US550202A

US550202A - Hardener and former for felt boots

Info

Publication number: US550202A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1912-11-19

Description

( 2 Sheets-sheet 1.

J. STEWART. HARDENER AND FORMER FOR FELT BOOTS. No. 550,202.

Patented Nov. 19, 1895.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR 6 ATTORNEY TO-LQTHD. WAS HI N GTOPL DE,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v J. STEWART. HARDBNER AND FORMER FOR FELT BOOTS.

No. 550,202. Patented Nov. 19, 1895.

I INVENTOR ,gTTORNZ/ WITNESSES AN DREW BLRMIAM FHOTO-PTNQWASHINGTONM C NITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES STEWART, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

HARDENER AND FORMER FOR FELT BOOTS.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 550,202, dated November 19, 1895.

Application filed December 14,1894. Serial No. 531,837. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Hardener and Former for Felt Boots, 850., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a certain new and improved machine for hardening and forming felt foot-coverings, such as boots and shoes and the like, and the same is adapted particularly for the hardening and forming of blanks for felt boots and combined knit and wool boots and shoes; and the object is to facilitate the work of forming the blanks complete, and also to enable the operator to prepare, form, and harden the blank at one operation, substantially as hereinafter described, which objects are accomplished by the machine illustrated and described in this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine in position to receive the felt upon the steamboX, which steam-box acts as a former. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of the supportingpan which is placed beneath the steam-box, together with its connecting and operative parts; and Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the machine with the felt on the steam-box, and with the supporting-pan brought in contact with the steam-box, thereby clasping and retaining the felt in position.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the supporting-frame, of any suitable form, composed preferably of metal.

0 represents the steam-box, which is preferably provided with corrugations on its upper surface, as shown, and also with openings for allowing the steam to escape from the box through the felt'placed thereon.

D is a supporting-pan or former, which, when opened, assumes the position shown in Fig. 1, and when closed is adapted to press against the lower side of the steam-box, retaining the felt upon the steam-box in its position, the same being shown closed in Fig. 3. It also has for its object to prevent the steam from softening the felt on the lower side and assists in hardening the body of felt.

B is the jigger, which is brought in contact with the upper surface of the felt on the steambox 0, and has a reciprocating motion conveyed 'to it through the pitman E and the crank F, said crank F being revolved by any suitable mechanism in order to give a reciprocating motion to the jigger. The pitman E is connected to the jigger at or near its central portion, as shown in the drawings, and a loop G passes over the pitman E, limiting the rocking movement of the jigger relatively to the pitman E.

H is a weighted lever which in the example of my invention I have shown at a point above the jigger, and the same is adapted to raise the jigger to the position shown in Fig. 1 when not in operation, said lever I-I being provided with a counterweight W. This weighted lever, however, maybe placed in any suitable position to lift the jigger, and, if desired, a spring might be used in the place of the weight W, in order to counterbalance the weight of the jigger.

J are standards or posts supporting the pivotal fulcrum of the lever 11.

K is a pipe which admits steam into the steam-box C. At one end of the steam-box, and preferably at what I term the rear end, is a drain-pipe L, which serves the purpose of allowing the steam that has condensed in the steam-box to pass off. It may be constructed so as to allow the water in the steam-box to be removed when the steam is first admitted into the steam-box O.

The letters M M indicate connecting-rods, which in the example of my invention shown in the drawings serve to connect the jigger with the spring N, said spring N being constructed of a piece of metal, preferably fiat, so as to prevent too great rigidity. However, the spring N may be dispensed with and the rods M M used in connection with the weighted lever for raising the jigger.

N is a spring which in the example of my invention shown in the drawings is a flat spring adapted to move on a guide-rod O, and P is a lever pivoted at one end and having a free end adapted to turn down from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3, carrying with it the spring N and drawing down by means of the connecting-rods M M the jigger B upon the felt on the steam-box,- the lever P, when the jigger is closed, resting upon the spring N, and the free end of the lever P is held down by means of the catch R is a standard, preferably secured to the main frame, adapted to support the catch Q and also to support the lever-latch S, said latch S being pivoted at a point intermediate its ends to the standard R and one end pivoted to the pivoted or linked connection T, said link connection T being pivoted at its upper end to the lever V, said lever V having one end pivoted to the connecting-rod Z, which rod Z is rigid with and forms apart of the main frame A. Instead of using the connection Z, any other suitable point may be selected upon the main frame to which may be pivoted said lever V.

