Improved Machinery for Compressing Gunpowder or other Material into Pellets.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machinery for Compressing Gunpowder or other Material
into Pellets.
I HENRY GREENWOOD of Albion Works, Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The chief object of this invention is to produce pellets of gunpowder of a given
size and weight by machinery, which, acting automatically, will give them the
required size and density, and minimise the danger attendant on such manufacture.
In attaining this object, I provide a measuring apparatus which will take the
requisite proportion of powder from a feed tube, and deliver it to a set of dies, (say,
four in number) carried by a rotating horizontal table, which dies are fitted at
bottom with loose compressing plungers, and are severally entered at top by a
pendent compressing plunger.
The advance of these plungers towards each other, as each charged die is brought
into coincidence with the descending plunger, will effect the conversion of the
powder into a cylindrical pellet. On the withdrawal of the plunger, the table will
receive a partial rotation, to bring the formed pellet immediately over a discharging
propeller rod, and the rise of this rod will cause the pellet to be discharged from its
die into a delivery shute.
The turn-table which carries the moulding dies, fits in a ring guide formed in a
bracket bolted to the front of the main framing. This table is keyed to a vertical
shaft which, at its lower end, carries a star wheel slotted radially to receive the
driving pin of a crank plate mounted below it on a stud axle. Made fast to the
boss of this crank plate, is a spur wheel to receive motion from a pinion
on a second
vertical shaft driven through mitre gear from the main driving shaft of the
machine.
This shaft has its bearings in the main framing, and carries fast and loose pulleys
at one end, and a fly wheel at the other for steadying the motion of the machine.
A spur pinion on this driving shaft gears into a spur wheel on a horizontal cam
shaft from which the motion of the compressing plungers are derived.
The upper plunger, and the propeller rod, which actuates the lower plungers
while compressing, are fitted to vertical slides which work in guides on the face of
the framing. To each slide, vertical motion is imparted through toggle levers
connected by links to rock levers, jointed together, and receiving a rocking motion
from cams on the cam shaft, one cam serving to thrust the plungers into action, and
a second to release them from pressure, and draw the upper plunger clear of the
die. The upper plunger I prefer to make hollow, to receive a needle which is free
to slide therein, as in a guide, and project into the mass of uncompressed powder in
the die, so that when the pressure applied, the pellet will be moulded into a
hollow cylinder.
The slide which carries this needle receives an independent motion from a grooved
face cam on the cam shaft; a bowle carried by a rod pendent from a rock lever to
which the needle slide is attached, serving to transmit, from the face cam, the
desired vertical motions to the needle. Upon the bracket which carries the turn-
table is fitted a bracket casting, which carries two horizontal plates bored to receive
the trunnions of a measuring wheel wbich is mounted between them. Into and
through the upper plate, the feed tube for the powder projects, and pendent from
the lower plate is a delivery tube.
The measuring wheel consists of two discs connected together by two tubes
situate at opposite sides of the axis of motion of the measuring wheel, and designed
to come into coincidence alternately with the feed tube and the discharge tube.

page_text: The capacity of these tubes in the measuring wheel is such, that they will receive
respectively the requisite amount of powder to form a pellet.
An axial motion is imparted to this wheel through a reciprocating rack actuated
from the cam shaft, each advance of the rack serving to impart a semi-rotation to
the wheel. Thus, the measuring tubes are caused alternately to receive and to
deliver a charge of powder to the delivery tube. This tube is situate over the
turn-table, and in such position that the dies will, as the table moves round step by
step, be severally presented to the tube, and receive a charge of powder therefrom.
When this powder has been submitted to pressure, as described, the next movement
of the table will bring the die containing the compressed pellet over a second
propelling rod, which, engaging with the plunger that forms the moving bottom
of the die, will thrust up that plunger, and cause it to drive the pellet out of
the die.
The pellet thus discharged from the table will be received into a tube pendent
from an inclined shute, and it will be held in suspension in this tube by the pressure
of a weighted lever until the next succeeding pellet brought round. The rise of
this second pellet in the tube will cause the suspended pellet to escape from the
pressure of the weighted lever, and enter the inclined shute, whence it will be
discharged into a suitable receiver.
The discharging propeller rod works in fixed guides, and is slotted to receive the
end of an arm for imparting vertical motion thereto. This arm is carried by a
fixed centre, and it is vibrated by being connected with the slide which carries the
propelling rod for actuating the lower plungers of the dies.
Thus, simultaneously with the compression of one pellet, another is discharged
from the turn-table, as described.
Datad bin 9th 1 FM 1001
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machinery for Compressing Gunpowder or other Material
into Pellets.
