US3843985A

US3843985A - Machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly

Info

Publication number: US3843985A
Application number: US00392850A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Leonhardt
Original assignee: International Shoe Machine Corp
Current assignee: International Shoe Machine Corp
Priority date: 1973-08-30
Filing date: 1973-08-30
Publication date: 1974-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-29
Also published as: DE2351579B2; BR7407081D0; FR2242046B1; CS296174A2; GB1431129A; GB1431128A; SU713528A3; DE2365562B2; DE2351579A1; DE2365560B2; FR2242046A1; SU1152509A3; CA1012772A; JPS5050147A; IT1017095B; CS602174A2; GB1431127A; DE2365562A1; JPS5344850B2; CS296274A2

Abstract

A roughing machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly comprised of a last having an insole on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the insole periphery. The shoe assembly is mounted to a slide that is reciprocal in a rotatable turntable. The machine has a roughing tool for roughing the margin as the margin is moved past the roughing tool by alternate rotations of the turntable and movements of the slide in the turntable. The machine is so constructed that the roughing tool can automatically sense and follow the contour of the shoe assembly as the upper margin portions are moved past the roughing tool to enable the roughing tool to be automatically located in the proper positions for roughing the upper margin.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,843,985 Leonhardt Oct. 29, 1974 MACHINE FOR ROUGHING THE MARGIN Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson OF AN UPPER OF A SHOE ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Horst M. Leonhardt, Boston, Mass.

[73] Assignee: International Shoe Machine Corporation, Nashua, NH.

[22] Filed: Aug. 30, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 392,850

[52] US. Cl. 12/1 R, 12/77 [51] Int. Cl A43d 95/00 [58] Field of Search 12/1 R, 77, 1 B, 70, 78,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,249,742 7/1941 Brostrom 12/77 2,618,793 11/1952 Miller 12/1 B 3,733,632 5/1973 Bechtold... 12/1 R 3,780,390 12/1973 Braum 12/1 R Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Albert Gordon [57] ABSTRACT A roughing machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly comprised of a last having an insole on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the insole periphery. The shoe assembly is mounted to a slide that is reciprocal in a rotatable turntable. The machine has a roughing tool for roughing the margin as the margin is moved past the roughing tool by alternate rotations of the turntable and movements of the slide in the turntable. The machine is so constructed that the roughing tool can automatically sense and follow the contour of the shoe assembly as the upper margin portions are moved past the roughing tool to enable the roughing tool to be automatically located in the proper positions for roughing the upper margin.

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Claims

1. A machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly, said shoe assembly comprising a last having an insole located on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the periphery of the insole, comprising: a shoe assembly support for supporting the shoe assembly bottom-up; a frame located rearwardly of the shoe assembly support; a slide mounted to the frame for forwardrearwarD movement; a first motor connected to the slide for effecting said forward-rearward movement; a yoke mounted to the slide for heightwise movement; a second, yieldable, motor connected to the yoke for effecting its heightwise movement; a shaft mounted to the yoke for rotation about a forward-rearward axis and extending forwardly of the yoke; a tine mounted to the front of the shaft; a housing mounted to the shaft for swinging movement about the shaft axis; a third motor connected to the housing for effecting its swinging movement; a tool mount mounted to the housing for swinging movement therewith; a roughing tool mounted to the tool mount for heightwise movement and located proximate to said tine; a fourth, yieldable, motor connected to said roughing tool for effecting its heightwise movement with respect to the tool mount; a bar mounted to the shaft for forward-rearward movement; a sensing finger mounted to the front of the bar and located below the tine; operating means actuable to yieldably urge the bar forwardly of a median position with respect to the shaft; a first control so interconnecting the bar and the first motor as to cause the first motor to move the slide forwardly when the bar is forward of said median position and to move the slide rearwardly when the bar is rearward of said median position; a second control so interconnecting the shaft and the third motor as to be operative in response to the rotation of the shaft about its axis with respect to the yoke a particular amount in a particular direction to cause the third motor to swing the housing about the axis of the shaft a corresponding amount in said particular direction; means for initially causing the first motor to maintain the slide in a rearward position; means for initially causing the second motor to maintain the yoke in an upper position; means for initially causing the fourth motor to maintain the roughing tool in an upper position with respect to said tool mount; means for initially deactuating said operating means; means for thereafter actuating said operating means and for causing the second motor to lower the yoke to thereby move the sensing finger into engagement with the side of the shoe assembly and to thereby bring the tine into engagement with a portion of the upper margin; and means for thereafter causing the fourth motor to lower the roughing tool with respect to said tool mount into engagement with said portion of the upper margin and for so moving the shoe assembly support with respect to the roughing tool as to move other portions of the upper margin past the roughing tool.

