US2236613A - Breast flap press - Google Patents

Description

April 1941- s. w. POTTER 2.236.613

BREAST FLAP PRESS Filed Feb. 21, 1940' s Sheets-Sheet 1 P 1.941- s. w. POTTER 4 Z=.236,613

Bans-r FLAP rnmss Filed Feb. 21, 19 40 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 1, 1941 BREAST FLAP PRESS Sydney White Potter, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., 'a corporation of New Jersey Application February 21, 1940, Serial No. 320,154 In Great Britain March 20, 1939 9 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for clamping one shoe part against another and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for pressing flaps split from soles of shoes against the breasts of heels attached to the shoes to cause the flaps to adhere to said breasts;

In securing flaps by the use of a suitable adhesive to the breasts of attached heels of shoes in previously proposed machines such, for example, as disclosed in British Letters Patent No. 501,845, it is customary, after laying up the flap by hand against the breast of the heel of the shoe, to force a conformable pad or clamp, operated by pressure applied by the operator, against the flap and then to force the pad against the flap under considerable pressure applied by power means. The pad is held forced against the heel while a unit in which the work is clamped and which is mounted upon a turret is indexed to an unloading station, the adhesive interposed between the b-reast flap and the heel in the mean.- time setting so as permanently to secure the flap to the heel.

The magnitude of the power-operated force exerted upon the pads of the said machines may be varied in accordance with the sizes and styles of heels of the shoes being operated upon, but only by varying the strength of a spring forming part of mechanism for applying clamping pressure against the heel. Frequent adjustments of the spring to accommodate difierent sizes and styles of shoes slow up the production of the machine and it has been found that in order to conserve time the operator is not likely initially to make the'proper adjustments, with the result that either too little pressure is applied against the flap or the pressure is so great that the flap is damaged or even displaced on the heel,

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved machine in which the drawbacks of prior machines of the above-described class are overcome and with which the flaps can be quickly and effectively pressed against the breasts of heels.

With the above object in view and in accordance with a feature of this invention, the illustrative machine is provided with means comprising a pad or clamp for pressing one shoe part, such for example as a flap split from the sole of a shoe, against another shoe part, such for example as the breast of the heel of the shoe, a manually movable member operatively connected to said clamp, an actuator, a friction clutch for operating the actuator, and mechanism responsive to movement of the manually movable member for operatively connecting the actuator to said clamp and for causing the friction clutch to exert a force of variable magnitude upon the actuator in accordance with the amount of movement of said manually movable member, in order to control the magnitude of the force exerted by the pad upon said one shoe part.

In the illustrative machine a plurality of units, each comprising a shoe support, a conformable pad, the manually movable member or hand lever and mechanism including a presser lever operatively connecting the hand lever to the pad, are spaced circumferentially on a turret which may be indexed by suitable mechanism so as to move the units successively to a loading station. Afterthe shoe has been placed upon the shoe support of the unit at the loading station the operator lays up the adhesively coated flap against the breast of the attached heel of the shoe and; after placing the pad against the laidup fia-p, depresses the hand lever, thereby forcing the pad with initial pressure against the flap-covered breast; Upon further depression of the hand lever a latch associated with the pres'ser lever operatively connects the actuator and the presser lever and then other mechanism operated by the hand lever forces a friction mem ber connected to the actuator against a driving friction member with a force of variable magnitudeydetermined by the amount of movement of the hand lever, thereby causingthe actuator to be operated and the pad to force the flap with considerable pressure against the breast of the heel. In order to maintain the pad in clamped relation withthe work, each (if the units is provided with a suitable pawl and ratchet arrangement. After the flap has been efiectively clamped against the breast of the-heel the hand lever is released, causing the driven friction member to be movedaway from the driving friction member and causing the latch to be moved away from the actuator. The turret is then indexed to move, the following unit to the loading station and to move the unit in which the shoe has been clamped to its first indexed position, the pad being held in clamped relation with the flapcovered heel breast by said pawl and ratchet arrangement,

The operator, by moving the hand lever, may thus readily connect the clamping unit, which has been moved to the loading station and in which the shoehjas been placed, to the power-operated device; and may readily disoonnect the unit from the power-operated device after the work hasbeen effectively clamped in the unit. Moreover,

the magnitude of the force exerted by the pads upon the work may be controlled by the hand lever to suit the particular flap and heel being operated upon, the maximum power-applied pressure which can be exerted upon the work being limited by a spring.

