US1572694A - Shoe-filler apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,694

E. M. THOMPSON SHOE FILLER APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 16, 1923 3 sheets-sheet 1 ,8? J/ I ,fnaergztr Feb. 9 1926, 1,572,694

E. M. THOMPSON SHOE FILLER APPARATUS 'Criginal F'led w). 16, 1923 3 sheets'sheet 2 Feb. 9 1926.

1,572,694 E. M. THOMPSON SHOE FILLER APPARATU S Original Filed Feb. 16, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 5 I I A Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERROL M. THOMPSON, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMPSON- FIELD COMPANY, INC., OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-FILLER APPARATUS.

Continuation of application Serial No. 619,330, filed February 16, 1923.

1924. Serial No. 720,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enron M. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Filler Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a shoe filler apparatus designed for reducing shoe filler composition to a soft plastic condition suitable for application to shoe bottoms and for maintaining the filler in that condition while the apparatus is in use, and this application is a continuation of a prior application filed by me Feb. 16, 1923, Serial No. 619,330, to the extent of the matter disclosed therein."

Heretofore, it has becncustomary to fill up the cavity in welt shoes between the inner and outer soles with a suitable material in order to give the sole of the shoe the requisite thickness and stability and the compo sition generally used for this purpose has been made up of comminuted leather or cork held together by a suitable binder. It is desirable that the filler composition be resilient and pliable in the shoe, nonshifting after long use to prevent bunching up in the sole and that it be waterproof. As a rule, these compositions when cold are semi-hard, but may be reduced to a plastic, moldable, and workable condition by the application of heat, and various apparatus have heretofore been devised for reducing the composition to a plastic condition at the point Where it is being applied to the shoes. The use of such apparatus, however, has heretofore been attended by certain objectionable features and disadvantages. Constant attendance has been required to prevent the burning and charrin of the filler material in contact with the sides of the receptacle, which burning or charring spoils the filler immediately affected and also discolors or darkens the filler not burned. Frequently fire results from spontaneous combustion in case the apparatus is left unattended with the heatturned on for any appreciable length of time. The discoloration of the filler due to the charring action of the apparatus is especially disadvantageous when light or tan shoes are being filled.

Furthermore, such apparatus have been open to the objection that it has required a half hour or even longer period to reduce the filler composition to a workable condition after the heat had been turned on in the apparatus. These disadvantageous features all tend to slow up and delay the filling operations and thereby increase the cost thereof to the shoe manufacturers.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus in which the shoe filler material is maintained in the proper plastic condition for application to shoe bottoms and is free from any danger from injury or discoloration by burning or charring.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus so designed that the semi-hard shoe filler composition is reduced to a suitable plastic condition for apof conductivity, such for instance, as copper or aluminum. Heretofore, these receptacles have been made of cast iron or steel, which requires a considerable period for heating, but which retains the heat to such a degree that the filler material in contact therewith is aptto be burned or charred. At the same time this tendency to burning is somewhat increased by the fact that a comparatively high pressure of steam is used which is difficult to control. I have found, however, that by making the filler receptacle of aluminum or copper less heat is required for reducing and maintaining the filler in proper conditionand all liability of burn ing and charring is obviated. The use of such a receptacle permits the machine to be operated under a low steam pressure, a fact which is of considerable advantage to a shoe factory where it is generally difficult to get a high steam pressure without unusual expense.

Another important fea-tureof my invention consists in providing a construction whereby live steam may be introduced di- This application filed June 17,

.dition when the machine is first started andalso tends to prevent burning or discoloration of the filler. Care must be exercised,

however, in the admission of the steam to the tiller, because if too much is admitted, the binder is thinned-down to such an extent that its adhesiveness is affected and the filler material separates and rolls, interfering with its application to the shoes and later disintegrates in the soles, causing bunching when the shoe is subjected towear.

Sometimes an excess of stiam will wash away the binder to such an extent that the cohesiveness of the filler is destroyed. For these reasons, therefore, it is important that the amount of steam admitted to the filler be well distributed and limited'in amount so that the reduction of the tiller to a plastic condition may be rapidly accomplished without deleterious results to the binder. I have found that the provision in the bottom of the filler chamber of a plurality of minute perforations spaced sufliciently far apart will accomplish the desired purpose. In the embodiment of the'invention here in illustrated, the apparatus comprises broadly a receptacle of suitable shape for inducing and maintaining the filler com position in a plastic condition, such receptacle being made of a soft metal such as copper or aluminum. The receptacle may be heated either by the use of steam or electricity and in either case means are provided whereby live "steam .is introduced through the perforated bottom of the receptacle into the tiller mass. v In the drawings, .Fig. 1 is a front elevation, a portion being broken away to show the interior construction, of an apparatus constructed and adapted to be operated 1n accordance with my invention and provided j with electrical heating means; Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the same on line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same looking downwardly in Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the roll and knife box and electrical heating unit for the same; Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram for the electrical heating means; Fig. 6 is a front elevation partly in section of the device equipped with steam heating means; Fig. 7 is a central vertical sectional view of one form of knifebox adapted for use when steam is employed as the heating medium; Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view of a portion of the steam chamber; and Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the extended bottom "of said receptacle.

