IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN BARRELS, CANNON, AND OTHER ORDNANCE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clay, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Iron and Steel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
Sealed the 31st June 1860, and dated the 9th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th March 1860.
I, WILLIAM CLAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Iron and Steel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN BARRELS, CANNON, AND OTHER
ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
The principal objects of this Invention of improvements in the manufacture
of gun barrels, cannon, and other ordnance, are, to facilitate the manufacture of
these articles from wrought iron or steel, or from a combination of these sub-
stances,, also to reduce the cost of manufacture, and to improve the quality of
the articles produced.
This latter object is effected by causing the fibres of the iron or steel to be
disposed or laid round the axis of the mass concentrically, spirally, or helically,
instead of being laid in a longitudinal direction, as is now the case, when these
articles are rolled in the ordinary manner.. By this means the strength of
the barrel and its capability of resisting great lateral strain is increased.

page_text: To this end I purpose, by means of suitable machinery, to cause the pile,
bloom, or mass of metal, to rotate upon its own axis while being rolled into the
required form, whether cylindrical or conical, and this rotation of the metal on
its own axis is to be continued until the required form is obtained.
Several methods may be devised for effecting the desired object, but the
apparatus which I prefer is somewhat similar in construction to the machinery
'for which I obtained Letters Patent dated March 7th, 1854, for manu-
facturing axles.
Another form of apparatus for rolling piles or masses of iron for the purpose
of my Invention, consists in a combination of rollers, between which the mass
of iron is caused to rotate on its own axis, and while so doing will be reduced
to the required form..
Conical or cylindrical masses, either solid or hollow, may be rolled between
flat plates, or between conical surfaces suitably formed; to which either a
regular rotating motion or a reciprocating motion may be communicated.
The same object may be effected by, a combination of flat or conical surfaces
with a roller or rollers. If required' to form hollow cylinders or cones, I
employ suitable cores or mandrils.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said William Clay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th g
September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Iron and Steel Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clay, Her special license that I, the said William Clay,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clay, 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN 3
THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN BARRELS, CANNON, AND OTHER ORDNANCE," upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clay, 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 William Clay do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say)
-
The principal objects of this Invention of "Improvements in the Manu-
facture of Gun Barrels, Cannon, and other Ordnance," are, to facilitate the
manufacture of these articles from wrought iron or steel, or from a com-
bination of these substances, also to reduce the cost of manufacture, and to
improve the quality of the articles produced.
This latter object is effected by causing the fibres of the iron or steel to be
disposed or laid round the axis of the mass concentrically, spirally, or helically,
instead of being laid in a longitudinal direction, as is now the case, when these
articles are rolled in the ordinary manner. By this means the strength of the
barrel and its capability of resisting great lateral strain is increased.
To this end I purpose, by means of suitable machiney, to cause the pile,
bloom, or mass of metal to rotate upon its own axis while being rolled into the
required form, whether cylindrical or conical, and this rotation of the metal
on its own axis is to be continued until the required form is obtained. Several
methods may be devised for effecting the desired object, but the apparatus
which I prefer is somewhat similar in construction to the machinery for which
I obtained Letters Patent dated March Seventh, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four, for manufacturing axles.
Another form of apparatus for rolling piles or masses of iron for the purpose
of my Invention, consists in a combination of rollers, between which the mass
of iron is caused to rotate on its own axis, and while so doing will be reduced
to the required form.
Conical or cylindrical masses, either solid or hollow, may be rolled between
flat plates, or conical surfaces suitably formed and arranged to present a
wedge-form space between them in cross section. To these flat or conical
surfaces a regular rotating motion, or a reciprocating motion, may be com-
municated. The same object may be effected by a combination of flat or
conical surfaces, with a roller or rollers. If required to form hollow cylinders
or cones, I employ suitable cores or mandrils.

page_text: Having now described my Invention, of "Improvements in the Manu-
facture of Gun Barrels, Cannon, and other Ordnance," and; having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured
to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, rolling the blooms (from which cannon
or ordnance are, made) in such a manner as to cause the fibres of the iron or
steel to be disposed or laid round the axis of the mass concentrically, spirally,
or helically, instead of being laid in a longitudinal direction.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clay, have hereunto set
my hand and seal; the Seventh day of September, in the year of our.
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness;
J. W. MOFFATT,
66; Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM CLAY. (L.S.)