US3072913A

US3072913A - Heel attaching machines

Info

Publication number: US3072913A
Application number: US110298A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul E Morgan; Willard L Baker
Original assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Current assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Priority date: 1961-05-08
Filing date: 1961-05-08
Publication date: 1963-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-15

Description

P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACI-IING MACHINES Jan. 15, 1963 Original Filed May 12, 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig 1 fiwenfors Paul E/iorgan MllardLBa/ccr By their Attorney Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 115 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES l5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed May 12, 1960 Q 1 6 g 0 Ni Q Ma mm Q O\ O WW 5 v KO 0 whn/ u who m .QN Q m 0 @u 10 m NM 8Q T. Q w. QN o ,\A,%\N/ O O O H sfi vi a SQ a -J G 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jam 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 15 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed May 12, 1960 Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 Original Filed May 12, 1960 was Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES l3 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed May 12, 1960 Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12. 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 13 Sheets-Sheet 10 Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 11 Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12. 1960 13 Sheets-Sheet 12 Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12. 1960 l5 Sheets-Sheet 13 J36 JJ 8 United dtates Patent Oiifice 3,072,913 Patented Jan. 15, 1963 3,072,913 HEEL ATTA HlNG MACHINES Paul E. Morgan, Melrose, and Willard L. Baker, lpswic'n,

Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporatron, Flernnigton, Ni, a corporation of New .iersey Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 28,625, May 12, 1960. This application May 3, 61, Ser. Na. 110,298

38 Claims. (til. 1-l02) This invention relates to heel attaching machines and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for attaching rubber heels and their associated'base lifts to shoes by what is commonly known as outside nailing. This application is a continuation of our copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 28,625, filed May 12, 1960, now abandoned.

In the use of conventional machines for attaching heels to shoes mounted on geometrically graded lasts, which are made of wood and have steel positioning plates secured to, their back cones and which are disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,806,233, granted September 17, 1957 on an application filed in the names of Arthur R. Hubbard et al. it has been found that heavy pressure applied heightwise to th last by the pushing action of the drivers of said machines has a tendency to force the positioning plate into the last or otherwise to displace said plate with relation to the wood last and often to crack the last.

Furthermore, in conventional heel attaching machines the last upon which the shoe is mounted is placed on a spindle of the jack and is moved rearwardly together with the jack by hand against a back gage. At the same time the right and left shoes mounted on right and left lasts are usually manually oriented by eye on the spindle of the jack posts so as to swing the vertical median plane of the heel seat of the last into register with a fixed reference plane of the jack and of the operating instrumentalities of the machine. Heel lifts and associated base lifts to be attached to shoes by conventional machines are placed in interchangeable heel forms which are moved into positions in whichthe heel lifts therein have their peripheries in opposed register with but lying slightly outside the feather lines of the heel seats of the shoes which have been mounted on the jack and are manually held by the operator during the heel attaching operation, the jack thereafter being moved by power toward the heel to force the heel seat of the shoe mounted on the jack against said heel preparatory to driving nails into the work. Machines such as above referred to require the services of a skilled operator since the shoe carried by the last must be moved together with the last against the back gage and must be oriented on the spindle of the jack by the operator in accordance with whether the shoe is a right or a left. Moreover, this operation is tiring on the operator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved heel attaching machine which is simple in construction and by the use of which shoes mounted on geometrically graded last, for example, may have heels attached to them quickly and effectively by an unskilled operator without danger of damaging the last. It is another object of the invention to provide a heel attaching machine provided with means for automatically delivering heels to a position in which they are attached to the shoe.

With the above objects in view, the illustrative machine, which comprises a nailing die, a support for a last carrying a shoe, and means for effecting relative movement between the support and the jack to cause the heel and the heel seat of the shoe to be forced together, in accordance with a feature of the invention is provided with means for driving nails into the heel and the heel seat of the shoe with impact action to attach the heel to the shoe.

With a view to reducing to a minimum the pressure applied against the work, and especially against the last during the attachment of the heel to the shoe, the jack of the illustrative machine, in accordance With another feature of the invention, is yieldingly supported, for example, by a heavy spring. The combination of a yieldingly mounted jack and driving of nails by impact action has resulted in materially reducing the pressure applied against the last during the heel attaching operation and has also resulted in providing a machine which is simple in construction and effective in its operation.

As above explained, in heel attaching machines now in use, the shoe carried by the last mounted on the spindle of the jack post is positioned lengthwise in the machine by moving the rear end of the counter portion of the shoe into engagement with the back gage, the orienting of the shoe on the spindle of the jack post to insure that the vertical median plane of the heel seats of right and left shoes shall be coincident with the reference plane of the machine being effected manually by the operator. In the present machine the last upon which the shoe is mounted is placed on a spindle which is constrained for movement in a rectilinear path extending lengthwise of the axis of the spindle and toward and away from the nailing die of the machine, but is not movable at right angles to this path as are the jack spindles of the conventional machines such as above referred to. The rear ends of the heel seats of geometrically graded lasts of different sizes are spaced graded distances from the axis of the thimble of the last, which axis lies in the vertical median plane of the heel seat of the last. It will thus be clear that since the axis of the spindle of the present jack is movable only lengthwise of its axis, the rear ends of shoes of different sizes operated upon by the present machine are arranged in different positions forwardly and rearwardly of the machine.

As above stated, the geometrically graded last has secured to the upper surface of its back cone a positioning plate, such as disclosed in said Patent No. 2,806,233. The present jack post i provided with abutments which, when the last carrying the shoe is placed upon the spindle, cooperate with the positioning plate of the last to orient the shoe on the jack so that the vertical median plane of the heel seats of right and left shoes will be arranged in the fixed reference plane of the machine.

