US3336646A

US3336646A - Automatic foil shredding, weight-controlling and filling of photoflash lamps

Info

Publication number: US3336646A
Application number: US384323A
Authority: US
Inventors: Chauvin Bernard
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: Philips North America LLC
Priority date: 1964-07-22
Filing date: 1964-07-22
Publication date: 1967-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-22

Description

B. CHAUVIN Aug. 22, 1967.

AUTOMATIC FOIL SHREDDING, WEIGHT-CONTROLLI AND FILLING OF PHOTOFLASH LAMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1964 FIG.

. F -7 l I QEHQM A K I6 mmzxme 5mm" 6 MOVABLE BRACKET Fl LTE R 27 VACUUM ATTORNEY 3,336,646 LING Aug. 22, 1967 B. CHAUVIN AUTOMATIC FOIL SHREDDING, WEIGHT-CONTROL AND FILLING OF PHO'IYOFLASH LAMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1964 INVENTOR. BEEN/FED CH/IUV/IV.

COMPRESSED United States Patent Ofifice 3,336,646 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 3,336,646 AUTOMATIC FOIL SHREDDING, WEIGHT-CON- TROLLING AND FILLING F PHOTOFLASH LAMPS Bernard Chauvin, Cedar Grove, N.J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 22, 1964, Ser. No. 384,323 14 Claims. (Cl. 2925.11)

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the shredding, weight-controlling and filling of photoflash lamps with a charge of combustible lightproducing material such as a mass of fine metallic strands.

In the production of photoflash lamps it is highly desirable in the interests of efficiency of the momentary light output that the fiine metallic strands of combustible material be distributed as uniformly as possible within the lamp envelope. Heretofore, in an effort to accomplish such uniform distribution it has been the practice to crumple or rumple the fine linear metallic wire or shredded foil strands. Such has been accomplished by forcibly impinging the strands upon the wall of a chamber disposed intermediate the feed line where they are tossed about before being forced by the fluid pressure or vacuum suction through the remainder of the feed line into the photoflash lamp bulb. Although this produced a foil charge more closely approaching uniform distribution, there still remained too many loose strands which caused some troubles in sealing the bulbs. A further disadvantage of the apparatus as heretofore employed resided in its high production costs due to requiring one or more operators and because lack of automation necessitated shutting down of the apparatus for the making of adjustments and the like.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the shredding of a preselected weighted quantity of metallic foil into exceedingly fine strands, and after forming such strands into a light fluify ball devoid of loose ends, depositing such formed ball in the envelope of a photoflash lamp.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus automatically operable to shred a preselected quantity of metallic foil into exceedingly fine strands and thereafter form the latter into a fluflfy ball and then deposit the same in the envelope of a photoflash lamp entirely without the aid of an operator.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus automatically operable to economically shred a metallic foil into exceedingly fine strands of a predetermined total weight and then form such selected quantity of strands into a fluffy ball which is automatically inserted into the envelope of a photoflash lamp and which apparatus is readily adjustable without the necessity of shutting down operation thereof.

The foregoing objects of the present invention, together with other objects which will become obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description, are achieved by providing an apparatus which automatically shreds a predetermined amount of metallic foil into exceedingly fine strands and deposits them into a cavity of a foil-fill turret. After deposit in such cavity the turret is indexed to another work station where the strands are swirled in a definite circular direction within the cavity and thus formed into a fluffy ball devoid of loose strands. The ball-filled cavity is then indexed into a foil transfer work station adjacent a photoflash lamp envelope carried by a loading turret where the fluffy ball is pushed from the cavity into the lamp envelope.

Moreover, the apparatus is automatically operable to perform these various operations only when a photoflash lamp envelope is available for filling at the foil transfer position of the foil-fill turret and the loading turret.

