Improvements in or relating to machines adapted for use in the manufacture of shoes

1,103,051. Boots &c. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. 1 Oct., 1964 [3 July, 1963; 20 July, 1963; 7 Dec., 1963], Nos. 26318/63, 28814/63 and 48394/63. Heading A3B. A back part moulding machine has two moulding stations A, B, and a central heating station C in which shoe uppers can be conditioned before being moulded, each moulding station A, B including an inner form 34, a moulding head 110 and gripping means which tension the upper over the inner form 34. Each moulding station A, B also includes wipers, a back seam gauge and two top line gauges. The inner form 34, which may contain electric heating elements, is carried by a jack 20 which is movable heightwise along guide rods 22 by an air motor (28). The gripping means (Figs. 3, 4) are mounted on a block 70 which can move heightwise along guide rods 72 on the jack 20 by means of an air motor (408). The inner gripper jaws are formed by the ends 88 of a rod 86 which can slide widthwise of an extension 82 of the block 70. The outer gripper jaws are formed by the ends 90 of two bell crank levers 92 which are pivoted to the block 70 at 94 and which can be moved towards each other to grip the upper by the piston rod 400 of an air motor (402). A back seam gauge 348 is pivoted to a support member 342 mounted on the extension 82 of the block 70 and can be swung out of operative position during the moulding operation by the piston rod 354 of a piston 352 in a bore 350 of the support member. The two top line gauges consist of triangular plates 368 mounted on either side of the extension 82 by slots 374 and screw 376 so that each gauge 368 is adjustable with respect to the other and with respect to the back seam gauge 348. The moulding head consists of a rubber mould 136 backed by a steel band 134 which is supported resiliently in a fixed support 112 by means of bell crank levers 130 and a spring loaded plunger 150. The mould 136 is held open by a tension spring 138 connected to the levers 130 which are arranged so that, as the inner form 34 moves upwards, the mould 136 is wrapped around the inner form 34 to mould the upper. The wipers 318 (Fig. 5) are carried by wiper supports 314 which are guided by slots 328 and rollers 326 at their ends and by a pin 320 and slot 322 at their mid portions so that the wipers 318 perform a downward and inward wiping action. The wipers 318 are operated by an air motor 340 (Fig. 3) which is connected to the wiper supports 314 by levers 332 and links 330. The heating station C (Fi