Improvements in Cartridge-loading Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar 1890-Accepted, 5th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Cartridge-loading Machines.
We WILLIAM BEILBY AVERY and HENRY JOHNSON AVERY trading as W. and T.
Avery, Weighing Machine Manufacturers, of 12 Digbeth Birmingham in the County
of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows.
In existing machines for weighing gunpowder and filling cartridge cases with
weighed charges the operations are principally performed by hand and the process is
necessarily somewhat slow and tedious
The principal object of our invention is to produce a machine capable of weighing
the charges and filling the cases with powder automatically in a certain, rapid, and
continuous manner. Sometimes we combine with a weighing and filling machine,
contrivances for cutting out discs of wadding and forcing them into the cases above
the powder.
In carrying out the principal object of our invention we arrange means of rapidly
feeding the cartridge cases into the machine and withdrawing them when filled as well
as means for continually supplying and cutting wadding in suitable discs and forcing
it into the cases
One part of our invention relates to the mechanism for feeding the cartridges
weighing the charge and filling it into the case then removing the filled cartridge
Another pait relates to mechanism for feeding and cutting the wadding, forcing it
into the case and arranging the filled and wadded cartridges in convenient trays readily
removable. The action and the construction of such a combined machine is as
follows: A weighing beam carries at one end a weighing hoppe" supplied with
gunpowder from a pipe leading from a suitable reservoir. The weighing hopper is
placed directly above an oscillating filling hopper pivotted at its upper portion to the
frame of the machine and by me ins of a weight or spring caused to assume when free
an inclined position so that its discharge opening shall point in the direction of the
approaching empty cartridge case
The cartridge cases are fed into the machine open end upwards down a tube or
channel and are prevented from falling until the proper time by a spring bolt shooting
under theu. A slide driven by cams and levers moves in guides to and fro under the
filling hopper and the spring bolt, and when at one extreme position it thrusts back
the spring bolt and allows one cartridge case to fall into a space suitably shaped to
receive it having springs or other suitable clips to hold the case accurately and firmly
in position The slide then moves away with one case and the bolt shoots and prevents
the next from falling, the upper edge of the case touches a projection or portion of
the bottom of the filling hopper causes it to swing upon its pivot and by so doing to
open the spring door of the weighing hopper. The powder charge therefore flows out
through the filling hopper into the cartridge case. It commences to fall whenever the
movement of the charging hopper is sufficient to open the spring door in the weighing
hopper and when this door is full open and the cartridge case directly or nearly in
line under the two hoppers the cam action causes a slight pause in the motion of the
slide carrying the case and allows time to make sure that the whole charge has
entered.
We may here mention that when the correct weight of charge overbalances the
weighing beam and carries the weighing hopper to its lowest position a light
automatic catch hook or pawl seizes a projection on the beam or hopper and holds it
down while the spring door is being opened and the gunpowder is running out.
Notwithstanding that the poise is then the heavier end and that some pressure
upwards is caused by the process of opening the spring door, this catch hook prevents
rise until it is pulled off This is done by the further movement of the filling hopper

page_text: wmcn is moved when the cams cause the slide to continue its motion and a portion of
it displaces the catch hook and allows the weighing hopper to rise and receive another
charge Meanwhile the slide carries the filled cartiidge case to the other extreme of
its stroke where another pause occurs and a punch directly above the open end of the
case cuts out a disc of wadding from a strip pulled under it by suitably actuated
rollers and then thrusts the cut disc into the cartridge case above the gunpowder.
The cartridge case has now received an accurately weighed charge of gunpowder,
and a word has been cut and placed upon the charge. The slide which has carried it
now withdraws to the other end of its stroke to take another case through the same
process and as it withdraws it uncovers a hole through which the cartridge falls and
passes by a tube or suitable channel to a circular drum rotated at intervals by a pawl
and ratchet wheel Circular recesses are formed in this drum and the cartridge falls
into the one of those opposite to the end of the tube or channel at the moment. The
following cartridge goes through the same operations and is received in the next recess
and so on. As the drum rotates a tray of series of trays with perforations pass under
it and receive from it the cartridges as each comes opposite an aperture in the drum
case
We have generally described the application of our invention where only one
weighing beam is used but we prefer to use a number of weigh beams placed side
by side and as close to each other as is convenient we find in practice that six
weighing beams in one machine form a very suitable number but we may nse a greater
or less number without departing from the novel features of our invention.
