Improvements in Cartridge Filling Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
Improvements in Cartridge Filling Machines.
I, PAUL KÄMMERER, of Troisdorf, near Cologne, in the Empire of Germany,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
Bame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to a cartridge filling machine, intended to portion off
certain quantities of powder, to weigh every portioned off quantity and to so
adjust the receptacle serving to pass off the weighted portions of powder that the
quantities of powder, exactly corresponding to a certain weight are forwarded to
the cartridge case, while those quantities which either surpass this desired weight
or do not reach it, are turned aside from the cartridge cases successively supplied
to be filled.
In the annexed drawing,
Figs. 1 and 2 represent the machine in front and side elevation respectively.
Figs. 3 and 4 show the lower part of the machine in plan and elevation
respectively.
Figs. 5 to 10 are detail parts of the machine.
In the frame 1 of the machine (Figs. 1 and 2) is journalled the shaft 2 which is
driven by the belt-pulley 3 keyed on said shaft at its left hand side. On the
opposite end of the driving shaft 3 a spur-wheel 4 is provided which engages with
the spur-wheel 5 on the shaft 6. The shaft 6 is journalled in the plumber blocks 7
and in the lower part of the pillar 8 and it carries at its opposite end a cam or
tappet 9 on which runs a wheel 10 on the lower end of a thrust rod 11. The upper
end of this thrust rod 11 is pivoted on the lever 12 of the plug 15 of a cock
arranged inside the casing 16 at the head of the pillar 8. The spring 14 connecting
the lever 12 to the bed plate 13 tends to draw down said lever. The plug 15
(Figs. 5 and 6) is furnished with a bore 95 which by means of the slide piece 94
adjustable by means of the screw 93, can be made to have a larger or smaller cross
sectional area.
The housing 16 is provided with two bores 96 and 97. The
casing 16 carries the funnel 17 in communication with the bore 96. This funnel
is intended to receive the powder to be portioned off, whilst the lower bore 97
ends in a discharge nozzle 18. The latter lies above the flaring end of tube 19 and
the lower termination of this latter tube lies immediately over the weighing
funnel 20.
The weighing funnel 20 is suspended from the one arm of the balance beam 22
carried by the column 21, whilst the other arm of the balance 'beam carries'an
ordinary scale pan 23. The weighing funnel 20 is in the form of an inverted cone
and consists of two portions divided upon a central plane passing through the apex
of the cone.
These two portions are suitably hinged together and held in contact
by the weighted arms 24 (Figs. 1 and 8).
Upon the shaft 6 there are also three small cams 25, 26, and 27 (Figs. 1, 7,
and 9). On the cam 25 runs the wheel 36 of the slide rod 34 guided in the
bracket 29. The spring 35 attached to said rod 34 and to the bracket, holds the
wheel 36 in contact with the cam 25.
The arm 37 on the slide 34 (Figs. 7 and 8) carries a fork 38 of which the two
prongs respectively support the weighted arms 24 of the weighing funnel 20
(Figs. 7 and 8) and on lifting and lowering of the slide 34 caused by the rotation
of the cam 25, alternately opens and closes the weighing funnel 20.
The cam 26 co-operates with the wheel 32 on the stop slide 31 (Figs. 9 and 10)
likewise carried by the bracket 29 and connected thereto by the spring 30 to keep

page_text: the wheel and cam in close contact. On the rotation of the cam disk 26, the
balance beam 22 is alternately arrested and freed by or from the arms 33 of the
slide 31.
Against the cam 27 rests the free arm of a double armed lever 39, (Fig. 9)
fulcrummed behind the column 21 whilst the other arm of said lever is pivotally
connected with a rod 40 which is guided in the column 21 and rests with its upper
end against the balance beam 22 so that the rod 40 and with it the balance
beam 22, on rotation of the cam 27, are alternately lifted and lowered.
Upon the centre of the upper balance beam 22 a knife edge 41 is arranged
opposite to which a double knife edge 42 is provided which is fixed on the lower
end of a rod 43 guided in the upper end of bracket 29. The rod 43 is at its
upper end pivoted to a double armed lever 45 which latter is fulcrummed on the
pivot 44 on the bracket 29; this lever 45, by means of the rod 46, bell crank
lever 47 and rod 48 is connected with the directing funnel 28.
The directing funnel 28 is rotatably arranged on a forked bracket 49 fixed upon
the plate 13 (Figs. 2 and 7) so that its outfall tube may be brought above the
entrance of either the two pipes 50 and 51, of which the latter 51, leads toward a
receiver 52 and the former tube 50 toward the cartridge case 54 thereunder
inserted and presenting itself thereto in a revolving disc 53.
The lower operative parts of the machine are set in action from the shaft 2
through bevelled gear 55 and 57 and the eccentric 56.
