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US 3,945,074 AGranted
Machine for stiffening workpieces such as shoe components
AssigneeUSM Corporation
InventorsEdward S. Babson, Robert F. Gorini
Life of this patent
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AssigneeUSM Corporation
InventorsEdward S. Babson, Robert F. Gorini
Estimating the term…
A method and a machine for stiffening part of a flexible workpiece, such as the toe portion of a vamp, causes it to register with the tacky layer of a correspondingly shaped molten deposit of thermoplastic which simultaneously is being cooled to effect release. The entire deposit is transferred to the selected toe area and smoothly covers any surface irregularities or apertures. The surface receiving the molten deposit is flat and cooled but not recessed so that peripheral portions of the upper layer of the deposit are not chilled as rapidly as its under layer and remain deformable during register of the toe portion therewith. A workholder preferably includes a substantially rigid margin clamping means cooperative with a yieldable work engaging pad, a relatively non-compressed portion of the pad unmasked by the clamping means defining three dimensionally the adhered charge printed onto the work.
A machine for stiffening a predetermined portion of a shoe upper or the like comprising a platen having a surface corresponding to that portion, means for depositing a charge of molten thermoplastic material on the platen surface, means for cooling the platen to facilitate release of the material deposited thereon, a movable workholder adapted to expose the predetermined shoe upper portion to be stiffened, and means to effect relative movement between the workholder and the platen to register and press the predetermined portion against the molten or at least tacky layer of the deposited charge and then separate the workholder with the charge printed on the upper.
In a machine for stiffening and, in effect, smoothing a predetermined portion of a flexible workpiece, means for depositing on an upper surface of a platen a molten charge of viscous thermoplastic stiffening material corresponding in outline to the shape of said predetermined portion, means for cooling the platen for facilitating release of the deposited material, at least one movable workholder means for holding the workpiece by its margin and masking the latter while presenting said predetermined portion in superposed contact with a tacky layer of the deposited charge on the platen, and means for separating the workholder means and the platen to permit release of the workpiece from the workholder means with the full charge adhered to said predetermined portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.