IMPROVEMENTS IN BULLET PATCHING MACHINERY
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BULLET
PATCHING MACHINERY."-A communication from abroad by Hugo
Borchardt, of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd February 1875.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BULLET PATCHING MACHINERY," to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to machines for applying patches to cylindrical
bullets, and consists in a certain combination of devices by the operation
of which, bullets which may or may not be previously covered with an

page_text: adhesive substance are automatically seized and rolled across a package
of damped paper or strips cut into appropriate shape, so that the exterior
strip is taken up by the periphery of cach successive bullet as it comes
along, and wrapped around it.
When the bullets are not previously coated with an adhesive substance
a device is provided for applying a drop of mucilage or its equivalent to
each strip of paper successively just before the bullet reaches it, and in
this case the package of strips is carefully and uniformly damped before
being introduced into the magazine which holds it. A portion of the
paper or strip projecting beyond the base of the bullet is folded inward
by means of a stationary guide or die, and thus the operation of patching
the bullet is completed automatically..
The feeding forward of the papers or strips which form the patches is
effected as the bullets pass through the machine, so that when the
package in the magazine is once adjusted, the strips which it contains
are presented successively in proper position until the supply is exhausted
and it becomes necessary to refill the magazine.
The strips if not dampened prior to their introduction into the magazine,
may be damped by a jet of low steam directed upon the exterior of the
package from a nozzle conveniently placed, or by a wet sponge deposited
upon the package or in any other convenient way, the extent to which
moistening is required being dependent somewhat upon the state of the
atmosphere as to dampness. The jet of steam may be so directed as to
*prevent the curling of the strips.
The machine consists substantially of a rotating disc having an elastic
periphery, and of a fixed segment shaped rail mounted on the bed of the
machine, the same. being so combined as to form between them a groove
for the passage of the bullets in a vertical position. This rail is cut
away at one part to form therein a magazine for strips of paper or
equivalent material suitable for lapping around.the bullets as they are
passed through the machine.
presses
them
In rear of the packet of strips is a spring follower, which
up into contact with the bullets as they are severally brought in front of
the magazine. The bullets are fed to the machine by hand, a feeding disc
(or arms) mounted loosely on the axle of the rotating disc before-
mentioned and having recesses on its perimeter at equal distances apart

page_text: being used to receive the bullets into the machine, and discharge
them therefrom when coated.
- For gumming the strips an automatic arrangement is provided
consisting of a jet pipe connected with a reservoir and carried by à crank
lever. By means of a spring attached to this lever the jet pipe is held
off the paper. This crank lever is connected with a rock lever which
has a cam projection in the path of the bullet. As therefore the bullet
passes towards the magazine, it will press back this lever and by rocking
the crank lever which carries the jet pipe, will cause that pipe to gum
the outermost strip of paper. When the bullet enters between the
elastic disc and the fixed guide, it will by the rotation of the disc have
an axial motion imparted to it, and it will thus lap up the foremost strip
as above explained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Alfred
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for İMPROVEMENTS IN BULLET PATCHING MACHINERY," being a
communication to me from abroad by Hugo Borchardt, of New Haven,
in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, upon the con-
"

page_text: dition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention relates to machines for applying patches to cylindrical
bullets, and consists in a certain combination of devices by the operation
of which bullets which may or may not have been previously covered
with an adhesive, substance, are automatically seized and rolled across a
package of damped papers or strips cut into appropriate shape, so that
the exterior strip is taken up by the periphery of each successive bullet
as it comes along, and wrapped around it.
When the bullets to be covered are not coated with an adhesive
substance, a device is provided for applying a drop of mucilage or its
equivalent to each strip of paper successively just before the bullet
reaches it, and in this case the package of strips is carefully and
uniformly damped before being introduced into the magazine which
holds it. A portion of the paper or strip projecting beyond the base of
the bullet is folded inward by means of a stationary guide, and thus the
operation of patching the bullet is completed automatically.
The feeding forward of the papers or strips which form the patches is
effected as the bullets pass through the machine, so that when the
package in the magazine is once adjusted, the strips which it contains
are presented successively in proper position until the supply is
exhausted, and it becomes necessary to refill the magazine.
The strips, if not damped prior to their introduction into the magazine,
may be damped by a jet of low steam directed upon the exterior of the
package from a nozzle conveniently placed, or by a wet sponge deposited
upon the package or in any other convenient way, the extent to which

page_text: T
moistening is required being dependent somewhat upon the state of the
atmosphere as to dampness. The jet of steam may be so directed as to
prevent the curling of the strips.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a top view of the improved
machine, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same partly in section
through the line x, x, in Fig. 1.
The frame of the machine A consists of an upright standard a having
laterally projecting arms a¹ and a² supporting the vertical shaft b, which
is driven by bevil gearing ¹ actuated by a driving pulley 6*. The shaft
b terminates in a circular horizontal disc 2 which has an elastic
periphery 63, and is placed immediately above the table c, which latter is
supported by the standard a. The table is fitted with a segment shaped
rim d which is shewn in partial plan view at Fig. 3, and in partial edge
view at Fig. 4. This rim is concentric with the disc b³ and of such
dimensions as to leave a groove d' wide enough to admit a bullet
between the inner side of the rim and the elastic periphery of the disc,
the rim constituting a stationary guide or rail over which the bullet is
rolled by the action of the rolling disc 6, as shewn in the enlarged views
Figures 5 and 6.
-
In Figures 1 and 2, the disc is shown as overlayed by a notched
plate c'.which constitutes the bullet feeder. This plate at its periphery
is furnished with segment pieces which project into the annular space d',
and so fill the same as to leave only sufficient space for the insertion of a
bullet, set vertically as shewn at Fig. 5. The feeding disc e¹ is loosely
centred on the upper extremity of the shaft b, and is shewn at Fig. 1
as having nine notches. This feeding plate as will presently be explained
is actuated by the bullet which is being patched, at which time its
carrying notch is passing the magazine f, and thus bullets placed by
hand or otherwise in the other notches of the feeding plate are
successively brought forward. The stationary rim or rail d is grooved
transversely as shewn in Fig. 1, for the purpose of forming the magazinė
fwhich is intended to hold a package of strips of paper. The strips are
cut in the form of parallelograms and the package of strips contained in
the magazine is pushed towards the disc by the spring follower f³.
By the action of this spring follower the package of strips is constantly
pressed towards the periphery of the rolling disc, and the outer strip
bears against the surface of the segment picces e of the feeding plate,
and on the bullets as they are successively presented to the magazine.

page_text: For gumming the paper the following contrivance, shewn detached in
side elevation at Fig. 7, is provided; i is a nozzle connected with a
reservoir of mucilage by means of the elastic tube . This nozzle is sup-
ported by the rocking arm & affixed to the rock shaft . A similar arm
affixed to the opposite end of the rock shaft is connected by a chain or /
cord running under the guiding pulley with an elbow , which works
in a horizontal slot in the segment shaped rim d, and is supported on a
vertical pivot pin, this elbow projects beyond the inner face of the rim d
so as to lie in the path of the bullets, and be engaged by the bullets in
their onward movement in order that it may be pressed outwardly from :
the rolling disc. By this means the rocking arm is depressed and the
nozzle i brought against the upper corner of the outermost strip upon
which it deposits a particle of mucilage. As soon as the bullet passes
by the rise on the elbow, a spring pulls up the rock shaft and elevates
the nozzle i out of the way of the bullet which is bedded in the elastic
periphery 6s of the rolling disc b³, and rests in one of the notches of the
feeding plate. The bullet is thus maintained in a vertical position and
is engaged on one side by the elastic periphery of the rolling disc, so
that it is forced against the inner surface of the stationary rim d, and so
made to travel over the outermost strip in the magazine. The drop of
mucilage upon the outermost strip causes it to adhere to the periphery
of the bullet, and as the bullet is rolled along the outermost strip is
detached from those behind it, and is wrapped around the bullet.
Immediately adjoining the magazine in the bottom of the groove d' is
a cavity or guide m (see Figures 3 and 4). This guide is gradually
tapered for the purpose of catching the lower edge of the strip of paper
and pressing or folding it in upon the base of the bullet. It will be seen
that when the bullet is thus engaged by the elastic periphery of the
rolling disc, and forcibly rolled around and against the rim d and the
magazine, the feeding plate e¹ is carried with it so that other bullets
contained in the other notches e² are forcibly carried forward.
In' feeding bullets to the machine they are placed.in the notches e² by
hand, and as the feeding disc moves around they are engaged by the rim
at the point n, and are carried forward and patched as described. As
each bullet successively moves across the mouth of the magazine, it
picks up the outermost strip of the package therein contained, and the
spring follower f' presses forward the package, so that the next strip is
presented in proper position to be taken up by the next bullet, that is...

page_text: it presses forward the package so that the outermost strip is pressed
against the face of the feeding plate which determines its position. The
rim & terminates at o at which point the patched bullets are delivered
from the machine.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Bullet Patching Machinery," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim, the bullet patching machine constructed and
operating as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, havo
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.