In 1875 Lammot du Pont invented Hexagonal powder for large artillery, which was pressed using shaped plates with a small center core; about  diameter, like a wagon wheel nut, the center hole widened as the grain burned.
ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv lˈæmɑːt dˈuː pˈɔnt ɪnvˈɛntᵻd hˈɛksɐɡənəl pˈaʊdɚ fɔːɹ lˈɑːɹdʒ ɑːɹtˈɪlɚɹi, wˌɪtʃ wʌz pɹˈɛst jˈuːzɪŋ ʃˈeɪpt plˈeɪts wɪð ɐ smˈɔːl sˈɛntɚ kˈoːɹ; ɐbˌaʊt daɪˈæmɪɾɚ, lˈaɪk ɐ wˈæɡən wˈiːl nˈʌt, ðə sˈɛntɚ hˈoʊl wˈaɪdənd æz ðə ɡɹˈeɪn bˈɜːnd.