US1128394A - Charge for detonator-casings. - Google Patents

Description

L. WUHLER. CHARGE FOR DETONATOR OASINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1911.

1,128,394. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

ZUj/t messes I In wen b 1 liatiwrzdohl fi D 3 131 UNIT fsm'rns rA'r ico'rnsn wonmm, or DAnMsrAn'r, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 at I. no ron'r m: nnmovns rownnn comrnzux, or wrnmms ron, DELAWARE, A oonro'narron or new 7 JERSEY.

onanen non panorama-casinos "394; Specification of Letters Patent. Patented F b.16"19151 Application filed may 10, 1911. Serial No. 626,888.

To all whom it may concem p .7

Be it known that I, LOTHAR Wiinnnn, a doctor of philosophy and professor oichemistry in the Institute of. Technology of Darmstadt, in Hesse, and a resident of 1 Hoftheaterplatz, in the city of Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse, part of the German Empire, and a subject of the German Emperor, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chargies tor Detonator- Casings, of which the 0 owing 1s a specification. p

This invention has reference to charges for detonators having an initial or primmg action for the purpose of detonatlng explosive charges. y

In my prior U. S. Patent No. 904,289, a charge has been described in whlch the heavy metal salts of hydrazoic acid, the socalled heavy metal nitrids, are used in the place of fulminate of mercury either alone or in combination with explosive agents in primers, such compounds presenting the advantage that a smaller amount of the metal nitrid may be used for obtaining the same effect than by the use of fulminate of mercury. In further investigations I have ascertained that the heavy metal nitrids may also be used with advantage in .such a manner that they do not constitute asubstitute for fulminate of mercury, but may either be employed in very small quantities in combination with fulminate of mercury or as asubstitute for fulminate of mercury in combinations/with other explosives possessing similar ;'properties, such as diazo-benzolnitrate and sulfid of nitrogen for instance. These substances such, for example,as fulminate of mercury, are usually designated primary detonating compounds or exploders of the first class, as they detonate directly. They are highly sensitive, and cannot be used as main blasting charges. They do not need primers or initial igniters for their detonation as this takes place by direct detonation, as distinguished from the indirect detonation of detonating compounds or exploders of the second class, such as n cotton, dynamite, picric acid, trinitroto uene, and the like, which require separate igniters or detonator caps for their explosion. By combining in my invention heavy metal nitrids with said primary detonating compounds or exploders of the first class as, for example with fulminate of mercury, the activity of the fulminate' of mercury and of its substitutes, such as diazobenzol-nitrate and sulfid of nitrogen, is enormously increased, so that by working in this mannerthe desired priming or initial action upon blasting compounds can be pro- V y even a still smaller amount of the primary detonating compound than by the use of lead nitridor of silver nitrid alone, while without the addition of nitrids in accordance with U. S. Patent No. 904,289, ful- Inmate of mercury is incomparably less active than the nitrids themselves, and while on the other hand diazo-benzol-nitaate and sulfid of nitrogen, even in comparatively large quantities, cannot be used as primers or initial igniters, though they belong to the same class of directly detonating exploders to which fulminate of mercury also belongs. lVhen used, however, in combination with heavy metal nitrids in accordance with my invention, even such exploders of the first class which are otherwise unsuitable for use as primers or igniters for detonating purposes, become very well adapted for that purpose. By thus employing an amount of metal nitrid which, in any case, is not larger than that employed in the case of the exclusive use of this nitrid, it becomes possible to utilize mercury fulminate in its previous modes of application with but a small addition of lead nitrid, which is a point of importance, inasmuch as the manufacture and manipulation of mercury fulminate are well known and convenient. By this means it is also possible to make use of the very valuable advantage of great compactness-and tightness of the charge of fulminate of mercury. With an addition of but about onethird of its amount of metal nitrid, of lead nitrid for instance, the fulminate may be compressed to a pressure of about thirty thousand pounds or to a pressure of about two thousand atmospheres and even higher, while without this addition the fulminate is known to have its activity greatly impaired by pressures of 3750 pounds or 250 atmospheres. That is to say, the fulminate has been pressed dead by such pressures when previously employed.

The following may be mentioned as illustrative examples for charges for detonator casings embodying my invention:

1. A layer of trinitrotoluene may be used as the main charge which is covered by a priming layer composed ofa mixture of two centigrams of fulminate of mercury and one centi-gram of lead nitrid. If no lead nitrid were present, thirty centigrams of qfulminate of mercury would have to be usedas a minimum.

2. Use the same main charge as in Ex ample 1, but as a primer use five centigrams of sulfid-of nitrogen or five centigrams-of diazo-benzol-nitrate to which from one to two centigrams of lead nitrid are added.

3. Make up a charge of fulminate of mercury or of a mixture of fulminate of mercury with chlorate of potash,- and place upon this charge'a layer of one centigram of lead nitrid as a primer. Y

4. Use a charge of diazo-benzol-nitrate or of 'sulfid of nitrogen and placeupon this charge a layer of one centigram of lead nitrid as a primer. v 1 Y 5. Assuming the detonator to contain a relatively large charge of fulminate of mercury or a mixture of the same with chlorate of potash and a smaller charge of some other explosive, mix the said fulminate of mercury or the mixture thereof with chlorate of potash with one-third its weightof lead nitrid and compress this fulminate mixture by forcing it into the shell by a pressure up to two thousand atmospheres or about thlrty thousand pounds.

The different layers of material may for instance be arranged within a shell or casing, as shown on the accompanying drawing which is a longitudinal sectional view, enlarged from the usual size, of a detonator casing, cap or primer for firing an explosive charge according to my invention.

In the drawing I have shown a shell or casing a, usually made of copper or of any other suitable material for containing the charge and its priming or firing substance. In the shell there is a detonator charge 6, upon which a layer 0 of a priming or firing substance, as hereinbefore described, is placed. A small perforated metal thimble d is placed upon the contents, and the entire mass is then compressed in the usual manner as, for instance, in accordance with the Example 5 hereinbefore mentioned.

While I have described my invention above in detail, I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein, Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal.

2. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound and a smaller proport1on of an azid of a heavy metal mixed there with.

3. A detonator containing a primarydetonating compound mixed with an oxldlz- 4. A detonator containing a primar detproportion of, an

'onating compound mixed with an oxi izing agent, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal mixed therewith.

5. detonator containing a primary detonating compound and a smaller proportion of lead azid.

6. A detonator containing a primary detonatmg compound and a smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith.

'-7.. A detonator containing a primary detonatm'g compound mixed-with an oxidizing ageit, and a smaller proportion of lead an r 8. A detonator containing aprimary detonating 'compoundmixedwith an oxidizmg agent, and a smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith."

A 9. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavg metal. H 1

'10. A etonator containing fulminate of mercury and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal mixed therewith.

I 11. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with an oxidizing agent, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal. I

12. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with an oxidizing agent, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal mixed therewith. i

13. A detonator containing fulminate of megcury and a smaller proportion of lead an 14. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury and a smaller proportion of lead azid mixedtherewith.

15. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with an oxidizing agent, and a smaller proportion of lead azid.

16. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with an oxidizing agent, and a smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith.

17. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed with chlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal.

18. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed with chlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal mixed therewith.

19. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed with chlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of lead azid.

20. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed with chlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith.

21. A detonator containing-fulminate of mercury mixed with chlorate of potash, and

25. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with chlorate of potash, and 15 a smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith, the detonator charge being highly compressed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

LOTHAR WoHLER.

Witnesses:

JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND.

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