The above and other features of the invention will be understood and appreciated from the following detailed description read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the shoe supporting and flap pressing units of the illustrative machine at a loading station, and also shows a power-operated device of the machine to which the flap pressing mechanism of the unit may be connected;

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the machine as viewed along the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line III-I11 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view, partly broken away and partly in section on line IV-IV of Fig. 3, of the power-operated device;

Fig. 5 is a side view, partly broken away, of a portion of the unit shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a front view of mechanism for operating pawls of the unit shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a side view of a modified construction for quickly varying the tension of a spring of the power-operated device.

The illustrative machine rality of circumferentially spaced clamping units 26 (Fig. 1), preferably twelve, supported by brackets 22, respectively, which are secured by screws 24 to a turret 26. Each time a clutch (not shown) is closed the turret 26 is rotated comprises a pluby suitable mechanism (not shown) through one-twelfth of a revolution, causing one of the units 20 to move to a loading station adjacent to a power-operated device 28 (Figs. 1 and 4) which may be readily connected to said one unit and which when operated causes the unit to force a flap 30 (Fig. 1), split from the sole of a shoe 32 supported by the unit, with considerable pressure against the breast of the attached heel 34 of the shoe. The turret 26 and the mechanism for indexing the same are similar to corresponding portions of the machine disclosed in British Letters Patent No. 343,151, portions of the clamping units 20 being somewhat similar to the clamping device disclosed in British Letters Patent No. 202,574.

Each of the units 26 comprises a presser lever 36 (Figs. 1 and 5) which is pivoted upon a fulcrum pin 38 (Fig. 1) secured to the bracket 22 and the sides of which extend along opposite sides respectively of a segment 40 of the bracket. The sides of the presser lever 36 are inturned toward each other at 42 and are slightly spaced from each other from their inturned portions to their outer ends. When the machine is idle the presser lever 36, together with the mechanism carried thereby, is held in a horizontal position by a spring 44, the lower end of which is secured to an extension of the bracket 22 and the upper end of which engages the under side of a stud 46 carried by the associated presser lever 36.

Pivoted on a fulcrum pin 48 (Fig. 1) secured to each of the sides of the presser lever 36 are pairs of links 50 and 52, the upper ends of which are pivoted to arms 54 and 56 respectively. The pairs of arms 54, 56 at each side of the bracket 22 are pivoted together at their central portions by a fulcrum pin 58, the upper ends of the arms 54, 56 being pivoted to carriers 60 and 62 respectively. Mounted in the carriers 60 and 62 are rubber clamps or pads 64 and 66 respectively, constructed and arranged to be forced against the rear face and the breast of the attached heel 34 of the shoe 32 which is mounted upon a last 68 and is supported by the associated bracket 22. The links 50, 52 and arms 54, 56 at opposite sides of the bracket form toggles which when the presser lever 36 is depressed cause the pads 64, 66 to be forced with considerable pressure against the heel, as will appear later.

The operator usually lays up the flap 36 against the breast of the heel through the use of a suitable adhesive, after which the pads 66, 64 are'placed against the breast and the rear face, respectively, of the heel in a manner clearly described in British Letters Patent No. 202,574. The presser lever 36 is then depressed lightly through the provision of a hand lever 10 (Figs. 1 and 5), which is pivoted on fulcrum pins 12 secured to the presser lever, causing the pads 64, 66 to be forced with initial pressure against the heel. The hand lever '10 is then moved in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, with relation to the presser lever 36 causing, through power-operated mechanism which will appear later, the presser lever to be swung downwardly about the fulcrum pin 38 so as to force the pads 64, 66 with considerable pressure against the heel.

After the flap 36 has been clamped against the breast of the heel, and the unit 26 at the loading station has been disconnected from the power-operated device 28, the turret 26 is rotated one-twelfth of a revolution carrying with it the unit 20 and the clamped shoe mounted therein from the loading station, and moving a second shoe clamped in another unit which has traveled around the machine, to the loading station, preparatory to removing the second shoe from the machine and placing another shoe to l be operated upon in the unit.

Pivoted upon a fulcrum. pin '14 (Figs. 1 and 5) carried by the presser lever 36 are a pair of pawls '16 which extend upwardly, each pawl having a tooth 18 shaped and arranged to engage ratchet teeth formed on the segment 40 of the associated bracket 22. The teeth 18 of the pawls 16 are so spaced that when one tooth is in engagement with one tooth of the segment, the other tooth engages the segment 40 half way between two adjacent teeth of the segment.