Where a machine has six weigh beams it has also six weighing hoppers, filling
hoppers, cartridge slides, cartridge feeding tubes, six wadding punches and so on but
as it deals with six cartridges simultaneously the slides all move together as also
the wadding punches therefore the actuiting levers and cams do not require to be
increased in number.
We do not confine ourselves to any precise form of actuating gear or system of
connecting linkage but in the six weigh beam machine we find the following arrange-
ment to act well-Power is supplied by belt acting on a pulley and driving by a
suitable train of toothed wheels a shaft passing across the machine. This shaft carries
at its extremities discs in the faces of which are cut similar cam grooves, the ends of
levers or rollers upon the ends travel in these grooves and receive a motion which is
communicated by suitable linkage to the cartridge slide. The cam grooves are so
shaped as to give the necessary pauses at the determined parts of the shde travel.
Similar cams upon the same shaft move levers linked to the punches and their shape is
adjusted to give the necessary motion at the proper time The strip of wadding from
which the wads are cut is fed into the machine by rollers firmly seizing it. These
rollers receive intermittent movement by an eccentric or cam and link moving a pawl
falling into a ratchet wheel the movement is of course given at a time when the
punches are withdrawn The wadding is supplied continuously as wanted
cartridge receiving drum and the cartridge tray into which the cartridges are finally
placed also receive an intermittent step by step motion from the cam shaft by links
pawls and ratchets The receiving trays slide upon guides attached to the trame of a
machine and pins in its sides form a rack gearing into a toothed wheel or wheels
which carry the pawl and ratchet connections
The
Trays are intended to be placed to follow each other so that they may be
continuously filled and carried away with the filled cartridge, conveniently arranged
for the next operation, and return again when empty. In order that they may follow
at the proper distance to bring their holes opposite the corresponding holes from which
the cartridges fall they are linked together by a spring catch or hook, keeping them
close This catch or hook also serves another purpose. the last pin at one end of each tray
is inovable and unless restrained it is thrust outwards by a spring so as to project beyond
the line of the others, the catch bolt or hook to which the succeeding tray is attached
is arranged that the pin must be thrust in against its spring before it can be inserted.
When attached, the end of this pin is in line with the others; but if the succeeding
tray is not attached, then the pin remains projecting, and when nearly filled with

page_text: cartridges it moves against a stop or lever, actuating, a belt shifter and by throwing
the driving belt on a loose pulley it stops the machine, and so prevents the cartridges
being thrown upon the floor. If the catch bolt or hook be in position, and the
succeeding tray attached; then the pin is flush with the others and the machine goes
on without interference. In arranging a number of weigh beams side by side we
prefer to place their centres of su-pension in a diagonal line in order to cause their
knife edges and supporting planes to overlap and so occupy a width as little as
possible. This is an important point as the difficulty of arranging suitable driving
gear is materially increased by any undue increase in the width of the machine while
other difficulties such as the equal distribution of gunpowder to the weighing hoppers
are also increased by increasing width In order to limit the stroke of the cartridge
slides as much as possible we construct the wadding punch guides to act also as
carriers for the beam knife edge planes and we shape the beams with a loop or
aperture in each of their centres through which the wadding punches pass to cut the
wadding moved under them
This arrangement materially limits the stroke of the slides by bringing the punches
nearer to the weighing hoppers The punches all act together and are attached to a
common crosshead which is actuated as hereinbefore described by suitable levers.
The centres of suspension of the weigh beams that is the lines of the knife edges
are arranged to be slightly above the centres of gravity of the beams so that
unmediately the weight of gunpowder in the weighing hoppers slightly exceeds that
of the poise, the hoppers fall rapidly and without pause due to their being in unstable
equilibrium.
Dated this 6th day of Mon 1000
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cartridge-loading Machines.
We WILLIAM BEILBY A VERY and HENRY JOHNSON AVERY trading as W and T. Avery,
Weighing Machine Manufacturers, of 12 Digbeth, Birmingham 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
1-
In existing machines for weighing gunpowder and filling cartridge cases with
weighed charges the operations are principally performed by hand and the process
is necessarily somewhat slow and tedious. The principal object of our invention is
to produce a machine capable of weighing the charges and filling the cases with
powder automatically in a certain, rapid and continuous manner. Sometimes we
combine with a weighing and filling machine, contrivances for cutting out discs of
wadding and forcing them into the cases above the powder.
