IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES TO SET THE COPPER-CAPS INTO THE EMPTY CARTRIDGES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Wilhelm Lorenz, of Carlsruhe City, in the Grand Duchy
of Baden, German Empire, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
TO SET THE COPPER-CAPS INTO THE EMPTY CARTRIDGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Wilhelin Lorenz at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1881.
c
WILHELM LORENZ, of Carlsruhe City, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, German
Empire. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES TO SET THE COPPER-CAPS INTO THE
EMPTY CARTRIDGES."
According to my present Invention, machinery or apparatus for introducing
percussion caps into cartridge cases is constructed as follows:-
-
On a framing are mounted two opposite horizontal sliding punches actuated by
levers from cams on a driving shaft, the levers having rods with antifriction rollers
that are kept in contact with the peripheries of the cams by means of springs
acting on the ends of the levers. Two shoots are provided, one into which the
percussion caps are fed, and in which they descend by gravity into a die imme-
diately in front of one of the punches, which I will term No. I., so that the lowest
cap in the die faces this punch with its closed end. The second shoot is fed with
the empty cartridge cases, and has at its lower end two spring claws between
which the lowest case in the shoot is held, the claws being so arranged as to
hold the cartridge case in the axial line of the punches, with the chamber of its
base situated immediately in front of the hole in the die containing the percussion
cap, and with its open end facing punch No II., which has its end so formed as to
slightly enter the cartridge case and to butt against the end thereof with a shoulder.
In operating with the machine the punch No. II. first advances into the position
just described whereby it pushes the base of the cartridge case into a shallow recess
in the dic, after which punch No. I. advances and thrusts the cap contained in the
die into the chamber of the cartridge case while this is held by the claws and by
punch No. II. The shoot containing the cartridge cases is mounted on pivots at
about its middle, and it is connected at its lower end by a bell crank to a rocking

page_text: lever actuated by a cam on the driving shaft, by means of which, after the above
described operation has been effected, the lower end of the shoot is moved upwards.
The cartridge case being held by the two punches the upward movement of the
shoot causes the spring claws to release the case, sliding up over the same, whereupon
the punches recede and the cartridge case drops down another shoot into a box.
At the same time the next following cartridge case in the shoot which has been
held by stationary fingers projecting through slots into the shoot while the above
operations were being performed with the lowest case now drops between the
spring claws (being released from the fingers by the upward movement of the
trough), and when this is brought down into its original position again by the action
of the cam, the cartridge case is in its turn presented between the punches and
the above described operation is repeated.
The levers operating the punches are connected thereto by screw adjustments,
and the punch No. II. is provided with a spring collar, which, in its forward motion
is brought against a stop, thereby preventing unduo pressure being exerted on the
percussion cap. The rod of one of the punch levers is forked, having two anti-
friction rollers bearing against two precisely similar cams on the driving shaft,
while the other lever is worked by a single cam situated between the other two.
The driving pulley is loose on its shaft and is geared thereto by a clutch, so that by
throwing this out of gear the machine can be instantly stopped while the pulley
continues to be driven by its strap.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Wilhelm Lorenz in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
December 1881.
WILHELM LORENZ, of Carlsruhe City, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, German
Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES TO SET THE COPPER-CAPS INTO THE
EMPTY CARTRIDGES."
According to my prescut Invention machinery or apparatus for introducing
percussion caps into cartridge cases is constructed as follows:-
1133
to a
On a framing are mounted two opposite horizontal sliding punches actuated by
levers from cams on a driving shaft, the levers having rods with antifriction rollers
that are kept in contact with the peripheries of the cams by means of springs
acting on the ends of the levers. Two shoots are provided, one into which the
percussion caps are fed, and in which they descend by gravity into a die
immediately in front of one of the punches, which I will term No. I., so that the
lowest cap in the die faces this punch with its closed end. The second shoot is fed
with the empty cartridge cases, and has at its lower end two spring claws, between
which the lowest case in the shoot is held, the claws being so arranged as to hold
the cartridge case in the axial line of the punches, with the chamber of its base
situated immediately in front of the hole in the dio containing the percussion cap,
and with its open end facing punch No. II., which has its end so formed as to
slightly enter the cartridge case and to butt against the end thereof with a
shoulder. In operating with the machine the punch No. II. first advances into
the position just described, whereby it pushes the base of the cartridg
shallow recess in the die, after which punch No. I. advances and thrusts the cap
contained in the die into the chamber of the cartridge case while this is held by
the claws and by punch No. II. The shoot containing the cartridge cases is
mounted on pivots at about its middle, and it is connected at its lower end by a
bell crank to a rocking lever actuated by a cam on the driving shaft, by means of
which, after the above described operation has been effected, the lower end of
the shoot is moved upwards. The cartridge case being held by the two punches,
the upward movement of the shoot causes the spring claws to release the case
sliding up over the same, whereupon the punches recede and the cartridge case
drops down another shoot into a box. At the same time the next following
cartridge case in the shoot which has been held by stationary fingers projecting
through slots into the shoot while the above operations were being performed with
the lowest case now drops between the spring claws (being released from tho
fingers by the upward movement of the trough) and when this is brought down
into its original position again by the action of the cam, the cartridge case is in its
turn presented between the punches, and the above described operation is
repeated.
The levers operating the punches are connected thereto by screw adjustments,
and the punch No. II. is provided with a spring collar which in its forward motion
is brought against a stop, thereby preventing undue pressure being exerted on the
percussion cap. The rod of one of the punch levers is forked, having two anti-
friction rollers bearing against two precisely similar cams on the driving shaft,
while the other lever is worked by a single cam situated between the other two.
The driving pulley is loose on its shaft and is geared theroto by a clutch, so that
by throwing this out of gear the machine can be instantly stopped, while the
pulley continues to be driven by its strap.
The above described machine is shewn on the accompanying Drawings, in which

