IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES FOR BLASTING ROCKS AND THE LIKE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES FOR BLASTING
ROCKS AND THE LIKE" A communication from abroad by Silas Reynolds
Divine, of Loch Sheldrake, New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Harris Lake, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st December 1881.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
CARTRIDGES FOR BLASTING ROCKS AND THE LIKE." A communication from.
abroad by Silas Reynolds Divine, of Loch Sheldrake, New York, United States of
America
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the use of high explosives in blasting
operations. To this end I employ a blasting compound composed of two inexplosive
ingredients, the one a solid and the other a liquid, the solid being capable of
absorbing the liquid, and the result of such absorption being the conversion of the
two ingredients of the compound into a high explosive.
According to my present Invention I employ a compound of this character and
construct cartridge shells or envelopes preferably of muslin, cloth, paper, or other
porous material, and of the shapes and sizes of ordinary blasting-cartridges, and I
fill such shells with the solid ingredient of my explosive, and provide the liquid
ingredient in a separate vessel suitable for transportation, so that finally when the
cartridge is required for use, the consumer effects the necessary combination of the
ingredients by causing the solid ingredient to absorb the liquid ingredient either by
immersing the cartridge shell in the liquid ingredient or by opening one end of
the cartridge, and slowly pouring the liquid ingredient upon the solid ingredient
contained in the cartridge-shell.
It will thus be seen that my improved cartridge-shell is prepared for
transportation by being charged with a solid ingredient, which by reason of its not

page_text: being explosive can be safely handled and transported, the completion of the charge
being effected by the consumer at the time when the cartridge is required for use,
such completion consisting merely in the addition of the required quantity of the
liquid ingredient to the said solid ingredient.
The compound which I intend to use for this purpose forms the subject of a
separate application for a Patent, and it does not therefore, except in connection
with my blasting-cartridge, form a part of the present Invention. It is preferably
composed of crushed or powdered chlorate of potash or its equivalents. The
perchlorate or permanganate of potash as the solid ingredient, and nitro-
benzole as the liquid ingredient, the proportions being, say, from three to four
parts of chlorate of potash to one part of nitro-benzole. Although these proportions
may be varied without materially affecting the efficiency of the explosive, it may
be desirable in some cases that exact proportions should be adhered to, and it is
therefore proposed in practice to provide for use when desired separate packages or
bottles, each containing the quantity of nitro-benzole required for the amount of
chlorate of potash contained in a single cartridge.
By means of my porous cartridge-envelope the relative proportions of the
ingredients of the aforesaid compound may be conveniently fixed with suitable
accuracy by first allowing the solid ingredient to become fully saturated with the
liquid ingredient and then squeezing or wringing out the cartridge by hand.
As soon as the ingredients of iny explosive are mechanically united by the
absorption of the liquid ingredient by the solid ingredient in the desired proportions,
the cartridge is ready for use, and may if desired be at once inserted in the drill-
hole, and exploded by percussion.
As nitro-benzole is not miscible with water, the solid ingredient and the porous
cartridge-envelope by the absorption of nitro-benzole become water repellent, and
the cartridge is thus especially adapted for blasting in water.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. The improved manufacture of blasting cartridges herein described,
which consists in preparing an explosive compound from an inexplosive solid
ingredient, such as crushed or powdered chlorate of potash, and an inexplosive
liquid ingredient, nitro-benzole, by depositing prescribed quantities of the solid
ingredient in cylindrical cartridges or envelopes made of cloth, paper, or other
porous material of diameters corresponding to the diameters of the drill-holes in
which the explosive is to be employed, and in immersing the envelopes containing
the solid ingredient in the liquid ingredient, or otherwise saturating the solid
ingredient and its envelope with the liquid ingredient preparatory to depositing
the cylindrical envelope or cartridge in the drill-hole, and igniting it with an
exploder or by any other of the usual means.
Second. The improved blasting-cartridge herein described, which consists of a
cylindrical cartridge or envelope made of cloth, paper, or other porous material
containing a solid substance, such as crushed or powdered chlorate of potash or its
equivalent, which together with its envelope is saturated with a liquid such as
nitro-benzole or its equivalent, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
HENRY H. LAKE, (L.S.)