2. The machine as defined in claim 1 further comprising: triggering means responsive to the engagement of the tine with said portion of the upper margin to cause the fourth motor to lower the roughing tool as aforesaid and to move the shoe assembly support as aforesaid.

3. The machine as defined in claim 2 further comprising: a tine mount anchored to the front of the shaft; means mounting the tine to the tine mount for heightwise movement; and means yieldably urging the tine downwardly with respect to the tine mount into an initial tine position, said tine moving upwardly with respect to the tine mount from said initial tine position pursuant to the engagement of the tine with said upper portion; and wherein said triggering means comprises: a nozzle, having a tip, so mounted that the tip is in engagement with a surface of the tine mount when the tine is in said initial tine position and the tip is spaced from said surface when the tine is moved upwardly from said initial tine position; a passage in the nozzle intersecting the nozzle tip; a first conduit and a second conduit in communication with the passage; means for forcing air through the first conduit that flows through the second conduit when the passage is blocked by the engagement of the nozzle tip with said surface and whose flow is diminished when the nozzle tip is spaced from said surface; and means responsive to said diminution of air flow througH the second conduit to cause the fourth motor to lower the roughing tool as aforesaid and to move the shoe assembly support as aforesaid.

4. The machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said first control comprises: a valve, having a valve body and a valve spool moveable forwardly and rearwardly in the valve body, mounted to the back of the shaft rearwardly of the bar with the valve spool abutting the back of the bar; and means so connecting the valve and the first motor to move the slide forwardly when the valve spool is forward of a median valve spool position in the valve body and to cause the first motor to move the slide rearwardly when the valve spool is rearward of said median valve spool position; wherein said means for deactuating said operating means comprises: spring means yieldably urging the valve spool rearwardly of said median valve spool position; and wherein said operating means comprises: means for overcoming said spring means and yieldably urging the valve spool forwardly of said median valve spool position.

5. The machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said operating means further comprises: a cap secured to and extending rearwardly of the valve body so as to encompass the back of the valve spool; and a nipple in the cap connected to a source of pressurized air.

6. The machine according to claim 1 wherein said second control comprises: a cam mounted to the shaft; a valve, having a valve body and a valve spool movable in the valve body, mounted to the housing; means so connecting the valve and the third motor as to cause the third motor to swing the housing in opposite directions about the shaft axis when the valve spool is moved in corresponding directions from a median position in the valve body; a lever, pivoted to the housing, having a first end bearing against the cam and a second end bearing against the valve spool; and means yieldably urging the valve spool against said second lever end.

7. The machine according to claim 1 further comprising: a tine mount anchored to the front of the shaft; means pivoting the tine to the tine mount for swinging movement about a prone axis that is transverse to said shaft axis so that the tine extends forwardly of said prone axis; restraining means normally restraining the tine on the tine mount in a lower position with respect to the tine mount; means mounting the tool mount to the housing for forward-rearward movement; a fifth motor connected to the tool mount for effecting the forward-rearward movement of the tool mount with respect to the housing; means for normally causing the fifth motor to retain the tool mount in a forward position with respect to the housing; first adjusting means effective, when a particular portion of the upper margin is being moved by the shoe assembly support past the roughing tool, to release the restraining means so as to enable the tine to swing about said prone axis so that it extends upwardly and forwardly of said lower position from said prone axis; and second adjusting means, effective concomitantly with the first adjusting means, to cause the fifth motor to move the tool mount rearwardly to a rearward position with respect to the housing.

8. The machine according to claim 7 wherein said restraining means comprises: a rod mounted to the tine for forward-rearward movement; and a projection on the tine mount located rearwardly of the rod; wherein the means normally restraining the tine on the tine mount in said lower position comprises: means for applying a force to the rod to force the rod rearwardly against the projection; and wherein said first adjusting means comprises: means releasing the application of said force to the rod.

