Improvements in Rifles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED NOBEL, of 53, Avenue Malakoff, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Engineer.]
Improvements in Rifles.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6, Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
A great drawback in the use of magazine rifles, or quick-firing rifles, is the rapid
heating of the barrel, on firing comparatively few shots in rapid succession. 2 dozen
discharges suffice to heat the barrel up to 200 degrees Centigrade, when it is almost
unfit, before having cooled, for further use.
In order to enable a man to touch
the barrel when this heated, a thin outer tube, covering the barrel with a small air
space between, has been adapted to some kinds of military rifles, but that device
rather retards than quickens the cooling of the barrel. It has been found, however,
that by surrounding the barrel with a thin metallic tube filled with water, a great
caloric absorption may be effected, and thus permit of firing a far greater number
of charges without exceeding the practical limit of temperature to which a barrel
can, without inconvenience, be subjected. The absorption of heat will be greatest
when the water is allowed to evaporate, and in such case, 1 part by weight of water
has about the same capacity for heat as 60 parts by weight of iron. Hence the
escape of a small quantity of vaporized water will suffice to keep the barrel of a
rifle at a temperature not materially exceeding 100° Centigrade, or the limit of
practical use.
In carrying out the improvement, the rifle barrel is fitted in a tube, or otherwise
formed receptacle, extending along its whole length, or part thereof, as the case
may require. This tube or receptacle is so secured to the barrel, that no leakage
of the water which it is intended to hold can take place, and it is so formed that the
main bulk of the water which it is to contain, is stored beneath the lower part of
the barrel, and communicates with some kind of porous cloth or suitable material,
forming a wick, lapped around the barrel. This wick is intended to suck up the
water, even when the water receiver is comparatively empty, and thus water the
barrel. It is also intended, by its porosity, to afford sufficient exit for the water-
vapours formed, and allow of their escaping without carrying off and wasting
unvaporized water.
The water receiver is provided with a suitable stopper to facilitate the charging
of it with water. It is moreover provided, in its muzzle-ward part, with a small
valve, for the discharge of water vapour, but which will permit of the rifle being
lowered or shaken without the slighest escape of water.
If it be desired to keep the temperature of the rifle lower than the vaporization
of water will permit, then a liquid of lower boiling point may be substituted for
water, and such liquid will, in that case, be preferred, which, with the lowest
boiling point, absorbs the greatest portion of heat, such as methylic alcohol or
ether.
Without exceeding the proportions practically suited for a rifle for military use,
a quantity of, say, 300 grammes of water can easily be stored in the aforesaid water
receptacle. In most cases, the heating of that quantity of water up to its boiling
point, will be found sufficient to keep the barrel as cool as need be, and in cases of
exceptionally quick firing, the evaporation of the water store will carry off a large
portion of heat.
Dated this 21st day of April 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rifles.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6, Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
A great drawback in the use of rifles, especially magazine rifles, or quick firing
rifles, is the over-heating of the barrel on firing comparatively few shots in rapid
succession.
It is now proposed to overcome that difficulty by surrounding the breech end of
the rifle barrel with a thin metallic tubular casing, which forms a reservoir for
water, or other vaporizable liquid, and to insert in such reservoir some kind of
porous cloth, or other absorbent material, which, by capillary attraction, will hold
the moisture in contact with the heated barrel, even though the liquid in the
receiver has become comparatively empty. The heat absorbing capacity of the
liquid thus held in contact with the barrel, will permit of a far larger number of
charges being fired from the rifle than is now possible without exceeding the limit
of temperature to which a barrel can without inconvenience be subjected.
The abstraction of heat will be greatest when the water is allowed to evaporate,
and provisions is therefore made for the escape of vapour generated in the reservoir.
It will be found that one part by weight of vaporized water has about the same
capacity for heat as sixty parts by weight of iron or steel. Hence, the escape of a
small quantity of vaporized water will suffice to keep the barrel of a rifle at a
temperature not materially exceeding 100° C.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a rifle barrel fitted according to this
invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 1, 2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3, 4, and Fig. 4 a cross section taken
on the line 5, 6.
In these figures, a is the barrel, a thin steel tubular casing, closed at its ends;
and forming the reservoir for the cooling liquid. c is a small tube with a stopper
permitting of emptying or filling conveniently with water the space between the
barrel a and the tube b. d is a small valve situated at the front end of the casing b,
for the discharge of vapour generated in the casing, but sufficiently tight to permit
of lowering or shaking the rifle without giving rise to any leakage of the cooling
liquid. e is a portion of the stock of the rifle.
b
The tubular casing may, without exceeding the proportions practically suited
for a rifle for military purposes, be of such a capacity as to receive 300 grammes
of liquid. In most cases, the heating of that quantity of water up to its boiling
point will suffice to keep the barrel as cool as need be.
In ordinary practice, so few shots will be fired in rapid succession, that the
temperature of the water contained in the reservoir will not be raised above
100° C., but when that limit is exceeded, steam will be formed, the tension of
which will ensure its escape through the valve d.
As, however, the water store becomes converted into steam, its, surface contact
with the barrel a will gradually decrease, until the water ceases to be an efficient
absorber of heat.
It is to avoid this, that the receiver is provided with cotton or asbestos cloth, or
other porous material, such as porous silica, carbonate of magnesia, or the like,
the capacity for suction of which will maintain contact of water with the metal of
the barrel, even after evaporation of the greater part of the water stored in the
reservoir b.
Instead of water, the reservoir may be supplied with some other liquid having a

page_text: lower boiling point, such as methylic alcohol, spirits of wine, ether, acetone
disulphide of carbon, or the like.
The advantage of using such liquids instead of water is, that they admit of
keeping the barrel at a lower temperature than when water is made use of.
The extent and position of the tubular casing b, as respects the barrel a, is clearly
indicated at Fig. 1, and it is attached to the barrel by soldering or otherwise, so as
to prevent the leakage of the liquid which it is to contain.
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, I declare that what I claim is :-
The means above described with reference to the drawing, for presenting a
cooling liquid to the barrels of magazine and other rifles, and withdrawing the
heat therefrom, as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of Kahwa 1901
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.