FR2781344A1 - Device for shaping shoes during manufacture comprises unit for temporarily immobilizing last before receiving shoe upper, and articulated assembly movable in the median plane of immobilized last - Google Patents

Abstract

The articulated assembly comprises a scoop (27) which is supported and tipped on the heel region of the last. A freely rotating roller (30) moves on top of the last in the heel direction, then downwards over the rear of the last. Another mechanized unit (7) transfers the lasts between the manufacturing line (1) and the shaping device.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for shaping

  shoes during manufacture, this device being intended in particular for a shoe manufacturing line, in which a chain, carrying with it plates, passes them one after the other to a certain number of work stations, located on the chain or on the side of this chain, where successive operations of manufacturing or processing of the shoes are carried out. In such an installation, as described in French patent No. 2,721,913 or the corresponding European patent No. 0691,089 in the name of the Applicant, the shoes during manufacture are mounted on specific jigs, called "shapes", held by removable media which are,

  themselves, each carried by a tray.

  In the implementation of such an installation, the shoe blanks, which are their "uppers", must be initially placed on the corresponding shapes. This operation of "shaping" the shoes already presents itself a certain difficulty because, for reasons of precision and rigidity, the shapes are one-piece, non-articulated elements, on which the uppers must be fitted and correctly adjusted . In addition, the shoe shaping operation is not currently mechanized yet, so that it

  requires significant human intervention, which requires labor

  of work and time, and which goes against the aim of the production line, namely to automate as much as possible the operations of

shoe manufacturing.

  Based on this observation, the present invention aims to provide suitable means for shaping shoes, which allow to mechanize this operation, in particular in relation to a manufacturing line of the kind indicated above, while improving the

precision of this operation.

  To this end, the invention relates to a device for shaping shoes during manufacture, this device essentially comprising, in combination; - Means for the temporary immobilization of at least one form to receive the upper of a shoe, and - an articulated assembly, deplorable in a motorized manner substantially in the median plane of the immobilized form, this assembly comprising a shovel capable of to take support and to be moved, by tilting, on the heel region of the shape, and a free roller rotating around an axis transverse to said median plane, deplorable on the top of the shape in the direction of the heel down, then on the back of the form. The rod of the shoe to be manufactured being initially engaged manually on the corresponding immobilized form, the tilting of the shovel pulls this rod to extend it and nest it on the back of the form, while the movement of the roller, which performs sort of "ironing", apply the rod on the form, and contributes to its nesting

on the "heel" of the shape.

  While the form is immobilized during these operations, it is advantageously provided that the means for temporarily immobilizing the form are pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis, motorized means being provided for controlling the tilting of the form, again locked on the immobilization means, after fitting the rod, for a visual check of the correct positioning of this rod on the form, in particular on the side of the vamp. To facilitate the visual control then carried out, the device also comprises means for projecting a light beam, such as a laser beam, in the median plane of the shape in the direction of the position it takes after tilting. Once the control has been carried out, the form is returned to its initial position, and it is released to be transferred, with the rod in place, on the line

Manufacturing.

  According to a first possibility, the device for shaping shoes during manufacture, object of the invention, is presented as an independent device; the forms, having received their respective rods on this device, are then transferred manually to the production line, these forms, having themselves previously been brought manually to the device to receive the rods there. According to another possibility, going in the direction of automation, the device for shaping shoes, object of the invention, is associated with mechanized means for transferring the shapes (without rods) from the production line to the device, even on the means of temporary immobilization of these forms and reverse transfer of the forms, lined with rods, from the device to the production line. These transfer means are advantageously constituted by a manipulator with horizontal, vertical and possibly rotary displacements, the gripping member of which is a clamp capable of gripping a shape by its support, by taking it for example from a tray, in the case of a chain and chain production line, such

  as mentioned above, and bringing it back on a platter.

  Insofar as each shaped support comprises, in a manner known per se, in its lower part, two "diabolo" parts after being positioned on two corresponding pins, carried by each deplorable plate along the production line, I ' The invention provides that the means for temporarily immobilizing a form also comprise two such pins, as well as, on either side of these pins, two opposite movable jaws, with motorized displacement, the profile of which corresponds to the grooves of the parts in "diabolo". The gripper of the aforementioned transfer means also has two jaws

  opposite mobiles adapted to these "diabolo" parts.

