US1358700A - Machine for filling cartridge-belts - Google Patents

Description

G. C. BLICKENSDERFER, DECD.

v1.1. BLICKENSDERFER AND s. s. MAPES, EXECUTORS. MACHINE FOR FILLING CARTRIDGE BELTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1917.

1,3583%, Patented Nov. 16, 1929.

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I II 9 i a 53 44 H 3 a e "9 L I o I G. C. BllCKENSDERFER, DECD.

w. 1. BLICKENSDERFER AND s. s. MAPES. EXECUTORS. MACHINE FOR FILLING CARTRIDGE BELTS.

APPLICATION men an. 6. m1.

1 ,358,700. 7 Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

metres stares PATENT caries.

GEORGE c. BLICKENSDERFER, or STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT; WILLIAM J. BLICKENS- BLICKENSDERFER, DECEASED.

MACHINE FOR FILLING CARTRIDGE-BELTS.

Application filed March 6,

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. BLioK- nnsannrna, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stamford, countyof 'Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Filling Cartridge-Belts, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying draw ings, forming a part of the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for filling cartridge belts.

The objects of the invention are to provide durable and reliable means for feeding the belt, and means forsupplying cartridges to the filling mechanism.

With these general objects in view and some others which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the description hereinafter, the invention consists in the features, details of construction and combination of parts which will first be described in connection with the accompanying. drawings and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawings:

Figurel is a top plan view, partly in section, of a beltfilling device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 21is a side elevation of the same.

Fig.3 is an end elevation.

Fig. t is a vertical cross-sectional view through the hopper.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a differentposition of the parts.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of one of the feed wheels. 7

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view through the same. and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing the needle-carrying members.

Referring to the drawings, which show the invention embodied'ina filling machine of well-known type. the machine h s'a base 10 which may be secured to a suitable table 11 or the like by screws 12. At one end of the base is a belt guide 13 in the form of a trough through which'the belt A is fed in a fiat position. Associated with the trough is a pivoted clip 14. which may be moved Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920. 1917. Seria1'No.152,557. I

over to cover the belt and hold it in place, as more clearly appears in Fig. -1. Just be- DERFER AND STEPHEN S. MIAPES EXECUTORS OF THE \VILL OF SAID GEORGE. C.

yond the belt guide is a pair of coacting I rotatable feed wheels 15, 16 having their peripheries scalloped, as at 17, to conform to the shape of the cartridges. One of these feed wheels, for example, the lower one 15, is arranged to be rotated or driven step by step by a' ratchet lever 18 which is loosely pivoted on a pin 19 carried by the base, the lever being pressed by a spring-18 so that one end may engage the flanks of the teeth of the scalloped feed wheel 15, as more clearly appears in Fig. 2. The other end of the ratchet lever 18 is forked to embrace an eccentric cam 20 mounted on anoperating shaft 21 which is rotated by a suitable crank 22 and handle 23. As the cam 20 rotates, it acts first against one branch and then the other of the forked end of the ratchet lever to reciprocate the same. The down stroke of the lever causes rotation of the feed wheel 15, while on its upward stroke the lateral play ofthe lever is such as to allow it to move outwardly in sliding over the next scalloped edge into a position for the next down stroke. Means .is provided for insuring that. the drivenfeed wheel will always make a unit advance when acted upon in the manner above described. and that it will be held rigidly during the periods of res by means which will avoid any inaccuracies due to wear. Although capable of various constructions. the present embodiment com; prises a detent wheel 24; arranged to rotate in synchronisrn with the driven feed wheel, 15, as, for example, by securing them together.- The detent wheel 24 has spaces wide at the periphery and narrowing inward, these spaces being arranged to receive the correspondi gly shaped to'ith 25 of a detent-lever 25 having a notch 25". as shown in Fig. 3, the tooth being desi 'ne'l to tit into-any scallop of. the deent wheel while the notch embraces tlte point of such sca lop.

