The use of gunpowder to raise weight
Date
26 October 1687
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p1
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 189mm
width (page): 164mm
width (page): 164mm
Subject
Description
Denis Papin did an experiment by order of Robert Boyle to test the force of gunpowder on raising weights.
Transcription
The instrument spoken of in the Nouvelles that was try'd before Mr. Colberg was a large Pump 1 foot .. and 4 foot: Mr. Huygens commanded me to mak'it so bigg that it might make a considerable effect: this Pump in the scheme is marked AA:
BB is a Plugg exactly fitted to the say'd pump
CC is a pipe steadily fastened and soddered to the say'd plug
DD is a light vessell of metal open at the top and having the outside of it's bottom so fitted as to shutt exactly a large hole that went thorough the Plugg and is mark'd GG
E is another hole at the bottom of the Pump AA fit to receive the little vessell F and to be well stopt by the same.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
BB is a Plugg exactly fitted to the say'd pump
CC is a pipe steadily fastened and soddered to the say'd plug
DD is a light vessell of metal open at the top and having the outside of it's bottom so fitted as to shutt exactly a large hole that went thorough the Plugg and is mark'd GG
E is another hole at the bottom of the Pump AA fit to receive the little vessell F and to be well stopt by the same.
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
Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691, British) , Natural philosopher
Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691, British) , Natural philosopher
Associated place