WO1998039986A1

WO1998039986A1 - Toe, ball, and heel lasting with adjustable side pads

Info

Publication number: WO1998039986A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/004860
Authority: WO
Inventors: Donald P. Chisholm; Gregory A. Williams
Original assignee: International Shoe Machine Corporation
Priority date: 1997-03-13
Filing date: 1998-03-13
Publication date: 1998-09-17
Also published as: AU6460498A

Abstract

A machine (10) for toe and ball and shank lasting of a shoe unit includes a shoe support acting against the shoe bottom to support the shoe unit and the heel support movable towards and away from the shoe support. Main wipers (34) are seated above the shoe support for linear movement and pivotal movement into wiping contact with the shoe upper. The wipers (34) are provided with a drive and are cam controlled to achieve a combined longitudinal and pivotal inward movement to wipe the lasting margin of the upper against the insole. A pair of side pad assemblies (200) mounted to the machine frame are used to wipe the ball and shank portions of the upper. The side pads (200) are mounted to engage and wipe the shank portions of the upper against the last during synchronized movement of the wipers (34). An arrangement of side pad control cylinders are used to control movement of the side pads (200) to wipe the shank sides.

Description

TOE, BALL, AND HEEL LASTING WITH ADJUSTABLE SIDE PADS

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to machines for lasting a shoe upper to a shoe insole and, more particularly, to a machine for lasting the toe, ball and shank (or sides) of the upper in a shoe lasting assembly.

Background Art

In one type of shoe manufacturing process, a shoe or footwear upper assembly, formed of a last having an insole located on its bottom and an upper mounted thereon, is first heel lasted in a heel molder and laster machine (such as with Heel Molder and Laster Model HML Series, manufactured by International Shoe Machine Corporation, Nashua, New Hampshire) , then toe and ball lasted in a second machine (such as Toe and Ball Laster Model PAL-T, also manufactured by International Shoe

Machine) , followed by side lasting in yet a third machine

(e.g., an Automatic Side and Heel Later, Model ASHL

Series, also manufactured by International Shoe Machine) .

While this three machine process generally works well, it is extremely labor intensive since three separate machine operators are required and the training protocol for each machine is different. Consequently, extensive and time- consuming operator training is necessary.

To avoid some of these problems, a machine has been developed to last the toe, ball and shank or sides of a footwear assembly, eliminating the need for a separate side lasting machine. This novel type of machine is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08/629,646, entitled MACHINE AND METHOD FOR TOE, BALL AND SHANK WIPING OF A SHOE ASSEMBLY, filed April 9, 1996, assigned to International Shoe Machine Corporation, Nashua, New Hampshire, the Assignee of the present invention, the relevant disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This machine is a modification of the model PAL-T wherein a pair of shank wipers are slidably mounted to the toe wipers to contact and press the upper against the last in synchronism with toe wiping action.

This unique approach to shank wiping works well with some styles and types of shoes. However, in certain other types, particularly larger size shoes, the shank wipers are not able to complete their shank wiping action particularly in areas of the shank adjacent the heel. As a result, there is an uncemented gap in this region which is unsatisfactory.

In addition, the shank wipers disclosed in the aforesaid pending application are made of a compliant elastic material in certain regions thereof. Due to the nature of the shank wiping action, it is possible that this material can be subject to abrasion, possibly requiring replacement of the shank wipers by the machine operator.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to last the toe, ball and shank or sides of a footwear assembly in one machine.

Another object is to toe, ball, and side last a footwear assembly with one operator undergoing training for operating a toe and ball and side lasting machine. Still another object is to toe, ball and side last at all points of the shanks or sides, inclusive of regions immediately adjacent the heel portion. Yet a further object is to toe, ball and side last with a single machine irrespective of shoe size and style .

Summary of the Invention According to the invention, there is provided a machine for toe and ball and shank lasting of a shoe unit including a last with a shoe upper superimposed thereon and an insole arranged on the last bottom, comprising a shoe support acting against the shoe bottom to support the shoe unit and a heel support movable towards and away from the shoe support . Wipers are seated above the shoe support for linear movement and pivotal movement about a vertex. The wipers are provided with corresponding drive means for moving them, in a combined longitudinal and pivotal inward movement, below the contour of the shoe unit placed on the shoe support. By this arrangement, the lasting margin of the upper can be wiped against the insole, during which combined movement the side pads can be moved by corresponding adjusting means to wipe the ball and shank portions of the upper. In accordance with a unique feature of the invention, the side pads are respectively mounted to the machine frame to engage and wipe shank portions of the upper against the last during synchronized movement of the wipers. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of pen-type nozzles are computer controlled with a positioning system to apply cement along the cement margin of the insole prior to the onset of wiping. Each side pad may be preferably formed with an inside pad or ply and a second outer pad, each made of an elastic, flexible and deformable material such as urethane . The pads are of generally rectangular form with bottom edges thereof being pivotally connected to distal ends of a series of pneumatic cylinders controlled to press predetermined areas of the pads against the sides of the upper about the last to maintain the top line of the upper relative to the last when pincers are released and wipe the margin of the upper against the insole located on the bottom of the last . The opposite ends of the cylinders are mounted to a cross-slide assembly that is movable in the X direction to apply the side pads against the upper. The cross slide assembly is mounted to a main slide assembly by means of linear bearings and cross shafts. The main slide assembly is also formed with linear bearings and main slide shafts slidably supported on the machine frame for movement in the Y direction.