9. The machine according to claim 7 further comprising: a valve, having a valve body and a valve spool movable in the valve body, mounted to the housing: means so connecting the valve and the fifth motor as to cause the fifth motor to move the tool mount rearwardly when the valve spool is displaced in a particular direction from a median position iN the valve body; wherein the means for normally causing the fifth motor to retain the tool mount in said forward position comprises: means for normally retaining the valve spool in said median position; and wherein said second adjusting means comprises: means for imparting such relative movement between the valve spool and the valve body as to displace the valve spool in said particular direction with respect to the valve body and for thereafter imparting such a relative movement between the valve body and the valve spool as to return the valve spool to said median position.

10. A machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly, said shoe assembly comprising a last having an insole located on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the periphery of the insole, comprising: a shoe assembly support for supporting the shoe assembly bottom-up; a frame located rearwardly of the shoe assembly support; a slide mounted to the frame for forward-rearward movement; a motor connected to the slide for effecting said forward-rearward movement; a roughing tool mounted to the slide for heightwise movement with respect to the slide and for forward-rearward movement in unison with the slide; a bar mounted to the slide for forward-rearward movement; a sensing finger mounted to the front of the bar; operating means actuable to yieldably urge the bar forwardly of a median position with respect to the slide; a control so interconnecting the bar and the motor as to cause the motor to move the slide forwardly when the bar is forward of said median position and to move the slide rearwardly when the bar is rearward of said median position; means for initially causing the motor to maintain the slide in a rearward position; means for initially maintaining the roughing tool in an upper position with respect to the slide; means for initially deactuating said operating means; means for thereafter actuating said operating means to thereby cause the motor to move the sensing finger into engagement with the side of the shoe assembly and for lowering the roughing tool into engagement with a portion of the upper margin; and means for thereafter so moving the shoe assembly support with respect to the roughing tool as to move other portions of the upper margin past the roughing tool.

11. The machine as defined in claim 10 wherein said control comprises: a valve, having a valve body and a valve spool movable forwardly and rearwardly in the valve body, mounted to the back of the shaft rearwardly of the bar with the valve spool abutting the back of the bar; and means so connecting the valve and the first motor as to cause the first motor to move the slide forwardly when the valve spool is forward of a median valve spool position in the valve body and to cause the first motor to move the slide rearwardly when the valve spool is rearward of said median valve spool position; wherein said means for deactuating said operating means comprises: spring means yieldably urging the valve spool rearwardly of said median valve spool position; and wherein said operating means comprises: means for overcoming said spring means and yieldably urging the valve spool forwardly of said median valve spool position.

12. The machine as defined in claim 11 wherein said operating means further comprises: a cap secured to and extending rearwardly of the valve body so as to encompass to back of the valve spool; and a nipple in the cap connected to a source of pressurized air.

13. A machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly, said shoe assembly comprising a last having an insole located on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the periphery of the insole, comprising: a shoe assembly support for supporting the shoe assembly bottom-up; a frame located rearwardly of the shoe assembly support; a shaft mounted to the frame for heightwise movement; a first, yieldable, motor connected to the shaFt for effecting its heightwise movement; a tine mounted to the front of the shaft; a tool mount mounted to the shaft; a roughing tool mounted to the tool mount for heightwise movement and located proximate to said tine; a second, yieldable, motor connected to said roughing tool for effecting its heightwise movement with respect to the tool mount; means for initially causing the first motor to maintain the shaft in an upper position; means for initially causing the second motor to maintain the roughing tool in an upper position with respect to said tool mount above the tine; means for thereafter causing the first motor to lower the shaft to thereby bring the tine into engagement with a portion of the upper margin; and means for thereafter causing the second motor to lower the roughing tool with respect to said tool mount into engagement with said portion of the upper margin and for so moving the shoe assembly support with respect to the roughing tool as to move other portions of the upper margin past the roughing tool.

14. The machine as defined in claim 13 further comprising: triggering means responsive to the engagement of the tine with said portion of the upper margin to cause the second motor to lower the roughing tool as aforesaid and to move the shoe assembly support as aforesaid.

15. The machine as defined in clain 14 further comprising: a tine mount anchored to the front of the shaft; means mounting the tine to the tine mount for heightwise movement; and means yieldably urging the tine downwardly with respect to the tine mount into an initial tine position, said tine moving upwardly with respect to the tine mount from said initial tine position pursuant to the engagement of the tine with said upper portion; and wherein said triggering means comprises: a nozzle, having a tip, so mounted that the tip is in engagement with a surface of the tine mount when the tine is in said initial position and the tip is spaced from said surface when the tine is moved upwardly from said initial tine position; a passage in the nozzle intersecting the nozzle tip; a first conduit and a second conduit in communication with the passage; means for forcing air through the first conduit that flows through the second conduit when the passage is blocked by the enagaement of the nozzle tip with said surface and whose flow is diminished when the nozzle tip is spaced from said surface; and means responsive to said diminution of air flow through the second conduit to cause the second motor to lower the roughing tool as aforesaid and to move the shoe assembly support as aforesaid.

