An Improved Explosive for Producing Motive Power, and Apparatus to be used in connection therewith.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1854
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept.. 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFIVALION.
An Improved Explosive for Producing Motive Power, and Apparatus
to be used in connection therewith.
:
I, THOMAS HAWKINS, of Palmerston Villa Green Street Upton Park
London E. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as.
follows:-
This invention relates to an explosive liquid preparation for use in the obtainment
of motive power, and apparatus suitable to be used therewith for such purpose.
A principal ingredient in the preparation is water without which the other
ingredients used' are useless. The ingredients are, nitrate of soda, bichromate of
potash, golden syrup, chlorate of potash, coal gas, and common water.
Power is obtained from this preparation by exploding a small quantity in
a closed chamber, which evolves a large volume of highly expansive gas, arranged
to act upon suitable motor machinery. The power of the explosive depends upon
the ingredients used.
A mixture of nitrate of soda, bichromate of potash, golden syrup and water will
give a fairly strong explosion, the strength of which can be increased by adding a
small quantity of chlorate of potash, and a further increase, in the expansive
character of the gas evolved can be obtained by adding a small quantity of coal
gas, preferably obtained by boiling powdered coal in a mixture of water and
bichromate of potash, which draws out the gas in the coal into the liquid.
Various other chemical materials of explosive character can be mixed with water
for the above purpose, but those I have mentioned give the best results; the use
of water making the use of such explosives quite safe.
:...t
An apparatus suitable for use with the above preparation for the obtainment of
rotary motion is as follows:-
A suitable cylinder with piston and crank arrangement. At the end of the
piston is fitted an explosion chamber having a plate arranged to be heated from the
outside by electricity or other means, for the preparation to drop upon to be
exploded, the preparation being best introduced by pressure to cause it to fall in
small quantities upon the hot plate: A suitable exhaust is fitted near the explosion
end of the cylinder open by a valve to allow the products of combustion to escape
during the back stroke of piston.
When using the preparation for propelling boats, I dispense with the above
described engine, and employ two or more tubes having an exit at the stern, and an
iniet at the fore part of the boat. These tubes are fitted with self-acting valves to
keep out and let in water as required. Connected to the tubes, and communication
with the interior of same, is an explosion chamber, as before described: The
products of the explosion pass direct into the tubes and act on the water, and so
exert propelling power, by blowing out the water from the tube; when this has
taken place a valve at the end of the tube prevents inlet of water, and a valve at
other end lets in fresh water. This last valve is connected to the supply of the
preparation to introduce the same into the explosion chamber.
Dated this 21st day of December 1894.

page_text: Instead of using an internal heated body, the walls of the explosive chamoer ausen
may be kept at the explosion temperature and the mixture be exploded by coming
into contact with them.
In whatever manner the explosive temperature be obtained I prefer to introduce
the explosive mixture into the explosion chamber or into the generator in the form
of a spray, For this purpose I may employ a spraying device of the kind
represented in the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a vertical section.
A is a spherical chamber into which the liquid explosive is allowed to enter from
a reservoir in definite charges and at suitable intervals of time. The said
reservoir is connected to the spherical chamber by means of a pipe A' which
communicates with a passage 6 leading into the chamber A. This passage is
controlled by a plug cock b. The lower portion of the chamber is formed with an
extension C terminating in a spraying nozzle c and having two passages c¹ c³ formned
therein, the former of which communicates with the central orifice c³ of the
spraying nozzle and the latter with the annular orifice c. c is another passage
extending transversely from the passage c' and communicating by a pipe with a
pump for forcing air into the chamber A. Instead of air, coal-gas may be forced
into the said chamber A in which case the impregnation of the water with the coal-gas
need not be effected in the manner hereinbefore stated. The aforesaid passages c¹ c²
are controlled by a plug cock having openings therein the latter being
a three way opening for the purpose hereinafter explained. The passage
extends some considerable distance into the chamber A so that its mouth is always
above the level of the liquid explosive within the said chamber.
The cocks b and c are connected by means of suitably arranged rods and levers
with some moving part or parts of the engine whereby they are actuated in such a
manner that the cock 6 first opens and admits a charge of the explosive mixture to
the chamber A, the amount of such charge depending on the length of time that
the said cock is kept open. The cock having closed the cock o' turns into a
position to admit the compressed air or gas coming from the pump through the
pipe c. The chamber A therefore at this time contains a charge of compressed
air or gas as well as a charge of the liquid explosive. The cock c' then turns into
a position to close the passage c and to simultaneously open the passages cl and c²
leading to the explosion chamber. When the cock is in this position the
compressed air or gas passes down the passage c* and at the same time forces the
liquid explosive down the passage c'. The liquid explosive and the air or gas meet
at the nozzle c with the result that the explosive is delivered into the explosive
chamber in the form of a fine spray. Explosion then ensues and a fresh charge of
the explosive mixture is admitted to the receiver A, and a repetition of operations
similar to those above stated again takes place. Any gaseous products resulting
from the explosion may be expelled from the cylinder of the engine through
a suitable valve during the return stroke of the piston. The cocks b' and c² may be
controlled by a centrifugal or other suitable governor for regulating the length of
time they remain open and consequently the quantity of charge of explosive
mixture admitted to the explosion chamber. Instead of regulating the amount of
each charge as above stated I may arrange the governor to regulate the number of
charges admitted to the explosion chamber in a given time. It is to be understood
that the engine works in an analogous manner to an ordinary gas or petroleum
engine and therefore it is unnecessary to further describe it for the purpose of my
invention.
In some instances especially for larger engines I may use valves, for example
spring-loaded mushroom valves, in lieu of the plug cocks b', c'.
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 An explosive for use in producing motive-nower. having as its principal

page_text: ingredients nitrate of soda, sugar or syrup, and water substantially in the
proportions specified.
2. An explosive for use in producing motive power, consisting of the
herein before mentioned ingredients mixed together in substantially the proportions
specified.
3. The apparatus or device for admitting the explosive to an explosion chamber
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of September 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.