871,990. Shoe upper conforming machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). Sept. 24, 1957 [Sept. 25, 1956], No. 29236/56. Class 17(1) A shoe upper conforming machine comprising means 120, 122, 124, 126, 128 for supporting an upper on a last, a plurality of grippers 100, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, for pulling the upper at the end of the toe, at the sides of the toe and at the forepart, wipers to wipe the lasting margins inwardly at the forepart, stop means 140 to engage and locate the toe end of the shoe lengthwise relatively to the grippers, and an abutment member movable towards the stop means to engage the heel end at the shoe, has the following additional features. (1) means for moving the grippers heightwise of the last. (2), Means for causing the toe grippers to move lengthwise of the shoe towards the toe end, in response to their heightwise movements. (3) The stop means is moved to a retracted position prior to the insteping operation. (4) Means movable lengthwise of the last in response to movement of the abutment member for positioning the forepart grippers in accordance with the size of the last. The machine is hydraulically operated and the sequence of operations controlled by a series of sequence valves. The retarder 170 is yieldingly mounted on spring 172, (not shown) adjustable by means of a stepped plate 180, and is held in place on post 166 by a spring latch. Toe gauge 140, Fig. 4, is normally held upwardly in operative position by spring 252 and holds upright the pivoted shoe rest member 120 which is adjustable on post 166, but when fluid from conduit 265 moves piston N upwardly the gauge is moved downwardly and releases member 120 for inward movement. Shoe rest members 122, 124 are mounted on gibs 216 (not shown) for movement with carriers 210 of the ball lasting units. Insole hold-downs 130, 133 each comprising a coiled spring with a flattened end are carried by slides 226 guided on gibs 216, and insole holddowns 131, 132 comprising U-shaped springs are carried by the retarder 170. Heel rest 136 comprising a block 270 with a V-shaped recess 300 is adjustable lengthwise, may be located in one or other of two laterally adjusted positions to accommodate right or left shoes, and is movable upwardly and forwardly to engage the shoe, by means of piston A (not shown). Movement of sensing arm 330 (not shown) against spring 334 (not shown) by engagement with the shoe acts to lock the rest against downward and rearward movement. Each gripper 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 comprises a carrier 400 mounted on a hollow plunger 422, a fixed jaw 462, a gauge plate 468 to determine the depth of entry of the upper, and a pivoted jaw 460 which is normally held in open position by spring 456 but is movable to gripping position by piston C acting via roll 450 and cam 458. The gripper may be swung widthwise of the shoe about pin 416, and is held outwardly of the shoe by a spring 424. Limited lengthwise movement is also permitted about pivot 408. The grippers are held in raised position against adjustable stops 480 by the rods 476 of pistons B, when the machine is idle and fluid pressure light. Downward movement of the grippers is brought about by movement of pistons D having rods 510 with heads 514 which slide in bores 516 in plunger 422 and engage shoulders 518, and this movement is limited by stops 530 which are adjustable in a plate 532 which is itself adjustable heightwise by nut 544 to adjust the stops equally, and about pivot 542 to adjust the stops relatively to each other. This latter adjustment is controlled by a cam 558 which is adjusted by a hand wheel which swings lever 572. Downward movement of grippers 105, 106 out of the way of ball wipers 114, 116 is ensured by downward movement of piston B, an abutment on rod 476 engaging an abutment on the body of gripper 106, and abutments on the two gripper bushes interengaging, and grippers 100, 102, 103, 104 are moved downwardly out of the path of forepart wipers by downward movement of plate 482 carrying stops 480. At the beginning of a cycle pressure on pistons B is increased rocking levers 412 associated with grippers 102- 106 which are swung inwardly to engage the shoe. The lengthwise position of gripper 100 is controlled by cam track 632 which is such that the gripper in its uppermost position engages the gauge 140, but on downward movement also moves away from the shoe, pulling the upper lengthwise, until at the widened portion 636 of the track it is positioned by the pull of the upper only. Gravitational movement of grippers 102-106 about pivots 408 is limited by respective fingers 652-656, and engagement of fingers 652, 653, 654 with cams in the carriers of grippers 102, 103, 104 imparts to those grippers a component of movement toewards of the shoe, the cams being selected to provide a graded amount of