Improvements in the Construction of Ordnance and in Winding Machinery Employed in the Manufacture of what are known as 66 'Wire" Guns.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Ordnance and in Winding
Machinery Employed in the Manufacture of what are known as
66 'Wire" Guns.
We JAMES ATKINSON LONGRIDGE Civil Engineer of 15 Great George Street and
WILLIAM ANDERSON Engineer of 3 Whitehall Place, both in the City of Westminster
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of ordnance, particularly
of the kind known as
"wire" guns.
The invention also relates to improved winding machinery used in the construction
of such "wire " guns.
When a gun is fired, certain strains are set up in the inner tube which tend to
alter the longitudinal dimensions of the tube, such strains, which are compressive in
some parts and tensile in other parts of the tube being due to the expansion by heat
and the resistance of friction of the projectile and of the products of combustion
acting on the inner surface of the tube. These strains are prejudicial inasmuch as
with the ordinary construction they cause undue stresses in the outer casing or jacket
of the gun.
It is the object of this invention to avoid such undue strains on the jacket by
allowing freedom for the inner tube to elongate under such tensile strains." To this
end, the inner tube is connected to, and supported by, the outer jacket or casing, at or
about the region of the trunnions or near the mid-length of the gun so that the tube
is left free to expand or contract freely in the longitudinal direction either way from
the point at which it is held without thereby straining the jacket.
"
In the construction of "wire guns hitherto where the wire coils do not extend the
full length over the chase, it is usual to reduce the thickness of the coil by means of
steps in the thickness of the tube, whereby the thickness of the tube varies
considerably within a short distance, such variation tending to set up internal initial
strains in the metal of the tube of a prejudicial character. This is avoided by making
the tube of nearly uniform thickness and placing upon it at about the middle of its
length or at the termination of the coil, a short tube forming externally a series of
steps to receive the gradually diminishing thickness of coil and form an abutment
for transmitting the longitudinal strain from the inner tube to the outer casing or
jacket.
In cases where the wire coil is carried quite or nearly to the muzzle of the
gun, its
diameter is gradually decreased from its maximum by a series of steps by successive
reduction in the number of layers of wire. To the series of steps thus formed, packing
rings or tubes are fitted which abut against corresponding seats or shoulders in the
outer casing or jacket.
The invention relates further to the winding machinery for laying on the wire coil
and consists in mechanism whereby the successive convolutions are laid on with a
definite amount of tension regulated according to their position on the coil, the
mechanism being self adjusting to compensate any irregularity in the wire whereby
uniformity of tension is maintained as long as may be required. This mechanism
may be carried upon the saddle of the slide rest of an ordinary lathe which is
traversed along by a leading screw of a pitch corresponding to that of the wire coil
and upon this saddle the drum from which the wire is drawn is carried. The wire
passes between a pair of friction surfaces held together by a toggle joint acted on by
pressure screw whereby the friction of the wire between the surfaces may be
regulated to give the required tension to the coil. These friction surfaces are carried
by a slide upon the carriage above mentioned, said slide being movable in the direction

page_text: of the stress. The mid-lle joint of the toggle is connected to a fixed point on the
carriage and the arrangement is such that forward sliding motion of the friction
jaws, caused by un.lue tension of the wire increases the angle of the toggle and so
relieves the strain, and vice versa. This, forward motion is resisted by a weighted
lever applied to act on the friction slide in the opposite direction to the tension of the
wire, the required tension being regulated by varying the weight on the lever.
The whole of this automatic friction brake or tension mechanism may be mounted to
oscillate on a horizontal axis, so as to be adjusted to the varying lead of the wire
necessary according to the diameter of the coil.
Dated this 15th day of August 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Ordnance and in Winding
Machinery Employed in the Manufacture of what are known as
"Wire" Guns.
We JAMES ATKINSON LONGRIDGE (Civil Engineer) of 15 Great George Street,
and WILLIAM ANDERSON (Engineer) of 3 Whitehall Place, both in the City of
Westminster, 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:-
This invention relates first to improvements in the construction of ordnance of the
kind in which the gun is built up of successive layers of flat steel wire or ribbon
coiled upon an inner tube and enclosed in an outer jacket, such guns being generally
known as "wire guns."
The invention also relates to improved winding machinery used in the construction
of such "wire " guns.
When a gun is fired, there are set up in the inner tube certain strains which tend
to alter the longitudinal dimensions of the said inner tube. These strains, which are
compressive in some parts of the tube and tensile in other parts of the tube, are due
partly to the expansion of the tube by heat and partly to the friction of the projectile
and of the gases of combustion acting on the inner surface of the said tube. In a
wire gun as ordinarily constructed, these strains are resisted by the outer casing or
jacket of the gun in such a way as to cause stresses in the outer jacket or casing
which are prejudicial to the gun.