.
In carrying out the principal object of our invention we arrange means of rapidly
feeding the cartridge cases into the machine and withdrawing them when filled as
well as means for continually supplying and cutting wadding in suitable discs and
forcing it into the cases.
One part of our invention relates to the mechanism for feeding the cartridges,
weighing the charge, and filling it into the case then removing the filled cartridge.
Another part relates to mechanism for feeding and cutting the wadding, forcing it
into the case and arranging the filled and wadded cartridges in convenient trays
readily removable. The action and the construction of such a combined machine is
as follows. A weighing beam carries at one end a weighing hopper supplied with
gunpowder from a pipe leading from a suitable reservoir. The weighing hopper is
placed directly above an oscillating filling hopper pivotted at its upper portion to
the frame of the machine and by means of a weight or spring, caused to assume
when free an inclined position so that its discharge opening shall point in the direction
of the approaching empty cartridge case.

page_text: The cartridge cases are fed into the machine open end upwards down a tube or
channel and are prevented from falling until the proper time by a spring bolt shooting
under them A slide driven by cams and levers moves in guides to and fro under
the filling hopper and the spring bolt and when at one extreme position it thrusts
back the spring bolt and allows one cartridge case to fall into a space suitably shaped
to receive it having springs or other suitable clips to hold the case accurately and
firmly in position. The slide then moves away with one case and the bolt shoots and
prevents the next from falling the upper edge of the case touches a projection or
portion of the bottom of the filling hopper, causes it to swing upon its pivot and by
so doing to open the spring door of the weighing hopper The powder charge
therefore flows out through the filling hopper into the cartridge case It commence
to fall whenever the movement of the charging hopper is sufficient to open the spring
door in the weighing hopper and when this door is full open and the cartridge case
directly or nearly in line under the two hoppers the cam action causes a slight pause
in the motion of the slide carrying the case and allows time to make sure that the
whole charge has entered.
We may here mention that when the correct weight of charge overbalances the
weighing beam and carries the weighing hopper to its lowest position a light
automatic catch hook or pawl seizes a projection on the beam or hopper and holds it
down while the spring door is being opened and the gunpowder is running out
Notwithstanding that the poise is then the heavier end and that some pressure upwards
1s caused by the process of opening the spring door, this catch hook prevents rise
until it is pulled off This is done by the further movement of the filling hopper
which is moved when the cams cause the slide to continue its motion and a portion
of it displaces the catch hook and allows the weighing hopper to rise and receive
another charge. Meanwhile the slide carries the filled cartridge case to the other
extreme of its stroke where another pause occurs and a punch directly above the
open end of the case cuts out a disc of wadding from a strip pulled under it by
suitably actuated rollers and then thrusts the cut disc into the cartridge case above the
gunpowder.
The cartridge case has now received an accurately weighed charge of gunpowder,
and a wad has been cut and placed upon the charge The slide which has carried
it now withdraws to the other end of its stroke to take another case through the
same process, and as it withdraws it uncovers a hole through which the cartridge falls
and passes by a tube or suitable channel to a circular drum rotated at intervals by a
pawl and ratchet wheel Circular recesses are formed in this drum and the cartridge
falls into the one of those opposite to the end of the tube or channel at the moment
The following cartridge goes through the same operations and is received in the next
recess and so on As the drum rotates a tray or series of trays with perforations
pass under it and receive from it the cartridges as each comes opposite an aperture
in the drum case.
We have now generally described the application of our invention where only one
weighing beam is used but we prefer to use a number of weigh beams placed side
by side and as close to each other as is convenient. We find that in practice that sıx
weighing beams in one machine form a very suitable number but we may use a
greater or less number without departing from the novel features of our invention.
Where a machine has six weigh beams it has also six weighing hoppers, filling
hoppers, cartridge slides, cartridge feeding tubes, six wadding puncbes and so on;
but as it deals with six cartridges simultaneously the slides all move together as
also the wadding punches therefore the actuating levers and cams do not require to be
increased in number
We do not confine ourselves to any precise form of actuating gear or system
of connecting linkage but in the six weigh beam machine we find the following
arrangement to act well.
