This invention concerns a mechanical device for pressing shoe vamps, capable of operating in an automat­ic cycle in continuous and rapid succession, at the front where the toe is, at the rear where the heel is, and also laterally, along the sides of the vamp.

This device consists of a support structure (1) for at least one moulding last (2), which will be matched to the inner cavity of the footwear being moulded (3) consisting of two front stretching lasts (4) and one rear extender last (5), in relation to the shoe in question; whereby the front stretching lasts (4) can either be brought nearer to each other or reciprocally taken further away from each other, by operating micrometric means of movement (7) operated by controls (10) also operating the means of movement (9) of the extender last (5), parallel to the long side of the stretching lasts (4), manufactured in a heat-­conducting material and having heating devices (11) operated by the controls (10).

The method envisages joining an upper 51 and a ready-­made sole 52, by means of a last 54 inserted into the upper and subsequently extracted, after which follows an initial joining of the upper/ready-made sole assembly 55 and the sole 53; then the final stitching is carried out along the border 56 with a striker situated inside the upper and designed to remain positioned in the stitching area of the shoe even during the rotational and translational motion of the latter.

The machine for carrying out this method comprises a striker 38 positioned on the inside of the upper 51 in correspondence of a stitching station C defined by a guide fork 1 situated with its prongs 2a, 2b in a horizontal position.

The striker is supported by an arm 10 which oscillates vertically, thus defining an operating position P in which the striker is engaged with the fork 1, and an idle position N, in which the striker is disengaged from the fork, and horizontally to permit the shoe 50 to be rotated during stitching.

This device consists of a support structure (1) for at least one moulding last (2), which will be matched to the inner cavity of the footwear being moulded (3) consisting of two front stretching lasts (4) and one rear extender last (5), in relation to the shoe in question; whereby the front stretching lasts (4) can either be brought nearer to each other or reciprocally taken further away from each other, by operating micrometric means of movement (7) operated by controls (10) also operating the means of movement (9) of the extender last (5), parallel to the long side of the stretching lasts (4), manufactured in a heat-­conducting material and having heating devices (11) operated by the controls (10).

The method envisages joining an upper 51 and a ready-­made sole 52, by means of a last 54 inserted into the upper and subsequently extracted, after which follows an initial joining of the upper/ready-made sole assembly 55 and the sole 53; then the final stitching is carried out along the border 56 with a striker situated inside the upper and designed to remain positioned in the stitching area of the shoe even during the rotational and translational motion of the latter.

The machine for carrying out this method comprises a striker 38 positioned on the inside of the upper 51 in correspondence of a stitching station C defined by a guide fork 1 situated with its prongs 2a, 2b in a horizontal position.

The striker is supported by an arm 10 which oscillates vertically, thus defining an operating position P in which the striker is engaged with the fork 1, and an idle position N, in which the striker is disengaged from the fork, and horizontally to permit the shoe 50 to be rotated during stitching.