US3264666A

US3264666A - Shoe lasting machines

Info

Publication number: US3264666A
Application number: US484836A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert G Akerley
Original assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Current assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Priority date: 1965-09-03
Filing date: 1965-09-03
Publication date: 1966-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-09
Also published as: GB1154871A

Description

9, 966 R. G. AKERLEY SHOE LASTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 3, 1965 Inventor Robe/t G'Ake/"ley By his Attorney Aug. 9, 1966 R. G. AKERL-EY 3,264,666

SHOE LASTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,264,666 SHOE LASTING MACHINES Robert G. Akerley, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass-, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 484,836 Claims. (Cl. 12--12) This invention relates to machines for lasting shoes and more particularly is directed to means for wrapping an upper over a shoe last. A typical lasting machine to which the invention may be applied is shown in United States Patent No. 3,226,746, granted January 4, 1966, upon application of G. J. Marquis et al. While the invention is herein shown as directed to the lasting of the shank portion of a shoe concurrently with the lasting of the forepart and ball portions of the shoe, it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to a machine adapted to operate on other portions of a shoe or on the shank portion of a shoe alone, or to be incorporated in a machine which also operates on the heel end of a shoe or any combination of the foregoing.

US. Patent No. 3,226,746 discloses a machine in which wipers are hingedly connected to the heel ends of ball wipers to wipe the shank portions of a shoe concurrently with the ball portions. While such an arrangement has given satisfactory results the connection between the ball and shank wipers limits the style and type of shoe which can be efficiently operated upon. Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide means for lasting the shank areas of shoes without the limitations inherent in predecessor devices.

According to one feature, the machine is provided at each side of the shoe with lasting means comprising a member having two legs between which extends a resilient band. The member is movable bodily widthwise toward the area of the shoe to be lasted with one leg first pressing the hand against the upper adjacent the top line of the shoe to clamp the upper to the last for preventing subsequent bodily displacement of the upper. Continued widthwise movement thereafter causes the member to rock widthwise about the first leg so the band wraps the upper firmly around the last heightwise toward the shoe bottom and widthwise over the shoe bottom. Final swinging movement of the member causes the other leg to press the band and upper heightwise against the shoe bottom.

A further feature provides for mounting the member on a moving means for both the upper wrapping rocking movement and for a lengthwise swinging movement so the member and band are accommodated to the general lengthwise contour of the shoe. According to a further aspect, means are provided for adjusting the location of the member relative to the top line of the shoe.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a typical machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on line IIII'of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are similar to FIG. 2 and show the progressive positions of parts during a lasting operation.

One preferred form "of the invention is shown as embodied in a machine for lasting shoes of which a typical example thereof is disclosed in said Marquis et al. patent. The machine is provided with a shoe rest (not shown) adapted to support the forepart of a shoe comprising an upper U and an insole I assembled on a last L. The machine is further provided with gripper units (not shown) arranged to grip the upper at opposite sides of the forepart and also gripper units adapted to tension the upper at the ball and shank regions of the last. Relative heightwise movement between the grippers and the Patented August 9, 1966 ICC shoe support in any convenient manner acts to tension the upper for initial shaping and positioning on the last. At this point in the operation of the machine, the bottom of the last with an insole and upper assembled thereon is positioned in the same plane as a pair of forepart wipers 26 (FIG. 1) which are advanced and closed to wipe the tensioned upper inwardly over the edge of the forepart of the insole. The upper surface of each forepart wiper has resting thereon the inner edge of a ball wiper 28 which curves heightwise toward the heel end of the, shoe from the plane of the forepart wiper so that a sub:

p stantially continuous surface is presented to the shoe bottom to wipe the upper over both the forepart and the ball portions of the shoe bottom. A heel rest 30, which is similar in operation to that of the above-mentioned patent, not only provides support for the shoe against the wiper advancing and closing forces but also acts as a gage which uses the heel end of the shoe as a reference point relative to which the ball wipers are spaced according to the size of shoe to be operated upon.

Each ball wiper 28 is carried by an arm 88 fulcrumed at on a bracket 92 so that the ball wiper may be swung inwardly to wipe the upper widthwise over the shoe bottom at the ball region. The brackets 92 extend inwardly from a pair of slides 94 mounted for movement lengthwise of the shoe in guideways 96 formed at opposite sides of the machine in a cover plate. Each slide is connected to one end of a flexible cable 114 which at its other end is connected to the heel rest 30 in a manner described in said Marquis et al. patent. Movement of the heel rest into engagement with the heel end of the shoe acts to measure the shoe length and to impart a proportional movement to the slides 94 toward the toe end of the shoe causing the positions of the ball wipers 28 to be set in predetermined positions lengthwise of the shoe according to its size. As the forepart wipers 26 are advanced and closed widthwise to wipe the upper around the forepart, the ball wipers 28 are also swung widthwise to wipe the upper over the ball and shank regions of the shoe bottom. The mechanism described up to this point forms no part of the present invention but serves merely to furnish a suitable setting for and describe one particular embodiment of the invention now to be described.

For lasting the shank portion of the shoe the machine is provided with a pair of lasting units 32 carried on the ends of piston rods 34 extending from fluid operated cylinders 36. Each cylinder is carried by a bracket 38 having a spindle 40 rotatably mounted in lugs 42 upstanding from a plate 44 secured to and movable with vthe slide 94, By this means the units 32 are movable bodily with the ball wipers 28 as they are adjusted upon movement of the slides 94 proportionally according to the size measuring movement of the heel rest 30. The bracket 38 also has a lug 46 (see also FIGS. 2-4) through which passes a threaded rod 48 pivoted at its lower end on a lug 50 depending from the plate 44. A spring 52 on the rod and underlying the lug 46 swings the bracket 38 and hence also the cylinder 36 and lasting unit 32 heightwise about the spindle 40 to a position determined by adjustable stop nuts 54 threaded on the upper end of rod 48 above the lug 46. By adjusting the stop nuts 54 at opposite sides of the shoe, the lasting units 32 may be independently adjusted heightwise to suit the shoe to be operated upon. Since the units are held against the stop nuts by the springs 52 it is obvious that the units are free to yield downwardly against the action of the springs for a purpose which will appear.

