forming guns
Year: 1855

page_text: 66
66
the expiration of the third year have
obtained: And whereas since the filing of the said Specification I have
discovered that certain terms employed to express part of my said Invention
are too extensive, so as to be capable of being construed to embrace other
previous discoveries; for which reason I am desirous of more clearly defining 5
the nature, and thereby limiting the extent of my Invention, by the intro-
duction of the words "a method of" between the words, "The improvements
relate first to" and "forming guns," &c.; also and for the same reason I am
desirous of introducing the words following: "but I do not claim as my
"Invention the method of forming guns or cannon by the application of collars 1
" or rings, heated and shrunk upon a cylindrical inner tube, save and except
"when the internal diameters of such collars or rings are previously to being
heated so much smaller than the external diameter of the inner tube on which
they are shrunk, that after being cooled, the outer casing, formed by the rings or
collars, is in a state of tension or permanent strain, similar to that produced 1
" when the rings or collars are forced upon a conical surface as before described,
and the inner tube is in both cases similarly compressed" at the end of the
first paragraph. At the beginning of the next paragraph I propose to omit
the words, "Secondly, the improvements consist in," and to introduce the
following in lieu thereof, "a like effect may be produced by." For the word
"Thirdly" at the beginning of the next paragraph I propose to substitute the
word "Secondly;" and in the body of the Specification, when describing
Figure 5, I wish to introduce the words, "but to which I make no claim," so
as to follow the words, "by which the parts are retained in position ;" and at
the end of the same paragraph I also desire to introduce the words, "to do so,
however, forms no part of my Invention to which I lay claim;" and having
also ascertained that the parts of the Specification embraced under the fourth,
fifth, and sixth heads of the Invention do not possess sufficient utility, and are
not in all respects new, I am further desirous of disclaiming all the parts of
the Specification included in such fourth, fifth, and sixth heads, and the
description of the same as contained in the body of the said Specification, and
the Specification so altered will then read as follows:-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate, first, to a method of forming guns with an interna

page_text: tube or cylinder of cast iron or steel inclosed in a casing of wrought iron or
steel. I sometimes form the outer surface of the inner tube somewhat
conical, the greatest diameter being just in front of the trunnions and tapering
both ways, and apply the outer casing in the form of collars or rings driven
5 thereon; and in some cases I apply two or more layers of such rings, accord-
ing to the strength sought to be obtained, the trunnions being of one piece
with one of the rings. The outer casing may, however, be applied in the form
of collars or rings, heated and shrunk upon the cylindrical surface of the inner
cylinder or tube; but I do not claim as my Invention the method of forming guns
0 or cannon by the application of collars or rings, heated and shrunk upon a
cylindrical inner tube, save and except when the internal diameters of such collars
or rings are, previously to being heated, so much smaller than the external diameter
of the inner tube on which they are shrunk, that after being cooled, the outer
casing formed by the rings or collars is in a state of tension or permanent strain,
similar to that produced when the rings or collars are forced upon a conical
surface, as before described, and the inner tube is in both cases similarly com-
pressed; Secondly, the improvements-consist-in a like effect may be produced by
forming heavy ordnance, especially rifled guns or sea-service mortars with an
internal tube or cylinder (formed by casting and boring in the usual manner)
upon which are cast rings of cast iron in one or more layers. When in
several layers, the joints of the rings should "break band."
Thirdly, Secondly, the improvements relate to strengthening old guns, or
guns made according to other arrangements, by the application of external
metal rings or coils of iron, as referred to under the first head of the
improvements.
Fourthly, the improvements-relate-to-employing-the-friction-produced by the
passage of oil-or-other-fluids-through-a-small-passage-in-combination-with-the-use
of compressed air-as-applied-to-gun-earriages-for-the-purpose-of-moderating the
recoil-of-the-gun-carried-thereby.-The-gun-earriage-is-formed-with-a-eylinder-or
chamber-to-receive-a-piston,-the-rod-of-which-is-connected-to-some-suitable-abut-
ment, and this-eylinder-is-capable-of-communication-through-a-small-passage-elosed
by-a-valve-with-another-eylinder-or-chamber-containing-compressed-air-When-th
gun is fired, the piston-will-aet-as-an-abutment-to-foree-the-fluid-from-the-eylinde
containing-it-through-the-small-passage-to-the-air-chamber,-when-the-compressed-a
will-serve-to-moderate-the recoil, whilst-the-valve-in-the-small-passage, by-elesir
against-the-return-of-the-fluid,-will-prevent-a-rebound. Another valve-or-a-tap-
employed-to-open-a-communication-between-the-air-chamber-and-the-eylindery