16. A machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly, said shoe assembly comprising a last having an insole located on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the periphery of the insole, comprising: a shoe assembly support for supporting the shoe assembly bottom-up; a frame located rearwardly of the shoe assembly support; a shaft mounted to the frame for rotation about a forward-rearward axis; a tine mounted to the front of the shaft; a housing mounted to the shaft for swinging movement about the shaft axis; a motor connected to the housing for effecting its swinging movement; a roughing tool, mounted to the housing for swinging movement in unison therewith, located proximate to said tine; a cam mounted to the shaft; a valve, having a valve body and a valve spool movable in the valve body, mounted to the housing; means so connecting the valve and the motor as to cause the motor to swing the housing in opposite directions about the shaft axis when the valve spool is moved in corresponding directions from a median position in the valve body; a lever, pivoted to the housing, having a first end bearing against the cam and a second end bearing against the valve spool; means yieldably urging the valve spool against said second lever end; and means for imparting such relative movement between the shoe assembly support and the tine as to move portions of The upper margin past the tine with the roughing tool bearing against and roughing the upper margin portions.

17. A machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly, said shoe assembly comprising a last having an insole located on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the periphery of the insole, comprising: a frame; a housing mounted to the frame for forward-rearward movement and for heightwise movement; a roughing tool mounted to the housing for forward-rearward movement; a sensing finger, located below the roughing tool, mounted for heightwise movement in unison with the housing and mounted for forward-rearward movement; a shoe assembly support, located forwardly of the frame, for supporting the shoe assembly bottom-up; means for yieldably urging the housing downwardly so as to bring the roughing tool into engagement with a portion of the upper margin and for yieldably urging the sensing finger forwardly to bring it into engagement with a corresponding portion of the side of the shoe assembly; means for normally maintaining the roughing tool in a forward position with respect to the housing; means for so moving the shoe support as to move other portions of the upper margin past the roughing tool and other corresponding portions of the side of the shoe assembly past the sensing finger; means so connecting the sensing finger and the housing as to enable forward and rearward movements of the sensing finger while it is bearing against succeeding portions of the side of the shoe assembly to impart corresponding forward and rearward movements to the housing; and adjusting means, effective when a particular portion of the upper margin is being moved by the shoe assembly support past the roughing tool, to move the roughing tool rearwardly with respect to the housing.

18. A machine as defined in claim 17 wherein the means for moving the shoe assembly support comprises: a turntable mounted for rotary movement about an upright axis; a slide mounted to the turntable for reciprocal movement in two opposite directions between two end positions on the turntable; means for mounting the shoe assembly support to the slide; means for first moving the slide with respect to the turntable, while the turntable is stationary, in a first of said direction between said end positions to enable the roughing tool to rough a first side portion of the upper margin; means for thereafter moving the slide with respect to the turntable, while the turntable is stationary, in the other of said directions between said end positions to enable the roughing tool to rough the other side portion of the upper margin; and means for rotating the turntable, while the slide is stationary and is located at one end of said positions and between said movements of the slide with respect to the turntable, to enable the roughing tool to rough the toe portion of the upper margin; and further comprising: means to render said adjusting means effective during the rotation of the turntable.

19. The machine according to claim 17 further comprising: a tine mount mounted for heightwise and forward-rearward movement in unison with the housing; a tine pivoted to the tine mount for swinging movement about a prone axis that is transverse to a forward-rearward direction, said tine being located proximate to said roughing tool and engaging the upper margin when the roughing tool engages the upper margin pursuant to said downward urging of the housing; restraining means normally restraining the tine on the tine mount in a lower position with respect to the tine mount; and second adjusting means, effective concomitantly with the first mentioned adjusting means, to release the restraining means so as to enable the tine to swing about said prone axis so that it extends upwardly and forwardly of said lower position from said prone axis.

