IMPROVEMENTS IN PYROXILIN OR GUN CLOTH CHARGES FO ALL KINDS OF FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Allen Dixon, of Number Twelve, Bartholo-
mew Road, Kentish Town, in the County of Middlesex, Architect, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PYROXILIN OR GUN CLOTH CHARGES FO
ALL KINDS OF FIRE-ARMS,"
Sealed the 26th June 1866, and dated the 22nd March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Allen Dixon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd March 1866.
1, WILLIAM ALLEN DIXON, of Number Twelve, Bartholomew Road, Kentish
Town, in the County of Middlesex, Architect, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PYROXILIN OR GUN CLOTH CHARGES
FOR ALL KINDS OF FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
First, I take any convenient quantity of calico, sheeting, or other woven
fabric, and well wash the same,so as to free it from any extraneous matters it.
may have contracted in the course of manufacture, and after properly drying
it,and dividing it into suitable widths andlengths, I place it in glass orearthen-
ware vessels of any convenient form and size, and pour upon it a mixture of
three parts of sulphuric acid, specific gravity 1-840, and one part of nitric
acid, specific gravity 1-500, the acids having been well mixed and allowed to

page_text: cool before being used as above. In this mixture I allow the woven fabric to
remain for from thirty to seventy-two hours, according to the coarseness or
fineness of the material, the latter requiring a much less time for immersion
than the former. I next take the macerated fabric, and by draining and sub-
sequent pressure abstract from it as much of the remaining acid as possible,
after which I submit it to the action of a running stream of cold water for a
period of from thirty to forty-eight hours, in order to neutralise any free acid
that may remain. I then iminerse it in a solution of any of the alkaline salts
of potash, soda, lime, or ammonia, of about the strength of one ounce to a
gallon of water, and after a further washing in a running stream of water for
a further period of twenty-one days it is then fit, after being partially or
wholly dried, for the purpose of being made into explosive and propellent
charges.
The next and most important part of this Invention consists in the manner
in which this pyroxilin or gun cloth is formed into charges for use in ordnance
and small fire-arms of every kind, which I now proceed to describe.
Those who are acquainted with gun cotton as an explosive agent are well
aware that in a loose form, as carded cotton, wool, or yarn, or very finely
woven fabric, its combustion is so rapid and sudden as to render its use for
fire-arms very uncertain and dangerous, and to utilise and render it safe for
projectile purposes it is therefore necessary to retard this inclination to rapid
combustion. This I effect by a variety of means, as herein-after described,
and I vary the same according to the rate at which it is desirable to let the
charge burn, and this depends on the strength of the barrel, the weight of the
projectile,frictional and atmospheric resistance, and other conditions, the rule
being that the greater the charge the slower must bethe combustion; and this
I secure, first, by rolling the gun cloth into convolutions and obtaining the
required density by tightly or otherwise casing the same with paper, metal,
cloth, or string; second, by introducing alternate or other proportions of layers
or convolutions of paper, woven fabric, thin metal, or any material in a state
of plaster or powder, or, in short, any substance that is non-explosive, and by
preference,also incombustible, between the said layers or convolutions of gun
cloth, whether such layers be adhesively applied or otherwise; also by incor-
porating with the gun cloth in any form, such as wads or pellets, and in
suitable proportion,any non-explosive or non-combustible material. One great
merit of this form of charge is, that when not confined (as in a gun barrel) it
is comparatively non-explosive, and may be lighted and held in the hand
without fear of harm; it may also without danger be dropped into a gun
barrel with fire at the bottom. This is the result of the layers of non-explosive
any

