Improvements in Cartridge Loading Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Cartridge Loading Machines.
I, ARMIN TENNER, of 17 York Strasse, in the City of Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINES," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to a machine for loading Sporting cartridges with shot
charge.
The loading is effected in the following manner :—
The powder charge, which can be regulated according to requirement is filled into
the cartridge, a card board wad, then a felt wad and then a second card-board.. wad
inserted, after which the shot is filled in and a wad inserted above the same. The
upper edge of the paper or card-board cartridge shell is now either doubled inwards,
provided with an annular indentation or other suitable device for securely holding the
charge in position in the shell.
L
The quantity of powder and shot and the number of the latter is now printed on the
upper wad and the finished cartridge removed from the machine.
The mechanism for carrying out the various functions for loading a cartridge for
sporting purposes are all preferably arranged on one tool carrier and radially to the
vertically operating shaft nine mechanisms being necessary for filling the shell, insert-
ing the wads, indenting the shell or doubling over the edge of the same printing the
wad and removing the charged cartridge before the cartridge is finished.
Nine shell guides are arranged symmetrically to the aforementioned nine mechanisms
on a rotary disc in such manner that the charging mechanisms can operate direct on
the shells in the shell guides. The mechanism for driving the entire machine lies under
the rotary disc, causes a jerking movement of the same and also a rising and falling
movement of the vertical shaft, and all the nine mechanisms in such manner that whilst
the device for rotating the disc make its return stroke, the shaft moves downwards in
order to permit the tools to act on the cartridge shells.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a part of the machine in vertical
section with the driving mechanism.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the crank for causing the up and down movement of the
shaft carrying the tool holder.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the machine with a part of the plate broken away
in order to show the mechanism for rotating the disc carrying the cartridge shells.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the mechanism for guiding the shells into the shell
carrier.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the cartridge charging apparatus.
Fig. 5 represents the slide for regulating the powder quantity.
Fig 6 is a partial vertical section of the mechanism for cutting the wads and
inserting the same in the cartridge the mechanism for all the wad cutting and inserting
mechanisms being of like construction.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the wad cutter and the piston for driving the same
into the cartridge on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 8 is a view of the intermetrically operated disc seen from below.
Fig. 9 is an elevation of the cam and tappet movement.
Fig. 10 is a vertical section of the mechanism for indenting the shell or turning
over the edge of the same.
Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the lower part of this mechanism on an enlarged
scale.
Fig. 12 represents the apparatus for printing the wad and driving out the finished
cartridge partly in section and partly in elevation.
I will now proceed to describe the various mechanisms or operative parts of the
machine in succession and the action of the same in loading the cartridge whereas the
mechanism for causing the intermittent motion of the disc containing the shells
beneath the loading mechanism and the rising and sinking of the mechanism carrier A,
and the general operation of the machine will be described later on. For clearness
sake the constructive parts of the various mechanisms or tools and the lettering of the
same are numbered in correspondence with the operation to which the cartridge is
subjected, id est the mechanism for feeding the cartridges into the disc are provided
with the index 1, the mechanism for filling in the powder charge with 2 and so on.
The carrier or holder A of the machine which carries all the loading mechanisms is
mounted on the vertical shaft B which moves up and down and around which the
disc C turns said disc being provided with chambers D for carrying the cartridges E.
The mechanism for feeding in the empty cartridge shells E (Fig. 3) is constructed as
follows:
The cartridge shells pass from the guide tube ¹ into a chamber in the frame of the
machine under which a slide g¹ makes a reciprocating movement so that the cartridge
shell is brought beneath the cartridge chamber D. The movement of the slide glis
effected by the bell crank lever ef₁ the slot or pin h¹ of which is connected to the
slide g¹ said bell crank lever receiving its motion from the connecting rod d' of the
two armed bifurcated lever c¹ which is connected by the link or arm 6 to the arm a¹
rigidly fixed to the main carrier or holder A.
When now the carrier A is moved upwards the slide g¹ is moved forwards and
retires when the carrier A moves downwards so that an empty shell can fall out of the
guide in front of the end of the said slide g¹ which in making its next stroke will
push the shell under the cartridge chamber D attached to the disc C or made of one
piece with the same. The empty cartridge is pushed into the cartridge chamber D by
a rod which is guided in straight vertical direction in two bearings and is connected
to the one end of the bell crank lever e¹ by means of two articulated rods k¹.