The side pad control cylinders are mounted to a gross height adjustment bracket which is in turn mounted via screws and vertical adjustment slots to an X axis adjustment bracket provided on the cross slide assembly. The gross height adjustment bracket can be undamped to adjust the height of the side pads above or below the wiper plane depending on shoe size and style. The X axis adjustment bracket is pivotally connected to a Z axis adjustment bracket also mounted to the cross slide assembly. The pivot axis may extend through the bottom rear corner of the inside pad along an axis parallel to the X axis to permit rotational or pivotal adjustment of the side pads. The Z axis adjustment bracket is attached to the cross slide assembly through plural curved tracks and correspondingly shaped clamping jaws having a radius of curvature centered on the bottom rear corner of the inside pad for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the Z axis. Alternatively, the pads may pivot about a point located further from the Y-axis centerline of the machine, to allow positioning of the side pads closer to the toe of the shoe .

A method of lasting a toe and ball and shank of a shoe unit including a last with a shoe upper superimposed thereon and an insole arranged on the last bottom is also disclosed. In accordance with the method of the invention, the shoe unit is supported in the lasting machine and the upper is stretched on the last with pincers. The sides of the last are then engaged with portions of the side pads to maintain the upper in stretched condition (maintaining the top line of the upper in relation to the last) within the shank region. The toe and ball portions of the upper are then wiped while the toe, corner, side and ball pincers are sequentially released. As the wipers approach their final position, and the bedding sequence initiates, the inner pad actuating cylinders are brought to bedding pressure, which further extends the inner pad actuating cylinders causing the inner pads to stretch and wipe the shank areas of the upper margin over the insole, and bed the shank area of the upper.

More specifically, the machine including the side pads is first adjusted through appropriate manipulation of the gross height adjustment bracket, X axis adjustment bracket, and the Z axis adjustment bracket to fit the last for the shoes about to be manufactured. At rest, the pad cylinders are retracted and the main slide is at its lower, home position. The cross slides are at their home position which is at their maximum distance from the center line of the machine. This allows the operator to have maximum access for positioning the upper onto the last/insole assembly in the machine for lasting. The rest of the machine is at its home position, as is standard for any PAL-T toe lasting machine. The operator makes the gross adjustment of the heel slide, such that the heel slide will be able to engage the shoe heel for the range of shoes about to be manufactured, during the normal machine cycle. The toe portion of the upper margin is then loaded into the toe and/or corner pincers. The foot pedal is pressed to close these pincers. The rest of the pincers are then loaded with the associated sections of the upper margin and the pedal is pressed to close these pincers. A toe post rises to stretch the upper against the counterforce of the pincers. The remainder of the machine functions are in accordance with a standard PAL-T, i.e. the heel slide moves forward to position the heel and size the shoe, the toe band moves against the shoe, and the toe pad moves into hold down position to apply lasting pressure. The wipers move to their pre-wipe position. When the operator is satisfied that the margin has been loaded properly, he initiates the third stage. The cement nozzles are actuated and apply cement to the insole margin. At this point, the side pad assemblies move both rearward (i.e. towards the toe), and toward the center, where the main slide and cross slide assemblies locate the side pad assemblies in their pre-wipe position, in firm contact with the upper, to maintain the top line. The wipers then move forward, wiping the toe and ball portions of the upper, while sequentially releasing the toe, corner, side and ball pincers. As the wipers approach the end of their travel, the bedding cycle is initiated, and a timer is activated. This timer delays the bedding pressure to the inner side pads until the top pad hold down has been brought to bedding pressure (to stop the shoe from being lifted by the vertical component of the forces being applied to the shoe assembly by the inner side pads) . When the timer times out, the inner pad cylinders are brought to high pressure, causing the inner side pads to wipe and bed the shank portions of the upper. The result of the high pressures in both the toe hold down pad and the side pads is a properly bedded shoe assembly with a flat, well adhered bottom.

When the bedding cycle ends, the machine components return to their home positions, the shoe assembly is dropped into a catch pan and the machine is ready to cycle again.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawing and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toe and ball and side lasting machine constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a shoe unit in which the upper is gripped by toe, side and ball pincers;

Figure 3 is a top view of the unit in Figure 2 ;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the shoe unit of Figures 2 and 3 ;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the overall wiper assemblies depicted in Figure 1, wherein certain details have been omitted for simplicity of drawing and wherein the side pads are depicted in retracted and extended positions in left and right-hand portions of the drawing, respectively; Figure 6 is a top plan view similar to Figure 5 to depict the wiper and side pad assemblies in initial position prior to wiping;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the side pad assemblies with the wiper assemblies removed for simplicity of drawing in order to depict the main and cross slide assemblies;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the main and cross slide assemblies depicted in Figure 7 ; Figure 9 is a front elevation view of the side pad assemblies and supporting main and cross slide assemblies depicted in Figures 7 and 8 ;

Figure 10 is similar to Figure 6 although depicting the wiper assemblies in final position after wiping and before release of the shoe unit from the machine;

Figures 11-16 are sequential views depicting the sequential positioning of the wiper assemblies throughout the lasting process, wherein:

Figure 11 depicts the wiper assemblies in open position during loading of a shoe unit into the lasting machine ;

Figure 12 depicts the wiper assemblies in the profile position immediately prior to wiping;

Figure 13 depicts the wiper assemblies at the onset of toe wiping, where the side pads have fully engaged the sides of the last with sufficient pressure to allow the side and ball pincers to be released without allowing the upper to move relative to the last;

Figure 14 depicts the positioning of the wiper assemblies as the toe wipers begin to engage the toe and ball portions of the upper margin.