  If necessary, the motorized articulated assembly, comprising the shovel and the roller, is arranged and controlled so as to be able to retract in order to allow free passage to the means for transferring the forms between

  the production line and the device that is the subject of the invention.

  To satisfy the various requirements, this motorized articulated assembly comprises, in a particular embodiment, at least one first jack whose body is articulated at its base around a lower fixed horizontal axis, and whose rod carries at its top a support on which the shovel is articulated around a horizontal axis, at least a second cylinder controlling a pivoting of the first cylinder around its lower articulation axis, a pivoting lever articulated around a horizontal intermediate axis on the aforementioned support, and carrying at the end of one of its arms the roller, mounted free to rotate about a horizontal axis while the other arm of the lever is articulated to the rod of a third jack, the body of which is integral a plate itself articulated on the aforementioned support. Thus, the various movements required by the device can be controlled: raising and lowering of the assembly formed by the shovel and the roller, lowering of the roller on the form, recoil of the assembly formed by the excavator and the roller. At least one additional cylinder can be assigned to control the tilting of the form, after fitting the rod, for visual inspection (as explained

upper).

  In any case, the invention will be better understood using the

  description which follows, with reference to the attached schematic drawing

  representing, by way of example, an embodiment of this device for shaping shoes during manufacture: FIG. 1 is an overall view, from the side, of a shaping device according to the present invention, associated with a shoe manufacturing line; Figure 2 is a plan view from above, corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial front view of the device, showing the means of temporary immobilization of a form; Figures 4, 5 and 6 are partial side views of the device,

  illustrating various phases of its operating cycle.

  As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shaping device is located on the side of a shoe manufacturing line, which comprises an endless chain 1 with pallets, continuously driven in the direction of arrow F , on which rest plates 2 driven forward by the chain 1 by adhesion effect. Each plate 2 is designed to receive a shoe during manufacture, mounted on a form 3 which itself has a support 4. The latter has, in its lower part, two "diabolo" conformations 5, which can fit together removably on two corresponding pins 6,

  turned upwards, projecting from the upper face of a plate 2.

  A manipulator, designated as a whole by the reference 7, is provided between the production line and the shaping device, to transfer the shapes 3, one by one, between the plates 2 of said line and the

device, and vice versa.

  The shaping device comprises a console 8, in the upper part of which are provided means 9 for temporary immobilization of a form 3, also clearly visible in FIG. 3. These means 9 comprise a plate 10, in the middle of which are fixed two pins 11 facing upwards, similar to the pins 6 of the plates 2. On either side of the two pins 6 are provided two movable jaws 12 opposite, movable towards one another, under the control of two respective cylinders 13. Each jaw 12 has, opposite the pins 11, a profile complementary to the grooves of the "diabolo" parts of a support 4. The plate 10 is itself pivotally mounted, about a horizontal axis 14, its pivoting being controlled by another cylinder, whose body 16 is articulated on the rear of the desk 8, and whose rod

  17 is articulated to a short lever arm 18, integral with said plate 10.

  Behind the console 8 is disposed an articulated assembly 19, which comprises a main cylinder 20 whose body 21 is articulated at its base, around a fixed horizontal axis 22, located at the rear of the console 8, at low height at - above the ground. Two lateral cylinders 23, articulated between the console 8 and the top of the body 21 of the main cylinder 20, control the

  pivoting of this main cylinder 20 about the lower horizontal axis 22.

  The rod 24 of the main jack 20 carries, at its top, a support 25 in the form of a yoke, on which is articulated, around a horizontal axis 26, a shovel 27. The pivoting of the shovel 27 downwards and

  limited by a stop (not shown).

  At the top of the rod 24 of the main cylinder 20, on the support, is also articulated, around a horizontal axis 28, a pivoting lever 29 with two arms, the lever 29 being formed by two parallel branches. One of the arms of the lever 29 carries, at its end, a roller 30 mounted freely in rotation about a horizontal axis 31, the roller taking place between the

  two parallel arms of the lever 29.

