Improvements in Cartridge-loading Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
Improvements in Cartridge-loading Machines.
I, JACQUES PIERRE DE BRAAM, of 8 Rue du Helder, Paris, France, 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 relates to a machine for making cartridges which is designed to
ensure the loading with powder and shot in a much more regular manner than has
been the case hitherto, whilst enabling the manufacture to be carried on much more
rapidly.
Heretofore, cartridges have been made by hand by introducing into the cases, by
means of suitable instruments, as uniform quantities as possible of lead and shot, and
then by means of rudimentary appliances operated by hand, inserting the wad and
finally closing up the cartridge.
Various machines have been constructed for effecting all these operations, but have
all been much too complicated and difficult to operate, and could only be employed for
producing large quantities. Now my arrangement of machine for making cartridges,
whilst enabling large quantities of cartridges to be turned out in a very short time if
required, is yet easily operated. It is very compact, not complicated, and is conse-
quently adapted for use not only by cartridge-manufacturers, gun-makers, and on
shooting ranges, but also by private individuals who will thus have the advantage of
being able to make their own cartridges.
My machine, among other advantages, has the main feature of exactly regulating
the charge of powder and shot contained in the cartridge, and also of exactly regulating
the pressure exerted for the purpose of inserting the wads, and closing the cartridge.
A machine according to my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings;
in which:-
Fig. 1 is a plan of the machine, the upper cam 5 having been removed to show
the cam 18.
Fig. 2 is a vertical central section,
Fig. 3 is a detail view of the device for regulating the quantity of powder or shot to
be introduced into each cartridge.
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the device for bringing the wads under the wad driving
pistons.
Fig. 5 shows separately, in front elevation, the cam 5 designed to effect the
movement of the wad driving pistons.
1 is the base plate of the machine, 2 a movable table, 3 a fixed table which is carried
by three uprights 4 and upon which move the devices that serve to effect the loading
of the cartridges.
Through the movable table 2 there passes a central shaft 6 carrying at its upper
part a cam 5. The table 2 and the shaft 6 are independent of each other. They rotate
in opposite directions, and one of them is stationary when the other is moving as will
be seen hereinafter. The table 2 and the shaft 6 are operated by means of a crank
fixed on a shaft 7; this actuates a toothed wheel 8 which in turn moves a toothed
wheel 9 that is carried by an upright 10. Upon the same axle as the toothed wheel 9
there is mounted a wheel 11 which is toothed only on part of its periphery and which
engages with a toothed wheel 12 fixed on the central shaft 6, thereby causing-this
shaft to revolve from right to left and make a complete revolution during the time
نو

page_text: that the teeth of the wheel 11 are in engagement with the toothed wheel 12. A
cam 16 which takes in a concave recess formed in a projection 17 of the shaft 6,
prevents all rotation of this shaft after the teeth of the wheel 11 have left the toothed
wheel 12..
Above the wheel 11, and rotating in the same direction as it, there is mounted
another but smaller wheel 13 which is also toothed only on part of its periphery. The
teeth of this last wheel engage with the gear tooth 14 situated underneath the movable
table 2, and consequently cause the said table to turn in the reverse direction to that
which is imparted to the central shaft 6 by the wheels 11 and 12. The number of
teeth on the wheel 13 is such as to cause the movable table 2 to advance through one-
seventh of a complete revolution during each revolution of the wheel 13.
The teeth of the wheels 11 and 13 are arranged in such a manner that the teeth
of 11 will engage with the teeth of the toothed wheel 12 at the moment when the last
tooth of 13 leaves the teeth 14 of the movable table 2. In this manner the table stops
at the moment that the shaft 6 begins to rotate and vice-versa.
I will hereinafter explain the purpose of this arrangement.
Instead of mounting the crank on the shaft 7, it might if preferred, be mounted
upon the part 15, and then by causing the same to rotate in the opposite direction, the
axle 7 could be actuated by means of bevel gears 16 and 17.
Upon the movable table 2 there are fixed seven cylinders made of metal open at
their outer ends and designed to hold the cartridges to be loaded. The movable table 2
moves so as to bring the cartridges in succession 'under devices which are carried by
the fixed table 3, and are actuated by shafting or mechanism from the shaft 6.
