Improvements in apparatus for facilitating the filling of cartridges foring guns
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1887.
Complete Left, 18th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1887.
JAMES ERSKINE, Gun Maker 01, Victoria Street, Newton Stewart, Scotland, do
hereby declare the nature of said invention to be as follows:-
Several Improvements are made in the Erskine Cartridge Loading Machine, which
tend to greater speed in loading, and to the production of more perfect cartridges for
breech loading guns than hitherto attained with the Machine, and to great safety
from accidental explosions-as hereafter described-The Erskine Cartridge Loading
Machine was invented by me and patented under the title of "Improvements in
apparatus for facilitating the filling of cartridges for breech loading guns" of date
twenty third March eighteen hundred and sixty six, and numbered Eight hundred
and sixty eight, but is better known as the Erskine Cartridge Loading Machine.
The Machine is so constructed, that the main block or receptacle for the cartridge
cases, can be removed from under the powder measure, working like a drawer in the
framework of the machine several main blocks may be used with one machine.
No exposure of powder takes place, as the top of the machine is covered over with
a sheet of plate glass, fitted in a frame-work of wood, which can be removed from the
machine when desired; Through the centre of this cover a tube is inserted, which
communicates with a reservoir of powder above; by this arrangement a continuous
supply of powder can be kept upon the powder measure, or by using two valves
placed in the tube a measured quantity of powder can be let down at a time.
The shedding off of the powder and shot is effected by means of a perforated slide,
which contains the same number and size of holes as the powder measure upon which
it is placed. This slide passes through volvet covered valves, at both ends of the
machine, and prevents any escape of powder when the slide is acting. The slide is
arranged for use in two ways-by pushing it back from the operator, the powder or
shot resting above the powder measure is cut off from the powder or shot in the same,
as the holes in the powder measure are covered over by the spaces of wood between
the holes in the slide; when the measured charges have been deposited & the top of
the machine set back in the usual process of loading; the slide is drawn forward,
which permits the powder or shot to fall into & fill the powder measure again. The

page_text: slide is arranged for use in another way; that is by making it stationary, by means
of a bolt fixed on the under cleading of the machine and passing up through the front
of this slide; when the upper half of the machine is drawn forward to deposit the
charges the holes in the powder measure are drawn under cover of the spaces of wood
in the slide, the result being the shedding off of the powder or shot, and when the
top or upper half of the machine is pushed back again, the powder falls into the
measure (or shot) again, the holes in the slide being concentric with the holes in
the powder measure.
The use of this slide permits of a quantity of powder or shot being in readiness for
use over the powder measure & does away with the old process of scraping or sheding
off with a scraper.
To place the wads in the wad board, or to facilitate the filling of them, boards are
used with pegs in them; these boards are placed in the under side of the wad boards,
the pegs being in the holes of the wad boards. The pegs fill up the holes in the wad
boards to a sufficient distance to leave room for one wadding to lodge in each of the
holes of the wad board when the wads are thrown broadcast over the board.
of an
The four legged rammer for putting in the wads into the cases is supplanted by one
with one hundred or more legs, wrought by a screw press, which effects the placing
of the wads in position in the cases in a few seconds of time; and by means
indicator attached to said rammer, passing over a scale marked upon the framework
of the press, the pressure can be regulated, so as to avoid any crushing of powder.
When loading military cartridges a slight difference is made in this rammer to
effect the pressing home of the lubricators, wads and bullets; a block with conical
holes (to receive the points of the bullets) is used in place of a rammer with legs; The
wads and lubricators being inserted in the wad board before the bullets, the three are
pressed home at one time."
The old mode of turning down the loaded cases, is supplanted by an improved
turner down which enables the loaded cases to be turned down as they sit in the
block or receptacle of the cases-This Turner down consists of a lever traversing on a
guide, a four turner down traverses on the lever and can be brought to bear upon the
mouths of four loaded cases at one time, the four turner down moves along a slot in
the lever, which permits the turner down to move over the cases in one direction,
while the movement of the lever along the arm or guide permits a movement over the
cases, at right angles from the movement of the furner down along the slot in the
lever. The two movements permit the whole of the cartridges in the block to be
turned over.
The four turner down consists of four turning down tools, with spindles
fixed in the centre of four toothed wheels, in a small framework; a central spindle
with toothed wheel, connected with a crank and handle, causes the four to revolve
when the handle is rotated. The main block is perforated to receive two spindles
from the base of the turning down implement, which steady the turner down. Four
nozzles are placed in front of the four turners down, to receive the mouths of the
cases, and support them during the process of turning down. A sheet of india rubber
is fixed on the slide under the main block, upon which the cap ends of the cases rest,
which prevents the cases turning round during the operation of turning down. The
four nozzles also prevent the cases from turning round, but only to a certain extent,
but their use is found to be of great advantage, in the process of turning over the
mouths of the cases; they also prevent any bulging in the cartridge cases.