  The other arm of this lever 29 is articulated, around a horizontal axis 32, to the rod 33 of a last jack 34, the body 35 of which is integral with a plate 36, itself articulated around a horizontal axis

  37 at the bottom of the support 25.

  On the lever 29 are still articulated two lateral guide columns 38, which slide through a plate 39 fixed to the top of the body 21 of the main cylinder 20, so as to maintain, in any position of the articulated assembly 19, I ' orientation of

lever 29.

  The desk 8 also carries, in its upper part, a support at the top of which is fixed a laser 41, emitting a light ray

oblique 42.

  Finally, in the assembly illustrated in the drawing, the manipulator 7 comprises a horizontal guide rail 43, on which moves, from front to back (arrow 1), a carriage 44 which itself has a vertical movement (arrow F2 ). At the top of the carriage 44 is pivotally mounted, around a vertical axis 45 (arrow 3), a gripper 46 which has two opposite movable jaws 47, the profile of which corresponds to the grooves of the "diabolo" parts 5 of a support 4. The movements of the

  carriage 44 and clamp 46 are motorized.

  The operating cycle of the device, previously described, is as follows: A plate 2, carrying a shape 3 not filled, reaches the chain 1 at the level of the shaping device, where it is temporarily retained by a stop. The manipulator 7 will then grasp this form 3, to separate it from the plate 2 and extract it from the production line, and to bring it to the shaping device, more particularly on the two pins 11 belonging to the means of immobilization 9. The gripper 46 of the manipulator 7 first grasps the form 3 by its support 4, then lifts the form 3 to release it from the plate 2, after which the form 3 is moved horizontally towards the device; at the same time, the clamp 46 is pivoted by 180 around its vertical axis 45, to take account of the fact that, on the shaping device, the shape 3 is here rotated 180 relative to the position it occupies on the plate 2. Finally, the clamp 46 is lowered and opened, so as to deposit the form 3 on the immobilization means 9, more precisely on the pins 11. The form 3 can then be locked by bringing the two jaws 12 together. , initially discarded, under the action of the respective cylinders 13. This initial phase of removal and transfer of the form 3 is illustrated in FIG. 1, where it appears that the articulated assembly 19 is retracted behind the desk 8, during of the transfer, to allow free passage to the carriage 44 which carries the clamp 46. Then, the carriage 44 and the clamp 46 are moved away from the device, and the articulated assembly 19 comes into action, as shown in FIG. 4: the rod 24 of the main cylinder 20 es t outlet, and this jack 20 is straightened by actuation of the side jacks 23, so that the shovel 27 is brought to the form 3, more particularly in the region of the heel. A shoe upper 48 is then threaded manually on the front of the form

  3, and thus asked in an incomplete manner.

  As shown in Figure 5, the main cylinder 20, kept upright, is controlled in the direction of the retraction of its rod 24, so that the shovel 27, whose articulation axis 26 lowers, describes a movement tilting by resting on the heel of the form 3. The shovel 27 thus pulls the rod 48, to tension it on the heel and the rear of the

form 3.

  At the same time as the descent of the shovel 27 takes place, the jack 34 is actuated to control a pivoting of the lever 29 around its intermediate axis 28, so as to press the roller 30 on top of the form 3. The roller 28 then exerts an "ironing" action, applying the shoe upper 48 to the form 3, and contributing to the interlocking of this rod 48 on the heel and the back of the form 3. Finally, the shovel 27 and the roll 30 are enough

  lowered to get out of shape 3.

  The jack 15 is then actuated, so as to rotate the plate 10, with the form 3 still locked, along the arrow F4, around the horizontal axis 14 - See FIG. 6. It is thus possible, for the operator, to check the correct positioning of the rod 48 on the form 3, in particular on the vamp side, by observing the position of the light beam 42 projected by the laser 41. The device is then temporarily stopped. If the rod 48 appears incorrectly positioned on the form 3, the operator intervenes manually to adjust its position. On the contrary, if the rod 48 is correctly positioned on the form 3, the operator "validates" this correct pose, and the plate 10 is brought back to the horizontal position by the

  cylinder 15, after which the jaws 12 are reopened.

