US869307A

US869307A - Machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin.

Info

Publication number: US869307A
Application number: US35661407A
Authority: US
Inventors: George Poole Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1907-02-09
Filing date: 1907-02-09
Publication date: 1907-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1924-10-29

Description

1\ ro 869,307. PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907. G. P. JONES.

MACHINE FOR FORMING A CARTRIDGE FROM EXPLOSIVE GELATIN;

APPLICATION FILED H13. 9, 1907.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

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a; ATTORNEY No. 869,307. PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

G.-P.JONBS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING ACARTRIDGB FROM EXPLOSIVE GELATIN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. A TTOHNE) N0. 869,307. PATENTED 001. 29. 1907.

' e. P. JONES. MACHINE FOR FORMING A/GARTRIDGE PROM EXPLOSIVE GELATIN.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WM 5 I: z 1 a ATTORNEY ILlll APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 9, 1907.

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GEORGE POOLE JONES, OF EMPQRIUM, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR FORMING A CARTRIDGE FROM EXPLOSIVE GELATIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

- Application filed February 9.1907. Serial No. 366.614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE POOLE J ones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Emporium, county of Cameron, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Forming a Cartridge from Explosive Gelatin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for forming a continuous cartridge from explosive gelatin.

The manufacture of cartridges from explosive gelatin, which is a plastic substance of a consistency depending upon various conditions, is generally carried on by forcing it, under pressure, through a nozzle from which the gelatin emerges as a continuous rope, the diameter of which may be from less than an inch to nearly twoinches, this rope being cut into suitable lengths, usually about eight inches, after emergence from the nozzle, to thereby form the cartridges which are then suitably wrapped so as to be ready for commercial use.

Machines of the character set forth have usually employed a horizontal screw, termed by skilled workers in explosives, a packing screw for forcing the explosive gelatiinthrough the nozzle, and associated with this packing screw means have been employed to feed the plastic gelatin to the screw. It has heretofore been proposed to employ a feeder for causing the gelatin to be fed to the packing screw, which will more or less automatically yield if the pressure of the feeder on the gelatin becomes so great that further augmentation would render continued operation of the machine dangerous on account of the subjection of the gelatin to of the manufacture and maintenance of the machine is heightened. In machines of this character, it is desirable to be able to quickly regulate the action of the feeding mechanism so that as explosive batches of the gelatin are introduced to the feeding mechanism, the 7 conditions of feed may be readily varied according to the consistency of the gelatin and the observed action of the machine. So far as I am aware, rapid changes or variations in the feed in machines of this character have not heretofore been possible, and I have forone object of my invention the provision of a machine for forming a continuous cartridge from explosive gelatin which has novel means whereby the feeding of the gelatin automatically regulates itself according to requirements of extrusion and whereby the action of the feeder on the gelatinmay be rapidly and easily controlled by the operator according to the consistency of the explosive mass or to desired conditions of feed.

Another object is to provide means whereby a signal will be operated when the pressure on the gelatin becomes so high as to be undesirable so that the operator will be apprised of the fact that such conditions exist.

' Another object is the provision of a safety appliance which will prevent undesirable pressures being maintained on the explosive gelatin on which the machine is operating.

I have for. a still further object the dispensing with gearing or such rotating parts as tend to make the machine more dangerous and aim to provide a generally simplified and cheapened construction.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the parts that they may be readily detached or separated from each other to permit rapid and easy cleaning of the machine when desired.

A still further object is to provide a hopperand feeder therein, in a machine of the class set forth, wherein novel means will be employed to prevent rotary motion with a horizontal packing screw if the user'for any reason wishes to employahorizontal packing screw, and i have set foith fully hereinafter and disclosed in the drawings a machine wherein a horizontal packing screw maybe employed in connection with my novel feeding and other mechanisms.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a machine for forming a continuous cartridge from ex;

plosive gelatin, wherein a hopper will be employed with novel feeding mechanism therein, and a nozzle, of improved construction will be connected directly to the hopper and the gelatin forced from the hopper through said nozzle to issue therefrom in a continuous cartridge.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear hereinafter. p

The invention is set forth fully in the following specification, and the novel features thereof are recited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the present invention; Fig. 2, an elevation taken at the right of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail view of the hopper with the parts thereof shown separated; Fig. 5, a detail view of the nozzle; Fig. 6, a detail view on line M of Fig. 1; Fig. 7, a side elevation, partly in section, showing a modification employing a horizontal packing screw; Fig. 8, a view in elevation looking in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 7; and Fig. 9, a view of the lefthand side of the lower part of the machine shown in Fig. 7. looking in the direction of the arrow. i

The machine may be supported in any desired fashion, a satisfactory arrangement being to place it upon a table 1' and to locate adjacent to said table, another table 2. whose top is located at a lower level.

The machine-frame comprises a bed-plate 3, a yokeupright 4 and a brace 5. The yoke-,upright 4 is bolted at 7 to the yoke-upright, and the foot of the brace isbolted at 8 to the bed-plate 3. This construction renders manufacture of the frame easy and relatively cheap and permits rapid and easy assembly or separation of the frame parts.

The base-plate 3 has an extension 3 which overhangs the table 2 and is provided with an opening 3) therethrough. I i

The numeral 9 designates a. nozzle, preferably waterjacketed at 10. which is curved so that it is adapted to deliverthe gelatin cartridge issuing therefrom onto the table 2 in a substantiallyhorizontal direction This nozzle!) is provided with a flange 11 which is held by bolts 12 to the under-side of the plate 3 so that the interior of the nozzle constitutes a continuation of the opening 3; g; I

Surmounting the base-plate 3 is a hopper composed of duplicate sections 13, each of which has a base-flange 14, said base-flanges 1.4 beingheld by the bolts 12 so th at the lower part of the hopper interior communicates with, and forms a continuation, of the opening 3 Each hopper section 13 is provided with flanges 15 on its Opposite sides which are adapted to be frictionally clamped against the corresponding flanges on the other hopper section by the bolts and wing nuts 16 (Fig. 3), ,said flanges and nuts having rubber packing.

The foregoing construction permits rapid and easy detachment of the nozzle and hopper whenever it is desired that they be removed or the feeding mechanism inside of the hopper inspected or any of the parts cleaned.

The interiors of the hopper sections 13 are provided with spirally arranged ribs 17 which prevent the gelatin in the hopper from rotating with the feeding means and also assist the feeder in directing the gelatin to the op ening 3 and into the nozzle 9.

The upper part of the yoke-upright 4 is provided with substantially parallel

horizontal arms

4, 4 and 4.

J ournaled in suitable bearings in the ends of the

arms

4 and 4 is the feeder shaft 18 which has splined there to in a loose fashion a belt-pulley 19 located between the arms 4" and 4. The splined connection is shown at 20 and consists of a slot in the shaft 18 and a key or feather carried by the belt-pulley l9 and received loosely in said slot. This permits the shaft 18 to slip up and down through the beltpulley, without causing the belt-pulley to rise or fall, to insure rotation of the shaft by the belt-pulley at all times.

The feeder comprises a shaft 21 having horizontal blades or paddles 22 which are substantiallyelliptical in cross-section and are disposed with their faces at an angle to the length of the shaft 21; while formed on the lower end of the shaft is a screw 23 of tapered formation which extends through the opening 3 and into the nozzle 9. The

shafts

18 and 21 are detachably coupled together at 24, permitting rapid and easy removal of the feeder when desired.

The upper end of the shaft 18 is provided with a plunger or piston 25 and there is secured in a detachable manner to the arm 4", a cylinder 26 in which the piston 25 plays. The engagement of the piston with the lower end of the cylinder 26 prevents the blades or paddles 22 and screw 23 from striking the sides of the hopper or nozzle or touching any of the ribs 17, and to make it possible to properly position the parts, suitable fastening screws 27 hold the cylinder 26 in the socket. of arm 4 in such fashion that the cylinder may be raised or lowered. I

Leading to the cylinder 26 is a pipe 28 having controlling valve 29 and pressure gage 30, which is put in communication with a source of compressed air so that the compressed air admitted to the cylinder 26 forms an elastic cushion for the upward movement of the piston 25. A casing containing pop-safcty-valve 3l is secured to the cylinder 26 and this casing has attached thereto by suitable piping, a whistle 32.

