ImprovNUS IN ORDNANCE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Theophilus Blakely, of Little Ryder Street,
St James's, in the County of Middlesex, Captain of the Royal Artillery,
for the Invention of "ImprovNUS IN ORDNANCE »
for the Invention of "IM
“IMPROVEMENTS IN
IN ORDNANCE
Sealed the 14th August 1855, and dated the 27th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Theophilus
Blakely at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th February 1855.
I, ALEXANDER THEOPHILUS BLAKELY, of Little Ryder Street, St James's, in
5 the County of Middlesex, Captain of the Royal Artillery, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE" to be as
follows:-
The improvements relate, first, to forming guns with an internal tube or
cylinder of cast iron or steel, enclosed with a casing of wrought iron or steel.
0 I prefer to form the outer surface of the inner tube somewhat conical, the
greatest diameter being just in front of the trunnions and tapering both ways,
and to apply the outer casing in the form of collars or rings driven thereon;
and in some cases I apply two or more layers of such rings, according to the
strength sought to be obtained, the trunnions being of one piece with one of
the rings. I also form such outer casing of wire or rod wound spirally in one
or more layers around the inner cylinder or tube.
5

page_text: Thirdly, the improvements consist in forming heavy guns, especiany
guns
or "sea-service mortars," with an internal tube or cylinder (formed by
casting and boring in the usual manner), upon which are cast rings of cast
iron in one or more layers. When in several layers the joints of the rings
should "break band." The interior of the gun might be carried separately, 5
and the exterior rings put on on the spot, the interior being shrunk for the
time by filling it with a freezing mixture.
Fourthly, the improvements relate to strengthening old guns, or guns made
according to other arrangements, by the application of external rings or coils
of wire, as referred to under the first head of the improvements.
Sixthly, the improvements relate to employing the friction produced by the
passage of oil or other fluids through a small passage in combination with the
use of compressed air as applied to gun carriages, for the purpose of moderating
the recoil of the gun carried thereby. The gun carriage is formed with a
cylinder or chamber to receive a piston, the rod of which is connected to
some suitable abutment, & this cylinder is capable of communication through
a small passage closed by a valve with another cylinder or chamber contain-
ing compressed air. When the gun is fired the piston will act as an
abutment to force the fluid from the cylinder containing it through the small
passage to the air chamber, when the compressed air will serve to moderate
the recoil, whilst the valve in the small passage, by closing against the
Another valve or a tap is
return of the fluid, will prevent a rebound.
employed to open a communication between the air chamber & the cylinder
by which the fluid therein may be permitted to return, and effect the running
of the carriage when desired.
up
Seventhly, my improvements relate to moderating the recoil of mortars of
firing, by the application thereto of the systems embraced by the fifth an
sixth heads of the Invention.
Eighthly, my improvements relate to the application, when forming guns
separate layers or thicknesses of metal, of sheets or layers of lead or other so
metal between such separate layers or thicknesses, for the purpose of insurin
close contact.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
THEOPHILUS BLAKELY, of Little Ryder Street, St James's, in the County of
Middlesex, Captain of the Royal Artillery, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely, Her special licence that I, the
said Alexander Theophilus Blakely, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely,
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 Alexander Theophilus Blakely, 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):-
The improvements relate, first, to forming guns with an internal tube or
cylinder of cast iron or steel, inclosed in a casing of wrought iron or steel
I sometimes form the outer surface of the inner tube somewhat conical, the
greatest diameter being just in front of the trunnions and tapering both ways
and apply the outer casing in the form of collars or rings driven thereon; an
in some cases I apply two or more layers of such rings, according to th
strength sought to be obtained, the trunnions being of one piece with one
the rings. The outer casing may, however, be applied in the form of colla
or rings, heated and shrunk upon the cylindrical surface of the inner cylind
or tube.

