IMPROVED SAFETY APPARATUS FOR STORING GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS." APPARATUS FOR STORING GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wright, of Rochester, in the County of
Kent, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED SAFETY
APPARATUS FOR STORING GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS."
APPARATUS FOR STORING GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS."
Sealed the 15th February 1876, and dated the 23rd August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd August 1875.
I, JOHN WRIGHT, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVED SAFETY APPARATUS FOR STORING GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE
COMPOUNDS," to be as follows:-
The object of this. Invention is to store gunpowder and other explosive
compounds in a more convenient manner and with greater safety than
heretofore. It is mainly directed to the storage and stowing of gun-
powder in small quantities for the use of gunsmiths and other retail

page_text: dealers, but it is also applicable to magazines and for conveying gun-
powder and other explosive compounds from place to place.
The Invention consists in placing the gunpowder or other explosive
compound in suitably constructed vessels, which are then immersed in
water.
In carrying out this Invention I construct the vessel with an open
mouth, and by preference of a circular form and tubular, so that it may
be closed by means of a long cap or cover, which may be secured in
place by means of a hinge and simple fastening, or by a bayonet or
other simple joint.
The vessel may be provided with a handle or any other suitable
means for lifting the same out of the water. By constructing the
apparatus in this manner the air confined in the case will be sufficient
to prevent the entrance of the water in which the case is immersed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WRIGHT, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Wright, Her special
licence that I, the said John Wright, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Wright, 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
yend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED SAFETY

page_text: APPARATUS FOR STORING GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Wright, my
executors 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 calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Wright, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The object of this Invention is to store gunpowder and other explosive
compounds in a more convenient manner and with greater safety than
heretofore. It is mainly directed to the storage and stowage of gun-
powder in small quantities for the use of gunsmiths and other retail
dealers, but it is also applicable to magazines, either afloat or on shore,
and for conveying gunpowder and other explosive compounds from
place to place.
The Invention consists in placing the gunpowder or other explosive
compound in suitably constructed vessels, which are then immersed in
water, the containing vessel being so constructed that the water is
prevented by the pressure of air contained therein from entering the
vessel.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the vessel with an open
mouth, and by preference of a circular form and tubular, so that it may
be closed by means of a long cylindrical cap or cover, which may be
secured in place by means of a hinge and simple fastening, or by a
bayonet or other simple joint.
The vessel may be provided with a handle for lifting the same out of
the water, either by hand or by mechanical means, as will be herein-
after fully explained. By constructing the apparatus in this manner
3 the air confined in the upper part of the case will be sufficient to prevent

page_text: the entrance of the water in which the case is immersed, and no spark.
or fire can possibly obtain access to the explosive compound.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, and
Fig. 2 a plan view of the simplest form of containing vessel and water
tank for receiving the same. In this instance the containing vessel a
is made of a circular or cylindrical form and is provided with a lid or
cover a. The upper part of the vessel a is provided with a projecting
circular neck a², which rises up into the lid or cover a¹, so that there
is a body of air enclosed between the sides or walls of the lid a' and the
projecting neck a², and therefore when the vessel is closed and the lid
or cover a¹ secured in place the air in the annular space a³ will
effectually prevent any water from obtaining access to the interior of
the vessel a. The containing vessel a being thus constructed and filled
with the explosive compound, and the lid or cover a² being secured in
place, the water tank c is supplied through the pipe d with a quantity
of water sufficient to cover the vessel a when the latter rests on the
bottom of the tank c. When it is desired to obtain access to the
interior of the vessel a sufficient water is drawn from the tank c through
the pipe e to allow of the lid or cover a¹ being removed. It will be
seen that the tank c is so much larger than the vessel a as to leave a
space all round between the two, so that when the vessel a is sunk in
the tank it is surrounded on all sides with water. If desired the
tank c may be provided with a cover.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are sectional views representing another form of
containing vessel a, and also a mechanical device for raising and
lowering the same into or out of the water tank c. In this case the
containing vessel is made of a square or rectangular form, and is
suspended from centre pins at the end of a pair of rocking arms ƒ,ƒ¹,
mounted on the cross shaft g. One of these rocking arms f' forms one
of the arms of the sector rack h, which is keyed on to one end of the
cross shaft g. A pinion gears into the teeth of this rack and is
actuated by a winch handle j, so that by turning the winch handle j
the rack and arms f, f¹, will raise the vessel a partially out of the
water, as shown at Fig. 4. The lid a' may then be opened, as shown
at Fig. 5, and access obtained to the interior of the vessel.
When the vessel a is done with it may be lowered again by means of

page_text: the gearing into the water tank, as shown at Fig. 3, and will there be
completely immersed in and covered by the water.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a land powder magazine having
the opening thereto constructed according to my Invention.
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 8 is a vertical section of a
portable magazine for transporting powder or explosive compounds
from place to place. In all these cases the opening to the containing
vessel and the mode of closing the same is the same as that already
shown and described, except that it is constructod on a larger scale.
As these large magazines or receptacles are however intended to contain
a large number of separate barrels these are constructed with double
walls, by preference of sheet iron or steel, and water-tight, and the
space between the two skins is filled with water, so that the contents
of the magazines or receptacles are completely surrounded by water.
The portable receptacle, Figs. 7 and 8, is moreover enclosed within
a wooden casing to protect the iron outer skin and prevent it from being
accidentally perforated, and the water thereby allowed to escape. It
will be seen that there is a movable lid or cover a', as in the former
instances, and a projecting neck a², which extends upwards and is
covered by the lid a¹, so as to leave an air space a between the two
parts. It will be seen that the lid a¹ is covered with water when in its
place, but before the lid can be removed in order to obtain access to the
interior of the magazine or receptacle some of the water must be drawn
off by the pipe, Fig. 8, and when the lid is replaced and the receptacle
closed a small quantity must be supplied to make up this loss and to
cover the lid entirely.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,--
The mode herein set forth of constructing the cover and the upper
part of the vessel containing the combustible material, so that when
such vessel is immersed; in water the air contained in the vessel will
prevent the infiltration of water into such vessel.
I also claim adapting an inverted bell or lid to the openings or
apertures, whereby access is obtained to the interior of ship's powder

page_text: pounds, which inverted bell or lid is when in place covered with water,
the water being prevented from entering the chamber or magazine by
the pressure of the air contained in the neck or upper part of the same,
as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wright, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.