Year: 1885

page_text: I EDUARD SCHULTZE of Hetzbach-im Odenwald in the Empire of Germany
Colonel of Artillery do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
In the manufacture of Gunpowder or analogous explosives according to my
Invention I use as the base resin, colophony, tar colophony, tar turpentine, oil of
turpentine or other hydrocarburet or mixtures thereof and I also use cellulose or
woody or vegetable fibre and treat all with nitric acid or nitric and sulphuric acids
and so I produce a combination with the requisite quantities of oxygen and
nitrogen. The explosive produced according to my Invention will in guns for
sporting purposes and in rifled guns fill the same space in the Cartridges as the
ordinary black Gunpowder fills, so that no alteration of guns is required to fit them
for using this new Gunpowder. For mining purposes by different compressions of
the nitro substances and by different combinations of them, different classes of
explosives can be produced according to the work to be done.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
Agent for the said Edward Schultze.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder and similar
Explosives.
I EDUARD SCHULTZE of Hetzbach im Odenwald in the Empire of Germany
retired Colonel of Artillery do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
My Invention relates to the manufacture of Gunpowder and analogous explosives
and consists in the employment in the manufacture of nitrified hydro carburetts
Pyroxylin and the nitrates or salts formed by the union of nitric acid with a base
and furnishing a compound of oxygen and nitrogen.
I instance as belonging to the nitrified hydrocarburetts, nitrified common resin
or Colophony, nitrified tar. nitrified turpentine or turpentine oil. I mean by
nitrified" treating with nitric acid whether employing heat or not.
The pyroxylin is formed by the nitrified Cellulose (cotton or wood or any
vegetable fibre) I include the different varieties of pyroxylin and instance the form
commonly called gun cotton. I instance as nitrates those of baryta, potassium or
Sodium. By different combinations of these constituents and by employment in
the manufacture of different pressures, I am able to produce every class of
explosive suitable for use for blasting such as for use in place of dynamite for
blasting hard rocks or minerals or in place of black gunpowder for blasting less
hard rocks or minerals and I can also make with my explosive a filling for
cartridges to be used in coal mines subject to fire damp which cartridges will not
ignite the fire damp thus obviating a fruitful cause of accidents I can also make a
gunpowder suitable for sporting and military purposes for use in rifled or unrifled
arms for which powder the compression hitherto necessary in loading with certain
gunpowders is not required.
Formerly when explosives of the black gun powder class were the only kinds
produced the different kinds then produced could be produced in one factory. By
my invention I am able to produce in one and the same factory all the classes of
explosives hereinbefore mentioned and I thus give the advantages formerly attaching
in this respect to black gunpowder these advantages in my case extending over a
much wider field of classes of explosives as I am able to produce explosives of a
class suited for use for the purposes for which dynamite or the like is used as well
as for the other purposes to which the black gunpowder is applied and I moreover
produce explosives which are free or nearly free from objectionable fumes residue
and recoil.
I will now give examples of modes of preparing explosives according to my
Invention but I wish it to be understood that they are given as the best modes
with which I am acquainted for carrying my Invention into effect and that I
do not limit myself to the precise details given in these examples as I can
advantageously vary the proportions in the same manner as the black gun powder
makers can and do vary their proportions of charcoal sulphur and saltpetre to
produce explosives suited to various requirements.

page_text: The proportions hereinafter given are by weight, a powder suitable for sporting
purposes can be made according to my Invention by mixing 12 parts of nitrified
tar or colophony or turpentine or turpentine oil or mixtures of them.
60 to 80 parts of pyroxylin.
60 to 80 parts of nitrate of Baryta.
8 to 10 parts of nitrate of Potassium.
This mixture is prepared and granulated in the well known manner practised in
making black gunpowder adding some binding material or not and the grains of
the finished powder may be coated or not with substances fit for this purpose such
for example as paraffin, resin collodion.
The sporting powder thus produced should be employed in quantities about
five eighths in weight of the quantities used of black sporting powder for the same
purpose. The propelling force of the sporting powder thus produced is excellent
and the rending force is not greater than that of black gunpowder and it is free
or nearly free from objectionable fumes residue and recoil.
A good rifle powder is produced by mixing 10 parts of nitrified tar colophony
turpentine or turpentine oil or mixtures of them.
280 to 300 parts of Pyroxylin.
100 to 120 parts of nitrate of Baryta.
40 to 50 parts of nitrate of Potassium.
About 10 parts of Sulphur.
This mixture is to be granulated in the same manner as the sporting powder and
should be employed in quantities of about two fifths the weight of the quantity of
black gunpowder used for analogous purposes such for instance as for military
rifles. The finished powder may be coated or not as mentioned with respect to the
sporting powder.
A blasting explosive suitable for use in blasting mild rocks or minerals consists of
different mixtures of nitrified hydrocarburets as mentioned and saltpetre with more
or less Pyroxylin and sulphur.
The proportion of the materials may with advantage be about 10 parts each of
pyroxylin and sulphur. 15 parts of nitrified hydrocarburets and 75 parts of salt-
petre. The greater the proportion of pyroxylin the greater will be the strength of
the explosive produced so that when an explosive is required for blasting hard
rocks or minerals the proportion of pyroxylin should and can be increased to suit
the purpose for which it is required.
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.
First. The manufacture of shooting powder or analogous explosives from, or
the employment in the manufacture of such powder or analogous explosives of,
nitrified hydrocarburets (such as nitrified colophony, tar, turpentine or turpentine
oil) and pyroxylin (with or without sulphur) and nitrates or salts furnishing
oxygen in combination with nitrogen substantially as herein before described.
Second. The manufacture of explosives for blasting purposes from, or the
employment in the manufacture of such explosives of, nitrified hydrocarburets
pyroxylin sulphur, and nitrates or salts furnishing oxygen in combination with
nitrogen substantially as hereinbefore described.