Improvements relating to Cartridge Loading Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Cartridge Loading Machines.
I, JAMES RAMSAY, of Glendower, Erith Road, Erith, in the County of Kent, 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 to provide simple and efficient means whereby the
various operations requisite for properly inserting and securing a projectile in a charged
cartridge case and generally known as "assembling choking " and " rectifying,"
can be performed by one machine instead of by several machines as heretofore.
According to my invention the cartridge-case to be loaded is held in a cylindrical
holder which is adapted to be revolved in any desired manner, and the projectile with
which the cartridge is to be provided is placed in a semi-cylindrical guide within
which a pusher or piston is adapted to work and thrust the projectile into the mouth
of the cartridge-case. At a point contiguous to the mouth of the cartridge-case is
arranged an indenting roller mounted in a suitable spring-controlled pivoted frame.
This frame is adapted to be oscillated by a cam-disc or other device for the purpose. of
bringing the edge of the indenting roller in contact with the cartridge-case and,
by indenting the metal thereof, of firmly retaining the projectile in place. The
tension of the spring by which the said pivoted frame is controlled is preferably made
adjustable and suitable means are provided for elevating the frame a sufficient distance
to enable the cartridge to be removed from the machine after its treatment therein
has been completed.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the accompany-
ing drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Figure 2 is a plan, and
Figure 3 an end view thereof.
Figure 4 is a local transverse section taken approximately on the line 1-1 of
Figure 2.
A is the cylindrical cartridge holder which is rotatably mounted in a standard B
forming part of the framing of the machine. The said holder is prevented from end-
wise movement by collars a a³, the collar a being integral with the holder and the
collar a forming part of the cam disc a² which secured to the said holder and here-
inafter more fully described. The interior of the holder is made of the shape of the
cartridge case it is intended to receive and its outer end is provided with an opening
through which the cartridge case can be inserted. This opening is closed by a hinged
shutter A¹ which prevents the cartridge case from being longitudinally displaced
during the operation of thrusting the projectile into the case. The shutter is also
adapted to press firmly against the head of the cartridge case and cause the latter to
be tightly held in place so that when the said holder is revolved by the crank handle A²
or other appropriate means the said case will revolve with it. C is the pusher or piston
for thrusting the projectile in the mouth of the cartridge case; it is loosely mounted on
the inner end of a screw threaded spindle (which is carried in a standard B¹ forming

page_text: part of the framing of the machine. The said spindle is arranged co-axially with the
cartridge case and is furnished at its outer end with a hand wheel C2 or other convenient
means for enabling it to be revolved. D is the semi-cylindrical guide which is carried
by the said standard B¹ and within which the projectile is supported truly in alignment
with the mouth of the cartridge case during its insertion. E is the frame carrying the
indenting roller E¹.
This frame is of segmental shape and is pivotally connected at e
to the upper part of a pillar B2; the opposite end of the said frame is coupled by a
pin e to a rod e² which is vertically arranged within an upright B³. The said rod is
surrounded by a spring e3 which is contained in a cavity b in the upright, and the lower
end of the rod is furnished with a nut e by which the tension of the said spring can be
adjusted. The upper part of the rod is provided with a screw threaded portion e' to
receive a correspondingly screw threaded handle e. By shifting this handle angularly,
the rod e² can be caused to slide longitudinally and so elevate the frame E to hold its
indenting roller out of contact with the cartridge case. When the said frame is released
its indenting roller E¹ is brought into contact with the cartridge case,
and the pressure
exerted by the spring e³ combined with the rotation of the cartridge case causes the roller
to form in the case an indentation of more or less depth according as the nut et is adjusted
to increase or diminish the tension of said spring. The aforesaid cam disc a² is screwed
or otherwise attached to the inner end of the rotary holder A and is formed on its
edge with a series of protuberances a³ which when the said holder A is revolved act
successively upon a roller e7 on the frame E. The said frame thereby receives an
oscillatory movement about its pivot e whereby its indenting roller is at intervals
removed from contact with the cartridge case so that the indentations it forms therein
are made discontinuous for preventing gaping of the mouth of the cartridge case
during the indenting operation.
In order to prevent the handle e from shifting angularly during its endwise
reciprocation as the frame E oscillates the boss of the said handle is provided with a
spring catch es which engages with a recess e, such recess being elongated to permit
of the rising and falling of the said handle with the frame E and rod e². A similar
recess elo is provided diametrically opposite the recess e, to receive the spring catch
when the handle is turned into a position to raise the frame E.
The working of the machine is as follows:-A cartridge case (having been
previously charged with the explosive) is inserted endwise through the opening in the
outer end of the rotary holder A and the shutter A¹ is closed. The pusher C
having been retracted by revolving the hand wheel C2, the projectile is laid within
the guide D with its base directed toward the mouth of the cartridge case. The
hand wheel C2 is then revolved in the opposite direction whereby the pusher is
caused to advance with the projectile and thrust the latter into the mouth of the
cartridge case. This operation, which I term the "assembling," having been
completed the handle is turned into the position represented in the drawings
whereby the frame E is subjected to the influence of the spring e³ and its roller e
brought into contact with the cam disc a². The crank handle A2 is then revolved and
rotary motion thus imparted to the holder A, the cartridge case therein, and the cam
disc a² which, as stated above, forms part of the holder. As the cam disc revolves its
protuberances act on the roller e' of the spring controlled frame E and oscillate the
latter, thereby causing the indenting roller E¹ to intermittently come into contact
with the cartridge case. The metal of the cartridge case is thus gradually pressed into
the circumferential groove in the projectile by the formation of the series of indentations
in the said case. This I term the "choking" operation. During this operation both the
cartridge case and the projectile revolve, the latter being permitted to do so by reason
of the pusher C being loosely connected to the spindle C¹. Any deviation of the
projectile from proper alignment with the mouth of the cartridge case during
the assembling operation, or any eccentric displacement during the choking operation
is rectified by the semi-cylindrical interior surface of the guide Dagainst which the
projectile revolves; this I term the "rectifying' operation.
The machine illustrated in the drawings is more particularly adapted for dealing
with ammunition for quick firing automatic guns but it will be obvious that by slight

page_text: modification of its details it can be adapted for dealing with cartridges for other
guns.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, in one machine, of mechanism for effecting the various
operations of assembling, choking and rectifying ammunition.
2. The oscillatory frame E provided with an adjustable spring and means for putting
said frame into and out of action, for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the reciprocating pusher of the semi-cylindrical guide D
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. A machine having its parts constructed arranged and adapted to operate
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the
purposes specified.
Dated this 10th March 1898
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.