Power is supplied by belt acting on a pulley and driving by a suitable train of
toothed wheels a shaft passing across the machine. This shaft carries at its extremities
discs in the faces of which are cut similar cam grooves, the ends of levers or rollers

page_text: upon the ends travel in these grooves and receive a motion which 15 communicated
by suitable linkage to the cartridge slides The cam grooves are so shaped as to give
the necessary pauses at the determined parts of the slide travel
Similar cams upon
the same shaft move levers linked to the punches and their shape is adjusted to
give the necessary motion at the proper time. The strip of wadding from which
the wads are cut is fed into the machine by rollers firmly seizing it. These rollers
receive intermittent movement by an eccentric or cam and link moving a pawl falling
into a ratchet wheel, the movement is of course given at a time when the punches
are withdrawn. The wadding is supplied continuously as wanted The cartridge
receiving drum and the cartridge tray into which the cartridges are finally placed
also receive an intermittent step by step motion from the cam shaft by links, pawls
and ratchets. The receiving trays slide upon guides attached to the frame of the
machine and pins in the sides form a rack gearing into a toothed wheel or wheels
which carry the pawl and ratchet connections.
This
Trays are intended to be placed to follow each other so that they may be continuously
filled and carried away with the filled cartridges conveniently arranged for the next
operation, and returned again when empty. In order that they may follow at the proper
distance to bring their holes opposite the corresponding holes from which the cartridges
fall they are linked together by a spring catch or hook, keeping them close
catch or hook also serves another purpose, the last pin at one end of each tray is
movable and unless restiained it is thrust outwards by a spring so as to project beyond
the line of the others, the catch bolt or hook to which the succeeding tray is attached
is arranged that the pin must be thrust in against its spring before it can be inserted
When attached, the end of this pin is in line with the others, but if the succeeding
tray is not attached, then the pin remains projecting, and when nearly filled with
cartridges it moves against a stop or lever actuating a belt shifter and by throwing the
driving belt on a loose pulley it stops the machine, and so prevents the cartridges
being thrown upon the floor. If the catch bolt or hook be in position, and the
succeeding tray attached, then the pin is flush with the others and the machine goes
on without interference. In arranging a number of weigh beams side by side we
prefer to place their centres of suspension in a diagonal line in order to cause their
knife edges and supporting planes to overlap and so occupy a width as little as
possible This is an important point as the difficulty of arranging suitable driving
gear is materially increased by any undue increase in the width of the machine while
other difficulties such as the equal distribution of gunpowder to the weighing hoppers
are also increased by increasing width. In order to limit the stroke of the cartridge
slides as much as possible we construct the wadding punch guides to act also as
carriers for the beam knife edge planes and we shape the beams with a loop or
aperture in each of their centres through which the wadding punches pass to cut the
wadding moved under them.
This arrangement materially limits the stroke of the slides by bringing the punches
nearer to the weighing hoppers. The punches all act together and are attached to a
common cross-head which is actuated as hereinbefore described by suitable
levers.
The centres of suspension of the weigh beams, that is, the lines of the knife edges,
are arranged to be slightly below the centres of gravity of the beams, so that
immediately the weight of gunpowder in the weighing hoppers slightly exceeds that
of the poise, the hoppers fall rapidly and without pause which fall is due to their
being in unstable equilibrium.
In order that our invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect we append herewith 4 Sheets of explanatory drawings in which Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section through the upper part or our gunpowder weighing and charging
machine arranged to show clearly the action of its various parts in weighing gunpowder
and filling the weighed charges into cartridge cases and in cutting discs of wadding
and forcing those discs into the cartridge case above the gunpowder Figure 2 is an
elevation of one end of a weigh beam together with the weighing and filling hoppers
and other mechanism shown in the position in which the weighing hopper spring door

page_text: is full open and the cartridge case is directly underneath receiving its charge of
gunpowder. Figure 3 is a plan of the upper part of the machine as arranged for
Six weigh beams but in it only two beams are shown Figure 4 is an elevation of
the wailding rollers, Figure 5 1S an elevation of one end of the wadding rollers
shewing the actuating clutch while Figure 6 is an elevation of the other end and
Figure 7 is a plan of a strip of wadding showing how the holes are cut by the
diagonal punches so as to avoid waste of material Figure 8 is an elevation part in
section of the actuating gear in which is also seen the cartridge receiving drum and
one of the receiving trays. Figure 9 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation to a
reduced scale of the whole machine showing the general arrangement and illustrating
the course of a cartidge from the moment of entering empty to its being deposited
in the cartridge receiving tray charged and wadded. Figure 10 is an end view of
the cartridge tray in position and Figure 11 is a sectional plan of the spring bolt or
catch connecting the trays arranged to act as a belt shifter.
