AN IMPROVED METHOD OP CONSTRUCTING ORDNANCE OR CANNON OF WROUGHT IRON
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Horatio Ames, of the State of Connecticut, of the
United States of America, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OP CONSTRUCTING ORDNANCE OR CANNON OF WROUGHT IRON."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Horatio Ames at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 6th January 1865, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, be it
known, that I, HORATIO ANES, of the State of Connecticut, of the United
States of America, have made an Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
CONSTRUCTING ORDNANCE OR CANNON OF WROUGHT IRON," and I do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which it is to be per-
formed, to be fully described in the following Specification, and represented
in the accompanying Drawings, of which Figure 1 denotes a side view, and
Figure 2 a longitudinal section of a cannon or gun and its "porter bar" in
the state in which they appear when made in accordance with my Invention,

page_text: porter bar,"
and preparatory to the removal of the surplus portion of the "
and to the carrying on of the remaining operations of turning down, boring,
rifling, and finishing the piece, the positions of the joints or connections of the
rings or parts welded together being indicated by lines.
Figure 3 is a side view; Figure 4 an end elevation; and Figure 5 a trans-
verse section of one of my compound rings or sections of which the main
portion or barrel of the gun is composed, the same being illustrative of the
appearance of the compound ring or section when ready for being heated to a
welding temperature in a furnace.
Figure 6 is.a lengthwise section of a concave former, which under certain
circumstances, as herein-after explained, is to be employed in giving a convex
form to the face or side of a section or series of concentric rings after such
may have been welded into place.
Figure 7 is a side view of the cylindrical pin used in centering or adjusting
each section to its proper position for being welded to that part of the gun
to which it is to be connected, such pin also being employed for the purpose
of producing or preserving a straight axial passage through the several
annular sections composing that part of the piece in which the bore is sub-
sequently made.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of the gun or cannon as it appears after
having been separated from the surplus part of the "porter bar," and turned
and bored, the joints of the welded parts being indicated by lines, although
the several parts of which the gun may be composed when welded together
would exhibit no such lines or indications of connections.
The making of a gun or piece of ordnance by means of a series of iron rings
or tubes welded together is not new, and therefore the nature of my Invention
consists in an improved method of constructing a gun or piece of ordnance of
wrought iron, the same consisting in arranging the rings thereof, and combining
them together, and with one or more breech pieces or plates, substantially in
the manner as herein-after described.
And the nature of my Invention further consists in the employment in com-
bination with such method or process of a centralizing pin, substantially in the
manner as herein-after explained.
And the nature of my Invention further consists in the construction of
each gun section (composed of rings arranged concentrically as herein-after
set forth), where it is to be welded to another section or portion, crowning or
convex, or projecting, substantially as and for the purpose as herein-after set
forth.
And the nature of my Invention further consists in combining with the

page_text: arrangement of the rings concentrically in sections, and the welding of such
sections together in manner as herein-after explained, the turning of the rings
of each section to a close fit with that next adjacent to and concentric with
it preparatory to their being welded together.
"E
For the purpose of conveniently supporting and manufacturing the piece
of ordnance during the process of constructing it a porter bar" may be
employed to advantage. This "porter bar" (shown in the Drawings at A) is
a long shaft or bar of wrought iron, having a head or mass of iron at one end
sufficiently large to compose the main portion of the breech of the gun, the
balance of the breech being welded to the head, and being a short cylinder
of wrought iron, or composed of a cylinder of less diameter, and one or
more wrought-iron rings arranged concentrically around it, and welded
together, and to it, it being understood that the surfaces to be welded together
are first to be made smooth by being either turned, planed, or otherwiso
equivalently reduced.
The welding together of any two sections or parts of the cannon is to be
effected through the agency of a powerful hammer, driven by steam or some
other suitable motor, a Naysmith steam hammer or ram working horizon-
tally being preferable for effecting the union where the joints are upright, or
approximately so.
.
The remainder of the gun except the trunnions is. to be composed of a
series of wrought-iron sections (B, B, B, &c., see Figures 1 and 2), each of
which is to be formed of two or any other suitable number of rings or annuli,
arranged concentrically as shown in Figures 4 and 5, in which a, b, c, indicate
such rings. The first or lesser ring should be a little longer than the others,
or each of the rings from the outer to the inner of them may be a little less
in length than that next to and encompassed by it.
Instead of so making
each of the sections, the end thereof to be welded to that of another section
may be rendered slightly convex by means of a die or former (see Figure 6)
pressed thereon, or by any other suitable means, the object of so making each
section being to cause the welding to first take place at the end of the
inner ring of it, and to cause any cinders or extraneous matters to be forced
laterally out of the joint during the process of hammering the surfaces into
welding contact. In this way a very close union of the sections can be
effected, their connection at or in the vicinity of the bore of the gun being thus
obtained to great advantage.
Furthermore, after the welding of each section the front face of it should
or may, as circumstances may require, be brought to a convex shape by
means of the concave die or former herein-before mentioned. From the

