SHOE MACHINERY. The machines for making shoes, of which we propose to give a brief and gene ral account, were invented by the celebrated engineer Alt.. Brunel, with whose ingenious inventions our readers are already well acquainted.
During the late war Mr. Brunel established at Bat tersea Bridge his machinery for making shoes, prin cipally with the object of supplying the army. The machines were all managed by the invalids of Chel sea Hospital, who were unfit for any other employ ment.
In shoes of the usual kind the sole was united to the upper leather by sewing, but in the year 1809, Mr. David Mead RandOlph, an American, took out a patent for employing livening in place of sewing in fixing the soles and heels of shoes to the upper lea ther. This method was adopted by Mr. Brunel, but he also extended it to all the parts of which the shoe is composed.
The shoes made by this machinery are composed of the following pieces: 1. The upper leather, consisting of three pieces, viz. the vamp, or the portion which covers the upper part of the root, and the two quarters which run round the heel. These three pieces are sewed to one another.
2. The sole part of the shoe, which consists of the real or lower sole with its welt, the heel, and the in ner or upper sole. The welt is a running border, fixed by a row of nails on the upper side of the lower sole, so as to increase the thickness of the sole to wards its edge, and it lessens gradually inwards.
The upper leathers are made of sufficient size to turn in all round beneath the foot under the edge of the inner sole, for abOut the of an inch wide, and the inner sole, with its welt, is applied beneath so that the turning in of the upper leather is included be tween the two soles.
The nails used to fasten together the different parts are as follows: 1. The long nails, which form a complete row as near as possible to the edge of the whole shoe, pass ing through the two soles, the welt, and the upper leather. The heel is also fastened on by a row of these nails round its edge. The heads or thick ends
of the nails are seen on the lower side of the soles, and keep the leather from wearing.
2. The tacking nails, which are such a size as to pass only through the sole and the welt. Of these there is a row all round the edge of the foot, but far ther from the edge than the row of long nails.
3. The short nails, which only penetrate through the thickness of the lower sole. These are disposed in parallel rows across the tread of the foot, and also in a double row parallel to the outline of the toe, at about :?ths of an inch from the edge.
The machines which are employed in manufactur ing the shoe may be arranged as follows: 1. The cutting up machine.
2. The compressing mach ine, for pressing the soles.
3. The machine for punching the holes.
4. The machine for cutting the short nails, and inserting them.
5. The machine for punching the long nail holes and inserting the long nails in the holes.
6. The welting stand.
7. The cutting press.
8. The clamping machine.
9. The machine for cutting the long nails.
1. The machine for cutting out the leather. The va rious pieces of leather which compose the shoe are cut out by stamps, each of which is an iron frame or ring bent to the shape of the piece to be cut. The sharp edge of these stamps beirig placed upon the skin, and struck with a wooden mallet, will cut out the lea ther of the same form. The leather for the soles be ing softened, is laid on a table of lead, about two feet long, and one and a half wide, and is cut in a similar manner.
The inner soles are cut by a machine of the follow ing construction. The stamp or knife is placed hori zontally, with its sharp edge upwards, and the sole simply cut by a common knife round a wooden pat tern, is laid upon the stamp. A lever, with a plate of lead fastened near its fulcrum, is fixed on the frame which supports the knife. The lever being now brought down by the hand, presses the plate of lead upon the sole, and thus enables the stamp to cut it out of the exact shape.