Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates generally to shoe manufacturing machinery and,
more particularly, to sensing mechanisms for determining whether a left
or a right shoe is presented to the machine.
In the manufacture of shoes, various arrangements have been devised
to determine whether a shoe is left or right, and to measure shoe size and have
the shoe machinery adjusted to differing sizes. A machine with such capabilities
is described in ~J. S. patent 3,849,817 and assigned to the assignee of the
present invention. The machine has however a rather complicated shoe sensing
10 side clamp arrangement. Other shoe machines in the prior art require that
they be loaded only with one particular side of shoe or the other, by a
discriminating operator.
It is an object of this invention to provide a relatively simple shoe size
and side gauging arrangement for a shoe manufacturing machine, permitting
less skilled and, hence, less expensive operation.
The present invention provides, in accordance with the features thereof,
a shoe assembly positioning mechanism for use with a machine for operating
on the shoe. The positioning mechanism includes a shoe supporting means
having a last engaging member for supporting a heel end portion of the last
of a shoe assembly, and a shoe positioning or aligning means.
The shoe aligning means comprises a pair of side gauges arranged to
engage forepart regions of the shoe assembly at opposite sides thereof. Means
for sequentially moving the side gauges into operative positions wherein a
first side gauge is moved to an operative position with engagement of an outside
joint portion of the shoe assembly, for example, a left side shoe assembly.
The shoe as~embly being in alignment with a center line of the machine, the
remaining side gauge is moved to shoe engaging position to hold the shoe
assembly in position determined by the first side gauge. ~.
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Sensing means are provided to determine if the shoe
assembly is correctly positioned, and, if not, for bringing about
an appropriate change in the positional arrangement of the side
gauges.
In accordance with a specific embodiment, there is
provided a machine for lasting shoes including: a shoe assembly
supporting arrangement, a last engaging member for supporting a
heel end portion to a last; a shoe assembly aligning arrangement
; comprising at least two gauges, one on each side of said shoe,
said gauges being movable toward and away from the sides of
` said shoe assembly comprising means for moving said shoe assembly
upon a signal from a movable sensor, and means for moving said
t shoe assembly alignment arrangement in a sequential manner;
- said movable sensor comprising a pivotal finger member connected
with a control circuit movable about an axis on an actuating
member, said pivotal member having means for activating a circuit
-- control switch.
The objects and advantages of the present invention
will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the
following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an
illustrat~ve machine showing the side gauges, toe plates and
sensor arrangement;
Figure 2 is a perspective view, as seen from the
rear, of the toe plates and sensor arrangement, and
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing how side
gauges of the machine operate to position a shoe assembly
in correct allgnment in the machine.
- Referring to the drawings and, more particularly, to
Figure 1, there is shown a shoe positioning mechanism 10 including
; a shoe supporting arrangement 12. The shoe supporting means
comprise a jack post 14 which is slidable in a sleeve member 16 `~
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which is fixed be-tween a pair of plate members 18 pivotally
supported between side plates of a carriage, not shown. The
shoe supporting means is movable lengthwise of a shoe assembly
20 comprising an upper 21 and a last 23 carried by the jack post
14, to effect relative movement between the shoe assembly 20
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and operating means such as adhesive applying nozzles and lasting
instrumentalities, not shown, but which may otherwise be included
on the machine.
The shoe positioning mechanism 10 also comprises a shoe
length measuring device 24 shown more clearly in Figure 2. The
measuring device 24 includes a plate 26 which is mounted upon an
upper end portion of an arm 28 of a two-armed lever 30 which is
pivoted on a carriage 32 and is movable to carry the plate 26
toward and away from
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1 the toe end portion of the shoe assembly 20 supported on the jack post 14.The shoe positioning mechanism 10 also includes a pair of side gauges
34 and 36 in the form of plates connected at their lower ends to blocks 38 whichare each pivoted on a pin 40 extending lengthwise with respect to the shoe
assembly 20 carried by the jack post 14. The pins 40 extend between a pair
of brackets 42 which are secured to upper end portions of a pair of side frame
members 44, lower end portions of each being secured to an arm 46 of the plate
18 supporting the jack post carrying the sleeve member 16. The side gauges
34 and 36 are movable to shoe engaging positions by means of piston and
cylinder devices 48 and 50.
The illustrative machine also includes an auxiliary toe engaging
plate 60 shown more clearly in Figure 2. The auxiliary toe engaging plate
60 extends upwardly from a supporting member 62 attached to a bracket 66
by a hinge 64. The bracket 66 extends sideways from the arm 28, as shown
in Figure 2. The auxiliary toe engaging plate 60 is therefore mounted for
movement relative to the arm 28 and the plate 26 toward and away from the
toe end portion of the shoe assembly 20 supported in the machine. The plate
: 20
60 is moved by a piston and cylinder device 68 which has a piston rod 70.
