US1495602A - Manufacture of shoe uppers - Google Patents

Description

2?, 192%. 1,495,662 M. LEROY, JR

MANUFACTURE OF SHOE UPPERS Filed June 13, 1922 ZZZ/van 0r:

MaZMTZ GZ luff 7 /f//arn y Patented May 27, 1924.

MAURICE LEROTY, an, or 'vovns, FRANCE.

.MANUZEACTUBE 0F SHOE UPPERS.

Application filed June 13, 1-922. Serial No. 568,073.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .MAURICE LEROY, Jr., a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at VoveaFrance, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Manufacture of Shoe Uppers, of which the following is a s ecificatlon.

he present invention relates to the mechanical manufacture and shaping of leather uppers for ,goloshes or similar foot Wear, and has for its primary "object to provide certain improvements whereby such uppers be manufactured and shaped withoutit bein necessary to .leave the upper on the shaping; ast after it has been mechanically brought into its proper shape.

According to the :rnven tion, the blank, which has previously been cut to shape and spread :out flat, is slightly moistened; this moisten-ingj may be'effected by means of a jet of steam or by allowing the leather to remain ina damp place.

' The leather, when thus moistened but not wetted, is applied against the upper surface of a last, the shape -of which is appropriate to the shaped upper to be made, and the said leather is locked along its entire margin exicept at the neck by a movable frame fitting the lower con-tourof th'e'last, the said frame bei-ng provided for that purpose with pins which serve as centering points for the positi'on-ing of the leather and as means for tightening the leather by forcing thesaid pins :iintothe holes of a movable box contain ing a hollow matrix.

The leather, when spread and locked on the last is compressed by the matrix which is shaped interiorly to conform to the shape or the upper to be made, the said matrix sliding in the movable box, which latter is 1 vertically fixed on an ordinary press.

drawing anddescribed in the fol- The compression-of the leather causes its grain to disappear and thus does away with the brdiwnary operation :of smoothing by hand by means-of a piece of wood or glass.

- The matrix "may beengraved in order to trace out by'lneans of compression the desired patterns on the upper du-riirg'the op- 'er'ationof shaping.

The invention is illustrated in the accoml-owing specification, and 51S hereinafter spe- In the drawinglz I JEii-gure 1 represents in side elevation the last on which the leather cut out. flat is applied in order to be transformed into a shaped upper. I Figure 2 is a top plan View of the last.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the frame in which the lower part of the last is fitted.

TENT FFIC.

Figure 4 is a section of the frame on line Figure 5 is aside elevation of the box fixed to the press/enclosing the shaping matrix.

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the arrangement of the last, the frame and the movable box on the press, the saidparts being in the position of rest.

Figures 7 and 8 are longitudinal sections on the line y-y of Fig. 9 showing the same parts during the manufacture of the shaped uppers, Fig. 7 representing the first phase of pressure and Fig. 8 the second and last phase -of pressure.

Figure 9 is a transverse section on the line ez of Fig. 7 showing the parts of the appliance during the first phase of the pressure. c

The appliance comprises a metal last 1 mounted on a screw-threaded rod 2 which allows of fixing it "on the framework 3 by means of a nut 4 (Fig. 6). This last is fitted at its base inacorrespondingly shaped opening formed in a movable frame 5. This frame is supported-by four columns 6 fixed at their lower ends on a plate 7v which slides freely on the screw-threaded rod 2.; this plate abuts'against a shoulder P on the rod 2 under the action of a spiral spring 8 encircling the narrower part of the .rod below the plate 7, the tension of the spring being regulated by a nut 9 screwed to the end of the rod 2.-

The movable frame 5 is provided on its I upper face with. four studs 10 and two transverse packing strips 11, the part played by which will be explained below.

The appliance is completed by a metal box 12 mounted on the movable part of an ordinary press :so as. to appear above the last 1 and the frame 5 surrounding it. The

lower edge face forming the peripheral wall part of the last 1 and movable upwardly within said box; this movement taking place when the matrix comes into, contact with the leather spread 011 the last 1. The matrix 14 may be plain or may be engraved to print patterns or designs on the upper.

The gas burner 15 arranged outslde and around the box 12 allows of heating the box and the matrix let to a suitable temperature.

The appliance operates as follows The parts being in the position of rest (Fig. 6), the last 1 is fixed on the framework 3 by the nut 1; the frame 5 whlch surrounds it, thrust upwardly by the spring 8 acting on the plate 7, is lifted and brought into its upper position. The box 12 fixed to the press (not shown) is lifted so as to release the upper surface of the last 1.

