WO2004073442A1

WO2004073442A1 - Machine for machining shoe soles

Info

Publication number: WO2004073442A1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/050176
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pio Simoni
Original assignee: Meccanica Pio Simoni Ditta Individuale
Priority date: 2003-02-21
Filing date: 2004-02-20
Publication date: 2004-09-02
Also published as: WO2004073442A8; ITBO20030088A1

Abstract

In a machine for machining shoe soles (2), a sole (2) and a tool (51) are moved with respect to each other in two perpendicular directions (11, 13) and about a first axis (29) perpendicular to a first plane (P1) defined by the directions (11, 13), and are oriented with respect to each other about a second axis (43) substantially parallel to the first plane (P1); the combination of the movements in the two directions (11, 13) and about the first axis (29) enabling the tool (51) to engage a lateral edge (5) of the sole (2), and the second axis (43) to be maintained at all times, in use, coplanar with or parallel to a second plane (P2) of tangency between the sole (2) and the tool (51).

Description

MACHINE FOR MACHINING SHOE SOLES

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a machine for machining shoe soles . BACKGROUND ART

In the shoe industry, a machine of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2 is used to machine soles A by means of at least one normally substantially cylindrical tool B. Each sole A comprises a first face C on which the foot rests on sole A; a second face D by which sole A rests on the ground; and a lateral edge E connecting first and second faces C and D. The machine normally comprises first and second actuating means (not shown) for moving tool B and a relative sole A with respect to each other in a given plane (in the example shown, the plane of Figures 1 and 2) so that tool B engages lateral edge E of sole A; and the first and second actuating means (not shown) are normally designed to move sole A respectively in a direction F substantially parallel to said plane, and about a first axis G substantially perpendicular to the plane .

The machine also comprises orienting means (not shown) for orienting tool B, as a function of the shape of lateral edge E of sole A, about a second axis H, normally parallel to said plane and perpendicular to direction F, so as to tilt tool B correctly at a generating line I of the tool.

Known machines of the type described above have several drawbacks, mainly due to the fact that, in use, tool B only engages lateral edge E at generating line I, and therefore with the correct tilt about second axis H, in certain given positions of sole A with respect to tool B (Figure 1) . Consequently, when tool B engages lateral edge E at generating lines L (Figure 2) other than generating line I, the tilt of generating lines L differs from the correct tilt of generating line I about second axis H, thus resulting in relatively imprecise machining of lateral edge E.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for machining shoe soles, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.

According to the present invention, there is provided a machine for machining shoe soles, as claimed in Claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 3 shows a first schematic side view, with parts removed for clarity, of a preferred embodiment of the machine for machining shoe soles according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a second schematic side view, with parts removed for clarity, of the Figure 3 machine;

Figures 5 to 8 show, schematically, the Figure 3 and 4 machine in three different operating positions; Figure 9 shows, schematically, a variation of the Figure 3 and 4 machine in a given operating position.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figures 3, 4 and 8, number 1 indicates as a whole a machine for machining soles 2 of shoes (not shown) , each of which comprises, in the example shown, two parallel, contoured, substantially flat faces 3 and 4, of which face 3 is a face supporting the foot on sole 2, and face 4 is a face by which sole 2 rests on the ground; a lateral edge 5 connected to the two faces 3 and 4 at respective annular connecting lines 6 and 7; and a heel 8 fixed to one end of face 4.

As shown in Figure 3, machine 1 comprises a fixed frame 9, in turn comprising an elongated bed 10 extending in a horizontal direction 11, and an elongated gantry 12 extending in a vertical direction 13 crosswise to direction 11.

Machine 1 also comprises a supporting device 14 for supporting, in the example shown, two soles 2, and comprising a bracket 15 which projects from gantry 12 in direction 11, is fitted to and slides along two guides 16 fitted to gantry 12 and parallel to direction 13, and is also fitted td a screw 17 by a screw-nut screw coupling of a relative actuating device 18, a motor 19 of which rotates screw 17 to move bracket 15 linearly along guides 16 in direction 13.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, bracket 15 supports a slide 20 which is fitted to and slides along two guides 21 fitted to bracket 15 and parallel to direction 11- and is also fitted to a screw 22 by a screw-nut screw coupling of a relative actuating device 23, a motor 24 of which rotates screw 22 to move slide 20 linearly along guides 21 in direction 11. As shown in Figure 4, slide 20 supports two gripping devices 25, each for gripping a relative sole 2, and each comprising a substantially flat supporting plate 26 which is parallel to directions 11 and 13, and is fitted to a powered shaft 27 fitted to slide 20 to rotate, with respect to slide 20 and driven by a motor 28 normally common to both plates 26, about an axis 29 parallel to a direction 30 perpendicular to directions 11 and 13.