Referring to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, 12'designates an open top receptacle for containing the filler material to be treated, which receptacle may be of any suitable form, but preferably, especially on the front or operators side 13, which may be made double, has sloping sides to facilitate access to and handling of the filler composition. The receptacle may be made of any suitable material; having a high degree of conductivity for heat, such as cop per or aluminum, but I have found that a receptacle cast from aluminum gives excellent results in that the filler may be reduced to plastic condition more rapidly and with less heat and is kept in better condition than when the receptacle is made of other material, such as cast iron or steel. The bottom it of the receptacle may b. provided with a threaded collar 16 adapted to receive the threaded upper end of a standard 18 for supporting it at the proper height to suit the convenience of the operator.

On the inside just above the bottom 1 the receptacle maybe provided with an inwardly extending flange 20 adapted to support a plate 22 or false bottom which divides the receptacle into an upptr open chamber 24 for containing filler and a lower closed steam chamber 26 which on the front side 13 extends upwardly between the two walls thereof. The plate 22 may be removably secured to the flange by screws 28 in order to allow it t be easily taken out when necessary for cleaning or other purposes. I

To permit, steam to flow from the steam chamber26 upwardly through the filler in the upper chamber, the plate 22- may be provided with a plurality of small perforations 30 spaced apart at suitable intervals and cupped out at 31 on the under side of the plate (Fig. 9) to prevent clogging. The cupping out of the perforations reduces the length of the restricted passage to such an extent that any piece of cork or other matter in the filler small enough to enter the passage cannot remain there to obstruct it, but will fall through into the steam chamber. It is also desirable that the perforations be spaced apart, because if too close together, so much steam is admitted to the filler that the binder is weakened and its adhesive qualities reduced thereby, making it difficult to handle with the spreading tools.

The receptacle may be heated either by steam or electricity. In case the former medium is employed, the steam chamber 26 may be provided at one side with an inlet 32 (Fig. 6) connected by a pipe 3% with a source of supply controlled by a valve 36,

porting and heating by radiation a knife box 40 and an evening roll 42 mounted thereon over the receptacle- The pipe '38 may exhaust in any suitable manner, which exhaust may be controlled by a check valve 51. A valve at lmay be arranged in the supply pipe 3 f between the bypass and the steam chamber to allow the steam to be withheld from that chamber when necessary without affecting the heating of the roll and the knife box. lln open drip pipe may be located in the bottom 14 to permit the water of condensation to run out.

The knife box (Fig. 7) is preferably made of a main center section, designated generally as 40 and being recessed on each side to form knife slots 46, when side portions 48 are secured thereto on each side by screws 50. When steam is used as the heating medium, the center portion 40 may be cored out and provided with alternately arranged baffle plates 52 to cause the steam to pass therethrough in a circuitous route and thereby to increase the temperature of the knife box. I have found this construction of knife box to be especially advantages when steam at low pressure is used and the box is made of cast iron, since difiiculty has been experienced under such circumstances in maintaining a solid box at a'teimperature sufficiently high to heat the spreading knives properly.

In the use of electricity as the heat supplying medium, two flat space heaters of ordinary and well-known construction may be secured to the bottom 14; of the receptacle (Figs. 1 and 3) and a tubular space heater 62 may be mounted above the rece tacle for heating roll and knife box, said heaters being all included in one circuit, as shown in Fig. 5 in which Gel, 66 and (S8 designate the conductors connected to a source of electrical energy. A switch 70 of any suitable form of construction may be used for closing and opening the circuit. The switch and a pilot light 105 may be enclosed in a switch box 72 and the conductors in suitable flexible insulating tubing 74, 75 and 76 and in fixed tubing 77 and 7 8 (Fig. l). The tubular space heaterGQ maybe conducted by screws 63 to conductors (it and 66 and may be enclosed in a tubing 67 which carries the roll 4-2 and knife box ll) and is supported above the receptacle by means of two pairs of semi-circular flanged end plates 80 and 82, the plates in each pair being fastened together at their flanges by screws 8%. The lower plate 82 of each pair is provided with a threaded opening to receive the threaded end of one of the fixed tubes 77 or 78. Set screws 83 prevent rotation of the tube 67 in the end plates and the knife box may be fixed on the heater 62 against rotation by a set screw 86. By means of this construction, the entire upper part of the electrical heating means may be treated as a unit and in that condition removed from the apparatus when necessary by merely disconnecting the flexible tubing 7 5 and-76 therefrom and lifting it up to disengage the tubes 77 and 78 from the ears 37 and 39. At any time, however, access can be had to the space heater 62 by merely removing the upper end plates 80.'

