Heel laster

A heel laster to receive a footwear upper assembly that includes a last, a footwear upper draped about the last and an insole disposed on the last bottom, said heel laster being adapted to form and last the heel part of the upper which has a margin that extends outwardly from the insole, forming of the heel part being effected, in part by a heel pad, said heel laster comprising:

• a support to receive the upper assembly and achieve mechanical attachment of the last to the heel laster;
• means to press the last firmly onto the support;
• and
• mechanical means to apply adhesive in the region between the margin and the insole in the heel part of the footwear upper assembly, said mechanical means comprising an adhesive emitter and a mechanical tracer mechanism operable to position the adhesive emitter appropriately with respect to the insole and to guide the adhesive along an appropriate adhesive applicator path, said mechanical tracer mechanism comprising a U-shaped cam track, a linkage connected to the adhesive emitter at one end thereof and to a cam follower at the other end thereof such that the cam follower is positioned within the cam track, driver means to propel the cam follower along the track, said mechanical tracer mechanism, as a unit, having a predetermined and fixed geometrical longitudinal position relative to the heel pad of the heel laster;
• and
• means comprising wipers operable to wipe the margin onto the insole whereby the margin is adhered to the insole.

A method of heel lasting of a footwear upper assembly that includes a last, a footwear upper draped about the last and an insole disposed on the last bottom, to form the heel part of the upper having a margin that extends outwardly from the insole, said method comprising the sequential and somewhat overlapping steps:

• receiving the upper assembly with a preheated upper thereon by a spindle;
• pressing the last with the preheated upper thereon firmly onto the spindle;
• grasping the upper at its toe or forward region and drawing the preheated upper in the toe direction of the footwear upper assembly to stretch the heel part of the heated upper about the heel portion of the last;
• while the heel part of the upper is thus stretched about the heel portion of the last, applying a pad adapted to exert a substantially uniform pressure to form or shape the upper about the heel portion of the last, said pad being moved forward from a retracted position behind the heel part to contact the heel part;
• providing a mechanical structure that includes an adhesive emitter to apply an adhesive in the region between the margin and the insole in the heel part of the footwear upper assembly, said mechanical structure further including a mechanical tracer mechanism operable to position the adhesive emitter appropriately with respect to the insole and to guide the adhesive along an appropriate adhesive applicator path, said mechanical tracer mechanism comprising a U-shaped cam track, a linkage connected to the adhesive emitter at one end thereof and to a cam follower at the other end thereon such that the cam follower is positioned within the cam U-shaped track;
• moving the mechanical structure simultaneously with the pad, as a unit, from the retracted position forward, then moving the adhesive emitter from a retracted position away from the insole to a position slightly removed from the insole, and then moving the adhesive emitter along a U-shaped path, that corresponds to the cam U-shaped path and as a consequence of the follower moving along the U-shaped track, about the heel region and emitting adhesive onto the insole in the heel region thereof along the U-shaped path;
• moving the adhesive emitter away from the insole;
• and wiping the heel part of the heated upper.