IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER."-A communication from abroad by
Samuel Ricker, residing in the Free City of Frankfort-on-the-Maine.
Scaled the 9th October 1863, and dated the 15th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
April 1863.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNPOWDER," (being a communication to
me from abroad by Samuel Ricker, resident in the Free City of Frankfort-
on-the-Maine,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the several combinations of ingredients herein;
after stated for the purpose of manufacturing different. kinds of powder
intended for use in small arms and in ordnance, and in blasting.
The first kind of powder is made from the following ingredients, in or about
in the following proportions, that is to say, thirty-eight parts of water, twenty.
parts of chlorate of potash, two parts of charcoal, six parts of a mixture com:
posed of four parts of half calcined sea grass and two parts of pulverised stone
coal, and also soven parts of fine sawdust. These several ingredients are to
be put into a cooking vessel and boiled together for a short time. They are
then to be put into a previously heated pan, and placed on a heated stove.
The mixture is to be often stirred so as to promote uniform evaporation, and

page_text: as soon as it begins to shew a tendency to dryness, the pan containing it
should be put on a less heated stove, for tho purpose of completing the drying
of the powder with safety.
Instead of the aforesaid mixture of sea grass and stone coal, the following
mixtures may be used if preferred, videlicet, from four to five parts of nitrate
of soda, and from one to two parts of pulverised stone coal, or from four to
five parts of carbonate of soda, and from one to two parts of pulverised stono
coal, or from three parts and a half to four parts and a half of bicarbonate of
soda, and from one to two parts of pulverised stone coal, or from three parts
and a half to four parts and a half of nitrate of lead, and from one to two parts
of pulverised stone coal, or from two parts and a half to three parts and a half
of saltpetre, and from one to two parts of pulverised stone coal.
The second kind of powder is composed of the following ingredients, that is to
say, twenty parts of water, ten parts of chlorate of potash, one part of pulverised
charcoal, five parts in weight of half calcined sea grass, three-quarters of a part 1
of pulverised stone coal, and three parts and a half of fiue sawdust. These
several ingredients are to be put into a cooking vessel, boiled together, and
afterwards dried, so as to form a powder.
Instead of the five parts of sea grass in the above-named mixture, thero
may be used, if preferred, three parts of nitrate of soda, or three parts of s
carbonate of soda, or three parts of bicarbonato of soda, or two parts and a
half of nitrate of lead, or two parts of saltpetre, and for the three parts and a
half of sawdust may be substituted three parts and a half of ground' parched
wheat.
The third kind of powder is composed of the following ingredients, that. is 2
to say, ten parts of chlorate of potash, one part of pulverised charcoal, two
parts of wheat flower, and one part of pulverised stone coal. These ingredients
are to be well worked together in three parts of water, then pressed into cakes,
and the material passed through a sieve to grain, and then proceeded with as
in the manufacture of ordinary gunpowder.
9
And the last kind of powder is composed of the following ingredients, that
is to say, ten parts of chlorate of potash, two parts and a half of wheat flour,
three-quarters of a part of bicarbonate of soda, one part and a quarter of
pulverised charcoal with the same proportion of pulverised stone coal, and
also of saltpetre. These ingredients are to be worked well together in three 8
parts and a quarter of water, and then proceeded with as in the last-mentioned
case

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Spenco in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
• WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Spence, Her special license that I, the said William Spence, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho said William
Spence, 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
GUNPOWDER," (being a communication from abroad by Samuel Rickor,
resident in the Free City of Frankfort-on-the-Maine), upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Spence, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to bo
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 William Spence, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per:
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in Gunpowder," consists, in the several
combinations of ingredients herein-after stated for the purpose of manufacturing
different kinds of powder intended for use in small arms, and in ordnance,
and in blasting.
The first kind of powder is mado from the following ingredients in or about
in the following proportions, and the process is as follows (that is to say) :-
Put into a cooking or other similar vessel, thirty-eight parts in weight of
water, two parts in weight of finely pulverized charcoal, which are to bo
thoroughly boiled together, then add twenty parts in weight of chlorate of

page_text: potash, and then add six parts in weight of a mixture (herein-after referred to
as mixture A) and stir it until the whole is thoroughly mixed. By this
addition the boiling will be interrupted, and therefore the whole mixture must
be brought again into a boiling state. After this there is added seven parts in
weight of fine, well sifted, and thoroughly dried sawdust, or pulverized bark,
and the boiling is continued until the wood is thoroughly saturated and
becomes part of the mixture.
The mixture A above referred to consists of two parts in weight of finely
pulverized coal, and from three to four parts of bicarbonate of soda or nitrate
of lead, or saltpetre, or their chemical equivalents. The requisite evaporation
or drying of the mixture may be effected by means of open pans to which
steam is applied, and tho' granulating process is the same as usual. The
powder thus manufactured is more especially adapted for ordnance.
The second kind of powder is composed of the following ingredients (that is
to say), twenty parts in weight of water, one part of finely pulverized char-
coal, ten parts of chlorate of potash, from three to four parts in weight of
bicarbonate of soda, (or nitrate of lead or saltpotre, or any of their chemical
equivalents), three-quarters of a part of pulverized coal, and three parts and a
balf of fine, well sifted, and dried sawdust, or pulverized bark.
ingredients are to be mixed by means of a similar process to that above
described (that is to say), first the pulverized charcoal is to be boiled in water,
then the chlorate of potash and other ingredients added, and finally, the
sawdust or pulverized bark. The subsequent processes of drying and granu-
lating are the same as before.
These'
The third kind of powder is composed of the following ingredients, which
are mixed together in the following manner:-In the first place a mixture is
made of ten parts of chlorate of potash and two parts of wheat flour; then
in another vessel, another mixture is made of from one to two parts of
pulverized charcoal, and one part of pulverized coal. These two mixtures are
then mixed together, and three parts of water are added, and the whole well
worked together. After which the mass is pressed into a solid moist cake,
and the subsequent processes of drying and granulating (through a sieve)
are proceeded with as before. The powder thus manufactured is more
especially adapted for use in small arms.
And the last kind of powder is composed of the following ingredients, which
are mixed together in the following manner :-A mixture is first made of ten
parts of chlorate of potash, and two parts and a half of wheat flour; then in
a separate vessel, another mixture is made of three-quarters of a part of
bicarbonate of soda, one part and a quarter of charcoal, one part and a quarter

page_text: of pulverized coal, and one part and a quarter of saltpetre. These two mixtures
are then mixed together, and three parts and a quarter of water added, and
the whole well worked together. The mass is then pressed into a solid moist
cake, and the subsequent processes of drying and granulating are proceeded
with as before.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of the
Invention communicated to me from abroad as aforesaid is, the manufacture
of gunpowder composed of the several combinations of ingredients herein-
beforo described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
15 Witness,
WALTER W. CLARE,
Clerk to G. B. Coulcher,
Law Stationer,
50, Chancery Lane, W.C..
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.s.)