IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OR PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE CHARGES
Year: 1884

page_text: Charges.
I, EDMUND JAMES MILLS, D.Sc., F.R.S., of Anderson's College, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Professor of Technical Chemistry, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION
OR PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE CHARGES" to be as follows that is to say:-
'
My said Invention has for its object the formation or preparation of an explosive
charge in an improved manner and so that the action of the explosion on a
projectile or on minerals or other substances to which it is applied may bo sustained
or prolonged and better results be thereby obtained.
In using explosives for propulsive and other purposes, it is very desirable in
many cases to, graduate the violence of the explosion. Thus for example in
discharging gunpowder for artillery purposes it is important, if possible, to effect
the explosion in such a manner that the ball shall move rapidly from its place at
first, and then by a sustained slower explosion have its initial velocity well kept.
up until it reaches the muzzle of tho gun. To attain this object which is not
efficiently carried out with ordinary black or common gunpowder I proceed as
follows. I take an empty cartridge of any common construction, and chargo it
partially only with a layer of some quickly burning explosive powder; upon this
layer I put a second of more slowly burning powder; and upon the second layer a
third, of still more slowly burning powder; and so on, until the cartridge has been
filled with as many layers as may be desired. Lastly I insert and fix the projectile
in the usual way.
The powder I use for this purpose is preferably that which is now known as
Vril powder; but any powder, resembling Vril powder in its capability of being
graduated in composition for the purpose might equally well be used.
Sometimes, as for instance, for mining and quarrying purposes I disponse
altogether with the cartridge.or case, merely inserting layers of the graduated
powders in a suitably prepared hole. Or I sometimes alter the order of the
explosive layers, especially in mining and quarrying, but also for projectile
purposes, in order to cause the maximum effect to occur at will in any part of the
casing or other surrounding of the charge.

page_text: I, EDMUND JAMES MILLS, D.Sc., F.R.S., of Anderson's College, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Professor of Technical Chemistry do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION
OR PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE CHARGES," and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the formation or preparation of an explosive
charge in an improved manner and so that the action of the explosion on a
projectile or on minerals or other substances to which it is applied may be sustained
or prolonged and better results be thereby obtained.
In using explosives for propulsive and other purposes, it is very desirable in
many cases to graduate the violence of the explosion. Thus for example in
discharging gunpowder for artillery purposes it is important, if possible, to effect
the explosion in such a manner that the ball shall move rapidly from its place at
first, and then by a sustained slower explosion have its initial velocity well kept
up until it reaches the muzzlo of the gun. To attain this object which is not
efficiently carried out with ordinary black or common gunpowder, I proceed as
follows. I take an empty cartridge of any common construction, and charge it
partially only with a layer of some quickly burning explosive powder; upon this
layer I put a second of more slowly burning powder; and upon the second layer a
third, of still more slowly burning powder; and so on, until the cartridge has been
filled with as many layers as may be desired.. Lastly, I insert and fix the projectile
in the usual way.
The powder I use for this purpose is preferably that which is described in Hannan's
Specifications No 4846 of 1882 and 5986 of 1882, and is now known as Vril
powder; but any powder, resembling Vril powder in its capability of being
graduated in composition for the purpose, might equally well be used.
Sometimes, as for instance, for mining and quarrying purposes, I dispense
altogether with the cartridge or case merely inserting layers of the graduated
powders in a suitably prepared hole. Or I sometimes alter the order of the
explosive layers, especially in mining and quarrying, but also for projectile
purposes, in order to cause the maximum effect to occur at will in any part of the
casing or other surrounding of the charge.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is.
The system or mode of forming or preparing explosive charges according to which
each charge is made up of two or more layers of the explosive, the materials of the
several layers being such as to burn with different degrees of rapidity substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described.