US2131837A - Toe lasting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

mama? Get. 4, 1933,. B. FENTON TOE LASTING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 1937 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Wmfm 3 VENTUR Oct. 4, 1938. B. FENTON TOE LAS'IING MECHANISM 2 ShetS -Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1937 Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED, STATES 'roE L A S'IING MECHANISM Bruton Fenton, Murphysboro, Ill., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J a. corporation of New Jersey Application Apr-i128,

3 Claims. This invention relates to machines for use in lasting shoes and is herein illustrated in its application to means for lasting the toes of shoes.

A well-knowntype of bed lasting machine in common use includes in .itslorganization toeembracing wipers for wiping the upper first heightwise of the toe and then inwardly over the shoe bottom and a toe-end-clampingdevice or band which is advanced and closed about the toe to clamp the upper around the toe end of the last after the upwiping operation as the wipers are moved inwardly over the shoe bottom. In operating upon shoes mounted upon squaretoed lasts, that is, lasts the toe end faces of which are substantially straight widthwise of the last and form with thelateral faces of the lasts relatively sharp corners, considerable difiiculty has been experienced heretofore in clamping the upper smoothly around the toe end of the last by the use of the usual substantially U- shaped clamping band, commonly provided in machines of the type above referred to, since the clamping hand because of its shape-tends to wipe the upper rearwardly of the last at the opposite corners of the toe as it is. advanced and closed about the toe. 'I'his'tends to draw the upper around the corners of the toe end of the last with the result that wrinkles are formed in the upper which might be visible in the finished shoe. An object of the invention accordingly is to provide 7 an improved construction of endclamping means adapted to produce more satisfactory results than heretofore in operating upon shoes mounted on square-toed lasts. For the purpose in view there is provided, as herein illustrated, a toe-end-embracing band which is molded to conform substantially to the contour of the toe end of a last having a substantially straight toe-end face, the band having its vside portions movably connected to its closedxend portion at the corners of the toe end of the last to adapt the band for use in lasting shoes mounted on square-toed lasts. As illustrated, the band comprises two layersof flexible leather molded to the desired shape with the closed end and the side portions of the band reinforced by strips of substantially rigid material, preferably oak-tanned sole leather, and the corners of the band not thus reinforced. In the construction shown, the toe band as heretofore is mounted for adjustment in directions lengthwise of the shoe and is supported by a flexible chain which is connected to the ends of the side portions of the band and serves as 'a'backing for the band. Connectedto the ends of the flexible chain are slides 1937, Serial No. 139,373

which are movable lengthwise of the last to advance the band and are also mounted for swinging movements toward and from each other to close and open the band. Since the band is molded substantially to conform to the contour of the toe end'of the last, its closed end portion has a substantially fiat upper-engaging face which is substantially as wide as the toe-end face of the last and is adapted to press the upper against the toe-end face of the last as the bandi is advanced lengthwise of the last, the flexible corners of the band permitting its side portions to be swung toward each other to press the upper against the lateral faces of the last at the opposite sides of the toe end without any rearward wiping action of the band on the upper. The band is thus pressed against the upper in directions substantially normal to the contour of the end and sidefaces of the toe of the last so that any possibility of rearward displacement of the upper is avoided as the band is applied to the toe. i r

The novel features of the invention; including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be moreparticularly 7 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan' view of the novel toe-embracing band; and r Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modification of the band shown in Fig. 3.

.;The machine herein shown isone of a wellknown type, many of the characteristic features of which, relating especially to the means for lasting the toe end of theshoe, are shown and r described in. detail in United States Letters Patent No. 1,284,870, granted on November 12, 1918, upon an application of Matthias Brook and No. 1,4l95,16 9,;-granted on May 27, 1924 on an application of Joseph Fausse and Ren E. Duplessis. Only such portions of. the general organization of the machine therefore as it is necessary-to refento for an understanding of this invention will be'herein described.

