IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING GUNPOWDER INTO RINGS OR CAKES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hunter Henry Murdoch, of No. 7, Staple Inn,,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING GUNPOWDER INTO RINGS
OR CAKES," A communication from abroad by Herman Müller,
of Clermont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Gunpowder Manu-
facturer.
Sealed the 6th December 1875, and dated the 10th June 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th June 1875.
I, HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING GUNPOWDER
INTO RINGS OR Cakes," to be as follows :—
This Invention consists of machinery for compressing gunpowder into
rings or cakes, to be used in forming charges for blasting purposes, of

page_text: the character described in a Provisional Specification filed by me in the
Great Seal Patent Office, on the 22nd day of May 1875, No. 1885.
In a suitable stationary frame are formed slides, in which work two
sliding blocks or frames, to which reciprocatory motion is given in
contrary directions, so that they approach and retire from each other a
alternately. To the lower end of the upper sliding frame is or are
affixed a punch or piston, or several punches or pistons, having in
transverse section the form it is required to give to the rings or cakes of
gunpowder. On the lower end of each of the said punches or pistons is
a stem or prong of the diameter of the hole to be made in the said ring
or cake. Upon the upper surface of the lower sliding frame is or are
affixed a punch or piston, or several punches or pistons, and between
the two sliding frames is a circular plate or table, capable of rotatory
motion in a plane at right angles to the line of motion of the recipro-
cating sliding frames.
In the said plate or table are formed a series of holes corresponding in
position, shape, and size, with the punches or pistons herein-before
described, so that by the rotation of the plate or table the said holes
and
will alternately come between the punches or pistons on the upper
lower sliding frames. In each of the said holes is a moveable piston
or plunger, having a rib or projecting rim on its upper end, which rib
or rim when the piston is in its lowest position rests upon a shoulder
in the hole so as to prevent its falling out. Each of the said moveable
pistons or plungers is formed with a central hole extending downward
from its upper surface and opening in its side, the said hole corresponding
with the stem or rod upon the upper punch or piston. The rotatory
plate or table is mounted upon a suitable shaft or axis to which
intermittent rotatory motion is communicated by ratchet gearing, or
otherwise. Underneath the said plate or table are a roller and an
inclined plane situated in the path of the pistons or plungers in the said
plate or table.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The intermittent rotatory
motion of the circular plate or table having brought one of its holes
previously filled with gunpowder between each of the pistons or punches
on the upper and lower sliding frames, the said pistons or punches
advance: towards one another, the upper piston or punch entering the
hole beneath it, compressing the gunpowder it contains, and by its stem

page_text: or rod piercing a hole in the said gunpowder. At the same time the
moveable piston or plunger in the said hole by the action of the lower
punch or piston is forced upward and completes the compression of the
gunpowder; the gunpowder removed by the piercing action of the stem
of the upper punch or piston escaping through the hole in the said
moveable piston. When the compression of the gunpowder is effected
the punches or pistons retire from each other, and the circular plate or
table is made to perform a portion of a revolution, thus bringing fresh
holes filled with gunpowder between the punches or pistons to be
operated as herein-before described, and causing the moveable pistons
with the compressed cakes of gunpowder upon them to come in contact
with the roller herein-before described, which roller causes the said
moveable pistons to rise and pass on to the inclined plane along which
they slide, each continuing to rise in its hole till it has brought its cake
or ring of compressed gunpowder on to a level with the upper surface of
the circular plate or table, from which it may be removed for use.
Motion is communicated to the parts through a friction clutch which
allows the machine to stop of itself should it get out of order, or should
the pistons encounter too much resistance in their work.
Should it be required to pierce several holes in the gunpowder ring or
cake the upper piston would be provided with a corresponding number
of stems or prongs, and the shape of the said rings or cakes may be
varied by varying the shape of the holes in the revolving plate or table
and that of the punches and plungers.
25 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUNTER
HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
30 Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, Her special
license that I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hunter Henry
Murdoch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times E
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, 'and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING GUNPOWDER
INTO RINGS OR CAKES," a communication to me from abroad by Herman 1
Müller, of Clermont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Gunpowder Manu-
facturer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hunter ·
Henry Murdoch, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, do hereby
déclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of machinery for compressing gunpowder into
rings or cakes to be used in forming charges for blasting purposes of
the character described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to me and bearing date the 22nd day of May, A.D. 1875, No. 1885.
In a suitable stationary frame are formed slides in which work two
sliding blocks or frames to which reciprocatory motion is given in
contrary directions, so that they approach and retire from each other
alternately. To the lower end of the upper sliding frame is or are affixed
a punch or piston, or several punches or pistons, having in transverse
section the form it is required to give to the rings or cakes of gun-
powder. On the lower end of each of the said punches or pistons is a
stem or prong of the diameter of the hole to be made in the said ring
or cake. Upon the upper surface of the lower sliding frame is or are
affixed a punch or piston, or several punches or pistons, and between

