Improved Machinery for Finishing Cartridge Cases.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machinery for Finishing Cartridge Cases.
1, GEORGE GREENWOOD of Albion Works, Leeds, in the County of York
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide for the rapid and effectual varnishing
of the interior of cartridge cases; at that part which is brought into contact with
the powder charge.
To this end I provide a die holder, say, in the form of a disc, for receiving
a ring of dies which are mounted so as to rotate freely in the disc shaped
holder.
To this disc, which is mounted loosely on a horizontal axle, I give an inter-
mittent rotary motion, for the purpose of presenting the dies in succession to a
pusher, for forcing the cartridge cases into the dies, a brush for varnishing the
interior of the cases, a wiper for cleaning off the varnish from that part of the
case which is to receive the bullet, and a punch for forcing the finished cases out of
the dies, after they have been subjected to a jet of compressed air, for clearing
from varnish the fire-hole of the case.
The die holder receives its intermittent motion from a pin carried by a cam shaft,
which is the driving shaft of the machine.
The disc is recessed on its periphery to enable the cam shaft to interlock with it,
when the driving action is suspended.
The dies are severally fitted with a pinion which gears into a spur wheel keyed
on the axle of the disc holder, and driven by means of a train of gearing from the
cam shaft.
An inclined trough, fitted at bottom with a grooved slide, serves to hold the
cases to be finished, and present them in succession to a spring clip, which takes
them from the slide. This spring clip, on the slide retiring, presents the case to a
die,-with-its-closed-end-in-front-of-a-pusher. This pusher is carried by a slide
which is advanced and drawn back by a slotted cam on the cam shaft, and on
striking the closed end of the case, the pusher forces the same into the die. The
varnishing brush, wiper, and punch, are carried by a slide on the opposite side of
the die-holder to that of the pusher slide, and actuated, like that slide, by a slotted
cam on the cam shaft.
Rotary motion is imparted to the brush and wiper spindles by their connection,
through feathers, with sleeves mounted in a fixed standard, and fitted with pinions
connected by gearing with the cam shaft.
The brush and wiper advance together, and enter cases brought opposite to
them, for the purpose of operating upon the same as above indicated.
When drawn back from the dies, they receive respectively, from feed troughs
(through endless bands), the one a supply of varnish, and the other of spirit; the
spirit serving to facilitate the removal, by the wiper, of the varnish from the neck
of the case.
The jet of compressed air required for clearing the fire hole of the case, is
provided by a force pump, which is actuated by an eccentric on the end of the cam
shaft. As the finished cases are, by the intermittent rotation of the die holder,
brought into line with the punch (which is fitted to the slide carrying the brush
and wiper), they are driven out from the dies, and discharged into a shute, which
conducts them into a steam heated trough, where the varnish is quickly dried.
The movements of the grooved slide and spring clip, which act as above explained
.

page_text: to present the cartridge cases to the dies, are operated by means of edge cams on
the cam shaft.
1
aa 1 1
1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machinery for Finishing Cartridge Cases.
I GEORGE GREENWOOD of Albion Works, Leeds, in the County of York,
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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide for the rapid and efficient varnishing
of the interior of cartridge cases at that part which is brought into contact with
the powder charge.
To this end I provide a die holder, say, in the form of a disc, for receiving a
ring of dies, which are mounted so as to rotate freely in the disc shaped holder.
To this disc, which is mounted loosely on a horizontal axle, I give an inter-
mittent rotary motion for the purpose of presenting the dies, in succession, first, to
a pusher which forces the cartridge cases into the dies, secondly, to a varnishing
brush, which coats the interior of the cases with varnish; thirdly, to a wiper
moistened with spirit, which cleans off the varnish from that part of the case
which is to receive the bullet; fourthly, to a jet of compressed air, which clears
from varnish the fire hole in the head of the case; and lastly, to a plunger, which
forces the finished cases out of the dies.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the finishing machine.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section in the line 1, 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction
of the arrow, or towards the feeding side of the die holder.
Fig. 4 is a partial transverse section, taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 1, and
looking towards the opposite side of the die holder.
Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation of the machine, for the purpose of showing
more clearly the several instruments employed in carrying out the finishing
operation.
Fig. 6 is a partial elevation of the right hand end of the machine; and
Fig.
7 is a similar elevation of the left hand end of the machine.
A is a hollow box casting forming the table of the machine, mounted upon
standards A¹ A¹.
B is a horizontal shaft which turns in bearings carried by short standards a a,
bolted to the table A.
Mounted loosely on this shaft B, is a disc-shaped die holder C, fitted with a
ring of dies c, for receiving, in succession, the cartridge cases which are supplied
to the machine from a curved feed shute D, as will be hereafter explained.
The cases, as they are severally presented to the dies, are thrust forward by the
advance of a pusher E, and an intermittent axial motion being given to the die
holder, the cases are advanced into line, first, with the varnishing brush F,
secondly, with the wiper F¹, thirdly, in line with the compressed air jet pipe G,
and lastly, with the plunger F2, which, entering the finished case, discharges it
into a receptacle H, or, it may be, onto an inclined shute, as shewn in dots at
Fig. 3.
The dies c are fitted to rotate freely in the die holder C, and they cach carry a
spur pinion c¹, which gears with a large spur wheel B', keyed on the shaft B, the
rotation of which is effected by the means hereafter described.
The die holder, which is intended to move intermittently in order to bring up its

page_text: dies in succession into coincidence with the several operating instruments E, F, F¹, G,
and F (following their proper order of action), is notched on its periphery to
receive a propelling pin (one notch for every die), and curved recesses are also
made in the periphery to provide for the locking of the die holder after each axial
movement.
Motion is given to the die holder from a shaft I, mounted in bearings a¹ a²,
bolted to the table A, and formed with a disc which is fitted with a pin driver i.
This pin driver i is designed to enter, at each revolution, a notch of the die
holder, and to provide for this, the free end of the shaft I, which fits the hollows
in the periphery of the die holder, is cut away opposite the pin, thereby effecting
a clearance between the shaft and the die holder while the driving pin is in action.
The shaft I has keyed to it a spur wheel i', which gears into a pinion 12 carried
by the boss of the belt pulley I¹, for the purpose of receiving rotary motion
therefrom.
This belt pulley is mounted loosely on a stud axle I², projecting from the end
of the table A, and upon this stud axle is also mounted the loose belt pulley I³.
This stud axle.also carries a bracket on which is mounted the belt shifter I*.
The pusher E for forcing the cartridge cases into the dies carried by a
standard a³ bolted to the table A, and consisting of a hollow casting. The head
of the standard is bored out to receive the pusher E, and a horizontal slot is cut
in the face of the standard, to meet the boring, and allow a pin attached to the
pusher to project through the standard, and carry an antifriction bowle e, through
which a reciprocating motion is imparted to the pusher.
The spindles of the varnishing brush F and the wiper F are mounted in a
vertical standard F3, which is fitted to slide in a guide formed on the top of the
standard bearing a¹.
This sliding standard F³ carries also the rod of the plunger F2, so that the three
instruments F, F¹, and F are simultaneously advanced towards and drawn back
from the dies c.
The endway movement of these instruments is obtained through an antifriction
bowle f, fitted to the standard F³, and taking into the groove of a rotating cam, as
is also the bowle e, as will be presently explained.
In order to impart rotary motion to the brush and wiper F F¹, their spindles arc
grooved to receive each a sleeve pinion f¹, f2, which have their bearings in a
standard a bolted to the table A, and are held in position by retaining collars,
while the spindles are free to move end wise as explained.
To impart the requisite movements to the die holder, the dies, and the recipro-
cating instruments, rotary motion is given to a cam shaft K, which is supported in
the bearings a¹ a bolted to the table A.
To this shaft is fitted a grooved cam E¹, the rotation of which actuates the
pusher E through its bowle e.
A similar cam F4 on the cam shaft K, actuates the standard F3 through its
bowle f, and consequently the instruments which it carries.
The cam shaft is driven from the shaft I by means of a spur wheel 1³, keyed
thereon, taking into an intermediate pinion 4 (carried by a stud axle projecting
from the bracket bearing a¹) in gear with a spur wheel k on the end of the cam
shaft K.
Keyed to this shaft is a second spur wheel k¹, which, through intermediate
gearing f³ fitted to a short axle mounted in the bracket bearing a', drives the
spindle of the brush F. The pinion of this spindle, gearing into an inter-
mediate pinion, transmits rotary motion through the pinion f to the spindle of the
wiper F, and thus, through the shaft K, rotary motion is given to the brush and
to the wiper.
This shaft also serves to transmit motion to other parts of the mechanism, viz.,
the mechanism for feeding in the cartridge cases, the pump for creating the air jet,
and the varnish feed roller. The varnishing brush feed roller f* is driven through

page_text: a pinion and intermediate pinions, the axle of which is carried by the
bearing a².
The roller f, which supplies spirit to the wiper F¹, receives its motion thro'
a band from the band pulley b on the shaft B.