comprising altoe rest' ID for supporting the toe- .endportion of-the shoe and last and a spindle *(HOll ShQWlfl), whichis adapted'to enter the spindle hole in theheel end of; the last. The shoe thus mounted is embraced by 'heel-end-clamping 1 ,The machine is provided with a shoe support mechanism (not shown) which clamps and holds its heel-end portion and also maintains its toe end pressed firmly down upon the toe rest l. For wiping the toe-end portion of the upper heightwise of the last and inwardly over an insole on the last there are provided toe-embracing wipers l2 which are advanced and closed by operating means comprising a rod or plunger [4 and a hand lever [6 connected to said plunger by a link [8. It will be understood that in the customary use of a machine of this type the wipers are first advanced and closed about the toe, below the plane of the shoe bottom, by movement of the hand lever l6 and are then raised by treadle means to wipe the upper heightwise of the toe to the edge of the insole, after which they are further advanced and closed by movement of the hand lever to wipe the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole. By use of the treadle means also the wipers may be forced downwardly to increase their pressure on the marginal portion of the upper and may be raised to prevent them from dragging on the upper when they are retracted by the hand lever.

The illustrated machine also includes in its organization mechanism whereby toe-clamping means hereinafter described is applied in clamping and holding engagement with the upper when the wipers are advanced and closed inwardly over the shoe bottom after the upwiping operation. This mechanism comprises closing members or slides 20 which are movable lengthwise of the shoe to close the clamping means about the toe end of the shoe. At their outer ends the slides 20 are pivotally connected to a crossbar 22 which is in turn connected midway between its opposite ends to a slide 24 having a reduced end portion on which there is slidably mounted a crosshead 26. The crosshead 26 is connected to the plunger M by mechanism fully disclosed in the abovementioned Letters Patent No. 1,495,169, the construction being such that as the hand lever 16 is swung to the right (Fig. 1) the wipers will first be advanced and closed relatively to the clamping means to position their wiping edges in effective engagement with the upper for the upwiping operation before the clamping means receives any substantial closing movement, after which the clamping means is closed firmly about the toe in response to further swinging movement of the hand lever in the same direction to advance and close the wipers inwardly over the bottom of the shoe. It will be understood that the operator is thus enabled to close the wipers inwardly as far as desired to wipe down and compact the marginal portion of the upper on the bottom of the shoe and to retract the wipers substantially to the edge of the shoe bottom and advance them repeatedly without relaxing the pressure of the clamping means on the upper which holds the upper conformed tightly to the contour of the last and prevents any relaxing of the upper on the last during the overwiping operation.

For purposes of this invention there is provided novel toe-end-clamping means comprising the usual flexible supporting chain 28 and an upperengaging member or toe band 30 which may be made of any suitable material and, as illustrated, is provided with a substantially rigid closed end portion 32 having a substantially flat upper engaging face 33 for pressing the upper against the toe-end face of the last and with substantially rigid side portions 34 for pressing the upper against the lateral faces of the last at the opposite sides of the toe end, the band having flexible corners 36 to permit it to be closed about the toe end of the last by inward swinging movement of its side portions without any rearward wiping action of the band on the upper.

The toe band 36 (Fig. 3) is preferably made of two layers 38, 39 of flexible leather which are cemented together and are subjected to heavy molding pressure to conform them substantially to the contour of the toe end of a square-toad last. After the molding operation there is cemented or otherwise secured to the outer face of the closed end portion 32 of the band between the corners 36 a reinforcing strip 40 of substantially rigid material, preferably oak-tanned sole leather. Secured to the side portions 34 of the band forwardly of the corners 36 are similar reinforcing strips 4|. The closed end and side portions of the toe band are thus rendered substantially rigid with the corners 36 of the band flexible, the reinforcing strips 40, 4| serving to maintain the band substantially in its molded shape.

