Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1887
Complete Left, 14th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1888
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of explosives.
It is well known that nitro-derivates of the hydro-carbons of the aromatic phenol
series, when dissolved in concentrated nitric acid, yield exceedingly powerful explosives.
The explosives have, however, the disadvantage of being liquid which renders their
application difficult.
The present invention has for its object to transform these liquid explosives into a
gelatinous or plastic condition.
If to the above described acid explosives, the composition of which has been
accurately calculated according to stoichiometrical laws, is added cellulose (as such
being used, as the cheapest material, fine wood wool or other forms of reduced
wood, although cotton, straw fibre, hemp, jute, ramie, flax or similar vegetable fibres
can also be used), nitration of the cellulose by the nitric acid is effected. The cellulose
then swells up and with the explosives forms a plastic mass like gelatine, which can be
easily used.
After a portion of the nitric acid is used up by the nitration of the cellulose, the
quantity of acid necessary for this nitration is added in the preparation of the above
described acid explosives.
It is a matter of course that the nitration of the cellulose can previously be performed
as a separate operation and the cellulose thus nitrated can be mixed with the said acid
explosives.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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.
It is well known that nitro-derivates of the hydrocarbons of the aromatic phenol
series, when dissolved in concentrated nitric acid, yield exceedingly powerful
explosives. The explosives have, however, the disadvantage of being liquid, which
renders their application difficult.
The present invention has for its object to transform these liquid explosives into a
gelatinous or plastic condition.
If to the above described acid explosives the composition of which has been
accurately calculated according to stoichiometrical laws, is added cellulose (such
being used as the cheapest material, fine wood wool or other forms of reduced wood,
although cotton, straw fibre, hemp, jute, ramie, flax or similar vegetable fibres can
also be used) nitration of the cellulose by the nitric acid is effected. The cellulose
then swells up and with the explosives forms a plastic mass like gelatine, which can be
easily used.
After a portion of the nitric acid is used up by the nitration of the cellulose, the
quantity of acid necessary for this nitration is added in the preparation of the above-
described acid explosives.
It is a matter of course that the nitration of the cellulose can previously be
performed as a separate operation and the cellulose thus nitrated can be mixed with
the said acid explosives.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
First. The peculiar plastic acid explosives prepared from liquid explosives consisting
of concentrated nitric acid and the nitroderivates of the hydrocarbons of the aromatic
series or the phenol series by adding cellulose (wood wool, or other reduced wood,
cotton, straw fibre, hemp, jute, ramie, flax or similar vegetable fibre), as above
described.
Second. The nitration of the cellulose performed separately, and the subsequent
mixing of the same with the acid explosives as above described.
Dated this 14th day of February 188e
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.