US3831215A

US3831215A - Method of shoe lasting

Info

Publication number: US3831215A
Application number: US00284970A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Bailey
Original assignee: CIC RALPHS Ltd
Current assignee: CIC RALPHS Ltd
Priority date: 1971-09-02
Filing date: 1972-08-30
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27
Also published as: DD99297A5; CA967713A; ES406269A1; IT967118B; GB1389016A; JPS4840527A; ZA725888B; FR2152034A5; AU469012B2; DE2242742A1; AU4606472A

Abstract

In the lasting of a fore part of a shoe, an upper is loosely disposed about a last, and the upper is clamped against the periphery of the sole part of the last. The upper is then subjected to mechanical stresses in order to bring it into its required shape, and following the shaping of the upper, the lasting margin is turned over and secured to the insole.

Description

States ate 1191 1111 3,31,215

[ Aug. 27, 11974 METHOD OF SHOE LASTHNG [56] References 1311112111 [75] Inventor: Frank Gordon Bailey, Kettering, NITED STATES PATENTS England 3,168,752 2/1965 Quarmby 12/10.1 [73] Assignee: CLC. Ralphs LtdL, Bath, Somerset, England [22] Filed: Aug. 30, 1972 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson 21 A 1. No.: 284,970 1 pp 57 In the lasting of a fore part of a shoe, an upper is [30] Emma Apphcamll Prwmy Dam loosely disposed about a last, and the upper is Sept. 21, 1972 Great Bmam 41100/72 clamped against the periphery of the sole part f the last. The upper is then subjected to mechanical [52] 1.1.5. (:1. 12/145, 12/ 10.1 Stresses in Order to bring i into its required Shape and [51] 11111. Cll A4311 29/00 following the shaping of the upper the lasting margin [58] Field of Search 12/145, 10.1, 8.2, 10, is turned Over and Secured to the insole 5 1 16 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB ausz 7:914

SHEET 07 0F 13 AIENTEB AUG 2 71974 saw us or 13 PATENTED AUBZ 71974 SHEET 10 0F 13 PATEN m; we 7 1974 SHEET 11 0F 13 THOI) or short LAS'IING This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for use in shoe lasting and optionally sole attaching.

The word shoe is used herein in a broad sense wherever the context so permits to include all forms of outer footwear. The word lasting is used herein in a broad sense to refer to the procedure of adhesively securing a shoe upper to an insole by means of a turned over margin of the upper which is stuck to the insole, for example by the use of a heat activatable adhesive.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,839 we have described a method of lasting the fore part of a shoe in which, when an upper and insole have been presented to a last or form, a machine on which the last or form is mounted operates to hold the upper against the periphery of the last or form and then, while the upper is so held, to turn a margin of the upper over and adhesively secure it to the insole while the upper is not fully shaped, the upper being subsequently given a mechanical stressing to bring it to the required shape.

We have now found that improved results may be obtained in certain cases by the use of amethod of lasting which comprises the steps of arranging an upper loosely disposed about a last with a lasting margin projecting therefrom, clamping the upper against the periphery of the sole part of the last, subjecting the upper to a mechanical stressing to bring it to the required shape, and then while the upper is still clamped turning over the lasting margin and securing it to an insole.

In another aspect the invention comprises a method of lasting the fore part of a shoe with the aid of a last comprising sole and back parts and a fore part filler portion which is movable forwardly and rearwardly in relation to the said parts, in which, while the fore part filler portion is in a rearward position, a machine on which the last is mounted operates to hold an upper loosely about the last with a lasting margin projecting beyond the sole part of the last and then to clamp the upper against the periphery of the sole part, the machine then operating to move the fore part fillerportion forwardly to shape the fore part of the upper to the shape of the last, and while still holding the upper clamped to turn over the lasting margin and secure it to an insole.

The improved method of the invention may be carried out on apparatus in which a last is mounted sole uppermost in fixed position with the various assemblies for use in performing the lasting operation movable towards and away from the last.

In a further aspect the invention comprises apparatus for lasting the fore part of a shoe including a last comprising sole and back parts and a fore part filler portion movable forwardly and rearwardly relative to the sole and back parts, means for mounting the last sole uppermost, a pincer assembly pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis for movement between an inoperative position and an operative position and including one or more pincers positioned in the operative position of the assembly to engage a marginal portion of the upper and to support the upper with a predetermined lasting margin extending above the sole part of the last, a clamping band assembly which is movable from an inoperative position upwards and then forwards towards the last, the assembly including a resilient clamping band movable to engage and clamp the upper against the periphery of the sole part of the last, means for moving the fore part filler portion of the last forwardly of the sole and back parts whereby to shape the upper to the last, and a wiper head assembly for turning over the lasting margin of the upper onto an insole, the wiper head assembly being movable towards and away from the last and when in operative position downwards relative to the last so that wiper plates extended across the last can apply pressure thereto.

