IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GUN COTTON AND CHARGES OR CARTRIDGES MADE THEREPROM, AS ALSO IN THE PROCESSES EMPLOYED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eustace Carey Prentice, of Stowmarket, in the
County of Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF GUN COTTON AND CHARGES OR CARTRIDGES MADE THEREPROM, AS ALSO IN
THE PROCESSES EMPLOYED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE."
Sealed the 28th April 1868, and dated the 6th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eustace Carey Prentice
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th November 1867.
I, EUSTACE CAREY PRENTICE, of Stowmarket, in the County of Suffolk,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF GUN COTTON AND CHARGES OR CARTRIDGES MADE THEREFROM, AS ALSO
IN THE PROCESSES EMPLOYED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
One part of my present Invention has for its object the treatment of gun
cotton or of charges or cartridges made therefrom so as both to render the gun
cotton more or less waterproof and to retard the explosive properties thereof.
In a Provisional Specification filed by myself and Thomas Richardson on the
16th April 1867, No. 1129, for "Improvements in Treating Gun Cotton,"
was described a process for rendering gun cotton waterproof by treating the
same with a solution of paraffin in paraffin oil, but I have since found that
there are serious objections to this mode of waterproofing the gun cotton.

page_text: Now my present improvement consists in rendering more or less waterproof
at the same time retarding the explosive properties of gun cotton, or of charges
or cartridges made therefrom, whether consisting of insoluble gun cotton alone,
or of a mixture of insoluble with soluble gun cotton or of a mixture of gun cotton
with any other retarding material, such as cotton in a non-explosive state by im-
pregnating the gun cotton with a solution of either india-rubber, gutta percha, or
balata, diluted either with their own solvents or with other light spirits, such as
benzole or paraffin spirit, which solution on drying leaves an uniform deposit
upon and between the particles of gun cotton. The drying of the gun cotton
after saturation may be effected either by the evaporation of the volatile
solvents or spirits in an open space under the influence of a moderate
temperature, or it may be effected as follows:-
Another part of my Invention consists in recovering more or less of the
volatile spirits or oils contained either in the before-described solutions with
which the gun cotton is impregnated, or in the solution of paraffin with which it
may be impregnated according to the before-mentioned Provisional Specifica-
tion No. 1129, dated 16th April 1867, by drying the gun cotton so impregnated
in a closed chamber or vessel heated to the requisite temperature, in
communication with which is a receiver into which the vapour of the spirit
or volatile oil passing away from the gun cotton is collected and condensed,
so as to be capable of being again employed...
Another part of my Invention consists in so forming charges or cartridges
made of compressed gun cotton pulp, either with or without the admixtures
before described, that such consolidated pulp shall be of increasing density
in the direction of the length of the charge, and by preference I so construct
the cartridge that that end of the charge which is of least density is first
ignited.
Another part of my Invention consists in increasing the surface of that end
of the charge of gun cotton which is first ignited by forming a recess of
greater, or less depth in that end, whereby not only is the ignition of the
charge-facilitated, but also, by being enabled in regulating the dimensions of
such recess to adapt one and the same form of cartridge for employment with
either pin-fire or central-fire, the inconvenience which existed heretofore of
having to alter the construction of the charge according as it was to be
employed with the one or the other mode of firing is obviated..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
་
by the said Eustace Carey Prentice in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th May 1868.
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EUSTACE
CAREY PRENTICE, of Stowmarket, in the County of Suffolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Eustace Carey Prentice, Her special licence that I, the said Eustace
Carey Prentice, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Eustace Carey Prentice, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GUN COTTON AND CHARGES OR CARTRIDGES
MADE THEREPROM, AS ALSO IN THE PROCESSES EMPLOYED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Eustace Carey Prentice,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be perfornied, and cause the same. to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Eustace Carey Prentice, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what. manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
One part of my present Invention has for its object the treatment of gun
cotton or of charges or cartridges made therefrom so as both to render the
gun cotton more or less waterproof, and to retard the explosive properties
thereof.
In a Provisional Specification filed by myself and Thomas Richardson on
the 16th April 1867, No. 1129, for "Improvements in Treating Gun Cotton,"
was described a process for rendering gun cotton waterproof by treating
the same with a solution of paraffin in paraffin oil, but I have since found
that there are serious objections to this mode of waterproofing the gun cotton.

page_text: Now my present improvement consists in rendering more or less water-
proof and at the same time retarding the explosive properties of gun cotton,
or of charges or cartridges made therefrom, whether consisting of insoluble
gun cotton alone or of a mixture of insoluble with soluble gun cotton, or of a
mixture of gun cotton with any other retarding material, such as cotton in a
non-explosive state as described in the Specification to certain Letters Patent
granted to me, and bearing date the 3rd day of April 1866, No. 953, by
impregnating the gun cotton with a solution of either india-rubber, gutta
percha, or balata, diluted either with their own solvents, or with other
light spirits such as benzole or paraffin spirit, which solution on drying
leaves au uniform deposit upon and between the particles of gun cotton.
The drying of the gun cotton after saturation may be effected either by
the evaporation of the volatile solvents or spirits in an open space under
the influence of a moderate temperature, or it may be effected as follows:-
Another part of my Invention consists in recovering more or less of the
volatile spirits or oils, whether contained in the before-described solutions
with which the gun cotton is impregnated or in the solution of paraffin with
which it may be impregnated according to the before-mentioned Provisional
Specification, No. 1129, dated 16th April 1867, by drying the gun cotton so
impregnated in a closed chamber or vessel heated to the requisite temperature,
in communication with which is a receiver into which the vapour of the spirit
or volatile oil passing away from the gun cotton is collected and condensed,
so as to be capable of being again employed.
Another part of my Invention consists in so forming certain descriptions of
charges or cartridges made of compressed gun cotton, or gun cotton pulp
prepared according to the processes described in the Specification to certain
Letters Patent granted to F. A. Abel, dated 20th April 1865, No. 1102,
either with or without the admixtures before described, that such consolidated
gun cotton shall be of increasing density in the direction of the length of the
charge, and by preference I so construct the cartridge that that end of the
charge which is of least density is first ignited. Such varying density of the
charge may be produced by placing the requisite gun cotton or gun cotton
pulp in a cylindrical or other shaped mould, into one end of which a die or
plunger is then forced so as to compress the cotton, which compression will
on removing the cotton from the mould be found to be greater at the end
upon which the plunger acted than at the other end. This enables me to
insure that the end of the charge near the point of ignition in the cartridge
case shall be of less density than the other end of the charge.
.
Another part of my Invention consists in increasing in certain descriptions

page_text: of of cartridges the surface of that end of the charge of gun cotton which is first
ignited, by forming a recess of greater or less depth in that end, whereby not
only is the ignition of the charge facilitated, but also, by being enabled in
regulating the dimensions of such recess, to adapt one and the same form of
cartridge for employment with either pin-fire or central-fire, the inconvenience
which existed heretofore of having to alter the construction of the charge
according as it was to be employed with the one or the other mode of firing is
obviated.
My before-described improvements may either be employed separate and
apart from each other, or they may be used either partly or wholly in
combination, according to the purposes to which the gun cotton so prepared
is intended to be applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eustace Carey Prentice, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
EUSTE C. PRENTICE. (L.S.)