The present invention can be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherin:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly in cross section, and showing one form which the shredding, weightcont-rolling, and filling apparatus of the present invention may take;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section and taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the bulb detection station of the loading turret where the presence or absence of the bulb to be loaded is detected; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and on an enlarged scale, of the clutch control cam portion of FIG. 1 which controls the weight of the foil charge or number of cut strands of such charge for each photoflash lamp.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a foil-fill turret 5 indexible through a plurality of work stations by the intermittent rotation of an indexing shaft 6 to which such turret is secured. Such turret 5 is provided near its periphery with a plurality of spring-biased cavities 7 in the form of a hollow sleeve or the like 8 with a flange bottom 9. These cavities 7 are normally depressed downwardly in openings 10 of stepped-diameter provided in the turret 5, by a coil-spring 12 which normally maintains the flanged bottom 9 against a retaining ring or the like 13.

At one indexed station of the foil-fill turret 5 one of the cavities 7 is concentrically disposed directly beneath the open end of the tubular envelope 14 of a photoflash lamp which is held by a suitable bracket clamp 15 forming part of an indexible loading turret 16. When a cavity 7 is thus axially aligned with an envelope 14, another cavity 7 will axially align with the annularly flanged end 17 of a fixed bracket 18 and from which flanged end 17 a suitable sweep conduit 19 extends upwardly to the funnel 20 of a foil shredder 22. Following indexing of a cavity 7 beneath the flanged end 17 of bracket 18, a camoperated bracket 23 having a hollow tube 24 secured to the outer end thereof, is moved upwardly causing the extremity of such hollow tube 24 to axially align with the cavity 7. At the same time a foil suction head 25 affixed to this hollow tube 24 seals off the bottom of such cavity 7 and raises the latter against the bias of spring 12 into a sealed engagement with flanged end 17 of the bracket 18.

The hollow tube 24 is also connected by a fiexible conduit or the like 26 to a filter 27, with the latter in turn connected to a vacuum source upon opening of a solenoid-operated valve 28. Adjacent to the shredder 22, the apparatus supports a roll of metallic foil, such as aluminum, magnesium or Zirconium 29, which is fed over the sharp edge of a knife bracket 30 into the rotating knife blades 32 of the shredder 22 by feed rollers 33. The operating gears 34 for both the shredder 22 and feeder rollers 33 are continuously driven by a suitable drive gear (not shown) of the apparatus. However, despite continuous rotation of its operating gear 34 the feed rollers 33 rotate to feed the edge of the foil 29 into the shredder 22 only upon energization of a magnetic clutch Both this magnetic clutch 35 and the solenoid-operated valve 28 are simultaneously energized from a suitable A.C. source upon closure of a switch 36 operated by a cam 37 and a further switch 38. This latter cam 37, as hereinafter described more in detail, is rotated one revolution per cycle and is driven by the same prime mover which indexes the loading turret 16, with the result that the solenoid-operated valve 28 and the magnetic clutch 35 are thus energized only when a photoflash lamp envelope 14 is aligned with a cavity 7 to receive a combustible charge of shredded foil from within such cavity. Such contingency is previously assured by the provision of the switch 38 (FIG. 1) which is actually positioned adjacent the proper numbered preceding work station of the loading turret 16 so that such switch 38 is closed only by the actual presence of a photoflash lamp envelope 14 thereat. The bulb detection station on the loading turret 16 is shown in FIG. 5. When such envelope 14 is present and the switch 38 is thereby closed an empty cavity 7 for reception of a combustible charge for the switchclosing envelope 14 then is aligned with the flanged end 17 of the bracket 18. Whereupon the cam-operated bracket 23 is raised to seal the suction head 25 to the bottom of the cavity 7 and at the same time push the latter up into sealing engagement with flanged bracket end 17. By this time the cam 37 will have rotated sufficiently to close switch 36, and since the switch 38 is already closed by the envelope 14 at the preceding work station of the loading turret 16, the circuit will be closed to cause energization of both the solenoid-operated valve 28 and the magnetic clutch 35.