In order to enable my machine to be properly understood I will now proceed to
describe its operation and construction by following the manufacture of a cartridge
from the entrance of the cartridge-case into the machine until the exit of the cartridge
therefrom. It should however be noted that seven cartridges are designed to be
simultaneously made in the machine.
Each empty cartridge-case is subjected to seven operations, viz. its introduction
into the machine; its reception of the charge of powder; the insertion of the large
wad; its reception of the charge of shot; the introduction of the small wad; the
closing of the cartridge; and its expulsion from the machine. We will suppose that
the machine is in full operation; a cartridge case having been just introduced into the
cylinder at the place indicated by 21 by means of the mechanism hereinafter described;
it is brought into the position 22 to receive the powder by the rotary movement of the
movable table 2, as described above. During this movement all the other cartridges
in course of manufacture have of course, advanced one seventh of a revolution of the
table 2, that which had just received the charge of powder at 22, has been brought
to 23 to receive the large wad, and so forth. When the cartridge-case has moved
to 22, the movable table 2 stops, and the shaft 6, which commences to revolve, sets in
motion the various devices which are situated above the fixed table 3; that is to say,
the empty cartridge that has been taken as an example, receives its charge of powder
at 22, whilst a fresh cartridge is introduced at 21, and whilst of the five cartridges
which precede the last mentioned one, one receives the large wad at 23, the second
receives the shot at 24, the third receives the small wad at 25, the fourth is closed
at 26, and, finally, the last cartridge is expelled at 27. These seven operations are
executed simultaneously during a single revolution of the central shaft 6, after which
the movable table 2 resumes its movement for the purpose of making a further seventh
of a revolution; the seven operations are repeated during one further revolution of the
shaft 6; and so on.
By means of the preceding explanations, the general working of the machine will
be clearly understood. It remains now only to describe in detail each of the above
mentioned operations.
The introduction of the empty cartridge-cases into the machine is effected in the
following manner :-The cases being arranged on a slide 19, the outer end of one
of them is raised by a small crank 20. The weight of the metal base drags the case
into the aperture 21 in the fixed table 3, and from thence into the support or carrier

page_text: which is provided for its reception on the movable table 2. If the case should not
completely fall down, it will be struck anew at its upper part by the small crank 20
and will thus be forced to fall into the desired position. The crank 20 receives its
movement through the medium of a toothed wheel 28 engaging with another toothed
wheel 29 rigidly fixed on the shaft 6 immediately below the cam 5 (Fig. 5). The
toothed wheel 28 imparts the motion which it receives from the wheel 29 to a small
bevel-pinion 30 which actuates an arm 31 upon which the crank 20 is mounted.
For the purpose of introducing the powder into the cartridge-case, a suitable cup
or vessel is arranged above the aperture 22. In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have
indicated that the powder is contained in a tube, but it is preferable to employ a glass
cup which is adjusted in a suitable manner.) The two operations of introducing the
powder and the shot are effected by means of known mechanism, but another
operation, that of introducing the large wad, is effected in the interval. The intro-
duction of the powder is effected at 22, and that of the shot at 24. The requisite
movements for these two operations, as also those for the two wads, as I shall explain
hereinafter, are obtained from a toothed pinion 32 which consists of two parts arranged
one above the other of double height or depth, and having two different movements.