The bevelled toothed wheel 55 engages with the bevelled toothed wheel 57 on
the end of the vertical shaft 58. The shaft 58 carries a cam 59 having an inclined
groove in which runs a wheel 61 upon the slide 60 (Figs. 3 and 4). Below the
wheel 61 a fork 62 is fixed on the slide 60, one arm of which carries a tubular
sleeve 63 sliding upon the lower end of the powder conveying tube 50; the tubular
piece 63 stands under the action of the spring 64 which latter rests against the
rigid arm 65. In the other arm of the fork 62 a weighted rod 66 is loosely
inserted, the said rod.66 being guided in the rigid bracket 67 and its lower end, on
the downward movement of the slide 60 penetrates into that cartridge case 54
immediately beneath it in the revolving disk 53. 68 is a bell crank lever pivotally
arranged in the bracket 69 placed sideways of the revolving disk 53; the lower
arm of said angular lever is in connection with a slide 71 lying beneath the disk 53 and
covering an opening 70 in the bed plate. Against the slide 71 rests a spring 74
fixed on the base plate 73 of the machine. On the slide 60 further the stamp 72
is also fixed (Fig. 4) which presses the projectiles on to the charged cartridge
cases.
The ring encircling the eccentric 56 is connected by rod 75 with the slide 76 and
moves the latter up and down together with the rod 81 connected therewith. The
rod 81 carries an arm 77 which is annular at its outer end.
The projectiles are supplied to the machine through the tube 79 whilst the
cartridge cases arrive through the supply tube 80 into the concentrically arranged
orifices of the revolving disk 53.
The double armed lever 82 arranged in the bracket 87 of the machine frame, is
actuated by the spring 83 and is pivotally connected with the slide 84. On
revolution of the shaft 58 the cam 85 which rests against the lever 82 rocks the
latter and effects an alternate forward and backward sliding movement of the
slide 84, so that the front end of said slide embraces one of the projectiles 78 fed
through the tube 79.
The disk 53 is revolved by the shaft 58 through the action of the crank pin 89
which at each revolution engages in one of the holes 90 on the underside of the
disk 53 and periodically turns the disk, to a certain extent. The locking of the
disk 53 after each partial revolution is effected by the shaft 58 placing a solid
portion of its periphery into one of the recesses 91 which are arranged at certain
intervals around the periphery of the disk 53 (Figs. 1 and 3) whereas the unlocking
is effected by a slot in said shaft arriving during revolution of the shaft in such a
position that the edge of disk 53 can pass through it.

page_text: The operation of the above described machine is as follows:-
Owing to the rotary motion imparted to the shaft 6 from the shaft 2 through
the spur-wheels 4 and 5, the cam 9 causes the bar 11 and the lever 12 connected
therewith to be alternately lifted and lowered, so that the cock 15 is at certain
intervals turned backward and forward to a certain extent. When the lever 12
has arrived at its highest position, the cock 15 receives a quantity of powder
corresponding to the adjusted size of its inner bore, and delivers this quantity, on
backward rotation of the cock 15 when the lever 12 has reached its lowest position
(Figs. 1 and 2) to the nozzle 18.
The portion of powder falls through the tube 19 into the weighing funnel 20.
At this moment the cam 26 begins to act by lifting the arins 33 of the slide 31
away from the scale beam, thus freeing the latter. The scale pan 23 will have
been provided with the weights necessary to exactly balance the portioned off
quantity of powder.
The balance beam 22 now, when the weight of the quantity of powder in the
weighing funnel 20 corresponds exactly to the weights placed upon the pan 23,
adjusts itself in such a manner that on lifting of the balance beam the knife
edge 41 exactly strikes the notch of the double knife edge 42 knocking this latter
upward.
When, however the quantity of powder in the weighing funnel 20 is of an under
or over weight, the knife edge 41, on raising of the halance beam 22 passes by
to the left or right of the double knife edge 42 and causes no movement of
the same.
As soon as the balance has adjusted itself the cam 27 commences its action and
lifts up the balance beam 22 together with the knife edge 41 by means of the
lever 39 and the rod 40. If now the knife edge 41 hits the notch of the double
knife edge 42, then this latter is likewise lifted and through the lever 45, the
rod 46, the lever 47 and the rod 48 causes a turning motion of the funnel 28.80
that the discharge tube of the latter arrives above the tube 50. If on the contrary
the knife edge 41 during the upward movement of the balance beam 22 passes by
to the left or the right of the double knife edge 42, then the position of the funnel 28
which usually presents itself above the pass-off tube 51, is not changed.
