SHOES. 



Shoes, Machims for making. Thefe are the invention of 

 Mr. Brunei, of whofe mechanical genius we have had frequent 

 occafion to fpeak in this work. He has lately eftablifhed 

 at Batterfea an extenfive manufaftory of {hoes, chiefly 

 intended to fupply the army, where all the operations 

 are performed by the aid of machines, which aft with 

 fuch facility, that they can be managed by the invahd fol- 

 diers of Chelfea Hofpital, who are the only workmen em- 

 ployed, and moft of them difabled by wounds, or the lofs of 

 their legs, from any other employment. 



The'fhoes made by thefe machines are different from the 

 common (hoes, in thecircumftance of the fole being united to 

 the upperjeathers by a number of fmall rivets inftead of 

 fewing, in the fame manner as thofe we have mentioned in 

 the preceding article. To facihtate the defcription we intend 

 to give of the machines, we (hall firft defcribe the itrufture of 

 one of thefe (hoes. Its upper-leathers are the fame as any 

 other (hoes, and confid of three pieces ; viz. the vamp, or 

 part which covers the upper part of the foot, and the two 

 quarters which furround the heel, and are fewed together be- 

 hind it ; they are alfo fewed to the vamp at about the middle 

 of the length of the (hoe. The fole part of the (hoe is 

 compofed of the real or lower fole, with its welt, the heel, 

 and the inner or upper fole. 



The lower fole has an additional border, which is called 

 the runner, or welt, fixed upon its upper fide, all round the 

 edge, by a row of rivets, fo that it makes a double thicknefs 

 to the fole towards the edge ; but this additional piece is 

 only of fmall width from the outfide of the fole inwards, 

 and gradually diminilhes away in thicknefs to nothing, as it 

 recedes from the edge of the fole, fo that the middle part of 

 the fole is only of the fame thicknefs as the iingle leather. 

 The upper-leathers are made fufficiently large to turn in, all 

 round, beneath the foot, under the edge of the inner fole, 

 for about three-quarters of an inch wide, and the outer 

 fole, reinforced by the welt, is appHed beneath, fo that the 

 turning-in is included between the two foles ; that is, it is 

 included between the edge of the inner fole and the welt, or 

 extra thicknefs which furrounds the lower fole. To hold 

 the fhoe together, a row of rivets is put through the fole, 

 all round the edge, and they are of fufiicient length to pafs 

 through all the four thickneifes, viz. the lower fole, the 

 welt, the upper-leathers, (where they are turned in,) and alfo 

 through the inner fole ; and thefe rivets being made fait, unite 

 the parts of the (hoe together in a much firmer manner than 

 fewing. The rivets have no heads, but are made tapering, 

 and the largeft ends are on the outfide of the fole, which 

 prevents them from drawing through ; and at the fame time, 

 the Ilrength of the rivetting will not be materially impaired 

 by the gradual wearing away of the fole leather. 



Thefe rivets prevent the wear in a very great degree, and 

 for this reafon there is a greater number of rivets put into 

 the fole than merely thofe which hold the (hoe together. 

 The different nails are, fird, the Jborl nails, or rivets, which 

 only penetrate through the fingle thicknefs of the lower fole ; 

 thefe are arranged in parallel rows acrofs the tread of the 

 foot, that is, about two-thirds of the length from the heel ; 

 there is likewife a double row of (hort nails, which is car- 

 ried round parallel to the outline of the toe, at about three- 

 quarters of an inch from the edge, and extends as far as the 

 middle of the foot. Next, the tacking nails, which are of 

 a fufiicient length to reach through both the fole and the 

 welt, and thus fix the two together : of thefe, there is a row 

 all round the edge of the foot, nearer to the edge than the 

 row of (hort nails before mentioned. Laftly, the long 

 nails, which, as before defcribed, faflen the (hoe together : 

 thefe form alfo a complete row round the edge of the 



whole (hoe, and nearer to the edge than auy of the pre- 

 ceding rows. The heel is alfo fattened on by a row of long 

 nails round its circumference. The heads or thick ends of 

 all thefe nails appear on the lower furface of the fole, and 

 all contribute to preferve the leather from wearing. We 

 (hall now proceed to a defcription of the ingenious inllru- 

 raents and machines ufed in this manufactory, beginning 

 with thole for 



Cutting out the Leather. — This is performed by (lamps, 

 each of which is an iron frame or ring, bent to the fize and 

 figure of the fole, or other part to be cut out by it : one 

 edge of the frame is edged with fteel, and ground (harp, fo 

 that it will cut the leather : the (harp edge of this frame 

 being placed upon the fltin, and (truck with a mallet, will cut 

 out a piece from the (kin, which is exaftly of the fame fize 

 as the interior opening of the frame. The leather for the 

 foles is fird foftened, by foaking it in water ; the (kin is then 

 fpread out on a block or table of lead about two feet long 

 and eighteen inches wide, and the (tamp or knife for the 

 foles is placed upon the (kin in the molt advantageous po- 

 fition to cut out the piece ; then two or three blows upon 

 the top of the knife with a beetle or large wooden mallet, 

 forces its edge through the leather, and cuts out the piece, 

 which remains in the opening of the knife, but being taken 

 out another is cut in a fimilar manner. 



A knife of this kind is provided for all the pieces which are 

 ufed to form the fhoe, and they are called after the names 

 of the refpeftive pieces, which are as follow; i. The 

 fole, which is not cut out the full fize for the fole of the (hoe, 

 but wants a piece at the heel. 2. The fole-piece is a femi- 

 circle, to be joined to the fole to make up the heel. 3. The 

 heel : thefe two la(t pieces are cut out of the fmall pieces, or 

 fcraps of leather. 4. The runner, or welt, which is applied 

 upon the fole, all round the edge, to make the extra thick- 

 nefs where the upper-leather is to be joined to the fole. All 

 thefe parts are cut out from the ftrong hides. 5. The inner 

 fole. The upper-leathers are, 6, the vamp, or part which 

 covers the toes and upper part of the foot ; 7 and 8, the \ 

 right and felt quarters, which furround the heel, and are 

 fewed to the vamp, being alfo fewed together behind 

 the heel. 



All thefe parts, except the welts, are cut out by knives 

 of the above defcription, there being a fet of knives for every 

 different-fized fhoe which is made in the manufadtory. For 

 cutting out the inner foles, the knife is fixed horizontally, 

 with its edge upwards, beneath a heavy cail-iron lever, 

 which moves on a centre pin, fupported in the fame framing 

 which fuflains the knife. The lever has a plate of lead at- 

 tached to it near the centre, fo that when it is brought 

 down horizontally the lead will defcend upon the knife, 

 the edge of which being imprinted into the lead, will cut 

 through the leather which is previoufly fpread upon the ' 

 knife. To ufe this cutting-out machine, the fole is firlt 

 cut out roughly from the (liin by a common cutting-knife 

 round a wooden pattern, and the lever being hfted up nearly 

 to a vertical pofition, the rough fole is laid fairly upon the 

 edge of the knife ; then, by letting fall the lever, its weight, • 

 and the leverage upon the plate of lead, caufes a fufficient 

 predure upon the leather to force it upon the edge of the 

 knife, and cut it to the exaft fhape required. The lever is 

 guided in its defcent, to enfure that its lead (hall fall pre- 

 cifely upon the knife. 



Immediately after the foles are cut out, they are (tamped 

 on the grain-fide of the leather with a number which de- 

 notes the fize of the fhoe to which they belong. The damp 

 is engraved on the face of a fmall hammer, fo that one blow 

 makes the defired mark. The heels and other parts are alfo 



marked, 



