IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANTIDADE OF CHYDOWDER
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Roberts and John Dale, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemists, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANTIDADE OF CHYDOWDER"
Sealed the 15th July 1862, and dated the 18th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Roberts and John
Dale at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 18th January 1862.
We, THOMAS ROBERTS and JOHN DALE, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemists, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER," to be as
follows
Our Invention consists in a method of manufacturing gunpowder, whereby
we are enabled to use nitrate of soda in place of or in combination with nitrate
of potash; and the principle we proceed upon is to add thereto a substance
which will effloresce, so as to correct the tendency of the other material or
materials to become moist. Of these substances we mention, for example, the
anhydrous sulphates of soda and magnesia.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Roberts and John Dale in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
ROBERTS and JOHN DALE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturing Chemists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Roberts and John Dale, Her special license that we, the said
Thomas Roberts and John Dále, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Thomas Roberts and John Dale, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER," upon
the condition, amongst others, that we, the said Thomas Roberts and John
Dale, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, 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 John Dale, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists in a method of manufacturing gunpowder, whereby
we are enabled to use nitrate of soda in place of or in combination with nitrate
of potash; and the principle we proceed upon is to add thereto a substance
which will effloresce, so as to correct the tendency of the other material or
materials to become moist. Of these substances we mention, for example, the
anhydrous sulphates of soda and magnesia. The former of these is that which
we use by preference.
In order to obtain the anhydrous sulphate of soda, we take crystallized
sulphate of soda and placed it in a stove, at a sufficient temperature to drive

page_text: off the whole of the moisture. Supposing that we use nitrate of soda entirely
instead of nitrate of potash, we add a proportion of the anhydrous sulphate of
soda, not exceeding eighteen per cent. of the nitrate, but less quantities may
be used; and when mixtures of nitrate of potash and nitrate of soda are used,
the proportion of the anhydrous salt to be added should be in such quantity as
not to exceed eighteen per cent. of the nitrate of soda contained in the mixture,
in order that the quantity of oxygen usually present in the materials used in
the manufacture of gunpowder may be maintained; the above ingredients are
made into gunpowder in the usual manner.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, the use in the manufacture of gunpowder of sulphate of soda or other
efflorescent substance in combination with nitrate of soda.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Dale, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN DALE. (L.S.)