CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STOWAGE FOR TRANSPORT, AND IN THE STORING OF GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS, AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Macklin, of Tollington Park, in the
County of Middlesex, and William Edward Moore, of Brixton, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE STOWAGE FOR TRANSPORT, AND IN THE STORING OF GUNPOWDER AND
OTHER EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS, AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH.
"
Scaled the 25th March 1875, and dated the 29th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Macklin and
William Edward Moore at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th October 1874.
We, ALBERT MACKLIN, of Tollington Park, in the County of
Middlesex, and WILLIAM EDWARD MOORE, of Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STOWAGE FOR TRANSPORT, AND IN THE STORING OF
GUNFOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS, AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH," to be as follows:
:-
Our improvements are mainly directed to the stowage and storing of

page_text: gunpowder and other explosive compounds while being conveyed from
place to place, the same arrangements may however be adopted with
advantage to store gunpowder and certain other explosives conveniently
for gunsmiths and other retail dealers, to store blasting powder and
other explosives for miners, and for the storing of explosive compounds
generally.
Assuming a consignment of gunpowder to be leaving a powder mill
for canal or rail we propose that the barrels and cases of powder shall
be placed in boxes made of wood having an interior lining of zinc, an
outer covering of thick felt and lid closing hermetically by screw, lever,
or other suitable means. The boxes (which may be of any convenient
size) being filled they will be locked and placed in a vehicle, being a
truck upon wheels, divided into a series of compartments of dimensions
slightly exceeding those of the boxes, or not thus subdivided, but con-
taining in either case such quantity of water as will when displaced by
the introduction of the boxes rise and surround every part of them.
The vehicle will then be driven to the canal wharf or railway station,
from whence the boxes are to be forwarded to their ultimate destination,
and should the boat or railway waggon be not at hand upon the arrival
of the powder the boxes containing it may with absolute safety be slung
from the vehicle on to the wharf or station and be left there for hours,
as their outer covering of fclt will have become perfectly saturated with
water during the transit from the mill, and they will be in no danger
from sparks from passing locomotives, from the pipes of labourers, or
otherwise; tanks should be provided at wharves and railway stations for
the immersion of the boxes should any considerable delay take place in
transferring them from one conveyance to another.
Assuming now that the powder is to continue its journey by canal, we
propose to place it in a canal boat constructed on the same principle as
the vehicle above mentioned, that is to say, with the whole or a part of
the cargo space forming a tank subdivided into compartments, or not so
subdivided, but in either case containing such a depth of water as will
suffice to cover the boxes when stowed in the tank; a subdivided tank
will be found most convenient, as it will better permit other cargo to be
taken into the boat; further, if not subdivided and there should not be a
full cargo of powder for the powder tank a great weight of water would
have to be carried to secure the total immersion of the boxes. We
propose to cover the entire hold or the sections of tank with a close

page_text: We also propose fitting seagoing vessels and coasters with similaṛ
tanks for tho reception of our water-tight cases containing the
explosives.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Albert Macklin and William Edward Moore in
the Great Scal Patent Office on the 29th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, ALBERT
MACKLIN, of Tollington Park, in the County of Middlesex, and WILLIAM
EDWARD MOORE, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 1
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Albert Macklin, and William
Edward Moore, Her special licence that we, the said Albert Macklin,
and William Edward Moore, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Albert Macklin, and William Edward
Moorc, our executors, administrators, and 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
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STOWAGE FOR TRANSPORT, AND IN THE STORING
OF GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS, AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Albert Macklin and William Edward Moore, our executors or
'administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Albert Macklin, for myself

