Abstract: A heel molder to form the heel part of a footwear upper assembly. The heel part includes a thermally-activated material that is deformable when heated above a threshold temperature; it is non-deformable below that threshold temperature; it is non-deformable at room temperature. The material preferentially includes a thermally-activated adhesive, that is, an adhesive that becomes tacky or sticky at or about the temperature at which the material becomes deformable. The heel molder receives the upper assembly, forms the same at the heel region while the material is above the threshold temperature, cools the material whereby the thermally-activated material--and the upper itself and liner--takes a permanent preformed set as a laminate for later operations. According to the present teaching, the thermally-activated material or counter, the upper and the lining of the upper typically form, when cooled, a laminate that retains its geometry for subsequent operations thereon.

Abstract: A heel lasting machine to receive a footwear upper assembly that includes a last, an insole on the last bottom and an upper draped about the last with a margin extending upwardly from the insole, the last having a spindle hole. The machine includes two stations; each station includes a heel post or spindle having a last pin to insert into the spindle hole and a toe rest to receive the toe of the upper assembly. A single adhesive applicator applies adhesive to the heel region of the upwardly directed insole of both upper assemblies. All operations of the machine are computer controlled. A mechanism is provided to locate the nozzle of the adhesive applicator in its rest position relative to the heel region, despite variations in the placement of the spindle hole. A mechanism to assure a snug fit of the heel of the upper about the heel of the last is also provided. Once the upper is fitted about the last the upper assembly is pressed onto the toe rest.

Abstract: A machine for automatically roughing the cement margin of a footwear upper assembly. The machine includes means for supporting the footwear upper assembly by a mechanism capable of applying to the upper assembly rocking movement, translational movement and rotational movement. A roughing tool is provided, as well as means for applying a combination movement to the upper assembly. Simultaneously, roughing is effected along the shoe margin by the roughing tool. The combination of movements serves continuously to present a new roughing surface to the roughing tool in the course of roughing, resulting in uniformity of roughing. The rotational movement serves to cause the roughing tool to track the cement margin with a determined orientation therebetween as the cement margin moves past the roughing portion of the roughing tool.

Abstract: A composite band for use in a footwear-forming machine. The composite band includes an elongated pad formed to have a bight portion and a pair of legs extending outwardly from the bight portion. A flexible elongated metal is secured at the outer surface of the elongated pad. The composite band is subjected to flexing forces whereby, in the footwear forming process, it is repeatedly bent to conform to the shape of the footwear and then relaxed to an unflexed condition. The metal strip contains three (or more) spaced loops, one at each leg and one at the bight portion, to prevent undue stress during flexure. The loops serve also to permit inwardly-directed forces to be applied to the composite band.

Abstract: A toe lasting machine (10) for operating on a shoe assembly (66) formed of a last (68) having an upper (70) draped thereon and an insole (72) secured to its bottom by wiping the margin (74) of the toe portion of the upper against the insole while the heel portion of the shoe assembly is engaged by a heel clamp pad (29) that is moved in a rearward direction against the heel portion of the shoe assembly. The heel clamp pad (29) is so connected to a slide (42) that is yieldably urged upwardly as to have unitary heightwise movement with the slide (42). The slide (42) and the heel clamp pad (29) are mounted for forward-rearward swinging adjustment about a prone axis that is transverse to the rearward direction.

Abstract: For use with a sewing machine (10) that sews a predetermined pattern of stitches on workpieces (22) of successive workpiece assemblies formed of workpiece mounts (24) having the workpieces (22) detachably secured thereto while the workpiece assemblies are being moved in a path corresponding to the predetermined pattern past a work station that includes the needle (16) of the sewing machine, a workpiece handling means that enables the workpiece to be presented to the work station and removed from the station successively and alternately from the opposite sides of the work station.

Abstract: An insole rest (14) that supports a shoe assembly (64) formed of a last (66) having an upper (70) draped thereon and an insole (68) located on its bottom. A first motor (36) is so connected to the insole rest as to effect heightwise movement of the insole rest and a second motor (38) is so connected to the insole rest as to effect swinging movement of the insole rest.

Abstract: A machine for applying a patch of adhesive onto the bottom of a last (94) comprising an adhesive applying member (89) movable downwardly into engagement with the last bottom and a shifting mechanism (34, 92) operative to so shift the adhesive applying mechanism during its downward movement as to cause the adhesive applying mechanism to engage the last bottom close to the toe end of the last.