page_text: above it will be seen that in the welding of any two of the sections together
they will first unite at or close to their bore, and the union will gradually take
place from the bore to the circumference of each of the surfaces welded into
connection.
.
It should be observed that the rings of each section should or may be
planed or made plane on their edges, and should or may be turned so as to
correctly or well fit together when arranged concentrically preparatory to
being heated for the purpose of being welded together, and into place in the
gun. The bores of the various sections should be circular, and of like
diameter, in order that the centralizing pin may fit each of them when inserted
therein.
By turning and planing the surfaces to be united by welding, any defects
in them may be discovered, and the fitting and union of the parts can be
effected with precision, a matter of very great importance in making cannon
of wrought iron.
Each section after having been made as described should be heated to a
welding heat in a furnace, care being taken if possible that that end only
next to be welded is raised to such a temperature, such being in order that
each surface to be welded should be subjected but once to a welding tempe-
rature. To accomplish this to the best advantage the gun section may be
placed with its axis horizontal or nearly so in the furnace, in order that the
heating powers of the latter may so operate as to raise the end to be welded
to a welding temperature, leaving the other end at a lower degree of heat.
The portion of the gun welded to the "porter bar "and to be welded to the
section should also be heated, or have its surface to be welded raised to a
welding temperature. Next the section and the breech part projecting from
the "porter bar "having been properly heated, should be brought together
and hammered into close junction, cranes and tongs, or other proper means
being employed in bringing together and holding the parts in their due
relations during the hammering process.
Preparatory to connecting each two of the sections, the centralizing pin
should be inserted in their bores or central cavities, and suffered to remain
there while the process of forcing and hammering the inner rings of the sections
together may be in the act of being carried on. The ram used in welding or
hammering the sections together will strike on the head of the pin. This use
of the pin (such pin being shown in Figure 7,) not only serves to properly
adjust one section to the other; but to bring the several bores or holes thereof
into one straight line. After the two innermost rings of the two sections may
have been hammered into welding contact, the pin should be removed from

page_text: the sections, and the completion of the welding of them be effected by the
hammer made to strike against the end of the outer section.
Besides the welding of the sections together as above described, a grooved
bed or grooved dies, and an upright moving ram or hammer are to be used in
hammering and compressing the gun in radial or transverse directions. Thus,
by hammering the piece on its external surface, and while the rings of a
section are in a welding state, the union of the rings may be further effected,
and the piece be made to approximate to the final form to be imparted to it
by the lathe.
The number of sections of which a gun may be composed will depend on
After the cannon
the length of the piece and the width of each section.
may have been so far constructed, the surplus of the "porter bar" may be cut
off and used in making another gun. Next, the turning, boring, rifling, and
finishing the gun are to be done, the trunnions being screwed into or otherwise
suitably affixed to it.
In making each section (B) or series of rings, the innermost ring should be
so constructed that the laminae or fibres of the iron may run transversely with
the bore, rather than in parallelism or lengthwise thereof, the same being to
prevent fissures or seams from being arranged longitudinally of and near to
the bore of the gun.
I do not claim as my Invention the making of a gun or piece of ordnance
by means of a series of wrought-iron rings or tubes welded together.
Nor do I claim the well-known principles of making a gun as explained
and adopted by Treadwell, Parrott, Armstrong, Whitworth, or Blakeley, in
which wrought-iron hoops or rings are shrunk on, or made to envelop a long
tube, metallic body, or core, each ring being put separately thereon; what I
claim as my Invention or improvement is, my improved mode, as above
described, of constructing a gun or piece of ordnance of such rings, the same
consisting in arranging the rings concentrically in annular sections, and
welding such sections endwise together, and with one or more plates or.
breech-pieces, substantially in manner as herein-before specified.
And in combination with such process or mode I claim the employment of
a centralizing pin, substantially in the manner and for the purpose or objects
as specified.
I also claim the construction of each gun section (composed of rings, as
herein-before set forth,) where it is to be welded to another section or portion,
crowning or convex, or projecting, substantially as and for the purpose as
herein-before explained.
And in combination with the arrangement of the rings in sections, and the

page_text: welding of such sections together, as set forth, I claim the turning of each of
the rings of each section to a close fit with that next adjacent to it, and
concentric with it, preparatory to their being welded together.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 29th
November 1864.