Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 1888
We, KENNETH MºLEA, of Greshain House, Old Broad Street, in the City of
London, Gentleman, and ROBERT PUNSHON, of 172 Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
This invention relates more especially to the construction of cartridges and cartridge
cases used in blasting operations, but it is also applicable to the construction of
cartridges and cartridge cases employed for other purposes, and the chief object of
the invention is to enable certain explosive substances, the use of which has heretofore
been attended with danger, to be used with safety; for example those explosives
which require to be saturated with nitric acid before being used but the invention
is also applicable to cartridges and cartridge cases in which ordinary explosives, such
as gun cotton, dynamite, or gun powder are employed.
The improvement in the construction of cartridges, consists in interposing between
the explosive charge placed at the lower part of the cartridge case, and the primer or
exploder placed at the upper part thereof, a wad or plug of paraffin wax introduced
in a melted state so as to form a perfectly air-tight partition between the explosive
charge, and the primer or exploder. This air-tight plug or partition of paraffin wax,
prevents the possibility of any part of the nitric acid escaping from the part of the
cartridge case containing the explosive charge into that containing the primer or
exploder whereby the danger of spontaneous ignition of the latter, through the action
of nitric acid upon it, is avoided. The plug or partition may be made of any material,
not acted on by nitric acid, which can be insertod so as to form an air-tight partition
between the explosive charge and the primer or exploder. Or, instead of the above
described air-tight plug or partition interposed between the explosive charge and
the primer, we sometimes enclose the priming or firing powder or gun cotton in a
glass tube inserted in the body of the explosive charge in the cartridge case, taking
care to provide means, when necessary, to prevent the passage of nitric acid from the
charge to this primer.

page_text: The improvement in the construction of cartridge cases intended to contain a
nitro-compound or an explosive saturated with nitric acid consists in making the
cartridge case of a tubo or vessel of any suitable shape composed of glass, porcelain,
or other similar and suitable material which is not acted on by nitric acid. This
tube or vessel is closed at one end and is open at the other to receive the explosive
charge, the before mentioned air tight plug or partition, and a primer or exploder of
gun cotton, or other suitable compound, or a second glass tube containing the primer
or exploder as above described. The glass, porcelain, or other similar tube forming
the cartridge case is preferably encased in a paper or other suitable protecting
envelope.
تيق
1
1
A D 1007

page_text: An Improved Cartridge and Cartridge Case.
We, KENNETH MCLEA, of Gresham House, Old Broad Street, in the City of
London, Gentleman, and ROBERT PUNSHON, of 172 Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Chemist, 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, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
This invention relates more especially to the construction of cartridges and
cartridge cases used in blasting operations, and the chief object of the invention is to
enable certain explosive substances, the use of which has heretofore been attended
with danger, to be used with safety; for example those explosives which require to be
saturated with nitric acid before being used.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents a longitudinal section of one
form of our improved cartridge. The improvement consists in interposing between
the explosive charge A, placed at the lower part of the cartridge case B, and the
primer or exploder C, placed at the upper part thereof, a wad or plug D of paraffin
wax introduced in a melted state over a cardboard or other suitable disc E so as to
form a perfectly air tight partition between the explosive charge A and the primer or
exploder C. This plug or partition of paraffin wax D applies itself closely to the
internal surface of the cartridge case B forms an air and nitric acid-tight joint there-
with and being impermeable to air and nitric acid prevents the possibility of any
part of the nitric acid escaping from the part of the cartridge case B containing the
explosive charge A, into that containing the primer or exploder C, whereby the danger
of spontaneous ignition of the latter through the action of nitric acid upon it is
avoided. The plug or partition D may be made of any material impermeable to, and
not acted on by, nitric acid, and which can be inserted so as to form an air and nitric
acid-tight joint with the internal surface of the cartridge case.
Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section of another form of our improved
cartridge. In this case instead of the above described impermeable and air and
nitric acid-tight plug or partition only being interposed between the explosive charge
and the primer, we enclose the priming or firing powder or gun cotton C in a glass
or other suitable nitric-acid proof tube F inserted in the body of the explosive
chargo A in the cartridge case B, and introduce into the said cartridge case over the
cardboard washer E and the charge A, and round the tube F a wad or plug D of
paraffin wax, or other suitable air and acid-proof material as described in reference to
Figure 1.
The improvement in the construction of cartridge cases intended to contain a nitro-
compound or an explosive saturated with nitric acid, consists in making the cartridge
case of a tube or vessel of any suitable shape composed of glass, porcelain, or other
similar and suitable material which is not acted on by nitric acid. This tube or
vessel is closed at one end and is open at the other to receive the explosive charge,

page_text: the beforementioned nitric acid-proof plug or partition, and a primer or exploder of
gun cotton or other suitable compound, or a glass or other suitable nitric acid-proof
tube containing the primer or exploder, as above described. The glass, porcelain, or
other similar tube forming the cartridge case is preferably encased in a paper or other
suitable protecting envelope.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The construction of cartridges, with a wad or plug of paraffin wax or other
suitable nitric acid-proof material interposed between the explosive charge and the
primer or exploder, such wad or plug being of such a character as to form, when
inserted into the cartridge, an impermeable air-tight and nitric acid-proof partition to
prevent the passing of nitric acid from the explosive charge to the primer or
exploder, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Second. The construction of cartridge cases intended to contain a nitro-compound,
or an explosive saturated with nitric acid, of glass, porcelain, or other such like nitric
acid-proof material as heroinboforo described."
Dated this 30th day of June 1888.