page_text: material preventing the fire from igniting the explosive cloth all at once.
Thus the greatest amount of safety as well as a most portable and convenient
charge is secured. The character of the same charge is, however, entirely
altered when it is confined by shot or other projectile in the barrel of a fire-
arm or cartridge shell. Fire applied in this condition is at once forced into
the charge, resulting in a propelling explosion of the most satisfactory kind
having greater strength than gunpowder, but having much less smoke,noise,
or recoil; nor does it, like gunpowder, heat or foul the barrel. Third, I again
obtain a still greater retarding effect by dipping the fabric, after it has been
converted into pyroxilin or gun cloth, into a bath of any of the sulphates of
lime,copper,zinc,iron, lead, or any other soluble or insoluble sulphate having
a metallic or earthy base, the strengths of those baths being varied according
to the amount of retardation required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Allen Dixon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ALLEN DIXON, of No. 12, Bartholomew Road, Kentish Town, in the County
of Middlesex, Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Allen Dixon, Her special licence that I, the said William
Allen Dixon,my executors, administrators, and assigus, or such others as I, the
said William Allen Dixon, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PYROXILIN OR GUN CLOTH CHARGES FOR ALL KINDS OF FIRE-ARMS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Allen Dixon, my execu-
tors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,or their, or one
of their hands and seals,should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I,the said William Allen Dixon, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
First, I take any convenient quantity of calico, sheeting, or other woven
fabric, and well wash the same, so as to free it from any extraneous matters
it may have contracted in the course of manufacture, and after properly
drying it and dividing it into suitable widths and lengths I place it in glass
or earthenware vessels of any convenient form and size and pour upon it a
mixture of three parts of sulphuric acid, s.g. 1.840, and one part of nitric
acid, s.g. 1-500, the acids having been well mixed and allowed to cool before
being used as above. In this mixture I allow the woven fabric to remain for
from thirty to seventy-two hours, according to the coarseness or fineness of
the material, the latter requiring a much less time for immersion than the
former. I next take the macerated fabric and by draining and subsequent
pressure abstract from it as much of the remaining acid as possible, after
which I submit it to the action of a running stream of cold water for a period
of from thirty to forty-eight hours, in order to neutralise any free acids that
may remain. I then immerse it in a solution of any of the alkaline salts of
potash, soda, lime, or ammonia, of about the strength of one ounce to a
gallon of water, and after a further washing in a running stream of water for
a further period of twenty-one days, it is then fit,after being partially or wholly
dried, for the purpose of being made into explosive and propellent charges.
The next and most important part of this Invention consists in the
manuer in which this pyroxilin or gun cloth is formed into charges for use in
ordnance and small fire-arms of every kind, which I now proceed to describe.
Those who are acquainted with gun cotton asan explosive agent are well
aware that in a loose form, as carded cotton, wool, or yarn, or very finely
woven fabric, its combustion is so rapid and sudden as to render its use for
fire-arms very uncertain and dangerous, and to utilise and render it safe for
projectile purposes it is therefore necessary to retard this inclination to rapid
combustion. This 1 effect by a variety of means, as herein-after described,
and I vary the same according to the rate at which it is desirable to let the
charge burn, and this depends on the strength of the barrel, the weight of the
projectile, frictional and atmospheric resistance, and other conditions, the rule
being that the greater the charge the slower must be the combustion, and this
I secure, first, by rolling the gun cloth into convolutions and obtaining the

