AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COARSE-GRAINED, OR PEBBLE, OR CUBOIDAL GUNPOWDER
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Ambrose Brydges, of the Firm of Brydges & Co.,
Engineers and Patent Solicitors, of 73, Koeniggraetzer Str., in the City of
Berlin and German Empire, and 6, St. Leonard's Terrace, Upton, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF COARSE-GRAINED, OR PEBBLE, OR CUBOIDAL GUNPOWDER."
A communication by August Mayr, of Felixdorf, in the Empire of Austria.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Ambrose Brydges at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th April 1881.
EDWIN AMBROSE BRYDGES, of the Firm of Brydges & Co., Engineers and
Patent Solicitors, of 73, Koenniggraetzer Str., in the City of Berlin and German
" AN
Empire, and 6, St. Leonard's Terrace, Upton, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COARSE GRAINED, OR PEBBLE, OR
CUBOIDAL GUNPOWDER." A Communication by August Mayr, of Felixdorf, in the
Empire of Austria.
In order to avoid the dangerous pressing in closed boxes of the coarser kinds of
gunpowder, as hitherto practised, I employ the following process:-
Common cakes of a thickness permitting of a uniform density from edge to
middle are pressed in open piles between linen cloths and metal plates. These
cakes are then separated, and again so many of them placed on top of each other
as are necessary to give the required thickness to the powder when finished.
These blocks are now treated the same as single cakes wrapped in cloths, and a
whole column of them pressed openly between metal plates. Here it must be
observed that the first pressed thin cakes should be somewhat less dense than the
pieces composed of the former are intended to be. They may however be of a
consistency dense enough to stand placing one on top of the other.
The difference of density between edge and middle of the cakes will not be any
greater than when pressed in closed boxes. By means of this process it is also
easy to produce powder in cubes or parallelopipeds provided with one or more

page_text: channels, thus uniting the advantages of the cuboidal powder with those of the
prismatic, inasmuch as the quality of the latter depends on perforation.
The following is the process for the production of such cubes or parallelo-
pipeds
At first cakes of suitable thickness and density are pressed. According to the
desired size of the grains a number of these cakes are placed on top of each other;
upon these are placed, parallel to each other, metal rods, of a thickness corre-
sponding to the diameter of the channels the cubes or parallelopipeds are intended
to receive.
Between these rods, the ends of which may be connected by wires, strips cut
from the powder cakes are placed, the width of which depends on the intended
size of the finished cubes. Their thickness ought to be at least equal to that of
the metal rods, and their length also nearly that of the rods. Upon this layer
there are again placed as many cakes as there are underneath the rods. The
whole is now wrapped in cloths, and between metal plates pressed to the desired
density.
These cakes when pressed to the proper thickness, and after having their less
dense edges trimmed off, are placed on a cutting machine, such as is commonly
used for cutting cubical powder. At first strips are cut off lengthways and
parallel to the rods, so that the cut runs exactly in the middle between two such
rods. Subsequently they are cut into cubes or parallelopipeds, the cutters of course
not penetrating deep enough to come in contact with the rods.
The so formed cubes or parallelopipeds are thus left upon rods till stripped off
by hand, which is easily done when the rods are kept smooth and well polished.
By inserting the rods the channels are already formed in the cake, while the
placing of the strips of powder in the manner described prevents any displacing
or bending of the rods, the powder at the same time receiving a uniform density.
The process herein described is for forming cubes or parallelopipeds with one
channel, but it is obvious that the same can be employed for powder with two or
more channels, with only the immaterial alterations required for this purpose, of
which a further description is unnecessary.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Ambrose Brydges in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th October 1881.
EDWIN AMBROSE BRYDGES, of the Firm of Brydges and Co., Engineers and
Patent Solicitors, of 73, Koeniggraetzer Str., in the City of Berlin and German
Empire, and 6, St. Leonard's Terrace, Upton, in the County of Middlesex.
" AN
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COARSE-GRAINED, OR PEBBLE, OR
CUBOIDAL GUNPOWDER." A communication by August Mayr, of Felixdorf, in the
Empire of Austria.
=
In order to avoid the dangerous pressing in closed boxes of the coarser kinds of
gunpowder, as hitherto practised, I employ the following process:-Common cakes
of a thickness permitting of a uniform density from edge to middle are pressed in
open piles between linen cloths and metal plates. These cakes are then separated,
and again so many of them placed on top of each other as are necessary to give the
required thickness to the powder when finished. These blocks are now treated
the same as single cakes wrapped in cloths, and a whole column of them pressed
openly between metal plates. Here it must be observed that the first pressed
thin cakes should be somewhat less dense than the pieces composed of the former
are intended to be. They may however be of a consistency dense enough to stand
placing one on top of the other. The difference of density between edge and
middle of the cakes will not be any greater than when pressed in closed boxes.
By means of this process it is also easy to produce powder in cubes or parallelo-
pipeds, provided with one or more channels, thus uniting the advantages of the
cuboidal powder with those of the prismatic, inasmuch as the quality of the latter
depends on perforation. The following is the process for the production of such
cubes or parallelopipeds. At first. cakes of suitable thickness and density are
pressed. According to the desired size of the grains a number of these cakes are
placed on top of each other; upon these are placed, parallel to each other, metal
rods of a thickness corresponding to the diameter of the channels the cubes or
parallelopipeds are intended to receive.
Between these rods, the ends of which may be connected by wires, strips cut
from the powder cakes are placed, the width of which depends on the intended
size of the finished cubes. Their thickness ought to be at least equal to that of
the metal rods, and their length also nearly that of the rods. Upon this layer
there are again placed as many cakes as there are underneath the rods. The
whole is now wrapped in cloths and between metal plates pressed to the desired
density. These cakes when pressed to the proper thickness, and after having their
less dense edges trimmed off, are placed on a cutting machine, such as is commonly
used for cutting cubical powder. At first strips are cut off lengthways and
parallel to the rods, so that the cut runs exactly in the middle between two such
rods. Subsequently they are cut into cubes or parallelopipeds, the cutters of
course not penetrating deep enough to come into contact with the rods. The so
formed cubes or parallelopipeds are thus left upon the rods till stripped off by hand,
which is easily done when the rods are kept smooth and well polished. By
inserting the rods the channels are already formed in the cake, while the placing
of the strips of powder, in the manner described, prevents any displacing or
bending of the rods, the powder at the same time receiving a uniform density.
The process herein described is for forming cubes or parallelopipeds with one
channel, but it is obvious that the same can be employed for powder with two or
more channels, with only the immaterial alterations required for this purpose, of
which a further description is unnecessary.

page_text: Having now described my said. Invention and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I desire it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,―
The process for the production of gunpowder cakes as well as for the production
of perforated cubes or parallelopipeds, substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Ambrose Brydges, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witnesses,
JOHN O. TONKIN,
F. HASSERT.
EDWIN A BRYDGES. (L.B.)