A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFAC- TURING PERCUSSION CAPS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Abraham, of Birmingham, Machinist,
for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFAC-
TURING PERCUSSION CAPS."
Sealed the 28th June 1858, and dated the 8th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Abraham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1853.
I, JOHN ABRAHAM, of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING
PERCUSSION CAPS," to be as follows:-
The blanks or pieces of sheet metal from which the percussion caps
are made according to my Invention are of the ordinary form, that is
to say, of the form represented in Fig. 1. I cut these blanks out of
sheet metal in the following manner :-The sheet of metal is subjected
to the action of a cutting press, the tools of which are so formed as to
cut at each blow the indented edge c, and the row of cuts d, Fig. 2; by
then shifting the metal in the direction of the arrow until the angle a,
arrives at the place marked b, the metal between the edge c, and the
row of cuts d, is cut into pieces of the shape of Fig. 1; and by repeating
the action of the cutting press the whole of the sheet of metal may be

page_text: cut up into blanks of the shape of Fig. 1, without leaving any scrap.
I sometimes cut the metal first into strips of the form of the outline of
.Fig. 8, and then dividing the said strips by the lines e, e, cut the said
strips into the blanks Fig. 1, without scrap. The said blanks are then
put into a tube or feeder, similar to that used in a coining machine, and
are delivered from the said feeder as in the coining machine. As the
said blanks are pushed over the die by which the sides are to be raised,
a pair of forceps close around the upper face of the said die, so as to
form a guide or stop against which the blank is forced, and which de-
termines its exact position on the die. A punch descends, and forcing
the blank through the hole in the die on which it rests raises it into
a cap-like form. The cap is received as it passes from the die by a pair
of forceps by which-it is-held while it undergoes the turning process by
which its edge is made smooth; this is effected by the ordinary tools,
and I do not therefore describe them. The cap is afterwards filled with
the detonating powder in the ordinary way, but the pressing to which
the powder is usually subjected I effect by weighted or spring levers
instead of in the ordinary manner, that, is to say, the punches by which
the powder is pressed are affixed to levers weighted to a given weight,
or forced down by a spring of given strength, so that the powder shall
be subjected to a uniform and determined pressure in each case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Abraham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
John Abraham, of Birmingham, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Abraham, Her special licence that I, the
said John Abrahamn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such

page_text: others as I, the said John Abraham, my executors, adininistrators, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PERCUSSION
CAPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Abraham,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Abraham, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention consists in the several improvements herein-after par-
ticularly explained in the processes by which percussion caps-are manu-
factured. The blanks or pieces of sheet metal from which percussion
caps are made, according to my Invention, are of the ordinary form, that
is to say, of the form represented in Figure 1. I cut these blanks out
of sheet metal by the action of any suitable cutting or pressing machinery;
but the tools or cutting dies by which the said blanks are cut are so
constructed as to cut up the said metal without producing any scrap or
waste metal, excepting at the sides or edges of the sheet from which the
said blanks are cut. Figure 2, represents in plan the face of the lower
die or cutting tool which I employ, (the upper die represented in Fig.
10, is nearly the counterpart of the said lower die, Figure 2.) By
the action of the said tools the sheet metal is cut in the manner illus-
trated by Figure 3, that is to say, the said tools cut at each blow the
indented edge a, and the row of cuts b, and by then moving the metal
in the direction indicated by the arrow, Figure 3, the angle c, arrives at
the place marked d, and by a second action of the tools the metal be-
tween the edge a, and the row of cuts b, is cut into pieces of the shape.

page_text: of Figure 1; by the repetition of the action of the machine the whole
of the sheet of metal may be cut into blanks of the shape of Figure 1;
without leaving any scrap, as illustrated in Figure 4. I sometimes
modify this part of my Invention by cutting first into strips of the form
of the outline of Figure 5, and then dividing the said strips by the lines
e, e. In this way the metal is cut into blanks without making any
scrap or waste metal. I do not limit myself to these methods of
carrying this part of my Invention into effect, as the shape of the
tools may be modified, and the position of the cuts may be different
from what I have described, but I consider all such variations
as but modifications of my Invention. The said blanks are then
raised into the form of caps by the machine represented in vertical
section in Figure 6. The said blanks are placed in a pile in the tube f,
underneath which the slide or feeder g, works; the said slide has an
alternating horizontal motion. When the recess y', of the slide is under
the tube f, a blank falls into the said recess; when the said recess is in
the position represented in the Drawing, the plunger or die h, descends,
and forcing the blank through the cylindrical part of the recess y¹, raises
the said blank into a cap, and delivers it into the holder i. The suid holder
consists of a bar having a cylindrical hole somewhat less than the size
of the cap to be held, but the said bar being split from the point i, to
the end ³, the said hole has a certain amount of elasticity, and hence
holds the cap securely after it has been forced therein by the plunger or
die h. By the motion of the said slide i, the cap is brought from k, to
1, when the revolving cutter m, descends and cuts the edge of the cap
flat; when the slide i, returns, carrying the cap with it, the plunger or
die h, again descends, and forces the cap from the hole in the slide i, by
forcing another blank therein. The motions of the several parts of this
machine are thus effected:-The motion of the slide i, is effected by the
arm o, actuated by a cam on the driving shaft p, shewn in dotted lines;
the motion of the slide g, is effected by a similar arm (not seen in the
Drawing); the motion of the plunger or die 7, is effected by the excen-
tric q; the rotatory motion of the revolving cutter is effected by the
band 7, (passing over a pulley on the driving shaft) actuating the bevil
gears; the vertical motion of the said cutter is produced by the spring t

