Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and Iron Shells for Ordnance and Machine Guns.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1883
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and Iron Shells for
Ordnance and Machine Guns.
I WILLIAM PILKINGTON of No. 74 Green Lanes Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Steel Tube Drawer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:
My invention has reference principally to the manufacture of steel shells for
ordnance and machine guns but may also be applied to the manufacture of ordnance
and machine shells from iron.
I will describe my invention in connection with the manufacture of steel shells.
I cut from a cylindrical bar of steel of larger diameter than the shell to be made
a length containing the required amount of steel and after heating the same to
redness I place it in a die tapering from the top downwards the bottom of the die
being of the same diameter as the cylindrical piece of steel. The length of the
cylindrical piece of steel is somewhat greater than the depth of the die so that the top
of the piece of steel stands above the top of the die. The said die is fixed on the bed of
a press and a flat plunger fitted to the bolt of the said press being made to descend upon
the piece of steel presses it into the die and causes it to take the taper figure of the
said die. The taper or conical piece of steel thus made is next placed in another
taper die of somewhat smaller size than the first. The piece of steel in consequence
of its larger size cannot descend to the bottom of the last named taper die the piece
A taper
of steel descending only to about three fourths of the depth of the die.
plunger being brought down upon the steel makes it hollow the said plunger by
entering the piece of steel forcing it to the bottom of the die and causing the displaced
metal to rise above the top of the die. The cup like piece of steel thus formed is next
operated upon in a third die similar to the last but somewhat smaller in diameter. A
punch of the same size as that last employed is made to operate on the cup shaped
steel forcing it to the bottom of the die and causing the displaced metal to rise above
the mouth of the die. The steel cup made as described is next operated upon and
brought approximately to the required shape and size by the process commonly called

page_text: the drawing through process which process being well known and commonly employed
for like purposes I do not think it necessary to describe.
I prefer to fix the dies in their proper positions on the bed of the press by means
of a peg on the bottom of the die entering and fitting in a hole in the bed of the press
and in order to effect the more accurate operation of the taper plungers described I
employ a guide plate over the dies with which taper plungers are employed the said
guide plate having a hole in a line with the axis of the die through which hole the
plunger passes and by which it is guided.
The steel is operated upon up to and including the first drawing through process
at a red heat. In the after stages of the drawing through process the steel is
operated upon cold but is annealed after each drawing.
The figure of the shell is perfected and the shell finished in the ordinary way.
Dated this Sixth day of December 1887.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Ordnance and Machine Guns.
I WILLIAM PILKINGTON of No. 74 Green Lanes Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Steel Tube Drawer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention has reference principally to the manufacture of steel shells for
ordnance and machine guns but may also be applied to the manufacture of ordnance
and machine shells from iron.
I will describe my invention in connection with the manufacture of steel shells.
I cut from a cylindrical bar of steel of larger diameter than the shell to be made a
length containing the required amount of steel and after heating the same to redness
I place it in a die tapering from the top downwards. The length of the cylindrical
piece of steel is somewhat less than the depth of the die so that the top of the piece of
steel stands a little below the top of the die. The said die is fixed on the bed of a
press and a flat plunger fitted to the ram or bolt of the said press being made to
descend upon the piece of steel presses it into the die and causes it to take the taper
figure of the said die. The taper or conical piece of steel thus made is next placed
in another taper die of the same size as the first and a taper or cylindrical plunger or
punch being brought down upon the steel makes it hollow, the said plunger causing the
displaced metal to rise above the top of the die. The cup like piece of steel thus
formed may be next operated upon in a die similar to the last but somewhat smaller in
diameter. A punch or plunger of the same size as that last employed is made to
operate on the cup shaped steel forcing it in the die and causing the displaced metal
to rise above the die. The steel cup made as described is next operated upon and
brought approximately to the required shape and size by the process commonly called
the drawing through process which process being well known and commonly employed
for like purposes 1 do not think it necessary here to describe.
I prefer to fix the dies in their proper positions on the bed of the press by means
of a peg on the bottom of the die entering and fitting in a hole in the bed of the
press and in order to effect the more accurate operation of the plungers or punches
described I employ a guide plate over the dies with which the plungers or punches
are employed, the said guide plate having a hole in a line with the axis of the die
through which hole the plunger passes and by which it is guided.
The steel is operated upon up to and including the first drawing through process
at a red heat. In the after stages of the drawing through process the steel is operated
upon cold but is annealed after each drawing. The figure of the shell is perfected
and the shell finished in the ordinary way.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represent the tools by the use of which the first stage of the manu-
facture is conducted together with the cylindrical steel block or piece to be operated
upon. In Figure 1 the cylindrical steel block or piece is represented before it is
forced into the taper die and in Figure 2 the said block is represented forced into the
said die; a is the taper die fixed on the bed of the press, a peg on the said die
entering a hole in the said bed and b is the flat ended plunger fixed to the ram 62 of
the press is the cylindrical steel block or piece cut from a cylindrical bar of a
diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the shell to be made. The cylindrical
steel block or piece chaving been heated to a red heat is placed in the mouth of the
die a as represented in Figure 1. The plunger being brought down forces the
block c into the die a in which it is compressed and made to take the figure of the said
die as represented in Figure 2 where the compressed taper block is marked e².
