Improvements in Explosives.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec. 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1895-4ccep'ed, 28th Sept., 1895
Improvements in Explosives.
I, ANDREW FULLER HARGREAVES, Chemist to Messrs. Hay, Merricks and
Company, Limited, Gunpowder Manufacturers, Rosiin, Midlothian do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of ammunition for sporting, or ordnance
guns, rifles, etc., and consists in taking cotton cloth, or a woven or netted web, which
is scoured and bleached by any of the known methods; the object of the scouring
and bleaching being to extract all impurities which exist in the cotton in its natural
It has
state and which are introduced during the spinning and weaving processes.
also for its object the conversion of a portion of the cellulose into a modification
thereof, viz. oxycellulose.
For the purposes in view unscoured or unbleached cloth may be used, but the
thorough purification and partial chemical conversion of the cellulose into
oxycellulose produces a more stable material.
The bleached or unbleached web is nitrated by any of the known methods by
means of nitric and sulphuric acids, and is then thoroughly washed until it stands
the "heat test."
The invention consists in making this nitrated web suitable for ammunition by
the introduction into the fabric of any or all of the following modifying, taming, or
retarding agents in solution, viz.
Barium nitrate dissolved in water."
Sodium nitrate
Potassium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate "
Starch.
"
$9
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"
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Nitro-glycerine (alone).
Nitro-glycerine dissolved in any suitable solvent.
Paraffin or vaseline dissolved in any suitable solvent.
The web after having been passed through any or all of the above fluids, the
solvent or solvents are dried out, leaving the finished product or manufactured
ammunition in the form of a nitrated cloth or web, containing partly within
its cellular structure and partly within its netted interstices the above mentioned
substances.
This nitrated web in combination with any or all of the aforesaid materials, I
claim as my invention.
The material thus made is cut or rolled up in any suitable form.
Dated this Twelfth day of December 1894.

page_text: .
Improvements in Explosives.
I, ANDREW FULLER HARGREAVES, Chemist 'and Manager to Messrs. Hay,
Merricks & Coy. Limited, Gunpowder Manufacturers, Roslin, Midlothian,
Scotland, 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 :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of explosives for sporting, or ordnance
guns, rifles and the like and consists in taking cotton cloth, or a woven or netted web,
which is scoured and bleached by any of the known methods, so as "to extract all.
impurities which exist'in the cotton in its natural state and which are introduced
during the spinning and weaving processes.
The scouring and bleaching process has also for its lobject the conversion of a
portion of the cellulose into a modification thereof, vis: oxycellulose.
'
For the purposes in view uuscoured or unbleached cloth may be used; but the
thorough purification and partial chemical conversion of the cellulose into
'oxy cellulose produces a more stable material.
2 1
The bleached or unbleached web is nitrated by any of the known methods by
means of nitric and sulphuric acids, and is then thoroughly washed until it stands
the "heat'test."
1. .
The invention consists in making this nitrated web suitable for firearms, by the
introduction into the fabric of any or all of the following modifying, taming, or
retarding agents in solution, viz.
Barium nitrate dissolved in water.
Sodium nitrate
Potassium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate
Starch
*99
"
"
"
41.99
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Nitro-glycerine (alone).
Nitro-glycerine dissolved in any suitable solvent.
Paraffin or vaseline dissolved in benzine, ether or any
other suitable solvent.
1.
The web after having been passed through any or all of "the above fluids, the
solvent or solvents are dried out, leaving the finished product or manufactured
explosive in the form of a nitrated, cloth" or web containing partly within its
cellular structuré and' partly within its netted' interstices the above mentioned
substances.
"
In the preparation of explosive according to my invention, for use in ordnance
or in a military or sporting rifle or other weapon firing say, a single projectile,
I take the dried nitrated cloth and pass the same through a solution in water
of (for example) barium nitrate, which may or may not contain a little starch
solution. The strength of the barium nitrate solution is, such that, after passing the
fabric therethrough and drying it, 10%, or thereabouts of the salt remains in the
fabric that is to say it constitutes an addition. of 10% to the weight the fabric
possessed just prior to impregnation. The fabric thus impregnated is then passed
through a solution of paraffin or vaseline of such a strength as will make a further
addition of about 5% to its original weight.
When my explosive is to be used in a sporting gun or fowling-piece, I prefer to
pass it several times through (say) the barium-nitrate solution, to which I add as
well as the starch solution a little potassium nitrate, so that by these successive
dippings it receives of the salts an addition to its weight of for instance 30% or
thereabouts. As in the case of the military explosive, I pass the fabric of the

page_text: sporting explosive, after impregnation as described, through the paraffin or vaseline -
bath, but it is not necessary that it should have taken up when finally dried more
thau say 2% additional weight from this last.
In both cases the resulting impregnated fabric can be cut up into pieces or strips
of any desired size so long as it is allowed to retain the characteristics of a textile.
fabric, composed of distinct threads.
Although I have described by way of example, military and sporting explosives
prepared with barium nitrate, starch, potassium nitrate and paraffin or vaseline, I
wish it clearly understood that I may use any one, two or more of the ingredients.
hereinbefore mentioned.
I am aware that explosives have been made which have included gun-cotton in a
finely divided or pulped or dissolved state, in combination with the above-named
ingredients, and to such I make no claim, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
A nitrated web of woven or netted textile fabric in combination with one or more
of the aforesaid agents.
L
1005