US660321A - Last. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIC B. ABBOTT, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS,-AssIeNoR'TOsAMUEL PORTER a Co., OF WORCESTER, MAssACHUsETTs.v

LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersl Patent No. 660.321, datedOctober 23, 1900. Application led January 17, 1899. Serial No. '702,385- (No Inodel.)

To all whnin t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIC B. ABBOTT, a citizen or' the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Last, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of lasts having body and heel portions connected together by hinges; and the object of this invention is to provide a hinged last of this class with a spring for normally holding the parts of the last in line with eac-h other, so as to insure uniformity in the size of shoes lasted on any one particular last.

To this end the invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the Claim at the end of this specification.l v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of a last constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view partially broken away to show the form of spring preferably employed, and Fig. 3 is a similar View showing` the parts of the last in a different relative position.

In the use of a last in which the body portion and heel portion are hinged together, so that the last can be withdrawn by turning up the heel portion, as illustrated in Fig. 3, it happens frequently that the parts of the last are not fully straightened out into line with each other during the lasting operation, and this in practice has been found to be objectionable, as it results in more or less variation in the length o'f shoes lasted upon the same last. To overcome this objection, Ihave provided a hinged last in which a spring is arranged to normally hold the parts in line with each other, so as to insure uniformity in the shoes lasted thereon, While at the same time the spring is arranged to yield or have suicient flexibility so that the last can be readily withdrawn from a shoe.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, a last constructed according to my invention preferably comprises a body portion A and a heel portion B. A kerf is cut in the portions A and B to receive a hinge, as C, the sides of the korf being preferably filled with leather C is secured in place by screws or rivets, as shown by dott-ed lines in Figs. 2 and 3. A socket is bored in the body portion A-of the last to receive a spring E, which engages the end of a wooden or metal dowel or pin F.

When the body'and heel portions of the last are turned with respect to each other to draw a last, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the pin F will be forced back in its socket, compressing the spring E; but the springE has sufficient elastioity to normally hold the parts of the last in line with each other with sufficient stiffness to insureshoes lasted being of a uniform size. By this arrangement of pin or plug F and spring E, I have provided a construction which in practice I have found will give that degree of rigidity or stiffness which is required in the use of hinged lasts for holdingthe body portion and heel parts in line with each other during the lasting operation-that is to say, by employing a lasthaving body and heel parts with inclined faces leaving an angular space above the hinge and by employingl a coiled spring and pin mounted in one of the said parts, so as to extend across' the open angular space and bear upon the inclined face of the other part at an oblique angle thereto, I have provided an arrangement by means of which a comparatively weak spring will secure sufficient leverage to hold or lock the parts of thelast in line with each other, so that a considerable force can be exerted without closing or operating the hinge of the last. Furthermore, by this arrangement I have provided a construction in Vwhich the degree of stiffness or locking action of the plug or pin can be varied without changing the stiffness of the springs employedthat is to say, by simpl yboring sockets for receiving the spring at various angles to vary the inclination of the pinor plug F with respect to the surface that it engages the pin or plug F will hold the parts of the last in linewith each other with greater or less degrees of stiffness, as may be required.

I am aware Jthat changes may be made in or other Iiexible material, as D. The hinge f the details of the construction of my last by IOC expressed in the claim. I do not Wish, therefore, to be limited to the forni of cons-truel tion herein illustrated; but

being arranged lo extend woross the open ztnl gula-r space and normally hearing on thein- WhatI do claim, and desire toseeure by elined face of the other part at :tn oblique Letters Patent of the United States, is angle thereto, substantially as described.

In a lust, the combination of a body purt, a, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set heel part, a hinge Connecting the body and l my hand in the presence of two subscribingr heel parts, said parts having inclined fztces Witnesses. leaving an open angular space above the FRED. B. ABBOTT. hinge, and a coiled spring and pin mounted Witnesses:

CHAS. B. MEACHAM, WILLIAM J. BARRY.

in asooket in one of said parts to exert a@ constant pressure tending to hold the parts of the last in line with veach other, said pin

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