Rotation of the feed rollers 33 push the end of the metallic foil over the sharp edge of the bracket 30 into the path of the rotating knife blades 32 of the shredder 22. The extremely thin and finely cut strands continue to drop into the funnel 20 from which they are sucked through the sweep feed conduit 19 and trapped in the cavity 7. Such filling of the cavity 7 continues until the proper preselected quantity of shredded foil has been cut which, as hereinafter described, is determined by cam 37 whereupon this came opens switch 36 to again stop rotation of the feed rollers 33 and close valve 28. The cavity 7 is then filled with a combustible charge intended for the particular envelope 14 which is momentarily maintaining the switch 38 closed at a preceding work station of the loading turret 16. During the filling of the cavity 7 with the newly shredded foil, the charge within the previously filled cavity 7 at the indexed station immediately below the envelope 14 on the loading turret 16 is transferred from within such cavity and into the interior of the photoflash lamp envelope 14 by reciprocation of a plunger 39, as seen in FIG. 4.

Cam 37 having completed its single rotation and the cam operated bracket 23 again having lowered, the foilfill turret then indexes an additional station to thus dispose another empty cavity 7 in position to be filled and a charge-filled cavity 7 beneath another envelope 14. At the same time the last filled cavity 7 will have indexed one position into its foil fluffing station, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3. It will be noted by reference to these latter figures that at such station the filled cavity 7 is open at each end and that angularly disposed airnozzles 40 direct a stream of air into each end of such cavity in opposite directions. The pressure and direction of the air accordingly rotates the shredded foil strands and forms them into a light fluffy ball 42 devoid of loose protruding ends which is thereafter retained in the hollow cavity during further indexing of the foil-fill turret 5. When such cavity 7 with its fiulfed ball 42 reaches the station immediately beneath a lamp envelope 14 the reciprocating plunger 39 then pushes such ball of combustible material 42 from the cavity 7 upwardly into the interior of the envelope 14, as above mentioned relative to FIG. 4.

By reference now more particularly to FIG. 6, the

aforesaid single revolution cam 37 is therein shown on an enlarged scale together with the novel structure for adjusting such cam while the machine is operating to control the weight of the shredded foil and hence the charge of combustible material inserted into the lamp envelope. Since the contact roller 43 of the switch 36 riding on the cam surface determines the length of time that the clutch 35 is engaged to feed the foil 29, this time period is directly proportional to the weight of the foil cut by the shredder 22 during such period. This can be appreciated by assuming that the switch 36 closes as point A on the surface of cam 37 (FIG. 6) passes under this switch roller 43 and such switch opens when point B on the surface of cam 37 passes thereunder. A total clutch engagement time of 240 thus results, but if the switch roller 43 is raised so that the switch 36 then closes at point C on the cam 37 and opens at point D, the clutch engagement time is changed to only rotation of the cam 37 producing a decrease of 25% in the weight of the shredded foil charge. It thus follows that a corresponding reduction in foil weight results if the switch roller 43 is raised to contact the surface of cam 37 at any intermediate points.

The switch 36 as shown is supported on the outer extremity of a pivoted arm 44 journaled on a shaft 45 with this pivoted arm 44 held in position by an adjustable connecting rod 46 secured at its upper end to a stationary member 47. This rod 46 can thus be adjusted while the machine is running to thereby raise and lower the switch roller 43 with the range of this adjustment needed to be only as large as the percent variation of foil thickness. When a much greater adjustment is required, such as for shredding foil for different lamp types or a major lamp design change, the machine must be stopped and adjusted by rotating the cam plate segment 48 relative to the split body section 49 of the cam 37. This split body section 49 has a piloting hub 50 to maintain concentricity with the cam plate segment 48 and since such cam 37 is formed of three parts it is easily removable from its operating camshaft.

