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(11) | EP 1 080 852 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| published in accordance with Art. 158(3) EPC |
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| (54) | MACHINE FOR PERFORATING/PUNCHING SHOE TOE CAPS AND COUNTERS |
| (57) Machine for perforating/drilling toecaps and buttresses for footwear, of any size
and material. The machine extracts the toecaps or buttresses from a storage tray by means of a suction vent and places it on a conveyor belt which transports it to another two conveyor belts which by friction transport the material to a piston (10) which blocks the buttress at a point where the hammers (N° 7) exert pressure on the buttress in order to drill it. A part (N° 5) holds the buttress in its original position when the hammers go up. After that some pistons unblock the buttress allowing it to go on advancing along the conveyor belts until they are deposited in a container. This machine allows one to choose the number and shape of holes to be made because the number, thickness and arrangement of the hammers is variable and it can have between 1 and 4 pistons with their corresponding set of hammers and counterdies. |
TECHNOLOGICAL SECTOR TO WHICH THE INVENTION REFERS
[0001] The present invention refers to a machine for perforating/drilling toecaps and buttresses for footwear. In this way it is possible to carry out this process automatically the finishing of these parts gaining in both performance and quality.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In order to talk about the background to the invention object of this patent one must take as a starting point the fact that the applicant of same has applied for protection by means of a utility model under the title "Improved buttresses and toecaps for footwear" with priority of 21 of December 1998, his application being granted the number ES-U9803194. The object of aforesaid utility model are drilled buttresses and toecaps for footwear, which are variable in number and thickness, depending on the material, with the aim of increasing the transpiration of footwear and consequently reduce the problems derived from athlete's foot and bacteria by the sweating of the foot. Furthermore, the effectiveness in the sticking of the parts is increased.
[0003] Until now, toecaps and buttresses for footwear were not perforated, so no machine nor system existed for the perforation/drilling of those parts. In the footwear sector, when the leather is perforated for decorative purposes only, it is done through a manual procedure with hole punches or with plates where the perforating elements were arranged according to the desired design, then proceed to the drilling of the piece of leather which has been positioned in the right place by the operator, which does the perforation manually.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention provides an improvement in the manufacturing process of toecaps and buttresses for footwear with holes since it automates the whole process, from the extraction of the toecap or the buttress from the storage tray to the placement of the drilled buttress or toecap in a container. In this way a very considerable saving of time is achieved and in addition drilled samples of great quality and homogeneity are obtained.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0005] It has been conceived of as a machine for perforating/drilling toecaps and buttresses for footwear, whatever the size and material in which they are made up. The number of holes to be made can be chosen as well as the shape of same. The machine can have one, two, three or four pistons, each one with its corresponding set of hammers and counterdies. The thickness of the hammers may be greater or smaller and their number and arrangement is established freely.
[0006] The machine consists of the following elements:
A rigid body whose shape and size may vary and which is not the object of the patent, which serves as a support to the perforating/drilling object of the patent.
The system, object of the patent, for perforating/drilling toecaps and buttresses. This consist of:
a suction vent (pointed out in figures 2 and 3 with the number 9), whose role is to take and extract the toecap or buttress from the loader or storage tray situated next to the machine and place it on a conveyor belt (marked with the number 8 in figures 2 and 3). The role of the belt is to take the unperforated material (marked with the number 11A in figure 2) in order to insert it between the belts marked with the numbers 6A and 6B in figures 1, 2 and 3.
[0007] By the friction of belts 6A and 6B, the unperforated material is carried to a piston whose role is to block the buttress at the desired point (marked by the number 10 in figures 2 and 3).
[0008] Once the buttress is blocked at the desired point the pistons (marked with the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 in figures 1, 2 and 3) intervene, with variable selection of intervention, the pistons acting on their respective group of hammers (number 7A, 7B, 7C and 7C of figure1). These hammers exert pressure on the buttress in order to perforate it, pressure which can be regulated according to the type and thickness of the material in which the buttress and toecap is manufactured.
[0009] Some counterdies are situated in the lower part of the group of pistons and in the same alignment as the hammers (marked by the number 13 in figures 1 and 3). The buttress remains blocked between the hammers and the counterdies in such a way that when the hammer drops down and penetrate the guides of the counterdies the perforation and drilling of the buttress occurs, (number 11B of figure 2).
[0010] Once the holes have been made, and in order to avoid the buttress getting caught up in the perforating hammers when these come out of the counterdie, the piece marked with the number 5 in figures 1 and 2 holds them until the hammers reach their original position.
[0011] The hammers having reached their original position and once the buttress is perforated, the end-of-stroke control pistons (marked with number 10 in figures 2 and 3) unblock the buttress allowing the latter to go on advancing by friction between belts 6A and 6B of figures 1, 2 and 3. At the end of these belts, the perforated material (number 11 in figure2) is placed in a container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] For a better understanding of what is described herein, some drawings are enclosed in which the system, object of the patent, is represented from three different perspectives. In figure 1 the elevation view is shown, in figure 2 the plan view, and in figure 3, the side view.
For a correct understanding of the drawings we go on to make a description of the parts:
N° 1, 2, 3 and 4 of figures 1, 2 and 3: the perforating piston equipment of the buttress.
N° 7 A, 7 B, 7 C and 7 D of figures 1 and 3: the perforating hammers equipment.
N° 12 of figures 1 and 3: hammers guide.
N° 5 of figures 1 and 3: blocker of the material already perforated which prevents
same from getting caught in the hammers.
N° 13 of figures 1 and 3: perforating counterdies.
N° 9 of figures 2 and 3: suction vent to take the buttress from the loader and place
it on the conveyor belt.
N° 8 of figures 2 and 3: buttress conveyor belt.
N° 6A and 6 B of figures 1, 2 and 3: buttress friction conveyor belts.
N° 10 of figures 2 and 3: end-of-stroke control piston which centres the buttress
in order to be perforated.
N° 11 A of figure 2: view of unperforated buttress.
N° 11 B of figure 2: view of the perforated buttress.
Part n° 5 blocks the buttress avoiding it from moving vertically when the hammers go up and n° 10 blocks the buttress so that it can make the perforation, avoiding the latter from moving horizontally by the friction of belts 6 A and 6 B.