The cartridge shell which has been pushed into the cartridge chamber by the
mechanism as described above is now guided to the mechanism (Fig. 4) by the further
rotation of the disc C by means of which the adjustable quantity of powder is filled
into the cartridge. The powder passes from a powder receptacle of funnel like
form the lower outlet of which is closed by a slide when the same has been moved
back at the lowest position of the carrier A.
On the other hand if the slide f' is moved outwards towards the periphery of the
machine the orifice in the slide will be filled with powder and when the slide is again
moved inwards the orifice will stand immediately above the cartridge E into which
the powder passes.

page_text: The movement of the slide 2 is caused by the lever b² with curved slot c³ in which
an antifriction roller or pivot of the arm a² fixed to the carrier A runs.
The quantity of powder for each charge can be regulated by means of the adjusting
screw and plate g² so as to lessen or increase the size of the orifice
slide f².
in the
The mechanism for charging the cartridge with shot is of like construction with the
foregoing and will therefore need no special description.
The cartridge having in the manner aforedescribed been provided with its powder
charge is now passed on by the next movement of the intermittently moving disc C
under the mechanisms for cutting and inserting the cardboard and felt wads, the
construction of which is represented in Figs. 6 and 7.
The cardboard and felt strips G are fed intermittently to the circular or tubular
cutter and cut up into wads giving a minimum quantity of waste.
The up and
down movement of the cutter 13 onto the stem of which a nut h³ with pin or peg
is screwed is effected by the sector d³ with the slots e³ and f³ and sector moving
around the fulcrum g³.
The pivot in the nut 3 on the cutter stem 1³ is guided in the curved slot f³.
The action of the slot f³ on the pivot or antifriction roller causes the cutter 1³ to
rise after cutting a wad out of the strip G with the wad and remain in this position
until the wad driver k³ on the arni a³ drives the wad out of the cutter and forces the
same into the cartridge E.
The sector d³ receives its movement from the antifriction roller or pin 6³ in the
arm a fixed to the carrier A which said roller or pin glides into the slot e³ of the
sector d³.
The intermitting motion of the cardboard or full strip G is caused by a ratchet and
pawl arrangement m³ which is operated by the articulated rod n³ and the two armed
lever o³, the bifurcated end of which is in gear with a pin p³ of the horizontal rod 3
being provided with a roller s³ which runs on the undulating surface F of the disc C
so that when the said disc rotates the rod 3 lever o³ and rod n³ will communicate an
intermittent movement to the ratchet wheel and the guide rollers through which the
strip of pasteboard or felt is guided.
The cartridge receives three wads above the powder two of cardboard or pasteboard
and one of felt between the two cardboard wads the mechanism for cutting and
inserting the said wads being of like construction.
The shot, the charge of which can be regulated, is now fed into the cartridge by
means of a mechanism corresponding to that for feeding in the powder charge and
above this charge of shot a suitable wad inserted.
The position of the mechanisms for carrying out the various operations in loading
the cartridge is represented in Fig. 2.
Now that the last wad has been inserted and the cartridge loaded the whole charge
is held firmly in the cartridge by folding the upper edge of the cartridge by means of
the mechanism represented in Fig. 10 and 11.
The arm a fixed to the carrier A carries a detachable wooden or other guide
cylinder 68 which serves as guide for the part d³ of the holder c8 for the folding
tool 18.
The holder c can be moved readily up and down in the guide 68 for which purpose
the part d is provided with a slot e through which the bolt 8 passes so as to raise
the holder when the carrier A rises in order to allow the further rotation of
the disc C.
The folding tool can be adjusted by means of suitable screws in the slide j³ which
receives a lateral movement when the carrier A descends by the pins n³ being in gear
with the bifurcated end of the lever turning around its fulcrum m8 whilst the pins
or studs of the lever are guided in inclined slots 8 in a lateral extension g³ of
the guide B³.
The height in which the indentation or fold in the cartridge shell and above the
closing wad is to be made depends on the charge and can be regulated by means of
the screw p³, the head of which forms the lowest point for the folding tool holder c³.

page_text: When the carrier A descends the bolt ƒ³ forms a mandril 08 into the cartridge E
said mandril being provided with recesses to receive the folded papers, cardboard or
metal.