It should thus be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing that a method and apparatus for the shredding, weight-controlling and filling of photoflash lamps with a predetermined quantity of combustible material has been herein provided. Such apparatus first shreds the material from a ribbon to produce exceedingly fine strands which are then formed into a light fluffy ball of predetermined weight devoid of loose ends, with the latter being then automatically inserted into the envelope of a photoflash lamp. The entire apparatus is automatically operable and hence requires no operator except for adjustment of such apparatus to change the weight of the fluffy ball charge as desired which can be performed without the necessity of interrupting operation of the apparatus.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been herein shown and described it is to be understood that still further modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible foil charge of predetermined size and weight, said method comprising:

(a) shredding a metallic foil ribbon of a definite width and thckness for a predetermined period of time to produce very fine metallic strands having a total predetermined weight;

(b) transferring all of said strands into a cavity;

(c) rotating said strands while in said cavity with bidirectional fluid pressure to cause said strands to produce a combustible charge in the form of a fluffy ball substantially devoid of loose ends; and

(d) inserting said fluffy ball charge into the envelope of a photoflash lamp.

2. The method of filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible foil charge of predetermined size and weight; said method comprising:

(a) feeding a metallic foil ribbon of a definite width and thckness into a rotary cutting knife to produce very fine metallic strands which are collected in a funnel;

(b) controlling the time period during which said foil ribbon is fed into the cutter to predetermine the total weight of the strands collected in the funnel;

(c) transferring all of said collected strands from said funnel into a cavity;

(d) rotating said strands while in said cavity with bidirectional fluid pressure to cause said strands to form into a combustible charge simulating a fluffy ball devoid of loose ends; and

(e) inserting said fiuffy ball charge into the envelope of a photoflash lamp.

3. The method of filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge of predetermined size and weight, said method comprising:

(a) feeding a' metallic foil ribbon of a definite width and thickness into a rotary cutting knife to produce very fine metallic strands which are collected in a funnel;

(b) controlling the time period during which said foil ribbon is fed into the cutter to predetermine the total weight of the strands collected in a funnel;

(c) transferring all of said collected strands from said funnel into a cavity;

(d) injecting fluid pressure into said cavity from opposing directions to cause said strands to swirl about and form a combustible charge simulating a fluffy ball devoid of loose ends; and

(e) inserting said flufliy ball charge into the envelope of a photoflash lamp.

4. The method of filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge of predetermined size and weight, said method comprising:

(c) transferring all of said collected strands from said funnel into a cavity;

(e) forcing said fluffy ball charge from the interior of said cavity and into the juxtapositioned envelope of a photoflash lamp.

5. The method of filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge of predetermined size and weight, said method comprising:

(a) feeding a metallic foil ribbon of a definite width and thickness into a rotary cutting knife to produce very fine metallic strands of predetermined total weight which are collected in a funnel;

(b) adjusting the time period of feeding said foil ribbon into the cutting knife during its operation to vary the predetermned total weight of the cut strands collected in the funnel as desired;

(c) transferring all of said collected strands from said funnel into a cavity;

((1) subjecting said strands while in said cavity to fluid pressure from opposing directions to cause said strands to form into a combustible charge simulating a fluffy ball devoid of loose ends; and

(e) inserting said fluffy ball charge into the envelope of a photoflash lamp.

6. An apparatus for automatically shredding, Weightcontrolling and filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a foil-fill turret provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed cavities indexible through a number of work stations;

(b) shredding means operable to cut metallic foil n'bbon of preselected width and thickness into fine metallic strands and comprising feed-rollers for moving said ribbon into the path of a cutting knife having a funnel adjacent thereto for collecting the cut fine metallic strands;

(0) means at a work station adjacent an indexed cavity of said foi-l-fill turret and operable into engagement therewith to cause the transfer of said fine metallic strands from said collecting funnel into said cavity to form a fill therein;

(d) means at a subsequent Work station adjacent a strand-filled cavity for applying fluid pressure thereto to cause the fine metallic strands therein to form a combustible charge in said cavity simulating a light fiuify ball devoid of loose ends; and

(e) inserting means at a further work station adjacent an indexed charge-filled cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable to remove said light flutfy ball charge from said cavity and deposit it in the envelope of a photoflash lamp disposed adjacent said charge-filled cavity.