movement proportional to the location relatively to the toe, i.e. greatest to grippers 104 and least to grippers 102. Grippers 105, 106 and the ball lasting units are positioned according to the size of the shoe by movement of heel rest 136 to engage the shoe which turns shaft 314 and acts via 694, 684, 682 to move carriers 210 upwardly, and these parts are adjusted for right or left shoes by inserting pin 692 in the desired one of two bores 690 in order to adjust the relative positions of arms 684, 694. The linkages from carriers 210 are such that grippers 105 are always positioned substantially midway between grippers 104 and 106. Toe end gripper 100, and if desired grippers 102, 103, comprises an intermediate jaw 750 which is normally positioned against inner jaw 462, as in Fig. 32, but which may be moved to and held in position against outer jaw 460, as in Fig. 34, when the upper margins project perpendicularly. The toe band 118 is moved to operative position by the action of a piston H (not shown) an arrangement of springs ensuring that the band first engages the extreme toe end and is then wrapped around the toe and forepart. Toe pad 134 is advanced, against a dash-pot action, with the toe band applying mechanism, and then swung into engagement with the shoe by the action of piston I. The ball lasting units each comprise two wipers 114, 116 which are operated by movement of a piston R, wiper 114 moving inwards and toewards, and wiper 116 swinging heelwards relatively to wiper 114, under control of cam track 972 and swingable arm 968, so that in effect it moves substantially widthwise of the shoe. Each ball gripper 112, Fig. 22, comprises normally open jaws 1030, 1032 which are closed by a gumming action as a result of movement of piston F. The heightwise position of the gripper is adjusted by adjustment of the angular position of arm 1084, by inserting plunger 1090 in the desired hole 1088, arm 1084 acting via arm 1072 to position arm 1084 connected to the gripper. The gripper is moved downwardly to tension the upper by movement of piston G which swings arm 1064 clockwise. At the beginning of each cycle wipers 114, 116, with rest members 126, 128 are swung downwardly from their operative positions, and via pull rod 1120 also lower grippers 112. A finger 1128 carried by slide 1126 is normally held by spring 1136 inwardly to engage the upper and steer the margin into jaws 1130, 1132, but is moved outwardly of the shoe when wipers 114, 116 &c. are lowered. The forepart wipers 110 are detachably secured to carriers 1150 so that they may be changed over for right and left shoes. Carriers 1150 swing arcuately on plate 1152, which is slidable in housing 1154, and the latter is slidable in guideways 1160 (not shown). Near the latter part of a cycle a piston L (not shown) is operated to relieve a latch holding housing 1154 against movement, then a piston K (not shown) is actuated to move housing 1154 to operative position. Piston M is then actuated and acts via cross-head 1202 and links 1200 to swing thecarriers 1150 so that wipers 110 are closed. Before the wipers are freely closed the ends of slots 1226 in links 1224 engage pins 1218 causing levers 1220, to swing advancing lengthwise plate 1152 with wipers 110 and auxiliary spade-shaped wiper 1238. Movement of housing 1154 to operative position causes plate 486 to move downwardly and so ensure that the grippers are retracted. The sequence of operations is as follows (1) with the shoe supported on rests 120, 122, 124, a treadle 152 (not shown) is operated. (2) Grippers 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, and heel rest 136 move to engage the shoe and the heel rest is locked. (3) The lasting margin is inserted in the grippers and another treadle 154 (not shown) operated. (4) The toe and forepart grippers close, and operate in sequence. (5) The cycle is interrupted for inspection of the shoe, and if desired the parts may be returned by pushing rod 1314 (not shown) downwardly to operate valve VI (not shown). (6) The cycle is restarted by swinging both hands apart to strike levers 156, 158 to operate a further valve. (7) Ball wipers 114, 116 and gripper 112 rise to operative position determined by engagement of rests 126, 128 with the shoe, and the grippers close and operate to tension the upper. (8) Toe gauge 140 retracts and toe band 118 clamps the upper. (9) Toe and forepart grippers are relieved. (10) Toe pad 134 engages the shoe. (11) Forepart grippers retract. (12) Wipers 114, 116 wipe inwardly and cause the back grippers to open. (13) The ball wipers and then the grippers retract. (14) Wiper head 1154 is unlocked and advances, then wipers 110 wipe inwardly. (15) Treadle operated valves are returned, the fluid pressure system returns to idle condition, and the various elements are returned by fluid pressure, gravity, or springs. Specification 781,777 is referred to.