IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND MOULDING EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL INTO CYLINDRICAL PRISMATIC AND OTHER FORMS SUITABLE FOR BLASTING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Everard Hesketh of Dartford in the County of Kent
for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND
MOULDING EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL INTO CYLINDRICAL PRISMATIC AND OTHER
FORMS SUITABLE FOR BLASTING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Everard Hesketh at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1882.
EVERARD HESKETH of Dartford in the County of Kent "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND MOULDING EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL INTO
CYLINDRICAL PRISMATIC AND OTHER FORMS SUITABLE FOR BLASTING
"
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of apparatus for
compressing and moulding explosive material such as meal gunpowder or other
pulverulent explosive into the forms of cylinders prisms and the like such as aro
employed as cartridges for blasting purposes
On a strong framing I fix a row of moulds of the desired form and I arrange
above them corresponding punches which are caused to slide up and down vertically
by arms on a rocking shaft worked by a cam from a continuously revolving shaft.
At the bottom of the moulds I fit horizontally sliding pieces which are alternately
advanced and retracted by the action of a cam, their movements being timed to
those of the punches so as to act as I will presently describe. Above and in front
of each mould I provide a revolving valve which at one part of its revolution
receives into its cavity from a hopper a charge of the material to be operated on
and at another part of its revolution it delivers this charge into the mould. It is
generally desirable to have the moulded cylinders or prisms perforated by a central
hole. For this purpose 1 provide for each mould a stationary central rod or quill
which passes down into a hole in the sliding pieces at the bottom of the mould.
The operation is as follows-The punches being raised out of the moulds and the
bottoms of the moulds being closed by the advance of the sliding pieces which

page_text: embrace the ends of the quills, each mould receives its charge of pulverulent
material. The punches then descend compressing the charge and having done so
retreat a little so as to relieve the pressure, whereupon the slides below the moulds
retreat leaving their bottoms open, and the punches again descending force the
moulded material out of the moulds. The punches then reascending and the slides
closing the bottoms of the moulds, the action is repeated.
Although I have described a row of moulds for moulding a number of cylinders
prisms or other forms simultaneously, it is obvious that when it is not required to
operate on a large quantity of material, a single mould with its appliances may be
employed as described, and also that apparatus of the kind described may be used
for compressing and moulding pulverulent substances other than those which are
of an explosive character.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Everard Hesketh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1882.
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EVERARD HESKETH of Dartford in the County of Kent IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND MOULDING EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL INTO
CYLINDRICAL, PRISMATIC AND OTHER FORMS SUITABLE FOR BLASTING
"
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of apparatus for
compressing and moulding explosive material such as meal gunpowder or other
pulverulent explosive into the forms of cylinders prisms and the like such as are
employed as cartridges for blasting purposes.
On a strong framing I fix a row of moulds of the desired form and I arrange
above them corresponding punches which are caused to slide up and down vertically
by arms on a rocking shaft worked by a cam from a continuously revolving shaft.
At the bottom of the moulds I fit horizontally sliding pieces which are alternately
advanced and retracted by the action of a cam, their movements being timed to
those of the punches so as to act as I will presently describe. Above and in front
of each mould I provide a revolving valve which at one part of its revolution
receives into its cavity from a hopper a charge of the material to be operated on
and at another part of its revolution it delivers this charge into the mould. It is
generally desirable to have the moulded cylinders or prisms perforated by a central
hole. For this purpose I provide for each mould a stationary central rod or quill
which passes down into a hole in the sliding pieces at the bottom of the mould.
The operation is as follows:-The punches being raised out of the moulds and the
bottoms of the moulds being closed by the advance of the sliding pieces which
embrace the ends of the quills, each mould receives its charge of pulverulent
material. The punches then descend compressing the charge and having done so
retreat a little so as to relieve the pressure, whereupon the slides below the moulds
retreat leaving their bottoms open, and the punches again descending force the
moulded material out of the moulds. The punches then reascending and the slides
closing the bottoms of the moulds, the action is repeated.
be
Although I have described a row of moulds for moulding a number of cylinders
prisms or other forms simultaneously, it is obvious that when it is not required to
operate on a large quantity of material, a single mould with its appliances may
employed as described, and also that apparatus of the kind described may be used
for compressing and moulding pulverulent substances other than those which are
of an explosive character.
Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front view partly in section of
apparatus according to my invention arranged for three moulds, Fig 2 is an end
view and Fig 3 is a plan at three levels shewing towards the left side the guide
for one of the punches, in the middle one of the moulds and towards the right the
sliding pieces which form the bottoms of the moulds, the mould itself being
supposed to be removed. A is the framing having bearings for the working
shaft B which may be driven froin any convenient motor. On this shaft are fixed
three sets of cams Cc against which bear rollers mounted on the arms of the
levers D d by which the required reciprocating movements are given to the
punches E, these punches being guided in the usual way so as to move vertically.
F are the moulds which are open at the bottom and are fixed to the base so as to
bridge across a slot in which work the sliding pieces G G. These pieces are linked
to two of the arms of a three armed lever H, the third arm of which is caused to
reciprocate by a cam K on a vertical shaft driven by nitre gear J from the main

page_text: shaft B. When the moulded pieces require to have holes through them quills L
are arranged to pass through the punches and down the moulds, these quills being
held stationary by being connected at the top to brackets M. The material to be
operated on is supplied to hoppers N which have at their bottoms valves P which
by a reciprocating rotary movement deliver successive charges of the material to
be operated on down inclined tubes to the moulds. The valves P are worked by
racks which are connected to the punches so as to ascend and descend with
them thereby causing the valves to make the required reciprocating rotary
movements The motions of the sliding pieces G G are so timed to those of the
punches that when the punches are descending in the moulds and compressing
their charges the shoulders of the pieces G are close together, closing the bottoms
of the moulds and embracing if desired the ends of the quills. When the pressure
in the moulds is relieved by a partial ascent of the punches, the pieces G move so
as to separate their shoulders thus leaving the bottoms of the moulds open and
then the punches descending push the moulded material out of the moulds.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and in what manner the
saine is to be performed, I claim in respect of apparatus wherein reciprocating
punches are employed, to compress explosive material in moulds :-
==
First. The herein described method of emptying the moulds of the compressed
material by withdrawing sliding pieces that close the bottoms of the moulds and
extruding the contents of the moulds by the advance of the compressing punches.
Second. In combination with a moulding press the sliding pieces G G timed to
move with the punches so as to close the bottoms of the moulds during compression
and to open them for extrusion of their contents, substantially as herein described
In witness whereof I the said Everard Hesketh have hereunto set my hand
and seal this ninth day of December in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.