page_text: said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our improvements are mainly directed to the stowage and storing of
gunpowder and other explosive compounds while being conveyed from
place to place, the same arrangements may however be adopted with
advantage to store gunpowder and cortain other explosives conveniently
for gunsmiths and other retail dealers, to store blasting powder and other
explosives for miners, and for the storing of explosive compounds
generally.
Assuming a consignment of gunpowder to be leaving a powder mill
for canal or rail we propose that the barrels and cases of powder shall be
placed in boxes made of wood, having an interior lining of zinc, an outer
covering of thick felt, and lid closing hermetically by screw, lever, or
other suitable means. The boxes (which may be of any convenient
size) being filled they will be locked and placed in a vehicle, being a
tank upon wheels divided into a series of compartments of dimensions
slightly exceeding those of the boxes, or not thus subdivided, but con-
taining in either case such quantity of water as will, when displaced by
the introduction of the boxes, rise and surround every part of them.
The vehicle will then be driven to the canal wharf or railway station,
from whence the boxes are to be forwarded to their ultimate destination,
and should the boat or railway waggon be not at hand upon the arrival
of the powder the boxes containing it may with absolute safety be slung
from the vehicle on to the wharf or station and be left there for hours,
as their outer covering of felt will have become perfectly saturated with -|
water during the transit from the mill, and they will be in no danger
from sparks from passing locomotives, from the pipes of labourers, or
otherwise. Tanks should be provided at wharves and railway stations
for the immersion of the boxes if any considerable delay take place in
transferring them from one conveyance to another.
Assuming now that the powder is to continue its journey by canal we
propose to place it in a canal boat constructed on the same principle as
the vehicle above mentioned, that is to say, with the whole or a part of
the cargo space forming a tank subdivided into compartments, or not so
subdivided, but in either case containing such a depth of water as: will
suffice to cover the boxes when stowed in the tank. A subdivided tank

page_text: will be found most convenient, as it will better permit other cargo to be
taken into the boat; further, if not subdivided and there should not be a
full cargo of powder for the powder tank a great weight of water would
have to be carried to secure the total immersion of the boxes. We
propose to cover the entire hold or the sections of tank with a close
hatch or hatches battened down secured by screw, lever, or other
mechanical means and locked.
If the powder has to be carried by rail the boxes will be placed in a
waggon constructed substantially in the same way as the vehicle above
described so that they may travel immersed in water.
To secure the total immersion of the boxes during the entire transit,
or when stored in a tank near a mine at gunsmiths and other retail
dealers in explosives or clsewhere we propose to provide the boat
carriage or stationary tank with a tell-tale consisting of a float and lever
carrying a disk which will fall by the lowering of the float and thus
notify that the tank is insufficiently supplied with water. Any suitable
indicating apparatus may be used for this purpose.
In magazines, or wherever stored by retail dealers we propose that
the tank should be in connection with the main water supply with ball
cock appliance.
We have mentioned zinc as a lining for our boxes, it being com-
paratively inexpensive, but copper or other suitable material might be
used for lining boxes and tanks both inside and outside, and both boxes
and tanks be made of any suitable material or combination of materials.
On the accompanying Sheets of Drawing, Sheet 1 represents a box or
case embodying our Invention, Figure 1 being a sectional elevation
thereof; Figure 2, a side elevation of same; Figure 3, an end elevation of
same; and Figure 4, an enlarged view showing details of water-tight
joint.
a, a, indicate the body of the box of oak or other suitable wood;
b, b, outside, strengthening up corner and transverse pieces also of oak
or other suitable material; c, c, inside lining of thin copper, zinc, or
other suitable metal; d, d, felting or other suitable water retaining
substance; e, e, perforated zinc or wire gauze to protect felting;
f, f, water-tight joint made up by means of lever or other fastening
attached to lid and sides of box,
→

page_text: retaining the distinctive features of our Invention, and that what we
claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The use of hermetically closing boxes or cases having an
outer covering of felt or other material which will absorb and retain
moisture, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
Secondly. The use in combination with the hermetically closing and
felt covered boxes or cases of stationary or travelling tanks in which
their total immersion is secured.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Macklin, for myself and on
behalf of my Co-patentec, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
T TI