Abstract:
For use in designing irregular objects such as shoes, an element such as a shoe last (1) whose surface geometry has been digitised and stored and which can be thus displayed on a display screen (7) is provided with means (2) for generating an electromagnetic field which can be sensed by a tracking station (3) so that in response to variations in the position and orientation of the last (1) the displayed image (8) can be correspondingly varied. In addition a drawing tool (pen) (4) also has such field generating means (5) which again can be tracked by the tracking station (3) and an image (9) of which also can be displayed on the screen (7). By moving the pen (4) over the surface of the last (1) design lines (12) can be created on the image (8) displayed on the screen (7) and thus a shoe design can be created on the screen. If desired, components designed using the last (1) and pen (4) may alternatively or in addition be displayed as "flattened" two-dimensional images. In addition, selected areas may show colour, surface texture, thickness and other features.
Abstract:
A reinforcing/stiffening material, e.g. for use in the manufacture of shoe upper components, comprises a fabric layer impregnated with an impregnant. The impregnant comprises a stiffening component and a water-soluble component in quantities such that when the material is immersed in water it is rendered flaccid and hardens to a stiffening consistency when dried. Suitable stiffening components are polyvinyl acetate or one or more copolymers thereof, polyvinyl pyrolidone, one or more acrylates, one or more methacryltes, and styrene-butadiene rubber. Suitable water-soluble components are polyvinyl alcohol, one or more soluble acrylates, one or more soluble methacrylates, starch and dextrin. According to the proportion of water-soluble component used, an adhesive coating may be applied to one or both sides of the material. The impregnant may also comprise a hardening component which undergoes a chemical reaction when immersed in weak acid solution whereby it is rendered flaccid when in a wetted state and dries to a hardened condition. The impregnant may further comprise a filler by which the water absorption rate of the material in enhanced, and an additive or additives for limiting the amount of water taken up by the material.
Abstract:
Non-woven fibre fabrics are described, suitable for use in self-supporting dust filter units having at least one passage (10) defined by wall portions (12) made from air permeable fibre fabric through which wall portions (12) air can pass and be drawn off along the passage (10) but which prevent the passage therethrough of dust and/or other debris carried by the air. The non-woven fabrics are blends of high temperature resistant fibres. A preferred blend consists of 50 % by weight polyimide fibres and 50 % by weight aramid fibres, but may include glass fibres, polytetrafluoroethylene fibres, or others and may optionally include an amount of heat activated fibres having a relatively high melting point for example, polyphenylene sulphide fibres.
Abstract:
A workpiece clamping and feeding device e.g. for an automatic sewing machine utilises two belt arrangements (40) arranged side-by-side with an elongated gap (44) extending in a first direction therebetween. The sewing needle path (18) is aligned with the gap (44). The belt arrangements are mounted in a carriage (20) which moves in the first direction while the belts (42) are driven to feed a workpiece clamped therebetween in a second direction extending perpendicularly to the first direction. In this way a workpiece held by the belts can be moved relative to the sewing needle. The workpiece-engaging surface of at least one of the belts (42) of each arrangement (40) is provided with projections (76; 78) on which the workpiece can be held fast. These projections may comprise grit particles (76) or studs, spikes, pins or the like (78). In each case, the particles are sufficiently spaced to enable them to at least indent the surface of the workpiece (and, in the case of e.g. pins, to impale the workpiece) and thus to enhance the holding fast of the workpiece against the surface of the belt.
