Improvements in or relating to shoe upper conforming machines

1,139,341. Boots &c. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. 4 March, 1966 [5 Dec., 1964], No. 49576/64. Heading A3B. A toe lasting machine of the type in which a shoe is supported bottom up at an operating locality of the machine where it is operated on by a wiping head including a toe band and wiper plates includes a shoe support which is movable from a loading position to the operating locality where the shoe is positioned with respect to the wiper head by a positioning mechanism and contacts a toe gauge which causes a hold down to descend to clamp the shoe against a toe rest and the wiping head to perform its wiping operation. The shoe support 2 is movable lengthwise of the shoe from a loading position to the operating locality and can also move heightwise, rotate about a longitudinal axis and about an axis extending vertically through the operating locality so that the shoe can be positioned by the positioning mechanism. The shoe is placed in a support 80 (Fig. 3) which can rotate about a longitudinal axis in a cradle 83 supported on arms 74. One end of each arm 74 is pivoted to an upright bar 60 and the other end can slide in a slot 78. The bar 60 is pivoted at a mid point 58 to an arm 54 and at its lower end to the piston rod 64 of pneumatic cylinder 66. When the cylinder 66 is connected to a source of compressed air the cradle 83 can be moved heightwise, the arms 74 and 54 acting as a parallelogram linkage and is held in its uppermost position by a tension spring 99. When the cylinder 66 is exhausted a tension spring 96 can swing the arm 60 about its pivot 58 so that the shoe support moves toewardly into the operating locality, the arms 74 sliding along the slots 78. This supporting mechanism is mounted on castings 40, 44 which are pivoted to a vertical shaft 38 on the machine frame, thus allowing the shoe support to rotate about a vertical axis. When the shoe has attained its correct position the shoe support is locked against movement by a piston and cylinder C3 which (a) operates a pawl 126 on the casting 40 which engages a ratchet on the machine frame to prevent rotation about the shaft 38, (b) turns a binding member 114 on a shaft 116 connected to the arms 74 to prevent longitudinal movement of the arms 74 and (c) turns a binding member on a shaft 162 to prevent heightwise movement of the arms 74. The toe rest 4 consists of a pad adjustably mounted on the end of a shaft which can slide heightwise in the machine frame against the action of a ten