US748200A - Smokeless-powder composition. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED S ATES Patented December so, 1905.

ATENT FFIaCQE, 1

HUDSfoNfMAxIM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SMOK-ELESS-POWDER' COMPOSITION.

SPECIFICATION formingart of Letters Patent No. 748,200, dated December 29,' 19o3. Application filed April19;1902. Serial No. 103:127. (Ne specimens.)

- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUDSON MAXIM, of 891 Sterling Place, Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Smokeless- Powder Compositions, which invention is' fu lly set forth in thefollowing specification.

The present invention relates toimprovements in explosive compounds, especially smokeless powder, and'in processes of manu-f facture, its main object being to prevent warping, twisting, and bending of smokeless:

powder grains, particularly those consisting,

mainly, of pyro-nitro-cellulose or pyroxyliu soluble in ether-alcohol, especially when made in the form of long rods or bars, and it is a further object ofthe invention-to facilitate and increase the rapidity of drying.

When smokeless powder is made of pure faces of the material into a horn-like substance, which greatly impedes the passage 'through it of the vapors of the solvents from I have discovthe undried portions within.

ered that by the admixture of a certain percentage of tlinitro-cellulose to the compound in the manner hereinafter explained not only is the material capable of being dried with much greater facility and rapidity, but at the same time it is largely prevented from warping, twisting, and bending while in the process of drying. I

In carrying out my invention 1 proceed in the following manner: About-ninety parts, by weight, of pyro-nitro-cellulose is worked in a mixer in the usual manner, with sufficient ether and alcohol mixture to render the same gelatinous and capable ofbeing molded into grains in the usual way. In another mixer ten parts, by weight, of tri-nitro-cellulose is incorporated with a sufficient quantity of acetone or acetic ether or other suitable solvent, and when the same is thoroughly gelatinated and when the pyro-nitro-cellulose mixture in the other mixer is also thoroughly gelatinated the trinitro cellulose mixture is added-thereto and thoroughly and rapidly incorporated therewith. After the two materials have been thoroughly incorporated the material is molded into grains in the usual manner.

In practicing my invention I may and sometimes do .employ suflicient acetone or other suitable solvent for gela-tinating or dissolving the tri-nitro-cellulose as will prevent the precipitation from solution of the tri-uitro-cellulose, when the same-is admixed and incorporated with the pyro-nitro-cellulose and other and alcohol mixture, or I may and sometimes do employ such a small quantity of acetone or similar solvent as to allow such precipitation to take place and cause the precipitation from solution of the tri-nitro-cellulose in a finely-divided condition. In the one instance the tri-nit'ro-cellulose is combined with the pyro-nitro-cellulse while both are in solution-that is to sy, their solutions are incorporated--while in the other case the tri-nitrocellulose is precipitated from the solution in the act of incorporation.

While I have explained that I employ about ninety parts, by weight, of pyro-nitrocellulose to ten parts, by weight, of tri-nitrocellulose, I do not confine myself strictly to these proportions; but I may vary those proportions as I desire and within wide limits.

While I may, as already described, dissolve the tri-nitro-cellulose or gelatinate the same before mixing with the pyro-nitro-cellulose paste or solution, I may instead of dissolving or gelatinating the tri-nitro-cellulose pulverize or grind the same to an impalpable powder or dust. This may be done without danger by grinding it in water or in a wet state, the tri-nitro-cellulose then being dried and moistened with alcohol or ether or a mixture of them before adding to and incorporating with the pyro-nitro-cellulose paste.

I have found that by the admixture of from ten to fifteen per cent, by weight, of finelypowdered tri nitro cellulose to pyro-nitrocellulose in the above manner and thoroughly incorporating therewith the density and hornlike and impervious character of the prodnot is considerably modified and that powder grains made of the material may be dried' with greater facility and rapidity and with much less tendency to warp and lose their 1 nitro-cellnlose and thoroughly incorporating 3o shape. Fnrthermore,smokeless powder made in this manner being less hard and horn-like is burned through a greater thickness of material under a given pressure before the projectile leaves the gun, which enables the burning thicknesses between the perforations,

to be made greater, resulting in greater acceleration of combustion.

By the term tri-nitro-cellulose is meant cellulose of the highest degree of nitration or gun-cotton, and by the term pyro-nitro-cellulose is meant the soluble nitro-cellulose composition usually employed in the manufacture of smokeless powder.

What is claimed is- 1. The herein-described process of making smokeless-powder composition, which consists in gelatinating pyro-nitro-cellulose or soluble pyroxylin in a solvent which is not a solvent of tri-nitro-cellulose, and separately gelatinatingor dissolving tri-nitro-cellulose in a suitable solvent, and then. uniting and thoroughly incorporating the two mixtures.

2. I he process of making smoke1ess-powder composition, which consists in dissolving pyro-nitro-cellulose or soluble pyroxylin in a solvent which is not a solvent of tri-nitrocellulose, adding thereto a solution of trithe same therewith.

3. The herein-described process of making a smokeless-powder composition, which con- 4 sists in gelatinating pyro-ntiro-cellulose or soluble pyroxylin in a solvent'which is not a solvent of tri-nitrO ceIluIose, adding thereto a solution of tri-nitro-cellulose,and precipitating the tri-nitro-cellulose from solution in the act of incorporating the two mixtures.

4. The herein-described process of making a smokeless-powder composition, which consists in uniting and incorporating independ-' ent solutions of pyro-nitro-cellulose and trinitro-cellulose, in the proportions of twentyfive per cenb or less of the tri-nitro-cellulose, to seventy-five per cent. or more of thepyronitro-cellulose.

5. The herein-described smokeless-powder composition or paste, which consistsof pyronitro-cellulose or soluble pyroxylin in solu tion, and a precipitate of tri-nitro-cellulose.

In testimony whereof I, HUDSON MAXIM, have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUDSON MAXIM.

Witnesses:

REEVE LEWIS, WM. B. KERKAM.