The Somerset reporter., 1891-04-02
HEXAGONAL POWDER.
WHY AND HOW CANNON POWDER
is RNMMEo BEFORE IT IS USED.

worh-A Complicated Process
A large number of persons VINO yls-
tied the scene If the disastrous powder
exrlosion If le Du Pont Powder mills
carried away with them, as 1nelnento5
of the explosion, little siX-sided pieces OF
a black material which they generally
supposed to IRON or some soft metal.
These memeutos were fix sided, about |
Il inches long, one inch in diameter. and
were pierced by a small round hole.
They appeared to be- blank SIX sided nuts,
ready TO be tapped or threaded to make
them available on the bolts OF the mil
machinery. They appeared to be limo
cent little things, easy topllfer and con-
vonient to carry, and served nicely rs
mementoa of the great explosion.
In reality these innocent looking me
meutos are lumps of concentrated ex-
plosiye energy. They are prisms or
Jumps of prismatie powder. The name
is doubtless owing to the peculiar shape
given to each piece or block, which IL
that of a short hexagonal prism. This
form is the result of intense pressure to
which the powder is exposed in its pas
sage through powerful hydraulic press.
1t was chosen for the same reason that
the honey bee chooses to make the cells
in its comb heXagon-tconony OF space.
In building cartridges for big guns out
of this powder the pieces fit snugly to-
gether
The compression has put every posi-
BILE ounce of force into the prism, the
small size of the prisms enable the gun
ners accurately to measure the force of
each charge, and the hexagons pack to-
gether without loss of space in the load
chamber of the gun. In the manufacture
of this powder science has learned to
ram the charge of powder before putting
it into the gun barrel.
TIE MACHINE.
The concentration Of power by means
of the hydraulic press is 20 great that
solid prisms Of this powder loaded into
gun would probably burst it, and if not
would be wasted by ejectment from the
gun before it was all burned. The round
hole i'll the prisms of powder, which
makes them complete duplicate of Il
blank six sided iron nut, is TO secure ex-
pansion equally in all directions, and toin-
sure the combustion of all the explosive
The machines by which these prisms
of concentrated power are manufactured
are models Of compact, strong and accu-
rate working machinery. One Of them
stands about eighteen feet high, and will
weigh about 80, 600 pounds. 1t occupies
a floor space feet 4 inches by 3 feet
inches, is capable of exerting u pressure
of 10000 pounds ON surface Of about
tifty-four square inches in area, and will
make ffty-four prisms of powder at
every stroke Of its pistons.
The most apparent feature of this press
is its weight and strength, and its surpris-
ing characteristic is ease Of movement
and control 1t is composed Of two water
cylinders and two rams, connected by
four polished iron rods about four and a
half inches in diameter, standing on a
rectangular foundation. The cylinders
and rams arr at opposite ends Of these
rods. The rams work toward each other
centrally with the rods.
Between the rams arc four cast iron
plates six inches thick, 8 feet inches by
! feet 6 in area, three of which move
with the ram and one is stationary. This
stationary plate is perforated with fifty
/ four round ules, about two inches in
/ diameter, that have been partially filed
with brass hushings. ThrougA these
bushings arc the six sided holes in which
| the powder is compressed.
TTIE PROCESS
Working directly over this plate is a
upper cylinder, and guided by the four
polished iron rods which fit into a half
round recess at each of its corners. 1t is
armed with six sided brass plungers,
which in its descent pass into the six
sided holes in the stationary plate. Be
| low the stationary plate is another
| plunger plate similar to the upper one,
and hclo~ this is the needle plate The
1 needle plate is armed on its upper sur
face with fifty-four long steel needles,
which extend up through the lower
! plunger plate and into the hexagon holes
in the stationary plata. These needles
make the round holes in the prisms of
powder.
The power OF these presses is generated
in the cylinders simply by pumping
water into them and behind the rams.
The cylinders are 1, 12 and 10 inches in
diameter. The upper one has two com
partments-the ram filing the lower one
and above it is cylinder with a lifting
piston by which the ram is raised after
its downward stroke in COMPRISING the
/ powder. The lower ram is raised by
| pumping water under it, and is lowered
| by letting the water ont, which will be
accomplished automatically.
In operation the parts Of this press are
SO adjusted that the plunsers of the up
per and lower plungcr plates and the
needles approach each other through the
movement of the rams. The holes in
the stationary plate are stopped on the
lower side by the ends Of the plungers.
and the needles entering through the
plungers extend up through the station
airy plate. The heXagon holes are then
| filled with wet powder and the rams
brought together, exer,ins pressure of
1900 pounds on the powder in each of
the holes, compreSsirS into "a solid hey
agonal prism / inches long, one inch in
diameter with n hole Of about inch in
diameter through it longitudinally.-
| Wilmington News.
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