or Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Perforated Grains or Rods of Explosive or other Material
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
New or Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Perforated Grains or Rods of Explosive or other Material
I, HUDSON MAXIM, of No 145 East Eighty-second Street, in the City, County
and State of New York, United States of America Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
This invention relates generally to a process an apparatu for making perforated
grains or rods of plastic material, and the product made thereby and more
particularly to the making of perforated explosive grains or rods for use as powder
charges in ordnance and in small arms
In practising the invention in the making, for in tance, of an explosive grain or
rod, I employ an impervious explosive compound, which preferably consists of an
impervious colloid of pyroxylin made by means of a volatile solvent of the
pyroxvlin with or without an ad nixture of nitro-glycerin, providing an amorphous
mass which, while in a plastic condition, is capable of flowing under pressure and
partaking of any desired shape
In adapting such explosive compound for practical use it is advantageous to form
it into grains or rods of uniform size as distinguished from masses thereof, and it is
furthermore of importance to furnish such grains witn one or more perforations to
thereby provide for their combustion along the perforation which, as the combustion
continues, constantly presents gradually increasing explosive surface to the flame
whereby the gases of combustion are more gradually evolved and the projectile
propelled with an accelerating speed
It is the object of the present invention to provide a proce-s and means by which
such perforated grains or rods may be readily, economically and advantageously
formed, and to this end it consists in producing a plastic explosive material,
molding such material into a continuous body or rod and simultaneously forming
therein one or more continuous perforations and then cutting such body or rod
into sections or grains It furthermore consists in molding a plastic material into
a continuous body or rod and simultaneously applying an exterior coating or
envelope thereto either alone or in conjunction with simultaneously forming in such
body one or more continuous perforations, and whether or not such coated body
be cut into grains
The improved apparatus capable of practically carrying out the novel process
consists substantially of a chamber adapted to contain the plastic material with
means for exerting pressure on such material, a forming chamber into which the
material is forced, a die or mold communicating with the forming chamber and one
or more mandrels in the die or mold and preferably extending thereinto from the
forming chamber, around which mandrel or mandrels and between them and the
surrounding wall of the die the material is caused to flow in the act of being
shaped and forced outward in completed form In conjunction with the die or
mold there may be provided an annular mouth opening into the die from a supply
passage or chamber through which mouth suitable material may pass or be forced
to exteriorly coat or envelop the material passing through the die In connection
with this improved apparatus means may also be provided for cutting the foined
material passing from the die into grains
With this general statement of the leading reatures of the invention, I have, in
order to make the same more clearly understood, shown in the accompanying
drawings, means for carrying it into pinctical effect, without thereby limiting the

page_text: improvements in their useful applications to the particular construction taken for
illustration herein
In said drawings
-
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the apparatus embodied in my
invention and adapted to carry out the improved process
Fig 2 is a bottom view thereof
Fig 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3, 3, of Fig 1
Fig 4 is a plan view of the mandrel supporting or carrying plate
Fig 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a slightly different form of
apparatus
Fig 6 is a bottom plan view of the same
Figs 7 and 8 are respectively a bottom and a sectional view of the die
Figs 9 and 10 are respectively a sectional and a bottom plan view of one of the
mandiel supporting plates
Fig 11 is a side view of the central mandrel
Igs 12 and 13 are respectively a bottom and a side view of the other mandrel
carrying plate
Fig 14 is a vertical sectional elevation illustrating a means for cutting the
continuous rod into sections
Fig 15 is a sectional view of a finished rod-section or grun
Referring to the drawings A. indicates a chamber of sufficient capacity for the
amount of plastic material to be treated Such chamber may consist of two
portions as shown, the one, a, adapted to receive the charge of material to be
operated upon and to serve as a cylinder in which the compressing means may
operate, and the other a¹ secured to the part a and receiving the compressed
material from such cylinder on its way to the forming chamber The latter 18
shown at B and is preferably of conical or equivalent form as illustrated, connected
and communicating with the chamber A The die for giving external form to the
