IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEAVY GUNS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Bennett Howell, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEAVY
GUNS."
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Bennett Howell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th September 1880.
JOSEPH BENNETT HOWELL, of Sheffield, in the County of York. “IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEAVY GUNS."
My Invention relates to the manufacture of heavy guns, and more particularly to
the first process, namely, that of forming the mould or block, and the object of my
Invention is, in the first place, to reduce the cost by dispensing with the costly
mechanical processes of building up as at present carried out; secondly, to increase
the strength of the gun; and, thirdly, to enable guns to be made of much greater
weight than has hitherto been possible, and without a material alteration in the
size of the hammers and other tools required to operate on them from those in use
for guns up to, say, one hundred tons.
In carrying out my Invention I cast an ingot, which may be hollow or solid, to
form the barrel or tube, and, by preference, subject it to the action of a hammer,
squeezer, or similar compressing apparatus; I then reheat the block or tube in a
suitable furnace, and when at a sufficient beat to liquify a flux I apply borax or
other suitable flux to the surface of the block or tube and at once place it in a
prepared mould; I then run round it a quantity of molten fluid steel sufficient to
produce the thickness required at this stage of the process, and which welds and
becomes perfectly combined with the metal of the block; this is again subjected to
the action of the hammer or squeezer and again placed in the furnace. The above
described operations are repeated until the desired size is attained, the block being
afterwards bored and finished in the usual manner.
The different applications of steel so cast and welded together may vary in
temper, being hard or soft, as may be considered best for the purpose.
My Invention may also be applied to the rejacketting of existing guns that
require strengthening, and it is obvious that by so casting additional metal in perfect
combination with the existing barrel or tube, such barrel or tube may be rebored
and the diameter of the calibre of the gun increased.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Bennett Howell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th December 1880.
JOSEPH BENNETT HOWELL, of Sheffield, in the County of York.
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEAVY GUNS."
'
"IMPROVEMENTS
My said Invention relates to the manufacture of heavy guns, and more
particularly to the first process, namely, that of forming the mould or block, and
the object of my said Invention is, in the first place, to reduce the cost by dispensing
with the costly mechanical processes of building up as at present carried out;
secondly, to increase the strength of the gun; and, thirdly, to enable guns to be
made of much greater weight than has hitherto been possible, and without a
material alteration in the size of the hammers and other tools required to operate
on them from those in use for guns up to, say, one hundred tons.
In carrying out my said Invention I cast an ingot, which may be hollow or solid,
to form the barrel or tube, and, by preference, subject it to the action of a hammer,
squeezer, or similar compressing apparatus;-1-then-reheat the block or tube in a
suitable furnace, and when at a sufficient heat to liquify a flux I apply borax or
other suitable-flux-to-the-surface_of_the block or tube, and at once place it in a
prepared mould; I then run round it a quantity of molten-fluid-steel-sufficient_to_
produce the thickness required at this stage-of-the-process, and which steel wolds
and becomes perfectly combined with the metal of tho block; this is again subjected
to the action of the hammer or squeezer and again placed in the furnace. The
abovo described operations are repeated until the desired size is attained, the block
being afterwards bored and finished in the usual manner.
The different applications of steel so cast and welded together may vary in
temper, being hard or soft, as may be considered best for the purpose.
My said Invention may also be applied to the rojackotting of existing guns which
require strengthening, and it is obvious that by so casting additional metal in
perfect combination with the existing barrel or tube, such barrel or tube may be
rebored and the diameter of the calibre of the gun increased.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hercinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
The manufacture of heavy guns, substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Bennett Howell, have to this my
Specification set iny hand and seal, this Third day of December, One
thousand sight hundred and eighty
J. B. HOWELL. (L.S.)