I HENRY GREENWOOD of Albion Works, Leeds, in the County of York,
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:-
The chief object of this invention, is to produce pellets of gunpowder of a given
size and weight by machinery, which, acting automatically, will give them the
required size and density, and minimise the danger attendant on such manufacture.
In attaining this object, I provide a measuring apparatus which will take the
requisite proportion of powder from a feed tube, and deliver it to a set of dies, (say,
four in number) carried by a rotating horizontal table, which dies are fitted at
bottom with loose compressing plungers, and are severally entered at top by a
pendent compressing plunger.
The advance of these plungers towards each other. as each charged die is brought
into coincidence with the descending plunger, will effect the conversion of the
powder into a cylindrical pellet. On the withdrawal of the pendent plunger, the
table will receive a partial rotation, to bring the formed pellet immediately over a
discharging propeller, the rise of which will cause the pellet to be discharged from
its die into a delivery shute.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a back elevation; and,
Figure 4 is a plan or top view of the machine.

page_text: a pian view of the means or imparting an intermittent axial motion
to the die table.
Figure 6 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through one of the dies,
shewing the compressing plungers in action; and
Figure 7 is a section of one of the dies, shewing the discharging plunger raised,
and projecting the pellet into a shute which guides the pellets into a suitable
receptacle.
A A is a box casting, forming the standard of the machine, and within this
casting, which is open at front, the compressing mechanism is situate.
B is the die table, mounted in a rebated ring bracket A¹ bolted to the casting A.
This table B is keyed to a vertical shaft B, which passes through a bearing A²
forming part of the casting A.
Keyed to the lower part of the shaft B', is a radially slotted star wheel B2, which,
receiving from a crank pin an intermittent axial motion, imparts the same to
the table.
This table is fitted with four dies bb, which are each seated in a tubular holder b',
the lower end of which depends below the table, and is slotted longitudinally for
the purpose to be presently explained.
c, e, are plungers which fit their respective dies b, and form movable bottoms to
those dies. They are prevented from dropping away from the dies by means of a
screw stud attached to their respective holders ¹, which stud underlies a collar el
of the plunger.
To prevent the plunger from moving axially, this collar is grooved, and caused
to interlock with a feather formed in the pendent guide of the tubular holder bl.
Each plunger rod c is provided with a second collar c², a portion of which is cut
away to provide a space for the reception of an interlocking projection d formed in
the block d' carried by a slide D.
This slide works in vertical guides fitted to the box standard A, and receives
a vertical up and down motion, as will be hereafter explained, for the purpose of
lifting the compressing plungers e into action, and withdrawing them when the
action is completed.
e. is the pendent plunger, which, acting in combination with the several plungers c
consecutively, serves to compress the powder, and convert it into a pellet.
This plunger e is carried by a vertical slide E, which is so connected with the
slide D, that they move simultaneously to compress the powder, and afterwards
retire to permit of the discharge of the moulded pellet.
The slide E is pendent from a pair of toggle levers E', connected by a link E2
with a lever E³.
This lever has its fulcrum at 1, and it is connected at its lower end, at the point 2,
with a similar lever D³. This lever is fulcrummed loosely on a rock shaft 3, and
connected by a link D2 with a pair of toggle levers D', which serve to operate the
slide D.
The pin which connects the two levers D³, E³ carries a bowle f, which bears
against an edge cam F keyed to the cam shaft F*, which has its bearings in the
box standard A.
Projecting from the back of the lever E³, is an arm E, which carries a bowle g,
bearing on an edge cam G of the cam shaft F*.
It will now be understood, that when rotary motion is imparted to the cam shaft,
the toggles of the slides D and E will be straightened by the action of the cam F,
and pressure will consequently be imparted, through the plungers c, e, to the
powder in the dies, as they are brought severally under the plunger e. It will be
further understood, that on the completion of this action, the cam G will, through
the arm of the lever carrying the bowle y, bend the toggles, release the pellet
from pressure, and lift the plunger e clear of the die.
By reference to the drawings, it will be seen, that the moulded pellet takes the
form of a hollow cylinder, which is the form that I prefer.
To enable the machine to produce this form of pellet, I make the plunger e

page_text: hollow, as shewn best at Figure 6, and fit therein a needle h, which is free to
slide, as in a guide, and project into the mass of uncompressed powder in the
die, thereby forming a core around which the pellet is moulded.
This needle is attached to a slide H, which is fitted to the slide E, and
connects with the needle through a slot made in that slide (see Figure 2). The
slide H receives an intermittent motion from a grooved face cam H' on the cam
shaft F*, a bowle h' carried by a rod H2 working in guides, and pendent from
a rock lever H³, to which the needle slide is attached, serving to transmit, from
the face cam, the desired vertical motions of the needle.