  Meanwhile, the articulated assembly 19 with shovel 27 and roller 30 is retracted down, which allows the manipulator 7 to return to take the form 3, now furnished with the rod 48, to transfer it from

  reverse to a plate 2, on the production line.

  The same cycle can then be repeated, for a new one.

form 3, and so on ...

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this shaping device which has been described above, by way of example; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and applications respecting the same principle. Thus, in particular, that one would not depart from the scope of the invention by

  using a manipulator of another type for transferring the shapes between the manufacturing line and the shaping device, or even by designing this device as an independent device, without connection to a nearby manufacturing line.

Claims (10)

  1. Device for shaping shoes during manufacture, intended in particular for an automatic or semi-automatic shoe manufacturing line, characterized in that it essentially comprises, in combination: - means (9) for the 'temporary immobilization of at least one form (3) to receive the upper (48) of a shoe, and - an articulated assembly (19), movable in a motorized manner substantially in the median plane of the form (3) immobilized, this assembly (19) comprising a shovel (27) able to bear and be moved, by tilting, on the heel region of the form (3), and a roller (30) free to rotate about an axis ( 31) transverse to said median plane, the roller (30) being movable on the top of the form (3) in   direction of the heel, then down on the back of the form (3).   2. Shaping device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (9) for temporary immobilization of the form are pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis (14), motorized means (15) being provided for control the tilting of the form (3) still locked on these immobilization means (9), after installation of the rod (48), with a view to a visual control of the correct positioning of this   rod (48) on the form (3), in particular on the side of the vamp.   3. Shaping device according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises projection means (40, 41) of a light beam (42), such as a laser beam, in the median plane of the   form (3) towards the position taken by it after tilting.   4. Shaping device according to any one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is associated with means   mechanized (7) transfer of the forms (3) from the production line (1) to the device, up to the means (9) of temporary immobilization of these forms (3), and reverse transfer of the forms (3) , trimmed with stems   (48), from the device to the production line (1).   5. Shaping device according to claim 4, characterized in that the transfer means (7) consist of a manipulator (43, 44) with horizontal displacements (F1), vertical (F2) and possibly rotary (F3) , whose gripping member is pliers   (46) able to grasp a shape (3) by its support (4).   6. Shaping device according to any one of   Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, each shaped support (4)   comprising in its lower part two "diabolo" parts (5) able to be positioned on two corresponding pins (6), carried by a plate (2) deplorable along the production line (1), the means (9) temporary immobilization of the form (3) also comprise two such pins (11), as well as, on either side of these pins (11), two opposite movable jaws (12), with motorized displacements, the profile of which corresponds to the grooves of the "diabolo" parts (5) of the form support (4).   7. Shaping device according to the set of   Claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the gripper (46)   transfer means (7) mentioned above also comprises two opposite movable jaws (47) adapted to the "diabolo" parts (5) of each form support (4).   8. Shaping device according to any one of   Claims 4, 5 and 7, characterized in that the articulated assembly   motorized (19) comprising the shovel (27) and the roller (30) is arranged and controlled, so as to be able to retract during the operating cycle of the device, in order to allow free passage to the transfer means (7) shapes (3) between the production line (1) and the device itself.   9. Shaping device according to claim 8 characterized in that the motorized articulated assembly (19) comprises at least a first cylinder (20) whose body (21) is articulated at its base around a fixed horizontal axis lower (22), and whose rod (24) carries at its top a support (25) on which the shovel (27) is articulated around a horizontal axis (26), at least a second cylinder (23) controlling a pivoting of the first cylinder (20) about its lower articulation axis (22), a pivoting lever (29) articulated around a horizontal intermediate axis (28) on the aforementioned support (25), and bearing at the end of one of its arms the roller (30), mounted freely in rotation about a horizontal axis (31), while the other arm of the lever (29) is articulated to the rod (33) of a third cylinder (34), the body of which is integral with a plate (36)   itself articulated (at 37) on the aforementioned support (25).   10. Shaping device according to all   Claims 2 and 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one jack   additional (15), assigned to the form tilt control   (3), after installation of the rod (48), for visual inspection.