Each pawl 16 has a forwardly extending arm 82 (Figs. 5 and 6), the under sides of the arms being engaged by springs 84 which are secured to the presser lever 36 and constantly urge the pawls '15 toward the ratchet teeth 86. The upper faces of the arms 82 of the pawls 76 are engaged by bifurcations of an equalizing lever 86 which is pivoted on a pin 88 secured to an intermediate lever 36 (Fig. 1) pivoted on a fulcrum pin 92 (Figs. 1 and 5) secured to the hand lever Ill. The intermediate lever 96 is normally urged in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, by a spring-pressed plunger 94 (Fig. 5) carried by the hand lever l0, the spring which operates the plunger being stronger than the aforesaid springs 84 and when the machine is idle holding the pawls 76 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 80. The intermediate lever has a forwardly extending arm, the upper face of which is engaged by the under face of a rearwardly extending arm of a finger lever 96 which is pivoted on a fulcrum pin 98 secured to the hand lever 10. The finger lever 96 has a forwardly extending arm which may be engaged by the fingers oio'ne hand of the operator holding the hand lever I and maybe swung to allow the pawls 10 to be moved by the springs 84 intoengagement with the ratchet teeth 80of the segment 40.

Formed integral with thehand lever I0 is a downwardly extending. arm I00 (Figs. 1, 2 and) to the lower end of which is pivoted alaterally extending roller I02 (Figs. 1 and 2), 'thepurpose of which will appear later. A tension-spring I00 (Fig. 5) ,the lower end of which is attached to the downwardly extending arm 100 of the hand lever I0 and the upper end of which is attached to a stud secured to the forward end of the presser lever 38, normally holds a laterally projecting face I00 of a lug on thearm I00 against the presser lever 36 and also holds the hand lever in a raised position.

Pivoted upon a fulcrum pin I08 secured to the forward end of the presser lever 36 is a depending latch H0 which has at its lower end a hook H2 formed by a block secured to the latch, the.

hook, as will appear later, being movable into engagement with one of a series of ratchetteeth M4 on the front of a power-operated slide or actuator I it. Secured to the latch I I0 is a laterally projecting pin II 8 (Fig. 5) which when the machine is idle is forced into engagement with a face I20 of the downwardly projecting arm I00 of the hand lever by a spring I22 encircling the fulcrum pin I08 and having its ends respectively in engagement with studs I24, I26 secured to the presser lever 36 and to the downwardly projecting arm I00 of the hand lever respectively.

The power-operated slide H6 is positioned beneath the bracket 22 of the clamping unit .20 then at the loading station. As each clamping unit moves from its eleventh stopping position to the loading station, the latch H0 associated with it moves into position just in front of the power-operated slide II6 so that, if the hook H2 is swung rearwardly, it will move into engagement with the ratchetteeth IIA on the front of the slide.

The power-operated slide H6 is curved downwardly and rearwardly about a horizontal axis extending laterally of the machine and coinciding with the axis of the fulcrum pin 38 (Fig. 1) of the clamping unit 20 then at the loading station. The power-operated slide I !6 is mounted for movement in an arcuate guideway I28 (Fig. 4) formed in a bracket I30 secured to the base of the machine and is normally held in raised position in the guideway by a tension spring I32 (Figs. 1 and 4) the upper end of which embraces a stud I30 secured to the bracket and the lower end of which embraces a stud I36 secured to the slide. Arranged in a recess I38 (Fig. 4) of the slide is a compression spring I40 the forward end of which engages a screw I42 threaded into the bracket I30 and the rear end of which engages the rear end of the recess I38. The spring I00 acts as a buffer when the slide H6 is moved upwardly by the tension spring I32 and serves to hold the stud I36 of the slide a short distance from the rear end of its guideway I28 when the slide is in its raised position, for purposes which will appear later.

