An Improved Gunpowder
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
An Improved Gunpowder
I EDWARD DICKSON of the Village of Oak Lake in the County of Dennis,
Province of Manitoba Canada Farme do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement
My invention relates to improvements in gunpowders and it has for its general
object to provide a powder which while possessing great power, makes very little
noise and smoke and causes but little recoil.
To the attainment of the foregoing ond, the invention consists of the following
ingredients combined in the proportions, stated, vz.:
3
3
Barium itiate, 40 per cent wheat flour, six and one-thud per cent.; ferio
cyanide of potassium, six and one-third per cent., picic acid, thuty two per cent
chlorate of potash, six and one-third per cent.; liquid ammonia, eight per cent
lamp black, one per cent.
These ingredients are thoroughly mixed in any suitable manner and are then
granulated after which they are subjected to a bath of refined petroleum, which
has been previously treated with nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and ammonia, in
succession.
In making the coating for the grains of powder, about one quarter of a pound
of nitric acid is added to one gallon of refined petroleum and the mixture is
permitted to stand about thuty minutes. One quarter of a pound of sulphuric acid
is then mixed with the refined petroleum and nitric acid and the entire mixture is
permitted to stand about two hours. The mixture of the acids with the refined
potioleum removes from the refined petroleum a substance resembling rosin, which
is formed by the oxidation of the naphtha contained in the petioleum, and after
the mixture stands for the length of time stated, the acids not absorbed and the
refuse of the refined petroleum sinks to the bottom of the vessel in which the
mixture is contained. The petioleum with the absorbed acids is theu poured out
into another vessel and about one half pound of liquid ammoria is added to the
petroleum and the petroleum and ammonia mixture is permitted to stand for about
twenty four hours. The ammonia removes any impurities remaining in the
petroleum and destroys any corrrosive qualities that the acids might leave in the
petroleum and after standing for the time stated the petioleum is bottled and is
then 1eady for use.
When the powder is to be immersed in the petroleum prepared as above described,
all dust is removed from the powder and the same is then placed in a rotary drum.
This dum is then rotated and while it is in motion the prepared petroleum 19
poured upon it until every grain of powder is entirely covered.
A. powder such as above described, possesses great power and yet makes very
little noise and smoke and causes but a minimum amount of recoil, all of which are
important advantages as is obvious.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim e:-
1. The gunpowder described, consisting of barium nitrate, wheat flour, picnic
acid, chlorate of potash, liquid ammonia, and lamp black, combined in about the

page_text: proportions stated, granulated and subjected to a bath of refined petioleum which
has been previously treated with nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and ammonia,
substantially as specified.
Dated this Nineteenth day of October 1895.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.