US856859A - Apparatus for manufacturing smokeless powder. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

G. W. GENTIEU. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SMOKELESS POWDER.

Alfornep APPLICATION FILED APR.16. 1906.

' INVENTOR UNITED STATES GEOR GE IV. GEI TIE U,

, PATENT ()FFIOE.

or IPEORIA, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed April 16, 1906- Serial 110.312.0131.

To all 1117110111 it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WTGENTIEU,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Smokeless Powder; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same;

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention and the invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

My present invention relates to an im- )roved apparatus for manufacturing smokc less gun powder in accordance with my improved process which forms the subject matter of my application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed April 2, 1906 and given Serial No. 309,485, although it may be usedfor any other purpose for which it may be applicable, and it includes a receptacle or tank, fitted with any well known form of stirring devices, a spraying nozzle for discharging a solvent supply into said receptacle or tank, a solvent supply, a liquid forcing .de-

vice located between said solvent supply and the nozzle, and an automatic safety valve located in such position that a constant pressure will be maintained upon the solvent delivery, all of which are more fully hereinafterdescribed.

The main objects of my invention are to produce a simple inexpensive, ellicient apparatus for the manufacture of smokeless powder, and one in which the solvent may be applied to the moist explosive.material in the form of a minute stream of high velocity, de-

' livcred in a downward direction, contrary to the upward movement of the material agitated in the receptacle, the said stream of solvent being delivered at a constant known rate of pressure, which is accomplished by the arrangement of the different parts of the ap )aratus.

'ihc effect on the explosive material bythe use of this apparatus, is to produce a conipact form of smokeless powder grain, in a comparatively short time and without the use of heat. The results secured by treatoriginal stability of the explosive-material which is treated.

Referring to the drawing, Figure represents a sectional view partly in elevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the spraying device and valve controlling the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the spraying nozzle.

In the drawings A represents a receptacle or tank, preferably cylindrical in form, supported in any desired manner and provided with man holes at top and bottom closed by man hole covers .i, G for the introduction and removal of the material to be treated. A stirrer shaft or axle B passes through the cylindrical tank A. is mounted in suitable bearings and provided with driving means such as pulleys b of different diameters, as shown, for driving it at various speeds. ithin the tank A, the shaft 13 is provided with a series of radially disposed agitating arms or blades C for the purpose of tossing the materialoperated upon upward and tho!- oughly agitating it the arms or blades are preferably arranged spirally around the axle and are of equal length, their outer ends extending to near the inner surface of the wall of the cylindrical tank.

J represents a small cylindrical tank which is used as a receptacle or reservoir to contain the li( uid solvent used in the manul'actureol' smokeless powder; fis the suction pipe connecting the reservoir J with a suitable pump F which may be a steam pump, as indicated in the drawing, or any other suitable form of liquid forcing device and the suction pipe f is provided with a controlling valve {1 to shut oil' the supply of liquid when desired.

f is the delivery or discharge pipe which leads from the pump I to a series of jet valves l), I), 1) arranged to deliver the liquid inthe form of a line spray, and with great force and velocity into the interior of the tank A.

II is a safety valve arranged in the pipe f and provided with an adjustable weight'by means of which the valve can be set to open at a certain pressure and deliver the surplus solvent through a by-pass pipe 71 from said valve back to the-reservoir J, thus maintaining a constant ressurc upon the liquid in the pipe fi'rom the pump to the spraying nozzle, which pressure can be regulatml from time to time by means of the weight (in-the ment in this apparatus do not affect the lever of the sal'etv valve It.

' One of the jet valves D is shown in detail m Fig. 2, in section and consists of a hollow body (I provided at opposite ends with screw connections, said hollow body being provided at one side with a tubular extension d having an enlarged bore at the end adjacent to the valve body terminating in a needle valve seat (Z and being provided with a fine bored passage extending from the needle valve seat to the end of the extension (1. The outer-end of the extension (1 is threaded on its exterior and is provided with a shoulder (Z in this instance in the form of a nut to engage the exterior of the wallof the tank A. d"- represe'nts a spraying nozzle illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 and which is adapted to be-screwed onto the end of the extension d. This nozzle is fanshaped and is provided with an interiorly threaded aperture at its inner end foren gaging the extension (1, and with a series of diverging passages cl extending from said threaded aperture to the outer end of the nozzle. I also prefer to provide the outer end ofthe extension (1 with a flaring recess communicating with the fine bore, as shown,

in order to insure a supply of liquid to all .of the"p.assages in the spraying nozzle.

T he hollow body dis provided on the side opposite the extension (1 with a boss (1.

which may be formed integrally with the hollow body or separately and attached thereto and this boss is threaded interiorly to receive the threaded portion of a needle valve (1 which extends through the hollow body (Z and has its endengaging the seat i The boss d..i s also externally threaded to receive'the usual packing gland (i which is recessed to contain rubber or other packing surrounding the needle valve stem and the needle valve stem is provided at its outer end with a hand wheel d", or other suitable device for adjusting it.