page_text: Fig. 1 shews an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section;
Fig. 3, a cross section; Fig. 4, a plan; Fig. 5, an end elevation; and Fig. 6, a side
elevation of the complete machine to a smaller scale.
The metal cartridge cases to be supplied with percussion enps are introduced
into the shoot A, down which they roll to the place where they are to be operated
upon. The caps are contained in the channel B, and also of themselves pass down
to the point where they are to be acted upon. The caps lie with their heads or
open ends on the bottom of the channel B, so that in their final position in the
steel disc a they lie with their opening towards the bases b' of the cases b. In this
position the cartridge case lies exactly exactly in the axis of the dies E and F, Fig. 2,
and it is held in this central position by the holders cand d, Fig. 3, which latter
are pressed by springs c, d, against the case. The cap to be inserted is at the
same time situated in the steel disc a in front of the dies E and e, Fig. 2. The
dies now operate in such manner that first the die F advances to the case and
seizes it with its head, and in further advancing presses it firmly against the steel
disc, in which position the case is held for some time owing to the form of the
actuating cam M. During this time the die E and e on the opposite side force the
cap situated in front of them into the cap chamber of the case, the distance of
insertion being accurately regulated by means of the screw nuts h, h¹. The cam
groove G then rocks the lever H on its centre h³, whereby the bell crank lever I
is caused by means of the rod to raise the lower end of the shoot A, which turns
on a pivot at a'. The holders c and d at the same time slide off from the case (the
springs c¹ and d yielding to the pressure) which is still held by the dies E, F, and
the holders in assuming the position indicated by the dotted cartridge case b² close
tightly round the latter so as to hold it, the said case 63, which before was held back
by the arms 8, 8', projecting into the shoot, having been liberated by the rising of the
shoot so as to drop into the said dotted position. The dies E, F, then recede, and the
freed cartridge caso b with its inserted percussion cap drops into the discharge shoot C.
At the same time the cam G causes the lower end of the shoot A to descend again
to its original position, bringing the cartridge caso be in the axial line of the dies,
so that another cap which has during this time also descended to the central
position in the plate u can be inserted into the case. The die E is actuated by the
double excentric L, and the die F by the excentric M, between the sheaves of the
former, through the rods and m. The latter work through guides and bears with
rollers m³ against the excentrics to reduce friction. The lovers N, O, rock upon
centres n, o, and are kept by the spring Q with their rods l, m, always in contact
with the excentrics L, M. The die F is extended backwards and works through
a guide on the arm P for steadying its motion. In order to prevent injury to
the cartridge cases through undue pressure a spring disc is inserted between the
lever and the collar on the die. The machine is driven by means of the gut
pulley R loose on the driving shaft, with which it is geared by means of the
clutch S and hand lever T, Figs. 5 and 6. The machine is fixed upon a stand U
which gives access to the parts on all sides, and which carries tho box V under the
shoot C for receiving the capped cartridge cases.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claini,—
First. The combination of parts constituting a machine for inserting the
percussion caps in cartridge cases, arranged and operating substantially as herein
described.
Second. The arrangement of the shoot A for automatically feeding the cartridge
cases centrally between the dies E and F, operating in combination with the spring
holders c and d, substantially as herein described.
Third. The arrangement of the shoot B for automatically feeding the percussion
caps centrally in front of the dics E, e, in combination with tho plato a.
Fourth. The arrangement for introducing the caps into the cartridge cases,
whereby the die F is first made to seize the case and force it against the plate a

page_text: until the dies E, e, in advancing force the cap from the plate a into the chamber
of the case, substantially as described.
Fifth. The arrangement for removing the capped cartridge cases, whereby the
shoot A is first raised by the action of the cam G, levers H, I, and rod K so as to
cause the holders c, d, to liberate the case which is held by the dies E, F, until by
their receding motion it is allowed to drop into the shoot C, substantially as herein
described.
Sixth. The arrangement for bringing the next cartridge case into position for
capping, whereby the shoot A in its upward motion causes the said case to descend
between the holders c, d, which on the descent of the shoot bring it into the said
position, substantially as herein described.
Seventh. The use of the arms 8, 8', whereby the cartridge cases are held back
in the shoot A until liberated by the upward motion of the latter, substantially as
herein described.
Eighth. The combination of the levers N, O, excentrics or cams M and L, L,
rods m and 7, and spring Q constituting the mechanism for actuating the dies E, F,
arranged and operating substantially as herein described.
'
Ninth. The use of the spring washer r, in combination with the die F, for
preventing the cartridge case from being subjected to undue pressure, substantially
as herein described.
•
Tenth. The arrangement, substantially as herein described, whereby the motion
of the dies E and F, the shoot A, and the other parts, are all obtained from one and
the same driving shaft.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wilhelm Lorenz, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
WILHELM LORENZ. (Ls.)