Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Machines used in Cartridge Case and like Manufactures.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1894-4ccepted. 22nd Dec., 19º4
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Machines used in Cartridge
Case and like Manufactures.
We, GEORGE KYNOCH AND COMPANY LIMITED, of Lion Works, Witton,
Manufacturers, and DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton
Coldfield, Engineer, both in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improved mechanism for feeding metallic cartridge
cases, in the process of cartridge manufacture to the different machines used for
drawing, tapering, necking, heading or performing other processes required in such
manufacture.
Our object is to place the cartridge cases, or the tubes or cups to form such cases,
at any stage of drawing, in a hopper in quantity without arranging the said cases
by hand; and to produce by mechanical devices a regular feed of the said metallic
cases, each placed automatically in the proper direction, to the said machines so
that the machines may be supplied automatically.
The attendant is thus only required to throw the cases into the hopper to keep the
machines fully supplied.
as
In carrying our invention into effect as applied to the small metallic cases known
"Morris's" we arrange a hopper which is provided with a considerable flat
surface forming the bottom of a shallow tray or trough with surrounding walls;
this hopper is preferably inclined to one corner or to one side and receives an
oscillating or vibrating motion.
It is found that the cases thrown into this hopper arrange themselves after
a certain time heads downwards and mouths upwards. From the lower end of the
trough or hopper we allow the cases to pass through a suitable groove or aperture
so arranged that the head can pass only when in its lower position and that no case
can enter the groove or chanuel unless it is turned in the correct direction.
. In feeding headed cases into the tapering, necking or like machine we sometimes
arrange a rotating disc with apertures in its periphery; the cases fall from the said
groove or channel into those apertures, and on the rotation of the disc such cases
in turn are dropped mouth downwards into the tapering die or dies carried in
a horizontal rotating disc; in this way the horizontal disc is continuously fed with
cases to be tapered. Ejector pins within the feeding disc may be arranged to thrust
the cases into the tapering die with the required force.
"
Instead of discharging the shallow vibrating hopper by groove or slot as
herein before described we inay arrange a "picking up device acting above the
said hopper; the device in one form consists of a plate carrying a number of
fingers, of which the ends or points are preferably formed of material such as rubber;
this picking up device rises and falls above the said hopper and the fingers enter
those cases which are turned mouth upwards, and on rising pick up those cases and
deliver them arranged in one direction into a suitable slot or other contrivance.
This device is especially applicable to short cases formed at an intermediate stage
of the drawing process where the cup or partly drawn heads are still round or the
cups or partly drawn cups do not invariably turn upwards after shaking in the
Hopper.
In dealing with long cases such as those required for the magazine rifle
ammunition, we sometimes find that too great vibration is required to dispose of

page_text: those cases in one direction. In dealing with these we arrange a number of finger
pieces to pass horizontally through a long trough or hopper, and it is found that
such a movement lays the cases lengthwise and all pointing with their mouths in
the direction of movement of the fingers. The fingers we arrange to grip the cases
so laid and discharge them in one direction into a tube or into apertures in a
rotating disc or drum from which apertures they are fed to the machine.
In another mode of carrying out our invention we pass a pointed finger or fingers
through a long trough of suitable shape and cause the said fingers to enter the
mouths of such cases as may be pointed towards them and pick them up for
the purposes of feeding.
In machines constructed for feeding cartridge manufacturing machines we often
find it desirable to so arrange our feeding mechanism that imperfect partly
manufactured cases or cups are selected out by the feeding mechanism and placed
in a separate box or boxes so as to avoid the production of imperfect finished
cartridge or like cases or metallic articles.
In a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, and embodying this
feature, we construct a flat or shallow circular hopper to which we give a
reciprocating motion by a suitable crank, eccentric or cam movement and we also
impart a step by step revolving motion to the same hopper preferably by a pawl
and ratchet so that the rotating motion is caused by the reciprocating motion.
We fill or nearly fill this hopper with cartridge cases and the reciprocating
motion causes the cases to assume a vertical position open mouth upwards as
hereinbefore described.
