IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hermann Sprengel, of Gloucester Street, Belgrave
Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS."
Sealed the 22nd March 1872, and dated the 5th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hermann Sprengel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th October 1871.
I, HERMANN SPRENGEL, of Gloucester Street, Belgrave Road, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS," to be as
follows:-
=
This Invention relates to the preparation and use of explosive.com-
pounds, and is partly based on the principle of keeping separate the
oxidizing from the "combustible" agent until such time as the
effect of their chemical combination is required:.
"

page_text: 66
According to my Invention I employ certain "oxidizing" agents or
substances which will, when mixed or incorporated with certain com-
bustible" agents or substances, become explosive by the agency of a
detonating fuse or percussion cap. These agents or substances may be
used together in either of the three following modes, namely:-1st, the 5
oxidizing agent or agents, or substance or substances in a solid but
divided condition, may be employed in conjunction with the combustible
agent or agents, or substance or substances in a fluid condition;
2nd, the oxidizing agent or agents or substance or substances in a
fluid condition may be used in conjunction with the combustible agent 1
or agents or substance or substances in a solid but divided condition;
and 3rd, the oxidizing agent or agents or substance or substances in a
fluid condition may be employed with the combustible agent or agents
or substance or substances also in a fluid condition.
.
In carrying out my Invention according to the first of the modes 1
above indicated I place the solid but divided oxidizing substance or sub-
stances or agent or agents in a vessel or chamber, and to such oxidizing
substance or substances or agent or agents I add the fluid combustible
agent or agents or substance or substances, and after such addition I
cause the same to explode by means of a detonating fuse or percussion 2
сар.
In carrying out my Invention according to the second of the modes
above indicated I place the solid but divided combustible agent or
agents or substance or substances in a vessel or chamber, and to such
combustible agent or substance or agents or substances I add the fluid ?
oxidizing agent or substance or agents or substances, and after such
addition I cause the same to be exploded by means of a detonating fuse
or percussion cap.
In carrying out my Invention according to the third one of the modes
above indicated I form a mixture of the fluid oxidizing agent or sub-
stance or agents or substances. with the fluid combustible agent or
agents or substance or substances also in a suitable vessel or chamber,
and I explode the fluid mixture formed by the two fluid agents or fluid
substances by means of a detonating fuse or percussion cap.
The solid oxidizing agents or substances which I employ are those
compounds of an oxygen acid with a base, such, for example, as the
chlorates, the perchlorates, and the nitrates of the metals of the alkaline

page_text: earths and of the alkalies, either alone or as admixtures of the same, and
by preference such as are not hygroscopic, for example, potassium,
chlorate, perchlorate, and nitrate.
The fluid oxidizing agents or substances which I employ are the
oxygen acids, by preference such, for example, as nitric acid.
The solid combustible agents or substances which I employ are such
nitro compounds and nitrates of organic compounds as are non-explosive,
as, for example, nitro-napthaline and the nitrate of aniline. I also
employ picric acid.
The fluid combustible agents or substances which I employ are
sulpho-carbons, for example, bi-sulphide. of carbon; hydrocarbons such,
for example, as benzole; nitro compounds, for example, such as nitro-
benzole, alcohols, æthers, oils, and other combustible fluids. These I
employ either alone or in mixtures of one or more of the same. I
further employ them or mixtures of the same either in their ordinary
condition or when they contain in solution either sulphur, nitro-
naphthaline, picric acid, fatty acids, naphthaline, or other solid hydro-
carbons of which they may be solvents.
The proportions in which I prefer to employ the before-mentioned
substances are such that the oxidation of the combustible substances
and the deoxidation of the oxidizing substances employed shall be
affected. Thus for example I have obtained good results when about
one hundred parts by weight of potassium chlorate are employed with
about twenty parts by weight of bi-sulphide of carbon.
It is obvious that in cases where safety is not so much an object as
the obtainment of an effective and explosive compound which shall be
ready at all times for immediate application, the oxidising and com-
bustible agents herein-before mentioned may be kept mixed together in
lieu of being retained separate, and the compound or mixture exploded
by a detonating fuse or percussion cap as herein-before described.
When it is desired to employ the oxidising and combustible substances
in a mixed or prepared form, then I employ such before-mentioned
oxidising and combustible substances in the desired proportions, but in
addition to such before-mentioned fluid and solid substances or agents
I employ solid oxidising substances or agents and solid combustible
substances or agents, such, for example, as chlorate of potash, paraffine,