20. A machine as defined in claim 19 wherein the means for moving the shoe assembly support comprises: a turntable mounted for rotaRy movement about an upright axis; a slide mounted to the turntable for reciprocal movement in two opposite directions between two end positions on the turntable; means mounting the shoe assembly support to the slide; means for first moving the slide with respect to the turntable, while the turntable is stationary, in a first of said directions between said end positions to enable the roughing tool to rough a first side portion of the upper margin; means for thereafter moving the slide with respect to the turntable, while the turntable is stationary, in the other of said directions between said end positions to enable the roughing tool to rough the other side portion of the upper margin; and means for rotating the turntable, while the slide is stationary and is located at one of said end positions and between said movements of the slide with respect to the turntable, to enable the roughing tool to rough the toe portion of the upper margin; and further comprising: means to render both of said adjusting means effective during rotation of the turntable.

21. A machine for roughing the margin of an upper of a shoe assembly, said shoe assembly comprising a last having an insole located on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the periphery of the insole, comprising: a shoe assembly support for supporting the shoe assembly bottom-up; a frame located rearwardly of the shoe assembly support; a slide mounted to the frame for forward-rearward movement; a first motor connected to the slide for effecting said forward-rearward movement; a shaft mounted to the slide for heightwise movement; a second, yieldable, motor connected to the shaft for effecting its heightwise movement; a tine mount anchored to the front of the shaft; a tine pivoted to the tine mount for swinging movement about a prone axis that is transverse to a forward-rearward direction; restraining means normally restraining the tine on the tine mount in a lower position with respect to the tine mount; a tool mount mounted to the shaft for forward-rearward movement; a third motor connected to the tool mount for effecting the forward-rearward movement of the tool mount with respect to the shaft; means for normally causing the third motor to retain the tool mount in a forward position with respect to the shaft; a roughing tool mounted to the tool mount for heightwise movement and located proximate to said tine; a fourth, yieldable, motor connected to said roughing tool for effecting its heightwise movement with respect to the tool mount; a bar mounted to the shaft for forward-rearward movement; a sensing finger mounted to the front of the bar and located below the tine; operating means actuable to yieldably urge the bar forwardly of a median position with respect to the shaft; a control so interconnecting the bar and the first motor as to cause the first motor to move the slide forwardly when the bar is forward of said median position and to move the slide rearwardly when the bar is rearward of said median position; means for initially causing the first motor to maintain the slide in a rearward position; means for initially causing the second motor to maintain the shaft in an upper position; means for initially causing the fourth motor to maintain the roughing tool in an upper position with respect to said tool mount; means for initially deactuating said operating means; means for thereafter concomitantly actuating said operating means and for causing the said second motor to lower the shaft to thereby move the sensing finger into engagement with the side of the shoe assembly and to thereby bring the tine into engagement with a portion of the upper margin; means for thereafter causing the fourth motor to lower the roughing tool with respect to said tool mount into engagement with said portion of the upper margin and for so moving the shoe assembly support with respect to the roughing tool as to move other portions of the upper margin past the roughing tool; first adjusting Means effective, when a particular portion of the upper margin is being moved by the shoe assembly support past the roughing tool, to release the restraining means so as to enable the tine to swing about said prone axis so that it extends upwardly and forwardly of said lower position from said prone axis; and second adjusting means, effective concomitantly with the first adjusting means, to cause the third motor to move the tool mount rearwardlyy to a rearward portion with respect to the shaft.

22. A machine as defined in claim 21 wherein the means for moving the shoe assembly support comprises: a turntable mounted for rotary movement about an upright axis; a support slide mounted to the turntable for reciprocal movement in two opposite prone directions between two end positions on the turntable; means mounting the shoe assembly support to the support slide; means for first moving the support slide with respect to the turntable, while the turntable is stationary, in a first of said directions between said end positions to enable the roughing tool to rough a first side portion of the upper margin; means for thereafter moving the support slide with respect to the turntable, while the turntable is stationary, in the other of said directions between said end positions to enable the roughing tool to rough the other side portion of the upper margin; and means for rotating the turntable, while the slide is stationary and is located at one end of said end positions and between said movements of the slide with respect to the turntable, to enable the roughing tool to rough the toe portion of the upper margin; and further comprising: means to render both of said adjusting means effective during the rotation of the turntable.

23. The machine according to claim 21 wherein said restraining means comprises: a rod mounted to the tine for forward-rearward movement; and a projection on the tine mount located rearwardly of the rod; wherein the means normally restraining the tine on the tine mount in said lower position comprises: means for applying a force to the rod to force the rod rearwardly against the projection; and wherein said first adjusting means comprises: means releasing the application of said force to the rod.