Figure 15 depicts the wipers at the end of their stroke, just prior to initiation of the bedding sequence;

Figure 16 depicts the wipers at the end of their stroke, and the machine during the bedding sequence, where the side pads have been actuated, and have wiped the margin in the shank area, and are now bedding the shank portions of the margin, while the top pad is bedding the toe and ball portions of the margin against the wipers; Figure 17 is a sectional view depicting the relative locations of the pad assemblies corresponding to Figure 13, during cementing, and prior to wiping;

Figures 18, 19 and 20 are sectional views similar to Figure 17, but depicting the wiping and bedding of the margin by the side pads which occur starting with Figure

15, and ending with the final wiping and bedding positions of Figure 16;

Figure 21 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of side pad assemblies otherwise mounted to the same supporting main and cross slide assemblies depicted in Figures 7 and 8;

Figure 22 is a view similar to Figure 21 depicting the second embodiment in a bedding position; Figure 23 is a front elevational view of a third embodiment of side pad assemblies;

Figure 24 is a front elevational view of a fourth embodiment of side pad assemblies; and

Figure 25 is a modification to the cam plate and main and cross slide assemblies to control side pad assembly movement via cam follower actuation.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toe and ball and shank (i.e, side) lasting machine, generally designated with reference numeral 10, for use on a shoe or footwear assembly 12, that includes a last having an insole 14 located at its bottom and an upper 16 mounted thereon. For simplicity, the main wipers are omitted from Figure 1. With reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4, a margin portion of the upper 16, projecting down from the insole 14 around the entire periphery thereof, will be pressed down within machine 10 onto a margin zone 18 of the insole to which adhesive material has been previously applied through a pair of cement nozzles which are not shown for the sake of simplicity but are otherwise known to persons skilled in the art. This pressing action, known as wiping, is achieved through a variety of wiper assemblies, generally designated with reference numeral 20, that are sequentially operated in the unique manner described below.

The operator is intended to stand in front of the machine 10 in Figure 1. Directions extending toward the operator, i.e., in the direction extending from the toe to the heel, will be designated as "forward" (+Y direction) and directions extending away from the operator, i.e., from the heel towards the toe, will be designated as "rearward" (-Y direction). The front of the machine where foot pedals (not shown, but the operation of which is discussed infra) are located is closest to the operator and the back of the machine is furthermost from the operator. Directions extending out of the plane of the figure illustrations in the drawing, perpendicular to the wiping plane, will be designated as "upward" or "upper" (+Z direction) and surfaces facing upward will be referred to as "top surfaces" or "upper surfaces" . Conversely, directions extending into the paper and opposite the aforementioned upward direction will be designated as "downward" or "lower" (-Z direction) and surfaces facing downward will be referred to as "bottom surface" or "lower surfaces". Directions extending to the operator's left in the figure illustrations will be designated "left" (-X direction) and directions extending to the operator's right in the figure illustrations will be designated "right" (+X direction) .

As a general overview, the lasting machine 10 is comprised of an insole center support 22 adapted to contact and support the insole bottom 14, with toe, side and ball pincers 24, 26 and 27 which may be conventionally mounted to grasp the upper margin and perform a controlled heightwise and lateral movement relative to the insole support to mold and stretch the upper 16 on the last. A heel support 28 is controllably moved rearward into engagement with the heel 30 of the footwear, as described infra, and an overhead hold down 32 is used to urge the footwear 12 downwardly against the insole center support 22.

Two main wipers 34, respectively comprised of a toe- ball wiper assembly, are provided in a plane extending slightly above the insole support 22 for rotation about a common vertex 36 in the aforementioned wiping plane. Each toe-ball wiper assembly 34 of the present invention includes a pair of toe and ball wipers 38 and 40 which are cylinder actuated and cam controlled for rotation about the vertex 36 to fully wipe the toe and ball regions of the upper margin. In accordance with unique features of this invention, a pair of left and right side pad assemblies 42 are mounted to the machine frame and are further cylinder controlled to fully wipe the shank or sides of the footwear assembly 12, advantageously eliminating the need for a separate side lasting machine.