The object of the first part of this invention is to avoid such prejudicial stresses in
the jacket, by allowing freedom for the inner tube to elongate under the tensile strains
to which it is necessarily exposed. This is accomplished by connecting the inner
tube to the outer jacket or casing only at about the middle of its length and supporting
the inner tube so that it shall be quite free to expand or contract in either direction
from the point at which it is so held by the jacket.
This part of the invention has further for its object to avoid internal initial strains
in the metal of the inner tube. In such guns it is usual to make the inner tube thicker
at the point where the thickness of the layer of coils is diminished, this extra
thickness of the tube being formed by a series of steps or shoulders on its outer
surface, the thickness of the tube consequently varying to a considerable extent
within a very short length of the tube. This abrupt variation of the thickness of
the tube causes initial strains of a prejudicial character in the metal of the tube. This
is avoided by making the tube of nearly uniform thickness and placing upon it a
separate short tube having a stepped or shouldered outer surface to receive the coils
of wire and form an abutment for transmitting the longitudinal strain from the inner
tube to the outer casing or jacket.

page_text: In guns whereof the wire coil is diminished in thickness by a series of steps or
shoulders on the external circumference of the coil, such steps being formed by
successive reductions in the number of layers of the wire, the short stepped tube
above referred to, is not used, but external thrust rings are applied to the steps or
shoulders of the wire coil and these thrust rings abut against corresponding seats or
shoulders on the inside of the outer casing or jacket whereby the longitudinal strain
from the inner tube is transmitted to the outer casing or jacket.
This Invention also relates to improvements in machinery for use in the manu-
facture of such "wire guns"; and this part of the invention consists of machinery
for winding the steel wire or ribbon upon the inner tube, the machinery operating in
such a way as to ensure that the successive convolutions and layers of the wire or
ribbon shall be wound on with a definite amount of tension, according to their
position in the coil, the mechanism being self-adjusting to compensate for any slight
irregularity in the wire and so maintain uniformity of tension as long as may be
required.
"
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specifi-
"wire gun
constructed
cation, in which figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a
according to this invention and in which the wire coil does not extend the full length
of the chase. Figure 2 is a part longitudinal section and part external view of a
"wire gun
"in which the wire coil does extend the full length of the chase. Figure 3
represents a sectional elevation of the machine and a cross-section of the gun tube on
which the wire is being coiled.
Referring to figure 1, A is the inner or lining tube. W is the wire coil formed of
steel wire or ribbon of rectangular section wound in successive layers around the
tube A. E is the outer jacket or casing enclosing the wire coil and which is rigidly
connected only at its front end to the tube A, the point of connection being situated
at about the middle of the length of the lining tube A. This connection is effected
as follows:-B is a short tube made separate from, and fitting on to, the tube A which
has a slight shoulder at a for the tube B to abut against. The tube B has a series of
shoulders or steps b in its circumference upon which the wire W is wound in a
successively diminishing number of layers, as shewn. This tube B is encircled by a
hoop Cagainst which, and against the end of the tube B, abuts the rear end of the
tube D which encloses the forward part of the tube A. The tube D is shouldered
at d, and this shoulder is embraced by an internal shoulder e on the front end of the
jacket or casing. Tube A is also shouldered at a¹ and the rear end of tube D is
internally shouldered, to correspond. Thus, all forwardly directed strains are trans-
mitted from the tube A through the shoulders a a¹ and the rear end of the tube D to
the casing E. d' is a nut screwed on a threaded part of the tube D and abutting against
is so fitted within
the front end of the casing E. The forward portion of the tube
the tube D as to be quite free to expand and contract longitudinally without
obstruction by the tube D. The wire coil abuts at the rear end against a flange F
screwed on the breech end of the inner tube A, provision being made in the depth of
the screw thread for radial expansion of the tube A, and the end of the outermost
layer of the wire is made fast to this flange F, a space being left between the
outer layer of wire and the jacket or casing E. This flange F is not connected to the
outer casing E but merely rests within it so as to support the weight whilst permitting
freedom for longitudinal expansion and contraction of the rear part of the tube A.