The operation: of my improved apparatus, in carrylng out "in y improved process before referred to, is as follows: A quantity of nitrocellulose of a suitable degree of nitration is ground or pulped to a finer state than is ordmarily required in the present methods of making smokeless powder and is treated in a centrifugal wringer to deprive it of a portion of its moisture, but leaving a certain percentage of moisture therein, preferably from 15% to 40%. The nitro-cellulose is then charged into the tank;A by means of the man hole G and the shaft or axle B is rotated at the de sired speed to toss and agitate the nitrocellulose by means of the arms or blades C. A suitable solvent which is miscible or soluble in water has previously been introduced intothe reservoir J and the pump F being set in motion, the solvent is drawn through the suction pipe f, the valve 9 being open, and is delivered under considerable ressure through the pipcf to the jet valves into the material with great force, breaking it into smaller particles or grains and at the same time combining with the water present in. the nitro-cellulose to effect a deterrent colloiding of the nitro-cellulose, thus enabling the grains to become colloided slowly'and uniformly throughout the entire mass of material. The safety valve H will ordinarily be set to open at about 125 pounds to the square inch, although I do not limit myself to the exact pressure, which may be-varied as desired. l/Vhenthe pressure in the pi ef exceeds that for which the safety valve is set, the valve will open slightly and deliver a suflicient uantity'of the liquid through the by-pass h back to the reservoir'J, to relieve excess pressure and bythis means the pressure from the pum to the jet nozzles is main tained uniform. In order to insure the delivery of the liquid under this high pressure,

the pump F is arranged to have a greater de- I livering capacity than the combined orifices of the nozzles d. After colloiding the grains they are removed through the lower man .hole G and placed in any suitable solvent recovery apparatus not shown,'and subjected to a temperature not exceeding 43 C., to dry the grains and recover the solvent.

In attaching-the jet valves and nozzles to the tank A as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and.2, apertures are'provided in the top of the tank wall to permit thepassage of the threaded end of the extension (1 of each of these devices, so as: to bring the shoulder (1 against the outer surface of the Wall. The nozzles d are then screwed onto the threaded ends of the extension (1 and engage the inner surface of the tank wall, thus securely clamping the nozzles and jet valves in position.

The process for the manufacture of smokeless powder before described, is not claimed .herein'as it forms the subject matter ofmy former a plication before referred to.

What i claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. Apparatus for the manufacture of smokeless powder, comprising among its members, ajreceptacle, stirring devices located therein, a spraying nozzle discharging within said receptacle, a li uid. supply connected to said nozzle, and a fiquid forcing device interposed between said liquid supply and'said nozzle having a greater capacity than the delivery orificesof said nozzle, and automatic pressure-relieving device for maintaining an uniform pressure on. the nozzles, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for the manufacture of smokeless powder; the-combination with a D and receptacle, stirring devices located therein, a

spraying nozzle located adjacent to the upper part of said receptacle and discharging downwardly therein, and a liquid forcing de vice connected to said nozzle, means for maintaining an uniform pressure of the liquid at the nozzle, and a regulating device for varying the pressure at which the liquid is discharged, substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for the manufacture of smokeless powder, comprising among its members, a receptacle, stirring devices located therein, a spraying nozzle discharging within said receptacle, a liquid supply for per part of said receptacle and said nozzle, a liquid forcing device connected therewith, a pipe from said forcing device to said nozzle, a by-pass from said pipe to the liquid supply and an automatic pressure op' erated valve for controlling said by-pass, substantially as described.

. 4. Apparatus for the manufacture of smokeless powder, comprising among its members, a receptacle, stirring devices located therein, a spraying nozzle discharging within said receptacle, a liquid supply for said nozzle, a liquid forcing device connected therewith, and havin a greater capacity than-the discharge orifices which it supplies, a pipe connecting said forcing device with said nozzle, a by-pass connected with said pipe and leading to said liquid supply, and an adjustable pressure operated valve controlling said by-pass, substantially as described 5. In apparatus forthe manufacture of smokeless powder, the combination with a receptacle, stirring devices located therein, a spraying nozzle located adjacent to the updischarging downwardly therein, and a liquid forcing device connected to said nozzle, and apressure operated valve located between the liquid forcing device and the nozzle for regulating the pressure of the liquid delivered from said nozzle, substantially as described.

6. An apparatus for the manufacture of smokeless powder, comprising among its members, a tank, stirring devices located therein, a spray controlling valve located outside of the tank, and having-a tubular extension, passing through the tank, a spraying nozzle, secured to said extension within the tank and provided with a plurality of discharge passages, a li uid forcing device connected with said va ve, and an automatic pressure operated valve interposed between said pump and said spray controlling valve, for maintaining an uniform pressure upon the liquid supplied to said nozzle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affir my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. GENTIEU.

Witnesses:

WALTER O. BIENEMANN, E. 'M. GILES.

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