NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BORING: OR DRILLING GUN BARRELS AND TUBES, AND OTHER ARTICLES HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OR PRISMATIC FIGURE, WHICH SAID MACHINERY MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cornforth, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and Benjamin Smith, of Birmingham, aforesaid,
Machinist, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BORING:
OR DRILLING GUN BARRELS AND TUBES, AND OTHER ARTICLES HAVING A
CYLINDRICAL OR PRISMATIC FIGURE, WHICH SAID MACHINERY MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."
led the 20th June 1862, and dated the 24th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cornforth and
Benjamin Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents with
their Petition, on the 24th January 1862.
We, JOHN CORNFORTH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, and BENJAMIN SMITH, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR BORING OR DRILLING GUN BARRELS AND TUBES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OR PRISMATIC FIGURE, WHICH SAID MACHINERY MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
For convenience of description, we will describe our new or improved
machinery in connection with the manufacture of gun barrels, made by boring
or drilling a hole in the axis of a solid cylindrical bar of steel or iron.
Our Invention consists essentially of three different machines. The first of
the said machines resembles generally a double lathe, or a lathe with two
parallel headstocks. The two bars to be bored or drilled are supported at one

page_text: end in the spindles of the said beadstocks respectively, and at the other end in
hollow collars supported on a moveable rest. The ends of the lathe spindles
are turned in the form of hollow cones, and the said hollow collars are
similarly formed. The bars to be bored or drilled are made conical at each
end to fit these conical chucks and bearings. The borers or drills are supported
in the machine in a line with the axes of the bars, and have an advancing but
no rotatory motion. A rapid rotatory motion is given to the bars, and the
borers or drills are made to advance through the hollow collars by means of a
screw and train of wheels, and to bore or drill the rotating bars of steel or iron.
By the use of the hollow chucks described in the lathe heads or headstocks in
-place of centres, the axes of the bars are preserved accurately in a line with
the axes of the borers or drills.
The second of the said machines is constructed essentially as follows:-The
lathe spindles are hollow from end to end, and the borers or drills are fixed in
the said hollow spindles. The bars to be bored or drilled are supported in
hollow or tubular supports, in which they are fixed by set screws. They are
also supported at their ends by centres. The said hollow supports and centres
carrying the bars are fixed in a metallic box, sliding on the bed of the machine,
and are made slowly to advance against the rotating borers or drills by means
of a rack and pinion, the latter being driven slowly by a train of wheels or by
hand. The bed of the machine is not horizontal, the end carrying the head-
stocks being higher than the other end. By this arrangement the metallic
box may be filled with water or a solution of soap in water, and the bars and
ends of the borers or drills kept immersed in water.
Our third machine is constructed essentially as follows:-The said machine
it situated vertically, the two bars to be bored or drilled, and the borers or drills
having rotatory motions in opposite directions. The said bars are situated in
a vertical line over the borers or drills. The said borers or drills are fixed in
vertical hollow cases filled with water, to which said cases a rotatory motion is
given by means of bands and pulleys. The bars to be bored or drilled are
also fixed in hollow tubular cases, which said cases descend into the cases
carrying the borers or drills. By means of a rack and pinion and train of
wheels the rotating bars to be bored or drilled are brought down and advanced
slowly against the rotating borers or drills. The borings or drillings fall
through the water to the bottom of the cases carrying the borers or drills.
Borers or drills of different lengths are employed as the boring or drilling
proceeds, the machine is stopped from time to time, and the bars under
operation are raised, the borers or drills last employed can then be lifted from
their cases and borers or drills of greater length substituted therefor.

page_text: Although we have described the several machines as constructed to bore or
drill two bars simultaneously, yet the said machines may be constructed to
bore or drill one bar only at a time, or to bore or drill more than two bars
simultaneously.
Our new or improved machinery is applicable to the manufacture of gun
barrels.and tubes by boring or drilling solid metallic bars, as well as to the
clearing out or finishing of gun barrels and tubes already bored, or otherwise
made hollow.
Our Invention is also applicable to the boring or drilling of cylindrical and
prismatic bodies, and elongated bodies generally.
Our Invention is specially applicable to the boring or drilling of articles
made of metal, but may also be applied to the boring or drilling of non-
metallic articles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cornforth and- Benjamin Smith in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CORNFORTH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
BENJAMIN SMITH, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Cornforth and Benjamin Smith, Her special licence that we, the
said John Cornforth and Benjamin Smith, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Cornforth and Benjamin Smith,
our 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 "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
BORING OR DRILLING GUN BARRELS AND TUBES, AND OTHER ARTICLES HAVING A
CYLINDRICAL OR PRISMATIC FIGURE, WHICH SAID MACHINERY MAY ALSO BE APPLIED
TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Cornforth and Benjamin Smith, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the