To hold he-detent lever 25 yieldin'rly in contact with the detent wheel 21. its opposite end is acted upon by a coiled spring 26 latter is held positively in the desired stationary position. When the ratchet lever 18 is operated to advance the feed wheel 15, the tooth 25 of the detent lever rides out of the scallop inthe detent Wheel 24 against the action of the spring 26, thus permitting the ratchet lever 18 to move the feed wheel 15 and'detent wheel 25 until the tooth 25 of the detent lever enters the next scallop of the detent wheel, whereby the spring 26 will drive the tooth into such scallop with sufficient force to continue the rotation of the detent wheel and the connected feed wheel 15. This causes the feed wheel to move forward rapidly notwithstanding the fact that the end ofthe ratchet lever itself has a slower movement due to the connection of the ratchet lever with the rotating parts of the other mechanism. In this way, the movement of the belt is quicker at one point than it would be if operated only by the ratchet lever. This quick feed of the belt is such that the loop into which a cartridge has had its nose inserted is rapidly brought into alinement with the pusher, as more fully described hereinafter. The ratchet lever 18 moves back to engage the following tooth of the feedwheel ready for the next advance, the detent lever holding the feed wheel against backward rotation.

1 The loosely mounted scalloped feed wheel 16 is arranged to coact with the feed wheel 15in a yielding manner. For this purpose.

itis mounted so as to be'freely rotatable on a stud 27 carried by a hinged arm '28. In

order to hold the feed wheel 16 yieldably in "proximity to the feed wheel 15 the arm 28 carries a fiat spring 29' which is" held down when the belt is in place by a latch member 30pivoted to the base. WVhen the belt loops containing cartridges, as shown, for example, in Fi 3,'are passed between the two feed wheefi 0 loop is tightly grasped between the two verse serrations are provided only at the bottom portions of the spaces, so that,- while 15 and 16,- each filled these bottom portions have serrations facing in two directions, the flanks of the teeth of the feed wheels have serrations facing transversely only. Due to this construction, the filled loops are always effectively grasped by the feed wheels, so as to be properly fed forward upon each advance step of the feed wheels, and all slipping of the belt is avoided. v

Any suitable means is provided for seizingeach side of the belt loops in order to open the loops for the reception of a cartridge. In the example illustrated, two needle carrying bars 33 pivoted to a plate 34are normally pressed toward each other by a spring 35 which engages the slanting ends of the needle bars, as shown, for example, in Fig. 3. The front of the plate 34v is grooved centrally to receive the up turned edge of the belt guide 13 on which the plate slides. The needle bars 33 extend out beyond the plate 34 and the opposing edges of their outer ends are re beted to provide space for the passage of the belt. Extending into this space is a plurality of needles 36, two pairs being shown in the present embodiment. These needles are held in suitable grooves in the needle'bars by set screws 37 in such position that they make a comparatively sharp angle with the plane of the belt and so that their points nearly meet, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. To drive the needles into the belt and to place the needle bars in position to-receive a cartridge, the plate 34 is advanced relatively to the belt for each loop presented. For'this purpose, the plate 34 has in its back face a vertical groove to receive the end of one-arm of a bell-crank lever 38 pivoted to the base, as at 39. The other end of this lever contacts with a cam 40 mounted on the operatin shaft 21. For each revolution of the shaft t e cam 40 rocks he bell-crank lever 38 to advance the plate 34 far enough to drive the needles into the sides of a loop of the belt. To open the loop thus seized by the needles, the needle bars 33 are forced apart by the entrance of a cartridge, as hereinafter described.

The invention includes means for feeding-cartridges to the-filling mechanism and in structures embodying the invention to the best advantage, the cartridges are fed by means of a hopper device. In'the embodiment illustrated, a short feed chute 41 is arranged above the base of the machine,

.charge opening in register with the feed chute. It may then be clamped in this p0" sition by means of a handle 47 on the clamp ing screw.

