USRE4816E - Alfred nobel - Google Patents

Description

Alf-NOBEL. Improvement in Exploding Nitra filycerine.

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UNIT D. STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED NOBEL, or HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATES BLASTING-OIL COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT m EXPLODING NlTRO-GLV'CERINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent-No, 50,617, dated October 24, 1865; reissue No. 3,378, dated April 13. 1869; reissue No. 4,816. dated March 19, 1572.

Drv'rsron B,

SPECIFICATION BEL for promoting the expulsion of nitroglycer- To all whom it may concern inc; one method, which forms the subject of a Be it known that ALFRED NOBEL, ot' the separate specification, relates to the'combinacity of Hamburg,'Germa-ny, has invented eertion with nitroglycerine of other more easily I tciunew and useful Improvements in the Manuexplosive substances; and the other method, facture of Nitro-Glycerine and certain comwhichis the subject ofthispateut, relates to-thc pounds thereof, and'in the utilization as exmeans of effecting the ex'plosion without such plosives of the same and analogous substancombination. Thisis accomplished either by ces, known as nitrates of ethyl and of methyl procuring an-initial explosion of a minute porund nitro-manite. tion of the whole charge of nitro-glycerinc, 'The improvemcnt'in the manufacture of whichitheu, by means of theheat and pressure nitro-glycerinc is the subject of a. separate of the gas thus developed, ir 'yolves the whole specification; this specification having refermass in explosive decompositioin'or by creatonce to certain modes of utilizing, as exploing an impulse of explosion by means ofconliye's,'nitro -glycerine and the analogous subcussive agitation; the means employed in both stances above mentioned. cases being in such relation to the mass of Thcre'is 'a class of explosives long known, nitro-glycerine to bccxplodcd as that the latbut not at the date of NOBELS iuvcutiouapter shall be confined within the influence 0f plied to technical purposes, in consequence of such-initial explosion or impulse of-explosion. practical diflieulties in procuring their cxplo- The pressure bcin g developed by the heating lion. -Such substances are nitro-glycerine, the to the point of explosion of aminute portion nitrates of ethyl and of methyl and intro of the charge, nitro-glyeerine is made use of manite. These substances are liquids at orin the one instance; and in the other the dcdinary temperatures, and by that characteristic tonation of some violently exploding substance are distinguishable from solid explosives, such in n'cscnce ot' the charge of nitro-glyccrine. as gunpowder, gun-cotton, &c.; and they have Niti'o'glycerine as well as the analogous cxalso the property that fire may be applied to plosives hcreinhcfore named being liqui'd, it them without exploding. Nitroglycerine, for in such condition that it cannot escape from example, if ignited in an open space, is slowly thcinlluencc ot' the initial explosion,'(as, for decomposed and takes fire, but the flame is instance, when placed in a bore-holci'orhlastapt to die out whenjthc match is withdrawn; ing,) receives and propagatesjfihejnigal presshence it cannot, under ordinary circumstances, are through its whole mass, and the iirst' be looked upon as aready explosive agent; for pulse of explosion is communicated through-v while gunpowder, and other substances used out the whole charge, efl'ccting its-instantaneas explosives'prior to NIOBELS invention, alous decomposition andexplosion. By the term ways explode or deilagratc throughout the impulse ot'explosion is ineantn-iotion produced whole mass when fire is set to them, intro to clfcct the explosion by suddenly communiglyccrine and the analogous substances before cated force. named will not explode i'ronithe more contact Thcreare many means of obtaining this imof flame. So, also, if a drop ofnitro-glyceriuc pulse of explosion-such as, first, by placing, be poured on an anvil, the blow of a: hammer the nitro-glycerinc to be exploded in a tube or 4 causes it toexplode, but only that part is incase of any suitable material which will hold \olved which has received the blow, so that it, and surrounding this tube with gunpowder, in this case the explosion'is merely a local one. gun-cotton, or an y readil y cxplodin g substance, I A principal object ot'NOBELS invention 0011- which, being easily tired by any of the wellsists in the removal of this obstacle to the use known means, will instantancously cause the of nitro-glyccrinc and the analogous substanexplosion of thenitroglycerine in the tube; mesbclbrcnamcd as explosives. For this end, or, by reversing this process and pouring 'thc two difierent methods were invented by No: nitro-glyeerincinto the bore-hole (forblasting) c I v 4,818

and inserting into the nit-rcglycerine atube clinrged with gunpowder or gulrcotton, or other casilyexplodnig substance, when, by firing. the charge in the tube, the nitroglycerme 15 also exploded.