Dated this Twenty first day of March, Eighteen hundred and eighty seven years.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cartridge Loading Machines.
JAMES ERSKINE, Gun Maker 61, Victoria Street Newton Stewart Scotland,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to ho performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Several improvements are made in the Erskine Cartridge Loading Machine, which
tend to greater speed in loading and to the production of more perfect cartridges
for breech loading guns, than hitherto attained with the machine, and to great safety
from accidental explosions; as hereafter described; The Erskine Cartridge Loading
Machine was invented by me, and patented under the title of "Improvements in
apparatus for facilitating the filling of Cartridges for breech loading guns; number
eight hundred and sixty eight and dated twenty third March, eighteen hundred
and sixty six ; but is now better known as the Erskine Cartridge Loading Machine.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn the various improvements made in
the machine, constructed in accordance with my invention.
In sheet II have shewn side elevation at Fig. 1, end view at Fig. 2, plan view of
cover at Fig. 3, and elevation of tube at Fig. 4.
In sheet II Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 plan view of slide for sheding off the powder.
In sheet III Fig. 7, plan of board with pegs for facilitating the filling of the wad
boards and at Fig. 8, cross section of same Fig. 9 side elevation of Press for placing
the wads in the cases.
In Sheet IV, Fig. 10, plan of four turner down, for turning down the cases,
Figure 11 side elevation of same, Fig. 12 plan of lever and guide of turning down
implement, Fig. 13 section of main block with cases, in position under turning down
implement Fig. 14 plan of main block.
Referring now to Sheet I of the drawings A is the main block, or receptacle
of the cases entered like a drawer from the side of the machine and fitted with
a bottom shutter B sliding in V grooves. C. a sheet of india rubber fixed upon the
shutter B and upon this surface the cap ends of the cases rest.
(For section and plan view of main block sec Sheet IV, Fig 13 and Fig 14.)
Da framework of wood fitting upon the top of the machine like a lid and secured by
the catches E. E, F a sheet of thick glass fitted in this framework, G a brass funnel
fitted into the glass and connected to the leather tube H by the screw joint 1. The
top of the tube H, is connected with a reservoir of powder, or shot, placed above
when loading, J. J. wooden valves fixed in the tube used in giving a measured
charge of powder, or shot.
The cover prevents any exposure of powder and the tube keeps up a continuous,
or measured, supply in the machine.
In Sheet II, K is the slide used to shed off the powder, or shot, is made of wood
and contains the same number and size of holes as the powder measure upon which
it slides, L. L. strips of wood covered with velvet under which the slide K works, and
are of use in preventing any powder, escaping when the slide is acting. M, small
screws working in slots, for regulating the pressure and position of the velvet

page_text: covered strips of wood-N, small stops to prevent the slide K moving too far-Fig. 5
shows the position of the slide before the powder has been shed off, and Fig. 6 its
position after the powder has been shed off-0, a small hole in the slide to receive
the bolt P shewn in Sheet I. Fig. 2. When the slide is used on the stationary plan,
(another way of sheding off the powder with it) when used this way the slide
always maintains the position shewn in Fig. 5-and the sheding off takes place when
the top half of the machine is drawn forward to drop the charge of powder into the
cases. The velvet covered strips of wood are moveable and can be raised to admit
of slides being placed upon the measure block, when an increased charge is desired,
by loosing the screws M and raising them in the slots-In Sheet III Fig. 7
and Fig. 8. Q, is a base board into which pegs R, of a regulated length are fitted,
these pegs fill up the holes of the wad board, when placed into them from the
under side, to a distance sufficient to leave room for one wad to lodge in each hole
when the wads are scattered over the board. Two of these pegged boards are used
in loading, one for thick wads and one for thin, the pegs in the thin board being
slightly longer than the thick board pegs. Fig 9, S a frame-work of iron, T, a single
entry screw attached to U a solid block of wood, V, a rammer with one hundred, or
more legs, placed in the block U by V grooves W an indicator passing over the scale X,
to enable an operator to regulate the pressure of the rammer and prevent any
crushing of powder. When loading military cartridges a block with conical holes
to receive the points of the bullets is substituted in the press for the rammer V.