Cartridges are placed in quantity in the hopper 43 with their ends all pointing toward the belt. They will tend to pass one by one, ashereinafter more fully described, down'into the feed chute. A. cartridge passing through the feed chute drops to aposition alongside a pivoted carrier 48 which is moved to swing the cartridge over to a position in alinement with the belt loops.

This movement of the carrier is caused by the stroke of a pusher or slide 49 which has two shoulders 50 and 51 designed to engage a heel 52 on the pivoted carrier 4c. The pusher 49 slidesin a suitable groove in the base and is driven by a link 53 pinned to the cam 40 which, as hereinbefore described,'is rotated by the operating handle. As the pusher 49 makes its backward stroke, the shoulder 50 strikes the heel 52 of the carrier and swings the latter to swing the cartridge engaged thereby over to a position in alinement with the belt loop, the cartridge during this movement pivoting against a suitable pin in the usual way. The two positions of the cartridge are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The pusher 49 also has a shoulder 54 and its back stroke, prior to the movement of the carrier, allows the latter to place the cartridge ahead of this shoulder, so that the shoulder is able to engage the rim of the cartridge. The forward stroke of the pusher 49 carries the cartridge forward toward the needle bars 33 which have been brought into proper alinement as bebefore described. The point of the cartridge, being thus advanced, enters suitable inclined lips 49 in the needle bars and forces the latterapart, thus separating the needles which have penetrated the belt. This separation of the needles slightly opens the belt loop and, upon further advance of the pusher, the cartridge is partially inserted in this open loop. After the loop has thus been opened the cam 40 releases the bell-crank lever 38, permitting it to move back to its normal position under the force of a double bar spring 55 which bears against it, as shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the bell crank lever moves the draws the needles from the belt. The forward stroke of the pusher 49 returns the carrier 48 to its normal position by bringing the shoulder 51 into contact with the heel 52. The carrier is held at the proper limits of its stroke in either direction by a V- shaped portion of the spring 55 which bears against one side or the other'of a pointed V shoulder 56 on the carrier.

At this point,- the cartridge being partially inserted in its loop, the belt is advanced one step, thus bringing the loop in question between the feed wheels 15, 16 with the cartridge in alinement with the end of the pusher 49. At the next forward stroke of the pusher the end of the latter strikes the rear end of the cartridge and drives it fully into place in the loop, the belt being held meanwhile firmly but yieldably between the two ratchet wheels. Thenext advance of the belt moves this filled loop out of the machine. The filled belt, as it is delivered, may be received in a suitable receptacle.

The invention includes means for preventing the cartridges from jamming as they pass from the hopper into the feed chute, and in structures embodying the invention to the best advantage, the cartridges in. the hopper will be intermittently displaced or lifted and pushed aside at or near the discharge opening of the hopper bya suitable lifting means which holdsback those cartridges not in proper alinement with the discharge opening.

Although capable of various constructions, the lifting means, in the present embodiment, comprises a plurality of arms 57 arranged to swing in a vertical plane. In the present construction the arms are mounted on a rock-shaft 58, mounted in bearings, carried by the hopper on the outside thereof. In the present example, two of these arms are shown, each having its outer edge curved concentric with the rockshaft 58. These arms are arranged to oscillate in the hopper, the hopper and. feed chute being slotted to accommodate them. The rock shaft 58 has aspring 60 which normally holds it inthe position shown in Fig. 5. Means is provided for intermittently rocking theshaft 58 to lift the arms up against the cartridges in the hopper, and in structures embodying the invention to the best advanta e, this operation of the arms will take place once for each cycle of the filling mechanism. Although this may be accomplished in various ways, in the present embodiment the slide or pusher 49 carries a rectilinear or sliding cam 61 which is wedge shaped. This sliding cam is in position to engage the outer edge of one of the lifter arms 57. When the pusher 49 is at the rear of its stroke, the point of the wedge shaped cam 60 engages the coacting arm57, which at this time is in its normal or-lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 5. As the pusher 49 moves forward, the wedge shaped cam, sliding against the arms 57, raises the latter to the position in Fig. i, this movement being communicated through the rock shaft 58 to the other swinging arms 57, thus lifting any cartridges which are not in alinement into the discharge opening and preventing them from tending to jam or obstruct the downward movement of those cartridges which are properly alined. It will be noted that the arms 57 do not ex tend entirely across the hopper, and this arrangement coupled with the curved shape of the ends insures'that the arms themselves will not cause a jamming of the cartridges.