The leather 16, previously cut out fiat and moistened. as has been previously said, is placed on the last 1, making use of the studs 10 as centering points. In the first phase of the pressure (Figs. 7 and 9) the press, having been set in operation, lowers the box 12 on to the last 1 and the peripheral wall of the box comes to rest on the packing strips 11 of the frame. These packing strips, by leaving a small space between the box 12 and the frame 5, prevent the crushing of the leather between these parts; in this lowering of the box 12 the studs 10 pass into the holes 13 of the said box 12 and the leather is thus kept tight without being crushed between the box 12 and the frame 5. This frame, supported by the four columns 6 and maintained by the spring 8, occupies its upper position around the last 1.

During the second phase of the compression (Fig. 8), the box 12 continues its downward course and exerts a pressure on the frame 5 which offers some resistance owing to the reaction of the spring 8 pressing the plate 7 and the four columns supporting the frame; the descent of the box 12 counteracting the action of the spring, the frame 5 slides downward against the periphery of the last 1 and comes to rest on the framework 3.

During this descent the leather 16 spread on the last 1 is always locked between the box 1.2 and the frame. The result is that the leather. acted on by these two parts, will be tightly pressed on the last in proportion as the two parts 12 and 5 descend.

.VV hen the box reaches the end of its lower stroke and the leather is completely spread on the last 1. the matrix 14 compresses the leather on the last and completes the operation by smoothing the upper or tracing ornaments or patterns thereon if this matrix is engraved.

The operation being completed, the press sacted on to bring the box back to its 1n1t1al upper position, the frame 5 likewise but not wet-ted will not adhere to the last and can very easily be taken off.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for the manufacture of leather uppers for goloshes and similar foot wear, comprising a metal last provided in its centre on its lower face with a threaded rod intended for securing it to the framework of the press, a frame pierced in its centre with a hole shaped according to the outline of the last, the said frame being fitted with four columns sliding freely in the framework of the press and connected by a single plate located underneath the said framework, the upper face of the said frame being fiat along its two shorter marginal edges and depressed between said flat edges along its longer marginal edges, a metal box closed at its upper part and provided with a rod connecting it to the press, the peripheral edge of the open part of the said box having the same configuration as the upper 'face of the frame on which it may rest, a matrix located in the said metal box and free to shift therein from below upwards, the said matrix being hollowed according to the configuration of the upper part of the last which receives the leather piece to be shaped, and a gas burner arranged around the external wall of the metal box. I

2. Apparatus for the manufacture of leather uppers for goloshes and similar foot wear, comprising a metal last secured by a rod to the framework of the press, the said rod acting as a guide for a plate on which rests a spiral spring surrounding a reduced part of the said rod, a frame provided centrally with a hole allowing it to freely slide around the outline of the last, the said frame being fitted with four columns sliding freely through the framework of the press and connected by a single plate sliding along the rod which secures the last to the said framework, the upper face of the frame having its two shorter marginal edges made fiat and provided each with transverse packing strips parallel to the said edges and its two longer marginal edges depressed, the upper flat face of the frame being provided furthermore with four pins, a metal box closed at the top and connected to the rod of the press, the peripheral edge of the open part of said box having the same configuration as the upper face of the frame, the said edge being pierced with holes for accommodating 5 the pins of the frame, a matrix located in the metal box and free to shift therein from below upwards, the said matrix being hollowed according to the configuration of the upper part of the last on which the leather piece is applied, and a gas burner arranged around the external wall of the metal box in order to heat the said box and the matrix contained therein.

3. Apparatus for the manufacture of shoe uppers, comprising a last; a spring-pressed frame slidably related to the last and having an opening wherein the lower portion of said last conformably fits; a movable case fitting over the last and adapted to clamp the marginal edges of the upper between its edge face and the upper face of said frame; and a hollow matrix movably disposed within said case and having its interior shaped to conform to the shape of the upper portion of the last.

4. Apparatus for the manufacture of shoe uppers, comprising a metal last adapted to support a moistened blank; a yieldingly mounted frame slidably related to the last I and having an opening wherein the lower portion of said last conformably fits; a mov able metal case fitting over the last and adapted to clamp the marginal edges of the blank against the upper face of said frame; a hollow matrix movably disposed within said case and having its interior shaped to conform to the upper portion of the last; and a device positioned to heat said case and the matrix therein.

5. Apparatus for the manufacture of shoe uppers, comprising a last; a spring-pressed frame slidably related to the last and having. an opening wherein the lower portion of said last conformably fits; a movable case fitting over the last and adapted to clamp the marginal edges of the upper between its edge face and the upper face of said frame, the said edge face of thecase having a plurality of vertically-extending sockets to receive upstanding centering pins on said frame face; and a hollow matrix movably disposed within said case and having its interior shaped to conform to the shape of the upper portion of the last.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MAURICE LEROY FILS.

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