gain or rod is indicated at C, and may be integial with the chamber B is shown in
the shape of an extension or lip The means for exerting pressure on the miterial
may be vuously constructed A simple and effective device illustrated,
consisting of a piston D fitting in the chamber or cylinder a, which will be
connected with and operated by an engine or by hydraulic appuatu (not shown)
or other source of power By raising the piston opportunity will be horded foi
introducing the already prepared plastic material, here imbuiore de cribed, into the
cylinder, and down id movement of the pi ton will force it into the forming
chimbe Band through the contracted dic or mall, in shape of continuous
body or rol evlindrical or prismatic or of other form, inc suction Oncer iny
desed number of mandrels may be emploved for forming in it simultaneously with
the production of such continuous rod, the continuous longitudinal perforation or
perforation
In Igs 1, 2 and 3 of the driwing I hyhown ituated within
the die netcen such mandrels, one indicated at beu, concentric with the die
and adapted to form a central perforation, and the others shown at arranged
intermediate between the mandrel c and the wall of the die and preferably at equal
distances from each other 1 he number of mandrels will depend upon the diameter
of the rod to be produced, and its desired interior ignition suface Various means
may be employed for holding the mandrels in place In Figs 1 and 4 I have
shown transverse plate C₁ arched or convex toward the direction from which the
plastic material is forced, ha ing openings 6 through which the latter may pass,
and having other openings 6' in which may fit the shanks c² of the mandrels The
latter are clamped in place by nuts screwed upon the thiended mandrul shinks
and on the plate ( While the mandre my be str ht and p roll for
then while lenдth with the axis of the die I pre to shin tim to corrosion 1
with the lines of flow of the plastic material, as indicated in 1, 11 watch their
uper portions are inclined to wholly o pirtly corre non ti thek of the
al's of the firm in car 1 B, th
21 1 F
-
1 1
( 11
pla e material upon the different ides of the minuicl to be all
II
of the
other and

page_text: relieve the mandrels of lateral strain which might otherwise displace them and
improperly distribute the perforations in the rod or grains The plate C¹ 15
clamped between the chambers A and B, the latter being secured together by a
sleeve E having a shoulder e which engages a lateral flange 6 of the chamber B,
and screwed upon the chamber A It will be seen that the passage of the plastic
material through the devices thus fai described will produce a continuous and
continuously multi-perforated rod
For coating this rod exteriorly with a suitable material, such as one which is
combustible but of les explosive quality than the encased grain, for instance, a
compound of celluloid and nitro naphthalene, as hereinaf er specified, I may
provide an innular mouth F opening from a chamber or duct into the die
1 accomplish this conveniently by forming such duct in the sleeve E and inaking
tie portion of the die beyond or below such mouth in piece C independent
This
of the chamber B and secured, as by a sciew-thread, in the said sleeve
ece C2 in effect forms a second die of slightly greater area than the die portion
oove the mouth F to properly form the coating material around the rod issuing
from the other portion of the die as it passes through the aperture of the piece C2
The coating material may be fed into the duct F, at a rate to corre pond with that
of the formation of the rod, through a pipe or opening 2
If it be desired to employ this apparatus for the production of a rod having a
single central perforation, the mandrels c¹ may be individually removed from the
¡late C¹
They may, however, be arranged to be collectively removed, and such
construction is shown in Figs 5 to 13, in which also is shown a construction
a lapted to the production of rods of various diameters, by the interchangeability of
1 - die and mandrel< In this form of the machine coating devices are not shown
bit may be added on the rod may be subsequently conted in any preferied wav
Referring to the last mentioned figures the die is shown as secured directly into
the bottom of the cylinder in which the compressing piston tiavels, said bottoni
being concave as shown at g, to direct the plastic material inward towards the die
By moving this die and substituting another of different internal di meter the
ze of the 1od or grain may be modified The central mandrel is supported by a
11te or bushing H into which it is screwed which has openings for the passage
of the material, and which is clamped between the die and a shoulder g¹ on the
bottom plate
I is a somewhat imilar and separate plate having formed with it
one or more circular series of mandrels and clamped between the plate H and the
+houlder ct of the die The plate I has circular series of openings for the
material and a central opening 2¹ In this construction also the upper portions of
the mandrels are inclined to conform to the ducction of movement or flow of the
material, but are her united one with another, as best seen in Fig 13, constituting
a funnel shaped conduit ??