2
Referring to Sheet 1 Figure 1. A is a weigh beam vibrating on knife edges a
and weighted by an adjustable poise b. It carries at one end a weighing hopper B
which is filled from a tube c leading to a gunpowder reservoir by means of the pipe C.
Beneath the weighing hopper B there is an oscillating filling hopper D pivotted to
the frame of the machine and weighted by the weight d so as to assume the position
shown whenever tree to move. The cartridge cases such as e el ell el ell are fed
into the tube E open end upwards and are prevented from falling down till wanted by
the spring bolt F which projects under the last cartridge case as ell, the projection
is shown in dotted lines:-until the piece G of the cartridge slide H approaches it
and by pressing against the washer f thrusts back the bolt and allows one case to
fall down and take the position occupied by the case ell in which it rests upon a
portion of the slide H and is held in position by clips or springs h h h¹ / two of
which are shewn on Figure 1 The slide H travels on the guides L and is moved to
and fro by levels II one of which is shown, and by links K K one of which is also
seen, driven from the actuating gear in the lower part of the machine to be further
referred to hereinafter. Its extreme positions are indicated by G as shown at the
cartridge case admission end and by G in dotted lines at the other end of the stroke
under the wadding punch M the action is as follows. When the weighing hopper B
18 empty the poise 6 overbalances the beam and causes the poise end to rest upon the
check pillar so opening the plate valve or door k and holding the hopper in its upper
position. The plate valve k works close to but not in actual contact with a wire or
bristle fringe shown at the end of the pipe c and surrounding its circumference so that
when the weighing hopper is overbalanced forms a powder tight door to the tube
and yet works without any friction. So long as k-romains open gunpowder flows
from c and as the knife edge a is arranged to be a little below the centre of gravity
of the beam A, immediately the powder in the hopper B is sufficient to very slightly
overbalance the poise 6 the hopper end falls with great rapidity the full available
distance and the powder supply from c is rapidly cut off As a little powder must
fall into the weighing hopper after the plate valve K has begun to close, the poise b
is arranged to allow balancing at a little less than the actual weight of the charge
which is required in the weighing hopper but as the movement is very uniform the
successive charges weighed into the weighing hopper are almost absolutely uniform.
When the hopper B falls to its lowest position, which is shown on Figure 2. the
valve k is closed and the small hook lever l engages the pin m as seen in Figure 2.
and so holds that end of the weigh beam down until the hook is removed mechanically.
When a cartridge case as ell is in a position upon the slide H, the gear underneath
acting through the levers II and links K K, move it forward and the upper edge of
the cartridge case comes in contact with the projecting tongue n at the bottom of
the oscillating filling hopper and continuing its movement it causes the end of the
hopper to oscillate or move along with it and by so doing the projection o on its
upper edge presses against the lever p and this opens the spring door and allows
the gunpowder to run from the weighing hopper into the charging hopper and
thence into the cartridge case below. It is to be remembered that while in its

page_text: lower position, the weighing hopper B projects well into the charging hopper D and
the spring door lever p is very close to the projection o seen in Figure 2 while the
cartridge is in position directly in line under the two hoppers Very soon after
the upper elge of the cartridge touches the tongue the door 7 begins to open
and the powder begins to flow from the weighing to the filling hopper and into the
cartridge. When the door 13 full open and the position is as on Figure 2 the
actuating gear underneath is so arranged that there is momentary pause of
the slide H which makes certain that every particle of powder has passed from the
hoppers to the cartridge case After this the motion is resumed and when the
charging hopper has oscillated from position 1 to position 2, Figures 1 and 2,
the cartridge ships pist the tongue n and the hopper D is free to assume position [
under the influence of the weight d Before it reaches position 2 however the
weight d comes in contact with the lower end of the hook lever at land disengages
the hook from the pin m in the beam A As the hopper B is then empty the
poise overbalances it, and the beam rises to its upper position as on Figure 1 and
the spring door closes while the valve k opens so that gunpowder again flows into
the weighing hopper B until the beam is overbalanced and again the hopper B
assumes its lower position as on Figure 2 and the hook lever lagun engages with
the pin mand keeps down the B end The object of the hook lever is to prevent
the rise of the beain by the pressure of the projecting piece o in opening the doo
by the shaped lever p, so as to allow complete discharge of the gunpowder into the
cartridge case before the hopper B is closed and allowed to rise for a fresh charge.
