IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Marshall Franklin Benton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
December 1862.-A communication from abroad by Samuel Ricker,
residing in the Free City of Frankfort-on-the-Maine.
I, MARSHALL FRANKLIN BENTON, resident in the Free Hanseatic City of
Bremen, but at present at 21, Percy Street, Bedford Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER," being a communication to
me from abroad by Samuel Ricker, resident in the Free City of Frankfort-on-
the-Maine, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the several combinations of ingredients herein-
after stated for the purpose of manufacturing different kinds of powder
intended for use in small arms and in ordnance and in blasting.
The first kind of powder is made from the following ingredients in or about
the following proportions, that is to say, thirty-eight parts in weight of water
and two parts in weight of finely pulverised charcoal are taken and boiled
together so that the charcoal may become dissolved; then there are to be
added twenty parts in weight of chlorate of potash, six parts in weight of a
mixture composed of four parts in weight of half calcined sea grass and two
parts of finely pulverised stone coal. By this addition the boiling will become
interrupted, which must be restored, and then there must be added seven parts
in weight of sawdust, and the whole must be well boiled together so as to form
a solution.

page_text: Instead of the aforesaid mixture of sea grass and stone coal, the following
mixtures may be used if preferred, videlicit, five parts in weight of nitrate of
soda, and one part of pulverised stone coal; or five parts in weight of nitrate
of lead, and one part of pulverised stone coal ; or five parts in weight of saltpetre,
and one part of pulverised stone coal; or, if preferred, two parts and a half of
saltpetre may be used instead of five parts.
The second kind of powder is made by taking twenty parts in weight of
water and one part in weight of pulverised charcoal, and boiling them
together until the latter is dissolved. Then there are added ten parts in
weight of chlorate of potash, and the boiling is repeated; after which there are
added five parts in weight of half calcined sea grass and three quarters of a
part of pulverised stone coal. The boiling which was interrupted by this latter
addition is restored, and then there are added four parts in weight of sawdust,
and the whole of the ingredients are well boiled together so as to form a solution.
The five parts of sea grass mentioned above may be replaced either by five
parts in weight of carbonate of soda, or four parts of nitrate of lead, or four
parts of saltpetre, and the four parts of sawdust may be replaced either by
four parts of dried coffee grounds or three parts and a half of ground parched
wheat.
The third kind of powder is made by first mixing together in a mortar
two parts in weight of wheat flour, and ten parts of chlorate of potash ;
then in another mortar are mixed one part in weight of. pulverised stone
coal and one part of pulverised charcoal, and these two mixtures are com
pounded in a mortar, and three parts in weight of water added.
And the last kind of powder is made by first mixing in a mortar two parts
and a half in weight of wheat flour and ten parts of chlorate of potash;
then in another mortar there are mixed seven parts and a half in weight of
double carbonate of soda, four parts of nitrate of lead, one part and a half of
pulverised stone coal, and one part of pulverised charcoal, and these two
mixtures are to be compounded in a mortar, and three parts in weight of water
added.