X and Y are pivotal connections forming supports for the pan D, said support X being slotted at its lower end and the connections being such that the pan D is raised practi-3 cally in a horizontal position, so as to fit closely 1 against the lower side of the steam-box. The lever-latch S serves the purpose of raising and securing the pan D in position and re taining the same against the lower side of the steam-box.

Blanks for W001 boots and shoes are formed 011 suitably-shaped forms and are: then placed upon the steam-box and subjected to the heat and moisture of the steam and the action of the jigger, they beingturned over during the operation; but the boot-blank so formed is liable to croze marks or welt-s, if the operation is continued beyond a certain time, while if sufficient time is not given to the operation the blank will be soft and liable to damage in the withdrawing of it from the form, thereby requiring care and experience. In making a combined knit and felt boot a knit stocking of large size is drawn overthe in all itsparticulars it is liable to separate in v the subsequent operations.

In making use of my invention and process for forming boot-blanks a sheet ofwool-bat (hardened down the center by a previous operation) a little larger in size than the under side of the steam-box, withthe edges left soft and unhardened, is placed upon the'support ing pan or shell I). This pan is raised by the levers and forced to press firmly upon the una der side of the steam-box. One of the free sides of the bat is brought up and overthe upper surface of the steam-box, andthen the other side is brought up and lapped over the edge of the bat first turned over. The open end is contracted and lapped, thus inclosing; thesteam-box, when the jigger is brought to its working position and steam is admitted into the box, the power applied giving a rapid reciprocating motion to the jigger, which ac tion eifectually unites and hardens the soft lapped parts, forming a seamless boot-blank. In making the combined knit and felt bootblank a tubular knit or Woven fabric closed at one end is drawn upon the steam-box. partiallyhardened wool-bat is laid over the fabric on the upper surface of the steambox, presenting one thickness of fabric and woolbat to the action of the jigger, thereby effectually uniting the fabric and the bat. The fabrie and its adhering batare turned on the steam-box,and the united and hardened portions now being on the under surface of the steam-box the two free sides of the bat are brought up and lappedupon the upper surface of the steambox, and the operation is continued in the'same way as is done in forming wool boot-blanks. It is desirable to have the fabric on the outside, and the blank for that purpose is turned inside out in a subse quent operation.

In handling and forming a shoe or slipper blank the steam-box, jigger, and supportingpan will be made shorter, while the steam-box will be higher in side elevation in order to bring the upper surface higher above the level of the frame.

The operation of making a shoe or slipper blank is as follows: A bat large enough to make a shoe-blank is previouslyhardened by a special jigger, leaving the sides and top soft. It is now placed upon the supporting-pan and brought up to its place against the underside of the steam-box. The free sides are lapped over the top of the steam-box and the toe-for1ning portion contracted and lapped. The soft lapped'top portion projecting beyond the raised part of the stea1n-box will not be subjected to the hardening operation. After hardening, the blanks are removed from the steam-box, and a part of the previously lapped but unhardened top is removed by cutting or tearing. It is then again placed upon the "steam-box with the previouslyhardened toe portion under thesteam-box. The 'softparts are brought up and lappedover the tops of the steam-box, and thus being hardened will form a counter.

Having thus described 1nyi11vention,'wl1at I claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Thecombination with a steam-box adapted to receive and support the bat from which the blank is to be made, of a reciprocating jigger adapted to operate upon one surface of such bat, an adjustable pan or shell adapted to clamp and hold the bat upon the steambox while being operated upon, means for holding saidpan or shellfixed and stationary in its operative position upon the bat and meansfor movingsaid pan or shell toward and away from said steam-box, substantially as described. v

2. The eombinationwith a steam-box adapted to receive and support the bat from which the blank is tobe'made, of a reciprocating V jigger adapted to operate upon one surface of said bat, an adjustable pan or shell adapted to clamp and hold the bat upon the steamboX while being operated upon, means for moving said pan or shell toward and away from the steam-box, and means for holding said pan fixed and stationary and looking it in its clamping position, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the stationary steam-box C, of the movable pan or shell D, rods X, Y pivotally connected to said pan or shell, apivoted lever V pivotally connected to said rods, and a reciprocating jigger adapted to operate upon a bat supported upon the steam-box, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the stationary steam-box O, of the movable pan or shell D, the pivoted lever V, pivotal connections between said pan or shell and said lever, and a lever latch S fulcrumed to a fixed support a weighted lever H pivotally connected at one end to said jigger, a movable pan or shell D for clamping the bat on the steam-box, and rods M and lever P for drawing the jigger into operative position upon the bat substantially as described.

In witness whereof I havehereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES STEWART.v [L. s]

WVitnesses:

EDWARD TAGGART,

CHRISTOPHER HONDELINK.