IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING BLOWOUT SHOTS IN MINES AND QUARRIES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Stuart Norris, of Wilton Cottage,
Kenyon, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING
BLOWOUT SHOTS IN MINES AND QUARRIES.”
"
Sealed the 4th November 1873, and dated the 27th August 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Stuart Norris
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,,
on the 27th August 1878.
I, RICHARD STUART NORRIS, of Wilton Cottage, Kenyon, near Man-
5 chester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR PRE-
VENTING BLOWN-OUT SHOTS IN MINES AND QUARRIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a central metal rod
having on it two loose discs of the same diameter as the required
O cartridge, and at each end a head welded, screwed, or otherwise fastened

page_text: to it, and in one of the discs there is a recess or slot for allowing tho
passage of a fuse, but the discs may be fastened, and thereby form heads
and discs.
The cartridge case, which is formed of paper or other suitable material
in the usual way, is placed on the discs, the rod being in the centre, and
after the fuse is inserted through the recess or slot the cartridge case is
charged with gunpowder, gun cotton, or other explosive material.
When the cartridge on the discs is placed in the cavity prepared for it
in the mine or quarry and tamped in the usual manner, and the explosive
material ignited, it will be found that the whole explosive force will be
exerted on the discs and on the mass surrounding the cartridge, and as
the action on the disc at each end of the rod is equal there will be no
tendency or probability of the cartridge or any part thereof being blown
into the mine or quarry, thereby preventing blown-out shots and their
attendant danger of explosion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Stuart Norris in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
STUART NORRIS, of Wilton Cottage, Kenyon, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Richard Stuart Norris, Her special license,
that I, the said Richard Stuart Norris, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Stuart Norris, 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 Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for

page_text: "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING BLOWN-OUT SHOTS
IN MINES AND QUARRIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Richard Stuart Norris, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, 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 Richard Stuart Norris, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the figures on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters of reference marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists in the employment of a central wrought-iron
rod, having welded to it two discs and heads, the discs being of the same
diameter as the interior of the required cartridge, and one of them
having a recess or slot for allowing the passage of a fuse.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figures 1 and 2 are longi-
tudinal and transverse elevations of this apparatus without the cartridge
case a, representing the metal rod; b, the discs; c, the heads; and d, the
recess or slot for the fuse.
The cartridge case, which is formed of paper or other suitable material
in the usual way, is placed on the discs b, the rod a being in the centre,
and after the fuse is inserted through the recess or slot d the cartridge
case is charged with gunpowder, gun cotton, or other explosive
material.
When the cartridge on the discs is placed in the cavity prepared for it
in the mine or quarry and tamped in the usual manner, and the explosive
material ignited, it will be found that the whole explosive force will be
exerted on or between the discs and on the mass surrounding the
cartridge, and as the action on the disc at each end of the rod is equal
there will be no tendency or probability of the cartridge or any part
thereof being blown into the mine or quarry, thereby preventing blown.
out shots and their attendant danger of explosion.

page_text: It is evident the apparatus can be made of any dimensions required,
it being only necessary to make the central rod of such strength that it
can resist with ample margin the force of the explosion, and although
in my Provisional Specification I have mentioned that either loose or
fast discs may be used I prefer them to be fast on account of the superior
strength given to the apparatus.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that I claim the improved arrangements and apparatus for
preventing blown-out shots in mines and quarrics, as herein described
and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Stuart Norris, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Richard Stuart Norris,
in the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
R. S. NORRIS.. (L.s.)