IMPROVEMENTS IN WEATHER-PROOF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS AND CARTRIDGES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEATHER-PROOF EXPLOSIVE
COMPOUNDS AND CARTRIDGES "
Schulhof of Vienna Austria
communicated to him from abroad by Josef
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th April 1883.
"
PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
MENTS IN WEATHER-PROOF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS AND CARTRIDGES
nication to me from abroad by Josef Schulhof of Vienna Austria)
"IMPROVE-
(A commu-
The object of this invention is the production of a new explosive compound for
shooting and bursting purposes which when ignited developes considerable
expansive force while it burns completely almost without residue and smoke, can
be manufactured and transported easily and without danger, possesses no hygro-
scopic properties and cannot ignite by a shock or blow but only by very great heat
that is by more than 300° F or by a flame or spark,
This material may be produced from any kind of cellulose, but most advan-
tageously from cotton. I shall therefore in this description confine myself to the
production of the material with reference to the cotton. Anyone skilled in the art
will be able herefrom to apply the invention to any other cellulose.
In
The cotton is first made into pure dried gun cotton in the ordinary manner.
order to deprive it of its hygroscopic properties it is placed in molten fat and it is
found advantageous to use tallow or mutton fat wherein it is left until the fibres
are fully impregnated therewith. The greased cotton is then taken out, and the
superfluous fat removed therefrom by washing in bisulphuret of carbon or benzine
and by pressure.
The material so far prepared forms a very effective explosive compound for
shooting purposes which is quite impervious to damp or weather influences and
which will only ignite by a flame or a spark, or by more or less glowing hot bodies
or by a very high temperature vis over 300° F.

page_text: In order to increase the explosive effect it is well to compress this greased gun
cotton which may be done by a press and with any desired pressure. It is however
to be observed that the pressure must not be sudden but gradual in order to
prevent heating of the material beyond 300° F.
If the material is to be used for shooting purposes the material is after the
greasing process spun and made into cord or string or a tubular cord or hose
which is filled with spun yarn of the same material that is to say greased gun
cotton. Ordinary cotton may however also be spun first, then transformed into
gun cotton and then greased in the manner described.
In order to protect the greased gun cotton still further against the influences of
damp and weather it may both in the compressed state (as an explosive) and in
the plaited or twisted form be coated with collodion, for which purpose it is one
or more times dipped into a mixture of bisulphuret of carbon and benzine and
dried.
As applied to cartridges the cord is cut into lengths equal to that of the
required cartridges and put into ordinary cartridge cases instead of the gunpowder
heretofore used.
But these cords may also be used without cartridge cases; the cord being cut
into suitable cartridge lengths is made to receive the fulminate and the projectile
as in the usual cartridges.
Hollow cord made of the prepared and spun cotton may however also be cut
into pieces and filled with gunpowder or other explosive material, thus forming
cartridges having cases which are combustible and act with the explosive contained
therein. Such cartridges without metallic cases of course render cartridge
extractors in guns quite superfluous as the cartridge case itself is consumed when
fired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th October
1883.
PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WEATHER PROOF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS AND CARTRIDGES JJ ȧ Commu-
nication to me from abroad by Josef Schulhof of Vienna Austria
The object of this invention is the production of a new explosive compound for
shooting and bursting purposes which when ignited developes considerable expansive
force while it burns completely almost without residue and smoke, can be manu-
facture and transported easily and without danger, possesses no hygroscopic
properties, and cannot ignite by a shock or blow but only by very great heat that
is by more than 300° F or by a flame or spark.
This, material may be produced from any kind of cellulose, but most advan-
tageously from cotton. I shall therefore in this description confine myself to the
production of the material with reference to cotton. Any one skilled in the art
will be able berefrom to apply the invention to any other cellulose.
In
The cotton is first made into pure dried gun cotton in the ordinary manner.
order to deprive it of its hygroscopic properties it is placed in molten fat and it is
found advantageous to use tallow or mutton fat wherein it is left until the fibres
are fully impregnated therewith. The greased cotton is then taken out, and the
superfluous fat removed therefrom by washing in bisulphuret of carbon or benzine
and by pressure.
The material so far prepared forms a very effective, explosive compound for
shooting purposes which is quite impervious to damp, or weather influences and
which will only ignite by a flame or spark, or by more or less glowing hot bodies
or by a very high temperature viz over 300° F.
In order to increase the explosive effect it is well to compress this greased gun
cotton which may be done by a press and with any desired pressure It is
however to be observed that the pressure must not be sudden but gradual in order
to prevent heating of the material beyond 300° F.
If the material is to be used for shooting purposes the material is after the
greasing process spun and made into cord or string as shown on the accompanying
drawing in which Figure 1 shows such a cord Figure 2 a cross section of same and
Figures 3 and 4 longitudinal and cross section through a tubular cord or hose
which is filled with spun yarn of the same material that is to say greased gun
cotton. Ordinary cotton may however also be spun first; then transformed into
gun cotton and then greased in the manner described.
In order to protect the greased gun cotton still further against the influences of +
damp and weather it may both in the compressed state (as an explosive) and in
the plaited or twisted form be coated with collodion, for which purpose it is one
or more times dipped into a mixture of bisulphuret of carbon and benzine and
dried.
As applied to cartridges the above described cord Figures 1 and 2 is cut into
lengths equal to that of the required cartridges and put into ordinary cartridge
cases instead of the gunpowder heretofore used. The projectile and the fulminate
are inserted in the usual manner.
But these cords may also be used without cartridge cases as shown at Figure 5
where the cord cut into suitable cartridge lengths is made to receive the fulminate
and the projectile as in the usual cartridges.
Hollow cord made of the prepared and spun cotton may however also be cut

page_text: into pieces and filled with gunpowder or other explosive material thus forming
cartridges having cases which are combustible and act with the explosive contained
therein such cartridges without metallic cases of course render cartridge extractors
in guns.quite superfluous as the cartridge case itself is consumed when fired.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim as the Invention communicateḍ
to me;
First: The manufacture of a material for shooting and other explosive purposes
from greased gun cotton, substantially as described.
Second-The manufacture of an explosive material from gun cotton by greasing
it, then pressing and rendering it in any desired form and then dipping it in a
mixture of collodion and bisulphuret of carbon and drying it substantially as set
forth.
Third: The manufacture of cords of greased gun cotton coated with collodion,
substantially as described and shown.
Fourth-The manufacture of cartridges by filling the ordinary cartridge case
with the described explosive material made from gun cotton or with a piece of cord
made of the said explosive, and by inserting the projectile and the fulminate as
with ordinary metallic cartridge cases substantially as described and shown.
Fifth-The manufacture of cartridges by cutting cords made as described into
pieces corresponding to the length of the required cartridges providing same with
projectile and fulminate and coating same with a mixture of collodion and
bisulphuret of carbon or benzine substantially as set forth.
Sixth-The manufacture of cartridges by making hollow cords or hose of the
material described and filling same with any desired explosive substantially as
described and shown.
In witness whereof I the said Peter Jensen have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Fifth day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.