A NEW OR IMPROVED MINING POWDER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO BLASTING PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Camille Espir, of 59, Berners Street, Oxford
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Merchant, for the Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED MINING POWDER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO BLASTING
PURPOSES." -A communication from abroad by Jean François
Auguste le Bricquir, of Marseilles, France.
Sealed the 9th July 1875, and dated the 26th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Camille Espir at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th January 1875.
I, CAMILLE ESPIR, of 59, Berners Street, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MINING POWDER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO
BLASTING PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by Jean
François Auguste le Bricquir, of Marseilles, France, to be as follows:-
This powder recommends itself by its extreme simplicity, which makes
the manipulation easy and rapid, and the cost exceptionally low, and
does not cause the explosive power to be less than powder made of the
most complicated ingredients. Besides the low cost, its weight being
much less than the common powder, a much less quantity in weight is
only necessary for the same result.

page_text: This powder which is extremely explosive in mining is quite inoffensive
and free from danger in the open air when it burns without any
explosion. The greater the resistance the greater is the force of the
powder. For soft ground a larger quantity is not necessary, and it will
be simply sufficient to press it tighter. When the explosion takes place t
the earth is naturally cast up but in smaller quantities, but such is the
power of this powder that rocks are broken into larger pieces and
The sawdust is an inert body which is there only to bear the explosive
matter; the brimstone is to help combustion.
To carry out my Invention I use two wire sieves, one with a larger
mesh than the other. The larger one is used first to sift the sawdust,
the other with a smaller mesh is employed to amalgamate the sawdust
with the brimstone, the amalgamation being effected in an oblong zinc
case prepared for the purpose. In the meantime the water used to
dissolve the nitrate of soda is warmed to boiling point in a large kettle
or boiler, The ebullition is to be preserved while you pour by little and
little the quantity of nitrate to be dissolved. It is to be observed that
not more than pint of water should be used to dissolve one pint of
nitrate or the requisite dryness will not be obtained. After the complete
dissolution is once made I pour by little and little the liquid on the
sawdust already prepared and then knead by means of wood shovels or
flat spades. After the kneading I compress the whole to the bottom of
the case and leave it at rest for 24 hours for entire saturation of the

page_text: sawdust, the powder is then dried. When the powder is almost dry I sift
it again through the small sieve and then leave it at rest. Both before
and after this last operation the powder must be stirred and spread with
a wood rake.
As to the use it is nearly the same as of the common powder. After
being sure that the mining hole is air-tight the loading can be proceeded
with. I put in one-third powder and two-thirds wadding. The only
difference to be observed consists of introducing the wick or time fuse
after putting to the bottom a small quantity of powder and continue
ramming until the necessary quantity is put in.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Camille Espir in the Great Seal Patent Office on-
the 26th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, I, CAMILLE
ESPIR, of 59, Berners Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Camille Espir, Her special
licence that I, the said Camille Espir, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Camille Espir, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MINING POWDER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO BLASTING PURPOSES," a communication
to me from abroad by Jean François Auguste le Bricquir, of Marseilles,
France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Camille
Espir, 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

page_text: 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 Camille Espir, 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 :—
This powder recommends itself by its extreme simplicity, which makes
the manipulation easy and rapid and the cost exceptionally low, and
does not cause the explosive power to be less than powder made of the 1
most complicated ingredients. Besides the low cost, its weight being
much less than the common powder, a much less quantity in weight is
only necessary for the same result.
This powder which is extremely explosive in mining is quite non-
explosive and free from danger in the open air, when it burns without 1
any explosion. The greater the resistance the greater is the force of the
powder. For soft ground a larger quantity is not necessary, and it will
be simply sufficient to press it tighter. When the explosion takes place
the earth is naturally cast up but in smaller quantities, and such is the
power of this powder that rocks are broken into larger pieces, and con- 2
sequently are of greater value.
This compound instead of being impaired by age is on the contrary
improved. It consists of three materials only, and the following are the
proportions, though I do not confine myself to these exact proportions
as they may be varied as circumstances may require :—
2

page_text: To carry out my Invention I use two wire sieves, one with a larger
mesh than the other, the larger one is used first to sift the sawdust, the
other with a smaller mesh is employed to amalgamate the sawdust with
the brimstone, the amalgamation being effected in an oblong zinc case
prepared for the purpose. In the meantime the water used to dissolve
the nitrate of soda is heated to boiling point in a large kettle or boiler.
The boiling is to be kept up while little by little the quantity of nitrato
to be dissolved is poured in. It is to be observed that not more than
half a pint of water should be used to dissolve one pint of nitrate or
the requisite dryness will not be obtained. After the nitrate is com-
pletely dissolved I pour little by little the liquid on the sawdust already
prepared and then knead by means of wood shovels or flat spades.
After the kneading I compress the whole to the bottom of the case and
leave it at rest for 24 hours in order that the sawdust may be quite
saturated, the powder is then dried. When the powder is almost dry I
sift it again through the small sieve and then leave it at rest. Both
before and after this last operation the powder must be stirred and spread
with a wood rake.
The method of use is nearly the same as that of the ordinary powder.
After being sure that the mining hole is air-tight the loading can be
proceeded with. I put in one-third powder and two-thirds wadding.
The only difference to be observed consists in introducing the wick or
time fuse after putting at the bottom a small quantity of powder, and
continue ramming until the necessary quantity is filled in.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried out, I declare that what I
claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the new or improved mining powder, composed of the
ingredients herein-before mentioned, for mining and blasting purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Camille Espir, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.