page_text: required density by tightly or otherwise winding it and casing the same with
paper, metal, cloth, or string; second, by introducing alternate or other pro-
portions of layers or convolutions of paper, woven fabric, then metal, or any
material in a state of plaster or powder, or, in short, any substance that is
non-explosive,and, by preference, also incombustible, between the said layers
or convolutions of gun cloth, whether such layers be adhesively applied or
otherwise; also by weaving or otherwise incorporating with pyroxilin and
making up the same in any form, such as wads or pellets, and in any suitable
proportion, any non-explosive or non-combustible material. One great merit
of this form of charge is, that when not confined (as in a gun barrel) it is
comparatively non-explosive and may be lighted and held in the hand without
fear of harm; it may also without danger be dropped into a gun barrel with
fire at the bottom. This is the result of the layers or incorporation if non-
explosive material preventing the fire from igniting the explosive cloth all at
once. Thus the greatest amount of safety as well as a most portable and
convenient charge is secured. The character of the same charge is, however,
entirely altered when it is confined by shot or other projectile in the barrel of
a fire-arm or cartridge shell. Fire applied in this condition is at once forced
into the charge, resulting in a propelling explosion of the most satisfactory
kind, having greater strength than gunpowder, but having much less smoke,
noise, or recoil; nor does it, like gunpowder, heat or foul the barrel. Third, I
again obtain a still greater retarding effect by dipping the fabric, after it has
been converted into pyroxilin or gun cloth, into a bath of any of the sulphates
of lime, copper, zinc, iron, lead, or any other soluble or insoluble sulphate,
having a metallic or earthy base, the strength of these baths being varied
according to the amount of retardation.
Having now fully described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that
I consider the merit of my Invention to be the incorporation of a non-explosive
material with pyroxilin in such proportions as the special purpose to which
the charge has to be applied renders expedient. I do not claim
any exclusive
right of making cotton explosive, as this can be effected in several well-known
ways, but I claim,—
First, the particular manner of producing pyroxilin from woven cloth as
laid down in this Specification.
And,secondly, the formation of charges for artilleryandsmallarmsbycoiling
upwiththeaforesaid pyroxilin and inserting between such coils a layer of any
non-explosive material, or by weaving or otherwise incorporating any non-

page_text: explosive material with pyroxilin, which has the effect of preventing the fire
from seizing hold of the pyroxilin in a mass.
Thirdly, by further retarding the combustion by binding the charges tightly
with string or wire.
And,fourthly, further retarding its combustion by subjecting the explosive
fabric to the action of the aforesaid sulphates.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Allen Dixon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM ALLEN DIXON. (L.s.)

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to WILLIAM ALLEN DIXON, of
No. 12, Bartholomew Road, Kentish Town, in the Counity of
Middlesex, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Middlesex, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DER O QUE CLOWN CHARONS FOR ALL Krune of Finans," dated
the Twenty-second day of March One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the above-named William Allen Dixon pursuant to the
Statutes in that case made and provided.
WHEREAS since the filing of his Specification describing his said Invention
the said William Allen Dixon has ascertained that the claims made therein
are too wide, and that the said Specification does not with sufficient precision
describe and indicate what is the Invention claimed, I do hereby disclaim and
alter certain parts of my said Specification in manner following, that is to say,
I disclaim the words "next and most," occurring in the third paragraph of the
said Specification, and I also disclaim the words from and following the word
"First,"occurring in the sixthparagraph down to the word "second," occurring
in the seventh paragraph inclusive; and I disclaim the words " or any material
in a state of plaster or powder," occurring in the seventh paragraph, and in