The present machine, in accordance with further features of the invention, is provided with a heel carrier unit for automatically positioning and clamping heels of different sizes with their vertical or heightwise median planes arranged in a fixed reference plane of the carrier unit and with their axes of symmetry, which are hereinafter defined and are included in said reference plane, lying in or coincident with a fixed axis of the carrier unit, said unit being automatically moved to a predetermined position in which the heel positioned and clamped in said unit is moved adjacent to the nailing die with the vertical median plane of the heel lying in the reference plane of the machine and the axis of symmetry of the heel arranged parallel to and adjacent to the axis of the spindle of the last, the distance between the spindle axis and the axis of symmetry of the heel positioned in the machine being constant, irrespective of the size of the heel. With such a construction it will be apparent that when the jack, and accordingly the shoe mounted on it, is moved in a rectilinear path toward the nailing die, and the heel seat of the shoe is forced against the heel and the heel is forced against the nailing die by the action of the jack post, a projection of the outline of the heel on the plane of the feather line of the heel seat of the shoe will lie a desired uniform distance outside said part of the operator and very little effort.

with abutments on the jack. The heel is dropped automatically onto a table from the magazine at the end portion of the power cycle of the machine and, after the shoe has been placed on the jack, clamps forming part of the carrier unit position the heel automatically in the clamping unit with the vertical median plane of the heel coincident with the fixed uniform plane of the unit with the axis of symmetry of the heel arranged in a fixed axis of the carrier unit irrespective of the size of the heel, said carrier unit then being automatically swung to its heel attaching position beneath the nailing die during the cycle of the machine.

The present machine requires little, if any skill on the The automatic heel delivery mechanism above referred to is relied "upon to provide a fully automatic heel attaching machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 3,048,862, granted August 14, 1962 on an application filed in the names of Dorosz et al.

The present invention consists in the above features and in other novel features which are hereinafter described and some of which are embodied in an improved nailing die, and an improved nail distributor, reference illustrative machine;

FIG. 2 is a front View, partly broken away and partly in section, of nail driving mechanism of the machine; FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly on the line III-Ill of FIG. 2, showing a nailing die of the nail driving mechanism and also showing in a loading position a carrier unit .which is adapted to position and to clamp a heel, which comprises a heel lift and a base lift, and to transfer said heel to a heel attaching position beneath the nailing die and above the jack of the machine;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of FIG; 2 showing details of the nailing die and a gun for operating drivers which travel in nail tubes of said die, to drive nails into a heel, which is forced against the bottom of the nailing die, and into a heel seat of a shoe forced against said heel;

FIG. 5 is a section, partly on the line V-V of FIG.

'2, showing details of the jack in. its raised position with work mounted on it;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line VIof FIG. 5 showing the upper end of a back cone of a geometrically graded last and lugs of the jack cooperating with a positioning plate on the last for positioning lasts and accordingly shoes on the jack;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a shoe to which the heel has been attached by the illustrative machine, the outline of the outsole and the heel of the finished shoe being shown in dash outline;

FIG. 8 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section on the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 4 showing details of the nail tubes of the nailing die and of mechanism for moving the tubes into different adjusted positions to vary the nailing patterns of said tubes in accordance with the size of the shoe being operated upon;

FIG. 9 is a section on the line IX-IX of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the carrier unit, the cover of which has been broken away, showing a heel lift and its assembled base lift positioned and clamped in I said unit ready to be swung to a heel attaching position beneath the nailing die;

FIG. 11 is a section on the line XIXI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a nail distributor of the machine;

FIG. 13 is a section on the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 15;

PEG. 14 shows a portion of the front of the nail distributor;

FIG. 15 is a plan view, partly broken away of the nail distributor;

H68. 16 and 17 combined is a schematic view of fluid pressure operated mechanism of the machine and is especially useful in describing the operation of the machine;

PEG. 18 is a plan view of a magazine which is mounted above the carrier unit of the machine and is adapted automatically to feed heel lifts and their associated base lifts to the carrier unit;

FIG. 19 is a front view, partly broken away, of the magazine and a portion of the carrier unit shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a view showing the bottoms of right and left geometrically graded lasts superimposed on each other and illustrating that the heel end portions of the lasts are coincident and that the toe ends of the lasts are laterally offset from each other;

FlG. 21 is an illustrative view used in describing the characteristics of a conventional heel or heel lift attached to shoes by the use of the illustrative machine; and

FIG. 22 shows a portion of the fluid pressure diagram with a reset valve incorporated therein.

The illustrative machine is described with reference to attaching a composite heel 30, which comprises a rubber lift 32 and a base lift 34, to a heel seat as (FIG. 7) of a shoe 38 and comprises a jack 49 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5) for supporting upside down a geometrically graded last 42 in which the shoe is mounted, a multipart nailing die 44, a nail driving gun 46, a nail distributor 48 for supplying nails 49 to the nailing die, a magazine 54 from which the heels are successively delivered to a stable 52, and a carrier unit 54 which is adapted successively to position and to clamp the heels resting on the table and to move them from said table to a heel attaching position just below the nailing die. The heel lift 32 per se may be regarded as a heel and if desirable the machine may accommodate rubber heels having base lifts spotted to them.

When the shoe 38 has been positioned upon the jack and the heel 30 has been placed upon the table 52 the machine operates automatically through its cycle causing in succession, through fiuid (pneumatic) pressure operated means hereinafter disclosed, the carrier unit 54 to clamp the heel, which has been manually placed upon the table 52 or has been dropped automatically onto the table from the magazine 50, and thereafter to move the clamped heel to a predetermined heel attaching position below the nailing die 44, the jack 40 to be raised to force the heel seat 46 of the shoe 38 against the heel 3i) and the heel against the lower ends of lateral naiI tubes 56 and front and rear nail tube 56a of the nailing die, and the gun 4-6 to be operated to drive, by multiimpact action nails 49, which have been delivered to the nailing die 44 and have their pointed ends resting in recesses 58 (FIGS. 7 and 10) in the tread face of the heel, into the heel and the heel seat of the shoe, said nails being clinched in said heel seat by reason of their being:

forced against a heel plate 60 of the last 42 during the final part of the driving operation Wherebyto attach the heel to the shoe.

When the heel St has been attached to the shoe 38 it. is released from the carrier unit 54, the jack 4%) and the gun 4-5 are moved to their lowered and raised starting or retracted positions respectively, and the carrier unit 54 is moved back to its loading position over the table 52 and beneath the heel magazine 50, the lowermost heel in the magazine falling by gravity onto the table.

The machine comprises a base 62 and a vertical column 64 bolted to said base. Bolted to the column 64 is a bracket 66 having secured to it a pair of vertical guide rods 68 serving to guide the gun 46 vertically toward and away from the nailing die 44 which is supported on a bracket 711 bolted to the column. The column also has bolted to it a bracket 72 (FIGS. 1 and 5) which supports the jack 4t and operating means therefor.

Formed in a table portion '74 of the bracket '72 is a rectilinear slot 76 and mounted in said slot is a supporting plate 78 which has welded to it a bearing post 89 and may be initially adjusted lengthwise of said slot and forward and rearward of the machine by turning a thumb screw 82 threaded into the plate and rotatably mounted on a lug 84 secured to the table portion of the bracket. The plate 78 may be clamped in its intial setting in the slot '76 formed in the table portion 74 of the bracket 72 by the use of screws 86 Which pass through a recess 88 in said table portion and are threaded into a ring-shaped block 99.

Vertically slidable in the bearing post 89 is a. piston rod 91 which has formed in its upper end a bore 92 for receiving a shank portion 94 of a jack post 96 having secured to it an arm 94 which fits in a spline-way 1% formed in the piston rod and insures against rotation of the post upon said rod. Interposed between a face of the jack post 96 and the upper end of the piston rod 91 are spring washers 182 which are disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 65,790, granted June 18, 1867 on an application filed in the name of Julien F. Belleville and constitute strong resilient means or springs for constantly urging the jack post in its rest position upwardly on the piston rod 91 until the arm 98 engages a shoulder 104 of said rod. The jack post 96 has an upstanding spindle 186, which is adapted to receive a thimble 1118 (F168. 6 and 2%) of the geometrically graded last 42 carrying the shoe 38, said last having at its back cone a flat upper face 116 adapted to be engaged by a positioning plate 112 of the last.

The geometrically graded last 42 is disclosed in United Sta;es Letters Patent 1,948,547, granted February 27, 1934 on an application filed in the name of Laurence E. Top :am and comprises the above-mentioned thimble 188 which is centered about an axis 114 and a heel seat 118 formed by the heel plate 66 against which the heel attaching nails 49 are cinched. Lasts 42 of dLfferent sizes have the rear ends of their heel seats 118 spaced different distances from the axes 114 or" the thimbl-es 198 of the lasts. Firmly secured to the upper face of the back cone of the last 42 is the positioning plate 112 which, as will be expained, is used to orient the last about the spindle 186 of the jack post 96, said plate having formed in it a hole which registers with the upper end of the thimble 108 of the last. The positioning plate 112 may be considered part of the last 42 and is disclosed in detail in Patent No. 2,806,233.

As explained in Patent No. 2,806,233, right and left geometrically graded lasts 42 have the center lines 120 (FIG. 20) of their foreparts, which center lines extend between the tip of the toe end of the bottom of the last and the axis 114 of the thimble 168, dsposed at equal angles alpha at opposite sides of a vertical median plane 122 of the heel seat 118 of the last which plane includes a line extending from the rear end of the heel seat of the last to the axis of the thimble. The positioning plafes 112 of right and left lasts 42 have front and rear pairs of parallel planar shoulders or faces 124, 126 (FIG. 6) respectively, the plates being secured to the upper fates of the back cones of the lasts with their front shoulders 124 arranged parallel to and spaced equal distances from the center lines 120 of the foreparts of the lasts and with their rear shoulders 126 arranged parallel to and spaced equal distances from the vertical median planes 122 of the 5 heel seats 118 of the lasts. It will be noted that'the heel seats 118 of the right and left lasts 42 are substantially coincident while the toe ends of the lasts swing laterally away from each other.

In order to position right and left lasts 42, which carry the shoes 38, upon the spindle 106 of the jack post 96 with the vertical median planes 122 of the heel seats 118 of the lasts coincident with a fixed reference plane 128 (FIGS. 2 and 8) of the machine, which reference plane is also the vertical longitudinal median plane of the jack 46 and of the nailing die 44, the post 96 of the jack is provided with a pair of upstanding lugs 134) which are engaged respectively by the rear shoulders 126 of the positioning plate 112 of the last upon the jack post spindle 106.

The bearing post has welded to it an annular block 132 screwed to a cylinder 134 having reciprocable in it a piston 136 secured to the connecting rod 91. When the jack post 96 is in its lowered work receiving position a lower threaded end portion of the piston rod 91 is in engagement with the lower end of the cylinder 134.

The bracket 71 which is secured to the upstanding column 64 cf the machine, has formed in it a pair of openings 138 (FIGS. 8 and 9) spaced by a central web and this web is provided with front and rear rectilinear guideways 140. The bracket 78 is provided with four threaded bores for receiving headed screws 142 which have spacers 144 (FIGS. 4 and 8) mounted on them and extend th ough bores in a cover or guide plate 146. The bracket 79 also has threaded into it headed screws 141 which pass through bores in the cover plate 146 and have spacers 143 mounted on them, these screws cooperating with the screws 142 to secure the cover pate 146 in a predetermined fixed reation with the bracket '70. The cover plate 146 has formed in it openings 145 (FIG. 3) and guideways 147 wh'ch are similar to the openings 138 and the guideways respectively formed in the bracket 76, said openings and guideways being arranged in vertical alinement. Extending vertically through the openiags 138, in the platform 70 and the cover 146 are the side or lateral nail tubes 56 and extending through the guideways 143B, 147 are the front and rear tubes 56a, each of said tubes being provided with large and small bores or

passages

148, 148a in which the drivers 150 respectively reciprrcate. The lateral nail tubes 56 have formed integral with them angularly shaped carrier arms 152 fitting slidingly between the guide or cover plate 146 and the upper face of the bracket 70. the front and rear tubes 56a having frrmed intrgral with them arms 153 which are rectangular in cross section and are also slidable between the guide or cover plate 146 and the upper face of said bracket. The large and small passages 148, 14801 of the

nail tubes

56, 56a may be collectively referred to as the passages of said tubes.

