Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 1st June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st July, 1887
I, ROBERT HALKET PUNSHON of 172 Fleet Street in the City of London,
Chemical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of my Invention is to produce a powerful explosive, for use in blasting
purposes, and for charging shells for guns.
My method of manufacturing or making my invention, is as follows.
I dissolve Tri-nitro-Phenol (Picric Acid) in a newtral Oil, such as Oil of Gallipoli
(Olive Oil) using just enough of the Olive Oil of Gallipoli to completely saturate the
Picric Acid, which by this process becomes reduced in bulk. To this compound or
mixture I add an oxidizing mixture or compound formed of Chlorate of Potash,
Nitrate of Potash and Charcoal, this mixture must then be finely powdered together,
or reduced to a fine powder. The proportions we prefer to use in this mixture or
compound, is eighty five parts by weight, of Chlorate of Potash, ten parts of Nitrate
of Potash, and five parts of Charcoal, this compound or mixture when reduced to
a fine powder is well damped with a similar oil as is used in the Picric mixture.
By these means we are enabled to keep the two mixtures in separate parcels, distinct
from each other, until required for use in blasting. Thus giving my Explosive safety
and cheapness in transit, combined with perfect safety from explosion when stored.
When the mixture of Picric Acid and oil, and that of the Chlorate of Potash,
Nitrate of Potash, and charcoal are mixed for use in blasting. The following pro-
portions of each are preferred, of the Picric acid mixture sixty parts by weight, to or
with forty parts by weight, of the Chlorate of Potash mixture.
The explosive may now be made ready for use, and can be placed in suitable
receptacles, cartridge cases, or shells. The explosive is fired in the usual way by a
detonator. If a still more powerful form of my explosive is required, then nitro-
glycerine is used in the place of the Chlorate of Potash, i.e. substituted for the
Chlorate of Potash, but in this form the explosive would not be absolutely safe in
transit, or to store in a warehouse.
What I claim is the preparation of explosive compounds, by the combination of the
mixtures hereinbefore described.
Dated this First day of Sentember 1886

page_text: Explosive Compounds.
I ROBERT HALKET PUNSHON of 172 Fleet Street in the City of London Chemical
Engineer 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 :-
The object of my Invention is to produce a powerful explosive for use in blasting
purposes and for use in torpedoes as well as for loading shells for guns.
My method of making or manufacturing my invention is as follows:-
I dissolve Tri-nitro-phenol commonly called Picric Acid in a neutral oil such as Oil
of Gallipoli (Olive Oil) but I do not confine myself to the use of any particular oil as
the object in using oil is to convert or make the explosive into a pasty substance and
thereby avoid any danger from accidental explosion by friction. I use just enough
oil to completely saturate the Pieric Acid which by this process becomes a little
reduced in bulk. To this compound or mixture I add an oxidizing mixture, or
compound formed of Chlorate of Potash Nitrate of Potash Nitrate of Soda or
Nitrate of Baryta and Charcoal. It is not necessary to add any of these Nitrates, or
Charcoal, as they are only added to reduce the instantaneous explosive force of the
explosive for certain explosive or blasting purposes.
This mixture is then finely powdered but the process of grinding the materials
may be done separately before mixing with oil. The proportions I prefer to use in
making the mixture or compound are eighty parts by weight of Chlorate of Potash,
to one hundred and ten parts of Picric Acid, to which may be added about ten parts
of Nitrate of Potash Nitrate of Soda or Nitrate of Baryta and five parts of Charcoal
when the explosive force has to be reduced in explosive force for any particular
purpose.
By first grinding the Picric Acid into a fine powder and mixing or damping it
with oil and placing the mixture in a separate parcel or receptacle and then separately
grinding the Chlorate of Potash to a fine powder and damping it separately with the
same oil I am by these means enabled to keep the two mixtures in separate parcels
distinct from each other until required to be mixed together for blasting purposes
thus giving my explosive safety and cheapness in transit combined with safety from
explosion when stored in separate receptacles. When the mixture of Picric Acid and
oil and that of Chlorate of Potash or the mixture of Chlorate of Potash and
Nitrates of Potash Soda or Baryta with or without Charcoal are mixed for use for
blasting purposes. The proportion by weight of Picric Acid should exceed the
proportion in weight of Chlorate of Potash (whether the Chlorate of Potash is mixed
with Nitrate of Potash Soda or Baryta or not) in the proportion of about five parts

page_text: of Picric Acid to about four parts of Chlorate of Potash. The explosive can
now be mixed and made ready for use and exploded in the usual way by a detonator.
Should a still more powerful form of my explosive be required then pure oily
Nitro Glycerine is used in the place of the Chlorate of Potash i.e. pure oily Nitro
Glycerine is substituted for the Chlorate of Potash but when made up in this form
the explosive would not be absolutely safe from explosion in transit or to store or
carry anywhere. The explosive would then be as dangerous to store carry and use as
Dynamite.