EP1742549B1 - Rotating shoe back part molding machine head with integrated wiper system and system of independent divided pincers for lengthwise stretching - Google Patents

Abstract

The head of the shoe back part molding machine of this invention bears an integrated system of wipers which consists of a base (1) supporting the female mould a mean of pressure (13) of the female mould on the male mould, a system of pneumatically moving wipers (9) (11) securely fixed on a base that supports the female mould (7) in cooperation with a system of pincers which bears a pincer aligning guide (43) an arc shaped base (44) to support the pincer jaws a jaw-pincer (49) a base (52) to support the pincers a screw (56) a backup mechanical stop screw (57) for the vertical movement a screw for the adjustment of the inclination of the system a guide screw (59) which consist a complete assembly which operates pneumatically and is characterized by the fact that it can rotate by 180 degrees, whereby the pincers can operate independently one from the other in order to process moccasin and mini counter uppers, while when placed at the normal position it can process normal uppers.

Description

• The present invention refers in a rotating head for a back part molding machine for shoe uppers with an integrated system of wipers and a system of independent, divided, pincers for the lengthwise stretching of the uppers, which has been invented, designed, manufactured and applied on this type of machines for the first time and exclusively by us.
• It is known that the present technological level is limited in the use of back part molding machines exclusively and only for specific types of shoes, the transformation of which is costly and time consuming.
• The types of shoe uppers that present special needs for the back part molding is the moccasin and the mini counter (Dorsey back). The moccasin, due to the way that it is manufactured, presents only a small opening at the bottom of the shoe upper near the seat, said opening extending only as far as its sides, which in result creates the problem of entering the shoe upper on the male mold with the present technological level, due to the fact that there is not an entrance on the shoe upper for the stretching pincers to pass through. With the mini counter type, due to its manufacturing requirements i.e the shoe consists of one isolated seat without any side parts and a front part of some shape which is not connected with the seat, expendable stretching strips of material are introduced on the edges of the sides of the seat part, in order to enable it to be stretched and finally be formed-molded in a controlled way, while the proper angles for the seat, lasting margin and correct overall shape can be achieved only when the operator has visual contact with the back and bottom part of the seat -seat upper, the part that is folded under the finished shoe as well as the back seam.
• The solutions that have been given until today are either rotated in an upside down position male and female molds as well as wipers, so the operator can have visual contact with the shoe upper to be formed, but this solution operates exclusively and only in that position and exclusively with the specific type of shoe upper, or by placing mirrors, so that the operator has visual contact with the mentioned parts, which gives a different problem of inversion of objects as well as confusion between left and right.
• It is also known that for normal shoe uppers it is necessary to control the top line of the shoe -when that is placed horizontally it is the highest line that connects the back part (seat) with the front part, as well as the straightness and angle of the back seam, a fact that demands that the operator has a visual contact with the top line as well as with the seat.
• Also according to the until today technological level regarding the pincers for the lengthwise stretching of the shoe upper for back part molding machines which is limited globally to a symmetric double pincer which can act as a single piece and which can be adjusted exclusively and only symmetrically in respect to its jaws -meaning the edge that projects from the circumference of the male mold-, while the stroke of tensioning-stretching of the shoe upper is adjusted with a stop screw and it cannot be altered by the cylinder under tensioning pressure.
• One of the usual problems that arise from the known technical level is that the male moulds are unsymmetrical and the shape created by the pincers is always symmetrical, as a result a lengthwise tension is created during which one side is stretched under an angle in relation to the length of the mould which is in vertical position -seat at the top, with the other side being stretched parallel to the side of the mould, this causes a problem or a snake shaped twist at the back seam as well as a shift of the final forming to one side, which results in an additional cost from the need to reprocess the upper or even from its destruction in some cases. Another problem that arises from the lengthwise tensioning stop screw of the pincer mechanism, in combination with the materials that the uppers are made from, that present special needs regarding tensioning, so when the operator is in production and with a given stroke set he is facing a situation in which many time during the day a certain shoe upper will require a further length in stretching for its proper forming, so according to the present technological level in order for the operator to face the need he is obliged to cancel the first pull and to re-apply it on the same shoe upper, this results in an excessive plastic deformation of the uppers ,since the same shoe upper has been stretched twice with the same stroke and a double plastic deformation occurs due to the similar tensions while any attempt to decrease the stroke for individual uppers is time-consuming and production wise not affordable.
• A machine with adjustable wipers and pincers is known fromUS-A- 3 597 783.
• The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate all the drawbacks as well as the problems that arise from the use of the known shoe back part molding machines, by presenting a new technology rotating head for the forming of shoe uppers, which includes in a complete system all the necessary items for the forming of the seat of the shoe upper, except the male mould, in cooperation with a system of divided-independent pincers, where each pincer operates and is adjusted independently of the other giving thus the ability to the pincers to be a natural continue of the base shape of the male mould.
• The referred to system of rotating head has a support base for a female mould, means to compress the female mould on the male mould, a female mould, a system of pneumatically moving wipers with capability of alteration of their horizontal distance from the female mould and the mentioned wipers system is permanently positioned on a base which supports the female mould, it also has the capability to alter the wipers starting point by 100 mm. The whole system comprises a complete assembly which can, due to its proper attachment and its housing, be rotated by 180 degrees around its vertical axis, which passes along the mean vertical axis of the female mould. With this rotation and with the rotation of the male mould the same machine can be converted in a very short time in order to process moccasins and mini counter -Dorsey backs, since the operator has visual contact with the wipers and the back -below part of the shoe upper, while with the return to the front position the machine can process normal shoe uppers, where with conventional machines there would have to be two machines each adjusted for the specific type of work.