Formed in the under side of the guide or cover plate 146 are sots 154 the vertical median planes of which include a vertical central axis 156 of the nailing die 44, said axis being referred to as the central axis of the pattern or design of the tubes 56. 56a of said die. Rotatabe in a circular rabbet 158 (FIGS. 4 and 9) of the bra'ket is a cam plate 160 having inner and outer cam ways 162, 164 (FIG. 8). The

tube carrying arms

152, 153 have secured to them pins 166, 168 (FIGS. 4 and 8) the upper ends of which have rotatably mounted on them rolls 170, 172 fitt'ng in the slots 154 formed in the cover plate 146. R0- tatably mounted on the lower ends of the

pins

166, 168 are

rolls

174, 176 which engage in the inner cam Ways 162. The angular carrier arms 152 also have secured, respectively, to them pins 178 having rotatably mounted on them rolls 180 which fit in the associated outer ways 164 of the cam 166. When the cam 160 is rotated the arms 153 and accordingly the front and rear nail tubes 56a move in rectilinear paths toward or away from the axis 156 of the nailing die 44 and the pins 166 in the angularly shaped carrier arms 152 move in rectilinear paths toward'and away from said 'axis and also serve as fulcrums about which the arms 152 are swung by moverlnent of the associated rolls 180 along the outer grooves The cam 160 may be readily rotated into a desired operating position along the rabbet 158 of the bracket by the provision of a rack 182 which is formed on the cam and meshes with a'pinion 184 keyed to a pin 1% rotatably mounted in bores of the bracket and cover plate 146. Secured to the upper end of the pin 1% is a bevel gear 138 (FIG. 3) meshing with a bevel gear which is fixed to a shaft 192 journaled in'a bearing boss 194 secured to the cover plate 146. The cam ways 162, of the cam 169 are so designed that the

nail tubes

56, 56a may be set in any one of nine nailing designs readily determined by causing a selected one of a plurality of calibrated notches 196 formed in the periphery of the cam to be brought into register with a spring-pressed plunger 198 mounted on the bracket 79.

The

nail tubes

56, 56a have formed in them bores 1% (FIGS. 4 and 9) which are of suitable diameter to receive the lower ends of plastic nail tubes 197. Nails are delivered to the upper ends of'the nail tubes 197 at the proper time from the nail distributor it; as will be hereinafter described.

The nail driving gun 4-6 has a threaded upper end onto which is screwed, a sleeve 2% (EIGS. l, 2 and 4) having mounted on it a cover plate 26-2, an annular chamber 204 being formed between the sleeve, the cover plate and a threaded upper end portion of the gun. Arranged above the cover plate 202 are a pair of spaced washers 206 and interposed between said washers is a nut 238 having threaded into it the lower end portion of a rod 21% secured to a piston 212 reciprocable in a bore 214 of a vertically arranged cylinder'2l6 threaded into a platform 218 carried by the vertical guide rods 68. The sleeve 209, the cover plate 2432 and a presser plate 220 have formed in them alined bores for receiving bolts 222, the presser plate being forced by nuts 22%, which are threaded onto the upper ends of the bolts, against the upper washer 286 in order operatively to connect the piston rod 210 to the gun .6. The cover plate 2&2 has laterally extending flanges provided With bores for receiving bearings 225 :hich are slidable along the rods 68.

The gun comprises a barrel 226 having formed in it upper and lower bores 22%, 23b, in which an impact piston or block 232 and a hammer or jack set 234 respectively are reciprocable, said lower bore having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the upper bore.

Clamped by a plurality of bolt and nut connections 236 (FIG. 2) to the lower end of the barrel 2 26 of the gun 46 is a two part carrier block 238 which is provided with bores 240 for receiving respectively headed rods 242 to the lower ends of which a stripper or extractor plate 244 is secured by nuts 246. The rods 242 and accordingly the stripper plate 244 are constantly urged downward by springs 248 which surround the rods and are interposed between the carrier block 238 and the stripper plate 244, downward movement of said plate with relation to said block being limited by the engagement of the heads of the rods with transverse shoulders in the bores of the block. The carrier block 238 has laterally extending flanges provided with bearings b which are slidingly mounted on the guide rods 68. The carrier block- 238 has secured'to it one or more depending pins .stantially greater than the widths of the slots, and accordingly bridge said slots. It will be noted that the drivers 15%) have upper portions of relatively large diameter and lower portions of relatively small diameter adapted to fit slidingly in the large and small bores 1 33, 148a of the nail tubes 56. 56a the length of the lower portions of the drivers being such that before bottoming against converging walls formed between the bore 14%, 143a they will proiect further below the bottoms of the associated

nail tubes

56, 56a than is necessary to accommodate the thickest work to be enetrated.

High pressure air is delivered to the chamber 264 of the gun as by control means hereinafter described. The

barrel 226 oi the gun 46 has formed in it a pair of pas'-

sages

252, 264 which lead from the chamber 2% of the gun to the upper bore 228 and also has a passage 266 extending from said bore to exhaust. Arranged in the chamber 2M in opposed relation to the outer ends of the passages 262, 264- is a floating annular valve 268 which operates alternately to open one

passage

262, 264 to high pressure air from the chamber and to close the other passage from said chamber and vice-versa in the manner common to present percussively driven devices of the prior art such for example as disclosed in United States Letters Patent 2,911,645, granted November 10, 1959 on an application filed in the name of William P. Crossen.