Pivotally connected to the upper end of the power-operated slide I I6 are a pair of links I44 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) the lower ends of which are pivoted through a fulcrum pin I46 to a bifurcated crank arm I48 extending forwardly from a driven sleeve I50 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) rotatably mounted upon a hollow horizontal bearing I52 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is secured by one or more screws I50 (Figs. 2 and 3) to the bracket I 30. At-its left end as viewed in Fig. 3 the driven sleeve I50 has formed on it a disk I50 to which is secured a friction member. or ring I58 made of leather or other suitable material. The driven sleeve 450, as will appear later, may be moved by suitable mechanism to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, along the bearing I52, causing the friction ring I58 to engage adisk or friction member Hi0 formed on a driving sleeve I02 which is rotatably mounted upon the bearing I52 and also in a bearing I04 supported by the bracket I30. Secured by a screw I56 to the left end of the driving sleeve IE2 .is a sprocket wheel I08 which is driven by a continuously rotating chain I (Fig. l). The bearing I52 carries a ball-thrust bearing I'l2 (Figs. 2 and 3) the outer run. of which engages a flange I'M onthe bearing I52 and the inner run of which is engaged by the driving sleeve I62 which receives the axial thrust of the driven sleeve I50, as will appear later.

A pin I70 (Figs. 3 and 4) passes through alined elongated slots I73 (Fig. 3) in the bearing I52, the axis of the pin intersecting the axis of the bearing. Mounted on the opposite ends of the pin Hi6 are rolls I00 (Fig. 4) which engage a circular recess I 02 of the driven sleeve I50. An opening noimally closed by a screw I04 is provided in thedriven sleeve I50 to assemble the pin I10 and the rolls I upon the stationary bearing I52. It will be clear that with the above construction the pin H6 and the driven sleeve I50 may be moved lengthwise of the bearing I53! to enable the friction ring l58 of the driven sleeve I50 to be forced against and to be moved away from the disk I00 of the driving sleeve I02.

The pin I16 is constantly urged to'the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, against the head of a rod I86 by a spring I80 (Fig. 3) confined in a bore I00 of the bearing I52, the rod being threaded into the left end of a spindle I92 which is threaded into the stationary bearing I 52. The

- spindle I 92 projects beyond the right-hand end of the bearing I52 and the rod I03 has a reduced portion which projects beyond the right-hand end of the spindle and has threaded on its outer end a lock nut I serving to secure the rod in different adjusted positions to the spindle. If the spindle I32 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, it will by its threaded engagement with the bearing I52 be moved inwardly along the bearing, and the rod I33 by its engagement with the pin H6 will move the driven sleeve I50 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, causing the friction ring I58 on the driven sleeve I50 to be forced against the disk I00 on the driving sleeve I62, thereby rotating the driven sleeve in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1.

Secured to the right end of the spindle I32, as viewed in Fig. 3, is a lever I03, arms I93 (Fig. 1), 200 and 202 of which extend rearwardly, downwardly and forwardly respectively. The rear arm I08 has threaded .init a stop screw 204 which, when the machine is idle, engages the bracket I 30, thereby limiting the movement of the lever I96 in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. Secured to the downwardly extending arm 200 of the lever I90 is a tension spring 206 which has its forward end connected to a threaded rod 208 passing through a bore in a pin 2I0 which is rotatably mounted on a bell-crank lever 2I2 pivoted on a fulcrum pin 2 secured to the bracket I30, the rod having a knurled nut H6 threaded onto its forward end portion. The bell-crank lever 2I2 has a lug 2I8 the rear face 220 of which is engaged by a roll 222 pivoted on the front end of th forwardly extending arm 202. The upper arm of the bell-crank lever 2I2 has a curved face 224 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is engaged by the roller I02 of the downwardly extending arm I of the hand lever I0 of the clamping unit 20 at the loading station.

When the clamps 64, 66 have been placed against the rear face and the breast, respectively, of the attached heel 34 of the shoe 32 mounted upon the clamping unit 20 then at loading position, the hand lever I0 is depressed, causing the roller I02 by its engagement with the curved face 224 of the bell-crank lever 2I2 to turn said lever in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. Such movement of the bell-crank lever 2I2 operating through the spring 206 causes the lever I96 to rotate in a clockwise direction and thus to move the friction ring I58 of the driven sleeve I50 into engagement with the disk I60 of the driving sleeve I62, with the result that the driven sleeve is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 1) the bifurcated crank arm I48 of the driven sleeve being moved downwardly and causing the slide II6 to move downwardly along its guideway I28.