• The new pincers can be adjusted in the sense of the width of the base of the male mould and with different distances from the vertical axis were the male mould is housed and in the sense of the asymmetrical adjustment of distance between the operator and the pincers -one pincer closer than the other where both of these adjustments can be introduced simultaneously. Also the divided independent pincers system has no stroke distance (pulling distance) stop screw, but the stroke is adjusted with a pneumatic way through the control of the output flow of the pneumatic cylinder that moves the system in the vertical axis -stretch parallel with the male mould -the operator chooses a starting pull, exactly like the present technological level and through the exhaust of a time calculated volume of air from the cylinder when the need occurs for a further pull, one just presses on a switch placed for this purpose which exhausts the extra amount of air performing a further pull from the cylinder, while the control of the initial pull occurs via a solenoid valve at the outlet of the cylinder and with a timing of the electrical signal of its solenoid.
• The rotating shoe back part molding machine head with integrated wiper system and system of independent divided pincers of this invention will be further understood with the reference to the accompanying drawings, were all the described systems are shown with detail as a complete unit and as individual components were:
• Drawing 1 Displays the front view of the system of the rotating head system with the wiper at an open position.
• Drawing 2 Displays the side section view of the rotating head system with the wiper and the male mould at an open position.
• Drawing 3 Displays the front view of the system of the rotating head system with the wiper at a closed position.
• Drawing 4 Displays the side section view of the rotating head system with the wiper and the male mould at a closed position.
• Drawing 5 Displays the top view of the housing point of the rotating head system, in a front position of the wipers.
• Drawing 6 Displays the top view of the housing point of the rotating head system, in a back position of the wipers.
• Drawing 7 Displays the pincers at a side view.
• Drawing 8 Displays the pincers at a front view.
• Drawing 9 Displays the pincers at a top view.
• In more detail the rotating shoe back part molding machine head with integrated wiper system consists of a supporting and rotating base (1) with integrated wipers, a main head body (2), a plate (3) for the alteration of the staring point of the wipers, a housing plate (4) that supports the pneumatic cylinder for the movement of the wipers, a further housing plate (5) to support the wipers system on the body of the head a quick exhaust valve (6), a housing and air tightening (7) of the pressure means of the female mould to the male mould, a right wiper carrier (8) with slots, a wiper (9) for the flanging of the material of the shoe upper, a female mould (10) for the forming of the shoe upper, a wiper (11) for the flanging of the material of the shoe upper, a left wiper carrier with slots (12), a means of pressure creation of the female mould on the male mould, a screw (14) for wiper holding, a screw (15) for wiper holding, lower ball bearings (16) with a screw and a nut for their housing, upper ball bearings (17) with a screw and a nut for their housing, an arc shaped slot which houses and guides the moving distance of the bearings, a screw with a tightening handle (19) for the locking into position of the head, a spacer (20), security nuts (21), a screw (22) for the fixing of the rotating head, shafts (23) for the transfer of the cylinder movement, a cylinder piston (24), a pneumatic cylinder (25), articulations (26), spacers (27), a rotation stop screw (28), a guide for the wiper carrier (30), a plate (31) to support the pneumatic cylinder for the wipers movement, a back plate (32) for the support of the female mould, a front support (33) for the holding of the female mould, a shaft (34) implanted in the female mould for its positioning and holding, a nut (35), a screw (36), a male mould -last (38), a support base (39) of the male mould -last, a vertical base for the support of the male mould and a means for transfer of heat-freeze (40), a screw (41) for the stopping point of head rotation.
• With the activation of the pneumatic cylinder (25), through the shaft (24) the two movement transferring shaft (23) are moved vertically down pressing on the slotted wiper carriers (8), (12) which reciprocate on the ball bearings (16) (17) which results in the beginning of the closing of the wipers at the lower place so as to flange and form the upper with this way.
• As it has been stated the whole system presents a complete assembly which due to its housing and fixing mechanism can rotate around its vertical axis, which passes in the sense of the mean vertical axis of the female mould (10), with this rotation and with the rotation of the male mould (38) the same machine is converted and can process moccasin shoe uppers and mini counters, in a very short time, since the operator can have visual contact with the wipers (9) (11) as well as with the back and under part of the shoe upper (37) and when rotated to the normal front position it can process normal shoe uppers, while with the known today technological level two different machines would be required dedicated to each type of work.
• The system of independent divided pincers consists of a pneumatic cylinder base (42) an pincer alignment guide (43) and arc shaped base (44) for the support of the pincers assembly, a plate (45) for the housing-fixing of the pincers system, a pneumatic cylinder (46) for the pulling, a screw (47) for the fixing of the pneumatic cylinder shaft, a pneumatic cylinder shaft (48), a jaw (49), a jaw protection pad (50), a screw (51) for the cover fixing, a base (52) for the jaws fixing a housing for the jaws base (53) a jaw movement pneumatic cylinder (54), an elesa screw (58) for the adjustment of the inclination of the base of the pincers, a guide screw (59), a connecting plate (60) for the adjustment of the base of the pincers, an articulation pin (61) for the jaw and an articulation pin (62) for the pneumatic cylinder.
• With the activation of the two cylinders (54) through the shaft (48) the jaw (49) is pushed so as to come in contact with the upper material (37) and to hold it at the relevant place and then the pneumatic cylinder (46) for the stretching is activated in order to stretch the shoe upper, while through the back up stop screw (57) one can adjust the pulling distance and trough the screws (58) the inclination of the complete system of the pincers so as to adapt and process any type of last.
• As it has been described the pincers can be adjusted simultaneously and in the sense of the width of the base of the male mould and with different distances from the vertical axis of its housing, but also in the sense of the asymmetrical adjustment of the distance between the operator and each individual pincer, one outer of the other, and since there is no conventional stop screw for the adjustment, the stroke of the system is controlled with pneumatic means by the control of the exhaust flow of the vertical movement pneumatic cylinder - pulling in a parallel sense with the male mould ,in this way the operator chooses an initial pull, exactly like the present technological level and through the exhaust of a time calculated volume of air from the cylinder when the need occurs for a further pull, one just presses on a switch placed for this purpose which exhausts the extra amount of air performing a further pull from the cylinder, while the control of the initial pull occurs via a solenoid valve at the outlet of the cylinder and with a timing of the electrical signal of its solenoid.

