Abstract: A shoe substrate reinforcing machine for depositing a powder in a selected configuration, fusing the configured powder into a laminate and adhering the fused laminate to a shoe substrate. The machine has a work transfer device which will receive and clamp a shoe part and displace the clamped shoe part to a joint location to adhere the shoe part to a fused laminate. The work transfer device has a support pad on which a shoe part is to be clamped and a clamping structure which includes a lever arm on either side of the support pad each of which includes one or more catches. A swivel bracket assembly includes a swivel bracket having a connecting pin which is releasably secured in the catch and clamps which are secured to the swivel bracket.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for processing workpieces prearranged within pallets in an automatic sewing machine system. The apparatus includes an automatic release of a pallet containing a sewn workpiece. The front of the pallet drops onto shock absorbing members located within inclined chutes. The chutes contain slides which allow the dropped pallet to slide downwardly following impact with the shock absorbing members. The chutes are mounted in such a manner that they may be easily removed from the automatic sewing machine system.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for processing workpieces prearranged within pallets in an automatic sewing machine system. The apparatus is displaceable from fixed positions wherein the pallets are normally processed from an input location to a sewing location and hence to an output location. The displaced apparatus allows access to various portions of the automatic sewing machine system.

Abstract: An adjustable guide arrangement for aligning a substrate such as a shoe upper to be treated with a reinforcing substance, onto a biased plate of a rotatable cube for subsequent pressing against a carrier belt of a reinforcing machine. The guide arrangement comprises a housing adjustably supported on a frame portion of the machine, the housing holding a piston and cylinder unit having a piston rod therefrom which secures a guide bracket. The bracket has several slots therein which each adjustably support a guide pin. The guide pins are registerable with the biased plate, and act as an adjustable backstop for the substrate as they are being loaded onto the rotatable cube. The piston rod is retractable into the cylinder, to pull the guide pins out of the way of the cube as it is caused to rotate.

Abstract: The method of aligning and loading a substrate onto a powder reinforcement machine wherein a guide pin arrangement is adjusted with respect to settings on a portion of the machine frame and then adjusted distancewise from the machine frame, the guide pins themselves then adjusted with respect to the guide pin support, to facilitate alignment of substrates on the machine, the settings being repeatable for differently contoured substrates if desirable. The guide pin support being shiftable for removal from the path of a substrate transport cube, permitting rapid alignment of successive substrates of a particular configuration.