USRE3377E - Improved mode of exploding nitro-glycerine - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TUE UNITED STATES BLASTING-OIL COMPANY, OF NET Yoan, N. Y.,

- `ASSIGNEES OF ALFRED NOBEL.

IMPROVED MODE OF EXPLODlNG NITRO-GLVCERINE.

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,6l7, dated October 24, 1865"; reissue No. 3,377, dated April 1S, 1869. -E

DIVISION A.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Beit known that ALFRED NOBEL, Ot' the city of Hamburg, Germany, has Vdiscovered or invented a new and useful improvement in the sciences and arts pertaining to the use A and manufacture of nitro-'glycerne, this specification having special reference to Improved Mode ot' Exploding Nitro-Glycerine.

The said NOBEL docs not claim to have discovered or inventedV nitro-glycerine, asgthat was due to Sobrero. eovery and chemical analysis that glyeerine was capable of giving when mixed with nitric and Sulphuric acids, a substance analogous to gun cotton, Sobrero abandoned further Ie- 'search with the declaredopinion that its combustion o'r explosion could not be managed. ln tl ns,cond1t1on the discovery or invention remained utterly useless to men otl science -andto'artisans, until the discoveries and inventions of NOBEL brought it into practical service in the useful arts. He discovered,

first, that, in order to explode the whole, or even a large proportionx ot -a mass of .nitroglycerme, it was necessary to subject it to contineme'ntor restraint, and thatwhen so coniined it could be exploded in any desired quantity, by the application of hea-t and pressure, or of either of those agencies;V second, that it could be used for. practical blasting, and disrupting niaterialsubstances generally;

' and the said NOBEL invented, first, a method `ot manufacturing nitro-glycerine in any de-v sired quantity, and with greater economy than hitherto known second, the appliances or contrivances necessary to successful] y explode nitro-glycerine, in any desired quantity, under the management of miners, or men of practical intelligence. i

We now proceed to make a clear and concse description of the said discoveries and iiivelitions of the said NOBEL, inorder to enable others skilled in the sciences and arts to which they belong to make use'of and understand` l the',l same.

First, that nitro-glycerine, when under conditions of conflnemengean beexploded 1n any desired quantity.

After .the simple dis-- when subjected to pressure.

Gunpowder will explode to a certain extent when not confined; but on the applica-tion ot' heat or llame to-nitro-glycerine, or other otl the liquids above mentioned, when unconlined, only that portion of -the liquid is decomposed which is acted on directly by the heat or llame, so that it`is practically impossible instantaneously. to explode the' entire lnass. NOBEL discovered that when nitro-glycerine, mannite,

lined, and a portion of the same is heated to decomposition, the gases evolved are at such an intense heat, and subject the materialv to mass isdecomposed almost instantaneously.

rlhe degree of confinement must be sui'licien t to allow a pressure upon the nitro glycerine to an extent that 3600 Fahrenheit will be realized,

cap, or otheI highly-explosivey agent, 4so that decomposition will take yplace before the liquid can escape thci'o'rce or ,heat Qt the 'evolved gases of .the said cap, Src. P Iaithis manner .invented that nitro-glycerine could be exploded in any desired quantity.

Second, that nitro-glycemic could be used for practical blasting, and disruption ot material substances generally.

Having discovered that nitro-glycerine could be exploded in any desired quantity at t-hewdl ofthe manipulator, NOBEL then prm'vmh-d to ever, takes place at a much lower temperature,

or other'of the materials mentioned, is1 consuch an excessive pressure, that the whole or toh'old it in the presence of a pcrcussionand by other methods NOBEL' ldiscovered or I `adapt it vto the useful arts, such as blasting rock, earth, and material substances generally. To eii'ect this object, he invented the. mode or method hereinafter` described, in substance as follows: Placing the nitro-glycerinein a drillhole or canister, and then exploding in the midst of the said nitro-glycerine a charge ot' gunpowder, gun-cotton, or injecting an electric ii'ame into the mass of nitro-glycerine; or the heating to red heat of a metallic wireplaced within the nitro-glycerine, the necessary heatV will be effective in the decomposition of 'an' atom or more of the nitro-glycerine when coniined, which will cause the explosion of the whole mass. i

, Third,'he invented a method of manufacturing nitro-glycerine in any desired quantity, and with greater economy than hitherto' realized.

Chemical works describe the mode of manufacturing to be drop by drop of the component parts necessaryto compound nitro-glyccrine, which ,in practice has been found to be expensive. NOBEL invented a process f by which theparts could be more readily mixed.

NoBELs improved'mode of manufacturing nitro-glycerine consists in adding the glycerine to a-mixture of sulphuricand nitric acids by pouring them together into a funnel, and discharging the mixture or. nitro-glycerine thus made from the funnel into a body of cold Water kept at a low temperature by any suitable means. The nitro-glycerine, being insoluble in water, quickly separates, and is easily removed therefrom.

The apparatus employed by NOBEL in the practical application of his new mode of manufacturing nitro-glycerine is shown in the drawing accompanying this specification in Plate 1, Fig. 1, which represents a funnel-shaped vessel made-of stone, lead, or other suitable' material.,

i A- is the vessel; B, perforations'throughthe -vessel. C is a cover, and D and E are tubes connected with reservoir-tanks of siiicient elevation to allow the inuence of gravitation and atmospheric pressure, to force the liquids contained to descend in such manner that they will mingle or mix before they reach the water in which the said vessel is placed. There' may beperforated disks'in the said funnel-shaped vessel, placed so that the liquids will have additional opportunity to mix before they reach the water. The glycerine being thus mixed with vthe acids, nitro-glycerine will be formed,which,

y when in the water, separates from the acids.

