Side and heel lasting machine

A machine operable on a footwear assembly comprising a last having an insole located at its bottom and an upper mounted thereon with the toe portion of the upper margin wiped against and secured to the insole and unwiped portions of the upper extending heelwardly of the wiped margin, which unwiped margin portions extend upwardly at an open angle to the insole, for applying adhesive in the region between said unwiped margin portions and the corresponding portions of the insole at said region, said machine comprising:

• a footwear assembly support for supporting the footwear assembly with the insole directed upwards;
• nozzle means spaced upwardly from and facing said insole and mounted for motion toward and away from the insole as well as transverse and longitudinal movement with respect to the insole, said nozzle means being operable to apply adhesive into said region;
• a lasting tool operable to clamp the upper tightly against the last and to apply light backup pressure against the unwiped margin to support the same, but nevertheless maintaining the open angle between the unwiped margin portions and the insole to permit application of adhesive into said region, said lasting tool comprising two lasting instrumentalities each comprising an inner lasting pad, one inner lasting pad being disposed at each side of the footwear assembly, each lasting pad being made of an elastic, flexible and deformable material, one end of each inner lasting pad being formed into a plurality of relatively rigid segments;
• actuator means to press the rigid segments of the inner lasting pad at each side of the footwear assembly inwardly of the footwear assembly to press the upper tightly against the last and to apply said light backup pressure while maintaining said open angle, which actuator means moves the relatively rigid segments of the two inner lasting pads inwardly and over the insole in a wiping action to fold the margin onto the insole to adhere the margin onto the insole;
• and
• pincer means to grasp the unwiped margin portions of the footwear assembly at each side of the upper assembly in the area between the heel portion of the footwear assembly and the toe portion thereof operable to apply an upward drafting force on the upper at said unwiped margin portions as well as a forward drafting force and an inward drafting force thereon, to draw the upper snugly about the the last, after which the upper is wiped.