IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BLASTING POWDER OR EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Horsley, of Cheltenham, in the County of
Gloucester, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Horsley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th April 1869.
I, JOHN HORSLEY, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BLASTING POWDER OR EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the incorporation of nitro-glycerine either
with a mixture of powdered Aleppo or other foreign gall nuts and
chlorate of potash, or with a mixture of powder galls, charcoal, and

page_text: chlorate of potash, or with a mixture of powdered galls, cream of tartar,
and chlorate of potash, or with a mixture of galls, hard sugar, and
chlorate of potash, or with plain mealed gunpowder, so as to form a
powerful blasting powder or explosive compound.
The manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect is as
follows: I incorporate from 20 to 25 per cent. of pure nitro-glycerine
free from acid with any of the following explosive mixtures or powders,
the incorporation being effected by working up 4 fluid ounces of pure
nitro-glycerine with a pound of one of the mixtures or powders in a flat
dish by means of a bone or wooden spatula until the nitro-glycerine is
thomable chaosbod

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Horsley, Her special licence that
I, the said John Horsley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Horsley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during tho 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
of Man, an Invention for
BLASTING POWDER OR EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Horsley, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
salandos monthe next and immediately after the date of the said Letters

page_text: nitro-glycerine with a pound of one of the mixtures or powders in a flat
dish by means of a bone or wooden spatula until the nitro-glycerine is
thoroughly absorbed.
thoroughly absorbed.
Powder A. Best Aleppo or other foreign galls
Chlorate of potash
Powder B.-Aleppo or other foreign galls
-
Alder wood or other vegetable charcoal
Chlorate of potash
Powder C.-Aleppo or other foreign galls
Cream of tartar
Chlorate of potash
"
Powder D.-Aleppo or other foreign galls
Hard sugar of any
kind-
4 ounces
12
"
2 ounces
2
"
12
"
-
2 ounces
"
-
2
"
-
-
12
"
-
2 ounces
-
2
"
12
"
Chlorate of potash
Powder E.-Mealed gunpowder
16 ounces.
The above materials are previously and separately ground to a fine
state of powder and sifted, the galls, charcoal, cream of tartar, and sugar
being sifted through a brass wire sieve of 120 holes per linear inch and
the chlorate of potash through a sieve of 90 holes per linear inch; they
are then dried in a dish over a water bath, and when nearly cold mixed
by agitation in a suitable vessel and passed two or three times through a
sieve of 60 holes per linear inch until all the large nodules are reduced to
powder, which may be aided by a little brush, when the nitro-glycerine
may be incorporated in about the proportions indicated. The proportions
herein-before given are what I find to answer well, but it will be under-
stood that I do not limit myself thereto, and further that inasmuch as
these compounds require percussive force and not mere fire to explode
them, and are not subject to decomposition or to spontaneous ignition or
explosion, they are perfectly safe in manufacture, transport, and use. Not
only is the explosive power very great and distributed in every direction
but there is scarcely any choke damp left.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
m1
Π
11

page_text: porating nitro-glycerine with any of the explosive mixtures or powders
herein described and in about the proportions herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Horsley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JOHN HORSLEY. (L.s.)