A substantially U-shaped supporting bracket 31, with its concavity facing upwards, is fixed to slide 20, and supports, at its free ends, two actuating cylinders 32 (only one shown in Figure 4) , each of which is mounted coaxially with axis 29 and facing a respective plate 26, and has an output rod 33 movable between a withdrawn position and an extracted position.

Rod 33 supports a pressure member 34 which is defined by a surface 35 facing relative plate 26, is fitted to rod 33 is rotary and axially fixed manner to rotate with respect to rod 33 about axis 29, and is movable between a gripping position (not shown) gripping a sole 2 against relative plate 26, and a release position (Figure 4) releasing sole 2.

With reference to Figure 3, the initial position of each sole 2 on supporting device 14 is determined by two perpendicular locating members 36 and 37 fixed to a free end of an oscillating arm 38, which is hinged to bed 10 to oscillate, with respect to bed 10 and under the control of an actuating cylinder 39 interposed between arm 38 and bed 10, about a hinge axis 38a parallel to axis 29, and between a raised work position (shown by the continuous line in Figure 3) , in which members 36 and 37 are perpendicular to directions 11 and 13 respectively, and a lowered rest position (shown by the dash line in Figure 3), in which members 36 and 37 release relative sole 2.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, machine 1 also comprises an operating unit 40, in turn comprising two uprights 41, each of which is hinged to gantry 12 at a respective substantially fork-shaped end 41a to oscillate, with respect to gantry 12 and under the control of an actuating device 42, about a respective hinge axis 43 parallel to direction 11. Device 42 comprises two sector gears 44 which mesh with each other and are fitted in angularly fixed manner to uprights 41 to oscillate about relative axes 43 (one clockwise and the other anticlockwise) under the control of a motor 45, an output shaft of which is connected in known manner to one of sector gears 44.

Each upright 41 supports a bracket 46 which projects from upright 41 in direction 11, is fitted in sliding manner to upright 41, and is also fitted to a screw 47 by a screw-nut screw coupling of a relative actuating device 48, a motor 49 of which rotates screw 47 to move bracket 46 linearly along upright 41 in a direction 50, the orientation of which depends on the angular position of upright 41 about relative axis 43. Bracket 46 is fitted on its free end with a cylindrical tool 51 for machining a relative sole 2 and which is fitted to a shaft 52. Shaft 52 is fitted to bracket 46 to rotate, with respect to bracket 46, about a longitudinal axis 53, the orientation of which depends on the angular position of relative upright 41 about relative axis 43, and is also connected to an output shaft of a motor 54 by a belt drive 55.

Both tools 51 have respective dressing rollers 56 which work on relative tools 51 according to the wear of tools 51, and are fitted in rotary manner to the free ends of respective supporting arms 57 fixed to a shaft 58, which is fixed in rotary manner to gantry 12 to oscillate, with respect to gantry 12 and under the control of an actuating cylinder 59 interposed between gantry 12 and shaft 58, about a hinge axis 60 substantially parallel to direction 30, and between a work position (shown by the continuous line in Figure 3), in which rollers 56 engage relative tools 51, and a rest position (shown by the dash line in Figure 3) .

Operation of machine 1 will now be described with reference to Figures 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8, with reference to the machining of one sole 2 by relative tool 51, and as of the instant in which: relative oscillating arm 38 is in the raised work position with relative locating members 36 and 37 perpendicular to directions 11 and 13 respectively; the sole 2 considered is positioned with face 3 contacting supporting plate 26, and with lateral edge 5 contacting members 36 and 37; and relative pressure member 34 is in the gripping position.

At this point, oscillating arm 38 is moved into the lowered rest position to detach members 36 and 37 from sole 2, and bracket 46 is moved along upright 41 in direction 50 to position tool 51 correctly, as a function of its diameter, in a position tangent to axis 43.

Once machine 1 is set up, and by combining the movements of bracket 15 in direction 13, of slide 20 in direction 11, and of gripping device 25 about axis 29, sole 2 and tool 51 are moved with respect to each other in a plane PI (Figure 8) substantially parallel to plate 26, and therefore to axis 43, so that tool 51 engages lateral edge 5 of sole 2.

