IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PEBBLE GUNPOWDER AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME” PEBBLE GUNPOWDER AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haycraft, of Faversham, in the County
of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PEBBLE GUNPOWDER AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME”
PEBBLE GUNPOWDER
AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haycraft at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1872.
I, GEORGE HAYCRAFT, of Faversham, in the County of Kent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PEBBLE GUNPOWDER AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME," to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to the manufacture of what is known as
"pebble" powder or cubes of compressed meal from press cake divided
by blunt knives, first, into strips or fingers, which are then cut off into
cubes of the requisite size.
In carrying out my Invention I press mill cake reduced to meal with a
layer of canvas on each copper plate in the press, so that each of the

page_text: press cakes shall have a backing of canvas, in order that when the cake
is cut up into fingers or strips these will be held together in place by the
canvas whilst they are being a second time presented to the cutting
apparatus for forming the cubes.
The press cake may be cut by subjecting it to the action of a pair of
rollers mounted in a suitable frame, and each provided with a number of
longitudinal V projections or blunt cutters placed at a suitable distance
apart around its periphery. The press cake is passed between the rolls,
which are geared together so as to move at equal speeds. The cutters
divide the press cake into strips or fingers, and deliver the same on to a
table, the said fingers being still held together by the canvas. The cake
thus divided is then again passed through the rolls, which cut it at right
angles to the previous operation, and produce cubes, which can readily
be detached from the canvas backing, the latter not being cut in the
operation.
Instead of rollers a pair of knives may be employed, between which
the cake is fed and cut, first into fingers and afterwards into cubes, as
before. The lower knife being fixed, a rising and falling motion is
imparted to the upper knife, which slides in guides in the framing by
connecting the same to a double cranked shaft, or the knife may be
otherwise operated.
The cake is fed to the knives by an endless band working round
rollers, to one of which is fixed a feed wheel operated by a pawl carried
on an arm pivoted loosely on the axis of the wheel, and connected
adjustably with a rock lever operated from the driving shaft, whereby a
feed motion is obtained which may be regulated with facility, so that
cubes of different sizes may be produced at will.
By employing a double set of knives on the same frame at a suitable
distance apart, the first set to cut into strips and the second to cut the
strips into cubes, the cake will only require to be passed once through
the machine.
Either arrangement may be used to cut press cake unprovided with a
canvas backing in case of need.
The cubes are afterwards glazed in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Haycraft in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HAYCRAFT, of Faversham, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Haycraft, Her special licence that I,
the said George Haycraft, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Haycraft, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF
PEBBLE GUNPOWDER AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Haycraft, 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 George Haycraft, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of what is known as
"pebble" powder (cubes of compressed meal) from press cake, which is
divided by blunt knives, first, into strips or fingers, and then cut into
cubes of the requisite size.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I press mill cake reduced to meal with a
layer of canvas or other woven fabric of open texture placed on each
copper plate in the press, so that each of the press cakes shall have a
backing of canvas (which is caused to adhere by the pressure) in order
that when the cake is cut up into fingers or strips these will be held
together by the canvas whilst they are being a second time presented to
the cutting apparatus to be cut into cubes.
The press cake may be cut by subjecting it to the action of a pair of
rollers mounted in a suitable frame, and each provided with a number of
longitudinal V projections or blunt cutters placed at a suitable distance
apart around its periphery. The press cake is fed between the rolls,
which are geared together so as to move at equal speeds. The cutters
divide the press cake into strips or fingers, and deliver the same on to a
table, the said fingers being still held together by the backing of canvas.
The cake thus divided is then again passed through the rolls, which cut ]
it at right angles to produce cubes, which can readily be detached from
the canvas backing, the latter not being cut in the operation.
Instead of rollers a pair of knives may be employed, between which
the cake is fed and cut, first into fingers and afterwards into cubes, as
before. The lower knife being fixed, a rising and falling motion is a
imparted to the upper knife, which slides in guides in the framing by
connecting the same to a cranked shaft, or the knife may be otherwise
operated.
The cake is fed to the knives by an endless band working round
rollers, to one of which is fixed a feed wheel operated by a pawl carried
on an arm pivoted loosely on the axis of the wheel, and connected
adjustably with a rock lever operated from the driving shaft, whereby a
feed motion is obtained which may be regulated with facility, so that
cubes of different sizes may be produced at will.
By employing a double set of knives on the same frame at a suitable
distance apart, the first set to cut the cake into strips and the second to
cut the strips into cubes, the cake will only require to be passed once
through the machine.
Either arrangement may be used to cut press cake unprovided with a
canvas backing in case of need.
The cubes thus formed are afterwards glazed in the usual manner.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of a
machine for cutting the press cake by means of a pair of rollers, as
before described.
Figure 3 shows on an enlarged scale a plan view of a press cake partly
broken away to show the canvas backing, and cut into fingers and
cubes.
In the following description I have supposed that the cubes of powder
to be produced will be %ths of an inch square :—a is the framing of the
machine, and b, b, are a pair of brass rolls mounted in bearings in an
upright frame c, fixed on framing a. The rolls are placed in a horizontal
position and one above the other, with their peripheries when at rest
about half an inch apart. Each roll is turned and planed to form longi-
tudinal projections or cutters about ths of an inch apart (according to
the size of the cube to be produced), at regular distances around its
periphery, those of the lower roll being made blunt so as not to cut the
canvas backing shown at x, Figure 3. d, d, are pinions of equal size, by
which the rolls are geared together to turn them in opposite directions
and ensure that the cutters will come opposite each other. The bearings
of the rolls are separated by a fixed block to prevent the cutters or any
other part of the rolls coming into contact, and the bearing of the upper
roll is free to slide in the upright frame c to accommodate itself to the
thickness of the cake to be cut, upon which it is pressed by a spring
bar e, regulated by a screw e¹. Motion is imparted to one of the rolls
by a winch handle f, or otherwise. 9 is a table upon which the press
cake wo is placed and pressed up against the rolls, by the revolution of
which it is drawn through, and delivered on the table h cut into strips or
fingers, as shown at a¹, in Figure 3. Both tables g, h, are made movable,
and abut against a fixed stop or cross bar c¹, forming part of upright
frame c, so that either table with the cake upon it cut into fingers, as
above mentioned, can be lifted from the framing a and turned a quarter
round to present the ends of the strips or fingers to the rolls, when the
cake is again drawn through and delivered on the table 9 cut into cubes,
as shown at x, Figure 3, which are readily shaken off the canvas backing.
I am aware that a pair of cutter rolls placed side by side have been
used for cutting press cake into fingers, the cake being passed downwards

page_text: in a vertical direction and the fingers received in a hopper below, and I
do not therefore claim the exclusive use of such rolls for the purpose,
the characteristic feature in my machine being the passage of the cake
through the rolls in a horizontal direction and being received at either
side on a horizontal table, whereby the fracture of the pieces and con-
sequent waste is avoided, besides which a considerable saving of time is
effected, and the per-centage of cubes produced is much greater.
Figure 4 shows in end elevation, and Figure 5 in part side elevation
and part longitudinal section another machine in which reciprocating
cutters are employed. These Figures show a double machine to cut the
press cake, first into strips and then into cubes, the parts being dupli-
cated; but it will be understood without additional description that a
single machine may be used, in which case the cake would be passed
twice through. a is the framing of the machine, to which is fixed a brass
knife edge i, called the bottom knife or cutter, and immediately above it
is placed another knife or cutter k, called the top knife, fitted to slide in
vertical slots in an upright frame c. This knife k is connected by rods k¹
with cranks on a shaft 7, to which power is applied to operate the upper
knife. This shaft is mounted in bearings in the upright c, made
adjustable by means of a set screw z fitted thereto, as shown, for regu-
lating the course of the knife k. m is an endless cloth or felt, supported
upon rollers n, n', upon which the cake is placed to be fed to the knives.
When the cake is provided with a canvas backing the cloth m is not
required, and may be replaced by a fixed table, and the cake would be
fed to the knives by the rotation of the feed roll n.
o is a feed wheel, keyed on the journal of roller n, to rotate the said
roller to move the cloth m intermittently to feed the cake to the knives.
For this purpose the wheel has a milled edge, and p is a ratchet engaging
with wheel o, and carried by a reciprocating lever p', working loosely on
the roller journal, and connected at its extremity to the end of an arm
provided with a socket r, fixed by a set screw at any convenient point
on the arm of a bent lever 8, mounted on a fixed pivot at t, and connected
at its other arm by a rod u with the strap of an eccentric on shaft /; or
the lever p¹ may be otherwise adjustably connected with lever 8 or with
an eccentric or crank on shaft 7. By this means the roller n is rotated a
certain distance after each ascent of knife k, and the automatic feed

page_text: is a
motion thus obtained may be regulated by setting the socket r nearer or
farther from the centre of levers to increase or diminish the throw of
lever p¹, as required, so that without change of gearing small cubes
("pebble") or large cubes ("infant") can be produced at will.
friction roller covered with felt, india-rubber, or other soft material,
mounted to turn freely in its bearings and press lightly on the cake as it
is fed to the knives by the endless cloth. The cake as it is passed through
the first pair of knives is received on a movable board placed on a short
fixed table y, from which the board is removed, and the cake cut into
fingers deposited by hand on the second cloth m¹ to be fed to the second
pair of knives to be cut into cubes (or in the case of a single machine it
is replaced on the cloth m for the same purpose), the cake being at same
time turned a quarter round so as to present the fingers endwise towards
the knives.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. Providing press cake with a backing of canvas or other similar
woven fabric of open texture, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described.
2ndly. The combination of a pair of rolls 6 provided with longitudinal
cutters and mounted horizontally, the one above the other, substantially
as herein described and shown, with a horizontal table or tables upon
which the press cake is placed and passed through the rolls in a hori-
zontal direction, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
3rdly. Mounting the upper cutter roll 6 in movable bearings con-
trolled by a spring to enable the rolls to yield to give passage to a cake
of unequal thickness, substantially as herein shown and described.
4thly. In a machine consisting of a pair of knives or cutters, the one
fixed and the other movable, arranged as shown and described, operating
the upper knife by a crank or eccentric motion on a shaft mounted in
adjustable bearings to enable it to cut press cake of various thicknesses.
5thly. The combination with the said machine of the automatic
adjustable feed motion, constructed, arranged, and operated substantially

page_text: as described and shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings, for rotating
the feed roll n and feeding the cake to the knives.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haycraft, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
GEO. HAYCRAFT. (L.S.)