' \Vhen'used for the purposes of blasting, the nitrog1 ycerine may be poured directly into the bore-hole, which may he closed above to prevent the scattering or blowing out of the charge; for which purpose loose sand will do, or the upper partof the bore may be leftentirely open. lt'not convenient topour the nitroglyeriue directly into the borehole, it may be.

placed in cases of paper or metal, 'or other suitable material, open or closed at top, as may be preferred, I

Second. By the use of what NOBEL culls "igniters glass, paper, or other material, filled or charged with gunpowder or other easy explosive, and furnished with a fuse or other means of igniting the some by fire or by an electric spark. The burner may be introduced into the nitro glycerinc and being fired in any convenient manner, its explosion gives to the" nitro-glycerine the requisite impulse of explosion. Theseigniters may be grently varied in construction, but in their simplest form they consist of a wooden cylinder hollow inside and filled with gunpow' dcr, being corked at the one end and connected with a fuseut the other. When the nitroglyeerinc has been poured into the bore or bliishhole,

this cylinder iElet down by its fuse'until it swims in the nitro-gly'cerine, and. then, if desired, the upper part of the bore isifilled with loose sand, and nothing remains but to ignite the fuse. The'fuse in its tnrn-fires-the explosivc contained in the wooden cylinder, the hot gases of which rush into the charge of nitroglyceriue and the whole mass immediately explodes.-

these igniters, in which a is the wooden cylindela, the cavit'yg filled with gunpowder and closed by the cork o'r plugf; and. g, the fuse. The nitro-glycer'ine in the bore-hole is represented at c. v

Third. A, third method-d5 to heat wminute portion of the charge of nitro-glycerine toits point of explosion byiuclosingn minute portion of nitro-glycerlnev in a. tube filled either.

with rocket-powder, (which, being easily ignited, is fircd in any convenient way,) or with lime ZlYld WQtBZ' OI. some other chemical agents v ndn-pted to combine gradually, and by their reaction create the necessary heat. The ex-t plosiong in the tube will give to it the impulse required to explode themnss ofnitro glycerine. 3.

Fourth. A i'ourtli mode of producing the llll.

tiul cxpiosion is by means of a. spark, or by heat developed by n powerful current, of electricity within the charge of nitro-glycerine, which is soi'nclosed asnot. to afford. an escape to the gasdcvcloped thereby. Figs. 2 and; 3

illustrate the apparatus-for thus attracting the explosion. his the case for holding the charge of mtro -glycerine, whichjmeybe'closcd at top i glycerine,

or burners, being a small tube of or not,'as me be preferred. 1; i are two wires, which pass t. trough glass tubes k k, or other insulating substances in the plug or cap of the ense, the wires being immersed in the nitroa ud their lower ends connected by a fineplat-ina. wire, z. The wire z being heated bythe assage. of the electric current, the liquid in contact with the wire is decomposed, giving the initial explosion, and the heat and pressure developed thereby instantaneously decompose and explode the contents of the case. i .Fifth, still another method is by means of a. capsule, more commonly termed in military art a. percussion-cap,which, being exploded in any convenient manner, gives, by its detonation, the requisite impulse to explode the chargeof nitro-glycerine. g

Sixth, the necessary initial explosion may also be effected by means of an ordinary blustingfuse. This will do ,in a. closed space and under sufficient resistance; but, if the gases of the portion of the nitro-glycaino decomposedby the bent of the fuse are enabled to escape before they accumulate to such a. pressureus to effect the requisite impulse of explosion, the nitro-glyceriuc is slowly decomposed end the fire generally goes out before thewhole is consumed. The explosion if produced by a, fuse under the condition of the confinement ofare intended to be included as if specially mentioned. I V

, .4 v v In View of the fact that the explosive sub- In the. drawing, Figure 1 illustrates one of invention he introduced these substances from of practical l the domain of science into that usoin the arts-- i 4 What we claim as the invention of said'A'L- FRED NOBEL, and desire to secure by Letters To g-Oil Company, as assignee'of said NOBEL,

1. A charge of gunpowder, gun'o'otton, or

other easily-igniting and exploding-substance,

surrounding -a. tube crease contaiuingthe charge ot nitro-glycerine, as a. means of ex plodiug the same, substantially as hereinbc fore described.

other easily-i gnitin g and exploding substance surrounded by a nitroiglyceriue charge, our

.combined therewith as a. means of exploding sisting' of a tube or case inclosing a minute Patent in the name of The United States Blast i 2. A charge of gunpowder, gun-cotton,* 0r' portion of nitro-glycerinc, together with lime' and water, or other equivalent substances, which by combining will evolve the requisite heatto explode-the nitrog1 ycerine therein, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.

4. An igniter or exploder, consisting of 3 tube or case containing rocket-powder mixed with a minute portion of nitro-glycerine, and furnished with afuse or other means of setting fire to the igniting charge, substantially as hereinbefore described.

5. gin electric spark, or heat generated by eleetrici ty within the charge of ni tro-glycerine, as a means of promoting an impulse of explosion therein. substantially as hereinbefore de' 1 scribed.

6. A capsule or percussion-cap, furnished with a suitable means of firing or exploding the same, and suitably arranged in relation to thenitro-glycerine so as by its detonation to i'z'upart the necessaryimpulseof explosion thereto, substantially as hereinhei'ore describe-ii.

7. An igniter for producing the explosion of nitroglyeerine, consisting of a case of wom'i or other suitable material for braiding the ini; tial explosion-charge, closed with a Berk or plug, and a fuse or other means of ignition, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In Witness whereof the said THE Umiimn STATES BLASTING-UZL UOMPAHY, This I. SHAFFNER, President, have hereunto set their hand.

THE UNITED STATES BLASTING-DIL (30., By TAL. P. SHAIFFNER, President.

Witnesses;

OCTAVIUS KNIGHT, Enmn. F. BROWN.

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