page_text: which lifts up the said cutter when it is not pressed down into the cap
by the pin u, on the slide h, of the plunger h, acting upon the lever v
or the vertical motion of the said cutter may be communicated from a
cam on the shaft p; or the cylindrical end of the cutter m, which enters
the cap may be dispensed with, and then no vertical motion is necessary
in the said cutter; w, is a rotating brush driven by the band a, which
brushes from the face of the slide g, the metallic particles which are pro-
duced from the scraping of the blank against the edge of the hole y', and
which, if not removed, might interfere with the action of the tools.
Figure 7, represents in plan a modification of the machine last described;
y, is a feeding tube containing the blanks; =, is a slide which pushes a
blank on to the die 1, through which it is pushed by a plunger or die
as described with reference to Figure 6. The blank is held centrally over
the die 1, during the descent of the plunger by the forceps 2, 3; the
said forceps are opened by the projection 4, on the feeding slide <,
pressing against the end of the rod 5, and causing the said rod.
through the links 6, 7, to open the blades 2, 3, of the said forceps;
when the slide, retires, the rod 5, is no longer pressed by the projection
4, and the springs 8, 9, close the forceps 2, 3, and bring and hold the
blank centrally over the hole 1, through which the plunger forces it;
after the blank has been raised into a cap: by being forced through the
hole 1, it is received by the spring forceps 10, (shewn in dotted lines,)
which said forceps turn upon a centre at 11; after the said forceps have
received the cap, they are turned by the arm 12, into the position in-
dicated by the dotted line 13, when the cutter described with
reference to Figure 6, descends through the hole 14, and cuts the edge
of the cap flat. After the cap has been filled with the detonating
composition in the ordinary way, I subject the said composition to
pressure in the machine represented in front view in Figure 8, and in
vertical section in Figure 9; the said section, Figure 9, being taken
through the line 15, Figure 8. The object effected by the said machine
is the subjecting of the composition in each case to a uniform and
determinate pressure by the use, as herein-after explained, of weighted
or spring levers. 16, is a table, on which the caps are placed in rows?

page_text: in the usual manner; this table is made to advance at each revolution
of the shaft 17, through a distance equal to the distance between the
rows of caps. This motion is effected by the rack 18, and the click 19,
made to engage with the said rack by the spring 20; the excentric 21,
on the shaft 17, acting on the cranked lever 22, to which the click 19,
is jointed, gives a reciprocating motion to the said click, and thereby
advances the table 16; 23, are levers turning on centres, as shewn at
24, Figure 9; 25, (shewn in dotted lines in Figure 8,) are springs of
vulcanized caoutchouc or other clastic material; 26, are plungers or
punches working in the hollow cylinders 27, and raised into the position
represented in the Drawing by the coiled springs 28, when not pressed
down by the ends 23, of the levers 23; 29, is a crauk, the horizontal
arm 30, of which bears on the long arm of each of the lovers 23; by
the revolution of the shaft 17, the crank 30, produces an alternating
motion in the lever 28, upon the centre 24; the descending motion of
the end 23, of the lever being produced by the crank 30, and the
ascending motion of the said end being produced by the springs 25:
as the ends 23, ascend the ends 281, of the levers 23, descend, and the
plungers 26, are pressed upon the composition in the caps, with a
pressure dependant on the force of the elasticity of the springs 25.
Instead of the springs 25, weights may be used to raise the ends 23", of
the levers; the said weights being hung to cords passing over pullies,
and attached to the ends 23", of the levers. The composition in a row
of caps is pressed at each revolution of the shaft 17.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise methods of carrying my
Invention into effect herein described and illustrated by the accompany-
ing Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of my said Invention. But I claim,-
Firstly, cutting out the blanks of which percussion caps are made so
as to avoid the production of scrap or waste metal, as herein described
and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the accompanying
Drawing.

page_text: Secondly, the machines for raising and cutting the edges of percussion
caps herein described and illustrated by Figures 6, and 7, of the
accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly, pressing the detonating composition contained in percussion
caps by weighted or spring levers as herein described and illustrated by
Figures 8, and 9, of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Abraham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
0
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN ABRAHAM. (L.S.)