[Illustration: PLACING SHANK AND FILLING BOTTOM.
Workman tacks shank in place and fills bottom with ground cork and
rubber cement.]
At this stage the shoe is passed to the Universal Welt Beater, in which
a little hammer vibrating very rapidly beats the welt so that it stands
out evenly from the side of the shoe. As the leather is bent around
the toe, it is the natural tendency of the welt to draw more tightly
at that place, and this is taken care of by a little knife which the
operator forces into operation, in the beating process, the toe is
being taken care of, and it makes a series of little cuts diagonally
along the edge of it. The insole and welt now receive a coating of
rubber cement. This cement is contained in an air-tight tank and is
applied by means of a revolving brush, which takes its supply of
cement, as required, from a can.
In this way, an even coating of any desired thickness is given to the
insole and welt. This machine has many advantages; the cement being
closely confined in the tank, there is almost no waste in its use.
Formerly, when this was done by hand, the waste through evaporation or
lack of care on the part of the workman was very material.
The heavy outsole of the shoe also receives at this time proper
attention. The flesh side of this sole, or the side next to the animal,
receives a coating of rubber cement, and after it has dried slightly
the operator of the Goodyear Improved Twin Sole Laying Machine takes
the work in hand. In this machine there is a rubber pad, or mould,
which has been made to conform to the curve in the sole of the shoe.
After placing the last on the spindle, which is suspended from the
machine and hangs over the rubber mould, the outsole having been
previously pressed against the bottom of the shoe, the operator by
pressing the foot lever causes this arm to descend, forcing the shoe
down into the mould, so that every portion of the sole is pressed
against the bottom of the shoe and welt. Here they are allowed to
remain for a sufficient length of time for the cement to properly set,
the operation being repeated on a duplicate part of the machine, the
operator leaving one shoe under pressure while he is preparing another.
[Illustration: MACHINES WHICH PUT THE SOLES ON SHOES