Improved Manufacture of Fuzes or Match-cords.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 16th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Manufacture of Fuzes or Match-cords.
I, MAX WAGNER, of 68 Mauer Strasse Berlin, Engineer, 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 :-
A principal drawback to fuzes or match-cords as at present employed, consists in
that they burn with a flame, whereby firedamp is liable to be exploded.
As additions of materials to the fuzes for the purpose of reducing the intensity
of the flame afford no guarantee for the safety against such ignition, quick burning
fuzes have recently been prepared which consists of a fuze-thread contained within
igniting materials. These fuze threads contain unprepared textile fibres, for instance
cotton, jute, &c., which are dusted over with readily burning solid substances and
pulverised substances such as ground tinder, ly kopodium seeds resins, combustible
salts and oxygen carriers.
These fuzes, however, do not afford perfect security for a safe transmission of the
combustion. On the other hand; perfectly safe fuzes or match-cords are obtained
according to the present invention, by taking threads or cords consisting of ordinary
fibres, that have not been chemically altered, or consisting of nitrated fibres, and
impregnating the same with an oil, and the adding salts, or compounds which
produce a diminution of the flame, or which entirely prevent its formation.
It is necessary, for the security of such fuzes, to employ a drying oil, such as
linseed oil, poppy seed oil, or the like. A farther necessary condition is, that if it
be desired to completely prevent the production of flame, it is necessary to add to
this mixture salts or substances that are capable of preventing the formation of a
flame.
Suitable salts for this purpose are those which have a large proportion of water
of crystallisation, such as sulphate of magnesia, crystallised soda, alum, borates,
ammonia salts and sulphate of ammonia.
The fuze-threads prepared as above described can be manufactured into fuzes either
by imbedding the same in a combustible compound such as gunpowder or by merely
winding them round with a covering of jute or the like, so that a fuze of the kind
known as the "Bickford" fuze is produced.
For the production of the fuze it is not necessary to employ the said thread as such
in the fuze, as nitrated cellulose granules can be used in the same way as gunpowder
for the manufacture of the fuzes.
The thread of the fuze can also be produced by preparing a mixture of nitrated
and non-nitrated cellulose and then treating the same with oils and salts in the
manner above described.
For increasing the security of ignition, while still preventing the production of a
flame, the addition of diazo-compounds of the benzol series and the naphthalin series
has proved advantageous.
In particular diazo-benzol sulphonic acid as also its salts, the chromium and
bromine compounds, have proved suitable. For suppressing flame in fuzes, or pre-
venting the production thereof, it has proved advantageous to add to the above
substances glue, or substances containing albumen or similar bodies. The glue and
albumen substances can either be used together or separately, and either in a solid
or a liquid condition.
The kind of albuminous bodies and the form in which they are applied is
immaterial. The suppression of flame is brought about by the fact that the said
substances burn with difficulty, and are carbonised without the production of flame.

page_text: If it is desired to render the fuzes proof against moisture, as well as against
explosion of firedamp, it is advisable to use chromium glue, which is exposed to
the light after admixture with the other substances, whereby it is rendered impervious
to moisture, and consequently also renders the fuze waterproof.
The above named 'substances can either be prepared separately or together for the
formation of fuzes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
An improved manufacture of fuzes or match-cords that transmit the ignition
without the appearance of flame, wherein nitrated or un-nitrated fibre, which may
in some cases be previously granulated, is impregnated with a drying oil and a salt
with high percentage of water of crystallisation (such as sulphate of magnesia,
crystallised soda, alum, ammonia salts, borates, and the like) that will decrease the
intensity of combustion, or with diazo compounds, in particular those of the benzol
series or of the naphthalin series, or with albuminous bodies or glue as also with
chromium glue, in which latter case the fuze is subjected to the action of light after
impregnation, for rendering it waterproof, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of April 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.