Method of and apparatus for pulling over and lasting footwear

Apparatus for pulling over and lasting shoes comprising

• a pulling over assembly arranged at a first station and comprising a shoe support for supporting a shoe, comprising a shoe upper on a last with an insole on the last bottom, and an array of pincers arranged about the shoe support, whereby the upper of a shoe supported by the shoe support can be gripped by the pincers and, by relative movement being effected between the pincers and shoe support heightwise of the shoe bottom, can be tensioned about its last,
• a lasting assembly arranged at a second station and comprising a pair of wiper plates by which lasting marginal portions of a shoe upper tensioned as aforesaid can be wiped over and pressed against corresponding marginal portions of the insole of such shoe, and
• means for effecting relative movement of approach between the pulling over assembly and the lasting assembly to bring the assemblies into a cooperative relationship, in which a shoe upper tensioned as aforesaid is released by the pulling over assembly and control thereof is transferred to the lasting assembly without loss of tension in the upper, and for effecting relative movement of separation therebetween, whereby the lasting operation can be completed at the second station while a further pulling over operation can be initiated at the first station,
• wherein the pulling over assembly and the lasting assembly each comprises shoe retaining means for holding a shoe supported thereby against lengthwise displacement respectively in the pulling over and lasting operations whereby each assembly can perform its function independently of the other,
• and further wherein said means for effecting relative movement between the assemblies is effective to move them into said cooperative relationship only after a shoe upper has been tensioned as aforesaid by the pulling over assembly and a previously treated shoe has been released by the lasting assembly.