AN INSTRUMENT OR CONTRIVANCE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS IGNITION OF A NUMBER OF SAFETY OR OTHER FUSES.”
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bickford-Smith and George John Smith, both
of Tuckingmill, in the County of Cornwali, Safety Fuse Manufacturers, for
the Invention of "AN INSTRUMENT OR CONTRIVANCE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS
IGNITION OF A NUMBER OF SAFETY OR OTHER FUSES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bickford-Smith and
George John Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th
February 1879.
WILLIAM BICKFORD-SMITH and GEORGE JOHN SMITH, both of Tuckingmill, in
the County of Cornwall, Safety Fuse Manufacturers. " AN INSTRUMENT OR CON-
TRIVANCE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS IGNITION OF A NUMBER OF SAFETY OR OTHER
FUSES."
The object of our said Invention is to provide a means of uniting several fire
bearing fuses, either quick or slow burning or explosive, in one recipient, to which
fuses ignition is conveyed by a single fire bearing fuse with a suitable ignition sheet
or wad interposed betwixt the ends of the several fuses and the single fuse, as
hereinafter described.
We make a small cylinder of tin plate, zinc, wood, cardboard, or other suitable
material, the diameter of the said cylinder being proportioned to the number of
fuses which it is desired to ignite simultaneously. Into one end of the cylinder there
is fitted a socket or block formed of wood or other suitable material, through the
centre of which a hole is bored, the diameter of which is proportioned to the size of
the single fuse by which the number of fuses are to be ignited. At the base of the
block or socket above specified, within the cylinder aforesaid and placed close
against the end of the hole through the block or socket, we insert a disc, wad, or cap
of a size proportioned to that of the cylinder and made of, containing, or saturated
with some explosive or inflammable material. The method of using our igniting
instrument is as follows:--
The ends of the several fuses intended to be simultaneously ignited are brought
together and inserted within the cylinder aforesaid so that they abut against the

page_text: inflammable disc, wad, or cap aforesaid.
The ends of these fuses are then securely
fastened within the cylinder by cord, or wire, or by the compression of the cylinder
upon them, or by other means. The single fuse by which the others are to be
ignited is inserted through the hole-in-the block or socket specified, so that the end
of this fuse also abuts on the reverse side of the inflammable disc or wad.
_ By the ignition of the exterior end of the single fuse last mentioned and the
transmission of the fire through that fuse to the inflammable disc or wad aforesaid
the disc or wad is ignited, and by it the whole-number of fuses whose ends are con-
tained in the cylinder arc simultaneously ignited in the manner intended.
The whole of the exterior of the igniting instrument, including the points of
egress of the fuses to be ignited and of the igniting fuse and the interstices between
the former, may be advantageously varnished or coated with a solution or compound
of india-rubber, gutta-percha, tar, or other suitable water-resisting material.
Our Invention also embraces a modification of the arrangement above described
by which the ends of the several fuses to be simultaneously ignited are inserted each
through a separate hole instead of being fastened together in one tube.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Bickford-Smith and George John Smith in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th August 1879.
WILLIAM BICKFORD SMITH and GEORGE JOHN SMITH, both of Tuckingmill, in
"AN INSTRUMENT OR CON-
the County of Cornwall, Safety Fuse Manufacturers.
TRIVANCE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS IGNITION OF A NUMBER OF SAFETY OR OTHER
FUSES."
The object of our said Invention is to provide a means of uniting several fire
bearing fuses, either quick or slow burning or explosive, in one recipient, to which
fuses ignition is conveyed by a single fire bearing fuse, a suitable ignition sheet or
wad being interposed betwixt the ends of the several fuses and the the single fuse, as
will now be described with reference to the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 1 repre-
sents a section of an instrument according to our Invention.
A is a small cylinder of tin plate, zinc, wood, cardboard, or other suitable material,
the diameter of the said cylinder being proportioned to the number of fuses which
it is desired to ignite simultaneously. Into one end of the cylinder there is fitted a
socket or block B formed of wood or other suitable material, through the centre of
which a hole is bored, the diameter of which is proportioned to the size of the single
fuse by which the number of fuses are to be ignited. At the base of the block or
socket B within the cylinder A and placed close against the end of the hole through B
we insert a disc, wad, or cap C, made of, containing, or saturated with an explosive
or inflammable material. An inflammable disc or wad which we find suitable is
made of open cotton fabric soaked in a composition of about 60 parts best gun-
powder, 28 parts methylated spirit, and 12 parts water thickened with gum
tragacanth to a consistency of thick syrup. These proportions and materials may
however be varied. In some cases we simply interpose a layer C of gunpowder
between the ends of the fuses D and E.
The ends of the several fuses D intended to be simultaneously ignited are brought
together and inserted within the cylinder A so that they abut against the inflam-
mable disc, wad, or cap C. The ends of these fuses are then securely fastened within
the cylinder by cord, or wire, or by the compression of the cylinder upon them, or
by other means. A convenient mode of securing them is to tie them tightly round
with a cord H and to bring the ends of the cord h, h, up on each side of the casing A
and tie them over the shoulder of B. The single fuse E by which the others are to
be ignited is inserted through the hole in the block or socket D so that its end
abuts on the reverse side of the inflammable disc or wad C.
By the ignition of the exterior of the single fuse E and the transmission of the
fire through it the inflammable disc or wad C is ignited, and by it the whole number
of fuses D whose ends are contained in the cylinder are simultaneously ignited in
the manner intended.
The whole of the exterior of the igniting instrument, including the points of egress
of the fuses to be ignited and of the igniting fuse and the interstices between the
former, may be advantageously varnished or coated with a solution or compound of
india rubber, gutta percha, tar, or other suitable water resisting material.
Fig. 2 shews a modification of the arrangement above described, according to
which the ends of the several fuses D to be simultaneously ignited are inserted each
through a separate hole in a plate F, which may be close to the end of the casing
and soldered thereto, or may be at some distance from the end and attached to the
casing by a couple of wires G, or simply kept in its place by the rigidity of the fuses
passed through it and the adhesion caused by the waterproofing composition applied.
For facilitating the spreading out of the fuses D the plate F may be, as shewn in
Fig. 2, larger than the mouth of the casing A, and instead of supporting it by

page_text: wires G, G, the casing itself may be trumpet mouthed and have the plate soldered
to its mouth.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim,
-The construction, substantially as-herein described, of an instrument for effecting
the simultaneous ignition of a number of fuses from one fuse, the ends of the fuses
being arranged-to.abut against an inflammable disc or wad within a casing.
In witness whercof, we, the said William Bickford Smith and George John_
Smith, have hereunto-set-our-hands and seals, this Fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
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