Claims (5)

1. Shoe back part molding machine head that is rotatable with an integrated wiper system and in combination with a system of independent divided pincers, where in the system of wipers consists of: a housing base (1) of a female mould, means (13) for pressing a female mould on a male mould (38), a female mould (10), a system of pneumatically moving wipers (9) (11), fixed on the housing base (7) of the female mould with the ability to alter their horizontal distance from the female mould ,as well as the ability to alter the starting point of the wipers (9) (11) by 100 mm, wherein the system of the pincers comprises an alignment guide (43), an arc shaped base (44) for the housing of the pincers system, a pincer-jaw (49), a supporting base (52) for the jaw, a screw (56), a backup mechanical stop (57) for the pulling stroke, a screw (58) for the adjustment of the inclination of the system and a pneumatic cylinder (46) for the vertical pull.
2. Head for a shoe back part molding machine, as in claim 1,characterized by the fact that the whole system consists in an assembly unit that, due to its proper housing and attachment, has the ability to rotate by 180 degrees in respect to its vertical axis, the axis passing through the mean symmetry axis of the female mold (10) so that with this rotation and in combination with the rotation of the male mold (38), the same machine can be modified to process moccasin and mini counter uppers in very short time and to ensure the visual contact of the operator with the wipers (9),(11) as well as with the back and under part of the upper (37) while when rotated on the front position it processes normal uppers.
3. Head for a shoe back part molding machine, as in claim 1, which ischaracterized by the fact that in the referred system of independent -divided pincers, each pincer operates and is adjusted independently of the other, giving them the ability to be a natural continuum of the base of the male mould, which results in their ability to be able to be adjusted simultaneously and in the sense of the width of the base of the male mould and with different distances from the central vertical line of its housing, but also in the sense of an asymmetrical adjustment of the distance between each pincer and the operator, one outer of the other.
4. Head for a shoe back part molding machine, as in claim 1, 2 and 3,characterized by the fact that the system of the independent pincers has no stop screw, the stroke of the pulling-stretching of the shoe upper is controlled pneumatically by the control of the exhaust flow of the vertical movement pneumatic cylinder -pulling in a parallel sense with the male mould, in this way the operator can choose an initial pull, exactly like the present technological level and through the exhaust of a time calculated volume of air from the cylinder when the need occurs for a further pull, one can just press on a switch placed for this purpose which exhausts the extra amount of air performing a further pull from the cylinder, while the control of the initial pull occurs via a solenoid valve at the outlet of the cylinder and with a timing of the electrical signal of its solenoid.
5. Head for a shoe back part molding machine, as in claim 1, 2, 3 and 4,characterized by the fact that the pulling stroke upwards and downwards of the system of independent pincers, is adjusted by a backup stop screw (57), the adjustment of its inclination on the arc shaped base being achieved with screw (58).

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