THE AMERICAN SHOE 325 



blocks out the vamps and gives them with the ticket to the 

 upper cutter, who shapes the vamps to the pattern and cuts 

 the tops or quarters which accompany them. The trimming 

 cutter then gets out the side hnings, stays, facings, or what- 

 ever trimmings are needed. The whole is then made into a 

 bundle and sent to the fitting department. Here they are 

 arranged in classes by themselves. Pieces which are too 

 heavy are run through a splitting machine, and the edges are 

 beveled b3^ means of the skiving machine. Next they are 

 pasted together, care being taken to join them at the marks 

 made for that purpose. After being dried they go into the 

 hands of the machine operators. The different parts go to 

 different machines, each of which is adjusted for its par- 

 ticular work. The completed upper next goes to the sole 

 leather room, in which department machinery also performs 

 the major part of the work. By the use of the cutting ma- 

 chine the sides of leather are reduced into strips corresponding 

 to the length of the sole required. These strips are passed 

 through a powerful rolling machine, which hardens the leather 

 and removes from its surface all irregularities. They are then 

 shaved down to a uniform thickness, also by machinery, and 

 placed under dies which cut them out in proper form. The 

 smaller pieces are died out in the form of lifts, or heel pieces, 

 which are joined together to the proper thickness and 

 cemented, after which they are put in presses which give 

 them the greatest amount of solidity. The top lift is not 

 added to the heel until after it has been nailed to the shoe. 

 The remaining sole leather is used for shank pieces, rands, 

 and bottom leveling. 



For the insole, a lighter grade of leather is used, which, 

 being cut into strips and rolled, is cut by dies to the correct 

 shape, shaved uniformly, and channeled around the under 

 edge for receiving the upper. The counters are died out and 

 skived, by machine, and the welts cut in strips. The uppers 

 and soles are then sent to the bottoming department, where 

 the first operation is that of lasting, the uppers being tacked 

 to the insole. From the laster they go to the machine oper- 

 ator, where the upper, sole, and welt are firmly sewed to- 

 gether by the machine. The bottom is filled and leveled off 