Above the hopper we arrange a picking up device consisting of an arm carrying
at its end a spiral spring having a wire loop termination. The motion of this arm
is arranged to dip the loop into the hopper in a nearly vertical direction; the loop
about two times out of three dips enters the open mouth of a case and grips the said
case sufficiently by its elasticity to withdraw it from the hopper. The motion of
the arm is so devised that at its other extreme position the case is pushed into the
conical mouth of a receiving tube, gripped by a spring clipping device and held by
the said spring clip so that on the withdrawal of the arm the case remains in the
tube and is pushed down the tube by the next case entering.
The rotary movement of the hopper is intended to allow the picker up or loop to
enter at each dip at a fresh place in the hopper where the cases have been shaken
up for some time so that all the cases may point mouth upwards when the dip takes
lace and thus increase the chances of a case being picked up.
in.
When the case falls from the tube it enters a hole in a horizontal rotating plate
the said plate having a number of holes drilled in it and its rotation being
accomplished step by step by a pawl and ratchet so that at each step a hole
is placed below the feeding tube and remains there while the case is falling
This plate is arranged above a flat table in contact with it so that the distance
from the table to the top of the plate is just the correct length of case.
If too long
a case drops in then the mouth of the said case projects above the level of the
rotating plate. It is desirable that too long cases should not enter the cartridge
manufacturing machine and to prevent this a flat or other spring is so placed above
the point when a standard case would fall out to pass to the machine, that the said
spring presses the top edge of the case and holds it against the hole so that
it cannot fall out. A long case thus passes the said hole and falls from the disc
through a separate hole. The cases of standard length are on the other hand too
short to be caught by the spring which acts above them and so they fall through
the first hole in the table and pass by way of a tube to the manufacturing
machine.
Cases which have bell mouths or ragged edge mouths likewise do not fall out at
the hole leading to the manufacturing machine as they are held in by the bell
mouth. The diameter of the hole in the rotating plate is arranged to pass a case of
the correct diameter throughout, but stops one if too large at any part by retaining
it. Such cases pass the long case hole also and are driven through by a plunger

page_text: operated from the machine into a tube leading to another box. The cases of
correct dimensions and condition thus pass to the manufacturing machine, those
too long go to one box and those with bell mouths or ragged edges pass to
another box.
The picking up arm is preferably driven by a combination of links from a
crank or cam, and the whole machine is operated by a belt from the main
manufacturing machine.
יו. ניז
11
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1801
ашрготещение n feedinь месцаціщ тог масле из Invariige
Case and like Manufactures.
We, GEORGE KYNOCH AND COMPANY LIMITED, of Lion Works, Witton,
Manufacturers, and DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton
Coldfield, Engineer, both in the County of Warwick, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improved mechanism for feeding metallic cartridge
cases, in the process of cartridge manufacture to the different machines used for
drawing, tapering, necking, heading or performing other processes required in such
manufacture.
Our object is to place the cartridge cases, or the tubes or cups to form such
cases, at any stage of drawing, in a hopper in quantity without arranging the said
cases by hand; and to produce by mechanical devices a regular feed of the
said metallic cases, each placed automatically in the proper direction, to the said
machines so that the machines may be supplied automatically. The attendant is
thus only required to throw the cases into the hopper to keep the machines fully
supplied.
as
In carrying our invention into effect as applied to the small metallic cases known
"Morris's " we arrange a hopper which is provided with a considerable flat
surface forming the bottom of a shallow tray or trough with surrounding walls; this
hopper is preferably inclined to one corner or to one side, and receives an
oscillating or vibrating motion.
It is found that the cases thrown into this hopper_arrange themselves after
a certain time heads downwards and mouths upwards. From the lower end of the
trough or hopper we allow the cases to pass through a suitable groove or aperture
80 arranged that the head can pass only when in its lower position and that no case
can enter the groove or channel unless it is turned in the correct direction.
Instead of discharging the shallow vibrating hopper by groove or slot as
herein before described we may arrange a "picking up" device acting above the
said hopper; the device in one form consists of a plate carrying a number of
fingers, of which the ends or points are preferably formed of material such as
rubber; this picking up device rises and falls above the said hopper and the fingers
enter those cases which are turned mouth upwards and on rising pick up those cases
and deliver them arranged in one direction into a suitable slot or other contrivance.