As best depicted in Figures 5 and 6 the toe wipers 38,40 are respectively mounted to a pair of wiper cam plates 44 and 46, each slidably mounted to a stationary head slide (cam tracks are disposed in the cam plates and the head slides only house stationary cam rollers) 48 extending parallel to the wiper plane. A two-stage air cylinder 50, stationarily mounted to a machine frame 52 and also the head slide 48, is interconnected to an actuating assembly 54 which is constrained to move in the plane of the wiper cam plates 44,46 as a result of the forward extension and rearward retraction of the piston rod 56 extending forwardly of the rear mounted cylinder 58. More specifically, the actuating assembly 54 includes the front end of the piston rod 56 connected to a drive yoke 60 having a pair of left and right arms to which the rear ends of a pair of identical left and right links 62 and 64 are pinned at 66 for pivotal movement in the plane of the toe wiper cams 44,46. The front ends of the drive links 62,64 are in turn respectively pinned at 68 to rearwardly extending portions of the wiper cams 44,46. Each wiper cam 44,46 includes a pair of front and rear cam tracks (not shown) milled in the bottom surface of the wiper cam and which receives a fixed cam follower bearing (also not shown) projecting upward from the top surface of the head slide 48. Therefore, as the pair of wiper cams 44,46 are driven forwardly under the action of the drive cylinder 50, the relative positions of the wipers 38,40 respectively mounted to the front edges of the associated wiper cam will be controllably positioned in a desired relationship with one another and the toe and ball portions of the insole bottom edge as the cam track moves along the respective cam track bearing under the action of the advancing wiper cams.

It will be understood that, when moving inwardly and forwardly, the main toe wipers 38,40 can perform a combination movement composed on the one hand by the inwardly directed pivotal movement about the common vertex 36 and, on the other hand, by linear movement as a result of the advancing action of the wiper cylinder 50.

The upper face of each main wiper 38,40 opposite the vertex point 36 may optionally respectively carry ball wipers (not shown) which can be moved towards and away from the vertex point. To permit this adjustment, each of the main wipers 38 may be provided with a T-shaped rail (not shown but which may be identical to corresponding structure disclosed in Application Serial No. 08/629,646, filed April 9, 1996, the relative disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein) on which the ball wipers (provided with a corresponding T-shaped groove) are slidably mounted. The ball wipers may also be stationarily mounted and manually adjusted during set-up. The ball wipers will only be used for certain styles of shoes .

Figures 7-9 are respective top, side and front elevational views of identical left and right side pad assemblies, generally designated with Reference Numeral 200, which are used in place of the ball (unless optionally provided) and compliant shank wiper assemblies disclosed in the aforesaid '646 patent application to optimize performance of the ball and toe laster machine. With reference to these figures, as discussed more fully below, each side pad assembly 200 is movable along the Y axis under the action of a main slide assembly 210 which supports a cross slide assembly 220 that is movable in the X direction and to which the side pad assemblies are mounted.

Main slide assembly 210 includes a pair of main slide shafts 307 that extend in the Y direction and are spaced parallel to each other in the X direction in a plane parallel to the wiper plane. Main slide shaft rear ends 307A are received in a rear mounting yoke 222 which is connected to the distal end of piston rod 224 of main slide positioning cylinder 226 fixedly mounted to the machine frame. Forwardly extending portions of shafts 307 are slidably supported on the machine frame through linear bearings disposed in a stationary bearing housing 228 bolted to a fixed head slide (attached to the machine frame) 302 with four of bolts 400. Main slide shaft front ends 307B are mounted to a side pad mounting support assembly 230 which supports the cross slide assembly 220 for movement in the Y-Y direction.

More specifically, the side pad mounting support assembly 230 is preferably in the form of a single casting or fabrication having a front mounting yoke section 232 receiving main slide front ends 307B and a cross slide bearing housing section 800 having a pair of parallel bores 802 spaced vertically from each other in the Z direction. A pair of cross slide shafts 804 extending in the X direction are slidably supported through linear bearings 806 disposed within bores 802. With reference to Figure 8, the cross slide bearing housing section 800 extends downward from the shafts 804 in the negative Z direction to support a forwardly projection section 810 to which the piston rod 812 of the cross slide positioning cylinder 814 is attached. This piston rod 812 is constrained from movement in the X direction by means of piston rod retainer nut 900 fixedly mounted to section 810, but can move in Y and Z directions for alignment. In this manner, actuation of cylinder 814 causes the cylinder itself to move in the X direction, thereby moving the cross slide assembly 220 and side pad assemblies 200 supported thereon, since the piston rod is held stationary in the X direction as described above.

The cross slide cylinder 814 is attached at opposite ends thereof to a pair of cross cylinder mounting brackets 816 and 818 as best depicted in Figure 9 that extend upwardly in the +Z direction for connection with bolts 1000 to a side pad adjustment bracket support plate 820. The rectangular support plate 820 is disposed in the X-Y plane (parallel to the wiper plane) and extends in the X direction. A pair of cross slide mounts 822 and 824 extend upward in the +Z direction from support plate 820 and are each formed with a pair of vertically spaced bores 802 receiving opposite ends of cross slide shafts 804. The support plate 820 and cross slide mounts 822, 824 projecting upwardly therefrom define a moveable carriage (in the X direction) of the cross slide assembly 220 and side pads supported thereon.

