Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Explosives.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Explosives.
We, ALFRED LUCK, of Brentcote, Dartford, in the County of Kent, Chemist, and
Manager of Smokeless Powder Works, and CHARLES LEE NICHOLS, of 1, Queen
Victoria Street, in the County of London, Accountant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture and production of
explosives and has for its object to produce gunpowders capable of quick ignition
such as are required for use in revolvers or sporting guns or for blank or practice
ammunition in which gunpowders it is also of advantage that their bulk should be
very considerably increased so that any error in measuring off the charges into
the cartridges may not make an appreciable difference in the weight of the charge.
According to our invention we incorporate with the ingredient or ingredients
forming the gunpowder, and before it is formed into grains a substance which can
afterwards be dissolved or partly dissolved out; this has the effect of leaving the
finished grains resulting from the whole process bulky and more or less porous.
The grains after drying are treated with a solvent of the ingredient or ingredients
forming the gunpowder so that the grains are rendered firm and hard. The
soluble substance is then dissolved out. The substance used is preferably such as
is without action upon the ingredients of the finished explosive.
As an example of our process we give the following description for the produc-
tion of one variety of gunpowder. We take ordinary nitro cellulose say 50 lbs.
and incorporate with it a solution of nitrate of soda containing say about 50 lbs. of
the salt. The mass so obtained is formed into grains by any convenient method
and then dried. After drying the grains are treated with a solvent of the nitro
cellulose, the solvent being sprayed over the grains whilst they are agitated so as
to prevent them as much as possible from adhering to each other. The grains
are then again dried and by the action of the solvent will be found to be left in
a more or less hardened condition. They are then transferred to any convenient
vessel in which by the action of water the nitrate of soda may be partly or entirely
washed out. The grains are finally dried when they present an appearance resem-
bling the original soft grains but rendered harder and porous by the treatment
to which they have been submitted. Other soluble bodies may be used in place
of nitrate of soda and according to the proportion of the nitrate of soda or other
body which is used the finished grains will be more or less porous and consequently
more or less bulky.
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1
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page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture and Production of Explosives.
We, ALFRED LUCK, of Brentcote, Dartford, in the County of Kent, Chemist, and
Manager of Smokeless Powder Works, and CHARLES LEE NICHOLS, of 1, Queen
Victoria Street, in the County of London, Accountant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture and production of
explosives and has for its object to produce gunpowders capable of quick ignition
such as are required for use in revolvers or sporting guns or for blank or practice
ammunition in which gunpowders a certain amount of bulkiness is of advantage
so that any error in measuring off the charges into the cartridges may not make
an appreciable difference in the weight of the charge.
According to our invention we incorporate with the ingredient or ingredients
forming the gunpowder. and before it is formed into grains a substanco which can
afterwards be dissolved or partly dissolved out. The mass so obtained is then
formed into grains, which latter after drying are treated with a solvent of the
ingredient or ingredients forming the gunpowder so that the grains are rendered
firm and hard. The soluble substance is then dissolved out.
The soluble substance used is preferably such as is without action upon the
ingredients of the finished explosive and it has the effect of improving the action
of the solvent on the ingredient or ingredients forming the gunpowder, allowing
the said solvent to penetrate well into the interior of each grain.
The following is an example of our process shewing how the same may be
carried into practical effect but we do not limit ourselves to the precise details.
We take ordinary nitro-cellulose say 50 lbs. weight and incorporate with it
about 50 lbs. weight of nitrate of soda preferably in solution. The mass so
obtained is formed into grains by any convenient method and then dried. After
drying, the grains are treated with a solvent of the nitro-cellulose such as a
mixture of ether and alcohol the solvent being sprayed over the grains whilst they
are agitated and being sufficiently weak so as to prevent them from adhering
to each other. The grains are then again dried and by the action of the solvent
will be found to be left in a more or less hardened condition. They are then
transferred to any convenient vessel in which by the action of water the nitrate of
soda may be partly or entirely washed out. The grains are finally dried when
they present an appearance resembling the original soft grains but rendered harder
by the treatment to which they have been submitted. Other soluble bodies may
be used in place of nitrate of soda and according to the proportion of the nitrate
of soda or other body which is used the finished grains will be more or less porous
and consequently more or less bulky.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven⚫
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is: -
1. In the manufacture of explosives the addition of a soluble substance to the
nitro-cellulose, forming the mass so obtained into grains and drying the same,
then treating the grains with a solvent and drying and finally removing the
poluble substance and drying the grains substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 2. The manufacture of explosives substantially in the manner described in the
aforesaid example.
3. As new products explosives obtained in the manner herein before described.
Dated this 19th day of July 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.