Improved Apparatus or Machine for Filling with Powder and Shot Cartridge Cases, and for Inserting Wads therein and Turning Over their End.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1893-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1893
Improved Apparatus or Machine for Filling with Powder and Shot
Cartridge Cases, and for Inserting Wads therein and Turning Over
their End.
We WILLIAM BLAKE, HENRY BLAKE and JOHN ALEXANDER BARTHOLOMEW
trading as Blake & Mackenzie of School Lane, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Seed Pocket Manufacturers and CHARLES WILLIAM SUMMERSKILL of
Swan Buildings Edmund Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object an apparatus or machine suitable for filling
cartridge cases with a predetermined quantity of powder and shot, and also for
inserting the wads in the cartridge case and turning over its end.
A pedestal, preferably hollow, is provided having a screw clamp by means of
which it can be fixed to a table, bench or the like. The top of this pedestal takes
the form of a hopper to receive the powder and shot. Mounted directly underneath
the hopper is a cylinder having a cavity formed therein, said cavity meeting the
aperture of the hopper, which may have a slide leading from it, and being filled
therefrom. A vertically adjustable disc or false bottom is provided in the cavity
of the cylinder. This can be raised or lowered by means of a quick threaded fixed
screw engaging a nut on the disc or false bottom, it terminates in a milled head on
the outside. By graduating this bead and making use of a pointer, the size of the
cavity in the cylinder can either be reduced or enlarged to suit requirements.
When the cavity is full, the cylinder is rotated (by means of a handle on the outside)
which removes the cavity from underneath the hopper and places it at an angle
sufficient to allow the contents to run out of the cavity into a shoot or spout fixed
to the apparatus and thence into the cartridge case.
When the charge of powder has been filled into the case, the wad can then be
pressed in by a spring actuated push rod, located preferably at the front and top of
the apparatus, and having a screwed portion at the bottom to receive various sized
heads to suit the different sized cartridge cases. A spring is arranged to throw out
the wadded cartridge cases after this operation.
When the hopper has been emptied of its powder, and all the powdered cartridge
cases wadded, the latter are then ready for being filled with shot. For this purpose
the hopper is filled with the shot and the cartridge cases filled therefrom with shot
in the same way that they have been filled with powder. When they have been so
filled, they are then withdrawn to be again wadded, which is done in the
same way as after being filled with powder, and, finally, to have their ends turned
over as follows-
The case is placed in a cylinder on the outside of the apparatus, the internal
diameter of the said cylinder being a little larger than the largest cartridge case
so as to take any size, liners being used for filling up. The cartridge is held in the
aforesaid cylinder by clamping piece in a forked lever pivoted to the pedestal of
the apparatus, these clamping pieces are changeable on the forked lever so as to
be suited to the size of cartridge. At the opposite end of the aforesaid cylinder,
there is a bearing or standard for an ordinary turning-over tool revolvable round
the cartridge end by means of a suitable handle. This turning-over tool is also
changeable so as to suit different sized cartridges.
Of course two, or more hoppers instead of one could be arranged over a cylinder

page_text: with an equivalent number of cavities having adjustable bottoms and the operations
be thereby expedited..
Dated this 17th day of October 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus or Machine for Filling with Powder and Shot
Cartridge Cases, and for Inserting Wads therein and Turning Over
their End.
We, WILLIAM BLAKE, HENRY BLAKE and JOHN ALEXANDER BARTHOLOMEW
trading as Blake and Mackenzie of School Lane, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Seed Pocket Manufacturers, and CHARLES WILLIAM SUMMERSKILL of
Swan Buildings Edmund Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention has for its object an apparatus for expeditiously filling cartridge
cases with a given or predetermined quantity of powder and shot, and also for
inserting the wads in the cartridge case and turning over its end.
The manner in which we prefer to carry the invention into effect will be under-
stood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete apparatus ;
Figure 2 a side elevation, partly in section;
Figure 3 a back elevation of part of the apparatus ;
Figure 4 a side elevation of part of the pedestal, showing how certain parts,
hereinafter described, can be removed;
Figure 5 a front elevation of said parts removed from the pedestal ;
Figure 6 a cross section of same on line A. B, Figure 5.