Then the apparatus is equipped with electrical heating means, it is necessary to provide a small amount of Water in the bottom of the receptacle from which steam may be generated and for this purpose the bottom 1% may be provided with an extension having an, upturned rim 91 and a closed rater tank 92 may be pivotally secured by hinges 93 to the top of the receptacle above the extension. A nozzle 94 in that side of the tank which is normally the bottom side projects into the extension to within a short distance of the floor thereof to feed water from the tank when the level of the water falls below the mouth of the nozzle. The refilling of the tank is accomplished by turning it on the hinges 93 into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and by re- -moving the nozzle. A hole 95 permits water to flow from the extension into the steam chamber, said hole being closed by a screw plug 96 when the apparatus is used with steam. A plug 97 may be employed forclosing the drip opening in the bottom 14-.

In order that the current maybe turned off when the tank is dry, I provide a switch 98 which is held normally open by an interio spring 95) and is mounted in a casing 100 secured. by screws lOl to the rear wall of the receptacle and in position for the tank (Fi 2) to engage the end of the plunger projecting from the casing. 'llhe switch is so arranged with respect to the tank that when the latter contains any appreciable amount of water it presses the switch 98inwardly to close the circuit, but when itis comparatively empty, the sprii'ig 99 is of sufiicient strength to overcome the lateral pressure exerted by the empty tank and to press the switch outwardly opening the circuit. This immediately shuts off the heat and in consequence gives notice to the operator that the tank needs replenishing.

In the operation of my apparatus, a suit able supply of the filler material is placed in the chamber 24 upon the perforated. partition 22 and the heating medium whether steam or electricity is turned on, or if preferred the receptacle may first be heated and the filler then placed in the apparatus. The filler is more quickly reduced to a plastic workable condition when steam is employed as the heating medium, since it filters through the perforations in the partition and permeates the tiller, softening the binder which is normally semi-hard. Preferably,

CTI

steam at a very low pressure is used and the flow of steam into the steam chamber may be regulated by the valve 44. Then-electricity is used, I find that placing the fiat space heater on the under side of the bottom of the receptacle gives excellent results, although in starting it is somewhat slower than steam. After the apparatus has been started, the filler is maintained in plastic and workable condition by the limited amount of steam which filters throughthe perforated partition. I have found that spacing the perforations approximately two inches apart gives most excellent results in this respect and that the amount of steam admitted to the filler is sufficient to keep it in perfect workable condition without weakening the adhesive qualities of the binder.

In using the apparatus for filling shoes, the operator takeshis stand in front, with the shoe to be filled, sole up, in his left hand withdraws a hot knife from the knife box, scoops up the filler therewith and fills the bottom of the shoe, using the roll to even off the same. The heating of the knife of the roll prevents the filler stickingto either. In doing this work, the opera-tor generally moves the liller up against the front wall 13 of the receptacle where it may be conveniently dipped out with the knife and the steam in between the double walls keeps the filler in proper condition and prevents cooling.

The apparatus of my invention has many advantages, some of whichare directly due to the fact that the receptacle is made of a metal having a high degree of conductivity for heat. Because of this quality, the machine is more rapid in its initial performance and the filler is ready for application within a very few minutes after the heat is turned on. I have found when steam is used as the heating medium that the filler may be applied within two or three" minutes. In case of electricity, this action is somewhat slower, but still much faster than when a 'cast iron or steel receptacle is employed.

Furthermore, the machine may be operated with less heat than is required for a cast iron or steel apparatus and is more efficient and more economical. A steam pressure of but a few pounds will give satisfactory results and will conform more nearly to customary conditions in shoe factories where a high steam pressure involves expense.

With the use of my apparatus, all burning, charring, or discoloration of the filler is entirely obviated, although the filler is apparently more uniformly hot and plastic. The use of copper or aluminum avoids the rusting or corrosion which is a common defect in honor steel receptacles and which tends to discolor a light filler which is espe cially objectionable where light or tan shoes are being filled.

My machine may be very easily changed .than approximate. Undoubtedly, within certain limits the perforations may be spaced nearer together or further apart than two inches, and this spacing may also vary with the amount of steam pressure used. For these reasons I do not desire to be limited in the following claims to any specific dimensions for spacing the perforations except where specifically stated, since this feature of my invention is directed to any spacing which will admit only so much steam vapor to the filler material as will soften the binder without causing it to run.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A shoe filler apparatus having, in

combination, a receptacle made from metal having a high degree of conductivity for heat, said receptacle having an upper cham her for holding the filler material and a lower steam chamber, a partition between said two chambers, said partition having perforations spaced approximately two inches apart for admitting a limited amount of steam from said steam chamber to said filler, and means for heating said receptacle.

