Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder.
I, ADOLPH SCHINDLER, of 26, Kleingroschengasse, Breslau, in the Empire of
Germany, Distiller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of gunpowder.
The objections to the use of chlorate of potash, by employing it as a substitute
for saltpetre in the manufacture of explosives are, among others, that the explosive
materials so made are too rapid and not sufficiently continuous in their action and
to overcome these objections a great number of complicated attempts have been
made to manufacture chlorate gunpowder.
I have found by experiment that the charcoal used for this purpose has
contributed to cause these defects and this is explained by the fact that such
charcoal contains only 70% of carbon, and that too in a condition in which it is
capable of easy combustion and oxidation. Guided by this fact I have, made
experiments with coal which is denser, less easily combustible and rich in carbon.
The only kind of coal, however which I found to be suitable for this purpose was
anthracite, which, as is known, contains about 96% of carbon. I thus discovered
that by using anthracite it is possible to produce by a very simple combination an
extremely powerful powder with chlorate of potash without employing other
substances which when in use might act injuriously, to health for example.
According to my invention this object is attained by intimately mixing chlorate
of potash, anthracite and sugar. The proportions which I have found to give good
results in practice are about
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder.
I, ADOLPH SCHINDLER, of 26, Kleingroschengasse, Breslau, in the German
Empire, Distiller, 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of gunpowder.
The objections to the use of chlorate of potash, by employing it as a substitute
for saltpetre in the manufacture of explosives are, among others, that the explosive
materials so made are too rapid and not sufficiently continuous in their action, and
to overcome these objections a great number of complicated attempts have been
made to manufacture chlorate gunpowder.

page_text: I have found by experiment that the charcoal used for this purpose has
contributed to cause these defects, and this is explained by the fact that such
charcoal contains only 70% of carbon, and that too in a condition in which
it is capable of easy combustion and oxidation. Guided by this fact I have
made experiments with coal which is denser, more combustible and richer in
carbon. The only kind of coal however which I found to be suitable for this
purpose was anthracite, which, as is known, contains about 96% of carbon, and I
discovered that by using anthracite it is possible to produce, by a very simple
combination, an extremely powerful powder with chlorate of potash without
employing charcoal or coal containing a large quantity of impurities and bituminous
matter.
According to my invention this object is attained by reducing to a fine powder
and intimately mixing chlorate of potash, anthracite and sugar. The proportions
which I have found to give good results in practice are about
12 parts by weight of chlorate of potash,
3 parts by weight of sugar,
5 parts by weight of anthracite,
sumcient water being added to form a paste, which 18 granulated in the usual
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Gunpowder or explosive material, composed of chlorate of potash and sugar,
and in addition, carbon in the form of powdered anthracite, the whole being mixed
and combined in about the proportions set forth.
2. The manufacture of gunpowder or explosive material by intimately mixing by
means of water, chlorate of potash, sugar and anthracite in about the proportions
herein set forth, the mass so formed being moulded in any suitable manner.
Dated the 20th day of July 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.