In these figures-
A is the pedestal, preferably hollow, provided with a screw clamp B by means
of which it can be fixed to a table, bench or the like. The top of this pedestal
takes the form of a hopper C to receive the powder or shot. Mounted in the
pedestal, directly underneath the hopper C is a measuring drum D having a
chamber d formed therein, said chamber being adapted to be filled from the
hopper through the orifice c. A vertically adjustable disc or false bottom dis
provided in the chamber which determines the capacity of the latter. This can be
raised or lowered by means of a quick threaded fixed screw E engaging the false
bottom and it terminates in a milled head F on the outside. The face of this
milled head is a dial graduated to indicate grains and ounces or fractions of ounces,
and an index finger G is provided whereby the capacity of the chamber is adjusted,
and the powder or shot measured to suit requirements. H is a handle attached to
the drum for rotating the same, I the delivery spout from the hopper, J hinged
bearing strap which can be raised, as shown in Figure 4, to allow of the drum D
being removed for cleaning or for other purposes, K a button adapted to engage
the said bearing strap and hold the drum in position, L a stop on side of drum to
limit the rotary movement of the latter, and define the positions of the measuring
cavity for filling and emptying, M spring on screw E to hold false bottom d' up to
its bearing, N turnover device, O the rammer, P stop on dial to limit latter to one
revolution, and Q packing round spindle to hold same firm.
The mode of action is as follows-
The capacity of the measuring drum is first adjusted to hold the required amount
of powder, this being accomplished by turning the milled head F. When the

page_text: chamber is full, the drum is rotated by the handle on the outside, which removes
the chamber from underneath the orifice c of the hopper and places it opposite the
delivery spout I, so that its contents are emptied down the same and thence into
the cartridge case. The drum is then rotated back to its first position, the chamber
refilled and the operation repeated. The movement of the drum from the filling to
the emptying position is regulated by the stop L aforesaid. When the charge of
powder has been filled into each case, a wad can then be pressed in by a spring actuated
rammer O located preferably at the front and top of the apparatus, and having
(if desired) a screwed portion at the bottom to receive various sized heads to suit.
the different sized cartridge cases. A spring is arranged to push out the wadded
cartridge cases after each ramming.
0
When the hopper has been emptied of its powder, and all the powdered cartridge
cases wadded, the latter are then ready for being filled with shot.
For this purpose
the hopper C is filled with the shot and the cartridge cases filled therefrom with
shot in the same way that they have been filled with powder.
When they
have been so filled, they are then withdrawn to be again wadded, which is done in
the same way as after being filled with powder, and, finally, to have their ends
turned over as follows-
The case is placed in a turnover device N on the outside of the apparatus, the
internal diameter of the said device being a little larger than the largest cartridge
case so as take any size, liners being used for filling up. The cartridge is held in
the aforesaid device by clamping pieces n in a forked lever S pivoted to the
pedestal of the apparatus. These clamping pieces are changeable so as to be suited
to the size of cartridge. At the opposite end of the aforesaid device, there is an
ordinary turning-over tool revolvable round the cartridge end by means of a
suitable handle T. This turning-over tool is also changeable so as to suit different
sized cartridges. We also reserve to ourselves the right of using a turnover
arrangement made to any given bore, so as to obviate the use of liners.
Of course two or more hoppers C instead of one could be arranged over a drum
with an equivalent number of chambers having adjustable bottoms, and the
operations be thereby expedited.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is―
1. In apparatus for filling cartridge cases with powder and shot, the use, in
combination with the measuring drum D, of means for externally adjusting the
measuring capacity of the latter, said means comprising the false bottom d' vertically
adjustable in the measuring chamber of the drum, the adjusting screw E engaging
the false bottom, an external rotary dial E and an index finger G substantially as
described.
2. In apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described, the special construction or
arrangement of the rammer O and turnover device N substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for filling cartridge cases with powder and shot and for inserting wads therein and
turning over their ends substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of July 1803
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.