IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER
Year: 1884

page_text: I, RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH, of Eyeworth Lodge, near Lyndhurst, in
the County of Hanta, Gunpowder Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER,” to
be as follows:-
My present invention refers to improvements upon an invention for which
Letters Patent, were granted to me the 29th August 1877 N° 3294.
According to my invention I prepare the so-called "Schultze" or wood or
Bawdust gunpowder by taking the purified nitro-lignin prepared from any form of
wood fibre in the usual way by treating the wood fibre with sulphuric and nitrio
acids and by subsequent purification.
This nitro lignin is intimately mixed by grinding or otherwise with suitable
chemicals for making the resulting mixture explosive.
This I form into grains of desired specific gravity without the application of
pressure, by a series of sieves and barrels, as follows.
The ground mixture of nitro-lignin and chemicals is thrown upon a shaking
Bieve having a mesh larger than the grain to be produced, the grain which has
passed through the sieve is then placed in a revolving barrel, the time which it is
revolved is varied according to the state or nature of the fibre employed; another
sieve of smaller mesh is then used and the grains are then again placed in a
revolving barrel, and so on from sieve to barral until the desired specific gravity is
obtained. The size of mesh is regulated according to the size of the grains of the
gunpowder to be produced.
These grains are finished for use in the manner described in the Specification of
my patent No 8294 of 1877 before referred to.
I
may
add
The waterproofing of the grains of gunpowder may be done by coating the
grains with collodion, paraffin, india rubber, resin and the like, or
paraffin, india rubber, starch or silica, or any inert substance either to the
mechanical mixture of nitro-lignin and chemicals or as a coating to the fibres or
the grains of gunpowder for the purpose of reducing the rapidity of combustion
and rendering the liability to detonation less in the finished gunpowder.
Daint thi Thi tinth dow of Anomet 1884
:

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
分
I RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH of Eyeworth Lodge near Lyndhurst in the
County of Hants, Gunpowder Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My present invention refers to improvements upon an invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to me the 29th August 1877 N° 3294.
According to my invention I prepare the so called Schultze or wood or sawdust
gunpowder, by taking the purified nitro lignin prepared from any form of wood
fibre in the usual way by treating the wood fibre with sulphuric and nitric acids
and by subsequent purification.
This nitro lignin is intimately mixed, by grinding or other mechanical means,
with suitable chemicals for making the resulting mixture of the desired explosive
force.
This mixture moistened with water I form into grains of desired specific gravity
by a series of sieves and barrels as follows.
The aforesaid mixture of nitro lignin and chemicals is thrown upon a shaking
sieve having a mesh larger than the grain to be produced. The particles or grains
which have passed through the sieve are then placed in a revolving barrel, the
time which it is revolved being varied according to the state or nature of the fibre
employed. The grains are then thrown upon another sieve of smaller mesh and
those which pass through are again placed in a revolving barrel and so on sieve to
barrel each succeeding sieve having a smaller mesh than the preceding one until
the desired specific gravity is obtained. By the barrel treatment the grains are to
a certain extent reduced in size by slight mutual pressure or weight. The size of
mesh is regulated according to the size of the grain of the gunpowder to be
produced.
I may also add paraffin, india rubber, starch or silica or other suitable inert
substance to the mechanical mixture of nitro lignin and chemicals for the purpose
of reducing the rapidity of combustion and rendering the liability to detonation
less in the finished gunpowder.
These grains are finished for use, that is to say dried, dusted and separated
into different sizes in the usual manner.
The waterproofing of the grains of gunpowder may be done by coating the
grains with collodion, paraffin, India rubber, resin or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First: In the manufacture of Schultze wood or sawdust gunpowder from &
moistened mechanical mixture of nitro lignin and nitrates or other chemicals
for rendering the mixture explosive the passing such mixture through sieves of
successively diminished mesh, and through revolving barrels for the purpose
of forming it into grains of the desired specific gravity substantially as set
forth.

page_text: Second: In the manufacture of Schultze wood or sawdust gunpowder as set
forth, the use of paraffin, India rubber, resin, starch, silica or other suitable inert
substances as an addition to the mechanical mixture of nitro lignin and chemicals
for the purpose of reducing the rapidity of combustion and the liability to
detonation of the finished gunpowder.
Third: The improved Schultze gunpowder made substantially in the manner set
forth.