This device is especially applicable to short cases formed at an intermediate stage
of the drawing process where the cup or partly drawn heads are still round or the
cups or partly drawn cups do not invariably turn upwards after shaking in the
hopper.

page_text: In machines constructed for feeding cartridge manufacturing machines we often
find it desirable to so arrange our feeding mechanism that imperfect partly
manufactured cases or cups are selected out by the feeding mechanism and placed
in a separate box or boxes so as to avoid the production of imperfect finished
cartridge or like cases or metallic articles.
In a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, and embodying this
feature, we construct a flat or shallow circular hopper to which we give a
reciprocating motion by a suitable crank, eccentric or cam movement and we also
impart a step by step revolving motion to the same hopper preferably by a pawl
and ratchet so that the rotating motion is caused by the reciprocating motion.
We
fill or nearly fill this hopper with cartridge cases and the reciprocating motion
causes the cases to assume a vertical position open mouth upwards as hereinbefore
described.
Above the hopper we arrange a picking up device consisting of an arm carrying
at its end a spiral spring having a wire loop termination. The motion of this arm
is arranged to dip the loop into the hopper in a nearly vertical direction; the loop
about two times out of three dips enters the open mouth of a case and grips the said
case sufficiently by its elasticity to withdraw it from the hopper. The motion of
the arm is so devised that at its other extreme position the case is pushed into the
conical mouth of a receiving tube, gripped by a spring clipping device and held by
the said spring clip so that on the withdrawal of the arm the case remains in the
tube and is pushed down the tube by the next case entering. The rotary movement
of the hopper is intended to allow the picker up or loop to enter at each dip at a
fresh place in the hopper where the cases have been shaken up for some time so
that all the cases may point mouth upwards when the dip takes place and thus
increase the chances of a case being picked up.
When the case falls from the tube it enters a hole in a horizontal rotating plate,
the said plate having a number of holes drilled in it, and its rotation being
accomplished step by step by a pawl and ratchet so that at each stop a hole is
placed below the feeding tube and remains there while the case is falling in. This
plate is arranged above a flat table in contact with it so that the distance from the
table to the top of the plate is just the correct length of case. If too long a case
drops in then the mouth of the said case projects above the level of the rotating
plate. It is desirable that too long cases should not enter the cartridge manufacturing
machine and to prevent this a flat or other spring is so placed above the point where
a standard case would fall out to pass to the machine, that the said spring presses
the top edge of the case and holds it against the hole so that it cannot fall out.
A long case thus passes the said hole and falls from the disc through a separate hole.
The cases of standard length are on the other hand too short to be caught by the
spring which acts above them and so they fall through the first hole in the table
and pass by way of a tube to the manufacturing machine. Cases which have
bell mouths or ragged edge mouths likewise do not fall out at the hole leading to
the manufacturing machine as they are held in by the bell mouth. The diameter
of the hole in the rotating plate is arranged to pass a case of the correct diameter
throughout, but stops one if too large at any part by retaining it. Such cases pass
the long case hole also and are driven through by a plunger operated from the
machine into a tube leading to another box. The cases of correct dimensions and
condition thus pass to the manufacturing machine, those too long go to one box and
those with bell mouths or ragged edges pass to another box.
The picking up arm is preferably driven by a combination of links from a crank
or cam, and the whole machine is operated by a belt from the main manufacturing
machine.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of drawings-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a machine according to our invention in which
the "picking up" device is utilized.
Figure 2 is a plan corresponding to Figure 1.

page_text: Figure 3 shows the picking up end on a larger scale.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a machine having the shaking hopper without
picker up.
Figure 5 is a plan corresponding to Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a section on a larger scale showing the cases in process of being
shaken up.
Figure 7 is a part plan of a selecting disc also on a larger scale.
Figure 8 is a section corresponding to Figure 7.
Figure 9 is another section through the selecting disc.
Figure 10 is a diagrammatic section showing the methods of feeding one machine
with the cases passing from the selecting plate.
In all the figures the same letters are used throughout for the same or similar
parts.