When air under high and exhaust pressures is admitted to chambers-270', 272 formed respectively by the cylinder 216 and faces 274, 276 of the piston 212, the gun 45 guided by the rods 63 moves downward in a rectilinear path until the rear end of the carrier block 238 engages a plunger 273 of a pilot valve 2843 supported by the bracket 66 thereby causing, through means hereinafter described, high pressure air to be available for the chamber 2% of the gun, this condition occurring when the gun has moved downward to a position in which the lower end of the barrel 226 of the gun substantially engages a conical upper face of the hammer 234, the lower face of the hammer at .this time being in engagement with the heads of the nail stripper plate 244 so that, as the hammer 23d strikes the drivers 150, said drivers will be rendered effective to drive the nails into the work.

When pressure has been built up in the chamber 2&4 of the gun as, the impact block 232 reciprocates rapidly in the bore 228 of the gun and strikes with repeated high speed blows or impact action against the hammer 234 causing the nails 49 then in the bores 148a of the

nail tubes

56, 56a to be driven by the drivers llSti into the heel 30 and the heel seat 36 of the shoe 38 mounted on the jack 40, said nails being clinched against the heel plate 69 of the last 42 carrying the shoe as the gun follows the hammer downward as fast as permitted while the nails are being driven into the work.

The extent to which the nails 49 are driven into the work is controlled by the engagement of a cam plate 282, which is mounted on the carrier block 233, with a lever 283 Which operates a plunger 284 of a differential pilot valve 286. Operation of a spool 238 of the differential pilot valve 286 from its full line position to its dash-line position (FIG. 17) as the result of bleeding air from a chamber 2% of this valve by the operation of the plunger 284 causes, by means hereinafter described, high pressure air to be cut off from the chamber 2% of the gun 45 with the result that reciprocation of the impact block 232 of said gun ceases and accordingly the driving of the nails 49 into the work also ceases, the gun during the completion of the cycle of the machine being elevated to its raised starting position by the piston rod 21%) as will be explained later. The striker plate 232 has a shank portion 292 the upper end of which projects above the carrier that can be trimmed from the base lift is not critical.

block 238 and has threaded onto it a nut 2.94. A spring 296, which surrounds the shank portion 292 of the cam plate 282 and has its upper and lower ends engaged respectively by the carrier block 238 and the plate 282, normally maintains the nut in engagement with the upper end of the carrier block. With the above construction it will be clear that the cam plate 2%.? will yieldingly engage the lever 283 and may have its operating position changed upon the carrier block 238 by the adjustment of the nut 294.

When the peripheral outlines or contours C, C of any two of a run of sizes of conventional heels or heel lifts 32 in superinposed symmetrical relation are projected on a plane as shown in FIG. 21, the distances A between corresponding points on the side and rear portions of the contours are equal, the distances B between corresponding points on the breast portions of the contours being equal but slightly smaller than the distances A. The distances A and B between the outlines of heels of successive sizes are constant.

Distances D, D, which are equal to one-half the maximum widths of the contours C, C and are measured from the rear ends of the contours along a common vertical median plane 386a of the contours, terminate at a common point B and an axis, which is disposed at right angles to the tread faces of heels represented by the contours and passes through this point, is known as an axis of symmetry of the heels. In other words, when the outlines C, C of heels of different sizes are projected in symmetrical relation on a common plane, the vertical median planes 386a of the contours at that time being coincident, their points E, measured as above described, will coincide and an axis disposed at right angles to the plane and passing through the point E coincides with and is commonly referred to as the axis of symmetry of any one of the heels represented,

As above explained, the axes I14 of the thimbles 1% of geometrically graded lasts are located size-graded distances from the rear ends of the heel seats lift of the lasts and preparatory to the attaching of heels to right and left shoes carried by these lasts, the shoes together with the lasts which carry them have to be swung about the axis of the spindle into positions in which the vertical median planes 122 of their heel seats 113 lie in the refer ence plane 128 of the machine.

The spindle res of the jack post 1% is moved only in a vertical rectilinear path extending lengthwise of the axis of said spindle and the shoe may be placed on the spindle and quickly and effectively oriented on the spindle to proper position on the jack post by moving the rear shoulders 126 of the positioning plate 112 of the last into register with the lugs 135) of the post.

It may be explained at this point that after the heel lifts 32 and their top lifts 34 have been attached to the shoe they are trimmed along dash-lines as shown in PEG. 7, conventional trimming machines (not shown) utilizing the crease 317 between the outsole and the counter portion of the shoe its feather or break line 31) to guide the work past the cutters of such machines. It will also be noted that in order not to have to rovide a great number of heel lifts and base lifts of different sizes one size of heel lift and its associated base lift are commonly attached to more than one size of shoe with the result that during the heel trimming operation more material may be trimmed from the heel and outsole of one shoe than rom the heel and outsolc of ano her shoe. The rubber lift 32 which, when no base lift is used. may be referred to as a rubber heel usually has formed on its tread face designs of different types and if too much material is trimmed from the heel lift or the heel. appearance of the tread face of the heel lift or heel will be spoiled. For this reason the amount of material that can be trimmed from the heel lift is limited while the amount For this and other reasons in rubber heel Work the base lift is commonly allowed to project slightlly beyond the heel lift. It may also be mentioned that it is desirable if pos= sible to avoid having to trim the breasts of heel lifts 32 and their base lifts 34 because of various complications involved including the danger of damaging the shank portions of the outsoles of the shoes. Accordingly, as will be explained later, the similar breast faces of the heel lifts 32 and the base lifts 34 are alined in the carrier unit 5 as will be hereinafter explained.