page_text: the two sliding frames is a circular plate or table capable of rotatory
motion in a plane at right angles to the line of motion of the recipro-
cating sliding frames.
.
In the said plate or table are formed a series of holes corresponding
in position, shape, and size, with the punches or pistons herein-before
described, so that by the rotation of the plate or table the said holes
will alternately come between the punches or pistons on the upper
and lower sliding frames. In each of the said holes is a moveable
piston or plunger having a rib or projecting rim on its upper end, which
rib or rim when the piston is in its lowest position rests upon a shoulder
in the hole so as to prevent its falling out. Each of the said moveable
pistons or plungers is formed with a central hole extending downwards
from its upper surface and opening in its side, the said hole corre-
sponding with the stem or rod upon the upper punch or piston. The
rotatory plate or table is mounted upon a suitable shaft or axis to which
intermittent rotatory motion is communicated by ratchet gearing or
otherwise. Underneath the said plate or table are a roller and an
inclined plane situated in the path of the pistons or plungers in the said
plate or table.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The intermittent rotatory
motion of the circular plate or table having brought one of its holes
previously filled with gunpowder between each of the pistons or punches
on the upper and lower sliding frames, the said pistons or punches
advance towards one another, the upper piston or punch entering the
hole beneath it, compressing the gunpowder it contains, and by its stem
or rod piercing a hole in the gunpowder cake thus formed. At the
same time the moveable piston or plunger in the said hole by the action
of the lower punch or piston is forced upward, and completes the com-
pression of the gunpowder; the gunpowder removed by the piercing
action of the stem of the upper punch or piston escaping through the
hole in the said moveable piston. When the compression of the
gunpowder is effected the punches or pistons retire from each other, and
the circular plate or table is made to perform a portion of a revolution,
thus bringing fresh holes filled with gunpowder between the punches or
pistons to be operated as herein-before described, and causing the
moveable pistons with the compressed cakes of gunpowder upon them
to come in contact with the roller herein-before described, which roller
causes the said moveable pistons to rise and pass on to the inclined

page_text: plane along which they slide, each continuing to rise in its hole till it has
brought its cake or ring of compressed gunpowder on to a level with
the upper surface of the circular plate or table from which it may be
removed for use.
Motion is communicated to the parts through a friction clutch which 5
allows the machine to stop of itself, should it get out of order, or should
the pistons encounter too much resistance in their work.
Should it be required to pierce several holes in the gunpowder ring
or cake the upper piston would be provided with a corresponding
number of stems or prongs, and the shape of the said rings or cakes 1
may be varied by varying the shape of the holes in the revolving plate
or table and that of the punches and plungers.
Having explained the nature of this Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is or may be performed.
Figure 1 is a side view; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3 a front
view of a machine for compressing gunpowder constructed according
to this Invention.
1
a is the frame; a¹, a¹, are the supports carrying the driving shaft a².
Upon the said driving shaft a² is mounted a loose driving pulley as 2
which may be connected or disconnected to or from the said shaft a²
by means of the friction clutch and cone a' governed by the lever a³,
one end of which lever is jointed to the bracket a' on the support a¹,
the other end being jointed to one end of the rod a', which rod is sup-
ported by the bracket a³, and the other end of the said rod being 2
screwed and having upon it a hand wheel a' furnished with a female
screw, by which arrangement motion may be given to the friction
clutch a so as to connect the pulley to the shaft a³, or disconnect it
therefrom at pleasure. Upon the driving shaft a² are also affixed the
fly wheel a and pinion a", which pinion gears with the teeth of two a
wheels b, b', affixed upon one end of each of the shafts c, c¹, respec-
tively. The other ends of each of the shafts c, c³, are cranked at c², cª,
respectively. The crank pin of the crank c³ turns in suitable brasses c*
working in a slot or slide formed in a sliding block or frame d capable
of sliding up and down in slides formed by slide bars d³, d, on the 3
frame a. The crank pin of the crank c³ turns in suitable brasses c³
working in a similar slot or slide formed in a lower sliding box or

page_text: frame e capable of sliding up and down in slides formed by slide
bars e¹, e', on the frame a, and the crank shafts c¹, c³, are so adjusted
that they will cause the sliding blocks or frames & and e to move
towards each other, and retire from each other alternately.
To the lower end of the upper sliding frame d are affixed three
punches or pistons f, f, f, having in transverse section the form it is
required to give to the gunpowder rings or cakes, and on the lower end
of each of the said punches or pistons is a stem or prong f¹ of the
diameter of the central holes to be made in the said rings or cakes.
Upon the upper part of the lower sliding frame e are affixed three.
punches or pistons 9; h is a rotatory circular plate or table in which
are formed a series of holes i, i, corresponding in position, shape, and
size with the punches ƒ and g.
In each of the said holes i, i, is a moveable piston or plunger &,
having a flange or projecting rim on its upper end, which flange or rim,
when the said plunger is in its lowest position rests upon a shoulder
formed within the holes to prevent the said plunger & from falling out,
as shown in the diagram, Figure 4. The said table h is mounted on an
upright shaft or axis h¹ capable of rotatory motion in supports h³, h³.
Upon the said shaft or axis h¹ is a screw wheel h* gearing with the screw
wheel j affixed upon one end of an axis j', on the other end of which
is affixed a ratchet wheel *, in the teeth of which engages a pawl j³
jointed to the end of a lever j* mounted upon the axis . The said
lever is jointed to one end of a connecting rod k, the other end of which
connecting rod is jointed by means of a pin k¹ to the slotted end 7 of a
lever, the other end of which lever is jointed to a pin 1 on the
frame a so as to oscillate upon it. Upon the rod is formed or affixed
a projecting stud 1, which takes into a cam groove * formed in a plate
15 affixed upon the shaft c. By the rotation of the said shaft c the
plate acting upon the stud & causes the lever to oscillate on its
centre, and by means of the rod k and pawl to give intermittent
rotatory motion to the ratchet wheel j and screw wheel j, which screw
wheel j, acting on the screw wheel h', causes the table to revolve
intermittently at such times as the piston f is disengaged therefrom, so
as to remove those holes in the said table in which the gunpowder cakes
have been completed from between the punches or pistons f, g, and
bring between them the next holes filled with gunpowder to be
compressed.