When the slide H has carried a cartridge case as el past the oscillating filling
hopper it travels on to the termination of the stroke and the shaped projection
presses the case against ta shaped surface at the end of the stroke and the driving
gear is arranged to cause the slide to pause in this position firmly holding the case
During this pause the cams and levers controlling the wadding punch come into
action and the wadding punch M moves down and cu's a disc out of a strip of
wadding held in the slit or aperture r The punch then forces the disc so cut through
its bolster N and into the open end of the cartridge case say el under it as shewn
in dotted lines (Figure 1) and when the punch is withdrawn it leaves the wad
inserted with some tightness above the powder While the punch is forcing the wid
into the cartridge the slide H remains stationary acting as a holder to keep the open
end of the case in true position but so soon as it is inserted the slide H begins to
return again towards the feeding tube E and the punch prevents the case from
moving back with it. Immediately the punch 13 withdrawn the charged and wadded
cartridge falls through the hole O into the guiding tube or channel P which leads to
the cartridge receiving drum into one of the recesses of which it falls as will be
hereinafter tully explained.
Meantime the slide H is returning towards the cartridge caso feeding tube E and
as the shaped projection from it G, is considerably below the level of the upper end
of a cartridge case, it passes the projecting tongue n without touching and just
missing the spring bolt F, it touches the washer and presses it back against the
Spring carrying the bolt with it The next case e¹¹ then falls into position steadied
by the springs or clips h¹ and the case el 15 ready to be carried through the same
series of operations charging and receiving a disc of wadding just as we have
hereinbefore described The time which elapses between the slide H passing the
oscillating charging hopper D after receiving a charge and returning again after a
complete return stroke to take another case, is amply sufficient to allow the weighing
into the weighing hopper B to be completed and the position of the beam to be in its
lowest position engaged by the hook lever and so ready to discharge a weighed
charge of powder into the next case brought under it
Although we have described the action of our machine as dealing with one
cartridge case per stroke and having only one weigh beam and set of hoppers, we
may arrange, and as a rule we prefer to arrange a machine to deal with a number of
cartridges simultaneously, in the machine illustrated we use six weigh beams, six

page_text: The
punches, six cartridge feed tubes, and six sets of hoppers, all at work simultaneously.
The slide H is then made sufficiently wide and is actuated by the same levers and
links II and K K respectively but there are six projections as G from the slide and
six sping bolts. Figure 3 is a plan of this machine in which however only two of
the weigh beams are shown A A¹ in order to make clear the other parts
oblong chamber Q (Figures 1 and 3) is fed with gunpowder from a larger reservoir
by the tube C and six pipes as c (Figure 1) are supplied from the oblong chamber
to flow into six weighing hoppers at the proper time. Two of them are shewn in the
plan at BB' The cartridge cases are fed into six feeding tubes E, E', E², E³, E', E³,
of which only E is shown Figure 1. In like manner the poises are bb' &c and
the stop pillars 2 2¹ &c
So as to limit the travel of the slide H as much as possible the weigh beams AA¹
are made with saddles or loops at their centres through which the punches M, M',
M², M³, M, M³, pass without touching, and the knife edges attached outside the
loops rest upon planes supported upon the punch guides This enables the stroke of
the slide H necessary to carry the cartridge cases from the feeding tubes past the
charging hopper to the wadding punches, to be considerably shortened without
unduly reducing the length of the weigh beams For a similar reason the
punches M, M', M2, M, M, M, are placed diagonally and by so doing the ends of
the knife edges are allowed to overlap and considerable width is saved. This
diagonal position has the further advantage that the holes cut in the wadding are
punched as seen in Figure 7 and no waste of material is occasioned. In Figure 3
the strip of wadding is guided through the spaces r, 1, 2, 3, indicated by dotted
lines and is seized between the rollers R R Figure 4 of which only R is seen in
the plan (Figure 3). These rollers are actuated intermittently by a pawl clutch S
(Figs 3 4 & 5) driven by a rod from the gear underneath and the motion is arranged
to move the strip of wadding only when the punches are at their upper position.