page_text: hand and seal of one of us, or them, 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 we, the said John Cornforth and Benjamin Smith,
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 :-
Our Invention consists of the several machines herein-after described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for boring or drilling gun barrels
and tubes, and other articles having a cylindrical, elongated, or prismatio
figure, which said machinery may also be used for other like purposes.
For convenience of description we will describe our new or improved
machinery in connection with the manufacture of gun barrels made by boring
or drilling a hole in the axis of a solid cylindrical or tapering bar of steel
or iron.
.
Our Invention consists essentially of three different mahcines. The first
of the said machines resembles generally a double lathe, or a lathe with two
parallel headstocks.
The said machine is represented in plan in Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings and in longitudinal vertical section in Figure 2. The said section
being taken through the middle of one of the spindles of the machine. The
same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1 and 2. a, a, are the two bars
to be bored or drilled supported at one end in the spindles b, b, of the head-
stocks c, c, and at the other end in hollow collars d, d, the said collars being,
supported on or forming part of the moveable rests e, e. The ends of the lathe
spindles b, b, are turned in the form of hollow cones, and the hollow collars
d, d, are similarly formed as will be seen by referring to the section Figure 2.
The bars a, a, to be bored or drilled are made conical at each end to fit in the
conical chucks of the spindles b, b, and bearings of the collars d, d. Rotatory
motion is communicated to the bars a, a, by drivers fixed on the spindles b, b,
acting on carriers on the bars as represented. The borers or drills ff, are
supported in the machine in a line with the axes of the bars a, a. The
said borers or drills f, f, have an advancing motion in the manner herein-after
described, but have no rotatary motion. The borers or drills f, f, are fixed
in the rests 9, 9, the said rests being supported and capable of moving
transversely upon the dovetail h, the said dovetail being connected through
the screw box i with the screw k. The rest carrying the hollow collars d, d,

page_text: is fixed to the bed of the machine by means of the screw pin l, and the said
collars d, d, are capable of moving longitudinally upon the said rest by means
of the screws m, and screw boxes n, (see Figure 2). Motion is given to
the bars a, a, by driving bands passing over the pullies o, o, on the spindles
b. b. On the end of the said spindles b, b, pullies p, p, having different speeds
upon them, are situated, and below the said pullies another larger pulley 9,
having different speeds upon it is situated. A band passing from the pullies
p. p, to the pulley & communicates to the latter a rotatary motion which is
transmitted through the train of toothed wheels r, s, to the screw k.. The
machine being set in motion a rapid rotatory motion is given to the bars a, a,
the screw box i is made to move slowly upon the screw k, and thereby to
advance the borers or drills f. f. through the hollow collars d, d, and bore or
drill the rotating steel or iron bars a, a. The return motion of the slides
carrying the borers or drills, is effected by turning the winch t on the axis of
the screw, the pullies p and q being thrown out of gear for that purpose.
Over the collars d, a cistern containing water or a solution of soda or soap
in water is placed, and a small pipe.fixed in the bottom of the cistern delivers
a stream of the water or solution through the hollow collars d into the partly
drilled bars. The bed of the machine is higher at the end, carrying the
boring tools, than at the other end, so that the liquid introduced into the bars
has no tendency to run out, and the drills always work in water or liquid.
A cistern of water is also situated over the bars a, a, and delivers a stream of
water on the outside of the bars to keep them cool. By the use of the hollow
chucks described in the lathe heads, or head stocks in place of centres the
axes of the bars are preserved accurately in a line with the axes of the borers
or drills. The end of one of the borers or drills f, f, is shewn on a larger '
scale in Figure 2 A.
The second of the said machines is constructed in the manner herein-after
described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 3 representing the said machine in plan, and Figure 4 a longitudinal
vertical section of the same. The same letters indicate the same parts in
Figures 3 and 4. In this machine we make the lathe spindles a, a, hollow
from end to end (see Figure 4), and in the said hollow spindles we fix the
borers or drills b, b, by means of set screws e, e, as represented. The said
hollow spindles a, a, work in brasses supported on the headstocks c, c, and
are driven by bands passing over the pulleys on the said spindles, and..a
rotating motion thereby given to the borers or drills fixed therein. The
bars d, d, to be bored or drilled are fixed in hollow or tubular supports f, f,
the said bars d, d, being fixed and adjusted centrally in the said supports by