The extent of travel in the +X direction of the cross slide assembly 220, i.e. towards the last, is controlled by contact between a travel limiting nut 826 and a cross slide stop plate 828 (as depicted in Figure 9) that moves in the X direction in response to actuation of cylinder 814. The nut 826 is threaded onto a threaded extension 830 of the piston rod 812 and is therefore adjustable in the X direction, i.e. towards and away from piston rod retainer nut 900, via rotation. The movable stop plate 828 is located outboard of nut 900 through four of threaded support rods 832 attached to mounting bracket 818. The side pad assembly 200 each includes an outside side pad 324 and an inside side pad 325 disposed flushly thereagainst . These pads 324, 325 extend generally in the Z-Y plane and have the appearance of being an outer ply and an inner ply functioning respectively as outer and inner presser straps as discussed below. These pads 324, 325 can be made of an elastic, flexible and deformable material such as urethane .

A Z-axis adjustment bracket 309 is provided to pivot the pads 324-325 about an axis 420 (Figure 7) which is parallel to the Z axis and may pass through the bottom rear corner 422 (i.e. lower end of the inner pad closest to the toe of the shoe assembly) of the pad. The bracket 309 includes a mounting plate 424 extending in the X-Y plane that is adjustably mounted to the support plate 820 with a pair of curved clamps (only one shown in Figures 7 and 9) engaging curved machined tracks 330 having a radius of curvature with axis 420 at the center. Z axis adjustment bracket 309 further includes an upstanding mounting plate 426 extending generally in the Y-Z plane to which is adjustably mounted in X axis adjustment plate 311. As best depicted in Figure 8, plate 426 includes a pair of curved slots 427 having an X axis of rotation defined by a pivot screw 428 that is preferably collinear with pad bottom rear corner 422 along an axis parallel to the X axis. A pair of clamping screws 430 extending into plate 311 through the slots 427 cooperate with the screw 428 to pivot the side pads about the X axis by pivoting the plate about screw 428.

Gross height adjustments of the side pads 324, 325 above or below the wiper plane are made through Z axis movement of a gross height adjustment plate 312 which is clamped to the X axis adjustment plate 311 through a series of clamping screws 432 passing through vertical slots 313 formed in both plates. The gross height adjustment plate 312 supports a series of lower air cylinders 326 pivotally mounted at outer cylinder ends thereof to the gross height adjustment plate through inwardly extending mounting projections 327 spaced from each other along Y axis intervals. These inside pad cylinders are angled upwardly and are pivotally attached via ball and socket or male and female clevis arrangements 321, 322 at inner piston rod ends thereof along the lower edge of the inside pad 325. The outside pad cylinders 323 are mounted to upper portions of gross height adjustment plate 312 at spaced Y axis intervals through a series of clevises 320 and extend downwardly generally in the X axis direction for respective connection of the piston rod ends to the lower edge of the inside pad cylinder 324 through a different series of ball and socket arrangements 321, 322 as best depicted in Figure 9. The outside pad cylinders 323 may be extended to urge the outside pad 324 against the inside pad 325 which in turn contacts the shoe upper to hold it against the last during the wiping sequence discussed below. The inside pad cylinders 326 also extend, and because of the angle by which they engage the inner pads, they urge the inner pads against the upper, and also wipe the margin area of the upper over the insole as will be discussed more fully below and then against the adhesive which has been previously applied to the insole via the cement nozzles. The mounting angle also provides bedding force to the upper-adhesive-insole interface until the adhesive has set .

The top of each outside and inside pad 324,325 may be formed into a thickened relatively rigid top segment mounted between a pair of clamping jaws 317, 318 as best depicted in Figure 9. The upper clamping jaw 318 constitutes the innermost free end of a side pad mounting bracket 850 extending outwardly in the X direction for pivotal connection at an intermediate portion thereof to the gross height adjustment bracket 312 through a pivot pin 852 having a Y axis of rotation. The outermost end of side pad mounting bracket 850 is interconnected to the gross height adjustment bracket 312 through a fine height adjustment assembly 314. The assembly 314 includes a threaded rod having a lower end pivotally mounted to gross height adjustment bracket 312. The threaded adjustment rod 854 extends upwardly from the side pad mounting bracket 850 through a through bore formed therein as best depicted in Figure 9. A fine height adjustment knob 856 is threadedly mounted to the rod 854 and a spring 316 is captured between the knob and bracket to bias the bracket end in the downward direction. By rotating the knob 856, the bracket 850 pivots about pins 852 to raise or lower the pads 324, 325 in a fine height adjustment movement. A limit screw 315 disposed between pivot 852 and fine height adjustment assembly 314 is used to fix the location of bracket 850 after fine height adjustments are made.