page_text: pro-
the same paragraph I substitute for the words "and by preference also," the
word "or" and for the word "any," occurring between the words "
portion" and "non-explosive," I substitute the word " the ;" and I disclaim
the words from and following the word "third," occurring in the eleventh
paragraph down to the word "retardation," occurring in the same paragraph
inclusive; and I disclaim the words from and following the word "First,"
occurring in the fourteen paragraph down to the word "secondly "occurring
in the fifteenth paragraph inclusive, and I substitute for the same the words
as herein described;" and I disclaim the words from and following the
word "thirdly," occurring in the sixteenth paragraph down to the word
"sulphates," occurring in the seventeenth paragraph inclusive.
"
And in order that the effect of this Disclaimer may be better understood,
I annex a copy of the Specification as it will appear when such Disclaimer
has been made as aforesaid, that is to say :-
"First, I take any convenient quantity of calico sheeting or other woven
fabric, and well wash the same so as to free it from any extraneous matters
it may have contracted in the course of manufacture, and after properly
drying it and dividing it into suitable widths and lengths I place it in glass
or earthen ware vessels of any convenient form and size and pour upon it a
mixture of three parts of sulphuric acid S. G. 1-840, and one part of nitric
acid S. G. 1-500, the acids having been well mixed and allowed to cool
before being used as above.
In this mixture I allow the woven fabric to remain for from thirty to
seventy-two hours according to the coarseness or fineness of the material, the
latter requiring a much less time for immersion than the former; I next
take the macerated fabric, and by draining and subsequent pressure abstract
from it as much of the remaining acid as possible, after which I submit it to
the action of a running stream of cold water for a period of from thirty to
forty-eight hours. In order to neutralize any free acids that may remain, I
then immerse it in a solution of any of the alkaline salts of potash, soda,
lime, or ammonia of about the strength of one ounce to a gallon of water, and
after a further washing in a running stream of water for a further period of
twenty-one days, it is then fit, after being partially or wholly dried, for the
purpose of being made into explosive and propellant charges.
The important part of this Invention consists in the manner in which this
pyroxilin or gun cloth is formed into charges for use in ordnance and
small fire-arms of every kind, which I now proceed to describe.
Those who are acquainted with gun cotton as an explosive agent are well
aware that in a loose form as carded cotton, wool, or yaru, or very finely

page_text: woven fabric, its combination is so rapid and sudden as to render its use
for fire-arms very uncertain and dangerous, and to utilize and render it safe
for projectile purposes; it is therefore necessary to retard this inclination
to rapid combustion.
This I effect by a variety of means, as herein-after described, and I vary
the same according to the rate at which it is desirable to let the charge
burn, and this depends on the strength of the barrel, the weight of the pro-
jectile, frictional and atmospheric resistance, and other conditions, the rule
being that the greater the charge the slower must be the combustion, and
this I secure by introducing alternate or other proportions of layers or con-
volutions of paper, woven fabric, thin metal, or, in short, any substance that
is non-explosive or incombustible between the said layers or convolutions
of gun cloth, whether such layers be adhesively applied or otherwise, also by
weaving or otherwise incorporating with pyroxilinand making up the same
in any form such as wads or pellets and in any suitable proportion the non-
explosive on non-combustible material. One great merit of this form of
charge is that when not confined (as in a gun barrel it is comparatively non-
explosive, and may be lighted and held in the hand without fear of harm;
it may also without danger be dropped into a gun barrel with fire at the
bottom.
This is the result of the layers or incorporation of non-explosive material
preventing the fire from igniting the explosive cloth all at once.
Thus the greatest amount of safety, as well as a most portable and con-
venient charge, is secured. The character of the same charge is, however,
entirely altered when it is confined by shot or other projectile in the barrel
of a fire-arm or cartridge shell. Fire applied in this condition is at once
forced into the charge resulting in a propelling explosion of the most satis-
factory kind, having greater strength than gunpowder, but having much
less smoke, noise or recoil, nor does it like gunpowder heat or foul the barrel.
Having now fully described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I consider the merit of my Invention to be the incorporation of a uọn
explosive material with pyroxilin in such proportions as the special purpose
to which the charge has to be applied renders expedient.
I do not claim any exclusive right of making cotton explosive, as this can
be effected in several well-known ways; but I claim, as herein described, the
formation of charges for artillery and small arms by coiling up with the afore-
said pyroxilin, and inserting between such coils a layer of any non-explosive
material, or by weaving, or otherwise incorporatinganynon-explosive material

page_text: with pyroxilin, which has the effect of preventing the fire from seizing hold
of the pyroxilin in a mass."
In witness whereof, the said William Allen Dixon have hereunto set
his hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM ALLEN DIXON. (L.B.)
To the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above-named William Allen
Dixon to file in the Great Seal Patent Office, with the Specification to which
the samerelatestheabove-written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Aleration.
Lincoln's Inn,
JOHN ROLT,