The rollers are geared together by toothed wheels as shewn in Figure 6 so that there
may be no slip The punches are attached to a common crosshead T and all move
up and down together driven by links attached to the extremities of the crosshead.
Figure 8 shows an elevation part section of a suitable arrangement of actuating gear
underneath the hereinbefore described mechanisin with cartridge receiving drum and
cartridge receiving trays. A guiding tube or channel into which a cartridge falls
after being charged and wadded is shewn at P with a cartridge just about to enter
one of the recesses in the receiving drum U. The gear acts as follows -The
spindle or shaft V is driven by belt or in any other convenient way and by the
toothed wheel V' keyed to it, motion is communicated to the spindle or shaft V by
means of the toothed wheel V. A pinion V upon the spindle V gears into a
toothed wheel W₁ and so drives a shaft W. The shaft W carries at its extremities
metal can discs XX' one of which X is seen in the elevation Figure 8- Each disc
has in it two cam grooves, one X'X'X' on the front shewn in full lines, the
other X X X³ behind, shown in dotted lines. The lever Y is actuated from the
front groove X. The lever Y pivots at Y' and carries a part at right angles Y³,
and a pin or roller Y³ projects from its surface into the cam groove X and motion
is communicated above by the links Y Y only one of which can be seen in Figure 8
The links Y Y are connected to the crosshead T. T. carrying the wadding
punches M, M, M², M³, M*, M³, (See Figure 3) so that the motion communicated
by the cam grooves X2 X2 X2 in the discs on the opposite ends of the shaft W
(Figure 8.) serves to actuate the punches for cutting out the wadding and forcing it
into the cartridge cases. The end Y2 of the lever Y connects by a link u with the
pawl driving the receiving drum U so that for every stroke of the lever the drum
rotates to an extent sufficient to bring one of the holes as s opposite the end of the
cartridge tube P. The grooves X3 X³ X' of which one is seen in dotted lines
Figure 8 actuate the levers II by rollers such as I' and these levers on opposite sides
of the machine drive the cartridge slide H by the links K K The grooves X3 X*X*
are so shaped in their discs as to give the motion to the cartridge slide H which has

page_text: been herein before described. The levers II are pivotted at the point I' in any
convenient manner and the framework of the machine may be of any usual kind.
The wadding feeding rollers are driven intermittently by a pawl S connected by the
link (Figure 5.) to an eccentric upon the shaft W (Figure 8).
The cartridge receiving tray is shown at W (Figure 8) and it is placed on guides
under the receiving drum U as shown and it is also driven by pawl and ratchet the
linkage being arranged to bring a hole or holes in the tray opposite the drum
discharge tuber every time a recess in the drum discharges a filled cartridge into it.
The tray consists of a flat plate pierced with suitable holes and furnished with sides
deep enough to prevent the ends of the cartridges from touching the floor when
the tray is filled and laid upon it. This will be clear from an end view of a tray
in position at Figure 10 (Sheet 4). In the sides of the tray there are placed a
number of pins which fall into a notched or toothed wheel such as y. This wheel
1s moved by ratchet and pawl as described and it gears into the pins and advances
the tray by one tooth or row of holes at every movement so that one row of holes
in the tray is filled from the drum at every stroke of the machine. One or both of
the last pins at one end of the tray projects beyond the others and so long as the
following tray is not coupled up the projections remain and if allowed to remain
until the last row of cartridge holes approaches the discharge tube from the receiving
drum the projection engages a lever which is moved by the continued motion of
the tray and by acting on a belt shifter or clutch the motion of the machine is
arrested. In this manner the action of the machine is arrested until another tray
is inserted to receive the charged cartridges
Figure 11 is a sectional plan of the arrangement by which this is accomplished.