' 2. A shoe filler apparatus having, in combination, a receptacle made from a metal having a high degree of conductivity for heat such as copper or aluminum, said receptacle having an upper open chamber for the shoe filler material and a lower closed chamber for steam, a partition between said two chambers provided with small perforations spaced approximately two inches apart for-admitting a limited flow of steam from said steam chamber to said filler and means for providing steam to said steam chamber to heat said receptacle.

3. A shoe filler apparatus having, in combination, a receptacle cast from aluminum,

a removable partition in said receptacle dividing it into an upper chamber for the filler material and a lower closed steam chamber, said partition being provided with a plurality of minute perforations for permitting a limited flow of steam from said steam chamber to said filler chamber, said perforations being spaced apart a distance sufiicient to soften the binder but not to cause it to run, and means for providing steam for heating said receptacle and t0 maintain the filler material in plastic condition.

4. A shoe filler apparatus having, in combination, a cast aluminum receptacle, a removable partition in said receptacle dividing it into an upper open chamber for the filler material and a lower closed steam chamber, said partition being provided with a plurality of minute perforations spaced apart for permitting a limited flow of steam from said steam chamber to said filler chamber, each of said perforations being cupped out to prevent clogging, aiu'l means for furnishing a supply of steam to said steam chamber to heat said rece 'itacle and to main tain the iiller in suitable plastic condition.

5. A shoe filler apparatus having, in combination, a receptacle, a removable partition in said receptacle dividing it into an upper open chamber for the filler material and a lower closed steam chamber, said partition being provided "with a plurality of minute perforations for permitting a limited flow of steam from said steam chamber to said filler chamber, said perforations being spaced apart a distance sufficient to prevent the binder running, automatic means for supplying water to said steam chamber and electrical means for converting said water into steam to heat said receptacle and to maintain the filler in plastic condition.

(3. A shoe filler apparatus having, in combination, a receptacle made of metal having a high degree of conductivity for heat such as copper or aluminum, a partition in said receptacle dividing it into an upper open chamber for the filler material and a lower closed steam chamber, said partition being provided with a plurality of minute perforations spaced apart for permitting a limited flow of steam from said steam chamber to said filler chamber, a tank for automatically supplying water to said steam chamber, electrical means for converting said water into steam to heat said receptacle and to maintain the filler in plastic condition and automatic operating means for shutting off the current in said electrical means whenever the water in said tank falls below a predetermined level.

7. A shoe filler apparatus having, in com bination, a receptacle made of metal having a high degree of conductivity for heat such as copper or aluminum, a partition in said receptacle dividing it into an upper open chamber for the filler material and a lower closed steam chamber, said partition beingprovided with a plurality of minute perforations spaced apart for permitting a limited flow of steam from said steam chamher to said filler chamber, a tank for automatically supplying water to said steam chamber, electrical space heaters mounted on the bottom of said receptacle, an electric circuit for operating said space heaters for converting said water into steam to heat said receptacle and a switch normally open for closing said circuit; said switch being arranged to be held open by said tank so long as the water in said tank remains above a predetermined level.

8. A shoe filler apparatus having, in com-- bination, a receptacle for holding filler ma terial, the bottom of said receptacle being provided with minute perforations for admitting steam vapor to the filler material therein and means for furnishing steam vapor to said receptacle through said perforations; said perforations being spaced apart a distance sufiicient to prevent the running of the filler binder.

9. A shoe filler apparatus having, in combination, a receptacle for holding filler material, the bottom of said receptacle being provided with minute perforations for admitting steam vapor to the filler material therein and means for furnishing steam vapor to said receptacle through said perforations; said perforations being spaced ap proximately two inches apart to prevent the running of the filler binder.

10. A shoe filler apparatus, having in combination, a receptacle for holding filler material, the bottom of said receptacle being provided with minute cupped out perforations spaced apart for admitting steam vapor to the filler material therein, and means for furnishing steam vapor to said receptacle through said perforations.

11. A shoe filler apparatus having, in combination, a receptacle provided, with a partition dividing it into an upper chamber for filler material and a lower steam chamber, said partition being provided with perforations for the passage of steam vapor from said steam chamber to said filler chamber' to maintain said filler material in a workable condition, said perforations being spaced apart a distance sufficient to prevent the running of the filler binder, and means for furnishing steam vapor to said steam chamber.

In I witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this sixth day of June, 1924.

ERROL M. THOMPSON.

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