page_text: Secondly, the improvements consist in forming heavy ordnance, especially
rifled guns or sea-service mortars, with an internal tube or cylinder, (formed by
casting and boring in the usual manner), upon which are cast rings of cast
iron in one or more layers. When in several layers the joints of the rings
should "break band."
Thirdly, the improvements relate to strengthening old guns, or guns made
according to other arrangements, by the application of external metal rings or
coils of iron, as referred to under the first head of the improvements.
passage
5
Fourthly, the improvements relate to employing the friction produced by the
of oil or other fluids through a small passage in combination with the 1
use of compressed air as applied to gun carriages, for the purpose of moderating
the recoil of the gun carried thereby. The gun carriage is formed with a
cylinder or chamber to receive a piston, the rod of which is connected to some
suitable abutment, and this cylinder is capable of communication through a
small passage closed by a valve with another cylinder or chamber containing
compressed air. When the gun is fired the piston will act as an abutment
to force the fluid from the cylinder containing it through the small passage to
the air chamber, when the compressed air will serve to moderate the recoil,
whilst the valve in the small passage, by closing against the return of the
Another valve or a lap is employed to open
a communication between the air chamber and the cylinder, by which the fluid
therein may be permitted to return, and effect the running up of the carriage
when desired.
fluid, will prevent a rebound.
Fifthly, my improvements relate to moderating the recoil of mortars when
being fired by the application thereto of the system embraced by the fourth
head of the Invention.
Sixthly, my improvements relate to the application, when forming guns of
separate layers or thicknesses of metal, of sheets or layers of lead or other
soft metal between such separate layers or thicknesses, for the purpose of
insuring close contact.
But that my said Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a sectional view, and Figure 2 an external view, of a gun
arranged according to the first part of my improvements; Figure 3 shows the
internal core separately; Figure 4 shows two views of one of the rings; and
Figure 5 two views of the ring upon which the trunnions are formed. a, a, is
the internal tube or cylinder, of cast iron or steel, and which receives the

page_text: charge; b, b, are a series of collars or rings, which are shrunk or driven
upon the outer surface of the inner cylinder.
There may be one or several series of such collars or rings, but when there
are several layers they should be applied so as to break joint, as shown, and
5 when applied, they with the internal cylinder form one combined mass of
metal to resist the force of the charge when firing. The trunnions are formed
on or affixed to one of the collars or rings, as shewn by Figure 5. c, c, are
rods, formed with screws at their ends for nuts, by which the parts are retained
in position. Guns thus formed of several parts may be either put together
o and transported as a whole, or they may be transported in separate pieces and
put together as required, by which great facility will be obtained for transport,
especially with heavy guns. In these Figures I have shown the end a¹ of the
cylinder or tube formed as part of that cylinder. I do not, however, confine
myself to that arrangement, and in some cases I form that part separately, as
shown by Figure 6.
In place of forming the outer casing of separate collars or rings, I some-
times form such outer casing of wire, or rod wound spirally in one or more
layers around the inner cylinder or tube.
When the guns are formed in several parts to be put together separately
then the internal cylinder may for the time be shrunk somewhat by the appli-
cation thereto of any suitable freezing mixture; or the external rings may be
caused to expand by heat previous to being applied to the internal cylinder,
and then shrunk thereon.
I have not thought it necessary to give any specific direction for casting
metal upon the surface of internal cylinders or cores for the purpose of
strengthening them, as I proceed by simply forming a mould of the figure
of such ring, and then have applied the internal cylinder therein as a core, I
pour the fluid metal into the space around, as is well understood by persons
accustomed to casting in metal.
Old guns, or guns made according to other arrangements, may be strengthened
by the application of external rings, or coils of wire, or bars of iron or steel,
as described in respect to the first part of the Invention. Figure 8 shows a
plan, and Figure 9 a side view, of a gun with a carriage constructed according
to the fourth part of my improvements; Figure 10 shows a section through one
cheek of the carriage. a, a, are the side frames of the gun carriage, each of
which is formed with a chamber b for compressed air, which is supplied through
the opening 61; c is a cylinder, and d a piston working therein. The rod of
this piston is connected to some suitable abutment, and when the gun is fired
the oil or other fluid contained therein will be forced through the valve passage

page_text: e into the air chamber b, the air in which will serve to moderate the recoil, and
the closing of such valve will prevent rebound. The valve or tap-f is employed
to open a communication between the air chamber and the cylinder to admit
of the return of the fluid to the cylinder, and thus, by acting upon
by the force of the compressed air, effect the running up of the carriage
again.
the piston
I form the side frames or cheeks of the gun carriage in two parts through
the line z, by which I obtain great facility in forming the internal parts and
chambers thereto, and when fitted I retain these parts together by screws and
nuts, or other suitable means, with a thin layer of soft metal or other suitable
material between the surfaces in contact; but this may be varied.
A workman from the description given will readily make such modifications
in applying the system to mortar carriages for moderating
as may be necessary
their recoil, and the sheets or layers of lead or other soft metal between the
layers or thicknesses of metal in guns formed of such separate layers or thick-
nesses may
be either caused to flow in between the parts in a fluid state or be
placed there in sheets.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown and
described, so long as the peculiar character of any part of the improvements
be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Theophilus Blakely, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
ALEXANDER THEOPHILUS BLAKELY. (L.S.)
WILLIAM BROOKES,
Patent Agent,
73, Chancery Lane, London.