The pin a' is thrust outward by the spring 6 and while it remains out and in the
position to engage the lever c' shown in section this lever acts to pull out a clutch or
move a belt. If however the succeeding tray be coupled to it the hook projection d'
from the end of the next tray by means of the incline e¹ presses back the pin or bolt,
and when hooked to it prevents the end from returning so that it assumes the position
shewn in dotted lines and passes the lever c' without engaging it. The action of the
machine accordingly continues and so long as trays are connected up to remove
cartridges as they are filled the operations of weighing, filling, wadding & discharging
the filled and wadded cartridges proceeds without interruption. But immediately
the supply of trays cease from any cause the machine stops automatically. The
bolt a is attached at the back end of the tray in the direction of motion and the hook
projection d' at the front end. One bolt may be used and one hook or two bolts and
two hooks as may be considered desirable The trays may be disconnected when
filled by pressing in the bolt a' and then withdrawing the hook d' Figure 11 shows
a convenient mode of arranging this detail but the hook spring and projecting pin
may be modified without de parting from our invention.
Figure 12 shows a plan of two trays connected, on a smaller scale than Figure 11.
Figure 9 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of the whole machine arranged to
show clearly the entire course of the cartridges from the moment the empty cases
enter the feeding tube E to their discharge into the cartidge tray, with weighted
charges of gunpowder each charge held in place by a disc of wadding. The same
letters are here used to indicate similar parts and the course of the cartridge is
indicated by the arrows as is also the direction of movement of the receiving tray.
The cartridge cases are fed into the tube E open end upwards are then carried by
the slide H as hereinbefore explained to the filling hopper D when they are filled
one at a time in succession with a weighed charge of gunpowder and passed on to
the position of the filled cartridge E shown in the drawing and receive a disc of
wadding; cut by the punch M and then fall, when the slide H withdraws to bring
forward another case down the tube P into one of the recesses in the drum Ü
which is rotated intermittently in the direction of the arrows and thence to the
tray w down the communicating tube as shown by the arrow.
A casing x1 prevents
the cartridges from falling out until each reaches the tube and fall into the tray w
ready for the bullet.

page_text: 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 Gunpowder weighing and cartridge filling machines the combination of
a slide carrying a cartridge case, a weighing and filling hopper and a punch for
cutting out wadding and forcing it into the case above the charge.
(2) In Gunpowder weighing and cartridge filling machines the combination of a
slide carrying a cartridge case, a weighing and filling hopper, a punch for cutting out
wadding and forcing it into the case above the charge and a feed tube such as E
together with a discharge tube such as P substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(3) In Gunpowder weighing and cartridge filling machines, the use of a slide
such as H with a projection such as G which at one end of its stroke presses back
a spring bolt such as F and allows a case to fall upon the shde in such manner
that on the return stroke the case is carried with the slide and moves a filling
hopper such as D which opens a door in a weighing hopper and allows a weighed
charge to flow into the case, then passes on to the other extreme of its stroke
where a punch descends, cuts a disc of wadding; and forces it in the case arranged
so that on the slide moving away again the case is left and falls into a discharge
tube such as P, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(4). In a Gunpowder weighing machine the arrangement of weighing & filling
hopper such as B. D. Fig. 1 together with its accompanying mechanism for dis-
charging with the cartridge cases and hook for preventing rise of the beam until
the cartridge has been passed and filled substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings.
(5). In a Gunpowder weighing and filling machine the arrangement of weighing
beam A with loop such as shewn Figs. 1 and 2. so as to allow a punch such as M
to pass through a guide upon which the knife edges of the beam is carried for
the purpose of shortening the stroke of the slide by diminishing the distance between
the place of entry of the cartridge case and the punch substantially as, and for the
purposes described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(6). In Gunpowder weighing and filling machines in which more than one weigh
beam is used the inclined arrangement of the beams such as shewn in Figure 3
to diminish the width of the machine by allowing the knife edges to overlap
substantially as described.
(7) In-Gunpowder weighing-and-filling machines-the-use-of a cartridge-tray
such as to Figs. 8. 9. 10 & 12 with spring pin as a¹ on one end and projection or
hook such as d¹ on the other end for connecting successive cartridge trays and
securing that the machine will stop automatically unless a tray be attached before
the previous one is moved out of the machine substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated in the drawings.
(8) In Gunpowder weighing and filling machines the general arrangement
substantially as shewn in Fig. of cartridge feeding tube, cartridge slide, weighing
and filling hoppers, wadding punch, cartridge discharge tube leading to receiving
drum, and tube leading from receiving drum to cartridge tray, all operating together
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd March 1980
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicants.