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Inlproved Bolt Cutter. THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES. truncated cone, or, in other words, resembling a No used in a machine shop is more necessary human finger. Over these, sections of the skin, cut or oftener required than a bolt cutter. Some are The cartridge for fire-arms for the use of soldiers off by a pair of , were stretched, and when all complicated, and yet poorly perform the work, is a subject which has employed the inventive facul­ the pegs were covered the board was placed in the " raising" and weakening the thread, and not being ty largely within a few years. The common sun to dry. When dry these pockets were filled easy of adjustment. The simpler the parts and the fowling piece has been loaded for a great many with powder, the quantity graduated by weight, more absolute and direct their action, the more ef­ years by means of open powder and shot, the powder and the bullet was tied at the top. The skin is so ficient and valuable any machine; and the bolt cut­ being poured into the hand, measured either by a thin and yet so tough, that, although the grains of ter, above all others, should possess these essential tubular gage on the flask, or estimated by the eye ; powder are easily distinguishable through it, it will requisites. The inventor of the machine here rep­ th'3 amount of shot being calculated in the same bear a large amount of rough handling. These resented, claims to have perfected a tool that is manner. were far superior to any paper cartridges. simpler, more readily adjusted, and But the metallic cartridges appear capable of doing work quicker and to be gradually displacing these better than most implements de­ other forms. They are made of sheet signed for the purpose. With it, he copper. The copper is cut by a says, bolts can be cut close to the into a circular disk, and at the same head and of any length desired, lim. time, by means of a punch and , is ited only by the size of the shop. formed into a cup shape, the punch But little explanation is necessary forcing the center of the copper disk to understand its operation. down through a die. This operation The cross head, A, sliding-on the is repeated, by means of constantly guide rods, B, is fitted to receive diminishing punches and dies, until chucks for holding a bolt head, or the requisite diameter 'and length are can be furnished with a , the obtained; annealing and washing be­ jaws moved by right and left hand ing occasionally resorted to for soften­ . The lever, C, is attached ing the metal and removing the oxi to a sliding fulcrum, D, which moves dized scales. on the rod, E, and can be used, if When brought to the proper size necessary, to start the cross head at and shape, the shells are placed upon the commencement of a cut. The a revolving spindle and cut to the dies are inserted in the jaws, F, of required length, the upper edges be­ the revolving head, G, which is se­ ing, of course, irregular in outline cured to a hollow spindle, sustain­ when the shell comes fromthe last die. ing the cone, H. By means of in­ The shell must then receive a head, clined slides passing through the or rather the head or bottom, which bead, and attached to the clutch is now of no larger diameter than and lever, L the j�ws can be opened the body, must be "upset" to make a from the center, or closed to the size receptacle for the fulminating com­ of the required. When closed pound, which is distributed around its they are held securely in place. The circumference. ·To secure this result, dies can be adjusted to different RODGERS'S BOLT CUTTER. the shell is slipped on a spindle, hav­ sizes of bolts by a screw (not shown), ing a shoulder at the proper distance, which acts against the back end of the die. The Then the paper cartridge was introduced for and a " header" strikes a blow against the bottom recess, J, in the bed is for the reception of the oil military purposes, the powder alone being placed which bulges out equally all around, forming a nar­ and chips. in the paper cylinder, and, when used, the twisted row rim at the base of the shell, of larger diameter It is claimed that this bolt cutter is the cheapest end being bitten offby the soldier and its ('ontents than the body of the shell, itself, and hollow. l.n the market, that its work is equal to that of the emptied into the gun. (Vide Scott's Tactics.) Af. The fulminate, precisely like the explosive pre­ lathe, and that the dies can be changed without terward the paper cartridge, with ball secured at paration used in percussion caps, is spread over moving a screw. the top, was used, paper and all being introduced copper plates, perforated with holes about three­ Patented by J. F. Rodgers, South Bend, Ind., into the gun. Then skins, or the prepared intestines sixteenths of an inch diameter. The material lodges whom address for rights and additional particulars. of animals, were employed as a receptacle for the in the perforations, which, by a suitable device, are powder, the pro jectile being placed at the open end brought over the shells so that the fulminate may Slldtng- Parallel Vise. and the skin secured about its base by a string. be dropped into them. As this substance is to be The object of this invention is to dispense with These were very neat cartridges. A brief descrip­ confined to the rim of the head, it must be distrib­ the laborious operation of turning the screw out tion of their manufacture may not be uninteresting. uted. For this purpose each shell is held under a and in to suit different articles of worlt, and vertical spindle which is made to revolve very rapid­ changing the pin at the bottom of the ly. The end of this spindle is cut into radial teeth, vise jaw, which all mechanicd will admit similar to the congeries of radii on the face ofa mill· is a great loss of time as well as an annoy­ stone, by which the fulminate is forced centrifugally ance, whereas in the illustration here into the rim of the shell head. This is the only shown, the movable jaw is adjusted instan­ process in the manufacture of these cartridges at­ taneously from one size to another, and tended with danger, as the compound is of a highly the face of the jaw stands parallel with explosive character. The shell is then filled with the bench, therefore it will gripe an arti­ powder, the base of the pro jectile inserted, and the cle with greater firmness than is possible copper crimped around its base. in the common vise. These cartridges stand the test of rough hand­ The improvement consists of a ratchet, ling, dampness, c�imate, and time, better than any A, secured to the nut, B, and partially em­ others yet invented. They are fast superseding aU bracing the front of the nut. C is a catch, other cartridges. secured to the rear of the bench leg to engage the teeth of the ratchet. D is the NEW NORTHERN EUROPEAN STEAMSHIP LINE.­ movable jaw of the vise, E the screw, and The American-Scandinavian-Russian Emigrant Com­ and F a brace, to keep D in a vertical posi­ pany has completed three new steamships which tion and insure its parallel movement. are to connect New York with Southampton, Eng­ Where the screw passes through the land; Christiania., Norway; Guthenbe:rg, Sweden, and bench the aperture is elongated to allow Copenhagen, Denmark. They will connect with of the raising of the ratchet out of the other vessels running between Copenhagen and catch so that the jaw can be drawn out or Stettin, Dantzic and Konigsberg in Prussia, and pushed in at pleasure. A tenon on the Riga and St. Petersburg in Russia. upper side of the nut, B, works in a FLORA'S PARALLEL VISE. channel in the box, G, to guide the nut. TUNING PIANOS.-A correspondent suggests that Its operation can be readily seen. The improvement The skins, or animal intestines, were brought an improvement might be made for tuning pianos can be attached to any ordinary bench screw at a from Europe in a dried and saIted state. Tbey were up to a given standard pitch, by means of some de­ small cost. macerated in water until they became perfectly vice which shall indicate automatically when the Patented Aug. 14, 1866, by O. V. Flora. All com­ pliable and very elastic. The operatives were required tension has been given to each string. munications should be addressed to Flora, Moore, girls, each one of whom sat at a table, having at her Here is a chance for the ingenious. and Rogers, Box 55, Madison, Ind. side a tub of the intestines, looking like linen or cotton strings. Before her was a board bearing a OVER five hundred cubic feet of air pass througb LONDON contains 19,000 miles of gas pipes. number of upright pegs, in form like an elongated the huma.n lungs in two hoW'S.

© 1866 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC.