Shoe manufacturing patentIn 1883, Jan Matzeliger was issued his first U.S. patent for his shoe “Lasting-Machine” (No. 274,207). It provided step-by-step lasting and tacking of a shoe in the same way as the hand method, but much more efficiently. It held the shoe on the last, gripped and pulled the leather down around the heel, then guided and drove the nails in place. The sole could be attached to the upper of the shoe in a minute, significantly increasing the output of finished shoes compared to usual hand work. He later patented further improvements to his machine. The machine was successful, and known as the consolidated hand method lasting machine. He also obtained Canadian Patent No. 24,000 on 7 May 1886 for his “Lasting Machine.”.« |