UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
FRANCIS A. HALSEY, OF SWANTON, WERMONT.
SOKEESS POWDER.
No. 878,726. Specification of Letters Patent.
Application filed October 6, 1906, Serial No. 339,147.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, FRANCIs A. HALSEY, a
citizen of the United States, residing at
Swanton, county of Franklin, State of Ver
mont, have invented a new and useful Im
provement in Smokeless Powders, of which
the following is a specification.
The object of my invention is to provide a
Eyle chiefly for use in the various cali
10 ers of fire-arms, which will be smokeless,
comparatively safe to manufacture and use.
with a high explosive power on ignition, and
which will not deteriorate on exposure.
It consists of a compound made up of the
5 following elements combined in about the
proportions specified:
Ammonium picrate . . . . ----- 4.3%
Barium Initiate . . . . . . . . . --- 34%
Potassium picrate.--------- 10%
E; of potassium- - - 1%
Potassium permanganate - - - - 4%
Finely pulverized wood. --- S%
These constituents are mixed together in the
usual manner, being first finely pulverized,
25 the potassium permanganate being dissolved
first in cold water, and all are then inti
mately incorporated by passing through a
kneading machine, in which they are mixed
until thoroughly homogeneous, the process
80 being assisted by a small quantity of water.
The resultant composition is at this stage in
the form of a damp adhesive mass, which is
then passed through separating or granu
lating sieves and dried.
35 It is understood that the exact propor
tions above specified may be slightly varied
Patented Feb. 11, 1908.
according to the caliber of the fire-arms or
guns for which the powder is to be used.
The advantage of this composition and proc
ess is in the greatly decreased cost of pro 40
duction and safety in manufacture and
safety in use.
By the use of potassium permanganate
there is chlorin liberated upon the explosion
which bleaches the smoke generated by the 45
other ingredients. This will be apparent,
when it is considered that I use commercial
nitrates in the preparation of my improved
powder, and not a chemically pure article.
The commercial nitrates all carry a small 50
percentage of chlorin and upon this is based
the proportions of the ingredients that I use,
for the oxygen and the chlorin bleach the
coloring matter in the Smoke and destroy it.
it may be noted, also, that the powder of the 55
present invention is a bulk powder, that is,
it may be loaded measure for measure with .
black powder. It will be further noted that
the reaction of the improved powder is
neither acic nor alkaline but neutral. 60
What I claim and desire to secure by Let
ters, Patent, is- k
The herein described granular explosive
powder consisting of the following ingre
clients in about the proportions specified:
ammonium picrate, 43%; barium nitrate,
34%; potassium picrate, 10%; ferrocyanid
of potassium, 1%, potassium permanganate,
4%, and finely pulverized wood, 8%.
FRANCIS A. EASEY.
Witnesses:
DANIEL G. FURMAN,
FRED I. WEBSTER.