Each unit 32 comprises a resilient band 56 which extends over and between two

legs

58, 59 of a member 60, the band being secured to the bracket by a clamp 66. The leg 58 is provided with a resilient pad 62 underlying the band while the leg 59'is provided with a resilient pad'64 initially adjacent the band and which will subsequently also underly'the band. The member 60 has an ear 68by which it is mounted on a. ball joint 70 carried on a forked head 71 secured to the piston rod 34. As seen in FIG.

1, a resilient washer 72 is provided between the ear 68 and one side of the forked head. The unit 32 is thus-resiliently held centered in the forked head by the washer'as seen in FIG. 1, but is capable of swinging yieldingly lengthwise of the shoe aboutthe ball joint 70 upon engagement with the side of the shoe. By this means, each unit 32 adjusts itself to the lengthwise contour of the shoe'upon engage-v ment therewith.

In FIG. 2 both units 32 are shown in their initial position spaced widthwise from the shoe. In addition to the stop nuts 54, the orientation of the units heightwise of the shoe is also controlled by a portion of the ear 68 engaging a stop 74 on the forked head 71, the weight of the. unit holding the ear against the stop. To commence lasting of the shank portion of the shoe, air is admit-ted to the outer ends of the cylinders 36 thereby moving the units 32 widthwise until the bands 56 are pressed by the pads 62 against the upper adjacent the :top line of the shoe as This initial engagement of the band, as

seen in FIG. 3. firmlypressed by the pads 62,'acts to clamp the upper.

against the last and against body displacement heightwise V of the shoe. Continued wid-thwise movement of the units 32 cause them to rock widthwise about the pads 62 from thepositions seen in FIG. 3 to that seen in FIG..4 thereby causing the unsupported portions of the bands 56 between the

pads

62 and 64 to wrap the upper progressively around the last andinwardly over the bottom of the shoe. During this rocking movement the cylinders 36 also swing downwardly against the action of the spring 52.? As the units complete their rocking movements the pads 64- press the bands and the upper heightwise firmly against the shoe bottom.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the lasting 1. In a shoe lasting machine havingv means for lasting an upper of a shoe over a last comprising a member having two diverging legs, a resilient band engageable with the shoe carried by the member and extending unsupported between the legs, a pivot mounting the member for rocking movementheightwise .of the shoe, means carrying the pivot for moving .the pivot and member bodilyl widthwisetoward the shoe for first causing one ofthe legs to press the hand against the :upper adjacent its top line for clampingtheupper against :the la'st to prevent bodily displacement, continued bodily movement of the memberthereafter: causing the member to rock about said one legwidthwise and toward theshoe bottom whereby the unsupported .portionof the .band ,wraps the upper heightwise around the last and widthwise over the margin of the last bottom, .the final rocking movement of the membercausing the other leg to press the band and upper heightwise towardthe shoe bottom.

2. A machineaccording to claim 1 in which the memher is pivoted to the. moving means by a ball joint for the memberafter: the. band is first clamped against the.

upper and last.

5. A machine according to claim 4 in which the moving means is yieldingly held heightwise of the shoe against anzadjustable stop which determines the :location of the initial clamping action of the band relative to the top line of the upper. V

7 References Cited by the Examiner I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,254,369 9/l94lia Iorgensen" 12I8.l 2,368,849 2/1945 Lancaster; 12-8.1 2,655,672 10/1953 Courchenes 12'8.1 3,082,449 3/1963 Bowler et; al. 12.-12

'FRANK J. COHEN; Primary Examinen PATRICK D. LAWSON; Examiner

Claims

1. IN A SHOE LASTING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR LASTING AN UPPER OF A SHOE OVER A LAST COMPRISING A MEMBER HAVING TWO DIVERGING LEGS, A RESILIENT BAND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SHOE CARRIED BY THE MEMBER AND EXTENDING UNSUPPORTED BETWEEN THE LEGS, A PIVOT MOUNTING THE MEMBER FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT HEIGHTWISE OF THE SHOE, MEANS CARRYING THE PIVOT FOR MOVING THE PIVOT AND MEMBER BODILY WIDTHWISE TOWARD THE SHOE FOR FIRST CAUSING ONE OF THE LEGS TO PRESS THE BAND AGAINST THE UPPER ADJACENT ITS TOP LINE FOR CLAMPING THE UPPER AGAINST THE LAST TO PREVENT BODILY DISPLACEMENT, CONTINUED BODILY MOVEMENT OF THE MEMBER THEREAFTER CAUSING THE MEMBER TO ROCK ABOUT SAID ONE LEG WIDTHWISE AND TOWARD THE SHOE BOTTOM WHEREBY THE UNSUPPORTED PORTION OF THE BAND WRAPS THE UPPER HEIGHTWISE ROUND THE LAST AND WIDTHWISE OVER THE MARGIN OF THE LAST BOTTOM, THE FINAL ROCKING MOVEMENT OF THE MEMBER CAUSING THE OTHER LEG TO PRESS THE BAND AND UPPER HEIGHTWISE TOWARD THE SHOE BOTTOM.