Usm Corporation

John G Hollick

Frederick S Sillars

Douglas H Crowell

Thomas G Brophy

Donald B McIlvin

George J Bouzianis

A device for stiffening portions of sheets of flexible material including a reciprocable and rotatable nozzle disposed upon an extruder, the nozzle having a generally V-shaped nose section and a pair of wings disposed therebehind.

Machine for stiffening sheet material

A machine for stiffening and forming a selected area of flexible sheet material, for instance an end portion of a shoe upper, comprises work support mechanism including a universal female preformer having work-accommodating dihedral surfaces, an applicator for depositing on a portion of the selected area a predetermined volume of molten resin substantially in proportion to that area, and a presser complemental to the cavity defined by said surfaces and relatively movable into and out of cooperative work-pressing relation with respect to the work support to spread the molten resin and impart appropriate thickness gradient thereto throughout the selected area whereby, upon cooling, it is formed three-dimensionally and stiffened a desired degree in different portions. For forming-in-place end portions subsequently to be lasted, such as backparts of shoe uppers, pincers suitably control spreading and tensioning of the work and then relatively move with respect to the applicator to partially distribute the resin extruded in parallel arrangement within the area prior to shut-off of resin flow directed at an angle on the order of about 45.degree. to the area. Thereupon, the applicator being retracted, the molten resin is fully distributed throughout the selected area by mechanism closing the dihedral surfaces normal to the adjacent presser thus avoiding wrinkling and/or scuffing of the shoe upper and disturbing the distribution, in thickness and laterally, of the still molten resin.

Machine for stiffening and forming sheet material

Process for stiffening a selected are of flexible sheet material, particularly a part such as the counter portion of a shoe upper, in which a predetermined quantity of hot molten resin is deposited on the area as a body of substantial thickness, the area is pressed to spread out and adhere the resin as a layer and thereafter the resin is cooled to a stiff resilient condition. The sheet material may be removed from the first pressing operation and subjected to a second pressing or molding operation around a form such as a last. In this second pressing, molten resin which has been squeezed from the area onto the lasting margin, by controlled conditions in the first pressing may be employed as lasting cement by wiping down the lasting margin against the bottom surface of an insole.

Process for stiffening flexible sheet material

A die arrangement is provided for use in apparatus for the application of relatively thin overlay designs on suitable plastic sheet material. The die comprises a sharp cutting edge in the shape of the design, the edge being beveled away from the overlay, the overlay area of the die inside the cutting edge having a metal filler covered by a resilient material which extends beyond the die edge to compress the overlay during the simultaneous heating and cutting operation.

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Beverly, MA, United States of America

John G Hollick