The intermediate portion of the toe band 30 is supported and controlled by mechanism substantially as illustrated in Patent No. 1,284,870 whereby the band may be adjusted relatively to the wipers in directions lengthwise of the shoe through the operation of a hand wheel 42, the controlling means also permitting the band to be moved forwardly toward the toe end face of the shoe against the resistance of the usual spring 44 in response to the pull applied by the flexible chain 28. The closing slides 26 in their lengthwise movements are wedged toward and from the sides of the shoe to close and to open the band laterally of the shoe by positive means including rolls 46 which engage the slides in slots 48 formed in inclined relation to the length of the slides. The connections between the closing slides 20 and the ends of the band comprise arms 50 which are mounted on the ends of the slides and are connected by pivots 52 to the ends of the band chain 28. The arms 50 are slotted horizontally to embrace the ends of the slides 20 and are also provided with vertical slots 54 to receive pins 56 which are secured to the ends of the slides 20. The arms 50 are adjustably positioned in respect to movement laterally of the shoe by means of thumb nuts 58 which are swiveled in the ends of the arms and are threaded on rods 60, the inner ends of which are connected to the pins 56. By turning movement of the nuts 58 the arms may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly independently of each other to vary and determine the pressure applied by the band at the opposite sides of the shoe. The arms are normally held from turning about the pins 56 by means of rods 62 which are swiveled on pins 64 on the outer ends of the arms and extend through cars 66 on the slides 26. Nuts 68 are swiveled in the ears 66 and are threaded on the ends of the rods 62 for swinging the arms 50 adjustably about the pins 56 and for maintaining them in adjusted positions.

In the use of the machine for lasting the toe end portions of shoes mounted upon square-toed lasts the operator, by means of the thumb nuts 58, will adjust the open position of the band 30 for the size of shoe being operated upon and by rotation of the hand wheel 42 will move the band lengthwise of the shoe to position its closed end portion 32 in close relation to the toe-end face of the last. With the toe band in adjusted position the operator, by movement of the hand lever l6, advances and closes the Wipers l2 about the toe end of the last in a location below the plane of the shoe bottom, after which the wipers are raised until their wiping faces are substantially in the 7 plane of the bottom of the shoe. It will be understood that the wipers I2 are shaped substantially to conform to the contour of the toe end of the shoe so that, as they are raised, the upper is wiped heightwise of the last toward the edge of the insole. Thereafter, by further movement of the hand lever I6, the wipers H are advanced and closed to wipe the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole, and substantially at the beginning of the overwiping movement of the wipers the slides 28 are moved lengthwise of the shoe and are swung toward each other. As the slides are thus moved the upper is pressed against the substantially straight toe-end face of the last by the closed end portion 32 of the toe band and the side portions of the band are swung relatively to the closed end portion 32 toward each other to press the upper against the lateral faces of the last at the opposite sides of the toe end. It will be evident that, as the toe band 30 is thus advanced and closed about the toe end of the last, the pressure of the band is applied to the upper in directions substantially normal to the edge contour of the toe end of the last, thus insuring against any rearward displacement of the upper on the last as the upper is conformed tightly to the contour of the toe end of the last. It will be understood that the upper is held conformed tightly to the contour of the last by the toe band during the overwiping movements of the wipers and until the wipers are retracted from over the shoe bottom at the end of the lasting operation.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of toe band having the reinforcing strip 40 inserted between the two layers of flexible material 38, 39 at the closed end of the band between the corners 36, and the reinforcing strips 4| inserted between the two layers 38, 39 at the sides of theband forwardly of the corners 36, to render the closed end and side portions of the band substantially rigid and the corners of the band relatively flexible.

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

1. In a lasting machine, the combination with toe-embracing wipers, of a toe band for clamping an upper about the toe end of a square-toed last, said band having a substantially rigid closed end portion provided with a substantially straight upper engaging face and having substantially rigid side portions connected to said closed end portion by flexible corners to permit the band to be closed about the toe end of the last without any substantial rearward wiping action of the band on the upper.

2. In a lasting machine, wipers for wiping an upper around the end of a square-teed last inwardly over the bottom of the last, and a toe-endembracing band for clamping the upper around the toe end of the last exteriorly of the last bottom, said band being shaped to conform substantially to the contour of the toe end of the last and having its closed end portion and its side portions reinforced to render those portions of the band substantially rigid and portions of the band connecting the closed end and side portions flexible to permit closing and opening movements to be imparted to the band by swinging movements of its side portions toward and from each other.

3. A toe-end-embracing band having a substantially rigid closed end portion provided with a substantially flat upper-engaging face and substantially rigid side portions connected to said closed end portion by flexible corners to permit the band to be closed about the toe end of a shoe mounted on a last provided with a toe-end face substantially straight widthwise of the last without any substantial rearward wiping action of the band on the upper.

BRUTON FENTON.

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