The operation of the machine 10 as described above will now be discussed. First, the operator loads the shoe or footwear assembly 12 (with the insole 14 held or fastened on the bottom of the last and the upper 16 positioned on the top of the last) into the machine 10 such that the insole portion rests on the insole support 22 (usually with the heel portion raised to allow easier introduction of the toe portion of the margin of the upper into the corner and/or toe pincers 24) . The margin portion of the upper 16 is then positioned by the machine operator into the open jaws of the corner and/or toe pincers 24. The operator then depresses the foot pedal to close the toe and/or corner pincers 24. The operator now lowers the heel so that the last sits flat on the insole support 22. The operator then places the remaining margin portion of the upper 16 into the open jaws of the side and ball pincers 26,27. The total number of pincers may vary depending the size, range and style of the particular shoe being lasted. The operator also must have the heel 30 of the shoe positioned according to whether a left or right shoe is being produced. The initial positioning of the heel is a gross adjustment as the machine 10 will determine the final heel position by means of the heel support 28. When the operator is satisfied that the positioning is correct, the foot pedal is further depressed to close the side and ball pincers 26 and 27. The center support is then raised, to bring the bottom of the insole above the wiping plane, and to stretch the upper 16 on the last against the counter pressure of the locked pincers 24, 26 and 27. The pincer plate swing table (not shown) that rotates a mounting plate, (also not shown) to which all of the pincer assemblies 24, 26 and 27 are attached to properly position the pincer assemblies during the initial stages of wiping, is activated. The pincers 24, 26 and 27 are then pulled down under low (pull) pressure, and the shoe hold down 32 may (optionally this can occur at the start of cementing, and prior to bedding) swing into position and be lowered under low (lasting) pressure to urge the shoe assembly 12 against the insole center support 22. During this operation the prewipe cylinder 50 extends, moving the wiper assemblies 20 from the position depicted in Figure 11 (loading position) , to the position depicted in Figure 12 (profile or prewipe position) . The heel slide containing the heel support 28 is then brought rearwardly so that the heel support contacts and positions the heel 30 of the shoe assembly 12. This positioning of the heel slide also supplies sizing information to the control computer. Cone clamps (if so equipped) are actuated. At this time the operator can use power-assisted controls to apply pincer pull correction, if desired, to shift the upper 16 relative to the last . When the operator is satisfied that the margin has been loaded properly, two push buttons are depressed for safety. Two cement nozzles 864 (shown only in Figure 17 and which may be computer or mechanically controlled as is well known) are activated to apply cement along a path determined by the system controller (i.e., servo control or manually such as with a template) . The composite toe band is actuated. At this time the side pads perform their clamping function by movement from their prewipe position rearward (if this option is activated) and toward the shoe (in X direction) to the position shown in Figure 13, (where the main slide adjustment stop 865 and cross slide stop plate 826 engage in their final camping, stop positions) . The side pads apply pressure to the sides of the last to retain the relative position of the upper to the last while the pincers are being released. At completion of cementing, the nozzles are lowered and returned to their initial position. This return movement signals the wiper cylinder 50 to extend, moving the cam plates 44 and attached wiper assemblies 38-42 forward. As the wipers move forward from the Figure 12 profile position, a series of individually adjustable rods 120 mounted for movement with the wiper connecting yoke 60 contacts a sensor arrangement 122 fixedly

(actually it has a slide mounting that is manually adjustable by means of a screw and knob for gang adjustment relative to the head slide) mounted to the head slide 48, and actuate the sensors (one per rod) as the wiper assemblies reach predetermined positions along their course of travel. In the preferred embodiment, these sensors take the form of roller actuated air limit valves that control air supply to the various operating cylinders. The position of these sensors, which may also be proximity sensors and associated actuator rods, therefore determine the sequence and timing of the pincer release, insole support drop, etc. The sequence continues as the toe wipers 38 begin to move under the shoe assembly 12 into the initial toe wiping position depicted in Figure 13. The dotted line 125 depicts the location of the innermost edge 38a of the toe wipers 38 relative to the insole edge. As the wipers move into the Figure 13 toe wiping position, the toe and corner pincers 24 open under the control of the sensor arrangement 122 and are quickly lowered under high pressure to provide clearance for the incoming wipers 38. A bedding timer is started and the side pincers 26 are sequentially opened under the control of the sensor arrangement 122 and then rapidly lowered under high pressure to provide clearance as the main wipers continue to move forward while pivoting inwardly about the vertex 36 towards the Figure 14 position where the toe and ball wipers 38,40 have contacted the shoe upper margin to apply wiping pressure.

In Figure 17, after the operator was satisfied that the margin had been loaded properly, the nozzles apply cement to the insole, the side pads move to the position shown in Figure 17, the wipers 20 begin forward travel, and a timer is activated that will delay the start of the side pad assemblies 200 from wiping the ball and shank portions of the shoe assembly (the delay may also be provided by a cam rod and limit valve mechanism) . From the Figure 17 cementing position in which the upper is firmly clamped to the last, the side pads maintain their position until the wipers are near the end of their wiping cycle and the side pad bedding timer activates the side pad bedding cycle. The inner pad cylinders 326 are shifted to high pressure, and extend, causing the inner pads to stretch down and around the bottom of the last, thereby wiping the margin against the last in a smooth, continuous motion which results in a wrinkle free, and well bedded shoe assembly as depicted in Figure 20. Figures 18-20 depict the wiping of the upper against the last that occurs starting at Figure 15, and ending at Figure 16.

