IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard William Smith Griffith, of Eyeworth Lodge, near
Lyndhurst, in the County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard William Smith
Griffith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August
1877.
"
'.
RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH of Eyeworth Lodge, near Lyndhurst in
the County of Hants: IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER."
Heretofore granulated wood powder has been made in grains produced by cutting
up wood into small particles separating more or less all but the lignin therefrom,
converting the lignin into nitro-lignin and saturating or impregnating them with a
nitrate solution. When this so-called Schultze or wood or sawdust powder is
made large quantities of dust arise, there are also difficulties in the manufacture,
such as making the finished powder of a uniform specific gravity and free from a
tendency to damp, there is also experienced a difficulty in loading cartridges
with it.
The objects sought to be attained by this Invention are a greater uniformity in
the manufacture of wood powder, a higher and uniform density of the same,
greater facility for loading and less liability to absorb moisture.
According to this Invention I produce a new or improved wood powder by
mechanical intimate mixture by grinding or otherwise of nitro-cellulin and
suitable chemicals for rendering same explosive by subjecting the resulting mixture
to pressure and from the pressed mass to produce a granulated powder in any
suitable or well-known manner. i
For the purpose of this Invention I may take the dust resulting from the Schultze
powder manufacture or Schultze or wood or sawdust powder finished or unfinished.
consisting of nitro-lignin prepared from any form of wood fibre in the usual way,

page_text: with or without admixture of chemicals, and intimately mix the nitro-lignin with
nitrates or other chemicals for rendering this explosive this may be done dry or
with water or starch or gum or collodion or other suitable binding substance.
I subject the mixture to pressure sufficient to bring the mass to a uniform specific
gravity; the cake so produced is broken into grains or granulated with water in
the usual way, the grains are then dried glazed dusted and separated into
different sizes.
The grains may be coated with collodion, paraffin india-rubber, resin or any
waterproofing material.
By nitro-lignin I understand wood fibre derived from sawdust or wood treated
with acids as opposed to nitro-cellulin which term is more generally applied to
cotton fibre similarly treated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard William Smith Griffith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th February 1878.
RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH of Eyeworth Lodge near Lyndhurst in
the County of Hants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER."
Heretofore granulated wood powder has been made in grains produced by cutting
up wood into small particles separating more or less all but the lignin therefrom
by boiling or washing with an alkali converting the lignin into nitro-lignin by
treatment with sulphuric and nitric acids and saturating or impregnating them
with a nitrate solution. When this so-called Schultze or wood or sawdust powder
is made large quantities of dust arise, there are also difficulties in the manufacture,
such as making the finished powder of a uniform specific gravity and free from a
tendency to damp, there is also experienced a difficulty in loading cartridges
with it.
The objects sought to be attained by this Invention are a greater uniformity in
the manufacture of wood powder a higher and uniform density of the same,
greater facility for loading and less liability to absorb moisture.
According to this Invention I produce a new or improved wood powder by
mechanical intimate mixture (which may be done by grinding or otherwise) of
nitro-cellulin or nitro-lignin and suitable chemicals for rendering same explosive by
subjecting the resulting mixture to pressure and from the pressed mass to produce
a granulated powder in any suitable or well-known manner such as breaking the
cake into grains by passing through crushing rollers or reducing the pressed mass
to powder to form grains by moistening and revolving in a barrel.
For the purpose of this Invention I may take the dust resulting from the Schultze
powder manufacture or Schultze or wood or sawdust powder finished or unfinished
consisting of nitro-lignin prepared from any form of wood fibre in the usual way
with or without admixture of chemicals and intimately mix the nitro-lignin with
nitrates or other chemicals for rendering this explosive this may be done dry
or with water or starch or gum or collodion or other suitable binding substance.
I subject the mixture to pressure sufficient to bring the mass to a uniform specific
gravity; the cake so produced is broken into grains by passing through crushing

page_text: rollers or granulated by moistening the crushed cake with water and placing for
some time in a revolving barrel the grains are then dried glazed dusted and
separated into different sizes.
The grains may be coated with collodion, paraffin, india-rubber, resin or any
waterproofing material.
By nitro-lignin I understand wood fibre derived from sawdust or wood treated
with sulphuric and nitric acids as opposed to nitro-cellulin which term is more
generally applied to cotton fibre similarly treated.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention I declare
that I am aware that nitro-cellulin has heretofore been impregnated with chemical
solution in the manufacture of granulated gunpowder, but I claim,
Firstly. The mechanical mixture of nitro-cellulin or nitro-lignin and chemicals
previous to compression and granulation as set forth.
Secondly. The application of pressure to mechanical mixtures of nitro-cellulin or
nitro-lignin and chemicals for the formation of a cake which is subsequently
formed into a gunpowder as set forth.
And Thirdly. The manufacture of Schultze sawdust or wood gunpowder in a
pressed granulated form as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Richard William Smith Griffith have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Twenty-fifth day of February in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH. (L.S.)

