US957393A - Shoe-filler apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

A. THOMA.

SHOE FILLER APPARATUS.

APPLIOXTION TILED MAR.5. 1906.

957,393 Patented May 10, 1910.

wmeli es till MWDEEW THOMA, 0F CAM-BRIDGE, nasseorrosnrrs, .essrenon To Non'rn' Arr"- CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF NEW Yomr, It. 2., .a'oonronatrron or ERICAIil' MEAINE.

SH'JE-EILLEE LQPJEAELATUS.

Specification of Patent. Application llfiarch 5, Z1338.

To all-whom it may concern:

Be it knownjthat I, Annnnw Zlrroera, a citizen of the United States .rcsidi. at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shoe-Filler Apparatus, of which the following description, in connec tion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

In my Letters Patent No. 808,224, dated December-26, 1905, I have describedfthe leading characteristics of my shoe filler and method of applying it to shoes, and in the present application I will set forth my apparatus for handlin said filler and carrying out my method. T is shoe bottom filler is normally selnisolid'and is prepared in the form of loaves, which require to be melted slowly in the. presence of a uniform and continuous low heat, until the filler crumbles from theloaf shape into a heap or disintegrated approximately-fluid mass, in which condition it'may readily be applied to the cavity of tlye innersole and pressed in place. The filler sets almost immediately upon coming in coutnht with the. cold, damp leather, so that its fluid or senlifiuid condition is only temporarily required as a means of enabling the filler to be handled with ease, rapidity, economy and efficiency.

Accordingly my present invention aims to provide'rneans for reducing the filler to its pliable condition and maintaining in said condition for the short interval necessary in" order properly to fill and shapethe shoe bottom. To this end l have provided a supply chamber and molding apparatus, so arranged as greatly to facilitate thl ,Wcrlr-ol? the operator in handling the ilfil imlly intractable filler.

The details of construction and further advantages of my invention will he pointed out in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown preferred embodiment of my invention, i. d. the latter will be more particularly defined in the appended claims, also forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical,

detail, taken on the line lel, Fig. 6; and Figs. 5 and t? are views in side elevation and top plan respectively, of a porlien of the molding apparatus. I i

For convenience of illustration l have shown the heater or supply reservoir as square, although it will be understood that the cross-sectional shape is arbitrary and may be varied. The heater comprises an inner chamber 1, s *ounded by hot air fines or other heating lost 2 and provided with an inclined bottom or filler support 3 leading to an opening i, normally close by door 5,. herein shown as sliding; in Ways Preferably also in the upper portion of chamber 1 ll provide a shelf slightly 1nclined and extending only partially across the chamber, The Clilfll'i'lbl is closed bye cover for retainingthe and is pr: vided with a pocket 9, preferably open for receiving heating medium, herein shown as a resistance box or electric heater 11. l have not undertaken to shot; the details'of construction of this heater, as the resistance wires 12- Will be embedded therein in the usual manner connnonto electric heaters, the feed Wires being indicated at 13, i l, and connecting to a suitable binding post, such 15, at any convenient place on the apparatus. From the binding post 15 a conductor 16 extends downwardly to a hand inolder 1'1", which maybe grasped by handle 18, and. 'is provided With. a forward metal part hav ing a molding surface 19 with rounded corners, and opposite scraping edg s 20, projeeting from the flat top or spoonlilre lift" side 21, the internal. cavity 22 thereofcontain' ing the heating resistance 23, supplied by. current from in spring" transverse sectional view; Fig. 2 is a View in ii! l? in molding, leveling and shaping tront elevation of the coinalcte a neratus" G1 111 the cavit of the inner-sole and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the removable the top surface of the filler by heater F1 4: 1s an enlarveol cross-sectional 1' 1 the it will be understood that in. describing my apparatus above, it have set forth all the details of the preferred embodiment thereof as completely exhibited in the drawing, but

that many variations are contemplated within the spirit and scope of The manner of using my apparatus is as follows: The operator first places a suitable quantity of the filler in the chamber It restmg on theheated bottom 3 of the filler, and

when this has v begin operations he places one or more loaves of reserve filler on the shelf 7. main imass of tiller flows downward by gravity 1 against the door 5, ready to pass through the opening 4-. tor-use, and the reserve filler is meanwhile being softened so that it may later'be drop ed. into the general mass of filler, and in get will automatically deposit itself when it reaches the pro )er condition, because of the inclination 0d the shelf 7. The heat from the main heater 11 in the bottom of the apparatus, passes up the side lines so that a constant circulation is maintained, which gives the best and most rapid results. The operator raises the door 5 slightly, according to the amount of filler which he wishes to maintain in thetrough 25, and then, with a shoe in his left hand,

he hits the proper amount of tiller from the trough with his right hand, by means of the flat upper side 21 of the molder, and places said tiller in the bottom cavity of the shoe, immediately smoothing down the heap of filler by means of the smoothing surface 19 of said hand molder, and innnediately moves the top surface or the tiller in pressing engagement with the lcveler 26, which serves to complete the molding and compacting operation necessary for properly placing the tiller in its finished condition in the shoe, and then scrapes the filler from the welt and edges with the edge 30. This operation is accomplished almost instantly, the hand Inolder first dumping the filler in a heap on the shoe and then, reversed, and simply caused to slide lengthwise oi" the shoe over the filler and back again, thereby roughly V placing the filler in proper position, where- 30 upon the shoe is instantly placed in forcible sliding contact against the stationary molder or lcvcler 2c, and as it is pulled back therefrom a deft turn of the hand molder scrapes the welt and edges. As both the hand molder l7 and the stationary molder 26 are maintained hot, they cohperate in quickly accomplishing the desired result and at the same time further melt the contacting surface of the filler sufiiciontly to run the melted compound into the crevices and complete the waterproofing feature of the method, as more fully set forth in. my patent above men tioned. Having filled a shoe in this manr nor, the operator deposits the filled shoe, grasps a fresh shoe, and repeats the operamy invention.

become, sutliciently melted to.

ceases tion, being enabled by my aparatus to fill readily two hundred pairs of s oes per hour.

