Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Plastic Cases Filled with Loose Dry Material of similar or different kind to that of the Casing.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Plastic Cases Filled
with Loose Dry Material of similar or different kind to that of
the Casing.
1 WILLIAM ALFRED EDWARD CROMBIE of 14 Sherborne Lane in the
City of London, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
My invention has been designed especially with a view to manufacture
Hartridge's Smokeless Fuel, but may also be used for manufacturing similar fuel,
fire-lighters or anything where it is desirable to enclose or coat one material by a
covering of the same or different material.
In a chamber kept full of the plastic material by mechanical means, I have a
screw revolving on a hollow vertical spindle and expelling the plastic through
a die containing a hollow mandril into which the lower end of the vertical spindle
works.
The plastic material issuing in the form of a tube, of any convenient section,
then encounters two wheels in rolling contact, on horizontal axes, which contain on
their peripheries a series of cavities of which the cross-sectious approximately
correspond to the semi-cross-sections of the plastic tube, and so placed that the end
of one cavity is the beginning of the next, and the cavities in the peripheries being
opposite and corresponding, each to each.
The plastic tube on encountering the peripheries of the wheels, which I make to
move at about the same speed as the issuing plastic, is closed together by the
horizontal edges of the cavities and thus cut off into closed cases of a shape corre-
sponding to that formed by a cavity of each wheel in close contact.
But before the closing of this case is completed I, by means of a container filled
with the dry material and fitted with a suitable measuring and delivering apparatus
fixed at the top of the hollow spindle of the expelling screw, drop into the plastic
tube through the hollow spindle and mandril onto the closed end of the tube,
sufficient of the dry material to completely fill the plastic case when closed by
the upper edges of the wheel cavities.
The closing of a case separates it from the plastic tube and at the same time
closes the end of the tube which immediately receives a fresh charge of the dry
inaterial.
The wheels roll against each other from edge to edge of the cavities and as the
distance between their centres therefore varies I place one of them on sliding
bearings and provide means for keeping the wheels in contact with considerable and
adjustable pressure. The wheels and the expelling screw are always revolving.
When the cases are formed of such a material that they do not readily fall from
the wheels as the corresponding cavities recede from each other I provide means for
mechanically dusting the cavities with a suitable substance, or when this does not
suffice provide each cavity with a movable part which by suitable means is made
to move outwards and so push the case from the cavity.
Dated this day of February 1894.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Plastic Cases Filled
with Loose Dry Material of similar or different kind to that of
the Casing.
I WILLIAM ALFRED EDWARD CROMBIE of 14 Sherborne Lane, London E.C.
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 :-
My invention has been designed especially with a view of manufacturing
Hartridges Patent Smokeless Fuel but may also be used for manufacturing similar
fuel, fire-lighters or anything where it is desirable to enclose or coat one material
by a covering of the same or different material.
In the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section & elevation, A is a chamber
kept full of the plastic material by means of the screw P, or portions of a screw,
working in the hopper O which is filled with the plastic. In the chamber A works
a screw B, or portions of a screw, on a hollow spindle, expelling the plastic through
a die C containing a hollow mandril D into which the lower end of the hollow
vertical spindle works.
The plastic material issuing in the form of a tube, of any convenient section, then
encounters two wheels E E of the same diameter in rolling contact, on horizontal
axes, which contain on their peripheries a series of cavities F, F, of which the cross-
section approximately corresponds to the semi-cross-section of the plastic tube, & so
placed that the end of one cavity is the beginning of the next, & the cavities in the
peripheries are exactly opposite & correspond, each to each.
The plastic tube on encountering the peripheries of the wheels, which I make to
move at about the speed of the issuing plastic, is closed together by the horizontal
edges of the cavities & thus cut off into closed cases of a shape corresponding to
that formed by a cavity of each wheel in close contact.
But before the closing of this case is completed I, by means of a container H,
which if desirable may be fitted with a mechanical stirrer or beater, filled with the loose
dry material & fitted with a suitable mechanical measuring & delivering apparatus J
fixed at the top of the chamber A, drop into the plastic tube through the hollow
spindle sufficient of the dry material to completely fill the plastic case when closed
by the upper edges of the wheel cavities.
The closing of a case separates it from the plastic tube & at the same time closes
the end of the tube which instantly receives a fresh charge of the dry material.
The wheels roll against each other from edge to edge of the cavities & as the
distance between their centres therefore varies I place one of them, or both, on
sliding bearings & provide means either by springs or weights for keeping the
wheels in contact with considerable & adjustable pressure.
The motion of the wheels E E & of the issuing plastic is continuous.
When the cases are formed of such a material that they do not readily leave the
cavities of the wheels as the corresponding ones recede from each other I provide
means for mechanically dusting the cavities with a suitable powder. When this
does not suffice I provide each cavity with a movable part which by suitable means
is made to move outwards as the cavities commence to recede from each other & so
to push the case from the cavities. Such an arrangement is shown in the drawing,
where K is a plunger the inner end of which is actuated by a cam M fixed to the
frame work of the machine, & the outer end of which forms part of the surface of
a cavity.
When the plastic is not sufficiently adhesive to bind when pressed together by
the upper edges of the wheel cavities & to prevent the tendency of the cases to

page_text: open where the edges of the cavities meet, I make the die at its outlet of rectangular
section & make the lower parts of the two sides G to fold inwards meeting at the
centre of the die in a point, cutting off the part of the tube below & bringing
together the fresh ends of the plastic tube, when they are for an instant under great
pressure from above & are pressed into adhesion.
In this case the fixed sides of the die are prolonged to N & the outer part of the
wheels passes between them.
Instead of by the means described, the plastic may be made to issue from the die
by means of a piston or plunger working in chamber A by means of a screw or
fluid pressure. In this case the chamber A need not be vertical, a vertical tube
would be substituted for a hollow spindle & after expelling all the plastic the piston
or plunger would have to be returned to its highest position & chamber A charged
afresh with the plastic.
When the cases fall from the cavities they may be delivered at a suitable speed
by means of shoots onto a travelling band or table which delivers them for
subsequent treatment at any desired point.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The combination of means to produce a constant flow of a plastic tube with
intermittent delivery into it of a quantity of dry material the previous closing of
the end & subsequent cutting off & closing of a portion of the tube to form closed &
filled cases substantially as described.
2. The combination of means to produce closed & filled cases with suitable
means for expelling the cases from the forming surfaces substantially as described.
Dated this Sixteenth day of November 1894.
WM. A. E. CROMBIE.