Improvements in the Preparation and Application of Explosive Compounds.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1890-Accepted, 21st June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED NOBEL, of 53, Avenue Malakoff, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer.]
Improvements in the Preparation and Application of Explosive
Compounds.
1 ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Smokeless powders of the celluloidal kind, such as those described in my patent,
and also in my applications for patents, dated 31st January 1888, No. 1471;
14th March 1889, No. 4479; and 5th June 1889, No. 9361, and such as consist
chiefly of nitro-cellulose converted by means of solvents into collodion, have been
used in the shape of so-called grains and strips as substitutes for gunpowder for
propelling projectiles; but it has been found that said materials can be used with
advantage in the form of sheets or plates, simply rolled up, so as to form a cartridge
in one piece, and of any suitable size, for small arms or guns of any description:
Said sheets are conveniently provided by rolling or pressing, when heated to, say,
70 or 80 degrees Centigrade, with slight corrugations or small ribs, so that the laps
of the material, when forined into a roll, will not stick too closely together. Said
sheets or plates may also be piorcod with holes, as practised in the making of
prismatic gunpowder, with a view to increase the surface on which combustion takes
place. Instead of the aforesaid rolled-up sheets or plates, the charge may also be
nade to consist of pressed tubes or caps of the aforesaid celluloidal explosive
substances, which, when those substances are heated as aforesaid, are easily made by
compression in the same manner as ordinary celluloid is moulded.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1889.
"
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Preparation and Application of Explosive
Compounds.
| ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, 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:-
Smokeless explosives of the celluloidal kind (such as those invented by my
correspondent, and described in applications for patents made by me dated
respectively 31 January 1888 No. 1471; 14th March 1889 No. 4479; and
5th June 1889 No. 9361), and those explosives which consist chiefly of nitro-cellulose
converted by means of solvents into collodion, have been used in the shape of so-called
grains, or formed into strips, as substitutes for gunpowder for propelling projectiles.
By degrees, as the combustion of such grains or strips takes place in a gun, their
size becomes reduced, and consequently the surface exposed to explosive combustion
decreases. This is exactly the reverse of what is needed, since, to maintain a uniform
pressure throughout the bore, the evolution of gas should be proportionate to the
velocity of motion of the projectile inside the gun.

page_text: In order to approach such uniformity of pressure, it is now proposed to make use
of rolled up, corrugated, or reticulated sheots or plates, or tubes, or hollow caps of
the aforesaid explosive materials. The material manufactured under the aforesaid
patents being easily moulded into any shape, charges for guns may be readily formed
out of a single shent or plate rolled up like a scroll, but it is preferable that such
sheets or plates should be corrugated in such manner that the ribs extend parallel
to the axis of the scroll. The best. elevation of the ribs is a matter of practical
experience, since it should vary with each varying size and form of gun, but generally
said elevation should be directly proportionate to the length of the charge, since the
ribs are intended to provide space for the exit of the gases produced by combustion
taking place between the coils of the aforesaid sheets or plates. As a rule, the ribs
- are conveniently made of such size that they provide as much air space as the volume
occupied by the mass of the aforesaid sheets.
In making the propelling charge as berein shown, consisting of a sheet or sheets,
or plate or plates, such sheets or plates may either be unpierced or unreticulated, in
which case the explosive combustion is a mere surface combustion, or such sheets or
plates may be provided with holes of say 2 to 3 millimeters in diameter, pierced in
such manner, and at such distances from one another, as to provide for an interior
combustion of the charge. The advantage thus gained is that, as the combustion
proceeds, the incandescent surfaces of such holes will become increased. The
aforesaid plates, if pierced with holes, may be of any thickness suited to the size of
the gun for which they are intended, but it will be understood that the distance from
hole to hole should be proportionate to the amount of explosive combustion, on a given
surface of explosive material, which can be accomplished in a gun of a given calibre.
As the combustion has relation to the length of time in which the projectile, after
firing the charge, remains in the gun, it will be understood that there is great variation
sin. that regard, and indeed, practice has shown that the amount of such combustion will
vary as between one fifth of a millimeter in some kinds of rifles, and 8 millimetres
in very heavy guns..
.
Of course, if the aforesaid plates are pierced with holes, their thickness can be
increased, since the. interior combustion in said holes increases the entire area of
explosive combustion, and there is no reason in such case, why the entire charge, even
for heavy guns, should not consist of one single tube pierced with a suitable
number, of holes of, say, two to three millimeters in diameter, with a distance from
Whether the charge
one another equal to the thickness of the sides of such tube.
consists of a tube or plate, the rule is, that the distance from hole to hole should be
equal to the thickness of the material used.
If coiled corrugated sheets or plates (without holos) are made use of, their thickness
should, as far as possible, be such that they are entirely consumed by combustion
just before the projectile leaves the gun, but only experience can bring about that
result.
'
The firing of the said sheets or plates, or tubes, cap formed or not, does not materially
.differ from that of firing ordinary explosives now in use, but since their combustion
surface is proportionately small, a small primer of ordinary gunpowder, or of gun
cotton or other suitable explosive, will be found useful, in order to make sure that the
charge catches the flame, and that no hang-tire ensues.
I am aware that gunpowder has been used in the shape of big prisms pierced with
holes, but in the case of gunpowder, which is a porous inatorial, such holes do not at
all accomplish the same purposo as in the case of the above mentioned plates or sheots,
the porosity of which is nil. Practice has indeed proved that the explosive com-
bustion of porous materials like gunpowder, is only in a slight measure proportionate
to the surface of explosive combustion which it offers, whilst the surface combustion
of the aforesaid explosive plates is of almost mathematical precision, as has been
frequently observed on such plates incompletely consumed, and found remaining in
guns.

page_text: aving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
Forming out of the explosive compounds herein specified, propelling charges for
fire-arms, consisting of rolled up sheets or plates, or tubes, or hollow caps, corrugated
or pierced with holes, for the purpose of increasing their surface of explosive
combustion.
Dated this 30th downt
A
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.