Improvements in or relating to Cartridge-loading Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Cartridge-loading Machines.
I, LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Crayford Works, Crayford, in the County of Kent,.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to machines for automatically loading cartridge
cases with explosives in the form of threads or cords, such as "cordite."
For feeding such machines, the threads of explosive are carried by a series of
independent drums mounted upon a suitable shaft, and the threads are led to a
convenient part of the machine where they meet or collect together in a bundle, in
which form they enter the machine. Now the said threads are somewhat fragile and
therefore liable to break by the pull exerted on them during the working of the
machine. If such breakage should occur and be not immediately discovered the'
machine will, in continuing its work, supply the cartridge cases with diminished
charges of explosive.
According to my invention I overcome the above disadvantage by providing
the machine with means whereby on the breakage of any of the threads, the
machine will be automatically stopped from working until the broken thread is
rectified.
The said means may consist of a contrivance which on the breakage of a thread
acts to bring into operation an electro-magnet for shifting the belt fork of the
driving band and throwing the latter out of action.
For instance I may employ a series of weightea levers, one for each cord, such
levers being so disposed that they bear lightly against the threads under the
influence of their weights. In proximity to the said weighted levers I may locate
an electric contact device which when actuated completes an electric circuit and so
energizes the aforesaid electro-magnet. So long as the threads remain unbroken'
they support the weighted arms and their weighted ends cannot fall upon the said
contact device, but when a thread breaks the weighted end of the arm corresponding
to such thread is no longer supported and it therefore falls upon the contact device
and completes the aforesaid electric circuit.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the means above
described for automatically stopping the machine as various other means may be
employed without departing from the nature of my invention.
December 1907

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Cartridge-loading Machines.
I, LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Crayford Works, Crayford, in the County of Kent, 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 has reference to machines, for automatically loading or filling
cartridge cases with explosive in the form of threads or cords (such as "cordite") in
the manner set forth in the Specification of a prior Patent No. 5790 of the year 1897
granted to me.
For feeding such machines, the explosive in the form of threads or cords, is wound
upon drums which are mounted side by side upon a suitable shaft, and the threads
are led to a convenient part of the machine where they are collected in. a cylindrical.
bundle, in which condition they enter the machine. These threads are somewhat
fragile and liable to break by the pull exerted on them during the. working of the
machine. If breakage of such threads should occur and be not immediately
discovered, the machine will in continuing its work, supply the cartridge.
cases with diminished charges of explosive aud thus render the cartridges
useless.
I overcome the above disadvantage by providing the machine with means whereby,
on the breakage of any of the threads, the machine will be automatically stopped
from working until the broken thread is rectified.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the accom-
panying drawing which is a side elevation illustrating one manner of applying my
invention to a cartridge loading machine of the kind referred to in my aforesaid prior
specification.
A is the frame of the cartridge-loading or filling machine, B is the guide-tube in
which the various threads of cordite are collected to be supplied to the feeding
mechanism of the machine in the form of a cylindrical bundle as explained in my
aforesaid prior specification. C is the driving shaft of the machine, C is a pulley by
which the said shaft is driven with a belt C² from a pulley D¹ on an overhead.
shaft D.
E is one of the drums carrying the cordite; any required number of such drums
can be mounted side by side on the transverse shaft E¹, each drum being independent
of the other. From these drums the cordite is led downwardly to guide rollers e e
mounted on a transverse beam e¹. Each thread of cordite passes over two of said
guide rollers. Contiguous to each pair of the guide rollers is an arm F which is
pivotally mounted in a bracket f projecting from the said transverse beam e¹. The
inner or shorter limb of each arm is furnished with a friction roller f¹ that bears
against the thread of cordite, under the action of a weight f2 on the opposite or
longer limb of the arm. This weight may if desired be made adjustable to regulate
the degree of pressure with which the friction roller f¹ bears against the cordite.
In proximity to the said weighted arms I arrange an electric contact device G
comprising a pivotal piece g and contact pieces g¹ g', the said pivotal piece being
normally held out of electrical contact with the pieces g¹ by a spring g². This pivotal
piece may have its end g³ of sufficient width to extend completely across the
series of weighted arms so as to be acted upon by any one of them; or there may be
a series of such pieces g equal in number to the series of weighted arms a separate
piece being provided for each weighted arm.
The said pulley D¹ on the overhead shaft D is arranged in combination with a
oose pulley and is furnished with a belt fork & by which the belt can be shifted from

page_text: the fast to the loose pulley or vice versa by means of an arm d¹. I provide such
belt fork with an armature which, when the belt is on the fast pulley, lies within
striking distance of a powerful electro-magnet d³. This magnet is electrically con-
nected with the contact device G so that when energized by the closing of the
electric circuit it will attract the said armature and shift the fork da sufficient
distance to bring the helt from the fast to the loose pulley and thereby stop the
working of the machine. Instead of shifting a belt fork as above described, I may,
however, provide the armature of the electro-magnet d³ with a break block that will
be brought into forcible contact with a pulley on the shaft D when the electro
magnet is energized by the closing of the electric circuit by the contact device Gand
thus stop the working of the machine.
So long as the explosive threads remain unbroken they support the weighted arms
and prevent the weighted ends of such arms from falling upon the said contact
device, but when a thread breaks, the weighted end of the arm corresponding to
such thread is no longer supported and it therefore falls upon the contact device and
causes the latter to close the electric circuit and shift the belt or apply the brake as
aforesaid.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the means above described
for automatically stopping the machine by shifting the driving belt or applying a
brake as any other electrically operated means may be employed without departing
from the nature of my invention.
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 :-
A cartridge loading or filling machine such as that above specified, provided with
means whereby it will stop working on the breakage of any of the threads of explosive,
substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.