The explosive material forced through the die in the form of continuous body
or 1od, will extend therefrom and from the lower surface of the mass, and said
continuous body or 10d be cut or divided into very short lengths by a suitable
cutter arranged to operate parallel with the surface of the die at proper intervals
of time according to the speed of compression and movement of the material
through the die In Fig 14 I have shown by a view partly in section and putly
in elevation one such means for cutting off the said 1od into sections or grains,
con isting of a revolving blade h having a bevel gear h¹ that is engaged by another
It
wheel which may in turn be operated by a crank k or other source of power
1 obvious that the cutter and the means for operating it either by hand or by
power may be changed widely from that shown
J
Ine grains or sections thus formed, while protected on their sides by the less
explosive or etarding material, will have at their ends the explosive material
exposed to immediate ignition I he result will be that the combustion of the grun
will begin on the ends, proceeding inwards as succeeding portions of the explosive
ar uncovered by the consumption of the outer and overlying portions as indicated.
by the dotted lines in Tig lo

page_text: The surface on which combustion takes place will, therefore, be gindually
increased, with a corresponding progressive increase in the volume of gas evolved
and gradual acceleration of the movement of the projectile
The coating for the grain hein before referred to composed of a compoun1 of
celluloid and nitro naphthalene may be made by the celluloid and nitro naphthalene
together and adding a solvent thereof such as acutone
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sand inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is
1 The herein described method of manufacturing explosive rods or gains,
which consists in producing an explosive material capable of flowing under
pressure molding the latter into a continuous rod, simultaneously forming therein
a continuous longitudinal opening or openings, and exteriorly applying to the rod a
continuous coating or envelope
2 The combination with a chamber and a source of supply for a plastic material
communicating with the chamber, of mandrels arranged in the chamber, and a
mandiel support therefor provided intermediate of the mandrels with openings
communicating with said source of supply and with the space between the mandrels,
substantially as de cubed
3 In a machine of the class described, the combination with a chamber and
pressing means, of a die for giving exterior form to the material, and a series of
mandrels having inclined shanks or supports for forming longitudinal perforations
in the product, as set forth
4 The combination with a chamber and pressing means, of a die for giving
exterior form to the material and a series of mandrels arranged in the path of the
miterial and bent or curved to correspond with the direction of flow thereof, as
set forth
5 The combination with conical or tapening chamber of mandrels arranged in
said chamber and having their shanks or supports inclined relative to the axis of
the chamber so as to be in a line substantially parallel with the flow of the material,
substantially as described
6 The combination of a plurality of mandrels, another and independent mandrel
or mandicls coacting with the plurality of mandrels and a surrounding die, as
set forth
7 The co ih nation with a dic, and a plurality of outer or eccentric mandrels
within the sac, of nad dl sup uit therefor a mindrel or man lrels within said
outer mandrels and a support for the intermedi to udrel or mandic m'p rdent
of the first mentioned support, sub tant: lly as described
8 The combination with a die, and a plurality of outer or countric andrels
within the Simt, of mand- 1 support therefor havin, a shoulder, a m ndrul or
mandrels within sand outer mandrels, and a support 101 the inte med te mandrol or
mandi els independent of the int mentioned support and ie ting on said houlder,
substantially as described
9 A machine for the manufacture of explosive rods and grains when con tructed
and arranged as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing>
Dated this 16th day of April 1895
H MAXIM,
Per WH Bech,
115 Cannon Street, London, EC, Agent