As the hand lever 10 is depressed but before the friction ring I58 is moved into engagement CJI with the disk I60, the latch H0 is moved under the action of the spring I22 into engagement with one of the ratchet teeth I I4 of the slide I I6. Upon further depression of the hand lever 10 the roller I02 is forced against the face 224 of the bell-crank lever 2I2 causing, through mechanism above described, the power-operated slide II6 to be pulled downwardly with a force determined by the force with which the friction ring I58 is forced against the disk I60. When the hand lever 10 is allowed to be raised by the spring I04, the face I20 of the downwardly projecting arm I00 of the lever engages the pin H8 and withdraws the latch IIO from the slide II6, the spring I04 being stronger than the spring I22.

In the operation of the machine, assuming that one of the clamping units 20 without a shoe on it is at the loading station, a shoe the flap of which has been treated on the adhesive softening apparatus (not shown) of the machine, is placed on the bracket 22, the flap being smoothed out and pressed against the breast of the heel 34 by the operator. The pads 66, 64 are next placed in their operative positions against the breast and the rear face, respectively, of the heel 34, after which the operator grasps the hand lever 70 and raises the forward end of the finger lever 96, causing the pawls 16 to be forced by springs 84 against the ratchet teeth 80. The operator then presses downwardly upon the hand lever I0 without swinging the same with relation to the presser lever 36, causing the pads 64, 66 to be brought into clamped relation with the heel. As further downward pressure is exerted against the hand lever I0, the pads 64, 66 and their connections to the presser lever 36 resist downward movement, the hand lever turning in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, on pins I2 carried by the presser lever. As the hand lever I0 turns about the presser lever 36, the hook II2 of the latch II 0 engages one of the rachet teeth II4 of the power-operated slide II6, thereby connecting the presser lever to said slide with the result that when the slide is moved downwardly the clamps 64, 66 are pressed against the heel by power. The hand lever 10 controls the mechanism for causing the slide II6 to be moved down by power, but before this is effected, a comparatively light initial pressure is applied to the shoe owing to the downward movement of the hand lever being efiected against the action of the spring I04.

After the hook I i2 of the latch H0 has engaged one of the ratchet teeth 4 of the slide H6, further downward movement of the hand lever 10 causes the roller I02 to engage the curved face 224 of the bell-crank lever 212 and to turn said lever in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. When the bell-crank levers I96, 2I2 are rotated clockwise (Fig. 1), the roll 222 on the forwardly projecting arm 202'ls pressed against and moves upwardly along the face 220 of the lug 2l8 on the bell-crank lever 2I2, and the spring 206 is extended. During said clockwise rotation of the lever I96, the friction ring I58 is moved into engagement with the continuously rotating disk I60, with the result that the driven sleeve I50 is moved in the proper direction to cause the clamps 64, 66 to be pressed by power against the heel 34. The amount of pressure exerted by the friction ring I58 against the disk I60 is controlled by the degree of movement of the hand lever 10, continued downward movement of the hand lever extending the spring'206 and, therefore, causing the friction ring I56 to be pressed with increasing force against the disk I60 and, consequently, causing the clamps 64, 66 to be pressed more firmly against the heel.

Threaded into the bracket I30 is a screw 226 (Fig. 1) which is arranged to be engaged by the bell-crank lever 2I2 for limiting movement of the same in the direction in which it causes the friction ring I58 to be pressed against the disk I60. When the bell-crank lever 2I2 has been moved as far as possible by the downward movement of the hand lever 70, the lug 218 on the bell-crank lever 2I2 will have moved forwardly away from the roll 222 on the forwardly extending arm 202 and the spring 206 will have been extended as far as possible. It will be noted that the pressure of the friction ring I58 against the disk I60 and, therefore, the power applied pressure of the pads 64, 66 against the heel, is dependent to a considerable extent upon the tension of the spring 206. The pull exerted on the arm 200 by the spring 206 may be varied through the provision of the nut 2I6, the arrangement being such that the maximum pull that can be exerted against the arm is not so great that it causes the clamps 64, 66 to damage the heel.

In order quickly to vary the operative tension of the spring 206, there is provided an alternative construction which is illustrated in Fig. 7 and comprises a rod 228 which has its rear end connected to the spring 206 and passes through the above-mentioned recess in the pin 2I0. Secured to the rod 228 is a laterally extending stud 230 which engages the forward portion of a cam 232 rotatably mounted upon the pin 2I0, the cam having formed on it three recesses arranged at different distances from the pin, any one of which recesses may be moved into engagement with the stud by the operator.

