222 



Popular Science Monthly 



Loading Bullets Without a Mistake 

 in the Weight of Powder and Shot 



A RIFLE-SHELL must contain just 

 so much powder, or else the range 

 and accuracy of the 

 weapon will be seri- 

 ously affected. The 

 shell casings, the bul- 

 lets and the little 

 primer caps that set 

 off the shells are made 

 up in large quanti- 

 ties and are as simi- 

 lar as human skill 

 can make them. 



The primer cap is 

 inserted in the base 

 of the shell before 

 loading. Hence it is 

 ■only necessary to 

 load the shell casing 

 with the necessary 

 weight of powder, in- 

 sert the bullet and 

 clinch it firmly into 

 position to secure 

 uniformity in com- 

 pleted shells. With- 

 out mechanical aid 

 this would mean ex- 

 tremely careful 

 weighing of the powder, transferring the 

 powder to the shell, tamping it firmly in 

 place, inserting the bullet and, finally, 

 clinching the end of the shell-casing about 

 the bullet, this last operation requiring 

 mechanical assistance. Altogether it 

 would be a tedious task, this 

 loading of shells by hand, and 

 one in which there would be 

 great likelihood of error. 



To avoid such a great waste of 

 time, the machine, here shown 

 mounted on the well - lighted 

 workbench, has been evolved. 

 It is composed of adjacent 

 cylindrical chambers mounted 

 above a common funnel, in one 

 of which is placed the powder 

 supply and in the other the bul- 

 lets, Oscar (the loader) has but 

 to manipulate the lever in his 

 right hand, first to feed just the 

 right amount of powder into 

 the shell placed under the load- 



top of the bench, and then to feed in the 

 bullet. By means of a foot treadle, the 

 bullet is pressed firmly down on the 

 powder; the casing about the bullet is 

 clinched; and the clamping device is 

 lowered and released 

 so that the loaded 

 shell may be remov- 

 ed by Oscar's left 

 hand. 



The whole opera- 

 tion of loading with 

 this semi-automatic 

 loading machine oc- 

 cupies but a few 

 seconds and the work 

 is done correctly, 

 w ithout possibility of 

 error. 



A Very Busy Sun 

 Dial 



"Let others tell of storm 

 and showers 

 I "11 onlj count your 

 sunny hours." 



T 



With this semi-automatic machine, 

 the whole operation of loading a 

 bullet occupies but a few seconds 



HE mammoth 

 sun dial which 

 has been erected in 

 San Francisco, by a 

 realty company, must 

 have a busy life because in the bright 

 California climate, sunshine and daylight 

 are almost synonymous terms. 



In spite of all the modern timepieces 

 available, the symbolic sun dial is enjoy- 

 ing an unexpected renaissance. 



ing connection just below the 



This huge sun dial is thirty-four feet in diameter 



