 2 in a detail view of the connection between the valve controlling the supply of solvent and the presser member which holds the sole in position 50 with respect to the nozzles;

Figure 3 is a front elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of the nozzles, a sole, and the work-presser member;

Fig. 4 illustrates the arrangement of guiding 55 means by which the solvent-applying nozzles are held spaced from the edges of the soles so that the extreme uncemented margin of the sole will not receive a coating of solvent;

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged vertical section through one of the nozzles; and

Fig. 6 shows a portion of a sole having a dried band of cement upon the margin of the forepart, spaced from the edge to provide a narrow uncemented margin.

The flowing of solvent directly upon the marginal portions of an inverted sole 62 is effected by means of nozzles 10 each of which has a slot I2 (Fig. 5) at its upper end and the nozzles are supplied with solvent from a tank l4 connected by suitable piping [6 to the nozzles. The outflow of solvent from the tank I4 may be controlled by means of an ordinary hand valve I8. Another valve 26 inserted in the pipe line is provided with a valve stem 22 on which is mounted an operating handle 24. This handle is connected by a rod 26 to a foot treadle 28 which is normally held in raised position by a spring 30 and when the operator presents a sole to the machine he depresses the treadle to permit the flow of solvent from the receptacle [4 to the nozzles l0. Any surplus solvent which is not applied to the sole is caught in a receptacle such as a pail 32 positioned, for example, upon a bench 34. A supporting frame 36 is also bolted to the bench and the pipes l6 are attached to this frame by means of clips 38. The pipe line leading to the righthand nozzle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is provided with a T 40, leading from which is a vertical pipe 42 provided with a drainage cock 44 and a lateral opening into a pipe 46 upon which the left-hand nozzle is carried by a pipe arm 48 supported by a swivel joint 56. This swinging pipe arm 48 is yieldably held in the position shown in Fig. l by a spring 52 attached to upright arms 54 to bring the nozzles close together.

Each of the nozzles ID has attached to it by a suitable clamp 56 a rounded edge gage 58. These gages may be positioned close to the nozzles when the machine is intended to apply the solvent all the Way out to the edge of the sole, or may be separated therefrom, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the solvent will be applied along a marginal band of cement 66 separated from the edge of the sole 62 by a narrow uncoated margin 64. This puts the solvent exactly where it is needed and helps to avoid the squeezing out of cement, in the completed shoe, upon the edge of the sole or the upper.

Provision is made for holding the sole in contact with the nozzles during its passage over the nozzles by means of a presser roll 66 loosely swivelled between collars 68 upon a pivoted arm 16 mounted in bearings 12 on the upright portion of the frame 36. The end of the rod 16 is bent at an angle and provided with an end extension 14 (Fig. 2) passing through a slot 16 in the valve lever 24. The arrangement is such that when the operator depresses the treadle 28 he will substantially simultaneously open the valve 26 and move the presser roll 66 into contact with the uppermost or tread surface of the sole.

In applying solvent to a sole, the latter is held in the hand of the operator, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the rear portion of the sole, flesh side down, is positioned upon the nozzles between the gages 58 at a point in the neighborhood of the heel breast line. The operator then depresses the treadle, causing the flow of solvent through the nozz es. and substantially at, the same time bringing the presser roll 66 into contact with the tread surface of the sole. As the operator draws the sole to the left in Fig. 1, the nozzles, guided by the edge gages 58 which are yieldingly held against the edges of the sole by the spring 52, 5 will follow the contour of the sole and, in particular, of the band of cement 60 which has been applied to the flesh surface thereof.

During this operation the solvent will flow out of the slots l2 in the upper ends of the nozzles 1 I0 and will be applied directly to the cement band 60 without the interposition of any applying device which might disturb the cement coating. In this connection, it should be noted from Fig. 5 that the top of the nozzle is provided upon the incoming side, considering the direction of progress of the sole, with a higher portion or protuberance 80 against which the sole is pressed by the presser roll 66. This avoids the complete stoppage by the work of the flow of solvent through the slots 12 and permits the solvent to flow freely but gently out of the nozzles so that it is flowed on to the cemented area of the sole. The band of cement 60 is undisturbed by contact with the protuberance 80 because it is then in a dry and hard condition. After the solvent has been applied to the cement, there is no further contact between the cement and any portion of the machine and there is therefore no tendency to wipe off portions of the cement or otherwise 30, to disturb the cement coating. By properly con trolling the rate of flow of solvent by means of the hand valve I8, a gentle flow through the nozzles is provided so that there is no danger of getting solvent upon the edges or tread surface of the sole as it is drawn over the nozzles. Said sole is held in such a position that the edges and tread surface will not be soiled, any excess of solvent falling away from it and being caught in the receptacle 3'2.

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

l. The method of preparing an outersole for permanent attachment to a lasted shoe by means of adhesive which includes the step of reviving the dried cement upon a sole by holding the sole inverted with the cemented surface facing downwardly, and flowing the solvent upon the cemented surface, allowing any excess solvent to fall away from the sole without coating the tread surface thereof.

2. The method of preparing an outersole, on the marginal portion of the flesh surface of which is a coating of dried cement, for permanent at- 55. tachment to a lasted shoe by means of said cement, which comprises flowing an excess quantity of solvent having approximately the liquidity of water on the marginal cemented portion of the flesh surface of the sole, allowing the excess to drain in a direction such that the center of the flesh surface and the tread surface of the sole are left dry.

3. The method of preparing an outersole, on the marginal portion of the flesh surface of which 55 is a coating of dried cement, for permanent attachment to a lasted shoe by means of said cement, which consists in holding the sole in inverted position with the cemented side down, and bringing the cemented portion into engagement 70 with a stream of solvent, permitting any excess solvent to fall away from the tread surface of the sole.

4. The method of preparing an outersole, on the marginal portion of the flesh surface of which is a coating of dried cement, for permanent attachment to a lasted shoe by means of said cement, which consists in holding the sole to drain away from the uncemented mid-portion and in flowing solvent, having approximately the liquidity of water, progressively upon successive portions of the cemented surface along the margin of the sole.

5. The method of preparing an outersole, on the marginal portion of the flesh surface of which is a coating of dried cement, for permanent attachment to a lasted shoe by means of said cement, which comprises flowing solvent progressively upon successive portions of the cement coating and simultaneously upon the opposite margins of the sole.

6. The method of preparing an outersole, on the marginal portion of the flesh surface of which is a coating of dried cement, for permanent attachment to a lasted shoe by means of said cement, which consists in flowing solvent progressively upon adjacent portions of the coating from the heel end toward the toe, and simultaneously upon the opposite margins of the sole.

7. The method of preparing an outersole, on the marginal portion of the flesh surface of which is a coating of dried cement, for permanent attachment to a lasted shoe by means of said cement, which consists in relatively guiding a sole and a pair of streams of solvent to direct these streams simultaneously upon the opposite margins of the flesh surface of the sole progressively along its margins without coating its central portion and without getting any of the solvent on the tread surface of the sole.

JOHN W. FRENCH.

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