24. The machine according to claim 21 further comprising: a valve, having a valve body and a valve spool movable in the valve body, mounted to the shaft; means so connecting the valve and the third motor as to cause the third motor to move the tool mount rearwardly when the valve spool is displaced in a particular direction from a median position in the valve body; wherein the means for normally causing the third motor to retain the tool mount in said forward position comprises: means for normally retaining the valve spool in said median position; and wherein said second adjusting means comprises: means for imparting such relative movement between the valve spool and the valve body as to displace the valve spool in said particular direction with respect to the valve body and for thereafter imparting such relative movement between the valve body and the valve spool as to return the valve spool to said median position.

25. A machine for roughing the margin of a shoe assembly said shoe assembly comprising a last having an insole located on its bottom and the upper mounted thereon with the upper margin lying against and being secured to the periphery of the insloe, comprising: a turntable mounted for rotation about an upright axis; a slide mounted to the turntable for reciprocal movement in two opposite prone directions between two end positions on the turntable; a shoe assembly support mounted to the slide adapted to support the shoe assembly bottom-up; adjusting means cooperative with the shoe assembly for adjusting the spacing between said end positions an amount that is proportional to the length of the shoe assembly that is supported on the support; means for rotating the turntable 180 degrees in the same direction while the slide is stationary in each of said end posItions; means for moving the slide between each of said end positions to the other of said end positions while the turntable is stationary after the completion of each of said rotations of the turntable; a roughing tool so located that the upper margin portions move past the roughing tool during said rotations of the turntable and during said movements of the slide between said end positions; and means for enabling the roughing tool to engage the upper margin portions during the movement of at least some of said upper margin portions past the roughing tool.

26. The machine as defined in claim 25 wherein said adjusting means comprises: a post rigidly mounted to the slide; a shoe assembly supporting element mounted to the post; a stand mounted to the slide for movement towards and away from the post; a shoe assembly supporting element mounted to the stand; means spacing the stand from the post a distance that is proportional to the length of the shoe assembly; actuating mechanisms mounted to the post and to the stand; and terminating means responsive to the arrival of each of said actuating mechanisms at a prescribed location in the turntable pursuant to said slide movements to terminate each of said slide movements.

27. The machine according to claim 26 wherein said actuating mechanisms comprise fingers mounted to the post and to the stand; and wherein said terminating means comprises: an arm mounted to the turntable in intersecting relationship with each of the fingers during the movement of each of the fingers toward the arm; and means responsive to the intersection of each finger with the arm to terminate a slide movement between said end position.

28. The machine as defined in claim 25 wherein said adjusting means comprises: a post rigidly mounted to the slide; a last pin, which acts as a shoe assembly supporting element, mounted to the post; a stand mounted to the slide for movement toward and away from the post; a toe pad, which acts as a shoe assembly supporting element, mounted to the stand; a toe stop mounted to the stand in intersecting relation to the toe end of the shoe assembly; yieldable drive means for moving the stand towards the post to thereby cause the toe stop to engage the toe end of a shoe assembly mounted to the last pin; means responsive to said engagement to lock the shoe assembly to said supporting elements and disengage the toe stop from the shoe assembly; actuating mechanisms mounted to the post and to the stand; and terminating means responsive to the arrival of each of said actuating mechanisms at a prescribed location in the turntable pursuant to said slide movements to terminate each of said slide movements.

29. The machine as defined in claim 28 further comprising: means mounting the toe pad for heightwise movement; means mounting the toe stop for heightwise movement; means for initially locating the toe pad in a lower position; means for initially locating the toe stop in an upper position; means responsive to said engagement to lower the toe stop to thereby disengage the toe stop from the shoe assembly; and means responsive to said engagement to raise the toe pad into engagement with the shoe assembly to thereby lock the shoe assembly to said supporting elements.

30. The machine according to claim 28 wherein said actuating mechanisms comprise: fingers mounted to the post and to the stand; and wherein said terminating means comprises: an arm mounted to the turntable in intersecting relationship with each of the fingers during the movement of each of the fingers towards the arm; and means responsive to the intersection of each finger with the arm to terminate a slide movement between said end positions.

31. The machine according to claim 10 wherein the sensing finger curves rearwardly of its forwardmost end and further comprising: means mounting the sensing finger to the bar for pivoting movement about said forwardmost end.