One main advantageof having an apparatus electrically opera-ad is that thereby'a uniform heat may readily be maintained in all parts of the apparatus (it being understood that a suitable rheostat, cut-out switch, etc, will be provided in connection with the supply current), also the electric apparatus keeps longer in repair and is neuter than other available means of heating; The arrangement of surrounding lines and inclined supporting surfaces gives the uniformity of melting which experience has proved to be necessary for my special filler, the heat being applied on the top as well as on the bottom by the circulation of hot air and the internal shape of the apparatus, causing the bottom portion of the tiller to-be delivered at the exit first, so that there'is a continual shifting of relative position between the bottom and top portions, thereby preventing the filler from oxidizing and becoming over.- hcated, etc., while the provision of two separate melting devices, one to operate in connection with each hand, conduces to rapidity and etficiency of work. Theo eratoruses the stationary molder or super eating tool 26 by pressing the shoe against it, said shoe being held in his left hand while he operates upon the shoe with the movable molder held in his right hand, and the fact that both of these molding devices are maintained continually hot notwithstanding their contact with the filler also facilitates the rapid turning out of the work. The shelf-like trough or ledge 25 serves to check the outward flow of filler and constitutes an automatic control for the discharge, inasmuch as it will always remain approximately tilled if thedoor is left open slightly, the mass of filler pouring" sluggishly forward as the operator dips out of the trough, and the" inclined bottom op crates as an automatic delivering device for said trough. i The hand molder, per se, has been divided from this case and is therefore not herein claimed, but is covered by pending application for patent.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, I

1. A. shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber adapted to hold shoe filler material which is normally self-sustaining but requires to be melted for use, said chain-l her containing .a support for said material inclined downwardly toward the discharge end or said chamber matically the filler when melted, said chainher having double walls which provide a surrounding air jacket for the circulation of heated air aroundner wallsof said chamber being perforated to provide fines for the passage cit-said,

said chamber, the 111-.

a. dii isionel' jc' 'o- A for delivering auto" air between said double walls ber,

melting the filler,

e0 charge outlet adjacent an approximately horizontal ceases heated air from between said double walls into the interior of the chamber indirect contact with the filler material therein, means for maintaining a supply of said hot for delivery through into the chamber, and a discharge outlet at the lower end of said inclined support.

2. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a 10 heating chamber having a heated inclined bottom for melting the tiller, a shelf above said bottom for partially softening a reserve supply of filler, means permitting free circulation of hot air throughout the cham means for supplying said heat, and a discharge outlet' at the lower end of said bottom.

3. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a chamber having a lower melting portion for a shelf extending partially across the chamber above said lower portion, for holding a reserve supply, means or maintaining extra heat at the bottom and moderate heat around the top of the chamber and a discharge outlet at, the lower end of said chamber.

4. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber adapted to hold shoe filler material which requires melting for use,

said chamber having double Walls which provide a surrounding air jacket for the circulation of heated air around said chamher, said chamber also containing a double bottom normally open at one side, a selfcontained electric heater fitting the cavity in said double bottom, removable therefrom without disturbing the apparatus, and means for closing said bottom when the heater is in place therein, said chamber having a disthe bottom, and means for regulating the discharge of the melted filler at said outlet.

5. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber having double walls, heating wires between said Walls, a discharge opening at the bottom of said chamber, and shelf-like extension from said opening for automatically checlring the flow of material and render-' mg it available to the operator.

6. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber provided with means for afiordlng an even heat, and containing an upper heated con'ipartment for the initial heating of the filler material, a lower compartment to receive the latter when softened, means for superheating said lower compartment and a receiving device, in position to receive by gravity said softened but not liquid filler material, constructed and arranged to automatically control the discharge of the filler.

7. A. shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber for receiving the filler to be melted, said chamber being provided with means including an external trough for antomatically receiving from the interior and holding stationary a continuous supply in predetermined amount of the softened material.

8. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber having double Walls, removable heating means containing electric resistance wires between said walls, a lateral discharge opening adjacent the bottom of said chamber, a hand molder located at said opening, and means for delivering electric current to said resistance wires and to said hand 'mo lder, the latter being yieldingly connected to said chamber .or permitting free manipulation without permanently changing the location thereof.

9. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber for melting the liller,a discharge outlet at the lower end of said chamber, and molding mechanism permanently fixed. to said apparatus at said outlet for molding the filler from said outlet when placed in a shoe, said mechanism including a stationary art of said apparatus and a hand-operate part for permitting the operator to employ both hands n the molding operation. p

10. A shoe filler apparatus, comprising a heating chamber having a discharge opening at its lower end, a trough for receiving ,filler therefrom, a superheating molder on the under side of said trough, and means for maintaining said parts evenly heated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW THOMA. Witnesses GEO. H. MAXWELL, VVM. J. PIKE.

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