The frame A is bolted to a horizontal rod As shown in dotted lines of the machine
to be fed with cartridge cases, and it carries the shaking or oscillating hopper K
(Figures 1 and 2) as above described. This hopper is carried on a lever M which
lever pivots from the pin M¹; this lever M is reciprocated by means of the cam or
eccentric I on the shaft H' and the shaft H' is actuated from the main machine by
the belt pulley H2 and a belt. The eccentric I oscillates the lever M by means of
the roller J carried in the end of the said lever; the lever M is in this case pulled
back by the spiral spring M². The hopper K is mounted upon the spindle K¹
carried by the lever M and rotated tooth by tooth by the ratchet wheel K² and the
pawl N. The pawl N is pivoted to a part fixed to the frame A so that the
reciprocating movement of the hopper causes also a step by step rotary movement.
The cartridge cases to be fed into the main machine are thrown into the hopper K
without arrangement of any kind and the shaking speedily causes the great
majority of them to assume an upright position open mouth upwards, head downwards.
The pinion H upon the shaft H gears into the spur wheel G and rotates it on its
spindle G. The wheel G carries a crank pin F1 which pin by means of the
connecting link F causes the system of levers and links B, C, D, to oscillate between
two extreme positions one of which is indicated at Figure 1 in full lines, the other
in dotted lines.
The levers B C pivot respectively from the pins B' Cand are connected together
by the link D. The link Ď carries at its end the picking up spring D' which is
shown more fully at Figure 3. This picking up end consists of a spiral spring D¹
having a loop D2 at its end bent like a hair pin. By the reciprocation of the system
of levers and links B C D F the end D2 is alternately dipped in among the cases
contained in the hopper K and pushed into the conical mouth of the feeding tube E.
When the end D2 dips in among the cases, at most dips it enters the mouth of a
case and the elasticity of the end D2 is sufficient to lift the case and retain it on the
said end as shown at Figure 3, where a is a case.
The end D2 then carries the case
to the conical mouth of the tube E, pushes it into that mouth, where it is caught by
spring clips and held so that when the end D2 is withdrawn again the case remains
till the next entering case pushes it down the tube E.
By this picking up device cases are fed from the hopper K into the tube E all
mouth upwards.
From the tube E the cases fall into the selecting disc R now to be described. The
disc is keyed to the spindle R¹ and rotates by means of the ratchet wheel R² and a
pawl carried by a lever R and operated by the rod O. The rod O is operated from
the lever O2 pivoting from P1 and moved in one direction by the cams Q Q¹ and a
roller carried on the lever 02. The rod O is pulled back by a spiral spring O' and
the cams QQ rotate with the spur wheel G.
As the disc R is thus rotated step by step the roller S¹ carried on the end of the
spring bolt S falls successively into accurately formed notches R* spaced round the
disc R in such manner as to bring each one of a series of similarly spaced holes R³
accurately under the end of the feed tube E. By this means every time a case as a
Figure 1 is forced past the conical entrance it falls down the tube E and into a hole

page_text: in the plate R. The plate R rotates on a planed metal surface and the said plate R
is of sufficient thickness to allow a case a of exactly the correct length to fit in the
mouth just flush with its upper surface. At the point V (Figure 2) a flat spring
projects over the line of the holes in R as more fully explained later, and below this
hole is placed a feed pipe (not shown) to conduct the cases to the heading or other
machine. If the case be flush with the plate R then it falls through this hole into
the heading machine but if it projects above the level of R then the spring V clips
it and prevents it from falling through. A long case thus passes the feed pipe and
is not fed to the machine. If the long case pass the feed hole then it falls through
a succeeding hole and pipe into a box for long cases. If the case be of the right
length but have a ragged or burred mouth then the holes R³ which allow the correct
case to fall in easily do not allow the ragged edge case_to pass, and it passes both
the aperture for correct cases and that for long ones. To discharge such cases from
the disc R the punch or driver P' is applied. This punch or driver P4 is carried
by a spindle P³ which moves in a convenient bracket, and is lifted up by a spiral
spring. The lever P pivoting at P1 actuates this punch or driver P. The cams Q
and Qoperate a roller P2 at the other end of the lever P. As every hole R³ comes
opposite the punch P* this punch is forced down through such hole and so it
discharges any ragged edge or any other case which may have stuck in any of the
holes. Such cases are conducted by a tube to another receptacle.
By these devices we are enabled to feed any cartridge manufacturing machine
from a hopper, and to select out imperfect cases and feed the machine with such
cases only as are perfect.