At the end of the movement of the shaft 6, a stud or knob 33 which slides in the
groove in the cam 18, meets a concave recess in the said cam, and draws inwardly
the rack 34 which engages with the upper end of the toothed pinion 32. In this
movement the rack imparts a rotary movement from left to right to the upper part
of the pinion 32, with which also gear the two racks 35 and 36. This has the
result of moving these two racks back towards the inside (see the position of the
rack 35 which is indicated in Fig. 3 and which I shall take as an example). This
movement of the rack 35 has the effect of moving away the pallet which it carries
at its other end, whereby the powder is allowed to fall upon the other pallet
carried by a rack 37. A suitable spring tends to return the rack 34 into its
normal position as soon as it is no longer acted upon by the cam 18. Consequently
as soon as the rack 85 has reached the end of its travel, it is suddenly returned into
a position similar to that indicated in the case of the rack 37 in Fig. 3.1
As soon as the empty cartridge-case has arrived at 22, the rack 87 is drawn
towards the interior, in such a manner that the powder which was contained between
the pallets of 35 and 87, falls into the cartridge case. The movement of the rack 37
is effected as follows:-Below the cam 18 is another cam 39 of similar shape, except
that the concave recess is situated in such a manner as to operate a lever 40 pivoted
at 43 and fixed on a rack 41, which in turn engages with the lower part of the
pinion 32, and causes it to rotate from right to left. With this lower part of
the pinion 32 there engage the racks 37, 38, 41 and 42. The first two are drawn
simultaneously towards the interior, whilst the other two are, on the contrary pushed
towards the exterior. In consequence thereof, the rack 37 lets the quantity of powder
which is situated between the pallets of 35 and 37, drop. A spring 44 has
a constant tendency to move the lever 40 back again, as soon as it is no longer
acted upon by the cam 39. The insertion of the wads is effected in the following
manner :-
A certain number of wads is introduced into the tube 45 and upon the top one
there is placed a weight to press them down. At the moment when the cartridge-
case that has just received the charge of powder arrives at 23, the rack 42 (operated
by the lower part of the pinion 32 to which motion is transmitted by means of the
rack 41 and the lever 40, sliding in the groove in the cam. 39 which is mounted
on the shaft 6) is pushed against the lowermost wad at the bottom of the tube 45
(Fig. 4) and brings it under a wad-driving piston 47. During this operation, an
extension 49 of an arm 50, which carries the two wad-driving pistons 47 and 48, is
situated in the upper end of the groove in the cam 5, (Fig. 5), so that immediately
after the wad has been brought under the piston 47 by the end of the rack 42, the
arm 50 moves down again in consequence of the shape of the cam 5, and compels
the wad-driving piston 47 to enter the cartridge-case and to press the wad therein.
The arm 50 is mounted on a vertical shaft 51 which slides in a cylinder 52.

page_text: The pistons 47 and 48 each consist of two cylinders, one sliding within the other,
connected together by means of a rod fixed only to the lower cylinder and surrounded
by a coiled spring.
When the piston is at the bottom of its stroke, the lower cylinder moves up again
in the upper cylinder, and compresses the spring. This arrangement has for objects
to enable the pressure to be regulated and to prevent the wad-driving pistons from
remaining at the bottom of their strokes and thus stopping the machine.
The insertion of the shot is effected at 24 in the same way as in the case of the
powder. The two operations are effected simultaneously and by means of liko parts.
The rack 36 operates at the same time and in the same manner as the rack 35; whilst
the rack 38 operates simultaneously and identically with the rack 37. In this case
also, the quantity of shot is regulated by the distance existing between the two pallets
of 36 and 38.
It will he readily understood that the quantity of powder and shot may be varied at
will by increasing or diminishing the distance between the two pallets.
The fastening of the small wad on the top of the shot is effected at 25 in a manner
similar to that for the introduction of the large wad on the top of the powder at 23.
The rack 41 operates in the same way and at the same time as the rack 42, the only
difference being that the rack 41 carries the driving end of the lever 40 and transmits
motion to the lower part of the pinion 32 which transmits the same to the rack 42.
It is quite obvious that wads of different thicknesses may be employed, the sole
precaution to be taken being that the thickness of the corresponding ends of the
racks 41 and 42 shall not be greater than that of the wads to be inserted, so that only
one wad can be freely forced along.
The closing or fastening down of the cartridge, which is now completely loaded is
effected at 26 in the following manner :-At the moment that the cartridge arrives
under the closer or fastener 57, the end 55 of a lever 53, which is pivoted at 54, is
situated at the bottom of the groove of the cam 56 (see the position indicated in
Fig. 2), so that the end 55 at once begins to rise and the lever 53 causes the closer 57
to move downwards. The latter has a rotary motion transmitted to it from the
toothed wheel 58 which receives the said motion through the medium of the gear-
wheels 17 and 16. I have assumed in the drawing that the closer 57 is mounted on
the shaft which receives the motion of the wheel 58; but I prefer to operate by means
of the said wheel 58, a wheel which is mounted on an intermediate shaft and which,
by means of another toothed wheel, transmits the motion to the shaft upon which the
closer 57 is mounted.