G is the breech tube screwed into the breech end of the casing E and into which the
breech plug (not shown) screws in the usual manner, and H is a straining hoop or
ring screwed on to the outside of the casing E and bearing against the rear end of
the breech tube G. There is sufficient space left between the front end of the breech
tube G and the flange F to permit free longitudinal expansion of the rear portion of
the tube A, and springs K (preferably of the kind known as the Belleville spring)
may be inserted in cavities bored in the front end of the breech tube, said springs
projecting therefrom and bearing against the flange F for the purpose of holding the
tube A against its forward abutment at the front end of the casing E and yet
permitting the rearward longitudinal expansion of the tube A. Such springs are

page_text: with.
not, however, essential in the form of gun shewn in figure 1, and may be dispensed
Referring to figure 2 (in which the wire coil and casing E extend to the muzzle of the
gun, although this is immaterial) it will be observed that the tube A is reduced in external
diameter at the front end of the chamber and that the outer casing E is shouldered
down or reduced in internal diameter at about the region of the trunnions and that
the wire coil is decreased in external diameter at the same part by a series of steps
or shoulders formed by successive reductions in the number of layers of wire. Upon
these steps, thrust rings L are fitted and these rings abut against a corresponding
series of steps or shoulders formed on the inside of the jacket or casing E. The
flange F at the breech end of the tube A is supported in the casing E and held in
position, by springs K so as to provide for the rearward longitudinal expansion of
the rear part of the tube A, precisely as described with reference to figure 1.
Referring now to figure 3 of the drawings, A is the gun tube, and W the wire
coiled thereon by the rotation of the tube A, the wire being drawn from a reel B.
The mechanism for regulating the winding is carried on the saddle of a slide rest
(similar to that of a lathe) which is traversed along by a leading screw of a pitch
corresponding to that of the wire coil, the reel B being also carried upon the same
framing C. This saddle is not shewn, but the framing C, is bolted upon it. The
wire w passes between a pair of friction blocks d d held together by a pair of toggle
bars e el jointed together at e² and abutting against an abutment adjusted by means
of a hand wheel and screw f¹ whereby the friction of the wire in passing between the
surfaces, may be regulated to give the required tension to the coil. The lower
friction block is carried by a slide fitted to move in the direction of the strain on
the wire, along guides upon a frame which is pivotted at ¹ (so as to be movable
to a small extent in a horizontal plane) upon a table which is pivoted upon a
horizontal axis j parallel with the gun axis. The oscillation of the table is controlled
by a toothed quadrant and worm k actuated by a hand wheel for the purpose of
adjusting the inclination of the friction blocks d d', according to the varying lead of
the wire as the diameter of the coil W increases. Upon the slide g is mounted the
frame in which the abutment. fis mounted so that the abutment and the friction
blocks dd' will move together with the slide g. The middle joint e² of the toggle
is connected by a rod m to standards n fixed on the frame h which does not move
with the blocks d d¹ and the arrangement of the toggle is such that forward sliding
motion of the friction blocks towards the gun, caused by excessive friction on the
wire, increases the angle of the toggle and so shortens its effective length, thus
relieving the friction of the blocks d d on the wire and vice versa when the friction
diminishes. This forward motion of the slide g is resisted by a weighted lever o
pivotted at p to the frame and connected, by a quadrant y and strap r, to the
slide 9 so as to act in the opposite direction to the strain of the wire. The tension
is regulated to the required amount, by varying the weight on the lever. The reel B
is mounted on standards on the frame k and a brake is applied to prevent the too-rapid
uncoiling of the wire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. A so-called wire gun constructed substantially as herein described so that the
inner tube is connected to, or abuts against, the outer jacket or casing only at about
the middle part of the said tube, the portions of the inner tube forward and rearward
of said point of connection or abutment being fitted within the encasing tube or
jacket so as to be supported thereby with freedom to expand and contract longitu-
dinally in opposite directions, substantially as specified.
2. In a so-called wire gun in which the inner tube abuts against, or is connected
to, the outer jacket or casing only at about the middle of the length of said tube and
is supported at its rear end within the outer casing or jacket with freedom to expand
and contract longitudinally therein, the combination with said inner tube of springs

page_text: introduced between its rear end and the breech tube in order to hold the inner tube
forward against its abutment and yet permit free rearward longitudinal expansion of
the rear part of the tube, as specified.
3. In a machine for winding wire in the construction of wire guns, the herein
described means of maintaining a uniform tension on the wire, consisting in the
combination of a pair of friction blocks movable in the direction of the strain and
pressed together by a toggle attached to a fixed point so that the motion of the
friction blocks will vary the thrust of the toggle, as described, and of a weighted lever
acting on the toggle and the friction blocks in opposition to the pull of the wire,
substantially as specified.
4. A machine for regulating the winding of the wire in the construction of a wire
gun, consisting in the combination of a pair of friction blocks movable in the direction
of the strain and pressed together by a toggle attached to a fixed point so that the
motion of the friction blocks will vary the thrust of the toggle, as described, and of a
weighted lever acting on the toggle and the friction blocks in opposition to the pull
of the wire, the whole being mounted on an adjustable frame oscillating on an axis
parallel to the gun and carried by a frame provided with means of being traversed
along parallel to the gun as fast as the wire is wound on, substantially as
specified.
Dated this 29th day of April 1000.
J. A. LONGRIDGE.
W. ANDERSON.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.