7. An apparatus for automatically shredding, weight-' controlling and filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge, said apparatus comprising:

(b) shredding means operable to cut metallic foil ribbon of preselected width and thickness into fine metallic strands and comprising feed-rollers for moving said ribbon into the path of a cutting knife having a funnel adjacent thereto for collecting the cut fine metallic strands;

(0) means at a work station adjacent an indexed cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable into engagement therewith to cause the transfer of said fine metallic strands from said collecting funnel into said cavity to form a fill therein;

(d) angularly disposed nozzles at a subsequent work station adjacent a strand-filled cavity for applying fluid pressure thereto in opposing directions to cause the fine metallic strands therein to swirl and form a combustible charge in said cavity simulating a light fluffy ball devoid of loose ends; and

(e) inserting means at a further work station adjacent an indexed charge-filled cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable to remove said light flulfy ball charge from said cavity and deposit it in the envelope of a photoflash lamp disposed adjacent said charge-filled cavity.

-8. An apparatus for automatically shredding, weightcontrolling and filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge, said apparatus comprising:

(b) shredding means operable to cut metallic foil ribbon of preselected width and thickness into fine metallic strands comprising feed-rollers for moving said ribbon into the path of a cutting knife having a funnel adjacent thereto for collecting the cut fine metallic strands;

(c) means at a work station adjacent an indexed cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable into engagement therewith to cause the transfer of said fine metallic strands from said collecting funnel into said cavity to form a fill therein;

(d) timing means connected to said shredding means and operable to cause operation of said shredding means for preselected periods of time as a function of the total weight of the cut fine metallic strands;

(e) means at a subsequent work station adjacent a strand-filled cavity for applying fluid pressure thereto to cause the fine metallic strands therein to form a combustible charge in said cavity simulating a light flufliy ball devoid of loose ends; and

(f) inserting means at a further work station adjacent an indexed charge-filled cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable to remove said light fluffy ball charge from said cavity and deposit it in the envelope of a photoflash lamp disposed adjacent said charge-filled cavity.

9. An apparatus for automatically shredding, weightcontrolling and filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge, said apparatus comprising:

(d) timing means connected to said shredding means and to said last-mentioned means for causing simultaneous operation of both said means for preselected time periods to produce a fill of fine metallic strands in said cavity having a predetermined total weight which is a function of said preselected time period;

(e) angularly disposed nozzles at a subsequent work station adjacent a strand-filled cavity for applying fluid pressure thereto in opposing directions to cause the fine metallic strands therein to swirl and form a combustible charge in said cavity simulating a light flutfy ball devoid of loose ends; and

10. An apparatus for automatically shredding, weightcontrolling and filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge, said apparatus comprising:

(b) shredding means operable to cut metallic foil ribbon of preselected width and thickness into fine metallic strands comprising feed-rollers operable by energization of a magnetic clutch for moving said ribbon into the path of a cutting knife having a funnel adjacent thereto for collecting the cut fine metallic strands;

(c) cavity-filling means at a work station adjacent an indexed cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable into sealing engagement therewith including a solenoid-valve operable to connect said means to a fluid source for causing the transfer of said fine metallic strands from said collecting funnel into said cavity to form a fill therein;

((1) timing means operable to cause energization of said magnetic clutch and said solenoid-valve with attendant simultaneous operation of both said shredding means and said cavity-filling means for preselected time periods to produce a fill of fine metallic strands in said cavity having a predetermined total weight which is a function of said preselected time period;

(e) angularly disposed nozzles at a subsequent work station adjacent a strand-filled cavity for applying fluid pressure thereto in opposing directions to cause the fine metallic strands to swirl and form a combustible charge in said cavity simulating a light fluffy ball devoid of loose ends; and

11. An apparatus for automatically shredding, weightcontrolling and filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a foil-fill turret provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed cavities indexible through a number of work stations,

(-c) cavity-filling means at a work station adjacent an indexed cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable into sealing engagement therewith including a solenoid-valve operable to connect said means to a fluid source for causing the transfer of said fine metallic strands from said collecting funnel into said cavity to form a fill therein;