As soon as the shaft 6 has made half a revolution; the cam 56 causes the end 55
of the lever 53 to move down again, whereby the closer is moved up again.
The action of the descent of the closer 57 may be helped by a lover 59
pressure may be applied by hand, or on which a weight can be hung.
upon
which
The expulsion of the cartridge from the machine is effected at 27 by means of a
rod 60. This rod is situated close up to the central shaft 6. A projection carried by
the said shaft causes the rod 60 to move back at the commencement of the rotation
of the shaft. This.backward movement of the rod 60 has the effect of compressing
a coiled spring 61 which encircles the same (ave the position indicated in Fig. 2).
As soon as the rod 60 is disengaged, the spring expands and pushes it against the
cartridge, which is situated opposite to its outer end, this having the effect of expelling
the cartridge from the machine.
Instead of the lever 59 I may employ, with the object of giving more power to
the closer 57, a coiled spring encircling the rod 65 upon which the said closer is
mounted.
In order to indicate that there are no more wads in the cylinders 45 and 46, 1 may
use the following arrangement. The weight which causes these wads to move down
by pressing them slightly together, carries two small projections extending beyond
two suitable grooves formed in the cylinders containing the wads. One of these small
projections, is capable of striking directly upon an alarm-gong, or upon a lever

page_text: operating the said gong, which may also be arranged at a height suitable for indicating
the quantity of wads still available.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a cartridge-making machine a fixed table 3 on which are mounted and
arranged the various devices serving to effect the changing of the cartridge-cases,
and a movable table 2 for carrying the cartridges and bringing them successively
underneath each of the devices supported by the fixed plate 3.
2. In a cartridge-making machine a fixed table 3, a movable table 2, and a central
shaft 6 adapted to operate the devices supported by the fixed table, in a manner
entirely independent of one another, the central shaft and the movable table being
arranged to revolve in mutually opposite directions and one of them to be stationary
whilst the other one is moving.
3. In a cartridge-making machine a movable table 2 carrying seven cartridges and
moving so as to bring the latter underneath the several devices which are supported"
by a fixed upper table 3 and which are operated simultaneously by a vertical shaft 6
in such a manner that seven different operations can be effected simultaneously upon
seven different cartridges, the movable table 2 advancing through one-seventh of a
revolution at a time so as to bring each cartridge in succession underneath the several
devices supported by the fixed table 3, and stopping as soon as the said partial
revolution is completed, the vertical shaft 6 then making a complete revolution which
causes all the devices supported by the fixed table 3 to move, after which the movable
table resumes its motion again so as to bring each of the cartridges underneath the
next following device, and so forth, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a cartridge-making machine of the kind specified in Claim 2, the combination
of gear-wheels 8 and 9 and a wheel 11, which is toothed only on part of its
periphery, with a toothed wheel 12 fixed on the central shaft 6, the arrangement being
such that the said shaft is caused to revolve from right to left when the crank fixed
at 7 is turned from left to right; the number of teeth of the wheel 11 being equal to
the number of teeth of the wheel 12, so that the shaft 6 shall never revolve through
more than one revolution at a time, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In a cartridge-making machine of the kind specified in Claims 2 and 3, the
arrangement of a toothed sector 13 adapted to engage with gear-teeth 14 provided
underneath the movable table 2, in such a manner as to cause the said movable
table 2 to move in the same direction as the crank 7 (that is to say, in the direction
opposite to that of the shaft 6), the toothed sector 13 having a number of teeth
such as to cause the movable table never to make more than a determined fraction
of a revolution and being arranged in such a manner that it will engage with the
teeth 14 at the moment when the toothed sector 11 leave the wheel 12, so that the
movable table will begin to revolve as soon as the shaft 6 stop, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
6. In a cartridge-making machine, for the purpose of introducing empty cartridge-
cases the combination of a toothed wheel 29 fixed on a vertical shaft 6, a toothed
wheel 28, a bevel-pinion 30, and a crank 20 adapted to move and raise an empty
cartridge-case on a slido 19 and let the same fall into a suitable holder on a
movable table 2 through an aperture 21 of a fixed table 3, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
7. In a cartridge-making machine, for the purpose of introducing the powder,
the combination of a cup or suitable receptacle containing the powder, with a
toothed pinion 32, two racks. 35 and 37, a cam 39, and a lever 40, the two racks
being each mounted on opposite sides of the pinion so as to cause them to move
in opposite directions and in such a manuer as to cause the end of one of them
to enter the lower portion of the powder-receptacle when the end of the other rack
is no longer there, and vice versa, and the charge of powder being regulated by the

page_text: distance between pallets on the ends of the racks 35 and 37, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
8. In a cartridge-making machine, the combination for the purpose of introducing
the shot, of a cup or sui'able receptacle containing the shot, with a toothed pinion 32
and two racks 36 and 38 mounted on the toothed pinion and operating in the same
manner as and simultaneously with the racks 35 and 37 referred to in Claim 7.