The bracket I30 has secured to it a guard 236 (Fig. 1) for preventing the latch H0 and the downwardly extending arm I00 of the hand lever 10 from engaging the slide H6 and causing damage to these parts as they move from their eleventh stopping position to the loading station.

It will be understood that the clamps 64, 66

may be first pressed against the work by manual depression of the hand lever Ill and that upon continued depression of the forward end of said lever the pressure of the clamps against the work may be gradually increased by the power-operated driving means until the maximum pressure is reached. The clamps 64, 66 do not exert maximum pressure against the work in all cases, the force exerted against the work being under the control of the operator and being of variable magnitude in accordance with the size and style of the shoe being operated upon.

After the operator has caused the clamps 64, 56 to be forced against the shoe with the desired pressure, he releases the finger lever 96, one of 4 the pawls I6 being held in engagement with one of the ratchet teeth 80 by upward pressure. The operator then releases the hand lever I0, which is raised by the spring I04, and causes the latch I ID to be moved forwardly away from the poweroperated slide 6, which-is raised to its inoperative position by the spring I32. When the hand lever I is released, the spring 295 contracts, and the face 220 of the lug 2I8 on the bell-crank lever 2I2 engages the roller 222 on the forwardly extending arm 202 of .the lever I96, causing the same to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. Such movement of the lever I96 causes the rod I86 to be moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3,*and allows the driven sleeve I56 to be moved by the spring I88 away from the driving sleeve I62. The spring 296 moves the lever I95 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, until the screw 2414 engages the bracket I30, and also holds the face 220 ofthe lug 2I8-of the bell-crank lever 2I2 against the roller 222 as the lever I96 is moved in said counterclockwise direction so that'the bell-crank lever ZIZ is returned to its initial position.

As above stated, the pin I36 in the lower end of the power-operated slide H5 is normally positioned away from the lower end of the guideway I28, this arrangement insuring that the hooked latch IHI will be released from the slide when the hand lever It is released, since it allows the slide to be moved slightly upwardly, if necessary, to release said latch.

Having caused the clamps 5t, 66 to be forced against the heel t l, as above described, and having released the hand lever I0, the operator depresses the clutch controlling treadle (not shown), causing the turret 26 to be rotated onetwelfth of a revolution. This causes the shoe which has just been clamped in the above-mentioned unit 20 to be carried away from the loading station and a clamped shoe in another unit to be moved from its eleventh stopping position around the machine to the loading station. To release the clamps 64, 66 from the shoe, the operator merely depresses the hand lever Ill associated with the clamps, causing the hooked latch Ht to be coupled to the power-operated slide H5 and causing the latter to be moved downwardly by power. Downward movement of the power-operated slide IHS causes the clamps 64, E6 to be pressed more firmly against the work and allows the pawls '15, which are not controlled by the operator at this time, to be moved by their springs 84 away from the ratchet teeth 80. The operator may then by means of the hand lever 10 raise the clamps 64, 65 and swing them forwardly and away from the shoe so that the latter may be removed from the unit, and another shoe taken from the softening apparatus (not shown) ing, in combination, means comprising a clamp for pressing one shoe part against another, a manually movable member operatively connected to said clamp, an actuator, a friction clutch for operating said actuator, and mechanism responsive to movement of the manually movable member for operatively connecting the actuator to said clamp and for causing the friction clutch to exert a force of variable magnitude against the actuator in accordance with the amount of movement of said manually movable member in order to control the magnitude of the force exerted by the clam'pupon said one shoe part.

" 2. A" machine for operating upon'shoes having', in combination, a power driven member, means for exerting a force of variable magnitude upon said member, a unit movable to and from a loading station arranged adjacent to said power operated member, said unit comprising a claim) for forcing one shoe part against another, a manually movable member, and mechanism operatively connecting the manually movable member and said clamp, and means responsive to miovement of said manually movable member constructed and arranged to connect said power driven member and said mechanism and also to control the magnitude of the force exerted upon the power driven member in accordance with the desired pressure to be exerted by the clamp against said one shoe part.

