US2001002A - Cement sole-attaching machine - Google Patents

Description

y 1935. w. D. THOMAS 2,001,002

' CEMENT SOLE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Dad. 7, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 14,1935. w. D THOM AS 2,001,002

CEMENT SOLE ATTACHING MACHINE a Filed Dec. 7, 19:52 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tig". 2.

May 1935. w. D. THOMAS 2,l,@2

CEMENT SOLE ATTACHING MACHINE I Filed Dec. 7, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 m 180 m9 924 we Z EU/K g 45 W 122 a I A May 14, 1935. w. D. THQMAS CEMENT .SQLE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 1932 S heets-sheet- 4.

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Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CEMENT SOLE-ATTACHING MACHINE ,William D. Thomas, Lynnfield, Mass, assignor to United Shoe, Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. La corporation of New Jersey Application December 7, 1932, Serial No. 646,156 39 Claims. (o 12-33) 5 shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,897,105, granted February 14, 1933, on the application of MiltonH. Ballard. It is to be understood, however, that in some .of its novel and useful aspects the present invention is not limited to machines of that particular type.

Machines for cement-attaching soles to shoes of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned patent are provided with pressure-applying means comprisinga pair of levers for engaging plungers carried by a presser unit or pad box mounted. on the machine, the plungers being constructed and arranged to apply pressure to a shoe positioned on the pad box. The pad box utilized in such machines, as illustrated in the a patent referred to,comprises a hollow flexible pad containing a fiuid,a box-like member for confining the pad constructed and arranged to expose onewall thereof for the reception of a 'sole and shoe, and presser members or plungers mounted on the box-like member and arranged to, engage the shoe to apply preliminary pressurethereto prior to-the application of afinal or sole-attaching pressure, and to receive the thrust caused by this sole-attaching pressure. The pad box is also provided with means for deforming a wall of the flexible pad to cause the final pressure to be transmitted through the fluid to press the sole forcibly against the shoe bottom, the preliminary pressure. being maintained by locking means mounted on the pad box and coacting with the plungers.

The preliminary pressure is applied to the shoe and sole for the purpose of holding them in proper position relatively to each other after they have been located on the pad by positioning mechanism fully shown and described in the Ballard patent referred to above. The preliminary pressure, however, notonly prevents the shoe and sole from becoming displaced rela-* tively to each other on the pad, but it also de-,

presses or sinks the sole and shoe into the pad, thereby securing a better contact of the sole with the shoe bottom before the final pressure is applied. When the final pressure is applied by deforming the lower wall of the pad, the distortion thereof will cause the sole to'be pressed forcibly against the shoe bottom, and will assure a more solid and permanent attachment of the sole to the shoe than could be obtained if the sole and shoe had not been pressed into the pad before the final pressure was applied.

Heretofore in machines of this type the preliminary pressure has been applied directly by the operator through treadle-operated mechalevers to force the plungers against the last and shoe, these pressure-applying levers being loosely connected to each other by a horizontal rod which is engaged by a dog adiustably mounted on an intermediate lever. The intermediate lever is connected to the treadle by a treadle rod and the arrangement of the mechanism is such that the pressure exerted on the horizontal rod will be distributed between the pressureapplying levers in pressing the shoe against the pad. When the treadle is depressed by the operator the pressure-applying levers are rotated about their pivots to force the plungers into engagement with the last and shoe, thereby pressing the shoe'and sole firmly against the supporting surface of the pad.

' Itwill be seen from the above that in order to apply preliminary pressure to a shoe in such a manner as to cause the shoe and sole to be pressed into the pad a suitable distance regardless of thesize of the particular shoe being operated upon, the operator must not only apply the preliminary pressure manually by exerting thenecessary pressure on the treadle himself, but he must also judge the amount of pressure that he should exert on the treadle in order to obtain the proper results, since different shoes will require difierentpressures to sink them into the pad the desired distance. Generally speaking, it has been found that the amount of preliminary pressure required to press a shoe and sole into the pad a predetermined distance prior to the application of the final pressure is substantially the same for each unit of bottom area of the shoe, irrespective of the size of the shoe operated upon. In other words, the amount of preliminary pressure required to press a large shoe a given distance into the pad will average substantially the same for each unit of area of the bottom surface of the shoe as the pressure per unit of bottom area necessary to sink a small shoe approximately the same distance into the pad. From the above it follows that a large shoe, having a greater sole area than a small shoe, will necessarily require a greater preliminary pressure than the small shoe inyorder to average til by to insure that both shoes will be pressed into the pad approximately the same distance.

Under present conditions considerable labor is involved in applying this preliminary pressure and, when it is continued for several hours, the operator becomes fatigued. Moreover, it is not always possible for the operator to judge accurately the amount of pressure he must exert on the treadle to produce the proper amount of preliminary pressure for the particular shoe operated upon, which pressure, as stated, should average substantially the same for each unit of area of the shoe bottom in order to cause the shoes to be pressed into the pad a uniform distance irrespective of variation in the size of the shoes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved power-operated mechanism for applying preliminary pressure to a shoe and sole mounted on a flexible pad, this mechanism being constructed and arranged automatically to vary the pressure substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe being operated upon so that each shoe will be pressed into the pad approximately the same distance irrespective of its size.

To the attainment of this object and in accordance with a feature of the invention novel means is provided in the illustrated machine for utilizing the power of the machine to apply preliminary pressure to a shoe and sole, this means, as illustrated, including a friction clutch comprising driving and driven elements constructed and arranged to actuate the pressure-applying mechanism in such a manner that when the sole and shoe have been subjected to the proper preliminary pressure for the size of shoe being operated upon, the clutch elements will slip, thus preventing the application of further pressure to the sole and shoe. The pressure-applying mechanism includes a pair of levers pivoted for movement toward and away from a shoe on a last and a sole mounted on the pad, these levers having an adjustable connection with an intermediate lever which. is connected by a rod to a reciprocatory rack, the racl; being actuated, by a pinion secured to the shaft which carries the clutch elements. Upon engagement of the driving element of the clutch with the driven element the rack is reciprocated to rotate the pivoted levers into engagement with a pair of shoe engaging devices or plungers to move these plungers into contact with the cone of the last and the iorepart of the shoe and thus press the sole and shoe forcibly into the flexible supporting wall or" the pad, this preliminary pressure being maintained by the locking means previously referred to.

