IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND GUN BARRELS
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND GUN BARRELS" to be
as follows:
This invention relates both to the barrels of small arms and to ordnance, and
'comprises a piece of ordnance or a gun-barrel composed of two or more drawn
metal tubes or shells inserted tightly one within another. Also a piece of ordnance
or a gun-barrel composed of two or more drawn metal tubes or shells inserted one
within another and united by soldering or brazing them together with a metal or
alloy more fusible than that of which the said tubes are composed.
The several tubes 'or 'shells of which the gun or barrel is made may be of what
is known as homogeneous iron, or of mild steel. They are formed from discs or
circular plates of such iron or steel of a thickness much greater than the shells or
tubes are to have when finished.
The method of forming the said tubes may be that commonly practised in
making drawn seamless hollow cylinders or tubes from discs of metal, or any
method of drawing may be employed, each tube being subjected to as many
drawings as may be necessary to give it the requisite closeness of texture and
toughness. The drawing may be performed while the metal is hot or while it is
cold, but I prefer that the innermost tube, at least, shall be drawn cold to
furnish it with a hard smooth interior surface which may constitute the bore of
the gun.
Of the several tubes required to form a gun or gun-barrel the innermost one is
of the full length of the barrel and the outer ones may be successively shorter
so that their several thicknesses are combined only at and near the breech where
the greatest strength is required, the walls of the barrel becoming gradually thinner
towards the muzzle where least strength is required.
The several tubes are respectively made of such calibre internally and externally
that the exterior of either may fit tightly within the interior of that which is to

page_text: receive it. This fit may be such that one may be forced tightly into another
while both are cold, by hydraulic or other pressure, or it may be such that in
order to insert one into another the outer one may require to be expanded by
heating it, and will in cooling shrink tightly on to the inner one. I prefer to
leave the several tubes or shells closed at one end and to make them of such shape
at their closed ends both internally and externally that their ends will fit closely
one within another to form a solid breech to the gun.
After the several tubes have been inserted one within another to make the barrel
for a piece of ordnance, the piece is completed by the addition of an external band,
on which are formed the trunnions. This band may be so fitted to one of the
tubes or shells that it may be driven on tightly or it may be so fitted that it may
go on easily when heated and shrunk on by cooling.
Wlien the several tubes or shells are not secured together by shrinking them
one upon another, or even when they are so secured, they may be united by what
is known as sweat-soldering or brazing; the surfaces which are to come together
being previously coated with any of the known fusible metals or alloys used for
such purposes, and the gun or barrel, after its so coated tubes or shells have been
put together, being heated to a suitable temperature for the fusion of the said
metal or alloy.
A gun made with a solid breech according to my invention may be converted
into a breech loader by having its solid breech bored through and fitted with any
kind of removable breech piece as for instance a screw-plug.
A gun made in this way may be made of any thickness by combining a suitable
number of shells.
Such a gun has many, advantages, among which the following may be
mentioned.
1. It cannot be made of any but perfect material without the imperfections
being discovered in the manufacture.
2. There is no waste of material in its manufacture beyond what is cut off to
produce the circular discs from the plates, as not only is the bore produced in the
drawing process but the gun or barrel may be finished externally by the same
process.
3. The gun being made entirely of drawn metal will have very great tensile
strength in proportion to its weight and a very hard bore surface.
DOLL

page_text: Improvements in Guns and Gun-barrels.
I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND GUN-BARRELS" and in what
níanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the barrels of small arms and to ordnance, and comprises
a gun or a piece of ordnance, or a gun-barrel, composed of two or more drawn
metal tubes or shells inserted tightly one within another. It also comprises a gun
or a piece of ordnance, or a gun-barrel composed of two or more drawn metal tubes
or shells inserted one within another and united by soldering or.brazing them
together with a metal or alloy more fusible than that of which the said tubes are
composed.
.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun constructed according to this invention and
composed of three drawn tubes or shells one within another.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 4 is an end view of the inner-most of the said tubes or shells.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section and
Figure 6 is an end view of the innermost and the second of said tubes or shells
put together.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section and
Figure 8 is an end view of the three tubes put togetheṛ.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section' illustrating the method of converting such a
gun or cannon into a breech-loader:
Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of one of two drawn tubes or shells of which
a rifle barrel is composed.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section showing two tubes or shells combined to form
a barrel.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
The several tubes or shells a, b, c, of which the gun or barrel is made may be of
what is known as homogeneous iron or of mild steel. These tubes are formed from
disce or circular plates of such iron or steel of a thickness much greater than the
shells or tubes are to have when finished.
-
The method of forming the said tubes may be that commonly practised in
making drawn seamless hollow cylinders or tubes from discs of metal; or any
method of drawing may be employed, each tube being subjected to as many
drawing operations as may be necessary to give it the required closeness of texture
and toughness. The drawing may be performed while the metal is hot or while it
is cold, but I prefer that the innermost tube at least shall be drawn cold to give it
a hard smooth interior surface which may constitute the bore of the gun.
Of the several tubes a, b, c, required to form a gun or gun barrel, the innermost
one is of the full length of the barrel and the outer ones may be successively shorter
so that their several thicknesses are combined only at and near the breech where

page_text: the greatest strength is required, the walls of the barrel becoming gradually
thinner towards the muzzle where least strength is required.
The several tubes are respectively made of such calibre internally and externally
that the exterior of either may fit tightly within the interior of that which is to
receive it.
This fit may be such that one may be forced tightly into another, while
both are cold, by hydraulic or other pressure; or the fit may be such that in order
to insert one into another the outer tube may require to be expanded by heating
it, so that in cooling it will shrink tightly on to the inner one. I prefer to leave
the several tubes or shells closed at one end, and to make them of such shape at
their closed ends both internally and externally, that their ends will fit closely one
within another to form a solid breech to the gun as shown in Figures 7 and 11.
After the several tubes have been inserted one within another to make the
barrel for a gun or a piece of ordnance, the piece is completed by the addition of
'an external band d, on which are formed the trunnions e, e. This band may be so
fitted to one of the tubes or shells that it may be driven on tightly, or it may be
so fitted that it may go on easily when heated and shrunk on by cooling.
When the several tubes or shells are not secured together, by shrinking them one
upon another, or even when they are so secured, they may be united by what is
known as sweat-soldering or brazing; the surfaces which are to come together
being previously coated with any of the known fusible metals or alloys used for
such purposes, and the gun or barrel after its tubes or shells so coated have been
put together, being heated to a suitable temperature for the fusion of the said
metal or alloy.
.
A gun made with a solid breech according to my invention may be converted
into a breech loader by having its solid breech bored through and fitted, with any
kind of removal breech piece, as for instance à screw-plug such as that shown at f
in Figure 9.
A gun constructed in this way may be made of any thickness by combining a
suitable number of shells. Such a gun has many advantages, among which the
following may be mentioned.
1. It cannot be made of any but perfect material, as with imperfect material
the imperfections will be discovered in the manufacture.
2. There is no waste of material in the manufacture, beyond what is cut off to
produce the circular discs from the plate, as not only is the bore produced in the
drawing process, but the gun or barrel may be finished externally by the same
process.
:
3. The gun being made entirely of drawn' metal will have very great tensile
strength in proportion to its weight, and a very, hard bore surface..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign Correspondent, I'declare that what I claim is
First. A gun or gun barrel composed of two or more drawn metal tubes or shells
inserted one within another, substantially as herein described.
"
Second. A gun or gun barrel composed of two or more drawn metal tubes or
shells inserted one within another and united by brazing or soldering, substantially.
as herein described.