page_text: 3
I, RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH, of Eyeworth Lodge, near Lyndhurst, in
the County of Hants, Gunpowder Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER," to
be as follows:-
=
My present invention refers to improvements upon an invention for which
Letters Patent, were granted to me the 29th August 1877 N° 3294.
According to my invention I prepare the so-called "Schultze". or wood or
sawdust gunpowder by taking the purified nitro-lignin prepared from any form of
wood fibre in the usual way by treating the wood fibre with sulphuric and nitric
acids and by subsequent purification.
This nitro lignin is intimately mixed by grinding or otherwise with suitable
chemicals for making the resulting mixture explosive.
-
This I form into grains of desired specific gravity without the application of
pressure, by a series of sieves and barrels, as follows.
The ground mixture of nitro-lignin and chemicals is thrown upon a shaking
sieve having a mesh larger than the grain to be produced, the grain which has
passed through the sieve is then placed in a revolving barrel, the time which it is
revolved is varied according to the state or nature of the fibre employed; another
sieve of smaller mesh is then used and the grains are then again placed in a
revolving barrel, and so on from sieve to barrel until the desired specific gravity is
obtained. The size of mesh is regulated according to the size of the grains of the
gunpowder to be produced.
These grains are finished for use in the manner described in the Specification of
my patent No 8294 of 1877 before referred to,
The waterproofing of the grains of gunpowder may be done by coating the
grains with collodion, paraffin, india rubber, resin and the like, or I may add
paraffin, india rubber, starch or silica, or any inert substance either to the
mechanical mixture of nitro-lignin and chemicals or as a coating to the fibres or
the grains of gunpowder for the purpose of reducing the rapidity of combustion
and rendering the liability to detonation less in the finished gunpowder.
:

page_text: I RICHARD WILLIAM SMITH GRIFFITH of Eyeworth Lodge near Lyndhurst in the
County of Hants, Gunpowder Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER
" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My present invention refers to improvements upon an invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to me the 29th August 1877 N° 8294.
According to my invention I prepare the so called Schultze or wood or sawdust
gunpowder, by taking the purified nitro lignin prepared from any form of wood
fibre in the usual way by treating the wood fibre with sulphuric and nitric acids
and by subsequent purification.
This nitro lignin is intimately mixed, by grinding or other mechanical means,
with suitable chemicals for making the resulting mixture of the desired explosive
force.
This mixture moistened with water I form into grains of desired specific gravity
by a series of sieves and barrels as follows.
The aforesaid mixture of nitro lignin and chemicals is thrown upon a shaking
sieve having a mesh larger than the grain to be produced. The particles or grains
which have passed through the sieve are then placed in a revolving barrel, the
time which it is revolved being varied according to the state or nature of the fibre
employed. The grains are then thrown upon another sieve of smaller mesh and
those which pass through are again placed in a revolving barrel and so on sieve to
barrel each succeeding sieve having a smaller mesh than the preceding one until
the desired specific gravity is obtained. By the barrel treatment the grains are to
a certain extent reduced in size by slight mutual pressure or weight. The size of
mesh is regulated according to the size of the grain of the gunpowder to be
produced.
I may also add paraffin, india rubber, starch or silica or other suitable inert
substance to the mechanical mixture of nitro lignin and chemicals for the purpose
of reducing the rapidity of combustion and rendering the liability to detonation
less in the finished gunpowder.
These grains are finished for use, that is to say dried, dusted and separated
into different sizes in the usual manner.
The waterproofing of the grains of gunpowder may be done by coating the
grains with collodion, paraffin, India rubber, resin or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First: In the manufacture of Schultze wood or sawdust gunpowder from a
moistened mechanical mixture of nitro lignin and nitrates or other chemicals
for rendering the mixture explosive the passing such mixture through sieves of
successively diminished mesh, and through revolving barrels for the purpose
of forming it into grains of the desired specific gravity substantially as set
forth.

page_text: Second: In the manufacture of Schultze wood or sawdust gunpowder as seb
forth, the use of paraffin, India rubber, resin, starch, silica or other suitable inert
substances as an addition to the mechanical mixture of nitro lignin and chemicals
for the purpose of reducing the rapidity of combustion and the liability to
detonation of the finished gunpowder.
Third: The improved Schultze gunpowder made substantially in the manner set
forth.