The mechanism described has proved to be reliable in'operation and durable.

A'convenient modification of the hopper construction consists in providing the rock shaft 58 at one endwith a latch 62 secured theretoand serving to hold one end of the coiled spring 60. This latch device also serves to hold'theend of the top needle bar when the same is swung upward tov permit the insertion of a belt in the belt guide.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means for feeding a belt, and means for inserting cartridges in the loops of the belt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to discharge cartridges into position to be engaged by said inserting means, andcartridge lifting means movable upwardly within the hopper and near its discharge opening and acting upon the cartridges within the hopper, said lifting means being so disposed with relation to the discharge opening of the hopper as to leave an opening which will permit the passage of a cartridge'in proper alinement with said opening. p

2. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means for feeding a cartridge belt and means for inserting cartridges into the loops of saidbelt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to deliver cartridges singly into positionfor engagement by the inserting means, a plurality of swinging lifting arms movable within the hopper near the dischargeopening and having their end cartridge engaging edges conoentricwith their axis of movement, and means operating in timed relation with the inserting means for swinging said arms to liftand hold the cartridges not in alinement with the discharge opening of the hopper.

3. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means for feeding a cartridge belt and means for inserting cartridges in the loops of said belt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to deliver cartridges singly into position to be 'engagedby the inserting means, a'plurality of cartridge lifting arms movable upwardly within the hopper. at one side of the discharge opening, and a slidingcam actuated by the inserting means for operating the arms, the ends of said arms being so disposed with relation to the discharge opening of the hopper as to leave an opening which will permit cartridges in proper alinement therewith to pass and will hold back cartridges not in such proper alinement..

l. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means for feeding a cartridge belt and means for inserting cartridges into the loops of said belt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to deliver cartridges singly into position for engagement by the inserting means,- ,and provided with slotsin one side "near the discharge opening, a plurality of lifting arms of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to deliver cartridges singlyinto the path of the carrier, bearings carried by the hopper, a'shaft journaled in said bearings,'a plurality of arms fixed to the-shaft and hrranged to swing within the hopper near the discharge opening, means operating in timed relation with the pushing; means for oscillating the shaft in one direction, and a spring for moving the shaft in the other direction.

6. Ina cartridge belt filling device, the combination, with means forfeeding'a cartridge belt, means. for pushing cartridges into the loops of said belt, and a carrier arranged to deliver cartridges to the pushing means, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to deliver cartridges singly into the path of the carrier, bearingscarried by the hopper, a shaft ,journaled in said bearings, a plurality of arms fixed to the shaft and arranged to swing within the hopper near the discharge opening, a sliding cam operated by the pushing means and engaging one of the arms, whereby the shaft is oscillated in one direction, and a spring for moving the shaft in the other direction. V g

7. In a cartridge beltfilling device, the combination with means for feeding a carfridge belt and means for inserting caropening, said means including a plurality of tridges into the loops of said belt, of a hopswinging arms having their end cartridge per having its discharge opening arranged engaging edges concentric with their axis of 10 to deliver cartridges into position for enmovement.

5 gagement by the inserting means, and car- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set tridge lifting means arranged to move upmy hand. ward within the hopper near the discharge GEORGE BLICKENSDERFER-

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