Usm Corporation

British United Shoe Machinery Ltd.

Dvsg Patent Verwaltungs Gmbh

John F Martin

Andrew J Gilbride

Robert C Simmonds, Jr

Adolph S Dorosz

Douglas H Crowell

Lawrence P Ciccia

Albert I Morse

Richard M Elliott

Larry L Holland

Thomas J Gilligan, Iii

Herbert Johnson

Donald F Herdeg

Francis A Wickers

Edward S Malecki

Ray E Welcher

Gordon Judson Graham

Michael J Fino

Donald E Ripley

Viewing apparatus is disclosed for use with an automatic sewing machine in digitizing patterns that are to be sewn. The viewing system includes a high intensity light projection device mounted close to the head of the sewing machine. The mounting of the projection device includes adjustment capabilities which allow a projected image to be centered on a point having a predefined relationship with respect to the sewing needle of the automatic sewing machine.

Viewing apparatus for entering coordinate data in an automatic sewing

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.

Shoe substrate reinforcing machine

A machine for depositing powder in a selected configuration, fusing the configured powder into a laminate and adhering the fused laminate to a shoe substrate. A heater raises the temperature of configured powder to fuse the powder into a laminate. A pair of radially spaced holes extend downwardly through the heater through which a fused laminate underlying the holes can be observed. Configured powder is conveyed past the heater to fuse the configured powder into a fused laminate, and a remote temperature sensor is controllably displaceable from one location to a second location so that the temperature of a fused laminate below either one of said apertures can be sensed. The temperature sensor is secured at either of the two discrete locations, and the holes can be closed by pivotally mounted caps.

Powder reinforcing laminate apparatus

A machine for depositing powder in a selected configuration, fusing the configured powder into a laminate and adhering the fused laminate to a shoe substrate to reinforce the substrate. The machine has a shoe substrate support including a base and a pad assembly. The base includes a guide plate, guides secured to the guide plate, and detents secured to the guide plate and the pad assembly includes a backing plate having portions to be guided by the guides, stops for a butting against the guides when the backing plate is displaced to its desired location on the guide plate, dimples for cooperating with the detents when the backing plate is located on the backing plate to releasably maintain the backing plate at that location, and a handle. A pad is secured to the backing plate for supporting a shoe substrate and data is secured to its top surface for locating a specific shoe part on the pad.

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.

Adjustable alignment mechanism for a power reinforcing machine

Apparatus is disclosed for positioning a large, flexible workpiece relative to a high speed reciprocating tool. The apparatus comprises a frame and associated workpiece supports which move in a first direction. A workpiece holding assembly mounted to the frame moves the workpiece over the workpiece supports in a second direction transverse to the first direction of movement. The supports engage channels of a tool bed associated with the operative tool and are preferably beveled so as to prevent interference with the moving workpiece.

Positioning apparatus

A method of sequentially manufacturing a plurality of reinforced substrates such as shoe uppers, by applying a powder through a stencil by automatic means in a rotary machine, where the powder is first applied in a three-dimensional configuration to an annular surface, which is rotated to an arcuate heating station, then to a join and cool station after the powder has fused. The fused powder has a shoe upper pressed thereagainst by a rotary transfer cube which successively applies the uppers seriatum to the fused configuration of powder as they are presented therebeneath.

Method of manufacturing a reinforced article

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.

Substrate alignment and loading method for a powder reinforcing machine

A machine for sequentially manufacturing a plurality of reinforced substrates such as shoe uppers, comprising a powder deposition station wherein a stencil assembly applies powder onto an annular receiving belt, the powder being applied in a three-dimensional configuration because of peripheral spacer means arranged on the cut-out between the stencil and the receiving surface. The annular receiving surface is empowered to rotate to an arcuate heating station where the powder is fused by heating elements arranged thereabove and therebelow. The fused powder is then moved to a join and cool station where a substrate is pressed against the fused powder by a transfer means causing it to press against a chill plate therebeneath. The shoe upper is lifted by the transfer means from the receiving surface after it has cooled, the transfer means rotating so as to remove the now reinforced shoe upper from the receiving surface to enable it to be removed therefrom, and a subsequent shoe upper gripped therein for subsequent reinforcement thereof.

Deposition apparatus

A rigid, lightweight positioning system is disclosed for use with a high speed sewing machine. The positioning system includes a rigid, lightweight frame that is slidably mounted in a predefined plane. The frame is driven within the plane by a remotely located motor. A carriage is slidably mounted on the frame so as to move in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the frame itself. This carriage is driven along its axis by a second remotely located motor. The overall arrangement of the elements within the positioning system is such as to minimize the introduction of vibration at the point of sewing.

A mechanism is provided for holding and securing a workpiece within a sewing machine. The mechanism includes a plurality of clamping elements which may be arranged in different configurations so as to accommodate different sewing patterns. The different arrangements of clamping elements are inserted into a carriage which defines the positions of the clamping elements relative to each other as well as with respect to the bed of the sewing machine.

Apparatus for holding work in a sewing machine

An automatic sewing machine is provided wherein the clamps for holding the workpiece can be used to define at least two different sewing patterns. The sewing pattern which is particularly defined by a given arrangement of clamps is indicated to a digital control system within the sewing machine. The control system is operative to subsequently implement an automated stitching of the particular sewing pattern which has thus been indicated thereto. This automatic stitching is accomplished through a sequential reading of a set of instructions previously stored within a memory associated with the control system. The set of instructions remain the same for at least two different sewing patterns. These instructions are altered upon read out by certain control logic which takes note of which pattern has been defined by the given arrangement of clamps. The automated stitching is completed by an automatic ejection of the clamped workpiece.

Automatic stitching apparatus

Sheet cutting means, preferably of the fluid jet nozzle type, is programmed for predetermined X-Y operation on a workpiece supported on a series of taut, unidirectional, spaced wires arranged substantially as a planar bed. As the nozzle is shifted in an X-Y plane parallel to and above the work, a drain cup is correspondingly moved beneath the wire bed to receive the spent pressure fluid for recirculation or other disposition. A transfer means comprised of uniformly spaced belts is movable heightwise between the wires to convey all cut parts and scrap, collectively in unchanged relation, to an unload station when the nozzle and cup are out of the way. Preferably a television screen displays for an attendant at the unloading zone of the machine a replica of the cut work as pre-programmed to facilitate his identification and disposition of the different cut-outs, for instance, shoe soles.

Cutting machine incorporating means for transferring cut parts and scrap

This invention relates to a device for selectively actuating the workpiece clamp of an automatically controlled bar tacker sewing machine utilizing electrically operated pneumatic cylinders operatively connected to the upper clamping element to cause release of the workpiece. The clamp feet are releasably independent of other sewing operations. The upper clamping plate and the feed plate are secured to the clamp assembly by quick change fittings.

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Essex, MA, United States of America

John F Martin