The piston rod 70 is pivotally connected to a block 72 which is secured to the
- supporting member 62. The cylinder of the device 68 is pivotally supported
on a bracket 74 secured to the arm 28.
; A sensor comprising a finger 76 extends upwardly from and is pivoted
on a pin 78 which extends generally lengthwise of the shoe assembly 20 from
the supporting member 62. An actuating member 80 is also pivoted on the
pin 78, the actuating member being in the form of a plate shaped as shown
in Figure 2. A piston and cylinder device 82 has a piston rod 84 connected,
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by a pin 86, to one portion of the actuating member 80. The device 82 i6 used
to swing the actuating member 80 about the pin 78. The cylinder of the device
82 is pivotally connected, at "A", to a bar 88 extending sideways from the
supporting member 62. An arm 92 extending outwardly from the finger 76
holds one end of a tension spring 90 which extends between the pin 86 and
a hook carried thereon. The spring 90 acts normally to hold the arm 92 in
engagement with a stop pin 94 extending from the actuating member 80. The
finger 76 is located so that, on operation of the piston and cylinder device
82, it swings widthwise of a shoe assembly supported in the machine at a locality
just behind (as seen from the front of the machine) the auxiliary toe engaging
plate 60.
A switch device 96, conveniently in the form of a microswitch or valve,
is mounted upon a depending portion of the actuating member 80. The switch
device 96 is provided with an actuator 98 positioned just below the arm 92.
The switch device 96 is connected in a control circuit arrangement 100 of the
machine which is arranged to supply the piston and cylinder devices 48, 50
with fluid under pressure, conveniently compressed air.
The operation of the side gauges will now be described to include Figure
3 of the accompanying drawings. The control circuit arrangement 100 of the
machine is so arranged that initially the cylinder of the piston and cylinder
device 48 associated with the side gauge 36 is supplied with air at relatively
high pressure to hold the side gauge 36 in operative position in engagement
with the outside joint region of a shoe assembly for a left foot. This action
positions that shoe assembly in correct alignment with respect to the center
line of the machine (which center line passes through the last supporting pin
of the shoe supporting jack) . The full line L in Figure 3 shows the outline
of a shoe assembly so positioned. The piston and cylinder device 50 associated
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with the side gauge 34 i6 then supplied with air under comparatively low
pressure to move the side gauge 34 into shoe engaging position to hold the
shoe assembly in operative position as determined by the side gauge 36.
The piston and cylinder device 68 is then supplied with air under
pressure to swing the supporting member 62 in a direction relative to the arm
28 to carry the auxiliary toe engaging plate 60 into engagement with the toe
end of the shoe assembly. Air, or other appropriate fluid, under pressure,
is then supplied to the piston and cylinder device 82 to swing the actuating
member 80 about the pin 78 in a direction to carry the finger 76 yieldably
(under action of the spring 90) toward the side of the toe end portion of the
shoe assembly. The stroke of the piston rod 84 is so determined (as by a
suitable stop arrangement) that the finger 76 moves to a position shown in
~ dotted lines (76' shown in Figure 3) which does not contact the shoe assembly.
- If, however, a shoe assembly for a right foot is positioned on the last
pin with the inside joint region positioned against the side gauge 36 the bottom. ~ ~ of the shoe assembly will occupy a position as indicated, in outline, by the
dashed line Rl shown in Figure 3. When the side gauge 36 is moved, at relatively
- low pressure, into shoe engaging posltion the shoe assembly is positioned,
as shown by the line R in Figure 3, so that ~,vhen the finger 76 moves toward
its position 76' it engages a toe end portion of the shoe assembly and causes
the finger 76 and the arm 92 to be swung about the pivot pin 78 to actuate the
switch device 96. Actuation of the switch brings about a change in the control
circuit arrangement 100 whereby the cylinder 48 is supplied with air at
comparatively low pressure while the cylinder 50 is supplied with air at
relatively high pressure. This switching of the air supply to the cylinders
- 48, 50 moves the side gauges 36 and 34 respectively into the positions indicated
: 30
in outline at 36' and 34' in Figure 3, thus positioning the shoe assembly for a
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right foot with its bottom in the position indicated by the chain-dotted line
R2. In this position the shoe assembly for a right foot is correctly aligned
with respect to the center line of the machine.
With the shoe assembly correctly aligned the arm 28 may then be swung -
to carry the plate 26 into engagement with the plate 60 to effect shoe length
` measurement.
The shoe size and side sensing arrangement described above permits
- manufacture of varying shoe lengths and alternating shoe sides in a single
machine. The sensors are not complicated in their manufacture or maintenance, :
and their use in a shoe upper conforming machine permits less skilled and
hence less expensive operation.
- While the machine has been described with a certain degree of ~-
particularity, it is to be understood that the previous description is exemplary
only and that the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.
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