The machine shown at Figures 4 and 5 is similar in many respects to that shown
in Figures 1 and 2; the selecting plate R with its apertures R³, its long case
spring V and ejecting punch or driver P+ are precisely similar but the picking up
mechanism is dispensed with and the method hereinbefore indicated of feeding by
shaking into an aperture is adopted. In this case the hopper K is carried on a
bracket A', on slides, and it is given a second sliding motion at right angles to the
main reciprocating motion by the angled slot K2 (Figure 5), so that it has two sliding
motions, one in the direction of the length of the machine and one at right angles to
it. For this purpose the hopper K is mounted on both longitudinal and transverse
slides.
In this machine also the shaft H' is driven by belt pulley H2 and here however
the eccentric H has eccentric sheaves which operate the rod T and the hopper K in
both directions. The cases in the hopper K shake upright mouth upwards and fall
through a suitable aperture in the bottom into the tube K¹. This tube K' is held
under the aperture in K by a universal joint and its lower end rolls in a spherical
recess in a short fixed tube piece K³. As the cases fall through into the tube
piece K they are held to prevent them from falling out till required by the finger
lever U whose finger end U¹ presses against the side of the lower case and holds
it till liberated.
When the lever P is moved downwards to operate the punch a projection T¹
strikes one end of the lever U and lifts the end U' from the case, so that the lower
case is allowed to fall into whichever of the holes R³ happened to be under it at the
time.
The lever U is pressed to its work by a spring. The selecting plate R then takes
each case through the same course as already described past the spring V and so on.
In this machine only one cam Q on the spur wheel G is required to operate the
lever P and the rod O.
Figure 6 shows on a larger scale a section of part of the hopper K showing cases a
shaken mouth upwards, a¹ in an inclined position turning up, and a² just passing
through the aperture into the tube K¹.
Figure 7 shows more clearly a half plan of the selecting plate R with the
spring V pressing against the end of a long case a³ and preventing it from falling
through. In Figure 8 the same long case a³ is seen in side elevation, section
through the disc R, and the spring V is shown pressing against it.

page_text: In Figure 9 a section is shown with a ragged edge case under the punch or
driver P which is about to drive it through.
a' is the case and a is its ragged edge.
In Figure 10 we show an arrangement of feed tube in which the cases a are passing
down to the heading or other machine. As the cases come to the bottom, a case
such as a' the last case is pushed out by a spring bolt W to the position shown below,
when the bumper or punch 6 is about to force the case into the heading dies. The
case a takes the position of a when the spring bolt W is withdrawn by its spiral
spring. The bolt is moved down at the proper time by a motion from the heading
or other machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In feeding mechanism for machines used in cartridge case and like manufactures,
the shaking hopper method of causing the cases to assume one position, that is open
mouth upwards preparatory to feeding the said cases in the proper direction to the
manufacturing machine substantially as herein set forth.
2. In feeding mechanism for machines used in cartridge case and like manufactures,
the combination of a shaking hopper causing the cases to turn mouth upwards and
a picking up device lifting out the cases and feeding them into an aperture
substantially as herein before described.
3. In feeding mechanism for machines used in cartridge case and like manufactures,
the combination of a shaking hopper causing the cases to turn mouth upwards with
an aperture in the said hopper through which the cases are shaken all in one
direction to a feed tube or aperture substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In feeding mechanism for machines used in cartridge case and like manufactures,
the selecting device herein before described comprising a rotating disc plate or
cylinder having spaced apertures into which the cases drop and a spring device to
hold up the long cases substantially as herein set forth.
5. In feeding mechanism for machines used in cartridge case and like manufactures,
the combination of a rotating disc having spaced apertures into which the cases fall,
with a spring device to hold up long cases and a punch or driver device to discharge
cases with ragged or deformed sides or. edges, all acting to select out imperfect cases
and pass only perfect cases to the manufacturing machine substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
6. A cartridge feeding machine having in combination a shaking hopper, a picking
device and a selecting plate or disc substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
up
7. A cartridge feeding machine having in combination a shaking hopper shaking
cases in one direction into a feed tube and a selecting plate, substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
8. The cartridge feeding machine hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
9. The cartridge feeding machine hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1894.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.