The rollers and f are clothed with felt, and carried respectively by the
brackets a² and a; they dip into troughs ff, supported on the brackets a² and aº,
and are supplied respectively with varnish and spirit.
Eyelet shaped scrapers are provided for the brush and wiper to pass through,
for the purpose of removing the superfluous varnish and spirit from the brush and
wiper respectively, before they enter the cartridge cases.
The jet pipe G used for clearing the firing hole of the cartridge case, is attached
to the body of a force pump G', the plunger of which is actuated by an excentric G²,
keyed to the cam shaft K.
For driving the shaft B (through which rotary motion is transmitted to the
dies c) there is keyed to that shaft a spur wheel 61, which gears into a pinion fast
on the boss of an intermediate wheel b2, mounted on a stud axle, carried by a
bracket a bolted to the table A. This spur wheel gears into a pinion 25, keyed
on the shaft I, which, as already explained, receives motion from a pinion on the
boss of the belt pulley I¹.
The means for feeding the cases to the dies is somewhat similar to the feed
mechanism now common to machines of this class, and will therefore need but a
brief description.
Underlying the bottom of the shute D (which is supported by a hollow standard d
bolted to the table A,) is a slide D, which is grooved transversely, near its
extremity, to receive the lowermost of the descending cartridge cases.
This slide is mounted in the hollow standard d, and is recessed on its under face
to receive the rounded end of an arm d¹ of a rock shaft d², having its bearings in
the standard d.
A second arm d³ projecting from the rock shaft, bears upon an edge cam D²,
keyed on the cam shaft K, it being held in contact with the cam by the tension of
a coiled spring dr.
The rotation, therefore, of the cam shaft, imparts the requisite reciprocating
motion to the slide D¹.
When the slide D' is thrust out from the shute, carrying with it a cartridge
case, a pair of spring clips D³ descends upon and seizes the case, then raises it
from the slide, and, when the slide is retired, carries it down, and presents it to the
pusher E, which is at the time in its retracted position.
The pusher then advances, thrusts the open end of the cartridge case into the
die c,
which is for the moment in coincidence with the case, and the spring clips
then retire, to repeat their action.
These spring clips are fitted to the end of a rocking arm D*, keyed to a rock
shaft D, which has its bearings in a pair of short standards as a. A second
arm of this rock shaft connects, by a link rod, to a rock lever fulcrummed on the
bearing a³.
The free end of this rock lever carries a bowle which, by means of a tension
spring, is held up in contact with an edge cam D on the cam shaft.
The rotation, therefore, of the cam shaft will actuate both the slide D' and the
spring clips, thereby bringing the cartridge cases in succession opposite the dies c,
as they are severally presented to the pusher E.
It will now be understood that the die holder, by reason of the intermittent
axial motion imparted to it, will bring the cases thrust into its dies successively in
line with the varnishing brush F, to receive an internal coating of varnish.
For this purpose the brush, which is kept rotating in contact with the roller f
while in its retired position, will advance fully charged with varnish, enter the
case presented to it, and move up to the head thereof. It will thus apply, by its
continued rotation, an even coating of varnish to the inner surface of the case.

page_text: By the continued rotation of the cam shaft K, the cam F4, which advanced the
brush, will now withdraw it from the case, leaving the die holder free to move
another step in its rotation, and bring the varnished case opposite the wiper, ready
to receive it at its next advance.
Meanwhile, the die c, with its varnished case, will continue to rotate under the
action of the rotating shaft B, and thus the work of the wiper will be facilitated,
while the varnish will be kept evenly distributed within the case, until it arrives
opposite the plunger F2, at which time the varnish will be partially set.
On the next advance of the brush to enter the next succeeding case, the wiper
advancing with it, having taken up a suitable supply of spirit from the feed
roller f, will enter the case just varnished, and wipe the case clean to a depth
equal, say, to the depth of insertion intended for the bullet.
On the next repetition of these movements, the varnished case acted upon by
the wiper will have its head presented to the jet pipe G, and at that moment the
plunger of the pump G' will, through the action of the excentric G² on the cam
shaft K, cause a jet of air to strike on the head of the case, and clear the fire hole
of varnish.
In this way, the finishing of the cartridge cases will proceed until they are
severally brought into line with the plunger F2, which advancing with the advance
of the brush and wiper, will drive the finished cases out of their several dies into
the box H, or down a shute leading to a steam-heated trough or drying chamber,
to complete the setting of the varnish.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The means above described for imparting automatically an even coating of
varnish to the interior of cartridge cases, and preparing the same for the reception
of the charge.
Dated this 27th day of June 1891
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.