Abstract: A machine for applying adhesive to the toe portion of an insole mounted to the bottom of a last through the top of an applicator. The insole is located on an inclined plane and the applicator lies in the inclined plane and bears flushly against the insole when the applicator is applying the adhesive to the insole. The applicator is mounted for such movement that the applicator top lies in a horizontal plane when the applicator is not moving towards and away from the insole and is not bearing against the insole.

Abstract: A machine that molds an upper to the shape of a male mold by a female mold and that flanges the margin of the upper by a pair of wipers mounted to the female mold. The wipers have bases hinged to each other for swinging movement about a vertex and legs extending forwardly and divergently of the bases, the wiper bases being mounted to a back part of the female mold and the wiper legs being mounted to side parts of the female mold. The wiper bases are so constructed as to be movable forwardly of the back part and the wiper legs are so constructed as to be movable inwardly of the side parts pursuant to the forward movement of the wiper bases relative to the back part.

Abstract: A toe pulling over and lasting machine operable on a shoe assembly formed of a last having an insole located on its bottom and an upper mounted thereon. The machine includes a support for supporting the shoe assembly bottom-down, a toe pincers operable to grip the toe end extremity of the upper margin, side pincers located on each side of and forwardly of the toe pincers operable to grip the upper margin heelwardly of the toe end extremity of the upper margin, and wipers operable to wipe the toe portion of the upper margin against the insole. Circuitry, actuated by a pedal operated control valve, causes the machine to go through its cycle. A three position selector valve is incorporated in the circuitry to determine positions, if any, the machine assumes when it comes to a halt during the machine cycle with a reactuation of the control valve causing the machine to resume the machine cycle after it comes to a halt.

Abstract: A roughing machine having a support for supporting bottom-up a shoe assembly formed of a last having an insole located on its bottom and an upper mounted thereon with the margin of the upper secured to the bottom of the insole and a roughing tool located above the shoe assembly and yieldably urged downwardly against the shoe assembly so as to rough the upper margin during movement of the support to move the upper margin past the roughing tool. The shoe assembly bottom has its heel seat portion, its shank portion and its forepart portion lying in different planes. The support is so constructed as to be rockable in such a manner that the heel seat portion, the shank portion, and the forepart portion of the upper margin all lie in horizontal planes during their movement past the roughing tool.

Abstract: A pulling over mechanism having pincers for gripping the margin of an upper mounted on a last for stretching the upper about the last pursuant to relative heightwise movement of the last with respect to pincers. A motor is actuable to move the pincers heightwise and a handle is so connected to the pincers as to lower the pincers in response to movement of the handle and to thereafter be disconnected from the pincers.

Abstract: A machine that molds an upper to the shape of a male mold by a female mold that presses the upper against the male mold and that flanges the margin of the upper by wipers that are mounted to the female mold for inward movement with respect to the female mold.

Abstract: A machine for roughing the margin of a shoe upper a desired distance inwardly of the non-rectilinear margin periphery during the rectilinear movement of a shoe assembly, comprising the upper mounted on a last, past a roughing tool. A sensing member, movable towards and away from the shoe assembly in unison with the roughing tool, is caused to bear against the side of the shoe assembly during the shoe assembly movement and the roughing tool is so spaced from the sensing member as to be engageable with the margin. The sensing member is laterally offsettable during the shoe assembly movement to insure that the roughing tool engages the upper margin inwardly of the margin periphery during the movement of upper margin peripheral portions that are inclined with respect to the direct of rectilinear movement of the shoe assembly.

Abstract: A machine for clamping the heel portion of an upper to the corresponding portion of a form wherein the upper is mounted on the form, disclosed as a last, and the heel portion of the upper is clamped to the form by a clamp pad having a bight that bears against the heel end extremity of the upper and a pair of legs extending forwardly and divergently of the bight that bear against the sides of the heel portion of the upper. The pad legs are each connected to a plate that is located outwardly of its associated pad leg and that is mounted for inward-outward movement, the plates and the pad legs being yieldably urged outwardly. A head is so mounted in intersecting relationship with each plate as to enable the heads to engage the plates and thereby force the plates inwardly to cause the pad legs to bear against the sides of the heel portion of the upper.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a machine for applying cement to the periphery of an insole that is located on a last bottom and for wiping the entire margin of an upper mounted on the last against the insole to thereby adhesively secure the entire upper margin to the insole.