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This machine is intended for crimping or forming the fronts of boots. There are already several machines in the field for thiss purpose, while, to a great extent, "crimping" is performed by handthat is, by stretching the leathe" oyer a wooden form, and rubbing it into shape, without the intervention of any machine. This proccss, howeyer, is so tedious, that machines of some kind are fast coming into use, and the invontor of this crimper claims that it will not only accomplish more work, but that it performs the operation with greater perfection; all wrinkles are rnbbed out, the corners are stretched, and the crimp is put into the boot with greater solidity and without injury to tLe leather; while the operation is performed with such rapidity that twenty pairs of boots oan be crimped in an hour, and even this number has been exceeded by a skillfnl workman,honce its name"The Little Giant." Fig. 1 rcpresents the whole machine, in which A A arc the legs snpporting thc frame, B. C C are leg screws, by which means the machine is held firmly to the floor. D is the handle (broken in our engraving) attached to the "former," E, on which the leather is stretche1. This "former" is shown in Fig. 2. F F are two jaws, made of iron, lined with wood, and faced with brass, fastoned by sliding in a groove in the frame, B, and are separated at the bottom by screws (not .een in our engraving; the jaws are kept together, und the prcssure upon the leather regulatcd by the hand wheel, H, which works a screw, G, passing through both jaws. The handle, D, is connected with E, and on the top of this nrc mounted two standards, I I, carrying on their top the drum, J, which contains a powerful coiled spring, by whose means the ratchet wheel, K, is turned upon the screw, L. are pincers, so arranged that when the ratchet wheel is turned in the prop:r direction, they are lowered, and open to receive the corner" of the boot front; while, by the same movement the spring is wound up in the drum, J. This is held wound up by the pawl, 7" until the leather is adjusted, when the pawl being tripped, the spring is left free to act. Operation.The leather being cut to shape, and wet in the usual manner, is laid oyer the jaws, F F, in a suitable position, the "former" being first thrown back, aud the j aws graduated to the thickness of the leather to be crimped; the " former" is then brought down forcing the leather between the jaws fDr a short distance ; the pincers are then lowered, und the corners secured within them. The process is continued by working the handle, D, up and down, which rubs out the wrinkles, while the spring exerting its force upon the ratchet wheel, keeps a constant strain upon the corners drawing them out to the proper shape ; when finished, the leather will appear on E, as seen at Fig. 2, E' being the leather without crease or wrinkle; all that now remains to be done is to loosen the pincers, remove the boot front, and tack it on a form to dry. This machine is the invention of W. W. Willmott, and was patented Aug. 25, 1857. Further information and particulars may be obtained from the manufacturcrs and assignees, A. II. and C. H. Brainard, of 90 Utica strect, Boston, Mass. A machine may be seen at the machinery warehouse of S. C. Hil!., No. 12 Platt street, New York.
