IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER.”
-A communication from abroad by Lammot du Pont and Eugene
du Pont both of Newcastle. Delaware. United States of Americe
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 9th October 1873, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER," and have petitioned Her Majesty
to grant unto me, my executors,. administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it
has been communicated to me from abroad by Lammot du Pont, and

page_text: Eugene du Pont, both of Newcastle, Delaware, United States of
America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement:-
-
The powder is prepared by the usual processes up to the point when it
is ready to be pressed. This is usually done by weighing out the proper
proportions, and mixing and incorporating them with a small per
centage of water. This moist powder is then spread on plates in layers
and submitted to pressure, which compresses it into cakes. These cakes
are broken up by passing them between rollers, into irregular grains or
pieces varying in shape and size from the coarsest to the finest dust.
This broken powder is then assorted into different sizes, by sifting it
through sieves of different mesh, making irregular shaped grains, as no
two are exactly of the same shape. This powder. so made answers for
many purposes, but for large cannon the irregularities of the grains
produce irregular results. To avoid this irregularity is the purpose and
object of the said Invention.
Powder has been made of uniform sizes by pressing each grain
separately in a mould. In such process it would be impossible to weigh
each and every one of these minute charges, and consequently the
pellets are of varying density, so that more is lost in this irregularity of
density, than is gained by uniformity of size of the grains.
This Invention consists in the compression of the grains in sheets,
that are afterwards broken up into pieces, by which means I attain
uniformity of density and comparatively great regularity of size.
In making this powder I proceed in the same way as herein-before
stated as the usual way of making powder. up to the moistening of the
powder. The damp or moistened powder I place between plates with
ribs raised upon them, which embed themselves by the pressure into the
cake, and cause the same to break in the weakiest line of fracture,
making the whole of the cake into grains of uniform shapes, and all of
which have been subjected to uniform pressure, and are of regular
density. Of these shapes or forms I prefer those whose horizontal
sections are of either a square or hexagonal shape, but do not limit this

page_text: Invention to either of these forms; nor is the form of the rib on the
plates of little importance. I prefer making the section of the ribs
wedge-shaped with straight or curved sides, in such a form that the
powder will be compressed sideways as well as vertically, thereby giving
the grain or granula a greater density on the surface, and through the
lines of fracture than in the interior.
The above mentioned effect is increased by the use of paper or other
porous substance dampened and spread between the powder, and ribbed
plates before the pressure is applied when by the pressure the moisture
is squeezed into the surface of the grain causing it to yield much more
to the pressure, and making it much harder, and the interior much
softer in proportion.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim, compressing [dampened
powder in sheets between ribbed plates, or other similar means for
forming indented lines, by which the cake is broken up into uniform
shapes and sizes, and giving these grains a greater density on the
surface than in the interior, as herein set forth and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
5
Witness,
HY. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.ș.)