Depending on how the fine height settings of the side pad assembly 200 have been made, the side pads 324, 325 may react somewhat differently during wiping. For example, if the fine height adjustment knob and limit screw arrangement 315 have been set such that there is no free play in the fine height adjustment mechanism 316, the return spring 854 is disabled, the wiping action of the side pads will rely generally only on the inherent stretchability in the side pads themselves as the pads are actuated to wipe under the shoe assembly. If the adjustments to the fine height limit 315 does not completely compress spring 854, then as the side pad cylinders extend, the side pads 325, 325 and the side pad mounting bracket 850 may pivot about axis 852. This would allow the side pads 324, 325 to draft (i.e. pull the top line of the upper towards the insole) the upper. This may be required on certain shoe styles.

The wipers 20 and the side pad assemblies 200 then complete their aforementioned range of motion, and the toe pad hold down is switched to a high pressure setting in order to bed the assembly and provide a flat, well adhered bottom.

The aforementioned toe, ball (optional) and side pad assemblies 38, 40 and 200 are maintained in the Figures 16 and 20 position (with the insole support 22 dropped to allow the shoe assembly 12 to rest only on the wiper assemblies with high pressure applied by the hold down 32) to provide bedding of the shoe assembly against the aforementioned wipers. As the bedding timer reaches the end of its cycle, the wiper assemblies 38, 40 and 200 begin to return to their original position depicted in Figure 11. The composite toe band retracts, the cone clamps (if so equipped) open, the heel slide moves back, the hold down 32 lifts and rotates out of the way, the insole support 22 returns to its initial position, the heel offset is toggled to the next position, the side pad main wiper and cross slide and wiper cylinders 226, 814, 323 and 326 retract, the pincer plate swing table returns to its initial position, all pincers 24,26 are raised to their start position, and the lasted shoe is delivered to a catch pan. Machine 10 is then ready to last the next shoe in the unique manner described above.

In the preferred embodiment of each side pad assembly 200 described hereinabove, there are preferably four each of inside pad cylinders 326 and outside pad cylinders 323. This feature allows the rod extension of each outside pad cylinder 323 to be adjusted individually to better approximate the actual last shape, the adjustment preferably being made when the pads are at rest and so as to obtain a better fit against the last when the pads come into the position depicted in Figure 13.

In the design of the preferred embodiment, the inner pad cylinders 326 are mounted with their rear pivot points 320 to the right and well below the cylinder rod extension/pad mounting points 321,322 depicted in Figure 9 of the drawing. This configuration is a compromise that allows both horizontal and vertical force components exerted by the cylinder to be transmitted to the pads so that the pads would move horizontally, pivot about the corner of the last/insole assembly, wipe the upper margin around the corner, and position the ends of the pads under the shoe assembly (e.g., Figure 20) where they are in a position to apply a bedding (vertical) force.

For certain types of lasting, such as flat lasting, and for many sizes and styles of women's shoes, the Figure 9 design works well. However, for some styles, particularly those shoes with higher heel heights, the transition from the horizontal to the angle in the shank area is enough to cause the fine height adjustment to become critical. In some cases, the full range of sizes for a particular style of shoe will require that an adjustment be made to the fine height setting. This may be unacceptable in a production environment. A possible solution is to raise the rear mounting position of the inside pad cylinder 326 from the original position depicted at 1100 in Figure 21 to the higher position of cylinder 326 depicted in Figure 21. This raised positioning would ensure that the pad 325 would wipe around the shoe. However, with only two sets of cylinders 323,326 with the inside cylinder 326 being positioned at the higher position in Figure 21, there exists the possibility that even though the pad 325 has wiped the shank area, and positioned itself under the margin, there may be insufficient vertical force applied by the pad to the margin to provide the proper bedding required to form a good flat bond.

To avoid the foregoing problem, a third set of cylinders 1150 extending in a generally vertical direction (Figure 21) are pivotally connected to the gross height adjustment plate 312 and the piston rod or extension of inside cylinders 326. With this design, the inside cylinders 326, extending generally in a horizontal direction, are predominantly used to wrap the upper margin around the top line of the insole. Thereafter, the inside cylinders 1150 are extended to impart a predominantly vertical bedding force to form a good bond. As depicted in Figure 21, inside bedding cylinders 1150 include a lower pivot point 1152 interconnected to gross height adjustment bracket 213 through an inwardly extending bracket projection 312a and a mounting bracket 1154 projecting downwardly from an inwardly extending distal end of the bracket projection. The upper pivot 1154 of the inside bedding cylinder piston rod 1156 which may have an extension 1158 is interconnected to the distal end of the piston rods of cylinders 326 through a bracket 1160 welded thereto. In this manner, with reference to Figure 22, the inside bedding cylinder piston rod 1156 may be extended, following extension of the wrap around cylinder 326, in order to provide proper bedding force in the Figure 20 position. Preferably, the longitudinal axis of each inside bedding cylinder 1150 is in alignment with pivot 1154 and the ball and socket pivot 321 of the wrap under inside cylinder 326 in order to minimize any bending forces induced in the horizontally extending inside cylinder 326 by the vertically extending cylinder 1150.

The inside bedding cylinders 1150 are also preferably pneumatic cylinders. The cylinders 1150 are pressurized to extend piston cylinder rods 1156. After bedding, air is released from these cylinders 1150 after the other cylinders 323,326 have had air pressure released to retract.

All of the cylinders 323, 326 and 1150 described hereinabove, may have their pivotal connections formed either through spherical joints or clevis attachments to the pads 324,325. The cylinder rod extensions 1158, as mentioned above, preferably are connected to an offset bracket 1160 attached to the rod extensions of cylinders 326.