In accordance with another feature of the invention novel means is provided for automatically limiting and controlling the preliminary pressure substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe being operated upon so that the same average pressure per unit of bottom area will be applied to each shoe irrespective of its size and thus cause the shoe to be pressed into the pad approximately the same distance whether it is a large shoe or a small shoe. As illustrated, the friction clutch is actuated by treadle-operated mechanism which applies pressure yieldingly to the clutch elements, these elements being constructed and arranged to operate the pressure-applying mechanism only until the resistance oiiered thereto is equal to the pressure holding the clutch elements in operative relation to each other. In the construction shown, the means for controlling and limiting the preliminary pressure in accordance with the size of the shoe includes a variable treadle stop which limits movement of the treadle in applying pressure to the clutch elements, this treadle stop being automatically positioned by the position of the top of the last in the shoe which is being operated upon or, in other words, in accordance with the height of such last. The position of the top of the last is controlled by two factors, first, by the height of the last itself, which is determined by the size of the shoe, and, secondly, by the area of the bottom surface of the shoe. The areas of the bottom surfaces of shoes will diiler in shoes of different sizes and these areas may also differ in shoes of the same size but of different styles. For example, the bottom area of a shoe having a broad toe may be greater than the bottom area of a shoe having a narrow toe although both shoes may take lasts of substantially the same heights. The shoe having the greater bot tom area, however, will not be sunk so far into the pad by a given amount of pressure as the shoe with the smaller bottom area. Consequently, the top of the last in such a shoe will not be lowered as much as the top of the last of the smaller shoe and the treadle stop will not be moved so far, even though the heights of the lasts in the shoes are substantially the same. Since the treadle stop will be moved less when the larger shoe is on the pad the treadle will be depressed a greater distance before it contacts with the stop, thereby exerting a greater pressure on the clutch elements. These same principles, namely, that the position of the top of the last in the shoe which is being operated upon is controlled both by the height of the last and by the bottom area of the shoe, and that this position automatically limits the pressure applied to clutch elements in accordance with the size of the shoe, will apply, of course, when operating on shoes of the same style but of different sizes and which consequently require lasts of different heights.

Since the power exerted by the clutch elements to operate the pressure-applying mechanism determines the pressure applied to the sole andshoe, it will be seen that the preliminary pressure applied to each sole and shoe is automatically determined by the size of the shoe being operated upon. The arrangement is such that this pressure will average substantially the same for each unit of area of the shoe bottom irrespective of the size of the shoe. Accordingly, each shoe and sole will be sunk into the pad approximately the same distance before the final pressure is applied, thereby insuring that the shoe and sole will be held in proper position relatively to each other on the pad and will be sunk far enough into the pad to receive the full benefit of the sole-attaching or final pressure when it is applied.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a machine for cement-attaching soles to shoes embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with parts broken away and in section;

the pad 20.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section illustrating onan enlarged scale the construction of the clutch mechanism and parts associated therewith; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the pad'box with a shoe on the pad, theshoe and table being shownin full with the parts in the positions they assume when preliminary pressure is being applied to the shoe. i

The illustrated machine is of the type disclosed in'the above-mentionedBallard Patent No. 1,897,105,"the present invention being embodied in mechanism for applying preliminary pressure to a shoe and sole mounted on a-pad box positioned on the table of the machine. Since the details of many portions of the ma chine of the Ballard patent are of no conse quence in so far as the present inventionis concerned, a complete disclosure of that machine is believed to be unnecessary and reference may be had to the patent mentioned for a full disclosure of such parts of the machine as are not illustrated and described herein.

The illustrated machine is provided with a the illustrated machine is provided with means,

frame comprisingatable l supported by legs 12 and arranged to receive a pad box I 4 (Figs. 1 and 2) on which a shoe l6 and a sole l8 (Fig.

4) may be pressed forcibly together and held in such position while the cement, by which the sole is to be attached to the shoe, sets. The machine is provided with means (not shown) for positioning the shoe and solefrelatively to each other before the preliminary pressure is applied, which means is of the character dis-V closed in theBallard patent mentioned above.

The pad box M, as illustrated in the abovementioned patent, comprises a hollow pad member (Fig. 4) contained in a box-like confining member 22, preferably an aluminum casting,

having at its top a steel plate 24 provided with an opening 26 for exposing the top wall 2f of The opening 26 is shaped to conform to the general outline of the sole of a shoe and is sufficiently large to permit the sole of the largest shoe which is to be operated upon to be placed on the exposed wall 2! of the pad. An adjustable mask plate 23 is interposed between the plate 24 and the top wall of the pad at its forward end to prevent excessive distortion or bulging of the pad when the final pressure is applied by the pad, the heel end of the pad being provided with a metal plate 25 'vulcanized into the pad for the same purpose.

'Thepad is filled with fluid, for example, water,

and the box-like confining'member 22 is provided with a door-like bottommember 28 pivoted at 30. The pad box I4 is also provided with a swingingbail or yoke 32 (Fig. 1) having a last-engaging plunger 34 which may be brought into position over the heel end of a lasted shoe placed. on the pad 20, and with another bail 36 yokes 36, 32"and-engaging ratchet teeth formed in the plungers 38, 34 to prevent upward movement of the plungers except when the pawls are withdrawn. i

In order that the different kinds of pressure referred to herein may not be confused with each various terms. used. The term to a depending arm of the lever 52. clutch-controlling lever 66 is depressed to trip other, it is deemed advisable at this point to explain briefly the meanings intended by the preliminary pressure as used hereinafter in the description and claims is intended to apply to the pressure exerted by the presser members or plungers which preliminarily press the shoe and sole against the pad, and the term final pressure to the pressure exerted against the shoe and sole by the pad itself through the distortion of its exposed wall. The term pressure when used alone should notbe'construed as necessarily indicating the total pressure applied to the shoe and sole, that is, the sum of the preliminary pressure and the final or sole-attaching pres-- sure. When theterm pressure is unqualified; for example, by the word preliminary." or the word final, it refers to that one of these two kinds of pressure to which the mechanism then.

When 1 under consideration obviously relates. the total pressure is intended the full expression will be used. i

' The preliminary pressure having been applied,

for distorting the exposed wall of .the pad to applyfinal pressure to press the sole forcibly against the shoe bottom, power-operated mechanism being provided for this purpose of a character fully shown and described in the Ballard patent previouslymentioned and comprisi ing a plunger 40 mounted for reciprocatory movement in the table II] and arranged to engage the door-like member 28 to rock it upwardly and thereby distort the bottom wall of theyieldablepad member 20. This dilates the upper wall of the pad causing it to bulge more or less around the sole, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby pressing the sole forcibly against the shoe bottom. The plunger 40 is forced upwardly by the forward end of a lever 42 (Fig. 1) fulcrumed at 44 beneath the table Ill and pivoted at its rear end to a downwardly extending link 46 which, in turn, is pivoted at 48 to the intermediate portion of a forwardly extending arm 50 42 about its pivot 44 in a clockwise direction, as J viewed in Fig. l, and thus elevate the plunger 41] to its pressure-applying position, butis prevented from so doing by mechanism which controls the action of the weight 58.

a 'The mechanism for controlling the action of the weight 58 comprises a main power'shaft 60 journaled in suitable hearings in the legs 12 of the table if! and rotated by a motor (not shown) through gearing 62' driven by a one-revolution clutch 64, the operation of the clutch being controlled by a hand lever 6E5. Fast upon the shaft 60 is an eccentric 68 (Fig. 1) which is engaged by and cooperates with a shoe lli pivoted at 12 When the the clutch 64, the shaft 60 is rotated through a single revolution in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1 so that the eccentric 68 will permitthe arm 50 of the bell crank lever 52 to move downwardly under the influence of the weight 58, thus rocking the lever 42 in a clockwise direction and forcing the plunger 4|] upwardly against the pivoted bottom member 28 of the pad box M. The door-like bottom member 28 is forced upwardly to distort the pad 20 and thereby transmit a final pressure of approximately 60 pounds to the square inch to the shoe bottom. The door-like member 28 is locked in displaced position by a latch illustrated at I4 (Fig. 4), after which the pad box may be removed from the machine and the shoe and sole held under pressure until the cement has set, the latch 14 being operated automatically by mechanism described in the Ballard patent mentioned above.

Turning now to the mechanism embodying the present invention which is utilized, as illustrated herein, for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole by power, a bracket 16 (Fig. 1) projects upwardly from the rear of the table I0 and carries the fulcrum I8 of a pair of forwardly projecting levers 80, 82 provided at their forward ends with fiat surfaces 84, 86 for engagement respectively with the tops of the plungers 34, 38 when the levers 80, 82 are rocked downwardly. Each of the levers 60, 82 is provided with a tension spring 88 connected at one end to the extreme rear end of the lever and at, the other end to the bracket 16 so that the forward ends of the levers are normally held upwardly away from the positions occupied by the plungers 34, 38 before pressure is applied to the shoe. Adjustable stops, illustrated as screws 98 carried by each of the levers 66, 82, engage projections or lugs 92 formed on the upper end of the bracket I6, thereby limiting the upward movement of the levers.

The levers 80, 82 are connected about midway of their lengths by a rod 94 (Fig. l) theends of which are loosely engaged in circular openings formed in the levers. An intermediate lever 96, also pivoted on the fulcrum I8 and held upwardly by a spring 89 secured to the bracket 76, extends forwardly between the levers 80, 82, and carries at its forward end a dog 38 the lower end of which is provided with a semicylindrical recess or seat for engaging the rod 94. A screw 6|, carried by a downwardly extend arm 95 of the lever 96, engages the bracket 76 to limit upward movement of the lever under the action of the spring 89. The dog 68 is threaded to receive a relatively coarse screw (not shown) formed on or secured to a shaft I00 journaled in an upstanding portion of the lever 96, and a hand wheel I02 is provided to turn the shaft and adjust the dog 98 to the right or left along the rod 94. The relation of the connections between the levers 30, 82 and the intermediate lever 96 is in this way varied so that pressure exerted by the lever 96 will be distributed between the levers 80, 82. A lower arm 9'. of the lever 96 is connected to a link I04, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a reciprocatory rack I06 mounted for vertical sliding movement in ways formed in a casing I08 bolted at H0, H2 and H4 to a casting iII extending between the legs E2 of the frame of the machine and forming a part of the frame. The upper end of the rack I06 is bifurcated to receive the lower end of the link I04 and a pin H6, having an enlarged portion II 8 extending beyond the rack on one side, completes the connection.

A short horizontal shaft I20, extending forwardly and rearwardly of the machine and journaled in bearings in the casing I68 and in a cover plate I09 fastened to the forward end of the casing by screws I22, has a pinion I24 secured thereon near its forward end, the teeth of which mesh with teeth I25 formed on the rack I06 so that when the shaft I20 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, the rack will be reciprocated downwardly to lower the levers 60, 82 by means of the link I04 and connections already described. The casing I08 is bored at I27 (Fig. 3) to form an opening to receive the pinion I24, this opening being deep enough to permit a limited amount of longitudinal movement of the pinion I24 and the shaft I20 to which the pinion is secured. Mounted on the shaft I20, rearwardly of the pinion I24, is a multiple disk, friction clutch I26 running in oil, indicated at I28 in the lower portion of the casing I88, and comprising a driving element I36 and a driven element I66, the driving element being continuously rotated from the motor drive of the machine. The continuously rotated clutch element I30 is loosely mounted on the shaft I20 and has a worm gear I3I formed on its periphery for engaging a worm I32 formed on a shaft I34 journaled in bearings formed in a top cover I36 of the casing I08, the shaft 134 being located above the clutch 26 and at right angles to the shaft I28. The cover I36 is secured to the casing I68 by bolts I38 and has horizontal bearings formed therein for supporting the shaft I34, the bearing at the right-hand side of the casing, as viewed in Fig. 2, being large enough to receive a bushing I46 which provides the bearing for that end of the shaft I34. A washer I42 is secured by a screw I44 to this end of the shaft and a thin plate I46 is interposed between the washer and the bushing to prevent excessive wear between the moving parts.

Mounted on the other end of the shaft I34, outside the top cover I36, is a gear I48 (Fig. 2) the hub 556 of which is fastened to the shaft by means of a taper pin I52. The inner side of the gear I48 bears against the cover I36 and, with the washer I42, prevents longitudinal movement of the shaft I34. The gear I48 meshes with a large gear I54 of the gearing 62 through which the motor drive of the machine is effected, the ratio between the gears I54 and I48 being such that the gear M8 and worm shaft I34 are rotated considerably faster than the gear I54. The shaft 134 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, and the tendency of this action is to force the continuously rotated clutch member I30 forwardly on the shaft I20. A roll I56 is provided to support the member I30 against this action of the worm I32. The roll I56 is rotatably mounted on a stud I58 secured in the casing I68 by a set screw I66 and is arranged to contact with the vertical face of the member I30, as shown in Fig. 3.

The continuously rotating clutch member I30 is hollow or cup-like in shape, as shown in Fig. 3, and inside the cupped-out portion is mounted a series of thin clutch plates or rings I60, seven plates being used in the present instance, which are keyed to the inner horizontal wall of the clutch member by keys I62, I64 so that they will rotate with this member. The driven element I66 of the clutch I26 comprises a hub I68 secured to the shaft I20 by a key I10 and abutting against a shoulder I12 formed by an enlarged section I74 of the shaft I20, so that longitudinal movement of the shaft inwardly or to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, will force the clutch member I66 inwardly. The member I66 is provided with an annular shoulder or ledge I61 which projects inwardly from the main portion of the clutch member, the shoulder being located about midway between the shaft I20 and the er in diameter.

- wardly extending lever 202.

a periphery of the clutch member. On this shoulr der I6? is mounted anotherseries of clutch plates or rings H6, similar to thosekeyed to the clutch member I39 except that the plates H6 are small- The plates I16 are arranged to enter the spaces between the plates Hi so that each series will have the greater portions of the vertical surfacesof each plate located only a few thousandthsof an inch away from adjacent surfacesof the plates of the other series when the clutch is in its inoperative position, as shown.

in Fig. 3. The continuously rotating clutch member I30, therefore, is free to rotate Without affecting the clutch member I66 while the parts remain in this position. The'plates I'IE are secured to. the member I66 by keys H8 and I8!) so that when they are forced into contact with i the plates itll by longitudinal movement of the -ing forwardly on a gradual upward incline through an opening in the frame III. 'Ihe treadle is held in inoperative position against a s'top'for'med on the frame by atension spring I81, theupper end of which is fastenedto the 4 frame by a screw. An inclined opening I88 is provided in the; downwardly curved portion of the treadle Hit and a horizontal pin I80, extending transversely through the opening I88 below and somewhat in front of the fulcrum I82, formsa pivot for one end of a forwardly projecting rod I92, the forward portion of which is reduced. indiameter and passes through a hole in a horizontal stud 2M! pivotally mounted in ears formedlon the lower end of a down- The lever 292 is fulcrumed on a pm 204 mounted ona lug 20E projecting rearwardly from the upper portion of the frame III. A fairlyheavy compression spring i934 surrounds the reduced portion of the rod I92 being held thereonfbya pair of wash: ers I95 and I96. The forward washer I95 abuts againstan adjusting" nut I91 threaded on the endof the rod and held inradjusted position by a lock nut I98Li The washer I 6,WhlCh confines the inner end of the compression spring I94, engages a fiattedsurface formed on the horizontal pin 2M carried by the lever 202. Another flatted surface formed on the opposite side. of the pin 2% abuts against a shoulder formed at the reduced portion of the rodIQZ. The spring I94 tends normally to force'the pin Zillland lever 2ii2firmly against the shoulder on the rod I92, thus positioning the lever 292 and holding it in position when the machine is at.

rest; The fulcrum 204 of the lever 202 is located in front of and a considerable distance above the fulcrum I82 of the treadle lever I85 and this the treadle before the spring will 2% until the lever can move no further, after which the spring I94 compresses to permit further movement of thetreadle I36. The tension of the spring I9 may be varied by adjust-.

ing the nuts Nil, 898, thereby varying the amount of pressure which. must be exerted on compress i Adjustably mounted in a circular recess in the lever 262, at a point directly opposite the center of the forwardend of the shaft W3, is a hardened steel plug 233 (Fig. 3) arranged to engage plug 268 and button 2W forming points of contact between the shaft I and the pivoted lever 202. The plug 2% may be adjusted in the recess and is supported in position against the thrust resulting from its contact with the'button 2w by an adjustable screw 2I2 threaded in the lever 202. The screw 2B2 is locked in adjusted position by a lock bushing 2M threaded on the screw and bearing against the lever 2832., the bushing 2M being provided with a hexagonal head 256 for turning the bushing to lock the screw M2 in position.

Fulcrumed on a pin 2I8 (Fig. 1) carried by a pair of" ears projecting rearwardly from the up per portionof the frame Iii is a substantially horizontal; lever 22%] one arm of which extends rearwardly and has its inner end extending under andin contact with the projecting portion MS of the pin I116 which connects the rack Iil'fi with the lower end of the link N24. The upper surface of the inner end of the lever 22$ which extends under the pin M6 is inclined in such a manner that the lever will remain in contact with the pin when the parts are below theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A forward armpf the lever 22% extends through an opening in the frame and has a downwardly extending rod 222 pivotally connected to its outer end, the rod passing througha hole formed in a forward portionof the treadle iBE and having a stop nut 224 and a lock nut 226 threaded on its lowerend. The; nuts 2%, 226 are adjustable on the rod 222 and'serve to limit downward movement of the treadle I86..

In the operation of the machine the operator, after positioning a sole and shoe on a pad box with the aid of the positioning mechanism previously referred to, depresses the treadle I86 to move the rod I92 inwardly. The spring HM, having been tensioned beforehand to exert a predetermined pressure before compressing, will rotate the lever 202 inwardly about its pivot 2%, to bring the'plug; 293' into engagement with the button 2H! onthe end of'the clutch shaft 228. Since the bore HLinjthe casing IE3 is deep enough .topermit a limited longitudinal movement of the pinion I24, the pressure exerted by the lever 2&2 against the end of the shaft 12!! forces the shaft to slide longitudinally in its bearings. to press the clutch plates are of the clutch member E66; forcibly against the plates I of the continuously rotating clutch member I35. A ball bearing 228 is interposed betweenthe hub of the member i559 and the inside wall of the casing IE8 to take the thrust of start to the pressure exerted against the clutch members and to permit rotation thereof without excessive friction.

'Upon engagement of the clutch plates I60,

I it the clutchmember 5% is caused to rotate,

therebymotating the shaft M0 to which this member is "keyed. Rotation of the shaft its causes the pinion I24, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth I25 of the rack I06, to lower the rack and, through the link I04 and the adjustable dog 98 connecting the lever 96 with the rod 04, to carry the levers 80, 82 downwardly until they engage respectively with the plungers 34, 38 which are arranged to contact with the cone of the last and the forepart of the shoe resting on the pad. The dog 98 may be adjusted so that the levers 80, 82 will distribute the pressure in the desired manner as they force the shoe and sole into the upper surface of the pad.

While the levers 80, 82 are being lowered to bring the plungers into engagement with the last and shoe, the pin H6 is moving downwardly to rock the lever 220 about its pivot 2I8. The forwardly projecting arm of the lever 22!] is thus elevated to move the rod 222 and the nuts 224, 226 upwardly. The stop nuts 224, 226 will continue. to move upwardly as long as the rack I06 is being moved downwardly through the operation of the clutch. In the normal operation of the machine when the treadle I86, which is being depressed by the operator, contacts with the stop nuts further downward movement of the treadle is prevented, thus preventing further pressure being applied to the clutch elements I30, I66. The position to which the stop nuts are raised is dependent upon the size of the shoe being operated upon, because the downward movement of the levers 80, 82, which contact with the top of the last and shoe, determines the downward movement of the rack I06 which elevates the stop nuts. It will be seen, therefore, that the position of the top of the last controls the position of the stop nuts 224, 226 which limit depression of the treadle. Consequently, the pressure applied by the clutchoperated mechanism to the shoe and sole is limited by the position of the stop nuts. This position will vary as the sizes of the shoes vary or, in other words, as the heights of the lasts and bottom areas of the shoes vary. By this arrangement the pressure applied to each shoe and sole will be substantially the same for each unit of area of the shoe bottom irrespective of the size of the shoe.

If a condition should arise where a shoe of one style should take a last which is the same height as the last for a shoe of another style, but the latter shoe should have a bottom area different from the former, the mechanism will nevertheless operate to cause substantially the same amount of pressure to be applied per unit of bottom area to each shoe regardless of the equal heights of the lasts. Under the above conditions, the shoe having the greater bottom area will obviously require more pressure to sink it a given distance into the pad than will be required to sink the shoe with the smaller bottom area the same distance into the pad, since the larger shoe will cover a greater portion of the pad. The larger shoe, however, does not have to be sunk so far into the pad as the smaller shoe in order to produce the same amount of pressure for each unit of its bottom area. While the levers 80, 82 are being moved into contact with the top of the last of the larger shoe, the rack I06 is descending to raise the stop nuts. After the levers have contacted with the last and shoe and have commenced to apply pressure to the shoe, the rack will continue to descend. The distance the larger shoe will sink into the pad under a given amount of pressure on the treadle, however, will be less than the distance the smaller shoe will be sunk under the same pressure and, consequently, the rack I 06 will not descend as far as it would for the smaller shoe and the stop nuts will not be elevated as high. This leaves more space for the treadle to be depressed so that more pressure may be applied to the clutch elements when operating on the larger shoe. When more pressure is applied by the treadle-operated mechanism to the clutch elements they actuate the rack I06 and levers 80, 82 to apply greater pressure to the larger shoe. The arrangement of the mechanism is such that, regardless of the styles of the shoes or the heights of the lasts in the shoes, the pressure applied will be substantially proportional to the size of the shoe being operated upon.

If the lasts in some instances are not graded exactly proportional to the sizes of the shoes which are being operated upon, as where different styles of shoes have different bottom areas but take lasts of the same heighths, the position to which the stop nuts are elevated will nevertheless be determined in accordance with the size of the shoe on the pad since this position is controlled not only by the height of the last but also by the bottom area of the shoe. When the resistance of the shoe and sole to the pressure of the levers 80, 82 overcomes the pressure being applied by the treadle-operated mechanism to the clutch elements I30, I66, the clutch plates slip, thus preventing further downward movement of the rack 106 and further pressure being applied to the shoe and sole.

As already pointed out, the pressure exerted on the clutch elements by the treadle-operated mechanism is applied yieldingly through the action of the compression spring I94. Accordingly, the tention of this spring is what actually determines the pressure applied by the treadle to hold the clutch plates in driving engagement with each other. The spring I90, therefore, should be tensioned beforehand until it will exert suflicient pressure against the clutch members I30, I66 to cause the desired preliminary pressure to be applied to the shoe and sole before the spring I94 starts to compress. The mechanism is so constructed and arranged that the levers 80, 82, will apply a preliminary pressure of approximately 20 pounds to the square inch to the shoe bottom before the treadle contacts with the stop nuts and the clutch plates begin to slip. Since the preliminary pressure per unit of area of the shoe bottom is substantially the same for all shoes irrespective of their sizes it follows that the distance which each shoe is sunk into the pad will be substantially the same, slight allowances being made, of course, for the variations in the stretch of the rubber at difi'erent portions of the pad when operating on different sized shoes.

If the treadle should be depressed suddenly to its lowermost, position before sufficient time has elapsed to permit the clutch-operated mechanism to position the stop nuts 224, 226 properly, the mechanism is constructed and arranged to operate in such a manner that only the desired pressure will be applied to the shoe and sole. If the treadle is depressed immediately to its lowermost position against the stop nuts 224, 226, the rack I06 will descend as before to lower the levers 80, 82 and press the plungers 34, 38 into engagement with the last and shoe. As the rack descends it will rock the lever 220 to elevate the rod 222 and stop nuts 224, 226 and, during itsupward movement, the stop nuts will forcibly elevate the treadle until the pressure exerted thereby on the clutch members is reduced sufficiently to cause the claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: l

l. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad for supporting a shoe'and sole, and power-operated means fonpressing the shoeand sole together on the pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to vary'the pressure substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe operated 2. A'ma chine for use in themanufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad for applying pressure to a shoe and sole, and means for pressing the shoe and sole against the pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to press each shoe and sole against the pad with a force which varies in proportion to the size of the shoeoperated upon.

1 3. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad for supporting a shoe and sole, and power-operated meansnfor pressing the shoe and sole against said pad thereby sinking them into the pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to apply a pressure which will sink every shoe and sole operated upon sub stantially the same distance into the pad irrespective of the sizes of the shoes.

l/Anmachihe for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a flexible pad for supporting a shoe and sole, and power-operated means for pressingthe shoe and sole against a surface of said pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to vary the pres sure appliedto shoes of different sizes so. that substantially the same pressure per unit of bottom area will be applied toeach shoe, thereby sinkingeach sole and shoe a uniform distance into the pad.

.5.-A, machine for use in the manufacture of shoeshaving, in combination, a flexible pad for supporting a shoe and sole, and power-operated means for preliminarily pressing theshoe and sole against the supporting surface ofthe pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to limit the preliminary pressure in accordance with the size of the shoe being operated upon, thereby applying substantially the same preliminary pressure to a large shoe in proportion to itsbottom area as is applied to a small shoe in proportion to its bottom area.

--6.A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad for supporting a shoe on a last and a sole, and means for applying pressure to the shoe and sole supportedon said pad, said means being constructed and, arranged to apply pressure to each shoe and sole which is automatically limited by the heightwise position of the topof the last in th shoe being operated upon. l

'7. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad for supporting a shoe and a sole, and power-operated means for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, said means being constructed and arranged automatically toapply substantially the same preliminary pressure per unit ofbottom area to each shoe operated upon irrespective of the size of the shoe.

' 8. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad for supporting a shoe and sole, power-operated means for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to vary the pressure applied. to different sized shoes substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe operated upon, and means for applying final pressure to the sole and shoe.

9. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a flexible'pad for receiving a shoe and sole, power-operated means for preliminarily pressing the shoe and sole against a wall of said pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to apply to each shoe operated upon. preliminary pressure which is substantially the same for each unit of area of the shoe bottom irrespective of the size of the shoe, and meansfor distorting another wall of said pad to apply final pressure to the shoe and sole.

10. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad arranged to receive a shoe and sole, power-operated means for engaging the shoe to apply pressure thereto, and means constructed and arranged, upon engagement of said power-operated means with the shoe, automatically to limit the pressure applied to the shoe by said power-operated means.

11. A machine for usein the manufacture of shoes having; in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to receive a shoe and a sole, poweroperated means for pressing the shoe and sole into said pad, and means movable automatically to cause said power-operated means to vary the pressure applied to the shoe substantially in accordance to the size of said shoe, thereby pressing the shoe and sole the required distance into the pad.

12. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad arranged to receive a shoe on a last and a sole, means for pressing the shoe and sole against the pad, and poweroperated means for actuating said press ing means, said power-operated means being constructed and arranged automatically to cause said pressing means to exert a pressure on each shoe which is determined by the height of the last in said shoe.

13. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to receive a shoe on a last and a sole which is to be attached to said shoe, means for applying pressure to the shoe and sole, said means being movable into and out of engage: ment with the shoe and last mounted on said pad, and power-operated means for moving said pressure-applying means into engagement with the last and shoe and by the extent of movement of said pressure-applying means automatically determining the pressure which is applied to the shoe and sole.

i l. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a flexible pad for supporting a shoe and sole, power-operated means for pressing the shoe and sole against said pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to vary the pressure substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe, thereby sinking the sole and shoe a suitable distance into the pad, and means for applying final pressure to the sole and shoe.

15. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a flexible pad for supporting a shoe on a last and a sole, poweroperated means for preliminarily pressing the shoe and sole against the pad, said means being constructed and arranged automatically to vary the pressure substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe being operated upon, thereby applying substantially the same pressure per unit of bottom area to each shoe irrespective of its size and sinking each shoe and sole approximately the same distance into the pad, and means for applying a final pressure to the sole and shoe while held in such position.

16. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad for receiving a shoe on a last and a sole, means for applying pressure to the shoe and sole, and power-operated mechanism for actuating said pressure applying means, said mechanism being constructed and arranged first to move the pressure applying means into engagement with the last and shoe and thereafter to cause said means to apply pressure to the shoe and sole the amount of which is automatically determined by the height of the last engaged by said pres sure applying means and by movement of the last in response to the pressure applying action.

1'7. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad for supporting a shoe on a last and a sole, 9. pair of levers for engaging the shoe and last to cause pressure to be applied to the shoe and sole, power-operated means including a friction clutch for actuating said levers, treadle-operated means for holding the, clutch in driving engagement, and means automatically set in accordance with the size of the shoe to limit movement of said treadle-operated means to permit the clutch to be held in driving engagement with a force which will cause greater pressure to be applied to a large shoe than to a small shoe.

18. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad for supporting a sole and a shoe to which the sole is to be attached, a lever for pressing the sole and shoe against the pad, a friction clutch for actuating said lever, and means including intermediate connections between the lever and the clutch whereby the former is caused to press the sole and shoe against the pad with a pressure which is substantially the same for each ufit of area of the shoe bottom irrespective of the size of the shoe operated upon.

19. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to receive a shoe on a last and a sole, power-operated means for applying pressure to the sole and shoe, said means comprising a pair of levers, a friction clutch, and connections between the levers and the clutch whereby the latter actuates the levers to apply pressure to the sole and shoe, means for setting the clutch to actuate said levers, and means for automatically limiting the pressure applied to set the clutch in accordance with the height of the last in the shoe.

20. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to support a shoe and a sole, a plurality of levers for applying pressure to the shoe and sole supported on said pad, a friction clutch comprising a driving element and a driven element for actuating said pressure applying levers, and treadle operated means for pressing the clutch elements yieldingly into driving engagement, said means being constructed and arranged gradually to increase the force exerted on the clutch elements until the desired pressure is applied to the shoe and sole after which the clutch elements will slip.

21. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to receive a shoe and sole, a pair of levers for applying pressure to the shoe and sole,

a friction clutch including a driving element and a driven element for actuating said levers, said clutch being constructed and arranged to actuate said levers until the desired pressure is attained, after which the clutch elements will slip, treadle-operated means for applying pressure to set the clutch, and means for automatically limiting the pressure applied to set the clutch so that it will cause the pressure applying levers to apply only the desired pressure to the shoe and sole before the clutch elements begin to slip.

22. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad constructed and arranged to receive a shoe and a sole, a pair of levers for applying pressure to the shoe and sole, a friction clutch for actuating said levers, said clutch comprising a driving element and a driven element which are held in frictional engagement until the pressure on the shoe and sole overcomes the force of the clutch elements after which the elements will slip, treadle-controlled means for forcing the clutch elements into said frictional engagement, and means for limiting the pressure which may be applied to said treadlecontrolled means to hold the clutch elements in such engagement, said limiting means being controlled automatically by the size of the shoe operated upon, thereby limiting the pressure applied to the shoe and sole in accordance with the size of the shoe.

23. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad constructed and arranged to receive a shoe on a last and a sole, a pair of levers for applying initial pressure to the shoe and sole, poweroperated means including a friction clutch for actuating said levers, treadle-controlled means for applying pressure to set the clutch, said clutch being constructed and arranged to actuate said levers until the resistance of the shoe and sole to the pressure applied thereto overcomes the pressure holding the clutch set, after which the clutch will slip and cease to apply additional pressure, means for automatically limiting the pressure applied to the clutch substantially in accordance with the position of the top of the last in the shoe, thereby varying the pressure applied to shoes of different sizes substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe being operated upon, and means for applying final pressure to the shoe and sole.

24. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to receive a ishoe and a sole, a pair .of levers for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, a friction clutch for actuating said levers, said clutch being constructed.

and arranged to actuate said levers until the resistance of the shoe and sole to the pressure of the levers overcomes the friction of the clutch after which the clutch will slip, and treadleoperated means for applying pressure to the clutch to actuate said pressure applying levers,

said means being constructed and arranged automatically to limit the pressure applied to the clutch in accordance with the size of the .shoe being operated upon, thereby causing said pressure applying levers to apply substantially the same amount of preliminary pressure per unit of bottom area to a large shoe as to a small shoe.

25. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoeshaving, in combination, a yieldable pad constructed and arranged to receive a shoe and fa sole, means for applying pressure to the shoe and sole, a friction clutch including a driving element and a driven element for actuating said pressure applying means, said clutch elements being constructed and arranged to remainin operative engagement with each other until the resistance of the shoe and sole to the pressure 'of the power-operated means overcomes the 'force holding the clutch elements in operative 'engagement, after which the elements will slip,

'treadle-operated means for forcing the clutch elements into operative engagement, and means for limiting the pressure which may be applied to hold the clutch elements in such engagement,

said means including a variable stop the position of which is automatically determinedby 'the height of the last in the shoe being operated upon. 7 l r 26 A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad for supporting a shoe and a sole, a rotatable shaft, a friction clutch mounted on said shaft, pressure applying means actuated by said clutch, said clutch being constructed and arranged to be setby longitudinal movement of said shaft and to remain set until sufficient resistance is offered to the pressure applying means to overcome the pressure holding the clutch set, means for moving the shaft longitudinally to set the clutch, and means for varying the pressure by which the shaft is so moved, said means being controlled automatically in accordance with the size of the'shoe operated upon. 7

27. ,A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad for supporting a shoe and a sole, a rotatable shaft, a friction clutch having driving and drivenelements mounted on saidshaft, levers a friction clutchfor actuating said pressure- -applying levers, saidclutch being, constructed 0 operated by said clutch and movable toward and away from the pad for applying pressure to the sole and shoe supported on said pad, manually operated means for relatively moving said clutch elements to cause operation of the pres- 5 sure-applying levers, and means actuated by movement of the pressure-applying levers toward the pad for offsetting the force applied to the clutch and thereby limiting the driving power of the driven element of said clutch,

28. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad for supporting a shoe and a sole, a rotatable shaft, a friction clutch mounted on said shaft, pressure-applying means operated by said clutch 75 and constructed and arranged to apply pressure to the sole and shoe, said clutch comprising driving and driven elements, the driven element operating said pressure-applying means after the clutch is set and continuing to operate said means until sufiicient resistance is exerted by the shoe and sole to offset the force holding the clutch elements; in driving engagement, and manually-operated means for effecting relative movement of the clutch elements to set the clutch, said means being adjustable to vary the pressure exerted on the clutch elements, thereby to vary the pressure applied to the shoe and sole.

29. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad. for supporting a shoe on a last and a sole, a rotatable shaft, driving and driven clutch elements mounted on said shaft, means operated by said clutch elements for applying pressure to the shoe and sole, said clutch elements being constructed and arranged to cause the pressure-applying means to apply pressure to the shoe and sole after the driven element has been moved into engagement with the driving element by longitudinal movement of the rotatable shaft on which the elements are mounted and to cause said means to increase the pressure until sufficient resistance is offered by the shoe and sole to offset the force holding the clutch elements in driving engagement after which the elements will slip, treadle-operated means for exerting pressure yieldingly on said shaft to efiect longitudinal movement thereof and force the clutch elements into driving engagement, and means for automatically limiting the operation of said treadle-operated means substantially in accordance with the height of the last in the shoe being operated upon.

30. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to receive a shoe and a sole, means .for applyingpressure to the shoe and sole, a

frictionclutch for operating said pressure-applying means, said clutch being constructed and arranged-to be set by pressure and to cause a pressure to be applied to each shoe and sole which is proportional to the pressure applied to set the clutch, treadle-controlled means for setting the clutch, and means for automatically limiting the action of said treadle-controlled means substantially in accordance with the size of the shoe being operated upon so that the pressure applied to the shoe and sole will be substantially proportional to the size of said shoe.

31. A machine for use in the manufacture of 1 shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad to receive a shoe on a last and a sole, a pair of levers for applying pressure to the shoev and sole,

means for setting the clutch, and means for automatically limiting the movement of said treadle-contrclled means substantially in accordance with the height of the last in the shoe being operated upon, so that the pressure exerted against the clutch will be determined by I and power-operated means means 'being also arranged automatically to return the treadle forcibly to a predetermined po sition if it should he forced beyond this position before the limiting means is operated, "thereby assuring that the pressure applied to the shoe and sole will :be limited substantially in :accordance with the size of the shoe, irrespective of the manner in which the treadle is operated.

'32. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a yieldable pad arranged to receive a shoe and a sole, levers for applying pressure to the shoe and sole, power- :operated means for actuating said levers, said means comprising a rotatable shaft, a clutch for rotating said shaft, a pinion mounted on said shaftfa reciprocatory rack meshing with said ":pinion, and .a 'link'connecting said rack with the pressure-applying levers, treadle-controlled -mea'ns for applying pressure to said power-operated means, and means for limiting the pressure applied by said treadle-controlled means, said limiting means being operated automatically by movement of the rack during the pressureapplying operation.

33. .A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a hollow vessel containing fluid and arranged to receive a shoe and sole, power-operated means for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, and means for thereafter applying final pressure to the shoe and sole, said power-operated means being constructedrand arranged to operate automatically in such a manner that the pressure applied to the shoe and sole will be substantiallythe same for each unit of area of the shoe bottom irrespective of the size of the shoe.

34. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a hollow vessel containing fluid and arranged to receive a shoe and .a sole, power-operated means for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, for applying final pressure to the shoe and sole, said firstnamed means being constructed and arranged automatically to control the pressure substantially in accordance with the bottom area of the shoe operated .upon, thereby applying a preliminary pressure which is greater for a large shoe than .for a small shoe by an amount substantially proportional to the difference in size between thelargeshoe and the small shoe.

35. A machine for use inthe manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a hollow vessel containing fluid and arranged to receive a shoe and a sole, means for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, said means being operated by power transmitted through a clutch toisaid pressure applying means, means for actuating the clutch in such a manner that the pressure applying means will be caused automatically to apply a preliminary pressure which averages substantially the'same for each unit of area of the shoe bottom irrespective of the size of the shoe operated upon, and power-operated means for applying final pressure to the shoe and sole.

36. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad for supportmeans for :applying pressure 'to the shoe and sole, a friction clutch rmactuating said 1poweroperated means, said clutch being constructed and arranged to cause said power-operated means to operate until the pressure on the shoe and sole reaches an amount which is determined by the height of the last in said shoe after which the clutch will slip, and means for maintaining said pressure.

38. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a 'yieldable pad for supporting a shoe and a sole, power-operated means for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, a friction clutch for causing said power-operated means .to apply increasing pressure until the sole and shoe have been pressed into the pad the required distance, and

spring-pressed paWls for automatically maintaining the preliminary pressure thus applied.

39. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination, a pad for supporting a shoe and a sole, a pair of levers for applying preliminary pressure to the shoe and sole, a friction clutch comprising driving and driven elements for actuating said pressure applying levers, said clutch being constructed and arranged to cause said levers to exert a prelimtionately with the pressure applied to said clutch elements, means for automatically maintaining the preliminary pressure applied by said levers, and means for applying final pressure to the shoe and sole.

WILLIAM D. THOMAS.

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