C
The taper block is now ready to be cupped. This is effected by the dies
or tools represented in Figures 3 and 4. The taper die a Figures 3 and 4 for receiving
the taper block is the same die as or similar to the taper die a Figures 1 and 2; d is
the cylindrical punch or plunger carried by the ram 2 of the press for cupping the
taper block. The acting end of the punch or plunger d is reduced in diameter as
represented for producing in the bottom of the shell the cavity or chamber for receiving
the bursting charge. Over the die a is a guide plate e by which the punch or plunger
is accurately guided in its motion. This guide plate has screwed into it an adjustable
bush for the shoulder 3 on the ram to strike against so as thereby to limit the
descending motion of the punch or plunger. By adjusting the height of the bush f
the metal at the bottom of the shell may be left after the operation of the punch or
plunger d of the required thickness.
The conical block being removed from the die a Figure 2 is reheated and placed
in the die a Figure 3 and the punch d descending in the axis of the block displaces
the metal upwards and cups the said block the displaced metal rising above the mouth
of the die as represented in Figure 4 where the cupped taper steel block is marked c³.
It will be seen by an examination of Figure 4 that the shoulder 63 on the ram 2 has
come in contact with the adjustable bush by which bush the descent of the
plunger or punch d is arrested in the required position for the purpose herein before
described.
The cupped taper block thus produced may either be taken directly to the drawing
through die next described or again operated upon in one or more taper dies of pro-
gressively diminishing diameter with the same punch or plunger last used so as to
further elongate the said block.
The cupped taper block or partly made shell is then reheated and forced through a
drawing die by which the partly made shell is further elongated and a cylindrical
figure given to it. The drawing through die and adjuncts which I employ for the last
described process are represented in Figures 5 and 6, where c³ (see Figure 5) is the
cupped taper block to be drawn, g the drawing through dic and h the punch or plunger
of the same kind and shape as that represented in Figures 3 and 4. The heated
cupped taper block being placed in the die g as represented in Figure 5 the punch
or plunger is made to descend and force it through the die and give it the cylindrical
form represented in Figure 6 and marked ct. For the purpose of drawing the partly
made shell Figure 6 from off the plunger h I use two steel bars or strippers i, i
which bars or strippers after the plunger has descended are pushed through side
openings in the bed of the press on either side of the depressed plunger and above the
partly made shell on the plunger and made to take a bearing against the fixed plate k
of the press as represented in Figure 6, so that on the ascent of the plunger the
temporarily fixed bars or strippers i, i remove or strip the partly made shell c* from
the said plunger. The bars or strippers, being withdrawn the press is ready to
operate upon another taper block.
The cylindrical cupped block or partly made shell operated upon in the manner
last described is next subjected to a cold drawing through process by the use of a
somewhat smaller die and punch or plunger in the manner represented in Figures 7
and 8. In effecting the cold drawing process the punch or plunger his first forced

page_text: is
into the partly made shell e as represented in Figure 7. That is to say, a steel bar
is placed on the top of the drawing through die and the partly made shell
supported on the said bar . The ram of the press being made to descend forces the
plunger or punch into the said partly made shell as seen in the said Figure 7. The
ram is now made slightly to ascend so as to release the bar which is then removed
from the top of the die m. The ram next descending forces the partly made shell c
upon the plunger through the die mas represented in Figure 8 so as to slightly
elongate and reduce the diameter of the partly made shell c. The bars or strippers i, i
Figure 8 are employed in the manner described with respect to Figure 6 for removing
the partly made shell from the punch or plunger h.
The cold drawing process last described with smaller dies and plungers may be
repeated as many times as are required to bring the shell to the desired size and
length.
If during the cold drawing process it is found that the walls of the shell have an
irregular thickness of metal at different parts, the exterior of the shell is rough turned
in a lathe so as to bring the inside and outside of the shell concentric or the walls of
the same thickness from top to bottom.
The partly made shell is next subjected to a sizing process, that is, is forced through
a long specially hardened die to give the exact size to the said shell. The tools for
effecting this sizing process are represented in Figure 9 where is the partly made
shell placed at the mouth of the sizing die n and p is the punch or plunger which is
made to enter the shell and take a bearing upon the sides or walls of the said shell.
The ram of the press being made to descend forces the shell c through the hardened
and accurately finished sizing die n.
In order to convert the shell thus made into a shrapnel shell a loose head is attached
to it and the point of the shell formed in the ordinary way.
In making armour piercing shells or shells having pointed ends according to my
invention I make the said pointed ends solid to or in one piece with the body of the
shell during the process of manufacture. To form this kind of shell the shape of the
dies and plungers or punches employed is somewhat modified to form the pointed ends.
That is to say, the bottom of the first die a (and the other dies used in the succeeding
processes) into which the cylindrical block or piece is forced has a pointed or tapering
bottom nearly corresponding in figure to the pointed end of the shell to be formed and
the acting ends of the several plungers or punches employed are cylindrical with a
tapering or conical end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in the manufacture of steel and iron shells for ordnance
and machine guns."
Making the said shells from cylindrical pieces or blocks of steel or wrought or
malleable iron by the taper shaping and cupping and drawing through operations
conducted substantially in the manner and by the use of the tools and appliances
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated the 18th day of August 1888.
WILLIAM PILKINGTON.