AN IMPROVED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES, AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF MANUFACTURING CARTRIDGES THEREWITH
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Wigfall and Gottlieb Jolly
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 18th November 1868.
We, WILLIAM WIGFALL, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Brush
Manufacturer, and GOTTLIEB JOLLY, of the same Place, Brush Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED EXPLOSIVE
COMPOUND TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES, AND AN IMPROVED
MODE OF MANUFACTURING CARTRIDGES THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This improved explosive compound, which we propose to call "Prussian fire,"
is intended to be used in the manufacture of cartridges for fire-arms and
ordnance, and to supersede the use of flints or percussion caps for exploding
We
such cartridges; it may also be used for blasting and mining purposes.
take certain ingredients (hereafter named) and mix or amalgamate the same
together with water, so that they form a paste of about the consistency of soft
clay or putty.
The ingredients which we employ and the proportions which we have
found to answer well in practice are as follows, but we wish to reserve to
ourselves. the right of varying the said proportions and of despensing with one
or more of the ingredients if it should be found on further experiment

page_text: that an equally effective result can be obtained by such variation or modi
fication:-
about
4 parts.
Carbon
Guns
4
"
"
Aquafortis
6
29
"
Red lead
40
33
"
Phosphorus
4
""
99
Sulphur
2
"
"
Chlorate of potash
26
دو
93
Sugar of lead
6
""
33
Cannel coal
1
"
وو
Saltpetro
3
"
"
Steel filings
4
"
"
100 parts.
"These ingredients having been well mixed and amalgamated together so as
to form a paste in order to manufacture our improved cartridge therewith, we
take a tube, shell, or cartridge case, (which may be made of metal, wood,
paper, or other suitable substance,) and place therein at the bottom or rear
end a small portion of our "Prussian fire" so set as to insure its being in a
central position at the said end. We next introduce about half the usual
charge of ordinary gunpowder and then the shot or rifle ball, and effectually
close or seal up each end of the tube or case. After which we coat over the
whole of the cartridge so formed with a suitable waterproof composition to
render the same impervious to wet or damp. Our improved cartridge thus
constructed forms a complete self-contained explosive cartridge, so sensitive
that it will explode on the prick of a needle or pin through the centre of the
rear end, thus dispensing entirely with the use of flints or percussion caps,
whilst its projectile power we believe to be at least twice that of an ordinary
rifle cartridge, by which a very much longer effective range than hitherto will
be obtained and the loading will also be expedited as there is no capping or
priming of the piece required. It will be evident that this improved explosive
compound and mode of manufacturing cartridges therewith are equally
applicable to cannon and other large field pieces, and also to all blasting for
mining or other purposes where an explosive compound or cartridge is
required.
+