Improvements in Miners' Squibs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1.91-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miners' Squibs.
I, JOHN R. POWELL, of Plymouth, in the County of Luzerne, and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 miners' squibs, and the object of the same is to construct
the squib so that it will furnish perfect safe-guards in the use thereof and which
will show conclusively to the miner that the squib is perfectly safe and reliable and
which will be adapted more especially for use in gaseous mines where no flame-
match can be used. I accomplish this by providing a perfect closure for the front
end of the squib-tube, so as to prevent powder from escaping down into the match,
and, further, in the provision of a match which will be practically transparent,
whereby the miner can see at a glance that there is no powder in the match.
To this end the invention consists in the specific details of construction, herein-
after more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the drawings in
which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a miners' squib embodying my improvements.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the blank from which the squib is made.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a needle with the paper wound thereon and turned
down at its upper end.
Fig. 4 is a similar perspective showing the entire paper rolled and illustrating
how the paste is applied.
Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of the complete squib.
Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the match, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the connection between the match and the
tube to show the tongue.
Referring to the said drawings, the letter P designates the paper case, E the
explosive filling, and M the m..tch. The paper is preferably cut by dies or in any
other suitable manner from Manila or tissue paper, as is common in this art, and is
formed of about the shape shown in Fig. 2. It is provided with a slit S where
shown, forming a tongue T at one side, and a piece M which comprises the match
at the other side, the other edge of the match-piece being beveled or cut away, as
shown at C.
With the exception of this construction of one end of the paper the latter is
approximately of rectangular form.
As soon
In the construction of my improved squib the paper is first laid upon a flat base,
the needle end laid upon the paper at the right-hand edge thereof with its end
extending only to the inner end, of the tongue T, and the paper rolled upon the
needle in a manner which is well known to those familiar with this art.
as the paper has been rolled up to the slit S, the rolled tongue T is turned down,
as shown in Fig. 3. The rolling is then continued, rolling the turned-down tongue
inside the body of the paper and also rolling up the piece M for the match until
the whole assumes the shape shown in Fig. 4, when paste is applied along the
projecting edge and the needle and paper rolled over said paste to form a complete
tube. This tube will be closed at its upper end, or at the junction of the tube-
body with the match, which closure will be effected by the turned-down tongue T,
as will be obvious.
The match M is then flattened by hand and the squib presents the appearance
shown in Fig. 1.
The powder or other explosive E is then inserted and the open end of the tube
is closed, by any suitable mans.

page_text: The advantages of this improved squib over those heretofore made are as
follows: The powder or other explosive is confined within the tube between the
two ends and cannot escape therefrom and hence none of the powder can by chance
get into the match.
Heretofore the objection has been raised that if there were particles of powder
in the match the same would burn too quickly and the explosion of the charge
would be premature; but by the use of the turned-over tongue T the powder
positively prevented from getting into the match; also, instead of twisting the
match, as heretofore, whereby parts of it might be twisted more tightly than others
and would burn more slowly when the match is flattened, as in the present instance,
it will burn uniformly and can almost be used as a time-fuse. When saturated
with saltpetre and water or some other slow-burning substance which will not blaze
up, it is specially desirable when working in gaseous mines.
Moreover when the match was twisted the miner invariably untwisted it before
using the squib, in order to ascertain if by any accident particles of powder had
escaped thereinto; but in the present instance where thin paper is used the match
is transparent, and a grain of powder will be easily detected in that manner.
Again, by having the edge of the match-paper beveled or cut away no paste is
necessarily used in the match, the pasting of the body and the rolling of the match
simultaneously therewith holding the paper of the latter in a manner which will be
obvious and the cut-away edge of the match-paper follows a spiral line around the
match, as shown in Fig. 1.
The use of this squib is well known to miners, and need not be explained at
length.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The hereindescribed miners' squib, the same comprising a body of paper
having a turned-over integral tongue at one end, which is rolled with the body in
tube form before being turned over, so as to confine the powder and form a closure,
an integral match at the same end, the whole being of tubular form, and the match
being flattened and untwisted and being of thin paper and practically transparent,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The hereindescribed miners' squib, the same comprising a body of paper
having a turned-over integral tongue at one end, which is rolled with the body in
tube form before being turned over, so as to confine the powder and form a closure,
and an integral match at the same end, the whole being of tubular form, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 14th day of September 1881.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Can HAY OUT Dan