Shortly after the cam 27 has commenced lifting the balance beam 22 the cam 25
begins to act, lifts the slide 34 with the fork 38 and raises the weighted arms 24
of the weighing funnel 20 and thus causes the latter to open and delivers the
quantity of powder therein, into the funnel 28. If this amount of powder was
exactly corresponding to the intended weight, then the funnel 28, as above
described, carries the powder into the tube 50 leading the cartridge cases 54 in the
contrary case, that is, if the weight of the powder is not correct, it is carried into
the tube 51 which leads to the vessel 52.
The tube 63 which is moved by the slide 60 passes closely onto the cartridge
case 54 beneath it and causes the whole amount of powder delivered into the
tube 50 to arrive in the cartridge case to be filled.
In the same space of time, during which a further quantity of powder is
portioned off, weighed and turned out into the funnel 28 the disk 53 continues
revolving so far that the next of the empty cartridge cases is brought beneath the
tube 63.
As the cartridge case disk periodically rotates in the described manner, but not
every cartridge case receives a powder charge, since any defective quantities of
powder, that is to say those which do not correspond to the intended weights as
above mentioned, carried off through the tube 51 into the vessel 52, therefore an
arrangement is necessary to discharge the empty cartridge case from the machine.
For this purpose the weighted bar 66 which is moved up and down by the slide 60
on its downstroke penetrates with its lower end into the cartridge cases 54 as they
present themselves beneath it. The collar 88 of the rod 66 loosely inserted into
the one arm of the fork 62 is arranged at such a height as to leave untouched the
lever 68, whenever the rod 66 passes into a cartridge case filled with powder and

page_text: is arrested by the powder therein. If on the other hand an empty cartridge case
arrives beneath the rod 66, then the latter, on the downward stroke of the slide 60,
penetrates deeper into the case so that the collar 88 touches the free end of the
lever 68 turns the latter and by withdrawal of the slide 71 connected with the
lever 68 allows the cartridge case to drop down. into the opening 70. The slide 71
and angular lever 68 are, after the rising of the rod 66, brought back by the
spring 74 into their original positions. In this manner only those cartridge cases
charged with the correct, tested quantities are carried on by the disk 53 for further
treatment.
The charged cases then arrive underneath the stamp 72 likewise moved up and
down by the slide 60 and the said stamp forces the projectile on its down stroke in
the known manner, into the cartridge cases.
The projectiles 78 supplied through the tube 79 arrive at and present themselves
before the free suitably shaped end of the slide 84 which, by means of the lever 82,
is alternately pushed forward and backward, and at the moment where a new
cartridge case 54 arrives beneath the stamp 72, pushes forward a projectile till it
is beneath the stamp so that this latter during its down stroke is enabled to press
the projectile into the cartridge case. In this process the arm 77 fixed on the
rod 81 of the slide 76 and moved up and down by the eccentric 56 serves with its
free annular end as a guide for the projectile. The slide 84 after having executed
its forward movement is drawn back by the force of the spring 83 resting against
the lever 82 into its initial position.
The cartridge cases thus charged and provided with projectiles drop through the
opening 92 arranged in the base plate 73 into a collecting vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. An improved cartridge filling machine comprising means for mechanically
portioning off quantities of powder, carrying the same to a balance and after
adjustment of the balance, weighing and delivering said portions to a directing
vessel the position of which is controlled by or from the balance so that quantities
of powder of predetermined weight are passed to cartridge cases and quantities of
a greater or less weight carried to another destination.
2. The construction of the cartridge filling machine, substantially as described
in which the portioning off of the powder to be weighed the lifting up of the
balance beam and the opening of the partitioned balance scale pan are effected
respectively by cams or equivalent means from a rotary shaft.
3. In a cartridge filling machine the arrangement for portioning off the powder
to be weighed, consisting of a rotary plug provided with an adjustable bore within
a casing having two bores which plug on its turning movement alternately receives
an adjustable quantity of powder through one bore and delivers the same through
the other bore of said casing.
4. In a cartridge filling machine substantially as described, the arrangement of a
divided balance scale pau in combination with suitable means for holding its parts
together and opening them.
5. In a cartridge filling machine substantially as described, the arrangement of
a balance beam! movable vertically in combination with suitable means for lifting
and lowering the same.
6. In a cartridge filling machine substantially as described, a double knife-edge
lying opposite the knife edge of the balance lever, this double knife edge being
by means of a system of levers or rods connected with a rotatably arranged
directing vessel.
7. In a cartridge filling machine substantially as described, a discharging device
consisting of a vertically movable rod adapted to fall into the cartridge case and
having thereon a collar adapted, when the rod falls into an empty cartridge case
to strike an angular lever, thereby withdrawing a slide which latter.discovers a

page_text: hole to allow empty cartridge cases to drop through such hole, all substantially as
and for the purpose described.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1894.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.