IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINES OR RESERVOIRS FOR CONTAINING EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS OR LIQUIDS AND GUNPOWDER
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Mathew Palliser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1867.
I, EDWARD MATHEW PALLISER, of the Town and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Gentleman, and late a Captain in the 7th Hussars, stationed in
India, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MAGAZINES OR RESERVOIRS FOR CONTAINING EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS OR LIQUIDS
AND GUNPOWDER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
magazines or reservoirs for containing explosive compounds or liquids and
gunpowder; such reservoirs may also contain cartridges or other manufactured
articles of an explosive nature.
The magazines consist of tubes of coiled wrought iron, steel, cast iron, or
brass, or gun metal, either closed at one end with a breech plug screwed in,
or open at both ends, and provided with copper doors to shut off the contents
from fire or other explosions. If the breech plug is used the threads in the
tubes should be in relief, so that the greatest depth of the threads should
not encroach on the thickness of the tube. In the case of coiled wrought-
iron tubes for large magazines I propose to cast a solid casing of cast iron
round the centre part to give greater strength.
These magazines can be filled with barrels of gunpowder or other materials,
and can be piled one on the other, or better still on rails or supports one
above the other.

page_text: It is plain that the explosion of one will not interfere with the others. The
powder will blow off at both ends, blowing open the doors. The effect will
be merely that of a large cannon firing.
I propose also a shop magazine for the protection of boys or men making
cartridges, copper caps, rockets, gunpowder, and other explosive articles.
This magazine will consist of a coiled barrel or tube about six or seven inches
calibre, and about 14 inches long, of gun metal, coiled iron, or steel; this
barrel will be closed by the screw plug, as before described, and fixed at an
angle of about 45 degrees on a graduated turntable, so as to be moved round
towards the man or boy, but not so far as to point when at his work towards
his head or body, which is prevented by a pin or stop arranged on the turn-
table. As each cartridge or other article is finished it can be placed in the
magazine or receptacle, and no general explosion is possible. Larger
magazines of that class on wheels can receive and remove the explosive
compounds from the smaller magazines in the shop to their destination.
Each workman will have a small magazine at his left side close to his
bench ready to receive any explosive substance or article. In some cases I
:propose to apply a small cock to the bottom of the small shop magazine to
-draw off powder as required to fill cartridges.
I propose to apply a lid or a door of copper to each small magazine to
prevent fire reaching the contents from another explosion. In case of
employing iron magazines I shall cover the iron if necessary with copper,
zino, or other suitable material inside and outside. The lining of the shop
magazines will consist of a copper or zinc case removeable at pleasure with
its contents.