Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALFRED ATTWOOD of Canal Head Foundry, Ulverston in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
My improved press is designed to enable a continuous supply of compressible
material to be fed into the machine & discharged continuously in the form of
cylindrical, square, triangular, or other form of pellets, of any required length &
diameter.
The machine consists of a hollow Box Bed-plate carrying at one end a crank-
shaft, flywheel and belt pulley driven from a line shaft in the usual way. The
crank gives motion to a connecting rod and crosshead of similar form to an ordinary
horizontal Engine. To the crosshead are coupled 2 pairs of links vertically, one
pair extending upward, the other downward. These latter give motion by centre
pins to 2 strong levers of the 1st. order fixed horizontally & having a rocking
motion due to the horizontal travel of the crosshead & links. The further end of
these levers give motion vertically to the die plungers which slide up & down in
suitable guides. Between these plungers a circular Die Block revolves horizontally
(on a centre pin) in a circle having a number of vertical dies set in it near its
outer circumference, which dies are brought in rotation between the vertical
plungers by a ratchet & pawl motion operated from the cross-head or from a shaft
driven at right angles to the crank-shaft by bevil gear. Each die has a loose
bottom plug resting on an inner shoulder of the die, the plug being extended below
the bottom of the die as far as the bottom plunger rises so that the latter does not
enter the die at all, but the material is compressed between the top plunger and
the loose plug.
The compressed cartridges are discharged upwards by a third plunger working
vertically under the opposite side of the circular die block & taking its motion
from the extended end of the lower main lever. As the cartridge is ejected from

page_text: the die it is taken between a pair of India-rubber rollers & lifted either into a.
box or on to a canvas band or conveyor by which it can be taken to the packing
bench.
The feeding apparatus is placed at one side of the die block and above it. It
consists of a hopper into which the material is fed and a measuring box under it
by which the material is measured and discharged into the dies before they pass
between the plungers. This box contains either a revolving block with radial holes
each of the capacity of one charge, or, a pair of slides with a space between equal
to the capacity of the charge, which slides are opened & shut alternately by levers
& cams operated from the side shaft.
When used for Gunpowder, all the parts of the machine likely to be in contact
with the powder are made of Brass or Phosfer Bronze the remainder of the machine
being covered if necessary with a wood box.

page_text: tridges or Pellets of Gunpowder, Lime, Coffee, Tea, and
other Concretive Substances.
I, ALFRED ATTWOOD of Canal Head Foundry, Ulverston, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer,. do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Improved Press is designed to enable a continuous supply of compressible
material to be fed into the machine and discharged continuously in the form of
cylindrical, square, triangular or other form of pellets, of any required length and
diameter.
The machine consists of a hollow Box Bed plate carrying at one end a crank
shaft A. fly-wheel, and belt pulley driven from a line shaft in the usual way. The
crank gives motion to a connecting rod B. and crosshead C. of similar form to an
ordinary horizontal engine. To the crosshead C are coupled 2 pairs of links DD
vertically, one pair extending upward, the other downward. These links give
motion by centre pins to 2 strong levers E E¹ of the first order fixed horizontally
& having a vertical motion due to the horizontal travel of the crosshead & links,
The further end of these levers give motion vertically to the die plungers F & G.
which slide up and down in suitable guides. Between these plungers a circular
Die Block H revolves horizontally (on a centre pin) in a circle, having a number
of vertical dies J. J. J. set in it near its outer circumference, which dies are brought
in rotation between the vertical plungers by a ratchet and pawl motion operated
from a covered cam on the main shaft. Each die has a loose bottom plug K.
resting on an inner shoulder of the die, the plug being extended below the bottom
of the die as far as the bottom plunger rises; so that the latter does not enter the
die at all, but the material is compressed between the top plunger F and the loose
plug K.
The compressed cartridges are discharged upwards by a third plunger L working
vertically under the opposite side of the circular die block H & taking its motion
from the extended end of the lower main lever E¹. As the cartridge is ejected from
the die it is taken between a pair of indiarubber rollers & lifted either into a box or
on to a canvas band or conveyor by which it can be taken to the packing bench.
The feeding apparatus is placed at one side of the die block and above it. It
consists of a hopper M into which the material is fed and a measuring box N under
it by which the material is measured and discharged into the dies before they pass
between the plungers. This box contains either a revolving block with radial holes
each of the capacity of one charge-or-a pair of slides with a space between equal
to the capacity of one charge, which slides are opened & shut alternately by levers
& cams operated from the side shaft O from which the discharging rollers are also
driven.

page_text: The motion of the links D D is so arranged as to give a gradually increasing
intensity of pressure & slower motion on the plungers as the material is compressed.
The die block is revolved by a pawl R driven from a covered cam on the main
shaft A and a second pawl S having a positive motion from the same centre prevents
the possibility of the die block being driven past the plungers.
When used for Gunpowder all the parts of the machine likely to be in contact
with the powder are made of Brass or Phosfer bronze, the remainder of the machine
being covered if necessary with a wood Box.
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 method described of obtaining by means of compound levers & links a
great and increasing pressure on both ends of the cartridge as it is pressed in
the die.
2nd. The construction of the loose plugs in the dies.
3rd. The method of discharging the compressed pellet by a third plunger & pair
of rollers as described.
4th. The mode of filling the dies by a revolving block having holes round its
edge each of the capacity of one charge.
5th. The general arrangement of the gearing in the machine as described &
illustrated, for revolving the die block & driving the feed gear & discharging
apparatus.
Dated this 18th day of September 1886.