9. In a cartridge-making machine, for the purpose of inserting a wad (whether
it be the large wad between the powder and the shot, or the small wad of cardboard
on the top of the shot), the combination of a cylinder for holding the wads, a rod
or bar in gear with a pinion 32 and arranged to push the wad over the partly
formed cartridge, and a wad-driving piston mounted on an arm 50 carried by a
shaft 51 sliding in a cylinder 52, the said arm 50 having a downward moverment
imparted to it by means of an extension projection 49 engaging with a cam 5
of suitable shape, substantially as hereinbefore described.
10. In a cartridge-making machine, wad-driving pistons each composed of two
cylinders sliding one within the other and connected together by means of a rol
fixed only to the lower cylinder and encircled by a coiled spring adapted to enable
the pressure exerted in driving-home the wads to be regulated and to move up
again immediately the arm that carries the pistons, substantially as herein before
described.
11. In a cartridge-making machine, for the purpose of simultaneously inserting
a large wad into a cartridge case that has received its charge of powder, and a
small wad into another cartridge-case that has received its powder, large wad, and
shot, the combination of an arm 50 that is mounted on a vertical shaft 51 sliding
in a cylinder 52 and receives its motion from an extension 49 that slides in a
cam 5 fixed to the top of a shaft 6, two wad-driving pistons 47 and 48, racks 41
and 42 mounted on opposite sides of a pinion 32 and adapted to bring the wads
-underneath the wad-driving pistons when the latter are in their raised positions,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
12. In a cartridge-making machine of the kind referred to in the preceding
claims, an arrangement in which the upper part of a toothed pinion 32 consisting
of two parts arranged one above the other and having motion in contrary senses,
receives its motion through the medium of a projection 33 that slides in the groove
of a cam 18 keyed on the shaft 6 and is fixed to a rack 34 gearing into the upper
part of the pinion 32, which is thereby caused to revolve from left to right and to
actuate racks 35 and 36, and the lower part of the said pinion (into which gear
racks 37, 38, 41, and 42) receives its motion by means of a lever 40 that slides in
a cam 39, is pivoted at 43, and is attached to the rack 41, whereby the lower part
of the pinion 32 is caused to revolve from right to left, the arrangement being such
that the racks 35 and 36 are simultaneously drawn inwards as are also the racks 37
and 38, and similarly, the racks 41 and 42 are simultaneously moved outwards so as
to bring simultaneously into the desired positions a large wad and a small wad
respectively, substantially as herein before described.
13. In a cartridge-making machine, for the purpose of effecting the final closure
or fastening the combination of a cam 56 and a lever 53 pivoted at 54 so as to
lower a closer or fastening-tool rotated by means of gear-wheels 17, 16 and 58, the
wheel 58 being adapted to actuate the shaft of the closer 57 either directly or
through a gear-wheel transmitting the motion to an intermediate shaft adapted to
transfer the rotary motion to the shaft of the closer by means of another intermediate
gear-wheel, substantially as herein before described.
14. In a cartridge-making machine, for the purpose of expelling a completely
finished cartridge from the machine, an arrangement in which a rod 60, which
surrounds a shaft 6 immediately below a fixed table 3, is pushed back inwards by
a projection carried by the shaft 6 and thereby compressing a spring 61, which, as
soon as the projection of the shaft 6 leaves the rod 60, causes the said rod to move
forward suddenly, in such a manner that its end is caused to strike against the
cartridge and to expel it from the machine, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 15. My improved cartridge-making machine constructed, arranged and operating
as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 10th of November 1896.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.