page_text: naphthalene, resin, and other similar solid hydrocarbons, to which
mixtures either sulphur or nitro compounds, such as picric acid, is added
in such quantity as shall render the mixtures explosive..
I also propose to employ a mixture in any desired proportion of nitro-
glycerine with any of the before-mentioned combustible substances or 5
agents either singly or in combinations of two or more, whereby the
excess of oxygen existing in nitro-glycerine as a source of energy will
be utilized.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hermann Sprengel in the Great Seal Patent Office 1
on the 25th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERMANN
SPRENGEL, of Gloucester Street, Belgrave Road, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 1
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Hermann Sprengel, Her special license
that I, the said Hermann Sprengel, my executors, administrators, 2
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hermann Sprengel, my
executors, administrators, or 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 2
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hermann Sprengel, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
-hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature 3
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per- ...
formed, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hermann Sprengel, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :—
5 This Invention relates to the preparation and use of explosive com-
pounds, and is partly based on the principle of keeping separate the
'oxydizing" from the "combustible" agent until such time as the
effect of their chemical combination is required.
66
According to my Invention I employ certain "oxidizing" agents or
substances which will, when mixed or incorporated with certain “* com-
bustible" agents or substances, become explosive by the agency of a
detonating fuse or percussion cap. These agents or substances may be
used together in either of the three following modes, namely:-First, the
oxidizing agent or agents or substance or substances in a solid but
³ divided condition may be employed in conjunction with the combustible
agent or agents or substance or substances in a fluid condition;
second, the oxidizing agent or agents or substance or substances in a
fluid condition may be used in conjunction with the combustible agent
or agents or substance or substances in a solid but divided condition;
and third, the oxidizing agent or agents or substance or substances in a
fluid condition may be employed with the combustible agent or agents
or substance or substances also in a fluid condition.
In carrying out my Invention according to the first of the modes
above indicated, I place the solid but divided oxidizing substance or sub-
stances or agent or agents in a vessel or chamber, and to such oxidizing
substance or substances or agent or agents I add the fluid combustible
agent or agents or substance or substances, and after such addition I
cause the same to explode by means of a detonating fuse or percussion
cap.
In carrying out my Invention according to the second of the modes
above indicated, I place the solid but divided combustible agent or
agents or substance or substances in a vessel or chamber, and to such
combustible agent or substance or agents or substances I add the fluid
oxidizing agent or substance or agents or substances, and after such
addition I cause the same to be exploded by means of a detonating fuse
or percussion can.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention according to the third one of the modes
above indicated, I form a mixture of the fluid oxidizing agent or sub-
stance or agents or substances with the fluid combustible agent or agents
or substance or substances also in a suitable vessel or chamber, and I
explode the fluid mixture formed by the two fluid agents or fluid 6
substances by means of a detonating fuse or percussion cap.
The solid oxidizing agents or substances which I employ are oxisalts,
such for example as the chlorates, the perchlorates, and the nitrates of
the metals, of the alkaline earths, and of the alkalies, either alone or as
mixtures of the same, and by preference such as are not hygroscopic, 1
for example, potassium, chlorate potassium, perchlorate and potassium
nitrate.
The fluid oxidizing agents or substances which I employ are the
oxygen acids, by preference, such for example as nitric acid.
The solid combustible agents or substances which I employ are such 1
nitro-compounds and nitrates of organic compounds as are non-explosive,.
as for example nitro-napthaline and the nitrate of aniline. I also
employ picric acid.
The fluid combustible agents or substances which I employ are
sulphocarbons, for example, bi-sulphide of carbon; hydrocarbons such 2
for example as benzole; nitro-compounds, such for example as nitro-
benzole; alcohol, for example, phenol, ethers, oils, and other com-
bustible fluids. These I employ either alone or in mixtures of one or
more of the same. I further employ them or mixtures of the same
either in their ordinary condition, or when they contain in solution 2
either sulpher, nitro-compounds such as picric acid or nitro-napthaline,
fatty acids, napthaline, or other solid hydrocarbons, of which the before-
mentioned fluid combustible agents or substances are solvents.
It is obvious that in cases where safety is not so much an object as
the obtainment of an effective and explosive compound which shall be 3
ready at all times for immediate application, the oxidizing and com-
bustible agents herein-before mentioned may be mixed together in lieu
of being retained separate, and the compound or mixture exploded by a
detonating fuse or percussion cap as herein-before described.
When it is desired to employ the oxidizing and combustible substances 3
in a mixed or prepared form, then I employ such before-mentioned

page_text: oxidizing and combustible substances in the desired proportions, but in
addition to such before-mentioned fluid and solid substances or agents I
employ solid oxidizing substances or agents such as chlorate of potash,
for example, and solid combustible substances or agents, such for
example as paraffine, napthaline, resin, and other similar solid hydro-
carbons, to which mixtures either sulpher or nitro-compounds such as
picric acid is added in such quantity as shall render the mixture
explosive.
I also produce an improved explosive mixture or compound by adding
to-nitro-glycerine one or more of such of the before-mentioned com-
bustible agents as may be soluble therein, whereby the excess of oxygen
existing in the nitro-glycerine may be utilized to a greater extent than
´is now done in what is known as Noble's dynamite.
The proportions in which I prefer to employ the before-mentioned
substances are such that the oxidation of the combustible substances and
the deoxidation of the oxidizing substances employed shall be effected;
and the proportions in which what I have called the oxidizing agents and
also those proportions in which what I have called combustible agents
be employed will depend upon the degree of strength or power of the
explosive force it is desired to obtain; but I have found that when the
oxidizing agent or agents are employed in about equivalent propor-
tions to the combustible agent or agents used that good results will
be obtained.
What I claim is, the preparation of explosive compounds by the
combined employment of any of the before-mentioned oxidizing and
combustible substances or mixtures of the same in the manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hermann Sprengel, have to this