IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUS IGNITION OFFIC
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bickford-Smith and George John Smith, both
of Tuckingmill in the County of Cornwall, Safety Fuse Manufacturers, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUS IGNITION OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bickford-Smith
and George John Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
16th August 1882.
WILLIAM BICKFORD-SMITH and GEORGE JOHN SMITH, both of Tuckingmill in
the County of Cornwall, Safety Fuse Manufacturers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SIMULTANEOUS IGNITION OF SEVERAL FUSES
35
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to us on the 6th February 1879
N° 478 we described an apparatus or instrument whereby simultaneous ignition is
communicated from one fuse to a number of other fuses accommodated within a
case and abutting against a combustible wad against which the igniting fuse also
abuts. Our present invention relates to an improved construction of apparatus or
instruments of this kind whereby simplicity of manufacture and economy in the
expenditure of fuses are secured. For this purpose we make the apparatus in the
form of a T shaped, + shaped or star shaped tube, that is to say a tube having a
number of branches corresponding with the number of fuses to be dealt with.
In the middle, at the junction of the branches of the tube, we place the combustible
wad, and into each branch we insert a fuse so that its end abuts against the wad.
Thus the ignition conveyed by one of these fuses is communicated by the
combustion of the wad simultaneously to the others.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Bickford-Smith and George John Smith in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 14th February 1883.
WILLIAM BICKFORD-SMITH and GEORGE JOHN SMITH, both of Tuckingmill in
the County of Cornwall, Safety Fuse Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SIMULTANEOUS IGNITION OF SEVERAL FUSES
"
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to us on the 6th February 1879
No. 478 we described an apparatus or instrument whereby simultaneous ignition
is communicated from one fuse to a number of other fuses accommodated within a
case and abutting against a combustible wad against which the igniting fuse also
abuts.
Our present invention relates to an improved construction of apparatus or instru-
ments of this kind, whereby simplicity of manufacture and economy in the
expenditure of fuses are secured.
For this purpose we make the apparatus in the form of a T shaped, + shaped
or star shaped tube, that is to say, a tube having a number of branches, corre-
sponding with the number of fuses to be dealt with. In the middle, at the junction
of the branches of the tube, we place a combustible wad or piece of combustible
material, and into each branch we insert a fuse so that its end abuts against the
wad. Thus, the ignition conveyed by one of these fuses is communicated, by the
combustion of the wad, simultaneously to the others.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a fuse igniter of T form, into the
limbs of which are inserted the three fuses A, B, C, with their ends abutting against
the combustible wad W, so that the fire conveyed by one of the fuses ignites the
other two. One or both of the ignited fuses may lead to other similar junctions, as
shewn in Fig. 1, where C leads to a second T junction so as to ignite two other
fuses D and E. Obviously, by repetition of such junctions any required number
of fuses might be ignited from one leading fuse. In Fig. 2 the junction is shewn of
the form of a cross, one leading fuse such as A, igniting three others B, C and F,
and any one or all of these leading if desired to other similar junctions, as shewn
with respect to C, igniting in its turn three fuses D, E and G. Fig. 3 shews a
star shaped junction six limbs, and obviously, the number of limbs might be
varied as required.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed we hereby declare that we make no general claim to
the interposition of an igniting wad between the end of one fuse and the ends of
several other fuses so as to communicate ignition from the one fuse to the others,
but we claim :-
The construction of apparatus for simultaneous ignition of several fuses in the
form of a tubular T, cross or star with an igniting wad in its middle, and the
several fuses inserted in its tubular limbs so as to abut against the wad, substantially
as herein described.
In Witness whereof I the said William Bickford-Smith have hereunto set
my hand and seal this eighth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
WILLIAM BICKFORD-SMITH (L.S.)