The method and apparatus of this invention is particularly suitable for use in the lasting of shoes having ups pers made of plastics material such as P.V.C. which has to be stressed to its required shape while hot since the stressing operation can be performed within a much shorter interval of time following the removal of an upper from a heating oven than is possible when the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,839 is used.

Using such material the upper is cooled as quickly as possible after it has attained the required shape. The improved method of the invention is however also suitable for use in lasting shoes having uppers made of leather.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment of the improved. apparatus will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the essential components;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line III- III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional end view taken on the line IV-IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view showing the component parts of a last and its supporting means;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section of the last of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are plan views partly in section of a wiper head assembly showing wiper plates in operative and inoperative positions respectively;

FIG. 9 is a section on the line IX-IX in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a clamping band assembly;

FIG. II is a plan view of part of the assembly of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a vertical section taken through the last and showing a pincer engaging the toe end of the lasting margin of an upper on the last;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are fragmentary perspective views of the pincer assembly showing the side pincers in their inoperative and operative positions respectively;

FIG. 15 is a frangrnentary side elevation of part of a side pincer; and

FIG. 16 illustrates the toe end of an upper.

Referring firstly to FIG. I, the machine has a framework defining a base and two spaced parallel side walls It) and I2 rising therefrom. Rising from the base is a last supporting means 14 which essentially is fixed, it being a feature of the machine of this invention that the last with an upper thereon does not move whereas the various assemblies which perform the lasting operations and a sole applying operation move towards and away from the last. However, as will appear a portion of the last is moved during the lasting operation.

A wiper head assembly 16 is supported for movement towards and away from the last on carriages 18 (FIG.

3) running on guide rails 20 which are mounted on the facing sides of the walls It) and 12. This assembly is also movable in a vertical direction as will be described hereafter.

A pincer assembly 22 is carried on a base plate 24 which is pivotally mounted on the wall 12, the assembly being movable between operative and inoperative positions by a pneumatic actuator 26. Also pivotally mounted on the wall 12 is a pad box assembly 28 and an insole clamp assembly 30. As shown the machine includes a control panel 32, which may include controls for initiating and adjusting the timing of the sequence of operations, and an oven 34 for heating uppers before they are placed on the last.

The arrangement of the last supporting means and of the last mounted thereon can best be seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, 6 and W. The last itself, which essentially is the same as the last described in US. Pat. No. 3,490,086, comprises a sole part 36, a waist part 38 and a heel part 40 which in operation form one unit, and a fore part filler portion 42 which is movable forwardly and rearwardly relative to the unit consisting of the three

parts

36, 38 and 40. The waist and heel parts could be made integral but it facilitates applying an upper to and removing it from the last if the heel part is detachable and can be assembled inside the upper 44 before this upper is applied to the last. As shown in FIGS. and 6 the upper 44 has already been seat lasted on an insole 46.

The

parts

36, 38 and 40 of the last are mounted on the upper end of a plate member 48 which is secured to a fixed post 50. The portion 42 of the last is likewise mounted on the upper end of a plate member 52 which is secured to a post 54. However the ,post 54 instead of being fixed is carried on a shaft 56 which is mounted in a bearing frame 58 and is slidable therein by a pneumatic actuator 60 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The

plate members

48 and 52 are each formed with an upwardly and forwardly extending

web

62 and 64 respectively and the underside of the web is provided with a rib 66 which, in the normal position of the plate members when they abut edge to edge (FIG. 6), is received in a groove 68 in the web 64.

The web 62 supports the sole part 36 and the waist part 38 of the last, the two parts being attached thereto by screws as shown, while the heel part 46 is removably located on the upper rear end of the plate member 48 as by means of a dovetail joint. In a similar manner the web 64 supports the fore part filler portion of the last.

The wiper head assembly 16 comprises a horse-shoe shaped box 70 which is supported on columns 72. These columns are slidable in vertical bores formed in the respective end members '74 of the carriages l8 and are joined at their lower ends by a cross member 76 (FIG. 4). Fixed to the end members 74 are columns 78 whose axes lie in the same vertical plane as the axes of the columns 72. The lower ends of the columns 78 are joined by a cross member 80 which is bored at appropriate points to pass the columns 72. A pneumatic actuator 82 is connected between the

cross members

76 and 80 and acts to control the height of the wiper head assembly. The assembly is moved towards and away from the last by means of a pneumatic actuator 84 (FIG. 3) which causes the carriages 18 to slide on their rails 20. When the assembly is in its operative position (shown in dot dash line in FIG. 2), the forward movement has brought one end of a bell crank lever 86 into engagement with a recess 88 in the cross member 76. The other end of this lever is connected with a pneumatic actuator 90.

The box of the wiper assembly houses two pairs of

wiper plates

92, 94. The plates 92 are hinged together at 96 and are guided by pins 98 engaging in slots MM) in the plates and by engagement of their periphery with fixed parts of the box so that when the plates 92 are moved to the right in FIG. 8 by the actuator I02 and links I04, the plates move about their hinge 96 so that the right hand ends move inwards to the position shown in FIG. 7 in order to effect a wiping operation. The other pair of wiper plates 94 are moved transversely by individual actuators W6.

'A clamping band assembly seen in plan in FIG. 10, is mounted on a head 188 supported in a vertical direction under the control of an actuator M2. The assembly is movable towards and away from the last by an actuator I114 which moves a shaft I16 longitudinally in the head 108. The assembly includes a clamping band 118. This is connected by a pin with the forward end of the shaft 116 and by bars 122 which are pivotally mounted on the rods I24 carried on the ends of cranked levers I26. These levers are pivoted together at 128 on the head 108 and are moved by actuators 130. The arrangement is such that the band may be tightly clamped against the periphery of the sole part 36 of the last and provides that the band may be simply replaced by another of different shape when sole parts of different contour are used.

The pincer head assembly 22 includes a toe pincer I31 operable by an actuator to grip the margin of the fore part of an upper. An actuator is provided for moving this pincer heightwise in relation to the last. The as sembly also includes side pincers 132 which are shown in their inoperative position in FIG. 13 and can be swung from this position to an operative position, shown in FIG. 14, in which they lie adjacent the last in a position determined by the engagement of an adjustable spring loaded stop ll33 with the side of the toe pincer structure. Each side pincer includes an appropriate actuator I34 and is provided with adjustable stops 135 which determine the width of the lasting margin of the upper that can be engaged by the jaws of the pincer.

To ensure that the upper is correctly positioned in the pincer assembly the toe end of the upper 44 is formed with notches I36 (FIG. 16) which are positioned to ensure that the front edge 137 of the upper can be accurately located in the toe pincer 131.

The pad box assembly 28 comprises a pad box 138 pivotally mounted at one end of an arm 140 which is movable by an actuator 142 about a pivot I44 arranged intermediate the ends of the arm and mounted on the wall 12 of the frame of the machine. As the arm 140 is moved the pad box 138 is turned about its pivot by the linkage 146. That part of the arm 140 which extends between the pivot I44 and the end remote from the pad box 138 is formed of three spaced parallel portions I48. Between them extend the two parts of a lever one end of which is mounted on the pivot 144 and the other end of which is connected to a pneumatic actuator 152. The lever 150 also carries a stop 154 which is movable to the position shown in dotted lines (FIG. 4) by an actuator 156.

The pad box 138 may be provided with means such as a sole edge locator 157 for locating a sole or sole unit accurately thereon and the sole or sole unit may be retained in position by vacuum means. In order to activate adhesive on the sole or sole unit prior to pressing it on the lasted upper a heater 158 is provided. This heater is hung on the end of an arm 160, the other end of which is pivoted on the frame of the machine, and an actuator 162 is provided for moving the heater between the position shown and a position where it is ad jacent the pad box 138, when the latter is in its inoperative position.

The machine also includes an insole clamp assembly 30 which is pivotally mounted on a bracket 164 and is movable between an operative position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and an inoperative position shown in FIG. 1 by an actuator 166. The assembly comprises an arm 168 carrying a pressure pad 17@ adjustable to en gage the centre of the sole part of the last and an adjustable stop 172 to engage the heel part of the last. The arm 168 is movable into and out of a clamping position by an actuator 174.