As tool 51 moves around sole 2, actuating device 42 controls the angular position of upright 41, and therefore of bracket 46, about relative axis 43 as a function of the tilt of edge 5 with respect to plane PI, so as to keep tool 51 in contact with edge 5.

In this connection, it should be pointed out that, by combining the movements of bracket 15 in direction 13, of slide 20 in direction 11, and of gripping device 25 about axis 29, tool 51 can be moved around edge 5, and axis 43 can be maintained, in use, simultaneously tangent at all times to annular connecting line 6 and to tool 51, so that tool 51 engages edge 5 at all times at the same generating line 61, and with the correct tilt about axis 43.

In a variation not shown, operating unit 40 is designed so that axis 43 is parallel to plane PI and movable in direction 30 into positions, in direction 30, other than that shown in Figures 5 to 8; in which case, by combining the movements of bracket 15 in direction 13, of slide 20 in direction 11, of gripping device 25 about axis 29, and of axis 43 in direction 30, axis 43 is maintained at all times coplanar with or parallel to a plane P2 (Figure 8) of tangency between sole 2 and tool 51.

The Figure 9 variation differs from what is shown in the previous Figures by machine 1 machining a sole 2 with non-flat faces 3 and 4. In this case, supporting device 14 and operating unit 40 are designed to also move sole 2 and tool 51 with respect to each other in direction 30 and about an axis 62 substantially perpendicular to axis 53 and coplanar with face 3, to enable tool 51 to move along edge 5.

It should be pointed out that the Figure 9 variation of machine 1 provides for machining sole 2 both before and after sole 2 is fitted to the relative shoe (not shown) .

Claims

1) A machine for machining shoe soles (2), the machine comprising at least one tool (51) for machining a lateral edge (5) of a relative said sole (2) ; first and second actuating means (18, 25) for moving the tool (51) and the sole (2) with respect to each other in a given first plane (PI) , said first and second actuating means (18, 25) moving the tool (51) and the sole (2) with respect to each other in a first direction (13) substantially parallel to said first plane (PI) , and about a first axis (29) substantially perpendicular to the first plane (PI) , respectively; and first orienting means (42) for orienting the tool (51) and the sole (2) with respect to each other about a second axis (43) substantially parallel to said first plane (PI) ; and being characterized by also comprising third actuating means (23) for moving the tool (51) and the sole (2) with respect to each other in a second direction (11) substantially parallel to said first plane (PI) ; the combination of the movements in said first and said second direction (13, 11) and about said first axis (29) enabling the tool (51) to engage said edge (5) , and said second axis (43) to be maintained at all times, in use, coplanar with or parallel to a second plane (P2) of tangency between the tool (51) and the sole (2) .

2) A machine as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the movements in said first and said second direction (13, 11) are linear; the first direction (13) being perpendicular to the second direction (11) .

3) A machine as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said sole (2) comprises a first face (3) on which the foot rests on the sole (2), and a second face (4) by which the sole (2) rests on the ground, said first and said second face (3, 4) being connected to said edge (5) at a first and a second annular connecting line (6, 7) respectively; and said second axis (43) being tangent, in use, to said first or said second annular connecting line (6, 7).

4) A machine as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said second axis (43) is tangent, in use, , to said first annular connecting line (6) . 5) A machine as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, wherein said second actuating means (25) comprise gripping means (26, 34) for engaging said first and said second face (3, 4) .

6) A machine as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, and also comprising locating means (37, 36) for defining an initial position of said sole (2) in said first and said second direction (13, 11) .

7) A machine as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, and also comprising fourth actuating means for moving the tool (51) and the sole (2) with respect to each other in a third direction (30) substantially perpendicular to said first and said second direction (13, 11) . 8) A machine as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, wherein the tool (51) is mounted to rotate about a respective longitudinal third axis (53) ; second orienting means orienting the tool (51) and the sole (2) with respect to each other about a fourth axis (62) substantially perpendicular to said third axis (53) .

9) A machine as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said sole (2) comprises a first face (3) on which the foot rests on the sole (2), and a second face (4) by which the sole (2) rests on the ground; said fourth axis (62) being coplanar, in use, with said first face (3) .

10) A machine as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, and also comprising fifth actuating means (48) for selectively controlling the position of the tool (51) and of the sole (2) with respect to each other as a function of the diameter of the tool (51) .