Figure 23 is a front elevational view illustration of a third embodiment wherein cylinders 323,326 are in the same positions as in the Figure 9 embodiment, and inside bedding cylinder 1150 has a pivotal connection of the bedding cylinder located immediately adjacent and below the corresponding connection of the wrap under cylinder 326. The gross height adjustment bracket 312 is formed with an inwardly and slightly downwardly extending projection 1200 to which a bell crank 1225 is pivotally connected at 1227. Bell crank 1225 includes a downwardly projecting crank arm 1230 pivotally connected to inside bedding cylinder extension 1158 at 1232, and further includes an upwardly extending crank arm 1232 adapted to slidably press against a pin 1234 attached to bracket 1236 welded to the piston rod extension of cylinder 326. Retraction of cylinder 1150 causes bell crank 1225 to rotate about pivot 1227 in a counterclockwise direction. This causes upper crank arm 1233 to descend which presses against pin 1234. In this design, the third set of cylinders 1150 applies no bedding forces but ensures that there is enough horizontal force to wipe around and under the last. Bedding force would be supplied by the original side pad cylinders 326.

Figure 25 is an illustration of a third embodiment that is conceptually similar to Figure 23 wherein cylinder 1150 is mounted to bracket 850 and extends downwardly to force the inside pad 325 down, in cooperation with the extension of cylinder 326, to ensure that the inside pad is forced under the shoe against the insole. In this embodiment, the cylinder 1150 is pivotally connected to bracket 1236 at 1275.

Certain styles of women's shoes are more difficult to produce with a smooth flat bottom than other styles. Also, in some styles, a wrinkle will tend to develop at the ball break, proximate the inner face of the toe and ball wipers and the side pads 324,325. One method of eliminating this problem is to bring the side pads into contact with the upper and, as the side pads begin to wipe under the shoe assembly 12, to force the pads to slip towards the heel of the shoe, using the cam plates as the driving member. This embodiment is depicted in Figure 25. This ensures that the appropriate movement occurs at the proper time in the wiping cycle. More specifically, the bottom edge 1300 of the wiper cam is shaped so that it bears upon a cam follower 1310 (e.g., attached to a bracket 1312 mounted to the main slide casting 230) and overcome the forces applied by the main slide positioning cylinders 226 so as to drive the side pad assemblies towards the heel of the shoe. This displaces the upper margin enough to spread the material and smooth out the wrinkle. As mentioned, the cam follower 1310 can be attached by means of a mounting bracket 1312, fixedly attached to the main slide casting such as at cross slide bearing housing 800 in Figure 7. It is to be understood that this method of cam actuation is optional and preferred for use under the circumstances described above.

It will be readily seen by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention fulfills all of the objects set forth above. After reading the foregoing specification, one of ordinary skill will be able to effect various changes, substitutions of equivalents and various other aspects of the invention as broadly disclosed herein. It is therefore intended that the protection granted hereon be limited only by the definition contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A device for toe and ball and shank lasting of a shoe unit including a last with a shoe upper superimposed thereon and an insole arranged on the last bottom, comprising a shoe support acting against the shoe bottom to support the shoe unit, a heel support movable towards and away from said shoe support; main wipers seated above the shoe support for linear movement and pivotal movement about a vertex, said main wipers being provided with corresponding drive units connected to a machine frame for moving them, in a combined longitudinal and pivotal inward movement, below the contour of a shoe unit placed on the shoe support, wiping simultaneously the lasting margin of the upper against the insole; and further comprising side pad assemblies, respectively mounted adjacent the ball wipers, to engage and wipe shank portions of the last.

2. The lasting device of claim 1, wherein said side pad assemblies are mounted to the machine frame.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each main wiper further includes a ball wiper mounted thereto.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said side pad assemblies are connected to the machine frame through a main slide assembly movable in the X direction and a cross slide assembly, mounted to the main slide assembly and being movable in a Y direction.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said cross slide assembly includes bracket means for adjusting the positioning of the side pads about axes parallel to the X axis and the Z axis.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein each side pad assembly includes an inside pad and an outside pad disposed adjacent each other and extending in Z-Y planes, and further including two sets of cylinders, one set of cylinders being pivotally connected to move the outside pad in the X direction and the other set of cylinders being connected to move the inside pads in the X direction.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a third set of cylinders, connected to the inside pad, and extending in a generally vertical direction for actuation to apply a bedding force against the shoe upper margin through the inside pad.

8. A method of lasting a toe and ball and shank of a shoe unit including a last with a shoe upper superimposed thereon and an insole arranged on the last bottom, comprising the steps of : (a) supporting the shoe unit in a lasting machine;

(b) stretching the upper on the last with pincers;

(c) wiping the toe and ball portions of the upper while sequentially releasing the toe, side and ball pincers; (d) engaging sides of the last with portions of a side pad assembly during step (c) to maintain the upper in stretched condition within this region as the remaining pincers release from the upper; and

(e) wiping the shank portions of the upper by moving the side pads inwardly while maintaining the upper in stretched condition with said side pads.