(d) an electrical circuit including a timer-actuated switch and a switch closable by the presence of a photoflash lamp envelope in proper position on said apparatus, said circuit being operable upon closure of both said switches to simultaneously energize said magnetic clutch and said solenoid-valve with attendant operation of both said shedding means and said cavity-filling means;

(e) a timing device for operating said timer-actuated switch to cause closure of said circuit for a preselected time period With attendant filling of said cavity with said fine metallic strands of a predetermined total weight as a function of the preselected time period said circuit is closed by said timing device;

(f) angularly disposed nozzles at a subsequent work station adjacent a strand-filled cavity for applying fluid pressure thereto in opposing directions to cause the fine metallic strands to swirl and form a combustible charge in said cavity simulating a light fluffy ball devoid of loose ends; and

(g) inserting means at a further work station adjacent an indexed charge-filled cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable to remove said light fluffy ball charge from said cavity and deposit it in the envelope of a photoflash lamp disposed adjacent said chargefilled cavity.

12. An apparatus for automatically shredding, weightcontrolled and filling the envelope of a photoflash lamp with a combustible charge, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a foil-fill turret provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed cavities indexible through a number of work stations including a work station having a photoflash lamp envelope indexed adjacent thereto by a loading turret,

(-b) shredding means operable to cut metallic foil ribbon of preselected width and thickness into fine metallic strands comprising a rotary cutting knife and a pair of feed-rollers operable by energization of a magnetic clutch for moving said ribbon into the path of said knife, and a funnel beneath said knife for collecting the cut fine metallic strands;

(d) an electrical circuit including a timer-actuated switch and a switch operable by said photoflash lamp envelope when in proper position on its loading turret, said circuit being operable upon closure of both said switches to simultaneously energize said magnetic clutch and said solenoid-valve with attendant operation of both said shredding means and said cavity-filling means;

(e) an adjustable timing cam synchronously operable relative to said foil-fill turret for causing closure of said circuit for a. preselected time period With attendant filling of said cavity with said fine metallic strands of a predetermined total weight as a function of the preselected time period said circuit is closed by said adjustable timing cam;

(f) means at a subsequent Work station adjacent a strand-filled cavity for applying fluid pressure thereto to cause the fine metallic strands to form a combustible charge in said cavity simulating a light fiufiy ball devoid of loose ends; and

(g) inserting means at a further Work station adjacent an indexed charge-filled cavity of said foil-fill turret and operable to remove said light fluify ball charge from said cavity and deposit it in the envelope of a photofiash lamp disposed adjacent said chargefilled cavity.

13. The method of filling the unsealed bulb of a photoflash lamp with a flufly foil charge of predetermined sige and weight, which method comprises:

(a) forming a predetermined weight of shredded foil comprising individual interlocking strands of predetermined dimensions and confining the formed shreds;

( b) efiecting a rotation of the interlocking confined shreds to form them into a fiuffy ball having no projecting foil shred ends; and

(c) inserting the formed ball into the unsealed photoflash lamp envelope.

14. The method of filling the unsealed bulb of a photoflash lamp with a fluffy foil charge of predetermined size and Weight, which method comprises:

the unsealed photo- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,773,520 12/1956 Dell et al. l4167 3,120,694 2/1964 Anderson et al 2925.1l

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner. R. L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF FILLING THE ENVELOPE OF A PHOTOFLASH LAMP WITH A COMBUSTIBLE FOIL CHARGE OF PREDETERMINED SIZE AND WEIGHT, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: (A) SHREDDING A METALLIC FOIL RIBBON OF A DEFINITE WIDTH AND THICKNESS FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME TO PRODUCE VERY FINE METALLIC STRANDS HAVING A TOTAL PREDETERMINED WEIGHT; (B) TRANSFERRING ALL OF SAID STRANDS INTO A CAVITY; (C) ROTATING SAID STRANDS WHILE IN SAID CAVITY WITH BIDIRECTIONAL FLUID PRESSURE TO CAUSE SAID STRANDS TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE CHARGE IN THE FORM OF A FLUFFY BALL SUBSTANTIALLY DEVOID OF LOOSE ENDS; AND