Abstract:
A shoe bottom roughing machine comprises a shoe support (10) and tool supporting means (12) including a tool support member (50) between which and the shoe support relative movement is effected lengthwise, widthwise and heightwise of the bottom of a shoe supported by the shoe support. The tool support member (50) supports a single roughing tool (698) in the form of a rotary radial wire brush and the brush is mounted for swivelling movement about a verrtical axis. The various motors (34, 66, 84, 148) for effecting these movements are n.c. motors and a computer control, using programmed instructions, is used for determining the path of the tool along the shoe bottom. For supporting the tool support member (50) for its various movements, a double parallel linkage arrangement (44, 46, 50; 42, 46, 50, 58) is provided which is effective to maintain the tool in its heightwise orientation in relation to the shoe bottom while providing lightness and rigidity for the tool mounting. For effecting rotation of the brush, a single drive belt (122) is provided, driven by a motor (110) which itself is movable to maintain the tension in the belt during widthwise and heightwise movement of the tool support member (50) relative to the shoe support (10).
Abstract:
An operating tool, e.g. a rotary radial roughing brush (698), is supported by a tool mounting (692) itself pivotally supported by a tool carrier (682) rotatable about a vertical axis, drive means (680) being provided for effecting such rotation. Height control means (716-724, 740, 742) is also provided, which utilises such rotational movement to vary the heightwise position of the tool mounting (692), and thus of the tool (698) supported thereby, in relation to the tool carrier (682). To this end the drive means includes a rotary spindle and the height control means includes a threaded shaft (716) on which a nut member (740) is carried. The threaded shaft and nut rotate together with the spindle, but the nut can be clamped against rotation; in this way rotation of the shaft (716) together with the spindle is effective to cause heightwise movement of the shaft also to take place.
Abstract:
A filter (21) formed of non-woven material which has been thermo-pressed into a rigid shape. The filter (21) having a relatively fine fibre filter surface layer (25) to provide high filtration performance whilst the coarser fibre base under-layers (22, 23) provide a rigid structure. Preferably, the fine fibre surface layer (25) is secured to the coarse under-layers (22, 23) by a needling operation to create fibre entanglement.
Abstract:
In the roughing of marginal portions of a shoe bottom using a rotary radial roughing brush (698) the angle of presentation of the operating surface portion of the brush to the shoe bottom marginal portion is such that a longitudinal centre line of the region of contact subtends an acute angle with the perpendicular to the tangent to the shoe edge for each position of the brush in relation to the shoe bottom marginal portion, the region of contact, moreover, lying at the joint-ward side of the perpendicular. This arrangement is especially useful in the inside waist region, especially at the heelward side of the joint region, but is generally applicable both "downstream" and "upstream" of the joint region of the shoe bottom. The acute angle will vary, in particular according to the "spring" of the shoe bottom (i.e. the pitch of the waist region in relation to the forepart region) and is preferably selected by the operator. Where the method is practised in a machine, the machine preferably has a path-determining mode in which the path of the brush along the shoe bottom can be digitised, along three co-ordinate axes and also the angle of swivel of the brush can be determined, as a digitised value, the various digitised values making up a pattern data file for subsequent recall.
Abstract:
In a pulling over and toe lasting machine an array of pincers (18, 19, 20) includes a central toe pincer (18) fixedly mounted on a base plate (22), two further toe pincers (19) arranged one at each side of the central pincer, and two sets of side pincers (20). The further toe pincers (19) are mounted for pivotal movement, together with the side pincers, relative to the central toe pincer, and the sets of side pincers (20) are each pivotal relative to their associated further toe pincer. In this way, the configuration of the leading edge of the pincers may be varied according to the style and/or size of shoe being operated upon. The setting of this configuration may be under operator control or be pre-programmed.
Abstract:
A filtration medium is produced under conditions of heat and pressure such that it has a density in the range 450 to 950 kg/m , a pressure drop in the range 75 to 1250 Pa at an air velocity of 1.6 m/min (as measured by a BS4400 test), and a gauge in the range 0.7 to 1.25 mm. Any suitable thermoplastic fibre may be used, e.g. polyester fibres alone, a blend of polyester and polypropylene fibres, a blend of polyester and bi-component fibres, polyimide fibres and polyphenyl sulphide fibres. Filter units made from such filtration media may be of the flat bag type or a multi-pocketed corrugated element or of any other desired configuration.