IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF GUNPOWDER FOR LOADING ORDNANCE AND FIRE ADMG
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harcourt Brown, of Abbey Mill House,
Romsey, in the County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PREPARATION OF GUNPOWDER FOR LOADING ORDNANCE AND FIRE ADMG"
Sealed the 23rd March 1860, and dated the 15th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harcourt Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th October 1859.
I, JOHN HARCOURT BROWN, of Abbey Mill House, Romsey, in the County
of Hants, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PREPARATION OF GUNPOWDER FOR LOADING ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to prepare gunpowder in compressed cakes or
charges suitable for and to fit the various bores of cannon, rifles, muskets, and
other fire-arms without destroying the granulations of the powder or injuring
its explosive quality, so that the powder charges thus prepared may remain in
store in suitable cases for several years without deterioration, and when used
the whole charge may be deposited in the breach of the piece, cannon, or other
fire-arm without confining it in paper or other extraneous material, and yet
without any loose grains lodging in the grooves of rifled cannon or fire-arms.
In preparing the gunpowder I employ a solution of spirit (or fluid which will
not prejudicially act on the gunpowder) containing an admixture of gumacious

page_text: or adhesive matter, and deposit the same in moulds of brass, gun metal, or
other suitable material of the necessary form and size for containing the
required charge, and by the application of pressure I compress it into a cake
or charge. I regulate the pressure so as to bring the grains of powder into
close contact and cause them to adhere together without destroying the
granulations: In applying the solution to the powder I find it desirable to
surface plates or cylinders of brass or other suitable material with the prepared
solution, and then to sprinkle the powder over the plate or cylinder, allowing
it to adhere thereto. The powder so adhering is then removed by scrapers
from the plates or cylinders, and deposited in moulds suitable for containing
the required charges as before stated, and then the requisite amount of
pressure is applied to form the charges.. On removing the compressed charges
of powder from the moulds the spirit evaporates and they become hard and
fit for use or for being stored away.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Harcourt Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th April' 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARCOURT BROWN, of Abbey Mill House, Romsey, in the County of Hants,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and, successors, give and grant
únto me, the said John Harcourt Brown, Her special licence that I, the
said John Harcourt Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Harcourt Brown, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF
GUNPOWDER FOR LOADING ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Harcourt Brown; my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature.

page_text: of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Harcourt Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to prepare gunpowder in compressed cakes or
charges suitable for and to fit the various bores of cannon, rifles, muskets, and
other fire-arms without destroying the granulations of the powder or injuring
its explosive quality, so that the powder and charges thus prepared may remain
in store in suitable cases for several years without deterioration, and when
used the whole charge may be deposited in the breach of the piece, cannon, or
other fire-arm without confining it in paper or other extraneous material, and
yet without any loose grains lodging in the grooves of rifled cannon or other
fire-arms. In preparing the gunpowder I employ a solution of spirit or fluid
which will not prejudicially act on the gunpowder containing an admixture of
gumaceous or adhesive matter, and deposit the same in moulds of brass, gun
metal, or other suitable material of the necessary form and size for containing
the required charge, and by the application of pressure I compress it into a
cake or charge. I regulate the pressure so as to bring the grains of powder
into close contact, and cause them to adhere together without destroying the
granulations. In applying the solution to the powder I find it desirable to
spread it evenly on the surfaces of plates or cylinders of brass, gun metal, or
other suitable material, and then to sprinkle the grains of powder over the
plate or cylinder, allowing it to adhere thereto. The powder so adhering is
then removed by scrapers from the plates or cylinders and deposited in moulds
suitable for containing the required charges as before stated, and then the
requisite amount of pressure above mentioned is applied to form the charges.
On removing the compressed charges of powder from the moulds the spirit
evaporates and the charges become hard and fit for use or for being stored
away. The solution I prefer to employ is prepared as follows:-I take at the
rate of one pound of clean picked gum arabic and make a mucilage by dissolving
it in two pounds of cold water; I also dissolve a quarter of a pound of
nitrate of potash in five times its weight of cold water, which I add to the
mucilage of gum arabic, and when intimately mixed I add a pound of spirits
of wine and well triturate the solution until an uniform opaque fluid is
produced, which is fit for use in the manner above explained.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the adhesive solution above described, as others may be used in
carrying out my Invention, neither do I confine myself to the manner of
applying the adhesive solution to the grains of gunpowder, nor the forms of the
mould used, but I prefer that each charge of gunpowder should be made
somewhat conical at the end which is to be first ignited; what I claim is the
combining and pressing grains of gunpowder with an adhesive solution into
solid cakes or charges for loading ordnance and fire arms.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harcourt Brown, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
J. H. BROWN. (L.S.)