A NEW OR IMPROVED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND, AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Siemens of No 12 Queen Annes Gate
Westminster in the County of Middlesex for an invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND, AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME "
A communication from abroad by Dr. Carl Himly of Kiel and Louis von
Frützschler-Falkenstein of Borkowitz near Creuzburg, both in the German
Empira
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Siemens
at tho Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1882.
CHARLES WILLIAM SIEMENS of No 12 Queen Anne's Gate Westminster in the
County of Middlesox "A NEW OR IMPROVED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND AND METHOD
[A communication from abroad by Dr. Carl Himly
of Kiel and Louis von Frützschler-Falkenstein of Borkowitz near Creuzburg, both
in the German Empire.]
OF PREPARING THE SAME
According to the present invention an explosive compound suitable both for
mining purposes and fire arms is formed of a mixture of saltpetre, chlorate of
potash, and a solid hydrocarbon, these ingredients being used in such proportions
that the products of their combustion will consist only of water, carbonic acid,
nitrogen, potassium chloride, and carbonate of potash, that is to say, substances of
a comparatively harmless nature, while if the compound be ignited in the open air,
the combustion will take place slowly and imperfectly, and consequently without
any danger.
The incorporation of the ingredients is by preference effected as follows The
saltpetre, chlorate of potash and hydrocarbon (for which may be taken paraffin
asphaltum, pitch, caoutchouc, gutta percha, coal &c) are mixed together in
pulverulent form by passing them through sieves or otherwise, and the mixture
is then treated with a liquid volatile hydrocarbon which acts as a solvent to the
solid hydrocarbon, or other solvents of this substance may be employed. A plastic
mass is thus produced, which is then formed into cakes or sheets by passing
through rollers or otherwise, and is rendered hard by evaporating the liquid solvent

page_text: used, the sheets or cakes so produced being then converted into grains or pieces of
any desired size in the same manner as ordinary gunpowder. Or the cakes or
sheets may be conveniently brought, while still in a plastic condition, under stamps
baving cutting edges arranged in polygonal form so as to divide the mass into
separate grains of corresponding polygonal shape which are then rendered hard as
before described.
Or, according to another modification, the pulverulent salts are mixed with the
hydro-carbon previously dissolved, and the plastic mass thus produced is hardened
and converted into grains as before described.
It will be seen that by the above described mode dissolving the hydrocarbon
before or after admixture with the salts, the great advantage is obtained of
providing the particles of the latter with a waterproof coating of the hydrocarbon
thus protecting the compound from deterioration by moisture. The process is also
exceedingly simple and free from danger, as, if the pasty mass should catch fire,
the volatile hydrocarbon will first burn away entirely after which the powder will
enter into slow combustion.
In addition to the above mentioned advantages of freedom from danger in its
manufacture and transport and from hygroscopic properties as also the com-
paratively innocuous nature_of_the_products-of-combustion-it-may-be-mentioned-
that the said compound leaves-only-a-small solid residue, which is as innocuous as
the gaseous products, that the combustion in a confined space is complete, yielding
very little smoke which rapidly disappears.
Furthermore, the new compound, which has about the same density as ordinary
gunpowder and is very hard, possesses with equal volumes more than double the
_explosive forco-of-the-latter. The-intensity of explosion can be regulated at will
by varying the proportions of the ingredients and the size of the granules. These
proportions should, generally speaking, bo such that for each volume of the hydro-
carbon when converted into a gaseous_state, there_shall be--present-in-the-other-
¯ingredients, three volumes of oxygen.
Lastly, in employing the new compound for fire arms, these are not at all
attacked by the products of combustion

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles William Siemens in the Great Soal Patent Office on the
25th October 1882.
CHARLES WILLIAM SIEMENS, of No 12 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex "A NEW OR IMPROVED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND AND METHOD
OF PREPARING THE SAME" A communication from abroad by Dr. Carl Himly
of Kiel, and Louis von Frützschler-Falkenstein of Borkowitz near Creuzburg, both
in the German Empire.
According to the present invention an explosive compound, suitable both for
mining purposes and firearms is formed of a mixture of saltpetre, chlorate of
potash and a solid hydrocarbon, these ingredients being used in such proportions
that the products of their combustion will consist mostly of water, carbonic acid,
nitrogen, potassium chloride, and carbonate of potash, that is to say, substancos of
a comparatively harmless nature, while if the compound be ignited in the open air,
the combustion will take place slowly and imperfectly, and consequently without
any danger
The incorporation of the ingredients is by preference effected as follows:-
The saltpetre, chlorate of potash and hydrocarbon (for which may be taken
paraffine, asphaltum, pitch caoutchouc, guttapercha, et cetera) are mixed together
in pulverulent form by passing them through sieves or otherwise and the mixture
is then treated with a liquid volatile hydrocarbon, which acts as a solvent to the
Bolid hydrocarbon, or other solvents of this substance may be employed. A plastic
mass is thus produced which is then formed into cakes or sheets by passing
through rollers or otherwise, and is rendered hard by evaporating the liquid
solvent used, the sheets or cakes so produced being then converted into grains or
pieces of any desired size, in the same manner as ordinary gunpowder. Or the
cakes or sheets may be conveniently brought, while still in a plastic condition,
under stamps, having cutting edges arranged in polygonal form so as to divide the
mass into separate grains of corresponding polygonal shape, which are then rendered
hard as before described.
Or according to another modification, the pulverulent salts are mixed with the
hydrocarbon previously dissolved, and the plastic mass thus produced is hardened
and converted into grains as before described.
It will be seen, by the above described mode of dissolving the hydrocarbon
before or after admixture with the salts the great advantage is obtained of
providing the particles of the latter with a waterproof coating of varnish of the
hydrocarbon, more particularly when caoutchouc or guttaperoha is used, thus
protecting the compound from detoriation by moisture. The process is also
exceedingly and free from danger, as, if the pasty mass should catch firo, the
volatile hydrocarbon will first burn away entirely, after which the powder will
enter into slow combustion.
In addition to the above mentioned advantages of freedom from danger in its
manufacture and transport and from hygroscopic properties as also the com-
paratively innocuous nature of the products of combustion, it may be mentioned
that the said compound leaves only a small solid residue, which is innocuous as
the gaseous products, that the combustion in a confined space is complete, yielding
very little smoke, which rapidly disappears.
Furthermore, the new compound, which has about the same density as ordinary
gunpowder and is very hard possesses with equal volumes more than double the
oxplosive force of the latter-The intensity of explosion can be regulated at will

page_text: by varying the proportions of the ingredients, and the size of the granules-These
proportions should, generally speaking, be such that for each volume of the hydro-
carbon, when converted into a gascous stute thero shall be present in the other
ingredients three volumes of oxygen.
Lastly, in employing the new compound for firearms, these are not at all attacked
by the products of combustion.
Having thus described, the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents
I claim:-
First:-The manufacture of explosive compounds consisting of saltpetre, chlorate
of potash and a solid Hydrocarbon, nixed together and treated with a solvent,
substantially as herein described.
Second-The manufacture of explosive compounds by mixing together, saltpetre,
chlorate of potash and a solution of a solid hydrocarbon, such as caoutchouc or
gutta-percha and evaporating the solvent, thereby producing on the explosive a
protective varnish, substantially as herein described.
In Witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Siemens, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty third day_of_October_in_the_year_of_our_
-Lord One thousand sight hundred and
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