IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN- POWDER AND POWDER FOR BLASTING PURPOSES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN-
POWDER AND POWDER FOR BLASTING PURPOSES."-A communication from
abroad by Alfred Mobel, of Rue St. Sebastien, Paris, in the Empire of
France.
Sealed the 1st March 1864, and dated the 24th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th September 1863.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
GUNPOWDER AND POWDER FOR BLASTING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of explosive substances, or of
substances easily decomposed, especially of explosive liquids mixed with
ordinary gunpowder, gun cotton; or other analogous substances. By this.
mixture the exploding force of every fulminating substance may be tempered
or regulated, or if it be a liquid it may be heated to the degree necessary
to cause explosion.
There are many fulminating substances which may be used for this purpose,
such as nitro-glycerine and the nitrates of ethyle and methyle. By preference

page_text: nitro-glycerine is used, and is prepared by introducing slowly glycerine into a
mixture of sulphuric acid and nitrate of soda or potash after having removed
from the liquid the sulphate of soda or potash which is formed. This nitro-
glycerine is to be mixed with or absorbed into the ordinary powder in such
proportion that the appearance will still be preserved of dry ordinary powder, -
and it will then be much more powerful without producing a greater explosive
effect, it will create less foulness, and the explosion will be somewhat retarded.
If this last effect only is desired to be obtained the powder is mixed with or
made to absorb when prepared some other fluid, such as oil, in such quantity
as not to destroy its granular character.
As regards the blasting powder it may be mixed with sufficient nitro-
glycerine to render it damp at the surface. Nitrate of soda may then be
employed with advantage for the powder, as the nitro-glycerine prevents it
from absorbing water. The nitro-glycerine to cause explosion should be
heated to 170° centrigrade. It is evident that besides the ordinary powder
there are many mixtures that may determine the degree of heat, but it is
always necessary that the explosive liquid should be absorbed by their mass,
and equally distributed therein, if not it will always have a bursting effect. It
is thus that in powder formed solely of carbon and sulphur, the nitro-glycerine
will replace to some extent the saltpetre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER AND POWDER FOR BLASTING
PURPOSES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates chiefly to the utilization of certain substances known
to chemists as organic nitrates or liquid nitrates, which are capable of being
easily decomposed into gases by combining the same with ordinary gunpowder
or analogous substances to produce an improved powder suitable either for
ammunition or blasting purposes. By this mixture the exploding force of
every fulminating substance may be tempered or regulated, or if it be a liquid
the heat generated by ignition may be transmitted through the mass at the
degree necessary to cause explosion.
There are many fulminating substances which may be used for this purpose,
such as nitro-glycerine and the nitrates of ethyle and methyle. By preference
nitro-glycerine is used. This substance may be prepared by introducing slowly
glycerine into a cool mixture of sulphuric acid and nitric acid, or sulphuric
acid and nitrate of soda or potash, the sulphate of soda or potash which is
formed being removed from the liquid. This nitro-glycerine is to be mixed
with or absorbed into ordinary gunpowder in such proportion that the
appearance will still be preserved of dry ordinary powder, and the mixture
will then act most efficiently without producing a greater explosive effect; it
will create less foulness, and the explosion will be somewhat retarded. When
the retardation only of the explosive action is desired to be obtained the powder
is mixed with or made to absorb when prepared some other fluid, such as oil,
in such quantity as not to destroy its granular character.
As regards the blasting powder, it may be mixed with sufficient nitro-
glycerine to render it damp at the surface. Nitrate of soda may then be
advantageously employed, for as nitro-glycerine is neither bygroscopic nor even
soluble in water, it will by being made to surround the nitrate of soda, effectually
prevent that substance from absorbing water. The nitro-glycerine to cause
explosion should be heated to one hundred and seventy degrees centigrade.

page_text: It is evident that besides the ordinary powder there are many mixtures that
may determine the degree of heat, but it is always necessary that the explosive
liquid should be absorbed by their mass, and equally distributed therein; if
not, it will always have a bursting effect. It is thus that in powder formed
solely of carbon and sulphur, the nitro-glycerine will replace to some extent
the saltpetre.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the
Manufacture of Gunpowder and Powder for Blasting Purposes," as commu-
nicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim producing explosive mixtures by treating
gunpowder or analogous substances in the manner and for the purposes above
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)