3; A machine for operating upon shoes having, in combination, driving and driven friction members, a slide operatively connected to the driven friction member, mechanism comprising a hand lever for clamping one shoe part against another," saidmechanism being movable to and awayfrom'a loading station arranged adjacent to said slide, means movable in response to movement of the hand lever constructed and arranged'operatively to connect said mechanism to said slide and to cause one of the friction members to be moved against the other with a force of variable magnitude determined by the amount; of movement of said hand lever in order to control the force applied by the slide to said mechanism and accordingly the force with which said" oneshoe part is pressed against the other.

' 4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means comprising a pad for pressing a flap split from the sole of a shoe against the breast of an attached heel of the shoe, a hand lever, driving and driven friction members, an actuator operated by said driven friction member, and mechanism movable in response to movement of said hand lever constructed and arranged operatively to connect said means to the actuator and to force one of the friction members against the other with a pressure of variable magnitude in accordance with the extent of movement of said lever in order to force said pad against the flap covered breast of the heel.

5. A machine for operating upon shoes having, in combination, a turret, a plurality of units mounted upon the turret, means for indexing the turret to cause said units to be moved successively to and from a loading station, each of said units comprising a. clamp, a support for a shoe, and mechanism including a hand lever for causing the clamp to force one shoe part against another, an actuator positioned adjacent to said loading station, driving and driven friction disks, connections between the actuator and said driven disk, and means movable into different indexed positions with each of said units and responsive to movement of an associated hand lever constructed and arranged operatively to connect an associated clamp of the unit to the actuator and to force the driven disk with a pressure of variable magnitude against the driving disk in accordance with the amount of movement of the hand lever in Order to control the magnitude of the force exerted by the clamp against said one shoe part.

6. A machine for operating upon shoes having, in combination, a turret, a plurality of spaced units mounted upon the turret, means for indexing the turret to move said units successively to and from a loading station, each of said units comprising a support for a shoe, mechanism comprising a pad for forcing one shoe part against another and a hand lever for operating said mechanism, an actuator, means for exerting a force of variable magnitude upon the actuator, and means movable in response to movement of the hand lever for operatively connecting said mechanism to the actuator and for operating said second-named means and causing the magnitude of the force exerted upon the actuator to be varied in accordance with the extent of movement of the hand lever.

'7. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a turret, a plurality of spaced units supported by the turret, means for indexing the turret to move said units successively to and from a loading station, each of the units comprising a hand lever and mechanism operated by said lever for forcing one shoe part against another, an actuator, a friction clutch, means operated by said clutch for imparting movement to said actuator, means movable in response to movement of the hand lever for operatively connecting one of said units at said loading station to said actuator, and means comprising a spring movable in response to movement of the hand lever for causing said friction clutch to exert a force of variable magnitude upon the actuator in accordance with the extent of movement of the hand lever.

B. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a movable unit comprising a support for a shoe, a clamp for forcing one shoe part against another, means comprising a hand lever for forcing the clamp against the shoe and locking means for retaining the clamp in forced relation with said shoe, means for moving the unit to and away from a loading station, a power operated member, mechanism for exerting a force of variable magnitude upon said member, means associated with said hand lever for connecting said first-named means with the power operated member and for operatively connecting said hand lever to said mechanism to vary the magnitude of the force applied to said power operated member thereby varying the magnitude of the force exerted by the clamp against said one shoe part in accordance with the extent of movement of said hand lever, and means for limiting the extent of movement of the hand lever to insure against the clamp being pressed with excessive pressure against said one shoe part.

9. A machine for operating upon shoes having. in combination, a turret, a plurality of spaced units mounted upon the turret, means for indexing the turret to move said units successively to and from a loading station, each of said units comprising a support for a shoe, a clamp for forcing one shoe part against another, mechanism comprising a presser lever for operating said clamp, a hand lever mounted upon and movable with relation to said presser lever and locking means for retaining the clamp in forced relation with said one shoe part, a slide, a driving friction member, a driven friction member mounted for movement toward and away from the driving friction member, a latch connected to the presser lever and movable into driving engagement with said slide, means associated with the hand lever for causing the latch to be operatively connected to said slide when the hand lever is moved in one direction, and means operated by the hand lever for causing the driven friction member to exert a force of variable magnitude against the driving friction member in accordance with the movement of the hand lever in said one direction in order to operate said slide thereby causing the clamp to force said one shoe part against the other with considerable pressure, said latch being moved away from the slide and said driven friction member being moved away from the driving friction member when the hand lever is moved in an opposite direction preparatory to moving the unit away from said loading station.

SYDNEY W'HI'I'E POTTER.

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