Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Tubes for Guns and other purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Tubes for Guns and other
purposes.
I, CARL PUFF, of 32, Lindenufer, Spandau, in the Empire of Germany, Mech-
anical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
Guns made by winding steel wire or ribbon upon an inner tube lack longitudinal
strength and stiffness, and are difficult to make. These defects which prevent the
general adoption of wound guns are overcome by the present invention, which
can also be used in constructing tubes for other purposes.
The process of making tubes according to this invention consists in winding a
single sheet of nietal of corresponding width, or several sheets arranged side by
side, upon an inner tube, the several layers being spirally wound upon each
other with increasing tension and in such a way as to bring a line drawn parallel
with the edge of the sheet or sheets in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the
tube.
Figure (Sheet 1) of the accompanying drawings shows a gun tube made by
winding a steel sheet in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 (Sheet I)
is a diagram of the steel sheet in its rectangular trapeziform shape.
In Figure 3 (Sheet 2) a gun tube is shown, in the construction of which several
rings are first wound individually and then shrunk on a single inner tube. Where
a steel sheet of sufficient width is hard to procure, this modification may be
employed with advantage. Or several sheets may be wound side by side and on
each other upon an inner tube.
The gun tube shown in Figure 1, Sheet 1, consists of an inner tube Å,
wound up laminae B, the jacket C and the screw D.
the
The inner tube A is provided at both ends with collars or shoulders to secure B.
Figure 2 shows the form of the sheet wound upon A, which permits of the
tube being shaped conical towards the muzzle.
The steel sheet is fastened with the side b to the inner tube and wound upon
it under tension by turning the latter. It is preferred to make the sheet as wide
as the inner tube is long, its length depending on the number of layers to be
wound on, and its slope on the conicity or taper of the tube. The jacket C is
pushed over the forward end and rests against the rear collar or shoulder. The
jacket C supports the trunnions and its rear end receives the screw D which forms"
part of the breech mechanism.
In Figure 3 a modification is shown. The inner thin-walled tube A serves as
a support for the individual rings. The rings B are each built like the tube shown
on Sheet 1, Figure 1, i.e. they are wound upon the short tubes B'. Each separate
ring receives a sleeve 13, which can be accurately turned down and polished to
fit the jacket C. After winding, the rings are turned down at both ends, at the
one end on the inner face, at the other end on the outer face. When put together
TD 037

page_text: they interlock and impart to long tubes greater stiffness. The jacket C, which is
put over the tube, supports the trunnions and receives the breech mechanism.
The mode of construction followed in building up this tube produces a tube
consisting of a single series of rings, all of the same tension in the several wound
on layers. In dispensing with the several layers of rings of the ordinary built-
up gun, the new 'method produces not only stronger but even.
1.cheaper tubes, a
good deal of the work of putting on so many rings and turning and polishing
them being saved.
The required tension in winding the sheets is imparted to them by weighting
them at their ends and by passing them between rolls or similar apparatus. The
sheets may also be wound on while warm, so that a state of tension is set up on
cooling.
Several sheets may be wound upon each other without being jointed.
At the start the sheet is soldered or welded to its tube, the end of the sheet is
secured in the same way to guard against unwinding.
To guard against displacement of the several parts of the tube when used, the
wound on sheet is welded both to the inner tube and the jacket. Heretofore
it has been tried to attain this end by the use of locking rings, lugs and screw-
fastenings.
The welding is best done by means of electrical heating, at about one half
calibres length from the muzzle and whilst cooling the parts not to be welded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. The process of making tubes for guns or other purposes consisting in winding
a single sheet of metal of corresponding width or several sheets arranged side by
side upon an inner tube, the several layers being spirally wound upon each other
with increasing tension and in such a way as to bring a line drawn parallel with
the edge of the sheet or sheets into a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube,
substantially as described.
2. A modification of the herein before described process of making tubes con-
sisting in the sheets being wholly or partly trapeziform for winding conical tubes,
substantially as described.
3. A modification of the herein before described process of making tubes con-
sisting in superimposing separately wound rings upon an inner tube, or winding
several sheets side by side and upon each other upon an inner tube, substantially
as described.
4. As a new article of manufacture a tube consisting of layers of sheet metal
wound upon an inner tube, substantially as described.
5. The process of welding the component parts of a tube to guard against dis-
placement of such parts, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of October 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.