The pop-safety valve 31 can be set to ogen at any given pressure, which will be the critical or maximum pressure, above which it is not desirable to subject the gelatin in the hopper so that any higher air pressure in the cylinder 26 will be relieved and will escape through and sound the whistle 32.

The machine is driven from a countershaft 50 by a vertical shaft 51 which is suitably journaled in

bearings

52 and 53 on the machine-frame, bevel gears 54 communicating the rotation of shaft 50 to shaft 5], the latter shaft carrying a belt-pulley 55 which is belted direct by belt 56 to the pulley-19. A clutch and clutchlever 57 having suitable means 58 for holding theclutch in released or locked disposition relative to the pulley 55, are employed to lock the pulley 55 to the shaft 5] or to release it from said shaft, thus affording a means convenient for the operator for starting or stopping the machine at will.

The explosive gelatin is introduced into the

hopp'cr

13, 13, and is fed downwardly by the rotation of the blades or paddles 22, the direction of rotation of the shaft 21 being such that the paddles move in the direction of their highest edges which causes the gelatin to be pressed downward in the hopper, this downward action being assisted by the spiral ribs 17 which also tend to retard any rotary motion of the mass of gelatin. The gelatin coming under the action of the screw23 isforced into the nozzle 9; whence it issues as a continuous cartridge which is delivered in a substantial horizontal direction onto the table 2. The tapcring form of the hopper, combined with the tapering screw 23 and the reduction in size of the nozzle toward its mouth, all tend to compress the gelatin so that it will be properly compacted as it is forced through the noz zle.

The continuous cartridge which is delivered on the table 2 is 'cut into proper lengths, usually eight inches, and afterward wrapped for commercial use.

If the feed of the gelatin or the pressure exerted thereon by the paddles or screw becomes too great, the entire feeder, comprising the shaft 2], paddles 22, and screw 23, together with the shaft 18, will rise, slipping'loosely'through the belt-pulley 19, and thus automatically relievetlie undesirable pressure, and in this rising action the plunger 25 is cushioned elastically by the compressed air contained in the cylinder 26 so that the yieIding action is -gentle.and yet sufiiciently rapid on this elastic cushion of air in the cylinder 26 to'gently force down the feeder as the gelatin passes out of the nozzle 9. As the feeder rises, the compression of the air in the cylinder 26 becomes greater and the safety-valve 31 at once opens and relieves the extra pressure, while the air sounds the whistle 32 and notifies the operator. The safety-valve will open and the whistle will be sounded at any time when the air pressure introduced via pipe 28 into cylinder 26 becomes higher than it is desirable to have it, so that the action is entirely automatic under all "conditions. It will be understood that the

shafts

18 and 21 continue their rotation regardless of the vertical position of the feeder.

In the foregoing machinel dispense entirely with the horizontal packing screw, its case, and the means for causing rotation of said screw, all of which have heretofore been employed and by employing the combined feeder and pressure screw 23 as attached rigidly to the shaft 21 carrying paddles 22, the feed of and pressure upon the gelatin are regulated at the same time, and effects are'obtained which are not possible where a horizontal and separate packing screw is employed.

The machine may be readily cleaned after the day's run, or at any time, by detaching the screws and nuts 16 and bolts 12, whereupon e hopper sections and nozzle may be completely removed, thus exposing the paddles and screw.

