Improvements in and relating to the Casting of Bullets and to Machines therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1898-Accepted, 18th June, 1898
Improvements in and relating to the Casting of Bullets and to
Machines therefor.
I, WILSON BURGESS, of Highwood Hill, Mill Hill, N.W., in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 the casting of bullets, and is designed to provide a
construction of machine which shall be capable of producing a very large output of
bullets, such bullets being cast in metal ejected from a crucible, then compressed to
render them dense and uniform and finally ejected from the machine in a very rapid
and expeditious manner.
As the
According to the said invention the moulds may be formed in a disc or wheel
adapted to be rotated with a step-by-step movement by suitable mechanism.
moulds revolve each of them adapted to come opposite a stationary mouth-piece
which closes one end thereof, the other end being closed by a ram or plunger having
a cavity which serves to form the nose of the bullet. The stationary mouth-piece is
adapted to receive the nozzle of a crucible from which melted metal is injected into the
moulds. After a mould is charged it is, in the revolution, of the disc or wheel brought
into a position wherein a second ram or plunger compresses the bullet longitudinally
towards the ejector ram, or if necessary impresses or indents it in any suitable manner
after which the mould is carried around another step and the latter ram is operated
to eject the bullet.
to.
The invention also has reference to certain mechanical details hereinafter referred
In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the same fully by aid of the accompanying drawings,
in which:
Figure 1 is a view partly in plan and partly horizontal section of the salient
portion of one construction of my improved bullet casting machine showing also the
position of the adjacent working parts, this machine having two series of moulds one
at each side thereof for casting two bullets at a time.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the said machine, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the arrangement for rotating the moulds.
a a are the moulds which consist of steel blocks or hollow plugs, screw-threaded
externally and having each a head a¹ for screwing them in and out, and a tightening
nut a² for fixing them in place. The said moulds in the example shown are formed of
two parts or tubes shrunk one on the other, to give increased strength and to prevent
cracking. They may however be formed of a single piece of metal if desired.
bb are the discs into which the said moulds are screwed. These discs are rigidly
connected together by means of a hollow cylinder or drum b¹ arranged between them
and secured thereto by means, for instance, of screws 62 adapted to engage in
flanges which are formed on the discs and project into the cylinders. In the discs
are formed cavities or spaces 64 through which the moulds a extend, these cavities
being filled with water and constituting water jackets for the moulds. The water

page_text: may for example be supplied to the said spaces through the axles or trunnions of the
discs which may be made hollow to permit of this.
cc are the stationary mouth pieces opposite which the moulds are brought as they
revolve and which fit tightly up to the moulds to close their outer ends during the
casting operation. These mouth pieces are provided with tapered or conical
recesses c¹ which terminate in apertures c2 through which the lead or melted metal to
form the bullets is pumped into the moulds from the nozzle c³ of a crucible ct in a
similar manner to that in which type metal is pumped from the crucible of a type
casting machine.
dd are ejector rams or plungers which serve to close the inner ends of the moulds
during the casting operation, and to eject the finished bullet from the mould. These
rams are provided with rounded cavities or recesses d¹ at their forward extremities
such cavities serving to form the nose of the bullets.
The said ejector rams or plungers are operated by rocking levers d2 mounted on
brackets d³ screwed horizontally into the rim of the disc or wheel b. The said levers
at their lower ends are provided with slots d in which pins d³ are adapted to engage
while at their upper ends they are provided with rollers do.
The working strokes of the ejector rams or plungers are effected by means of
cams e mounted on shafts e¹ in gear with the discs b so as to operate the said rams or
plungers at the proper times. These cams have gaps ex for the purpose hereinafter
specified. They act against the rollers d and serve to press the rams into the
mould, the movements in the opposite direction being effected in the example shown
by a powerful spring e² which tends to draw the rains or plungers back against a pair
of stops or abutments e³ on the drum b².
The step by step rotary movement is imparted to the discs b by means of a ratchet
wheel or teeth f formed on or secured to the side of one of the said discs, the motion
being derived from a pawl f¹ to which reciprocating movement is imparted in any
convenient manner, from some suitable moving part or shaft which will cause it
to operate the discs at the proper times, say for example from an eccentric fon
a shaft f.
gg are the rams or plungers whereby the compression of the bullets is effected,
or whereby the same can be stamped if desired with the maker's name or other
identifying marks. These rains ginay be operated either hydraulically or by
means of cams not shown. The arrangement of the parts is such that after the
bullets are cast, the next movement of the discs brings the moulds containing
them opposite the compressing rams g which act upon the base or outer end of the
bullet and compress the same, the rams d being meanwhile supported by the stops
or abutments .
In cases where the bullets are intended for air guns, the rams g have their operative
extremities rounded as shown so as to form hollowed out or cup shaped recesses in
the bases of the bullets.
The general operation of the machine is as follows:-
When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1 the pumps of the crucibles c
are operated and a quantity of metal sufficient to fill the moulds is discharged through
the nozzles c³ and the apertures c², to fill the said moulds.
The discs are then rotated by the ratchet teeth fand pawl f¹ and the newly charged
moulds are brought opposite the compression rams g.
The rains g are then operated and the bullets are thereby compressed to render
them thoroughly compact and homogeneous throughout or if necessary to stamp
them as above referred to, the ejector rams d meantime resting against the stops or
abutments e³.
After the bullets are thus compressed the rams g retire and the discs are rotated
another step.
The effect of this is to bring the levers d² opposite the cams which are 80 set
that they first move the ejector rams forward with a short and powerful stroke by
means of a small nose or projection e' in advance of the recess thus loosening the
bullets. The rollers do on the ends of the levers then slip forward into the recesses e

page_text: under the action of the springs e², but immediately afterwards are pressed back
sharply by a larger nose or projection on the said cam. The result of this is that
the rams g receive a sudden to-and-fro movement or jerk, which has the effect of
throwing the loosened bullets completely out of the moulds.
While the foregoing operations have been proceeding in the particular moulds in
question, it will be readily understood that the other inould have been coming in
succession opposite the nozzle of the crucible and have been charged with metal
ready to be pressed and ejected in the manner hereinbefore described.
In some cases when cased bullets (such as usel in small bore magazine-rifles)
are to be manufactured, the cases may be filled into the inoulds by hand or other-
wise prior to the melted metal being injected into them. Moreover in some
cases the moulds instead of being carried in a rotary disc may be placed in a
reciprocating block, or sliding bar if desired, the other parts of the machine being
adjusted accordingly.
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
1. A machine for casting bullets in which the operation of casting and compression
take place in one and the same mould substantially as described.
2. A bullet casting machine of the kind referred to having a crucible provided
with means for injecting molten metal into the moulds, and having an ejector
ram for closing one end of the mould, and a compression ram for acting on and
compressing the metal in the mould, substantially as described.
3. A machine for casting bullets constructed and operating substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of May 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.