The cartridge now comes under the last tool or mechanism for printing the strength
of the powder and shot charge and the number of the shot employed. This mechanism
is represented in Fig. 12.
The arm a carries the stamping and ejecting mandril 6 provided at its lower end
with india rubber type c which print the desired letters, and figures on the upper wad
of the cartridge when the carrier A. sinks and by the further downward movement of
the said carrier A ejects the finished cartridge from the machine.
The type are automatically inked by the inking roller i at each ascending
movement of the carrier A as the adjustable sleeve d" on the mandril 6º is connected
to the lever combination e f g h which carry the inking roller i³..
The intermittent or stepwise movement of the disc C carrying the cartridge
chambers D and the ascending and descending movement of the shaft B with the
tool carrier or holder A can be effected from a common driving shaft in any desired
manner.
The driving mechanism as shown for example in the accompanying drawings is
constructed and operated as follows:-
The driving power communicated by any suitable motor or driving mechanism to the
main shaft I is transmitted by the crank K connecting rod L and the two armed
lever M to a rod N which acts by means of an adjustable universal joint on an arm O
arranged to move around the vertical shaft B. This arm O is provided with a rack P
the end of which gears into recesses Q in the edge F of the disc C during the inter-
mittent movement of the disc C id est the rack P gears during the forward movement
of the rod N in the recesses Q of the surface F on the disc C and causes the same to
participate in the said movement.
When the rack P is not in gear with the disc the same remains still so that the
mechanisms are set in action by the descending movement of the carrier A and carry
out their functions. The rack P is released from its gear with the recesses Q by
means of a toothed sector S which comes into gear with the rack P when the rod N
completes its forward stroke said sector S being set in action by its spindle the rack
freed from its gear with the disc so that the same will remain standing still during the
rear movement of the rod N.
The whole machine is so arranged that in the same moment when the rack P is
released from gear with the disc C the mechanisms operate on the cartridges and
thus prevent all further movement of the disc C. The spindle U is driven from the
main driving shaft by means of suitable bevel wheels and a grooved cam V in the
cam groove of which a stud or pivot on the excentric arm V' of the spindle U
(Fig. 9) runs.
By the return stroke of the rod N, which is guided by the rod W, the rack P is
is moved forwards by a suitable spring (not shown in the drawing) and pressed against
the surface F of the disc so that the nose of the rack will gear into the next
following recess Q and thus move the disc forwards when the rod N is again
operated.
The ascending and descending movement of the shaft B to which the carrier A for
the various mechanisms are fixed is effected by a crank R the shaft T of which is
driven by means of suitable gearing from the main driving shaft I.
It will be evident from the foregoing that my invention can be modified in various
ways without departing from the tenor of my said invention.
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,
A machine for loading sporting cartridges in which the cartridge shells are guided
under the various mechanisms by an intermittently rotating disc, said mechanisms being
attached to a common rising and descending carrier and operated by the said

page_text: ascending and descending movement so as to effect the loading of the cartridge
and the removal of the same from the machine characterised by the following
mechanisms
-
1. The mechanism for feeding the empty cartridge shells into the machine con-
sisting of the guide tube arm a¹ lever c', rod d¹, bell crank lever e¹ƒ¹,
slide g¹, rod and the articulated rods ¹ substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and shown on the drawings.
2. The mechanism for charging the shell with powder or shot consisting of the
slide with adjustable charging opening which is operated by the lever and is
guided under the powder or shot receptacle and above the cartridges in the cartridge
chambers D) on the disc (substantially as and for the purpose set forth and shown
on the drawings.
3. The mechanism for cutting out and driving in the card or pasteboard and the
felt wads consisting of the cylindrical cutter which is operated by the sector d³ and
which cuts out the wads from the intermittently fed strip of board or felt by means
of the ratchet and pawl device said wads being then driven into the cartridge by the
mandril 3 whilst the intermittent movement of the ratchet and pawl device is effected
by means of the undulating surface F of the disc the rod and the levers n³ 03
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and shown on the drawings.
4. The mechanism for ejecting and printing the loaded cartridge from the machine
consisting of the mandril 6 with type c said type being provided with ink by the
roller operated by the lever combination e f g h substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and shown on the drawings.
5. The general construction arrangement and combination of the parts in my
improved cartridge loading machine substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
shown on the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of June 1888
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.