Upon the ring bracket A', which carries the die table B, is fitted a bracket
casting A³, which carries two horizontal plates ii, bored to receive the trunnions
of a measuring wheel I, which is mounted between them. Into and through the
upper plate i, the feed tube I' for the powder projects, and pendent from the
lower plate is a delivery tube 12.
The measuring wheel consists of two vertical tubes connected together by a
pair of horizontal discs, which tubes are situate at equal distances from, and on
opposite sides of, the axis of motion of the measuring wheel. These tubes are designed
to come into coincidence alternately with the feed tube and the discharge tube.
The capacity of the measuring wheel tubes is such, that they will receive respec-
tively the requisite amount of powder to form a pellet, as they are brought into
coincidence, with the feed tube.
For imparting an axial motion to the measuring wheel, the upper disc of the
wheel I is formed with spur teeth, which gear into a horizontal spur wheel 1³
mounted in the bracket casting A³. A horizontal slot made through the rear of
this casting, forms a guide for the reception of a horizontal rack I, which imparts,
through the gearing, a reciprocating axial motion to the measuring wheel, giving it
a half turn at each movement of the rack.
The extremity of this rack is connected by a link to a vertical rock lever I³,
fulcrummed on the outside of the standard A. This rock lever, at about the middle
of its length, carries a bowle, which, by the pressure of a spring, is caused to bear
on an edge cam 16, affixed to the inner face of a spur wheel K, keyed to the cam
shaft F. By the rotation, therefore, of this shaft, the measuring wheel is caused
to present its measuring tubes alternately to the supply and discharge tubes once
for every rotation of the cam shaft.
The feed tube I, it will be seen, is so situated with respect to the feed wheel,
that at the end of each reciprocation of the wheel, one or other of the two measuring
tubes will be brought into coincidence therewith, and charged with powder.
These movements of the measuring wheel will also bring the charged tubes into
coincidence with the dies of the intermittent rotary table B, and thereby charge
them with powder, which charge will, at the next movement of the die table, come
under the compression of the plungers, as before explained.
When the powder has been submitted to pressure, the next movement of the
table will bring the plunger rod of the die containing the compressed pellet, into
contact with a block 1, similar to the block before described, and attached, like
it, to a similar slide L, which moves in vertical guides on the box standard. This
block I, engaging with the plunger that forms the moving bottom of the die, will
thrust up that plunger, and cause it to drive the pellet out of the die.
To obtain this movement, the slide L is slotted vertically to receive the end of
an arm L' keyed to the rock shaft 3, Fig. 1.
To the same shaft is also keyed a shorter arm L², which, at its extremity, is
embraced by two projections standing out from the back of the slide D. As,
therefore, that slide is raised and lowered to operate the several plungers c when
compressing the pellet, a similar movement, but to a greater extent, will be given to
each of these plungers, after acting as a compressing plunger, to thrust up the
pellets from the open dies b.
The pellet, as it is discharged from the die, enters a tube m, pendent from an
inclined shute M, carried by the ring bracket A, and it is held in suspension in

page_text: this tube by the pressure of a weighted lever m', fitted at its bearing end with a
bowle. When the next succeeding pellet is brought round, and is acted upon by
the discharging plunger, the rise of this second pellet in the tube will cause the
suspended pellet to escape from the pressure of the weighted lever, and enter the
inclined shute, whence it will be discharged into a suitable receiver M¹.
It now only remains to describe the means by which the intermittent axial motion
of the table B is obtained, and whence the several motions above mentioned are
derived, from one common source.
N is the main driving shaft of the machine, turning in bearings in the standard A,
and fitted with fast and loose belt pulleys N' and a fly wheel N². n is a spur
pinion which gears into the spur wheel K on the cam shaft F*, and imparts rotary
motion thereto.
n' is a mitre wheel keyed on the shaft N, and gearing into a mitre wheel o keyed
on the vertical shaft O, which is carried in bearings bolted to the inner face of the
standard A.
Keyed to the lower end of this shaft is a spur pinion o', which gears into a spur
wheel o² carried by a stud axle.
This wheel o² carries a locking disc o³, which is fitted with a crank pin o*.
The locking disc o stands in the plane of the star wheel B2, for the purpose of
presenting a crescent shaped recess to the perimeter of the star wheel, while its crank
pin enters one of the four radial slots of the star wheel.
As rotary motion is imparted to the spur wheel o*, the crank pin of will move the
star wheel a quarter of a rotation for each rotation of the spur wheel, and the die
table being mounted on the shaft of the star wheel, a corresponding intermittent.
motion will be imparted to that table.
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 :-
The arrangement of machinery above described for compressing gunpowder and
other material in measured quantities into pellets, and discharging the same auto-
matically from the machine, such pellets being formed either solid or hollow, and
compressed between oppositely moving plungers operating as set forth.
Dated this 8th day of February 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.