An Improvement in the Manufacture of Explosives for Ammunition.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1889-Accepted, 2nd July, 1890 (but withheld
from Publication under Section 44 Patents, &c., Act, 1883).
An Improvement in the Manufacture of Explosives for
Ammunition.
We, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS ABEL, of No. 1 Adam Street Adelphi in the
County of Middlesex, Knight, and JAMES DEWAR of No. 1 Scroop Terrace
Cambridge in the County of Cambridge, Professor of Chemistry, 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:
a
The explosives known as blasting gelatine consisting chiefly of nitroglycerine with
nitrocellulose dissolved in it, sometimes accompanied by other ingredients, are well
adapted for blasting purposes owing to the disruptive character of their explosion,
but they are not suitable as constituents of ammunition, for which explosions of
propulsive rather than of a disruptive character are required. It has been
proposed to add to the ingredients of blasting gelatine bodies of an inert kind,
such as camphor, in order to lessen the rapidity of the combustion, and thus render
the explosive available for propulsive purposes, but if such inert matter added is
of a volatile character or otherwise liable to change in quantity or condition, the
quality of the explosive of which it forms a part is not sufficiently permanent to be
relied on for storage or use. Our invention relates to means of treating blasting
gelatine, whether it be simple or compounded with substances which are sometimes
added to it such as nitrates of hydrocarbons of a non-volatile character, in such
a manner as to render it available for ammunition, which we effect in the following
manner:-
Blasting gelatine manufactured in the ordinary way but with a greater percentage
of soluble nitrocellulose and with volatile solvent such as acetone or acetic ether
sufficient to give it the consistence of a moderately thick jelly, or ordinary blasting
gelatine with the addition of soluble nitrocellulose and solvent to bring it to a
like condition, is pressed through holes in a plate so as to form a number of
wires, which may be of various sizes such as th of an inch diameter more
or less.
.
These wires, which at first are soft and pliable, become toughened by
evaporation of the solvent. They are cut into lengths which are packed side
by side in the shells of cartridge cases, forming bundles or sheaves of explosible
wires, which by their combustion produce great propulsive effects. The rapidity
of combustion of such ammunition may be varied within wide limits by varying
the size of the gelatine wires of which it consists, a bundle of wires of small
diameter burning more rapidly than a bundle of wires of larger diameter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The manufacture of explosive for ammunition by pressing blasting gelatine or

page_text: compounds thereof through holes to form wires, cutting these wires into suitable
lengths and packing them in cartridge cases, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.