An Improved Machine for Compressing Gunpowder into Cartridge Forms.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 15th Jan.. 1891
PROVISIONAI. SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Compressing Gunpowder into Cartridge
Forms.
We WILLIAM ERNEST FLINT, of 8 Birdburst Road, Wandsworth, Surrey, Engineer,
and HENRY JAMES MICHELL, of Rose Villa, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In a suitable frame is attached a table upon which works preferably four pivotted
arms having one end formed with a quarter of a hole, the four quarters when brought
together forming a hole in which the powder is compressed. These four quarters are
arranged to be opened to enlarge the hole for the introduction of the material to be
compressed. The outside of the quarters are so formed as to bear against the back
of each other, to admit of the hole being enlarged without allowing any of the powder
introduced to escape. The four arms are operated by a pivotted plate with studs
which come through slots in end of arms. The plate is operated in one direction by
a screw or lever pressing down an incline plane which bears against a roller on stud
on plate. When the screw is withdrawn the plate is brought back by any suitable
means preferably a spring. The screw is proposed to be turned by a hand wheel, or
power.
Above the pressing ends of the four arms is arranged a hopper to hold the powder,
between the bottom of this and the press is a sliding plate with a hole in it, which
receives a charge of powder from the hopper and drops it into the press by sliding
forward. This sliding motion is effected by levers or other arrangements connected
to the operating screw or lever. The floor of the press is the outside of a cap carried
upon the top of a sliding rod connected to a suitable carrier moving in a guide
operated by a sliding block and lever arrangement connected to the operating screw
or lever. Connected to the top of the rod and passing through the cap is a pin
which projects into the pressing chamber to enable a hole to be formed in the
pressed pellets of powder. After the powder is pressed the rod carrying the cap is
withdrawn by the cam and lever arrangement stated which after a certain distance of
travel, the cap meets a projection and rests while the rod continues to move theroby
withdrawing the pin from the compressed powder pellet which is then pushed off the
top of cap into a receptacle.
Dated thin 15th
J
1000
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Compressing Gunpowder into Cartridge
Forms.
We WILLIAM ERNEST FLINT of 8 Birdhurst Road, Wandsworth, Surrey, Engineer,
and HENRY JAMES MICHELL, of Rose Villa, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, Middlesex,
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 relates to machinery for compressing powdered substances such as
gunpowder into compact forms uniform in size, and generally cylindrical in shape
such being suitable for the powder charge for cartridges, now generally termed
pellets."
"
The machinery or apparatus constructed according to our invention and as here-
after described acts throughout all its operations, from delivering the power to the
production of the pellet in an automatic and continuous manner.

page_text: The powder passes from a hopper to a measure, the measure at the proper time
delivers the powder through passages into a pressing chamber, the bottom of which
has been closed by the rising of an underneath plunger; an upper plunger then
descends a set distance and subjects the powder to a slight vertical pressure and
regulates the length of the form to be produced, the pressing chamber (the sides of
which are formed of movable jaws) then closes in and subjects the contained powder
to great lateral pressure, the jaws then begin to open and the lower plunger descends
.carrying the forined pellet on top from whence it is swept into a suitable receptacle.
To enable our invention to be properly understood we will proceed to fully describe
the same with aid of the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 side elevation of machine.
Figure 2 a vertical longitudinal section.
Figure 3 a sectional plan.
Figures 4 to 14 are detached views illustrating certain parts and motions hereafter
referred to.
In a suitable frame A is attached plates B and B which support and have bearings
for four movable arms C (hereafter called pressers) all of such pressers C being alike
in form and size. Each presser is formed with two trunnions which are set
vertically and take into suitable bearings in the plates B, B; these plates are distanced
by bosses Bx and carry the pressers between them. The inner or short ends of the
pressers are shaped with a segmental part 2 equal to say a quarter of a circle if the
pellet to be produced is to be cylindrical. The outer ends of the presser have slots C³
(Fig. 3) through which studs D2 pass for actuating the pressers; these studs D² are
carried by pivotted plates D and D', situated one above the plate B, and one under
plate B¹, and bearing on central hosses projecting from the plates B and B' above and
below. The shape of the plates D and are clearly shown at Fig. 6, which is a
plan of this part of the apparatus shown detached; D³ are bolts to hold the plates D
and D' together: these bolts pass through the bosses D₁, on the inner side of the
plates D and D: these bosses project through slots, in the plates B and B¹.
On an extension E of the plates D and D there is a stud E', on which is mounted
loosely a collar E2 (Fig. 3) provided with trunnions E3, carrying a forked head F of
a connecting rod; this rod is made in two pieces F1 and F2 externally screw threaded
to be capable of adjustment as to length, by the sleeve F³, internally screwed threaded;
this connecting rod is operated by an eccentric G, keyed to the main shaft H. On
the main shaft H and outside the framework A is keyed a tooth wheel H', driven by
pinion H2, keyed on a shaft Y¹, also mounted in bearings on the framework A.
The shaft serves to carry a fly wheel by which motion may be given to the
machine. The eccentric G is formed with a somewhat spherical periphery to permit
The lateral oscillations the rod takes in working.
<1
The trunnions E³, are held in fork F, by a cap F (Figure 1)-arranged to allow_a
certain amount of lost motion before the connecting rod acts on the trunnions, and
the greater the amount of lost motion allowed, the less motion will be communicated
to the plates D and D¹, and consequently the pressers will be opened to a lesser
extent. When the plates D and D₁, are turned in the direction of the arrow in
Figure 3 the pressers are turned on their trunnions C and the central enclosed
space is contracted from say the size and shape shown at Figure 4 to that shown at
Figure 5, and the powder which has been introduced into the larger space is
compressed into a cylindrical form. The segmental mould part of the pressers
is so formed as to bear against the back of one another to prevent any
lateral escape of the powder. This is fully illustrated at Figures 4 and 5. Mounted
on the main shaft H, and somewhat centrally is an eccentric J, (Figures 2 and 3) the
rod J of which is pivotted to a rocking lever J2, mounted on a rocking shaft J, the
downward arm of the lever J2, is bifurcated or forked, and connected by links J with
a sliding cam block K, which has an incline K' at one end and a flat top K. The
block K is reciprocated on the guide A2, by the lever mechanism attached to
eccentric J; this reciprocation serves to raise and lower a lever L, fulcrumed at L'
to a cross part A' of frame. The lever L carries a pivotted block L³ which bears