Theglycerine should enter the vessel through the pipe D, and the acids-one part nitric acid, say 480 Baume specific gravity, andtwo parts sulphuric acid, say 660 Baume specific gravity throu gh the-other pipe E. -When nitric acid of a high specific gravity-say, 480 Baume -is used, the temperature is much -increased by the reaction. 1t is, therefore, better to introduce the nitric acid and glycerine gradually into the sulphuric acid, allowing the mixture 'to cool between each operation. By preference, he'introduces the nitric acid and glycerine a few moments, and then, waiting a short time for the mixture to cool, repeats the operation. g

e Second, the appliances or contrivances necessar'y to successfully and practically explode or decompose nitro-glycerine in any desired quantity, under the management of miners, or

-men ot' practical intelligence.

The processes or contrivances 'invented -by NOBEL for exploding ni'tro-glycerine, &c., are of several kinds, all and each calculated to produce the required heat or percussion'.

First, by an electric spark or current of electricity, illustrated and explained as follows:

Plate 2, Fig. 1, is a sectional view-of the drillhole, canister, or vessel, containing the -nitroglycerine, A walls or sides of the drill hole or vessel. B B are wires, leading from an electric battery. e is a small platina wire. a. a. are holes through the cover of the vessel, or may be considered through the ta-mping in the drill-hole.

When the wires B B are connected with an electric battery, or any known,l generator of electricity, the small platina wire, e becomes heated to a red heat, being about 8000 Fahr-l enheit, more or less, depending upon the strength of the electric current. This .inode of making a wire red hot is well known inthe sciences to which it belongs, and we do /not limit ourselves to any particular battery. This, however, may represent a voltaic or magneto battery, but the iire may be produced by a static machine, generating a dame, of high degree of heat, flashing from the ends of B B across at e. This wire oriiame, passing through the nitro-glycerine, produces a decomposition et the nitro-glycerine, and, the evolution ot' the gases being of a great degree of heat, the whole mass is instantaneously decomposed or exploded.

Secondly, by exploding a quantity of gunpowder or other substance in contact with the liquid,(the powder being confined in a water- -proof tube or case,) the heated gases evolved from the powder being distributed throughout the mass ot' the liquid, raise the temperature of the latter suticientlyto decompose the same. When powder is used for this purpose thccase containing it may be immersed in the liquid,

the powder being ignited by means ot a fuse or by an electric spark. It' desirable, however, 'the liquid may be placed in a tube and inserted in a mass of powder, which is then ignited in any suitable manner.

Fig. 2 represents a drill-hole in a rock or a cartridge; AA, the walls of the hole. B B' isa fuse, (commonly called a train or powderfuse.) yG C is a fusee, being a small wooden plug hollowed, or a tin tube with orifice at a, in which is placed a cork or stopper. c is gunpowder, gun-cotton, or other explosive substances. N G is the '..itro-glycerine. 'W W is water. Y

The operation of exploding the nirro-glycermarked N G. A A represent the ine with this arrangement will be as follows:

The fuse B B is ignited at f, and the tire is conducted to the gunpowder in the fusee C C, which then explodes, bursting theplu g, tube, or vessel, or shooting the cork or stopper from the orifice, which allows the heat to enter into the nitro-glycerine. The gases thus evolved, either by heat or percussion, explode or decompose the nitro-glycerine instantaneously. The water W W servos as a tamping, and prevents the gunpowder froln kicking or forcing the fnsee froln the nitro-glycerine, thus contining`the'gas evolved by the explosion of the gunpowder in the 'midst of the nitro-glycerine. Fig. 4 is an arrangement similarto Fig. 2, the only difference being in tamping. In this figure the tamping is sand or other material.

Fig. 3 represents similar arrangements, illustrated by Fi gs. 2 and 4, except that the fuse B B has attached to it a percussion-cap, P, which, when exploded, evolves thc required gases that produce the decomposition or explosion of the nitro-glycerine in which it is immersed. B B is the fuse; P, percussion-cap; N (i, nitro-glycerine; W W', water-tamping; A A, walls of the drill-hole.

Thirdly, the nitro-glycerine placed in a drillhole or canister, represented by Figs. 1, 2, 3,

- or 4, may be exploded by a train fuse of fulmina'te powder or compositionfor example,

the' ordinary fulminate powder used in percussion-.caps may be pnt in a', tube, or casing .of fiber, gatta-percha, and made to re, ex'- plode, or spit into the nitro-glycerine. This will do in a closed space and under sufficient pressure, but if the gases of the decomposed liquid are enabled to' escape beiore they accul mulate to such a pressure as to effect the requisite impulses of explosion, the liquid is decomposed but slowly, and the re expires before the whole mass is consumed..

Fourthly, by inserting in the vliquid a thin case containing lime and water, or any sibstance, which, when combining, evolve heat;

aise, by the liberation of substances or matter, either with the nitro-glycerine, in the presence of the nitro-glycerine, or iu the midst of nitroglycerine, by which process or processes mixing, engagin g, or formin g. gases may be evolved of sucient heat to produce decomposition or explosion of the nitro-glycerine.

Having thus fully described the discoveries and inventions of the said ALFRED NOBEL with sufticient clearness and distinctness to enable others skilled in the sciences and arts to which they belong to make and use the same, what we claim as the discoveries or inventions of the said NOBEL, and desire v to secure by Letters Patent, in the name ofthe United States Blasting-Oil Company, aforesaid, as the assignee 'of the said NOBEL, is as follows:

subjecting nitro-glycerine to the infucnce of confinement, combined with such degree of pressure, or heat and pressure, however produced, as to result in the decomposition and explosion of the nitro-glycerine, substantially as herein before described.

TAL. P. SHAFFN ER.

JAMES DEVEAU.

Witnesses:

Gnus. C. WILsoN, J. E. M. BOWEN.

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