Usm Corporation

Graham J Mansfield

Alan M Peck

Kingsley J Tutt

Frederick J Graveling

John Davies

Ewen R Cameron

David C Reedman

Dennis S Hall

David Moore

In a thermo-cementing and folding machine, a gear pump operates to supply adhesive at a rate which is dependent upon the speed of rotation of a main drive shaft, by which workpiece feeding means of the machine is driven. The machine has also a facility for varying the rate of feed of a workpiece by the workpiece feeding means without varying the speed of rotation of the main drive shaft. The ratio of the rotational speed of the shaft to the operating rate of the pump is varied in response to variation of the workpiece feed rate. This arrangement is achieved by computer control, the gear pump being driven by a stepping motor for this purpose. In addition, at the end of each work cycle, use of a stepping motor facilitates 'suck back' of adhesive, and a 'fast forward' adhesive upon initiation of the next work cycle.

Automatically controlled thermo-cementing and folding machine

For determining a path of movement of a tool along shoe bottom marginal portions a series of points along such path is selected and information regarding such points stored in the form of digitized co-ordinate axis values by a computer, from which information the path can subsequently be derived. The selected points are spaced by a predetermined distance (which may be the same for each pair of adjacent points) regardless of shoe bottom contour. To this end, when each point is digitized, the tool and shoe bottom are relatively moved apart by the predetermined distance along a first axis, extending heightwise of the shoe bottom. Thereafter in returning the tool and shoe bottom into engagement along said one dimension under operator control, appropriate compensating movement also takes place automatically along a lengthwise axis and/or along widthwise axis. In addition, relative movement may also be effected between the tool and surface under operator control along said widthwise axis, compensating movement then automatically taking place along said lengthwise axis. In either case, the compensating movement serves to maintain the predetermined distance between the tool and the workpiece surface.

Determining an operating path of a tool in relation to a

A computer-controlled machine for progressively roughing marginal portions of shoe bottoms comprises a tool carrier on which two rotary roughing brushes (168) are carried side-by-side, and a shoe support (18) between which and the tool carrier relative movement takes place lengthwise, widthwise and heightwise of the shoe bottom. Each tool (168) is mounted so as to 'float' heightwise in relation to the tool carrier, resilient means (175) being provided for urging each tool independently downwardly towards the shoe support (18). In this way the pressure applied by each tool to the shoe bottom in the operation of the machine can be controlled and/or regulated. For effecting relative movement between tool carrier and shoe support, numerically controlled motors are provided, operating in response to a programmed instruction. Such instruction can be made using the machine in a path-determining mode. The machine also comprises sensing means for sensing a defined heightwise position of the tool (168) in the path-determining mode of the machine, and the co-ordinate axis values for each selected position of tool carrier and shoe support are digitized, for each point, in relation to such defined heightwise position of the tool relative to the tool carrier. Similarly, the tool is maintained in a defined heightwise position in relation to the tool carrier during any brush grinding operation.

Shoe machine

Apparatus for the combined marginal roughing and toe scouring of shoe bottoms has a shoe support movable in an arcuate path past marginal roughing tools and a scouring tool, the roughing tools being movable widthwise and heightwise of the shoe bottom, and the scouring tool heightwise. All the movements are under the control of n.c. motors. The scouring tool thus follows a pre-determined path, giving enhanced control of the degree of scouring. To assist in accuracy, the shoe support has height datum means which, after use and subsequent to toe support means being locked in adjusted position, are moved out of the way so as not to impede the roughing and scouring.

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Oadby, United Kingdom

Graham J Mansfield