The wads lubricators and bullets are inserted in the wad board and are pressed into
the cases at one time; the block presses upon the bullets and the bullets act
as a rammer in pressing into the cases the wads and lubricators; the bullets being
inserted in the board last.
In Sheet IV. Y is four turning down tools attached to four spindles, and the
spindles fixed in the centre of four toothed wheels Z. u, a central spindle with
toothed wheel, connected with b and c a crank and handle for imparting a circular
motion to the central spindle which in turn imparts it to the toothed wheels and
turning down tools. two prongs to steady the four turner down. e, four nozzles
to prevent the cases bulging & to slightly grip them and in conjunction with the
sheet of india rubber to prevent the cases turning round, that is to say the
slight grip of the nozzles and the resistance of the india rubber on the cap ends
of the cases, prevent the cases turning round when being turned down. f a lever
travelling along the guide or arm g. ha slot along which the four turner down travels
i supports for the guide or arm g. With the exception of the handle this turning
down implement is all of iron, the handle being wood. In Fig. 13 the turning down
implement is shown in position over a section of the main block, ready for turning
down four cases. The thirty small holes in plan view of main block Fig. 14 are
intended for the reception of the prongs of the four turner down.
C
In loading cartridges I place upon the loading bench, two machines one for powder
and one for shot (the construction of both machines E being the same and according to
the foregoing description) and connect them with their respective reservoirs
by making fast the screw joint I in cach tube, I place the block A filled with cases
into the framework of the machine open the highest valve in the tube H and close it
again allowing a few seconds to elapse between the opening and closing. I then
open the lower valve and allow the charge of powder to pass into the machine, closing
the under valve. I repeat this operation till I have let fall three measures of powder.
I then slightly shake the top of the machine to scatter the powder-I now push back
the slide K as in Fig. 6 and draw forward the upper half of the machine and push
it back again in the usual way of loading, and then draw forward the slide K
as in Fig. 5. In giving the next charge of powder I only let one charge down from
the tube as two charges are still remaining in the machine. By keeping both valves
of the tube open I can have a continuous supply of powder if 1 do not wish
it measured When I wish to use the slide K on the stationary plan, 1 pass the
small bolt shown in Fig. 2 at P into it, and in dropping the powder into the cases I
draw the top half of the machine quickly forward and push it quickly back again.

page_text: I now take the wad board for thick wads and place the board for thick Fig. 7.
under it the pegs being in the holes, and scatter the wads over the surface of the
wad board till filled, I withdraw the main block A from the framework of the
machine placing the wad board upon it and keeping the powder in the cases
under cover of the wads and board. I now place the block A under the press
rammer Fig. 9 and press the wads into the cases by turning round the handles
attached to the screw observing the indicator W passing over the scale X till
the desired pressure is given when I raise the screw and remove the main block A
placing it into the machine intended to give the charge of shot. The same operation
is gone through in charging the cases with shot as described in charging with
powder, and the process of placing the thin wads in the wad board and cases
is the same as described in placing thick wads, the pronged board intended for thin
wads being used under the wad board. After the thin wads have been pressed into
the cases I place the main block A under the turning down implement as in Fig. 13,
with my left hand I bring down the lever fand with my right grasp the four turner
down placing the prongs d into the first two perforated holes in the main block
at the left hand corner of the block from myself, then press the lever down
with my left hand and rotate the handle of the turner down with my right. When
1 have turned down four cases I raise the lever and draw the turner down along the
slot, towards myself and turn down other four. I continue this movement till
I have turned down one double row, when I move the lever along the guide g
over another double row of cases and go through the same operation as in the first
double row, only moving the four turner down along the lever in a direction away
from myself. In this manner I weave over the cases in the block, till they are
all turned down. In loading military cartridges only one machine is necessary, and
that is to charge the cases with powder.
Great speed may be attained in loading cartridges when more than one person
is engaged in loading with the machine, as the several processes may be going on
at one time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1st. The arrangement by which the main block of the machine is made moveable.
2nd. The covering in of the top of the machine to prevent exposure of powder and
the use of a tube from a reservoir to give a measured or continuous supply of
powder.
3rd. The use of a slide to shed off the powder, or shot, and the two plans of using
this slide.
4th. The use of two boards with pegs to facilitate the filling of the wad boards.
5th. The plan of placing the wads, and in the case of military cartridges, the
lubricators wads and bullets, into the cases by means of a screw press, with the
indicator to enable the desired pressure to be given.
6th. The plan of turning down the loaded cases as they stand in the block with the
turning down implement.
All as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Thirtioth day of July Eighteen hundred and sighty seven.