page_text: F
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The action of the machine will be best understood by reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawings. Figure 4 being
a diagram shewing (drawn to a larger scale) the holes of the table has
if they were in the same plane, and indicating the process which the
gunpowder undergoes in being compressed and delivered on to the table
ready for removal.
In Figure 4 h, h, is the revolving table; i, i, are the holes therein, and
,, the moveable pistons or plungers in the said holes, which pistons or
plungers have upon them flanges or projecting rims ³ resting at times
on the shoulders . And in each of the said pistons or plungers ¹ is a
hole, through which the gunpowder punched out by the prong f¹ to
form the central hole of the cake escapes. f. f, are the upper pistons or
punches, and 9, 9, are the lower pistons or punches, the said punches
ff, and g, g, being actuated by the sliding frames d, e, respectively, as
'seen in Figures 1 and 2. f¹, f¹, are the stems or prongs on the punches
or pistons f, f.
The empty holes i, i, in the table h (No. 1, Figure 4) having been
completely filled with gunpowder, as seen at No. 2, by means of a
.funnel or other suitable apparatus pouring in a given measure into each
hole, so as to make all the cakes of a given size; the rotatory motion of
the driving shaft as brings three full holes between the upper and lower
plungers or pistons f, g, (Figure 1). The sliding frames d, e, then
receive a downward and upward motion respectively, causing the upper
pistons or plungers f to enter the holes beneath them, and the lower
pistons or plungers to rise and force upwards the pistons ³, thus
compressing the gunpowder between them, the stems or prongs fl
forming the central hole as seen at No. 3, Figure 4. The gunpowder
cakes having been thus compressed the pistons or plungers f, g, retire
one from the other, and the table being free is caused to rotate
partially by the ratchet motion herein-before described; the three holes
in which the gunpowder has just been compressed moving from between
the punches and fresh holes taking their place to be operated in like
The three holes holding the gunpowder cakes just compressed
move onwards, and the pistons & pass over a roller v, by which they are
lifted on to the inclined plane m, along which they pass, gradually
raising the compressed gunpowder cakes without shocks or danger to
the top of the table (as shewn at No. 4, Figure 4), from whence they
may be removed for use.
manner.

page_text: The friction cone and driving pulley a³, at, herein-before described
allow of the machine being stopped immediately, and should there be
any undue resistance in the machine the said driving pulley would work
free of the friction cone and thus avoid accidents, the adherence between
the said pulley and cone though quite sufficient for producing the
required effect upon gunpowder, being insufficient to overcome greater
resistance.
When besides the central hole several holes have to be pierced in the
gunpowder cakes the upper pistons or punches f and the pistons or
plungers within the holes in the table h may be modified as represented
in Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the said table h taken
through one of the holes, and Figure 6 is a plan of three of the plates n,
Figure 5 herein-after described. Each of the said plates n consists of a
central cross surrounded by an annular ring of metal. Upon the centre
of the said plate n projects an upright stem or rod n³, and upon the arms
of the cross are affixed as many upright stems or róds n³ as there are to
be other holes in the gunpowder cake. The said plate n fits into a
recess formed to receive it around the lower end of the hole i, and is
fixed in position by a metal plate o screwed to the table h.. The piston
or plunger is formed with holes through its upper part to allow it to
pass on to the stems or rods n¹, n², and with longitudinal slots to allow it
to move up and down through the openings in the plate n. To the upper
punch or piston f is affixed a die q pierced with holes q', which holes on
the downward motion of the said punch or piston fare traversed by the
stems or rods n¹, n². g is the lower punch or piston. The table / and
the pistons or punches ƒ and g and the plunger are actuated in the
same manner as the corresponding parts herein-before described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4; and when the pistons or punches f
and 9 are caused to move towards each other, the piston or punch f
descends and enters the hole i at the same time the piston 2 is forced
upwards, and together the pistons f and effect the compression of the
gunpowder. On the continued rotation of the table the gunpowder
cake thus formed is delivered on the said table has herein-before
described in reference to Figure 4.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner
of nasforming the same. I wish it to be understood that I do not confine

page_text: myself to the precise details herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings as such details may be varied without departing
from the nature of the said Invention, but I claim as the said Inven-
tion,―
Firstly. The combination, adaptation, and arrangement of parts con-
stituting the improved machinery for compressing gunpowder into rings
or cakes essentially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures
1, 2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, pistons or
punches moving in contrary directions, and compressing the gunpowder
contained in holes formed in a revolving table, such holes being
provided with moveable pistons, and the said table having an inter-
mittent rotatory motion imparted to it at the required times to bring
successively between the said pistons or punches the holes filled with
gunpowder, also gradually bringing the compressed cakes to the surface
of the said table by means of a roller and inclined plane or other
suitable mechanical means.
Secondly. The modifications herein-before described and illustrated in
Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings for compressing gun-
powder into rings or cakes in which several holes are to be made.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
W. T. WHITEMAN.
H. H. MURDOCH. (L.S.)