The heel carrier unit 54, which may also be referred to as a heel positioning and clamping unit, comprises a base plate (FIGS. 3 and 10) secured to an arm 302 journaled on a bearing pin 304 mounted on a lug 306 secured to the vertical column 64, and a cover 3% secured by screws 310 to the base plate, said cover and base plate having formed in them vertically registering

U-shapcd openings

312, 312a which are adapted to receive heels and base lifts 32, 34 and when the machine is idle are arranged over the flat upper face of the fixed table 52 which is secured to a bracket 314 bolted to the column 64. As above explained, the heel and base lifts 32, 34 are placed upon the table 52 by hand or preferably are dropped automatically onto the table from the magazine 5h.

The carrier unit 54 is rotated about the bearing pin 304 to move the heel and base lifts 32, 34 positioned and clamped in said unit from a work receiving station over the table 52, as shown in FIG. 10, to a heel attaching station just below the nailing die 44. counterclockwise movement of the carrier unit 54, as viewed in- FIG. 3, about the bearing pin 364 is limited by the engagement of the arm 3612;, upon which the carrier unit is mounted, with a stop screw 3115 (FIG. 3) secured to the outer end of the lug 3G6.

Journaled on the base plate 300 is a cylinder 316 having a bore 318 in which is slidable a piston 32% having secured to it a rod 322 journaled to the left end (FIG. 10) of a lever 324 pivotally mounted on a bearing stud 326 secured to the base plate. Journaled on a bearing stud 323 secured to the base plate 3% is a lever 33% operatively connected to the lever 32% through a link 332. The levers 32d and 33% have pivotally connected to them links 334, 334a and extending between the links is a rear clamp or gage 336. The right end of the rear gage 336 has a circular opening 337a for receiving a stud 335a secured to the link 334a and the left end of the rear gage has secured to it a stud 335 which extends through an elongated slot 337 formed in the link 334, a spring-pressed plunger 339 slidable in the link normally maintaining the stud in engagement with the forward end of the slot. When the clamp 336 is forced with substantial pressure against the rear end of the heel lift 32 it will pivot about the stud 335a against the action of the spring-pressed plunger 339.

The forward ends of the links 334, 33441 are pivotal- 1y connected to levers 338 pivoted on hearing studs secured to the base plate 5% and pivotslly connected to these levers are right and left side clamps 3 :2. which are pivotally connected to arms 344 journaled on bearing studs 346secured to the base plate 3%. The levers 338 are operatively connected by links 348 to T-shaped levers 35f journaled on bearing studs 352 secured to the base plate 3%. Pivotally connected to the T-shaped levers 356 are slide clamps 354 which are pivotally connected to links 356 journaled on studs 35% secured to the base plate 300, the levers 350 also being operatively connected by links 36'!) to a breast clamp 362 having a convex face 354 complemental to and adapted to engage the breast faces of the heel and base lifts 32, 34.

The rear clamp 336 and the side clamps 342-, 354 have secured to. their inner or work-engaging portions depend ing pins each of which carries a leaf spring 3-53 adapted to engage the base lift 34, which rests on the table 52, just before the associated rear and side clamps engage the heel lift, the leaf springs 363 yielding to insure that these springs shall not interfere with the proper positioning of the heel lift in the carrier unit 54. If desirable the side clamps 354 may be yieldingly connected to their associated T-shaped levers 356*. Accordingly each of the clamps 354 has formed in it a slot 370 through which passes a stud 372 secured to the associated T-shaped lever 35%, and carried by each of the clamps 354 is a spring-pressed plunger 374 which normally retains the stud in engagement with the outer end of the slot.

As the piston rod 322 moves forward as the result of high pressure air being available for a face 378 of the piston 320 and a face 384) of thepiston being open. to exhaust, the front and

rear clamps

362, 336 together with the side clamps 342, 354 and their associated leaf springs 368 move in converging paths to engage the work which consists of the heel lift 32 and its associated base lift 34 which may have been manually placed on the table 52 or automatically delivered to the table from the mag azine 50. The breast clamp 362 and the side clamps 342 positively engage the heel lift 32 to move it on the table to its position shown in FIG. 10. The rear clamp 336 and the side clamps 354 which are yieldingly urged against the heel lift assist the breast clamps 362 and the side clamps 342 in the positioning of the heel lift. The lower portion of the breast clamp 362 (FIG. 19) and the associated leaf springs 368 of the rear clarnp 336 and the side clamps 342, 354 cooperate to position the base lift 34 on the table to its position shown in FIG. 10.

The construction and arrangement of the side clamps 342 and the breast clamp 362 is such that they open and close at such a ratio that the conventional heel or heel lift clamped therein will always have its vertical median plane 386 coincident with a reference plane 375 of the carrier unit 54 and will always have its axis of symmetry coincident with a fixed vertical reference axis 384 of the carrier unit 54.

As above explained, the breast clamp 362 moves the breasts of the base lift 34 and the heel lift 32 into register, the base lift which is usually slightly larger than the heel lift projecting a substantially uniform distance beyond the side and rear faces of the heel lift. In view of the fact that the amount of material that can be removed from the base lift 34 during the heel trimming operation is not critical the leaf springs 368 are quite sati factory in the positioning of the base lift in the carrier unit 54.

As above stated, the yieldable rear clamp 336 and the yieldable side clamps 354 may be given a slight lead in order that the heel lift 32 may be prepositioned before it is operated upon by the breast clamp 362 and the side clamps 342 which positively engage the heel lift. The carrier unit 54 may be described as having a fixed reference. plane 375 which is spaced equidistant from the side clamps 342 and is normally spaced equidistant from the side clamps 354. When the heel lift 34 has been positioned and clamped in the carrier unit 54 its vertical median plane 386 may be described as lying in the referance plane 375 of said unit.

When the heel and base lifts 32, 34 on the table 52 have been positioned and clamped in the carrier unit 54, this unit is swung on the bearing pin 304 into a pcsition in which the vertical median plane 386 of the heel and accordingly the reference plane 375 of the carrier unit coincide with the vertical reference plane 128 of the machine, this relation being controlled by the engagement of the arm 302 of the base plate 380 of the carrier unit 54, with a stop screw 388 threaded into the column 64 of the machine. 7

In order to effect swinging movement of the carrier unit 54 between its loading position shown in FIG. 3 and its' heel attaching position below the nailing die 44, the arm 302 has pivotally mounted on it a cylinder 392 provided with a bore 394 in which a piston 396 is slidable. The piston 396 has secured to it a connecting rod 398 pivotally connected to a block 390 secured to the column 64 of the machine. High pressure air and air open to i2 exhaust is made available for chambers 46!) and 402, which are formed respectively by the cylinder 392 and faces 484, 486 of the piston 496, alternately to cause the carrier unit 54 to be transferred from its loading position to its heel attaching position.

When the carrier 54 has been moved to its heel attaching position the axis of symmetry of the heel lift 32 lies in the reference plane 128 of the machine and will be parallel to and spaced slightly from the axis 114 of the thimble 168 of the last 42 positioned upon the spindle 186 of the jack post 96, the distance between the axis of symmetry of the heel lift and the axis of the th mble being constant irrespective of the size of the heel. It will thus be apparent that the carrier unit 54 is adapted automatically to locate heels of different sizes beneath the nailing die 44 in positions in which the vertical projections of the outlines of these heels on the planes of the feather lines respectively of the shoes carried by the last positioned on the jack, will lie a substantially constant distance outside said feather line and in nested relation.

As stated above, by using this method of positioning heels with relation to the shoe on the jack, the services of a skilled operator are no longer required in the attachment of the heel to the shoe. Moreover, the providing of carrier units 54 such as above described is an important step in the providing of the fully automatic heel attaching machine disclosed in said application Serial No. 28,801.

As will be explained later, in the fluid pressure control system of the machine the nail distributor 48 is operated in response to movement of the carrier unit 54 beneath the nailing die 44. Accordingly the arm 302 through which the carrier unit 54 is supported for pivotal movement has mounted on it a pilot valve 412 provided with a plunger 414 which as the carrier unit approaches its heel attaching position beneath the nailing die engages a screw 416 adjustably mounted on the column 64 whereby to cause the nail distributor 48 to operate.

The nail distributor 48 is mounted upon the upper end of the vertical column 64 and comprises a raceway 418 which is secured by screws 428 to the column and has formed in it a plurality of slots 422 which are inclined to the horizontal and are adapted to receive nails 49 with their heads overlying an upper face 424 of the raceway.

Pivotally mounted on trunnions 426 fitting in bores of bosses 428 (only one shown) of the column 64 is a nail hopper 430 which is provided with a generally fiat floor 432 having formed in its slots 434 which, except for their lower ends, are of uniform width. The hopper 430 has the general appearance of an open top box and has upstanding side and end walls, portions of the floor along opposite sides of the rear portions of the slots 434 being cut way to form nail receiving depressions 436. A baffle plate 438 extends from one side wall of the hopper 430 to the other and is spaced from the floor 432. Extending downward from the bottom of the hopper 43th is a lug 440 which is pivotally connected to the upper end of a piston rod 442.

The hopper 430 has secured to it a solid ramp 444 which extends from the floor 432 of said hopper to the front wall of the hopper and from one side wall of the hopper to the other. Forward end portions of the slots 434 just rearward of the lower end of the ramp 444, which is almost flush with the floor 432, terminate in widened slot portions 434a, the construction and arrangement being such that the nails traveling down the slots 434 will drop through said widened slot portions into covered lower slots or passages 446 which are formed in a lower floor portion of the hopper beneath said ramp and are in effect continuations of the slots 434.

Opposing adjacent ends of the raceway 418 and the floor 432 of the hopper 430 are undercut as best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 and substantially engage each other along a common axis 450 of the trunnions 426. As the hopper 430 swings between its full line retracted position (FIG. 12) and its dash-line projected position nails in the hopper are shaken and drop into the slots 434 with their heads engaging the floor 432. During movement of the hopper 430 to its dash-line position (FIG. 12) the nails slide down the slots 434 and as they arrive at the ramp 44% they fall into the widened slot portions 434a and into the lower slots 446. The lower ends of the slots 446 of the hopper 430 are in register with the upper ends of the slots 422 formed in the raceway 418 and when the hopper is raised to its dash-line position nails in the slots 446 will be transferred to the registering slots 422 of the raceway 418.

The piston rod 442 which is pivotally connected to the lug 440 of the hopper 430 is secured to a piston 452 slidable in a bore of a cylinder 454 fulcrumed at its lower end to the column 64 of the machine. The cylinder 454 and a lower face 456 of the piston 452 form a chamber to which high pressure air is supplied, said piston being normally retained in a rest position at the lower end of the bore by a spring 460. The lug 441) of the hopper 430 is also operatively connected to a link 462 pivotally connected to an arm 464 pinned to a shaft 466 journaled in bearings 468 secured by screws to a block 4769 which in turn is secured to the column 64 and also to the raceway 418. Also pinned to the shaft 466 is a thrust arm 472 the purpose of which will be explained later.

Secured by screws 474 and spacers to the block 47% is a front wall 476 having formed in its rear face a plurality of vertical grooves 478 which are laterally offset from the lower ends of the slots 422 formed in the raceway 418. Slidable laterally in a guideway formed by the front wall 476, the block 470 and the forward end of the raceway 418 is a separator plate 480 provided with slots 482 which are normally in register with the slots 422 of the raceway 418. Formed in the block 470 are a plurality of funnelshaped openings 484 which are arranged respectively below the grooves 478 in the front wall 476 and secured in lower tapered ends of the openings are the upper ends of the plastic nail tubes 197 the lower ends of which fit in the bores 195 in the

nail tubes

56, 56a as above explained.

The block 470 has mounted in it a bearing collar 486 and vertically slidable in said collar and resting on the thrust arm 472 is a rod 488 having formed in it a bore adapted to receive a pin 4% which is constanty urged to a raised position in said bore by a spring 492 interposed between the heads of the rod and the pin.

Journaled upon a pin 494 mounted in a bracket 496 secured by screws to the block 47% is an L-shaped lever 498 which is constantly urged counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 14 by a spring 50% and which is engaged by the upper end of the pin 4%. The vertical arm of the L- shaped lever 498 is pivotally connected by a shoulder screw 502, which has a forward extension and has a nut threaded onto it, to the right end (FIGS. 14 and 15) of the separator plate 480.

When the machine is in its rest position the hopper 435 is in its full-line position shown in FIG. 12 and the separator plate 480 is in its position shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 with nails resting in the slots 482 of said plate. As the carrier unit 54 moves to its heel attaching position below the nailing die 44 the piston rod 442 is operated by fluid pressure means hereinafter described to raise the hopper 430 to its clash-line position and to move the thrust arm 472 counterclockwise (FIG. 12) thus allowing the L- shaped arm 498 to be swung counterclockwise (FIG. 14) by the spring 500 until the L-shaped arm engages a stop screw 504 secured to the bracket 496. When this occurs the nails 49 in the slots 432 of the separator plate 480 are transferred to the grooves 478 formed in the front wall 476 and then drop through the funnel-shaped openings 484 into the plastic tubes 197 for delivery to the bores 195 in the

nail tubes

56, 56a and into the lower passages 1143, 148a of said tubes to positions in which the pointed ends of the nails enter the recesses 58 formed in the heel lift 32 which at this time is in a waiting position beneath the nail tubes. As the vertical arm of the L-shaped lever 498 engages the stop screw 564, the forward extension of the shoulder screw 502 engages a screw 566 secured to an arm 5% which opens a chamber 518 (FIG. 16) of a differential pilot valve 512 to exhaust and thus effects the operation of a plunger 514 of this valve, as will be hereinafter described, whereby to cause the face 456 of the piston 452 to be connected to exhaust. When this occurs the piston rod 442 returns to its lowered starting position under the action of the spring 46% causing the hopper 43th to be moved back to its full-line position and causing the L-shaped lever 498 to be swung clockwise to it position shown in FIG. 14 against the action of the spring 500 and the separator plate to be moved back to its normal position in which its slots 482 register with the slots 422 in the raceway 418. As the abutment 566 is released by the forward extension of the shoulder screw 552 secured to the separator plate 486 the plunger 514 of the differential pilot valve 512 assumes its rest position shown in FIG. 16.

High pressure air used in the operation of the machine is available for a primary supply line 516 which is con- .uected through a ball check to a secondary supply line 518,

from a compressor line 524) connected through a pressure regulator 522 to the primary supply line.

After the last 42 carrying the shoe 38 has been positioned on the post 86 of the jack 46, a heel at this time resting on the table 52, the operator simultaneously depresses a pair of spools 524 of manually operated valves 526 against the action of springs 528 causing air in the line 518 to be available for a face 55% of a spool 534 of a main pilot valve 532 thus causing said spool 534 to move to its dash-line position (FIG. 16), an exhaust line 536 at this time being cut off from the line 518 by the spools 524 of the Valves 526. As soon as the spool 534 of the pilot valve 532 has been shifted to its dash-line position to start the machine the operator releases the spools 524 of the manually operated valves 526 with the result that these spools move to their idle positions under the action of the springs 528, the spool 534 remaining in its dash-line position. High pressure air in the secondary supply line 518 is now available through line 553, a pressure regulator 54% and a line 542 for a chamber 544 formed by the cylinder 516 and the face 378 of the piston 320 which is operatively connected to the lever 324 of the heel carrier unit 54. The lines 542 and 535 are also connected for one-way flow in an opposite direction through a ball check. When the spool 554 of the main pilot valve 532 is in its dash-line position a line 546, which is open to a chamber 543 formed by the cylinder 316 and the face 38%) of the piston 32%, is also open to an exhaust port 55% of the main pilot valve. Accordingly, the heel and base lifts 32, 34 supported by the table 52 will be positioned and clamped by the carrier unit 54 with the vertical median plane 386 of said lift arranged in the vertical median plane 375 of the carrier unit and the axis of symmetry of said heel lift coincident with a vertical reference line 384 fixed with relation to said unit.

At this time high pressure air in the line 538 is also available for a sequence valve 552 and when air in this line has built up to a predetermined pressure after the heel and base lifts have been clamped in the carrier unit 54, this sequence valve operates and high pressure air is available for a line 554 open to a chamber 556 of a cut ofl" valve 558 which comprises a spool 56f! normally held by a spring 562 in its position shown in FIG. 16 to allow air to flow freely through the chamber 556 to a line 564 having ball and restrictor checks.

The cut off valve 555 serves as a safety to insure against the machine operating through a cycle when there is no work, which may be a heel lift 32 and a base lift 34 or just a heel lift then referred to as a heel, in the carrier

Claims

1. IN A MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOES, A SUPPORT, A NAILING DIE, MEANS FOR EFFECTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE SUPPORT AND THE DIE TO FORCE TWO PARTS OF A SHOE TOGETHER, MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE NAILING DIE TO DRIVE A PLURALITY OF NAILS SIMULTANEOUSLY BY SUCCESSIVE IMPACT ACTION INTO SAID SHOE PARTS TO SECURE SAID SHOE PARTS TO EACH OTHER, AND MEANS FOR ALLOWING THE SUPPORT TO MOVE SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM THE NAILING DIE IN RESPONSE TO THE DRIVING OF NAILS INTO THE WORK BY SAID SECOND-NAMED MEANS.