In use the machine is operated in the following manner:

An upper, preferably already seat lasted on an insole is heated in the oven 34 for a predetermined time. It is then removed, the heel part 40 is inserted therein and is then assembled on the member 48 to complete the last while the upper is draped round the fore part filler portion 42 which at this time is in its retracted position. The insole clamp assembly 30 is now brought into its operative position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 so that the pressure pad 170 seats on the insole 46 to hold it down on the sole part 36 of the last and the stop 172 engages the insole over the heel part 40 of the last and holds the insole and heel part in position. The pincer assembly 22 is now lowered from its inoperative position shown in FIG. 1.

The front end 137 of the upper is then fed by hand into the open toe pincer 131 which is then closed to grip the upper. The toe pincer is then moved upwardly to position the upper on the last. The side pincers 132 then swing inwardly towards the last and engage and grip a part of the lasting margin as determined by the position of the stops 135. The clamping band assembly now moves upwards and then forwards towards the last and the clamping band is then operated to clamp the upper tightly against the periphery of the sole part 36 of the last.

During its upwards movement the clamping band assembly engages the side pincers 132 and lifts them by a predetermined amount. This movement of the side pincers together with the previous upwards movement of the toe pincer 131 ensures that a lasting margin of predetermined width extends above the sole part of the last. The three pincers open after the upper has been clamped against the periphery of the sole part 36, the side pincers swing back to their original position and the whole pincer assembly is then moved back to its inoperative position. At the same time the fore part filler portion 42 of the last is moved forwards to expand the last and bring the upper to its desired shape. If the upper being lasted is made of P.V.C. the abovedescribed sequence of operations will be carried out as quickly as possible so that the upper is still hot as the last is expanded. As soon as the expansion is completed the upper is cooled as quickly as possible for example by means of jets of cold air from the nozzles 180 (FIG. 1). The wiper head assembly 16 is now moved forwards towards the last and lowered and the

wiper plates

92, 94 move inwards to wipe the lasting margin of the upper over on to the insole. A bedding pressure is then applied by the wiper plates to the lasting margin and insole to ensure as flat as possible surface on the insole. This pressure is applied by actuator operating through bell crank lever 86 on cross member 76 to pull down the whole wiper head assembly. The clamping band assembly now releases the upper and moves back and down to its initial position. At the same time the wiper assembly moves up, the wiper blades retract and the assembly moves back to its initial position. Finally the insole clamp assembly 30 moves back to its inoperative position shown in FIG. 1.

The lasted upper is now ready for the attachment of a sole or sole unit. During the preceding operations a sole or sole unit has been positioned in the pad box 138 and the heater 158 has been lowered to the position shown in dotted lines in FlG. 4 in order to activate the adhesive on the sole or sole unit.

To attach the sole or sole unit the heater 158 is first raised and the pad box 138 is moved downwards by actuator 142 until the sole or sole unit is pressed against the lasted upper and heavy pressure is then applied by actuator 152 for a predetermined period of time. At the end of this period the pad box is moved back into its initial position. During this last step cooling air is directed on to the shoe so as to cool it to the point where it can be safely taken off the last.

I claim:

1. A method of lasting the fore part of a shoe with the aid of a last comprising sole and back parts and a fore part filler portion which is movable forwardly and rearwardly in relation to the said parts, in which, while the fore part filler portion is in a rearward position, a machine on which the last is mounted operates to hold an upper loosely about the last with a lasting margin projecting beyond the sole part of the last, and then to clamp the upper against the periphery of the sole part, the machine then operating to move the fore part filler portion forwardly to shape the fore part of the upper to the shape of the last, and while still holding the upper clamped to turn over the lasting margin and secure it to an insole.

2. A method of lasting the forepart of a shoe which comprises in the following order the steps of arranging an upper loosely disposed about a last with a lasting margin projecting therefrom, clamping the upper against the periphery of the sole part of the last, expanding the last to subject said upper to mechanical stresses to form the upper into a desired shape, and then while the upper is still clamped turning over the lasting margin and securing it to an insole.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the rear part of the upper has previously been seat moulded.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which as a preliminary step the upper is heated prior to positioning it on the last.

5. The method claimed in claim 4 in which after the fore part of the upper has been shaped the upper is cooled by the application of cold air.

1 l= =1 l l= UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,831,215 Dated August 27, 1974 Inventofla) Frank Gordon Bailey It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The priority date should read -September 2, l971-- Great Britain 41100/71.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of January 1975.

(SEAL) Attest: I HcCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer I Commissioner of Patents v U-Wp-697