As some users of the machine may wish to employ the old form of horizontal packing screw and case in connection with my improved feeder and to dispense with the nozzle 9, I have illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a machine wherein a horizontal packing screw is employed as a supplemental feature.- In these figures it is unnecessary to describe the machine which hasbeen heretofore set forth, and reference will only be made to the additional elements therein appearing. In the machine of Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the bed plate 3 has bearings 60 in which is journaled the shaft 61 of packing screw 62, said shaft being provided with a beltpulley 63 which is belted direct by belt 64 to a beltpulley 65 on countershaft 50. If desired, the pulley 63 may be a clutch-pulley with a lever for throwing it into and out of action. The control of the rotation of belt-pulley 55 ma be accomplished as heretofore set forth, or the gearing 54 may be'provided with a clutch 66 thrown into and out of action by a lever 67. In this machine the brace 5 is split to properly accommodate the extra parts that are used. The packing screw 62 is received in a lignum-vitae block 68 to the end of which is secured a collar 70, to which in turn is detachably fastened by bolts 69, a nozzle 71. The block 68 is seated in ways 72 which permit it to he slid longitudinally of the packing screw 62, entirely off of said packing screw to expose the latter so that it may be readily cleaned without requiring removal of the entire packing screw and its shaft 61 as has heretofore been necessary. The

hopper sections

13, 13, are detachably secured by bolts 83 to the lignum-vitae' block, permitting detachment of said'hopper sections from said block;

Except for the improved manner of sliding the lignumvitae block 68, collar 70', and 'ndzzle 71 bodily off of'the Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with a shell or case having a delivery mouth from which the gelatin is adapted'to issue, of means within the shell or case for forcing the gelatin through said mouth, and air cushion means adapted to yieldingly resist backward movement of the gelatin forcing means.

2. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with a shell or case having a delivery mouth from which the gelatin is adapted to issue, of rotary means within the shell or case for forcing the gelatin through said mouth, and compressedairoperated means adapted to yieldingly resist backward movement of the rotary gelatin forcing means.

3. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with a shell or case having a delivery mouth from which the gelatin is adapted to issue, of rotary means within the shell or case for forcing the gelatin through said mouth, and a plunger and cylinder adapted to yieldingly resist backward movement of the rotary gelatin forcing means. 4 '4. In a machine for forminga cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with a shell or case having a delivery mouth from which the gelatin is adapted to issue, of rotary means within the shell or case for forcing the gelstin through said mouth, a plunger and cylinder, and means for introducing compressed air to the cylinder adapted to yieldingly resist backward movement of the rotary gelatin forcing means.

5. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with a shell or case having a delivery. mouth from which the gelatin is adapted to issue, of rotary means within the shell or case for forcing the gelatin through said mouth, air cushion means adapted to yieldingly resist backward movement of the rotary gelatinforcing means, and a safety-valve for said air cushion means.

6. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with a. shell or case having a delivery mouth from which the gelatin is adapted to issue, of rotary means within the shell orcase for forcing the gelatin through said mouth, air cushion means adapted to yiel'dingly resist backward movement of the rotary gelatin forcing means, and a safety-valve and signal controlled thereby for said air cushion means. 7 7. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with a shell or case having a delivery mouth from which the gelatin is adapted to issue, of rotary means within the shell or case for forcing the gelatin through said mouth, compressed-air-operated means adapted to yieldingly resist backward movement of the rotary gelatin forcing means, and a safety-valve for relieving the air pressure from said compressed-air-operated means. 8. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with an upright shell or case having an exit mouth for the delivery of the gelatin therethrough, of an upright shaft carrying gelatin forcing 'means located in the shell or case, and an air cushion 4 adapted to yieldingly resist upward movement of said shaft and gelatin forcing means.

9,. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with an upright shell or case having an exit mouth for the delivery of the gelatin there through, of an upright shaft carrying gelatin forcing &

means located in the shell or case, and compressed air ineans for yieldingly resisting upward movement of the shaft and rotary gelatin forcing means. I

10. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with an upright shell or case having an exit, mouth for the delivery of the gelatin therethrough, of an upright shaft carrying gelatin forcing moans located in the shell or case, compressed air means for yieldingly resisting upward movement of the shaft and rotary gelatin forcing means comprising a plunger and cyl inder, and automatic means for relieving the compressed air pressure when necessary.

11. In a machine for forming a cartridge from explosive gelatin, the combination with ways, and a hopper superposed thereon, of a hollow case slidably seated on the ways under the hopper and adapted for slidable removal, and gelatin forcing means located within the hollow removable case. I

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' GEORGE POOLE JONES.

Witnesses GRANT L. WILEY, J. C JOHNSON.