Improvements in Machines for Outting Cartridge-wads.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by THE AUSTIN CARTRIDGE COMPANY, of 906, Society
for Savings Buildings, North Side of Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio, United
States of America.]
Improvements in Machines for Outting Cartridge-wads.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby deolare 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 machines for cutting cartridge wads and is illustrated
in the accompanying drawings in which;
Figure I represents a side elevation of a punch as especially adapted to punch
wads for cartridges, embodying my improvements, the die and die seat being
shown in vertical central cross-section;
Figure II represents a side elevation of said punch;
Figure III represents a horizontal cross-sectional view taken upon the line 3---3
in Figure I; and
Figure IV represents a detail perspective view of the die.
A cross head A capable of reciprocation upon suitable guides formed on or
secured to the frame has secured to it the punch spindle 6 to the lower end of
which is secured the punch, B. The punch B snugly fits into and reciprocates in
a die C and in an upper guide member C¹. Said die and guide are each formed
with a cylindrical bore of equal diameter and have their axes in the same straight
line. The lower edge of the punch forms a cutting edge 6, the edge of the
opening in the upper face of the die likewise forming such a cutting edge.
The die is provided with a transverse aperture intersecting said bore inter-
mediate of the lower die and the upper guide end, for receiving the strip of wad
material to be punched. The upper and lower walls of said aperture are formed
by the lower and upper surfaces of the guide and die respectively. The upper
end of the die C is milled on opposite sides to form two parallel walls c¹ as shown
in Figure IV, the lower end of the guide being correspondingly cut with a
transverse groove to receive the upper extremity of said die. A snugly fitting
joint is thus formed between the said two members C and C¹, the lateral walls
of the groove forming the lateral walls cl of the aperture c, said walls c¹ over-
lapping the lateral surface of the die. This construction permits the upper and
lower walls to be adjusted within certain limits without destroying the continuity
of the lateral walls of the aperture.
The width of aperture is made substantially equal to the width of the wad
strip and slightly greater than the diameter of the bore so that the entire surface
immediately adjacent to the opening in the lower face of the guide member may
contact with the surface of the wad strip immediately adjacent to the hole punched
in said strip.
The die and guide are clamped in an expansible die holder D provided with

page_text: bolts and nuts d. An aperture & is formed in and passes through both walls of
said holder registering with aperture c. By loosening the bolts, the positions of
the two members C and C' relatively to each other may be adjusted to the thick-
ness of the material which it is desired to cut.
In operating my improved punch the wad strip is passed through the aperture
and through the aperture c, and the punch caused to pass downwardly through
the die thus outting out a wad which may be further pressed out through the
bottom of the die and directly into a cartridge E which may be placed beneath
the die holder. The bore of the member C being made equal to that of the member
the punch passes the cutting edge of the upper face in member C smoothly
and without striking, thus making a smooth and clean cut and preserving the
cutting edge.
On the punch being withdrawn and passing back through the hole it has just
cut, the lower face of the guide member C acts as a stripper, the entire surface
immediately adjacent to the edge of the hole in the wad strip being contacted and
firmly held by such withdrawal of the punch, thus stripping the wad material
from the latter.
The guide C has formed upon its lower face a cutting edge and the upper
face of the punch is also formed with such edge 68. These edges act conjointly
on the upward stroke to cut any material which may intervene as a result of
the shifting of the wad strip, thus preventing said material from impeding the
passage of the punch by clogging. In this above described operation the die C
acts as the guide and the guide acts as the die. The aperture is hence bounded
at its intersection with the bore by two cutting edges one above and one below.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The combination with a die of uniform bore, of a punch fitting and recipro-
cable in said bore, said die provided with an aperture intersecting said bore having
adjustable walls, for the admission of the material to be punched, substantially
as set forth.
2. The combination of a die of uniform bore, a punch fitting and reciprocable
in said bore, the said die provided with an aperture intersecting said bore, for
the admission of the material to be punched, and means for varying the width of
said aperture, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of two members consisting of a die and a guide of equal
bore, a punch fitting and reciprocable in said bore, said die and guide forming an
aperture for the admission of the material to be punched and adjustable relatively
to each other, the lateral faces of said aperture overlapping the lateral surface of
one of Faid members, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a die and a guide formed with equal bores having a
common axis, said die and guide each provided with a cutting edge, of a punch
having two cutting edges, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 15th day of Noromban 180R
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
'Agents for the Applicant.