page_text: the set screws g, g, (see Figure 4). The said tubular supports are supported
near each end, in brasses or bearings h, h, and they are also supported at one
of their ends by centres i, i, the ends of the bars d, d, being shaped or recessed
for the ends of the said centres to fit in. That end of the hollow supports f
nearest the borers or drills is fixed in the brasses or bearings h by the upper
brasses k, and set screws 1. The hollow supports, bearings, and centres, and
parts connected therewith are fixed in a metallic box m, capable of sliding
on the bed of the machine. The lower part of the said box m has a rack n
attached to it with which rack the teeth of the pinion o engage. By turning
the said pinion o by means of the winch p, the box m and parts carried by
it can be made slowly to advance so as to press the fixed bars d, d, against
the rotating borers or drills b, b, and thereby to bore or drill the said bars.
The rotatory motion of the pinion o-may be effected by means of a train of
wheels instead of by hand. Or a weighted lever may be placed in one
of the holes p³ of the wheel p³, on the axis of the pinion o and the bars d, d,
thereby always kept to their bearing against the ends of the borers or drills.
The bed q of the machine is not horizontal, but the said bed has the inclination
represented in Figure 4, that is to say, "the end of the said bed carrying the
headstocks is higher than the other end. By this arrangement the metallic
box m may be filled with water or a solution of soap or soda in water, and
the bars d, d, and the end of the borers or drills b, b, kept immersed in water.
The box m is provided with a third bearing for each hollow support so as
to enable it to accommodate hollow supports and bars of greater lengths than
those represented. When the third bearings are used the centres i, i, are
replaced by shorter ones.
Our third machine is constructed in the manner herein-after described, and
illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawings. Figure 5.
represents a front elevation of the said machine. Figure 6 a plan of the
same. Figure 7, a side elevation of the same, and Figure 8 a vertical section
of the same. The sanie letters indicate the same parts in Figures 5, 6, 7,
and 8. In this machine the parts are situated vertically. The two bars a, a, to
be bored or drilled are fixed in vertical hollow cases b, b, the said cases being
situated in a line over the borers or drills of the machine. One only of the
berers or drills marked c, Figure 8, is shewn in the Drawing. The bars a, a,
are fixed centrally in the hollow cases b, b, by set screws as represented. The
said cases b, b, and bars a, a, have a rotatory motion as well as a rising and
falling motion communicated to them in the manner herein-after explained.
The borers or drills c are also fixed in vertical hollow cases d, d, filled with
water or solution of soda or soap in water, to which cases d, d, a rotatory.