page_text: earriage-when-desired.
Fifthly, my-improvements relate to moderating the recoil of mortars when being
fired, by the-application thereto of the system embraced by the fourth head of
the Invention.
Sixthly,-my-improvements relate to the application, when forming guns of
separate-layers or thicknesses-of-metal, of sheets or layers of lead-or-other-soft metal,
between-sueh-separate layers or thicknesses, for the purpose of insuring close
contact.
But that my said Invention may be fully understood and readily carried 1
into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
5
Figure 1 shows a sectional view, and Figure 2 an external view of a gun
arranged according to the first part of my improvements; Figure 3 shows the
internal core separately; Figure 4 shows two views of one of the rings; and 1
Figure 5, two views of the ring upon which the trunnions are formed; a, a,
is the internal tube or cylinder of cast iron or steel, and which receives the
charge; b, b, are a series of collars or rings, which are shrunk or driven upon
the outer surface of the inner cylinder. There may be one or several series
of such collars or rings, but when there are several layers, they should be
applied so as to break joint as shown, and when applied they, with the
internal cylinder, form one combined mass of metal, to resist the force of the
charge when firing. The trunnions are formed on or affixed to one of the
collars or rings, as shewn by Figure 5. c, c, are rods formed with screws at
their ends for nuts, by which the parts are retained in position, but to which
I make no claim; guns thus formed of several parts may be either put
together and transported as a whole, or they may be transported in separate
pieces, and put together as required, by which great facility will be obtained
for transport, especially with heavy guns. In these Figures I have shown
the end a¹ of the cylinder or tube formed as part of that cylinder; I do not,
however, confine myself to that arrangement, and in some cases I form that
part separately, as shown by Figure 6; to do so, however, forms no part of my
Invention to which I lay claim. In place of forming the outer casing of
separate collars or rings, I sometimes form such outer casing of wire or rod
wound spirally in one or more layers around the inner cylinder or tube.
When the guns are formed in several parts to be put together separately,

page_text: 5
then the internal cylinder may for the time be shrunk somewhat by the
application thereto of any suitable freezing mixture, or the external rings may
be caused to expand by heat, previous to being applied to the internal cylinder,
and then shrunk thereon.
I have not thought it necessary to give any specific direction for casting
metal upon the surface of internal cylinders or cores for the purpose of
strengthening them, as I proceed by simply forming a mould of the figure of
such ring, and then have applied the internal cylinder therein as a core: I
pour the fluid metal into the space around, as is well understood by persons
accustomed to casting in metal.
Old guns, or guns made according to other arrangements, may be strengthened
by the application of external rings, or coils of wire, or bars of iron or steel, as
described in respect to the first part of the Invention.
Figure 8 shows a plan, and Figure 9 a side view, of a gun with a carriage
constructed according to the fourth-part-of-my-improvements;-Figure 10-shows-a
section through one cheek of the carriage.-a, a, are the side frames of the gun
earriage, each of which is formed with-a-chamber-b-for-compressed-air, which is
supplied through the opening-b';e is a cylinder, and d a piston working-therein.
The rod of this piston is connected-to-some-suitable-abutment, and when the gun is
fired the oil or other fluid contained--therein will be foreed through the valve
passage into the-air-chamber b, the air-in-which-will-serve-to-moderate-the--recoil,
and the closing-of-such valve-will prevent rebound. The valve or tap f is employed
to open a communication between-the-air-chamber-and-the-eylinder to admit of
the-return of the fluid to the cylinder, and thus, by acting upon the piston by the
foree of the compressed air, effect the running up of the earriage again.
I form the side-frames or cheeks of the gun carriage in two parts, through the
line z, by which I obtain great facility in forming the internal parts-and-ehambers
thereto, and, when fitted, I retain these-parts together by serews and nuts, or other
suitable means, with-a-thin-layer of soft metal-or-other-suitable-material between the
surfaces-in-contact, but this may be varied.
A workman, from the description-given, will-readily make such modifications-as
may-be-necessary-in-applying the--system-to-mortar carriages for moderating their
ecoil,-and-the--sheets or layers of lead-or--other-soft metal between the layers or
hieknesses of metal in guns formed of such separate layers or thicknesses, may-be
ither caused to flow in-between--the-parts in a fluid-state, or be placed-there-in
heets.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it

page_text: derstood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown and
scribed, so long as the peculiar character of any part of the improvements
retained.
See hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely, have
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year
four Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above-named Alexand
Theophilus Blakely to file in the Great Seal Patent Office, with the Sp
cification to which the same relates, the above-written Disclaimer an
Memorandum of Alteration.