Instrument to test the power of gunpowder to raise water
Date
17th century
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p3
Dimensions
height (page): 146mm
width (page): 106mm
width (page): 106mm
Description
An instrument designed by Denis Papin to test the force of gunpowder (normal and Ierzey powder) in raising water into the vessel.
Transcription
I have mended the Instrument to try to what degree the Air may be rarefied by the flame of gun powder: and now I may easily let in water through the hole at the bottom of the say'd Instrument without any intermixtion of Air, and since that I have made with it severall tryalls with several quantities both of ordinary powder and of Jerzey powder.
[...]
If the R.S. pleaseth to clear this by further tryals I will be ready to follow their orders.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
[...]
If the R.S. pleaseth to clear this by further tryals I will be ready to follow their orders.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 26 October 1687, ‘A paper of Dr. Papin was read concerning a way of applying the force of gun-powder to raise weights, and to other mechanical uses; of which he shewed the experiment. It was by rarefying the air included in a cylinder by the flash of the powder, and then applying the weight of the atmosphere to drive down a plug into the evacuated cylinder, being the way mentioned in the Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres’ (Birch 4:550).
16 November 1687, 'Dr. Papin repeated the experiment made at the meeting of the 26th of October with a third part of the gun-powder used then, but supposed three times as strong and the effect was, that the air expelled was equal in bulk to 2lb 5 oun. of water, the powder being but half a scruple' (Birch 4:552).
20 February 1688/9: 'There was read a Letter of Mr Papins to Sir Edmund King, giveing the Description of an Engine of his contrivance for applying the force of Gunpowder to the raising of weights, which is by so ordering a Cylindrick cavity, that the flash of the powder shall drive out the greatest part of the Air, at a passage in a plugg, wherat the reentrance of the Air is prevented by a valve; and consequently the incumberd atmosphere must press upon the said plugg, and drive it down, if therefore to this plugg there be fastned a Cord by help of a pulley, any weight fastned to the other end of that cord may be raised as much as the plugg is depressed. It was observed that the force of the Instrument could not be contrived to be very great by reason, that it is allwais considerably less than the weight of a Cylinder of Mercury of the Diameter of the plugg and 30. inches hight' (JBO/8/245-46).
16 November 1687, 'Dr. Papin repeated the experiment made at the meeting of the 26th of October with a third part of the gun-powder used then, but supposed three times as strong and the effect was, that the air expelled was equal in bulk to 2lb 5 oun. of water, the powder being but half a scruple' (Birch 4:552).
20 February 1688/9: 'There was read a Letter of Mr Papins to Sir Edmund King, giveing the Description of an Engine of his contrivance for applying the force of Gunpowder to the raising of weights, which is by so ordering a Cylindrick cavity, that the flash of the powder shall drive out the greatest part of the Air, at a passage in a plugg, wherat the reentrance of the Air is prevented by a valve; and consequently the incumberd atmosphere must press upon the said plugg, and drive it down, if therefore to this plugg there be fastned a Cord by help of a pulley, any weight fastned to the other end of that cord may be raised as much as the plugg is depressed. It was observed that the force of the Instrument could not be contrived to be very great by reason, that it is allwais considerably less than the weight of a Cylinder of Mercury of the Diameter of the plugg and 30. inches hight' (JBO/8/245-46).
Related fellows
Denis Papin (1647, French) , Natural philosopher