page_text: against the incline part K³, and on the flat part K² of cam block K, on the drawing
forward of the cam block K, by the lever mechanism operated from eccentric J.
This arrangement lifts and holds up the lever L for the purpose hereafter explained.
The outer end of lever L is bifurcated or forked and formed with slots L³, to receive
sliding brasses L, of trunnions L³, projecting from a sliding carrier M. This carrier
carries a plunger M', and travels vertically in a guide M2 of which a side view is
shown at Figure 7, this being a section taken at line XY, Figure 2. The plunger at its
upper end carries a needle M³ which enters the mould before the introduction of the
powder for the purpose of forming a hole in the pellet. One side of the apparatus
shown at Figure 6 is supported by two of the pillars A³, to which there is fixed a
bracket M, having a guide passage, for the plunger M². The top of the plunger M
is arranged to carry a cap N having a hole through the crown for the needle M³. On
the lowering of the plunger M¹ the cap N is drawn off by resting upon the top of
bracket M, and so admits of the needle N being drawn through by the lowering of the
plunger; this cap forms the base of the mould, and is held against the bottom of saine
by the plunger M, held up by the lever L which is held up by the block L², bearing
on top K of cam block K. Figure 8 shows the parts J, L, M, N in the raised
position, and illustrates, the action of these parts without further description ; while
Figure 9 shows in section and on a larger scale, the plunger M², bracket head M*
and cap N.
The powder is contained in a hopper P, above the machine; the hopper is made
with two down tubes P1, P1, which communicate with a measuring device contained
in a sliding block U situated above the machine as shown in the general views but on
a larger scale more fully at Figures 11 to 13; Figure 11 being a vertical central
section taken transversely to Figure 12; Figure 12 a plan with the hopper removed,
and Figure 13 a sectional side elevation. The fixed part of the device consists of an upper
part T of double T section and a lower conical part T Centrally a vertical plunger T
passes down and normally closes the aperture at the mouth of the cone T', while on
either side, there are two supply ports T3, T4, which pass from the top downwards in
a vertical plane and converge to the mouth which the rod T2 closes, the spaces formed
by the double T casting forms a guide for the slide U, having two holes U¹, each of
which receives half of the required measure of powder to be delivered to the pressers.
Ts are the holes into which the tubes P¹ fit and when the holes U₁ in the slide U,
come under the tubes P₁ they receive their charge of powder, the slide U is then
drawn away, and when the holes U¹ come opposite the ports T3 and T4, the powder
falls down the latter, and on the rising of the rod T2 is delivered as a measured
quantity into the mould. The holes T³× T** are to admit air when the powder is
emptied from the slide U. U³ are screw rods projecting into powder measure U¹ to
regulate charge. The slide U is worked by the connecting rod U2 connected to the sheave
of eccentric J (Fig. 2). Y is a lever held on shaft Ÿ by a sleeve Y³ attached to
pendant part Y to enable lever Y to rock on shaft, one end of this lever bears upon
top of rod T2, the other end has a bearing part Y2 which bears upon the periphery of
a disc X, keyed on shaft H; in this disc is a notch X' for the bearing part Y2 to drop
into on the revolution of the disc which enables the spring Z, on rod T2 to lift both
the rod T2 and rock the lever Y, and so allow the entrance of powder held in T3 T*
into mould.
Referring to Figure 7; Z' is the compressed powder pellet as carried
down from the mould upon the top of cap N by the lowering of the plunger M¹
when the cap N comes upon the rest upon the top of bracket M, the plunger M¹ con-
tinuing its downward movement, draws the needle M³ from the pellet, then the nut Z
engages one end of a bent pivotted lever Z³, causing the other end of the lever to push
the pellet off the cap N into any suitably arranged receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. A machine for compressing gunpowder into pellets by lateral pressure con-

page_text: structed and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a machine for compressing gunpowder into pellets by lateral pressure,
pressers C, constructed substantially in the manner described and illustrated at
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a machine for compressing gunpowder into pellets by lateral pressure,
forming the mould of segments each segment attached to a movable arm to admit of
the mould being laterally extended and contracted without causing an opening for
the escape of the material being pressed, as described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings at Figures 4 and 5.
4. In a machine for compressing gunpowder into pellets by lateral pressure, the
manner of operating the pressers C by movable plates D and D¹, hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
5. In a machine for compressing gunpowder the combination with a mould made
in segments arranged to expand and contract, of a plunger to close the bottom of
mould arranged to rise and fall which may have the top formed with a loose fitting
cap, and a rest if necessary to draw the cap off the plunger in its downward motion
substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
6. In a machine for compressing gunpowder the arrangement of parts for feeding
the powder to the mould herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings at Figures 11, 12 and 13.
1000
Dated as food day so 4533
FREDERIC PRINCE,
1, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.