IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OP BARRELS FOR FIRE-ARMS AND OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF TUBES, AND IN ADRADATING OR MACHINERY FA
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Thompson, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OP BARRELS FOR FIRE-ARMS AND OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF TUBES, AND IN
ADRADATING OR MACHINERY FA AÐ H
Sealed the 16th October 1863, and dated the 24th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th April 1863.
I, JAMES THOMPSON, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said lnvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS FOR FIRE-ARMS AND OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF TUBES, AND IN
APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows,.
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in making barrels for fire-arms without weld or
joint, and with a solid breech, and also in making other descriptions of tubes
which may require to have solid parts upon them. This I effect by means of
rolls of peculiar construction and by employing a thick solid tube or billet of
metal with a hole punched through it for the formation of such tubes. This
billet or thick tube is first passed in a heated state, if the metal is of a kind to
require heat, through preparing rolls of the ordinary construction, by which it
is lengthened or drawn out, and it is then removed to rolls formed with a
double collar on one or both sides of the groove, or with a collar and a bearing.

page_text: A stop piece is fitted into the groove, against which stop the roller places the
end of the barrel or tube, this stop also acting as a guide to indicate when the
barrel is to be put in the rolls and governing by its position in the rolls
the length of barrel or tube. At any suitable point in the periphery of the
groove of one of the rolls a sinking is formed to shape the breech or solid part
of the barrel or tube, and as the barrel requires turning in the direction of its
circumference after every rolling, an opening is cut through the bearing of the
roll to admit the breech or solid part, which is thus forced against the collar
and against the stop, and shaped.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
THOMPSON, of Bilston, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Thompson, Her special licence that I, the said James
Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BARRELS FOR FIRE-ARMS AND OTHER
DESCRIPTIONS OF TUBES, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THAT
PURPOSE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Thompson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Thompson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention consists in making barrels for fire-arms without weld or joint
and with a solid breech, and also in making other descriptions of tubes
which may require to have solid parts upon them. This I effect by means of
rolls of peculiar construction, and by employing a thick solid tube or billet of
metal with a hole punched through it for the formation of such tubes. This
billet or thick tube is first passed in a heated state, if the metal is of a kind to
require heat, through preparing rolls of the ordinary construction, by which it
is lengthened or drawn out, and it is then removed to rolls formed with a
double collar in one or both sides of the groove, or with a collar and a bearing.
A stop piece is fitted into the groove against which stop the roller places the
end of the barrel or tube, this stop also acting as a guide to indicate when
the barrel is to be put in the rolls, and governing by its position in the
rolls the length of barrel or tube. At any suitable point in the periphery of the
grooves of one of the rolls a sinking is formed to shape the breech or solid part
of the barrel or tube, and as the barrel requires turning in the direction of its
circumference after every rolling an opening is cut through the bearing of
the roll to admit the breech or solid part, which is thus forced against the
collar and against the stop, and shaped.
I wow proceed to describe my Invention more explicitly by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a transverse
section of the rolls with a gun barrel between them in course of manu-
facture, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of a portion of the train.
(a, Figure 1) represents the stop inserted in the periphery of the groove,
against which stop the roller presses the end of the thick tube or billet,
previously punched, pressed, or stamped into form to be reduced; (b) is tho
sinking which forms the breech, (c, Figure 2) the collar, and (d) the corre
sponding collar holes on the under and upper rolls, but these parts are not
essential and may be used or not as preferred, the bearings would probably be
stronger without them; (e) shews the sinkings in the bearings, in which, in
conjunction with those in the grooves and the stop (d), the breech is formed.
And I prefer to employ rolls of this description from the commencement of
reducing the barrel from the thick tube or billet, passing it through as many
successive grooves as I may find requisite.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I claim, without limiting myself to these
precise details, the improvements in the manufacture of barrels for fire arins

page_text: and other descriptions of tubes in which a solid breech or lump is required
upon the tube without weld or joint, together with the improvements in the
rolls by which this is effected, as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Thompson, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JAMES THOMPSON. (L.S.)