page_text: motion is given by means of bands passing over the pullies d², d², on the said
cases. The rotatory motion communicated to the cases d, d, carrying the
borers or drills c, is in a direction contrary to that communicated to the cases
b, b, carrying the bars a, a, to be bored or drilled. The borers or drills c, are
fixed in the axes of the cases d,.d, in the manner which will be understood by
an examination of the section Figure 8. The drills are changed from time to
time, longer drills being used as the drilling proceeds. After the bar has been
drilled through half its length it is taken out of its holder and replaced in an
inverted position, and the other half drilled from the other end. Or the.
machine may be made sufficiently long to drill the bar from end to end. The
lower ends of the hollow cases d, d, turn in blocks or bearings e, on the bed of
the machine, and the upper end of the said hollow cases turn in brasses or
bearings f, f, carried by the bracket g. The rotatory and rising or falling
motions of the cases b, b, carrying the bars a, a, are effected as follows:-On
the upper ends of the said cases toothed wheels h, i, are situated, which engage
with one another. The toothed wheel i gears with the toothed wheel k, on
the shaft or axis 1, the said wheel & being connected with the said shaft 1. by
means of a sliding key thereby enabling the said wheel to keep in gear with
the wheel i as the cases b, b, rise or fall. The shaft or axis 1 derives its motion
from the driving shaft m, the said motion being transmitted through the bevil
gear n, to the said shaft 7. The upper ends of the cases b, b, are connected
through the bracket 02, with the rack o. A pinion p, on the axis q (see
Figures 6 and 8), engages with the rack o, and by turning the said pinion, a
vertical descending or ascending motion may be given to the said rack and
parts carried by it. Motion is given to the axis q, on which the pinion p is
situated by means of a toothed wheel on its end, which said toothed wheel r
derives its motion from the axis s, through the train of wheels t, t, t. A
band passing over the pulley u, on the said axis s, and over the pulley v, on
the driving shaft m, communicates a rotatory motion to the said axis s..
The machine being set in motion, rotatory motions in opposite directions
are given to the cases b, b, and d, d, and a slow descending motion is also
given to the cases b, b, and the rotating bars in the said cases b, b, are thereby.
advanced against the rotating borers or drills c. The borings or drillings fall
through the water to the bottom of the cases d, d. Borers or drills of
different lengths are employed as the. boring or drilling proceeds. The.
machine is stopped from time to time, and the bars under operation are.
raised by turning the winch w, on the axis of the pinion p. The borers or;
drills last employed can then be lifted from their cases and borers or drills
of greater length substituted therefor. The bars are then brought down

page_text: to the borers or drills by means of the said winch w, and the machine is
again set in motion, and so on until the bars have been bored or drilled
to the required degree. In order to ascertain that the boring or drilling
is proceeding accurately in the axes of the bars under treatment we
remove them from time to time from the machine and examine them by
means of a gauge in the manner illustrated in Figure 9, which Figure 9
répresents on a larger scale than the other Figures one of the partially bored
or drilled bars with the gauge. The said gauge consists of a rod of iron or
steel a, a, bent near its middle, so that the two arms x, x², are parallel: A
screw y is passed through the end of the arm x², and a spring z is fixed on the
inner side of the end of the arin x. The arm x being introduced into the bored
or drilled bar 2, the screw y is adjusted until it nearly touches the outside of
the bar 2. By turning round the said bar so as to bring its different sides
against the end of the screw y, any deviation of the drilled hole from the axis
of the bar is indicated by an increase or diminution between the end of the
screw y, and the outside of the bar 2. If any such irregularity is found, the
bar 2 is slightly bent externally so as to bring the undrilled part in the direc-
tion of the drilled hole; or the bar 2 may be gauged by a long rod temporarily
fixed in the drilled hole, and the bar being made to rotate against a point
brought near the side of the protruding end of the said rod, any irregularity
in the drilling is indicated by the varying distance between the fixed point and
the end of the rod. Or the accuracy of the drilling may be tested by placing
the flame of a candle near the mouth of the partially drilled bar, and looking
down it whilst rotating.
Although we have described the several machines as constructed to bore
or drill two bars simultaneously, yet the said machines may be constructed to
bore or drill one bar only at a time, or to bore or drill more than two bars
simultaneously.
Our Invention is also applicable to the boring or drilling of cylindrical and
prismatic bodies, and elongated bodies generally.
• Our Invention is specially applicable to the boring or drilling of articles
made of metal, but may also be applied to the boring or drilling of non-
metallic articles.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details berein-before described and illus-
trated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of our
Invention; but we claim as our Invention,-
.
Firstly, the general arrangement or combination of parts of the machine for

page_text: boring or drilling gun barrels, tubes, and other metallic and non-metallic
articles, having a cylindrical or prismatic, or elongated figure, and for other
like purposes herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, the general arrangement or combination of parts of the machine
for boring or drilling gun barrels, tubes, and other metallic and non-metallic
articles, having a cylindrical, elongated, or prismatic figure, and for other like
purposes, herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly, the general arrangement or combination of parts of the machine
for boring or drilling gun barrels, tubes, and other metallic and non-metallic
articles, having a cylindrical, elongated, or prismatic figure, and for other
like purposes, herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8,
of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Cornforth and Benjamin Smith,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of July, in
the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOHN CORNFORTH. (L.s.)
BENJAMIN SMITH. (L.S.)