Improvements in Cordite Loading Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application. 26th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 14th Apr.. 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cordite Loading Machines.
We G. KYNOCH AND COMPANY LIMITED, Manufacturers and EDWARD JONES,
Works Manager, both of Lion Works, Witton, in the County of Warwick, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to machines for loading cartridges with cordite, and our
object is to so arrange the machines that one movement of a foot or hand lever
completes the operation of loading and cutting off the cordite.
In existing machines the movement of a foot lever causes certain grippers to
seize the cordite and advance it into the cartridge case while a seperate move-
ment of a cutting knife operated by hand cuts off the charge of cordite inserted into
the case.
The movement of the foot and hand levers have thus to be timed together to
perform the operations correctly.
In carrying our invention into effect we arrange upon a sliding bar which forms
part of the existing machine, a pivoted inclined piece which upon one stroke of the
said sliding bar operates one end of a lever which lever carries a cutting knife.
The end of the lever in contact with the inclined piece preferable carries a roller.
The sliding bar is operated from the foot lever and is so arranged as to time and
extent of movement that the cordite is cut off by the said movement of the lever
upon the incline. The incline is so arranged that after the cordite is cut off the
continued movement causes the end of the roller or lever to pass over the upper
edge of the incline, and so the lever drops over the incline pulled down by a
spring and on the return stroke of the sliding bar the end of the lever passes under
the pivoted inclined piece, raising it up and allowing it to fall again.
By this arrangement of lever passing over the end of an incline, dropping, and
then lifting the incline on the return stroke, we are enabled to combine the operation
of cutting the cordite with the feeding, and dispense with a seperate movement of a
hand or foot lever.
Dated this 25th day of April 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cordite Loading Machines.
We, GEORGE KYNOCH AND COMPANY LIMITED Manufacturers and EDWARD
JONES Works Manager both of Lion Works, Witton, in the County of Warwick,
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:-
Our invention relates to machines for loading cartridges with cordite, and our
object is to so arrange the machines, that one movement of a foot or hand lever
completes the operation of loading and cutting off the cordite.
In existing machines the movement of a foot lever causes certain grippers to
seize the cordite, and advance it into the cartridge case, while a separate move-
ment of a cutting knife operated by hand, cuts off the charge of cordite inserted
into the case.

page_text: The movement of the foot and band levers have thus to be timed together to
perform the operations correctly.
In carrying our invention into effect we arrange upon a sliding bar which
forms part of the existing machines, a pivoted inclined piece which upon one
stroke of the said sliding bar operates one end of a lever which lever carries a cutting
knife.
The end of the lever in contact with the inclined piece preferably carries a roller.
The sliding bar is operated from the foot lever and is so arranged as to time and
extent of movement that the cordite is cut off by the said movement of the lever
upon the incline. The incline is so arranged that after the cordite is cut off the
continued movement causes the end of the roller or lever to pass over the upper
edge of the incline, and so the lever drops over the incline pulled down by a spring
and on the return stroke of the sliding bar the end of the lever passes under the
pivoted incline piece, raising it up and allowing it to fall again.
By this arrangement of lever passing over the end of an incline, dropping, and
then lifting the incline on the return stroke, we are enabled to combine the operations
of cutting the cordite with the feeding, and dispense with a separate movement of
a. hand or foot lever.
Referring to the two sheets of accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is an elevation of an existing machine, without its wooden framing,
having applied to it our invention for automatically cutting off the cordite after it
has been fed into the cartridge case.
Figure 2 is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan corresponding to Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a full size end elevation of the automatic cutting mechanism.
Figure 6 is a full size side elevation corresponding to Figure 4, and
Figure 5 is a plan also full size.
•
The operation of the existing machine is as follows-The pedal A is depressed
and this raises the weight A' at the end of the pedal lever and also the rod B.
The rod B is attached to the parallel levers C, C and its rise depresses the
stirrup C and raises the projection B. The depression or lowering of the
stirrup C allows the weighted lever E to fall, and thus permits the gripper
part of the said lever to grip the cordite O. The rise of the projection B² at
the same time raises the stationary weighted gripper lever E' and liberates the
said cordite O at that end of the machine. The further rise of the rod B causes
the lower end of the slot B' in the rod B to come into contact with the slide piece
attached to the short end of the bell crank D and so causes the long end of that
lever to travel in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1). The said lever D is linked
to a slide carrying the weighted gripper lever E, and so the gripper lever E is
also moved forward in the direction of the arrow and as the weight is down the
cordite strands are carried forward and pushed into the cartridge case L; when
the gripper lever E reaches the termination of its stroke almost in contact with the
guide piece F then the cordite has been pushed the desired length into the said
case L and the foot is raised from the pedal A. The rod B then falls actuated by
the weight shown and the reverse operations occur; that is, the front gripper
lever E first releases and the back gripper lever El seizes the cordite. The lever E
with its slide then begins to move back and brings into operation the automatic
cutting off gear which forms the subject of the present invention.
The sliding bar I is actuated by a projection P from the slide carrying the lever E
which projection acts on two stops 1' land when the pedal A is allowed to rise
the bar I is moved in the direction of the arrow (Figure 3). The circular knife G
is mounted on a lever ( carrying at one end a small roller G (Figures 4, 5 an i 6)
and this lever. is acted on by a spring which pulls the roller G' against a path on
the sliding bar I; as the bar I moves in the direction of the arrows Figures 3
and 6, the roller G2 runs up a pivoted incline piece H held against the bar I by
the spring K, one end of the lever G₁ is thus raised and the other end carrying
the circular knife G is depressed. The said knife is thus caused to cut off the

page_text: charge of cordite which has been introduced into the cartridge case L. As the
sliding bar I moves on further in the same direction the roller Gruns over the edge G
and again strikes the surface of the bar, pulled down by the spring. The circular
knife G is thus raised again ready for another cut.
The two positions of the knife G and its lever G¹ are indicated by the dotted and
full lines Figure 4. When the cordite is again advanced the bar I is moved in the
opposite direction from the arrows Figures 3 and 6 and the roller G' runs under
the pivoted incline piece H raising it, and then allowing it to be snapped into place
again by the spring K ready for again acting to raise the roller G' and depress the
knife G to cause another charge of cordite to be cut off.
By this our invention we are enabled to cut off the charge of cordite auto-
matically at the desired time when it has been fully pushed into the cartridge
case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a cordite loading machine, a device. for automatically cutting off the
charge of cordite consisting of an incline piece caused to act on a knife by the
movement of the gripper, which advances the cordite when the said gripper has
released and is on its back stroke to take another grip, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In a cordite loading machine, a device for automatically cutting off the
charge of cordite consisting of a knife actuated by a lever, the said lever being
operated by a pivoted or movable incline piece arranged to allow the end of
the lever to pass over at one end and pass under the incline on the return move-
ment so as to be in position to act on the next stroke, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The attachment for automatically cutting off a charge of cordite in a cordite
loading machine, constructed and operating substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1894.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.