page_text: his Specification was, upon the 5th day of November 1886, amended under,
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
LETTERS PATENT to Richard William Smith Griffith, of Eyeworth Lodge, near
Lyndhurst, in the County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard William Smith
Griffith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August
1877.
RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH of Eyeworth Lodge, near Lyndhurst in
the County of Hants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER."
Heretofore granulated wood powder has been made in grains produced by cutting
up wood into small particles separating more or less all but the lignin therefrom,
converting the lignin into nitro-lignin and saturating or impregnating them with
a nitrate solution. When this so-called Schultze or wood or sawdust powder is
made large quantities of dust arise, there are also difficulties in the manufacture,
such as making the finished powder of a uniform specific gravity and free from
a tendency to damp, there is also experienced a difficulty in loading cartridges
with it.
The objects sought to be attained by this Invention are a greater uniformity
in the manufacture of wood powder, a higher and uniform density of the same,
greater facility for loading and less liability to absorb moisture.
According to this Invention I produce a new or improved wood powder by
mechanical intimate mixture by grinding or otherwise of nitro-cellulin and
suitable chemicals for rendering same explosive by subjecting the resulting
mixture to pressure and from the pressed mass to produce a granulated powder
in any suitable or well-known manner.
For the purpose of this Invention I may take the dust resulting from the Schultze
powder manufacture or Schultze or wood or sawdust powder finished or unfinished.
consisting of nitro-lignin prepared from any form of wood fibre in the usual way,

page_text: with or without admixture of chemicals, and intimately mix the nitro-lignin with
nitrates or other chemicals for rendering this explosive this may be done dry or
with water or starch or gum or collodion or other suitable binding substance.
I subject the mixture to pressure sufficient to bring the mass to a uniform specific
gravity; the cake so produced is broken into grains or granulated with water
in the usual way, the grains are then dried glazed dusted and separated into
different sizes.
The grains may be coated with collodion, paraffin india-rubber, resin or any
waterproofing material.
By nitro-lignin I understand wood fibre derived from sawdust or wood treated
with acids as opposed to nitro-cellulin which term is more generally applied to
cotton fibre similarly treated.
0

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard William Smith Griffith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th February 1878.
"
RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH of Eyeworth Lodge near Lyndhurst in
the County of Hants. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER."
Heretofore granulated wood powder has been made in grains produced by cutting
up wood into small particles separating more or less all but the lignin therefrom
by boiling or washing with an alkali converting the lignin into nitro-lignin by
treatment with sulphuric and nitric acids and saturating or impregnating them
with a nitrate solution. When this so-called Schultze or wood or sawdust powder
is made large quantities of dust arise, there are also difficulties in the manufac-
ture, such as making the finished powder of a uniform specific gravity and free
from a tendency to damp, there is also experienced a difficulty in loading cartridges
with it.
The objects sought to be attained by this Invention are a greater uniformity
in the manufacture of wood powder a higher and uniform density of the same,
greater facility for loading and less liability to absorb moisture.
According to this Invention I produce a new or improved wood powder by
mechanical intimate mixture (which may be done by grinding or otherwise) of
nitro-eellulin-or nitro-lignin and suitable chemicals for rendering same of suitable
explosive force by subjecting the resulting mixture to pressure and from the pressed
mass to produce a granulated powder in any suitable or well-known manner such
as breaking the cake into grains by passing through crushing rollers or reducing the
pressed mass to powder to form grains by moistening and revolving in a barrel.
For the purpose of this Invention I may take the dust resulting from the Schultze
powder manufacture or Schultze or wood or sawdust powder finished or unfinished
consisting of nitro-lignin prepared from any form of wood fibre in the usual way
with or without admixture of chemicals or nitro-lignin unfinished and without
the admixture of chemicals and intimately mix the nitro-lignin with by mechanical
mixture by grinding or otherwise with nitrates or other chemicals for rendering
this explosive of suitable explosive force this may be done dry or with water or
starch or gum or collodion or other suitable binding substance. I subject the
mixture to pressure sufficient to bring the mass to a uniform specific gravity; the
cake so produced is broken into grains by passing through crushing rollers or
granulated by moistening the crushed cake with water and placing for some time
in a revolving barrel the grains are then dried glazed dusted and separated into
different sizes.
The grains may be coated with collodion, paraffin, india-rubber, resin or any
waterproofing material.
By nitro-lignin I understand wood fibre derived from sawdust or wood treated
with sulphuric and nitric acids as opposed to nitro-cellulin which term is more
generally applied to cotton fibre similarly treated.

page_text: And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention I declare
that I am aware that nitro-cellulin has heretofore been impregnated with chemical
solution in the manufacture of granulated gunpowder, but I claim,
Firstly. The mechanical mixture of nitro-cellulin or nitro lignin and chemicals
previous to compression and granulation as set forth.
Secondly. The application of pressure to mechanical mixtures of nitro-cellulin
or nitro-lignin and chemicals for the formation of a cake which is subsequently
formed into a gunpowder as set forth.
And Thirdly. The manufacture of Schultze sawdust or wood gunpowder in a
pressed granulated form as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Richard William Smith Griffith have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Twenty-fifth day of February in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH. (L.S.)